Overexpression of VEGFα as a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in aortic tissue of α-GAL-Tg/KO mice and its upregulation in the serum of patients with Fabry's disease

Introduction

Fabry's disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by reduced activity of α-galactosidase A (GAL), leading to premature death on account of renal, cardiac, and vascular organ failure. Accumulation of the GAL substrate globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in endothelial and smooth muscle cells is associated with early vascular cell damage, suggesting endothelial dysfunction as a driver of cardiorenal organ failure. Here, we studied the vascular expression of the key angiogenic factors, VEGFα and its antagonist angiostatin, in Fabry α-GAL-Tg/KO mice and determined circulating VEGFα and angiostatin serum levels in patients with Fabry's disease and healthy controls.

Methods

Cryopreserved aortic vessels from six α-GAL-Tg/KO and six wild-type (WT) mice were obtained and VEGFα and angiostatin levels were determined by performing Western blot analysis. VEGFα expression was visualized by an immunohistochemical staining of paraffin aortic rings. In addition, VEGFα and angiostatin serum levels were measured by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 48 patients with genetically verified Fabry's disease (50% male) and 22 healthy controls and correlated with disease severity markers such as lyso-Gb3, albuminuria, NTproBNP, high-sensitive troponin T (hsTNT), and myocardial wall thickness.

Results

It was found that there was a significant increase in VEGFα protein expression (1.66 ± 0.35 vs. 0.62 ± 0.16, p = 0.0009) and a decrease in angiostatin expression (0.024 ± 0.007 vs. 0.053 ± 0.02, p = 0.038) in aortic lysates from α-GAL-Tg/KO compared with that from WT mice. Immunohistochemical staining revealed an adventitial VEGFα signal in α-GAL-Tg/KO mice, whereas no VEGFα signal could be detected in WT mice aortas. No differences in aortic angiostatin expression between α-GAL-Tg/KO- and WT mice could be visualized. The serum levels of VEGFα were significantly upregulated in patients with Fabry's disease compared with that in healthy controls (708.5 ± 426.3 vs. 458.5 ± 181.5 pg/ml, p = 0.048) and positively associated with albuminuria (r = 0.82, p < 0.0001) and elevated NTproBNP (r = 0.87, p < 0.0001) and hsTNT values (r = 0.41, p = 0.048) in male patients with Fabry's disease. For angiostatin, no significant difference was found between patients with Fabry's disease and healthy controls (747.6 ± 390.3 vs. 858.8 ± 599.3 pg/ml).

Discussion

In conclusion, an overexpression of VEGFα and downregulation of its counter player angiostatin in aortic tissue of α-GAL-Tg/KO mice support the hypothesis of an underlying vasculopathy in Fabry's disease. Elevated VEGFα serum levels were also observed in patients with Fabry's disease and were positively associated with elevated markers of organ manifestation in males. These findings suggest that angiogenetic markers, such as VEGFα, may be potentially useful biomarkers for the detection of endothelial dysfunction in classical Fabry's disease.

Bariatric surgery in liver cirrhosis

Introduction

Obesity is frequently associated with its hepatic manifestation, the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The most effective treatment for morbid obesity is bariatric surgery (BS) also improving NAFLD and liver function. In patients where NAFLD has already progressed to liver cirrhosis, BS can be considered a high-risk procedure. Hence, consideration of the procedure and the most appropriate timing is crucial.

Material and Methods

Obese patients suffering from NAFLD who underwent BS from two German University Medical Centers were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Twenty-seven patients underwent BS. Most common procedures were laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-gastric (RYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG). All patients suffered from liver cirrhosis Child A. A preoperative transjugular portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was established in three patients and failed in another patient. Postoperative complications consisted of wound healing disorders (n = 2), anastomotic bleeding (n = 1), and leak from the staple line (n = 1). This patient suffered from intraoperatively detected macroscopic liver cirrhosis. Excess weight loss was 73% and 85% after 1 and 2 years, respectively. Two patients suffered from postoperative aggravation of their liver function, resulting in a higher Child-Pugh score, while three could be removed from the waiting list for a liver transplantation.

Conclusion

BS leads to weight loss, both after SG and RYGB, and potential improvement of liver function in liver cirrhosis. These patients need to be considered with care when evaluated for BS. Preoperative TIPS implantation may reduce the perioperative risk in selected patients.

