Periodontal treatment and vascular inflammation in patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Observational studies support an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. The study objective was to assess vascular inflammation after periodontal treatment in patients with peripheral arterial disease. METHODS: Ninety patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and severe periodontitis were enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial. Thirty patients underwent non-surgical periodontal therapy and received additional systemic antibiotics (PT1 group), while 30 patients received the same therapy without antibiotics (PT2 group). The remaining thirty patients did not receive periodontal therapy (CG, control group). The primary outcome of this treatment was a reduction in vascular inflammation three months after periodontal treatment as determined by 18F-FDG PET/CT values. Secondary outcomes were changes in the inflamed periodontal surface area (PISA) and other periodontal parameters, changes in vascular biomarkers, and adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS: After three months of treatment, a significant improvement in periodontal health was observed in the treatment groups. However, no difference in the primary outcome in the aorta was observed in the three study groups (median target to background ratio follow-up/baseline, PT1 1.00; 95% CI 0.97-1.10, PT2 1.00; 95% CI 0.98-1.1, CG 1.1; 95% CI 0.99-1.1, p = 0.75). No significant differences were detected in most diseased segments and active segments. In addition, no differences were observed in 18F-FDG uptake in the carotid, iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries. No differences with regard to relative changes in vascular biomarkers were noted, and no serious cardiovascular adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal treatment was effective and safe but did not reduce vascular inflammation in patients with PAD.

A Prospective Head-to-Head Comparison of 18F-Fluciclovine With 68Ga-PSMA-11 in Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer in PET/CT.

PURPOSE: One of the major challenges for all imaging modalities is accurate detection of prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence. Beyond the established Ga-PSMA, a novel promising PET tracer in PCa imaging is F-fluciclovine. For evaluating the advantages and disadvantages and the comparability, we conducted a prospective head-to-head comparison on F-fluciclovine and Ga-PSMA-11 in patients with biochemical recurrence of PCa. METHODS: 58 patients with biochemical recurrence of PCa after definitive primary therapy were included. Both scans were performed within a time window of mean 9.4 days. All scans were visually analyzed independently on a patient-, region- and lesion-based analysis. All the examinations were performed in the same medical department using identical scanners at any time. RESULTS: The overall detection rate for PCa recurrence was 79.3% in F-fluciclovine and 82.8% in Ga-PSMA-11 (P = 0.64). Local recurrence was detected in 37.9% on F-fluciclovine and in 27.6% on Ga-PSMA-11 (P = 0.03). Local pelvic lymph node recurrence was detected on F-fluciclovine versus Ga-PSMA-11 in 46.6% versus 50%, in extrapelvic lymph node metastases in 41.4% versus 51.7% and in bone metastases in 25.9% versus 36.2%. Lesion-based analysis showed identical findings in local pelvic lymph nodes in 39.7%, in extrapelvic lymph nodes in 22.4%, and in bone metastases in 13.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The advantage of F-fluciclovine is detecting curable localized disease in close anatomical relation to the urinary bladder, whereas Ga-PSMA-11 fails because of accumulation of activity in the urinary bladder. F-fluciclovine is almost equivalent to Ga-PSMA-11 in detecting distant metastases of PCa recurrence.

Visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 and discrete bicytopenia.

An Austrian patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 developed visceral leishmaniasis after trips to Spain and Crete, presenting with slight bicytopenia, later developing severe pancytopenia. Travel history taking is important due to an extended incubation period. Coexistence of diabetes mellitus can impair T lymphocyte function and cause higher relapse rates.

Tight glycaemic control by an automated algorithm with time-variant sampling in medical ICU patients.

OBJECTIVE: Tight glycaemic control (TGC) in critically ill patients improves clinical outcome, but is difficult to establish The primary objective of the present study was to compare glucose control in medical ICU patients applying a computer-based enhanced model predictive control algorithm (eMPC) extended to include time-variant sampling against an implemented glucose management protocol. DESIGN: Open randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Nine-bed medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Fifty mechanically ventilated medical ICU patients. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were included for a study period of up to 72 h. Patients were randomised to the control group (n = 25), treated by an implemented insulin algorithm, or to the eMPC group (n = 25), using the laptop-based algorithm. Target range for blood glucose (BG) was 4.4-6.1 mM. Efficacy was assessed by mean BG, hyperglycaemic index (HGI) and BG sampling interval. Safety was assessed by the number of hypoglycaemic-episodes < 2.2 mM. Each participating nurse filled-in a questionnaire regarding the usability of the algorithm. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: BG and HGI were significantly lower in the eMPC group [BG 5.9 mM (5.5-6.3), median (IQR); HGI 0.4 mM (0.2-0.9)] than in control patients [BG 7.4 mM (6.9-8.6), p < 0.001; HGI 1.6 mM (1.1-2.4), p < 0.001]. One hypoglycaemic episode was detected in the eMPC group; no such episodes in the control group. Sampling interval was significantly shorter in the eMPC group [eMPC 117[Symbol: see text]min (+/- 34), mean (+/- SD), vs 174 min (+/- 27); p < 0.001]. Thirty-four nurses filled-in the questionnaire. Thirty answered the question of whether the algorithm could be applied in daily routine in the affirmative. CONCLUSIONS: The eMPC algorithm was effective in maintaining tight glycaemic control in severely ill medical ICU patients.

Evaluation of implementation of a fully automated algorithm (enhanced model predictive control) in an interacting infusion pump system for establishment of tight glycemic control in medical intensive care unit patients.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of a newly developed decision support system for the establishment of tight glycemic control in medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients for a period of 72 hours. METHODS: This was a single-center, open, non-controlled feasibility trial including 10 mechanically ventilated ICU patients. The CS-1 decision support system (interacting infusion pumps with integrated enhanced model predictive control algorithm and user interface) was used to adjust the infusion rate of administered insulin to normalize blood glucose. Efficacy and safety were assessed by calculating the percentage of values within the target range (80-110 mg/dl), hyperglycemic index, mean glucose, and hypoglycemic episodes (<40 mg/dl). RESULTS: The percentage of values in time in target was 47.0% (+/-13.0). The average blood glucose concentration and hyperglycemic index were 109 mg/dl (+/-13) and 10 mg/dl (+/-9), respectively. No hypoglycemic episode (<40 mg/dl) was detected. Eleven times (1.5% of all given advice) the nurses did not follow and, thus, overruled the advice of the CS-1 system. Several technical malfunctions of the device (repetitive error messages and missing data in the data log) due to communication problems between the new hardware components are shortcomings of the present version of the device. As a consequence of these technical failures of system integration, treatment had to be stopped ahead of schedule in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite technical malfunctions, the performance of this prototype CS-1 decision support system was, from a clinical point of view, already effective in maintaining tight glycemic control. Accordingly, and with technical improvement required, the CS-1 system has the capacity to serve as a reliable tool for routine establishment of glycemic control in ICU patients.