Background - High factor VIII (FVIII) levels and large platelets, as reflected by a high mean platelet volume (MPV), are separately associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether the combination of high FVIII levels and large platelets has a supra-additive effect on VTE risk is unknown.<p> <p>Objectives - We aimed to investigate the joint effect of high FVIII levels and ...

Whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) has commonly been prescribed to palliate symptoms from brain metastases, to reduce the risk of local relapse after surgical resection, and to improve distant brain control after resection or radiosurgery. While targeting micrometastases throughout the brain can be considered advantageous, the simultaneous exposure of healthy brain tissue might cause adverse events. ...

The vascular endothelium acts as a dynamic interface between blood and tissue. TNF-α, a major regulator of inflammation, induces endothelial cell (EC) transcriptional changes, the overall response dynamics of which have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we conducted an extended time-course analysis of the human EC response to TNF, from 30 min to 72 h. We identified regulated genes and ...

BACKGROUND - Five modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease and death from any cause. Studies using individual-level data to evaluate the regional and sex-specific prevalence of the risk factors and their effect on these outcomes are lacking.<p> <p>METHODS - We pooled and harmonized individual-level data from 112 cohort studies conducted in 34 countries and 8 geographic ...

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is an increasingly relevant nosocomial pathogen. The combination of multi-drug resistance and ability to form biofilms makes S. haemolyticus infections difficult to treat. Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria to inhibit growth of often closely related bacteria. Due to differences in the modes of action between bacteriocins ...

C1 inhibitor (C1INH) is a multifunctional serine protease inhibitor that functions as a major negative regulator of several biological pathways, including the contact pathway of blood coagulation. In humans, congenital C1INH deficiency results in a rare episodic bradykinin-mediated swelling disorder called hereditary angioedema (HAE). Patients with C1INH deficiency–associated HAE (C1INH-HAE) have ...

Background/Aim: Many patients with bone metastases receive palliative radiotherapy. However, treatment personalization tools are needed, due to heterogeneous survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the validity of the prognostic survival model, originally developed by Rades et al., because international variations in clinical practice and survival outcomes may impact on the performance of ...

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a mainstay of treatment for different cancer types. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patterns of care and overall survival (OS) after diagnosis of brain metastases in patients managed with ICI as component of care. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Fifty patients were included (34 with brain metastases at first ...

The complement system appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of venous thromboembolism (VTE).<p> <p>We investigated the association of complement factors (CF) B, D, and the alternative pathway convertase, C3bBbP, measured at inclusion, with the risk of future VTE in a nested case-control study; 380 VTE patients and 804 age- and sex-matched controls derived from the Tromsø study. Odds ratios ...

C1 inhibitor (C1Inh) is a serine protease inhibitor involved in the kallikrein-kinin system, the complement system, the coagulation system, and the fibrinolytic system. In addition to the plasma leakage observed in hereditary angioedema (HAE), C1Inh deficiency may also affect these systems, which are important for thrombosis and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the thromboinflammatory ...