[Amendments to the Transplantation Act and impact on the donor situation in Germany]

In Germany, the scarcity of donor organs has persisted over decades and reached an historical low point in the year 2017. A thorough analysis of the causes revealed structural deficits in the identification and registration of possible donors as one of the central reasons for the low donation rate. This prompted the political authorities to act and resulted in two new laws, which led to a modification of the German Transplantation Act. On 1 April 2019, the Act on Improvement of the Cooperation and the Structural Framework for Organ Donation came into force. This Act strengthens the role of the transplant coordinators in the harvesting hospitals and establishes adequate reimbursement of the organ donation-related costs in the harvesting hospitals. Furthermore, it fosters the cooperation of the transplant coordinators with the German organ procurement organization. On 16 January 2020, the existing opt-in legislation was modified. While the general principle of the opt-in legislation stayed unchanged, different measures were introduced that aim to repeatedly inform all citizens about organ donation and thereby motivate them to make a decision on organ donation. In order to enable a reliable and transparent documentation an organ donor registry will be established. The practical implementation of the various measures of both Acts is supported by a multi-institutional collaborative initiative plan for organ donation. The legal regulations and their practical implementation are depicted in detail.

Retour d’expérience des évacuations par train à grande vitesse de patients en syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë sur infection à Covid-19 : les missions Chardon

Lors de la crise Covid-19 en France, il a fallu transférer des patients de zones où les lits de réanimation étaient saturés vers d’autres régions. Tous les moyens ont été utilisés : terrestre, aérien, maritime… Pour la première fois, des trains à grande vitesse (TGV) ont été utilisés. Le transport ferroviaire avait été utilisé largement pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Ces transferts ont nécessité une collaboration extrêmement importante interservices : ministère, agences régionales de santé, hôpitaux, Samu zonaux, Samu, Smur associations de sécurités civiles, sapeurs-pompiers… L’une des collaborations des plus importantes a été celle avec la SNCF qui a permis une adaptation des rames, sécurisations des itinéraires, adaptation de la conduite… Chaque voiture transporte quatre patients intubés en syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë avec un médecin senior, un junior, quatre infirmiers et un logisticien pour la réalisation de la surveillance et des soins. Dans chaque rame, une équipe de régulation médicale est présente pour la coordination. Il y a eu dix évacuations sanitaires, qui ont transporté 197 patients sur 6 600 km (350‒950 km/TGV). Le transport le plus long a été de 7 h 14 min. On n’a pas relevé de complications majeures pendant les transferts. Plusieurs questions restent en suspens comme les critères de sélections des patients, la mise en place d’un train sanitaire aménagé permanent, un stock de matériel. Afin de mieux connaître les conséquences sur les patients, une étude est en cours. Les urgentistes ont une nouvelle corde à leur arc avec la possibilité d’effectuer des évacuations sanitaires en TGV pour des patients médicaux graves sur de longues distances.

Covid-19 : les transferts internationaux de patients de réanimation, une solution pour les départements frontaliers

La crise sanitaire de la Covid-19 a imposé une adaptabilité jamais réalisée de notre système de santé. Les services de réanimation et les structures de médecine d’urgence ont dû innover et développer des stratégies novatrices pour garantir des soins de qualité à tous les patients relevant de réanimation. La région Grand-Est, et plus particulièrement les départements de Moselle, du Bas-Rhin et du Haut-Rhin, a été particulièrement touchée. Parmi les 349 patients transférés hors de la région, 164 l’ont été vers des pays européens (Allemagne, Autriche, Luxembourg et Suisse) entre le 14 mars et le 4 avril 2020. Ces transferts internationaux, organisés par l’Agence régionale de santé et les Samu-Centre 15, ont essentiellement fait appel à des moyens aériens des hôpitaux, de l’armée et de la protection civile. L’accompagnement des patients, soigneusement sélectionnés, était assuré par un binôme médecin‒ infirmier spécialisés. Le choix de cette stratégie a permis d’éviter la saturation des services de réanimation et d’avoir à faire un choix entre les patients pouvant ou non bénéficier de soins aigus. L’adaptabilité des professionnels de santé et une organisation au plus près du terrain ont permis de réaliser ces transferts dans de bonnes conditions. Cet épisode témoigne de l’importance de laisser la gestion des crises sanitaires aux professionnels de la santé. Cet article présente l’organisation mise en place en région Grand-Est pour préparer et réaliser ces transferts internationaux.

Epidemiological Data on Anaphylaxis in French Emergency Departments

BACKGROUND

Although anaphylaxis has been considered a priority public health issue in the world allergy community, epidemiological data on morbidity and mortality remain suboptimal. We performed the first multicenter epidemiological study in French emergency departments (EDs). The study covered 7 EDs over a period of 1 year. The objectives were to identify areas that are amenable to change and to support ongoing national and international efforts for better diagnosis, management, and prevention of anaphylaxis.

