Search results for "dysfunction"
showing 10 items of 1129 documents
Biochemical biomarkers alterations in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
2020
Abstract Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory disease, which can evolve into multi-organ failure (MOF), leading to death. Several biochemical alterations have been described in COVID-19 patients. To date, many biomarkers reflecting the main pathophysiological characteristics of the disease have been identified and associated with the risk of developing severe disease. Lymphopenia represents the hallmark of the disease, and it can be detected since the early stage of infection. Increased levels of several inflammatory biomarkers, including c-reactive protein, have been found in COVID-19 patients and associ…
Penile Abflußvenenokklusion: Vergleich von erektiler Funktion und Kavernosometrie vor und nach perkutanen Eingriffen
1993
After percutaneous transpenile or retrograde venous occlusion for the treatment of a cavernous leak, the clinical results were correlated with cavernosometric flow measurements in 27 patients. In 15 patients, venous occlusion led to a reduction of the maintenance flow: in patients who showed improvement there was an average reduction of 30 ml/min, in those without improvement or deterioration it averaged 0.3 or 13 ml/min respectively. In 7 patients there was increased flow (up to +21 ml/min). One of these patients showed improved erectile function; the remaining 6 showed no change as was also the case in 5 other patients who had no change in cavernosometric measurements. Our findings sugges…
Responses of retinal arterioles and ciliary arteries in pigs with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
2019
Abstract Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a clinical syndrome of acute lung failure in critically sick patients, which severely compromises the function of multiple organs, including the brain. Although, the optic nerve and the retina are a part of the central nervous system, the effects of ARDS on these ocular structures are completely unknown. Thus, the major goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that ARDS affects vascular function in the eye. ARDS was induced in anesthetized pigs by intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Sham-treated animals served as controls. Pigs were monitored for 8 h and then sacrificed. Subsequently, retinal arterioles and short p…
Glucose-independent improvement of vascular dysfunction in experimental sepsis by dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibition.
2012
Aims Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are a novel class of drugs for the treatment of hyperglycaemia. Preliminary evidence suggests that their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular complications of diabetes. In the present study, we investigate in an experimental sepsis model whether linagliptin exerts pleiotropic vascular effects independent of its glucose-lowering properties. Methods and results Linagliptin (83 mg/kg chow for 7days) was administered in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 mg/kg, single i.p. dose/24 h)-induced sepsis. Vascular relaxation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, expression of NADPH oxida…
New clinical and pathophysiological perspectives defining the trajectory of cirrhosis
2021
Traditionally, the complications of cirrhosis, namely variceal bleeding, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, were thought to result predominantly from circulatory dysfunction and altered organ perfusion arising as a result of portal hypertension. Over the past 20 years, large, international prospective studies have indicated the importance of systemic inflammation and organ immunopathology as additional determinants of organ dysfunction in cirrhosis, which not only manifests in the liver, brain, circulation and the kidneys, but also the immune system, gut, muscles, adrenal glands, reproductive organs, heart and lungs. This review provides an overview of the traditional and emerging concepts…
Cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy have increased capacity to eliminate superoxide and peroxynitrite in lymphocytes, associated w…
2018
Patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) show increased oxidative stress in blood. We aimed to assess whether MHE patients show alterations in different types of blood cells in (a) basal reactive oxygen and nitrogen species levels; (b) capacity to metabolise these species. To assess the mechanisms involved in the altered capacity to metabolise these species we also analysed: (c) peroxynitrite formation and d) peroxynitrite reaction with biological molecules. Levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were measured by flow cytometry in blood cell populations from cirrhotic patients with and without MHE and controls, under basal conditions and after adding generators of superoxi…
NT pro BNP plasma level and atrial volume are linked to the severity of liver cirrhosis.
2013
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plasma levels of NT-pro-BNP, a natriuretic peptide precursor, are raised in the presence of fluid retention of cardiac origin and can be used as markers of cardiac dysfunction. Recent studies showed high levels of NT pro BNP in patients with cirrhosis. We assessed NT pro-BNP and other parameters of cardiac dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis, with or without ascites, in order to determine whether the behaviour of NT pro BNP is linked to the stage of liver disease or to secondary cardiac dysfunction. METHODS: Fifty eight consecutive hospitalized patients mostly with viral or NAFLD-related cirrhosis were studied. All underwent abdominal ultrasound and upper GI endoscop…
Clinical aspects of bleeding complications in cirrhotic patients
2000
Liver disease is a frequent cause of haemostatic abnormalities, which may lead to overt or occult bleeding. Clinical manifestations of hepatic coagulopathy include upper and lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage, easy bruising and bleeding from gums, nose or the female genital tract. The most significant bleeding problem among patients with chronic liver disease is blood loss due to portal hypertension. About 30% of subjects with oesophageal or gastric varices resulting from cirrhosis have an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding in their lifetime. Risk factors for the first episode of variceal bleeding include the severity of liver dysfunction, large varices, and the presence of endoscopic red…
Beyond cure
2015
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review was to define the implication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication in patients with cirrhosis. RECENT FINDINGS Sustained virologic response (SVR) is associated with a favourable outcome in patients with cirrhosis especially in the presence of regression of cirrhosis but also with extrahepatic outcomes regarding health-related quality of life, risk of diabetes, risk of cardiovascular diseases and control of HIV replication by antiretroviral therapy. In patients with decompensated cirrhosis identifying the point of no return where viral eradication is not followed by clinical improvement is extremely relevant. A strict follow-up is needed in order to…
Group interaction styles in a virtual context: The effects on group outcomes
2010
The influence of communication and information technologies (TICs) on group functioning and group outcomes is an important topic. Interdependent group work implies the need to communicate in order to share information and knowledge related to the task. The importance of this group interaction in the group functioning and outcomes stands out. In this sense, a line of investigation has arisen to study the role of interaction styles in the relationship between communication technology and group outcomes, as some functional or dysfunctional outputs depend on group interaction styles. From this perspective, the objective of this study is twofold: (1) to analyze the group interaction styles in vi…