European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2016
Association of hepcidin-25 with survival after kidney transplantation.
Hepcidin is considered the master regulator of iron homoeostasis. Novel hepcidin antagonists have recently been introduced as potential treatment for iron-restricted anaemia. Meanwhile, serum hepcidin has been shown to be positively associated with cardiovascular disease and inversely with acute kidney injury. These properties may lead to contrasting effects, especially in renal transplant recipients (RTR), which are prone to cardiovascular diseases and graft failure. To date, the role of serum hepcidin in RTR is unknown. We, therefore, prospectively determined the association of serum hepcidin with risk of graft failure, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in RTR. ⋯ In this study, we did not find an association between serum hepcidin and outcomes, that is graft failure, cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality. Based on our results, it is questionable whether serum hepcidin may be used to predict a beneficial effect of hepcidin antagonists.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2016
Prediction of renal function upon reperfusion by ex situ controlled oxygenated rewarming.
Post-transplant function of suboptimal kidney grafts can be improved but not accurately predicted by hypothermic machine perfusion. Therefore, a new concept of ex situ pre-implantation machine perfusion with controlled rewarming up to subnormothermic temperatures was developed and evaluated. ⋯ Reconditioning by controlled oxygenated rewarming up to 20 °C improves renal function after reperfusion and can be utilized to assess graft integrity of predamaged donor kidneys.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2016
Lung function, inflammation and cardiovascular mortality in Africans.
The link between impaired lung function and cardiovascular outcome is well established in European and American populations. It is possible that this association may be driven by a systemic spillover of inflammation occurring within the lungs. As several studies have found an increased level of inflammatory markers in African populations, we aimed to establish the contribution of lung function in predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Africans, whilst taking inflammatory markers into account. ⋯ FVC, but not FEV1 , is a strong predictor of both all-cause and CV mortality in black South Africans, which may be mediated by inflammation.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2016
ReviewPrimary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: miRNAs and targeted therapies.
Primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome. ⋯ The aim of this review was to summarize reports showing a direct relation between miRNAs and primary FSGS. In addition, the impact of identified miRNAs on treatment response, prediction of the disease onset as well as the regulation in different disease activities is summarized.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 2016
Dying blood mononuclear cell secretome exerts antimicrobial activity.
Several activities are attributed to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including bacterial killing, leucocyte recruitment and angiogenesis. Despite promises of advanced cellular therapies for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer, it is currently accepted that paracrine factors rather than cellular components are causative for the observed effects. Whether AMPs are present in the mononuclear cell (MNC) secretome (MNC-sec) of white blood cells that are beneficial in experimental wound healing is not known. ⋯ We provide evidence that the secretome of MNCs has direct and indirect positive effects on the immune defence system, including augmentation of antibacterial properties. Our data further suggest that necroptosis could play a key role for the release of paracrine factors and the therapeutic action of MNC-sec rad.