0000000000237810
AUTHOR
Jérôme Labbé
Low preoperative cholesterol level is a risk factor of sepsis and poor clinical outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis frequently occur after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether preoperative cholesterol levels can predict sepsis onset and postoperative complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.Prospective observational study.Surgical ICU of a French university hospital.Two hundred and seventeen consecutive patients older than 18 years admitted for planned cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.Measurements of plasma blood lipids and inflammation markers before anesthesia induction (baseline), at cardiopulmonary bypass start, at cardiopulmonary bypass…
Dendritic cell-tumor cell hybrids and immunotherapy: what's next?
Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells currently being used as a cellular adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy strategies. Unfortunately, DC-based vaccines have not demonstrated spectacular clinical results. DC loading with tumor antigens and DC differentiation and activation still require optimization. An alternative technique for providing antigens to DC consists of the direct fusion of dendritic cells with tumor cells. These resulting hybrid cells may express both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules associated with tumor antigens and the appropriate co-stimulatory molecules required for T-cell activation. Initially tested in animal models, …
Development of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Is Decreased in Mice with Plasma Phospholipid Transfer Protein Deficiency
International audience; Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) increases the circulating levels of proatherogenic lipoproteins, accelerates blood coagulation, and modulates inflammation. The role of PLTP in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was investigated by using either a combination of mechanical and elastase injury at one site of mouse aorta (elastase model) or continuous infusion of angiotensin II in hyperlipidemic ApoE-knockout mice (Ang II model). With the elastase model, complete PLTP deficiency was associated with a significantly lower incidence and a lesser degree of AAA expansion. With the Ang II model, findings were consistent with those in the elastase mo…