METHODS

Ours was a descriptive study based on data routinely reported to French institutional administrative databases from 7 French public health institutions in the Lorraine region between January and December 2015. Data were collected based on the anaphylaxisrelated codes of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10, and cases were clinically validated as anaphylaxis.

RESULTS

Of the 202 079 admissions to the EDs, 4817 had anaphylaxis-related codes; of these, 323 were clinically validated as anaphylaxis. Although 45.8% were severe, adrenaline was prescribed in only 32.4% of cases. Of the 323 cases, 57.9% were subsequently referred for an allergy work-up or evaluation (after or during hospitalization), and 17.3% were prescribed autoinjectable epinephrine.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight an urgent need for improved public health initiatives with respect to recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis. We flag key problems that should be managed in the coming years through implementation of national and international actions.

Sex-specific and lasting effects of a single course of antenatal betamethasone treatment on human placental 11β-HSD2

INTRODUCTION

We have previously shown that even a single course of antenatal betamethasone (BET) as an inductor for lung maturity reduces birth weight and head circumference. Moreover, animal studies link BET administration to alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-gland-axis (HPA). The unhindered development of the fetal HPA axis is dependent on the function and activity of 11β-hydroxysteroiddehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2), a transplacental cortisol barrier. Therefore, we investigated the effects of BET on this transplacental barrier and fetal growth.

METHODS

Pregnant women treated with a single course of BET between 23 + 5 to 34 + 0 weeks of gestation were compared to gestational-age-matched controls. Placental size and neonatal anthropometrics were taken. Cortisol and ACTH levels were measured in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples. Placental 11β-hydroxysteroiddehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) protein levels and 11β-HSD2 protein and activity levels were determined. Parameters were analyzed independent of sex, and in subgroups divided by gender and gestational age.

RESULTS

In term born females, BET administration was associated with reduced head circumference and decreased 11β-HSD2 protein levels and enzyme activity. Males treated with BET, especially those born prematurely, showed increased 11β-HSD2 protein levels.

CONCLUSION

A single course of BET alters placental glucocorticoid metabolism in a sex-specific manner. Decreased 11β-HSD2 levels in term born females may lead to an increased placental transfer of maternal cortisol and therefore result in a reduced head circumference and a higher risk for altered stress response in adulthood. Further research is needed to conclude the significance of increased 11β-HSD2 levels in males.

Towards an unsupervised device for the diagnosis of childhood pneumonia in low resource settings: automatic segmentation of respiratory sounds

Pneumonia remains the worldwide leading cause of children mortality under the age of five, with every year 1.4 million deaths. Unfortunately, in low resource settings, very limited diagnostic support aids are provided to point-of-care practitioners. Current UNICEF/WHO case management algorithm relies on the use of a chronometer to manually count breath rates on pediatric patients: there is thus a major need for more sophisticated tools to diagnose pneumonia that increase sensitivity and specificity of breath-rate-based algorithms. These tools should be low cost, and adapted to practitioners with limited training. In this work, a novel concept of unsupervised tool for the diagnosis of childhood pneumonia is presented. The concept relies on the automated analysis of respiratory sounds as recorded by a point-of-care electronic stethoscope. By identifying the presence of auscultation sounds at different chest locations, this diagnostic tool is intended to estimate a pneumonia likelihood score. After presenting the overall architecture of an algorithm to estimate pneumonia scores, the importance of a robust unsupervised method to identify inspiratory and expiratory phases of a respiratory cycle is highlighted. Based on data from an on-going study involving pediatric pneumonia patients, a first algorithm to segment respiratory sounds is suggested. The unsupervised algorithm relies on a Mel-frequency filter bank, a two-step Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) description of data, and a final Hidden Markov Model (HMM) interpretation of inspiratory-expiratory sequences. Finally, illustrative results on first recruited patients are provided. The presented algorithm opens the doors to a new family of unsupervised respiratory sound analyzers that could improve future versions of case management algorithms for the diagnosis of pneumonia in low-resources settings.

Non-invasive monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure at the bedside

Current solutions for the monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension are limited to invasive means. Non-invasive alternatives, such as Doppler echocardiography, are incompatible with continuous monitoring due to their dependency on qualified personnel to perform the measurements. In the present study, a novel non-invasive and unsupervised approach based on the use of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is presented. The approach was evaluated in three healthy subjects undergoing hypoxia-induced variations in PAP. A timing parameter - physiologically linked to the PAP via the so-called pulse wave velocity principle - was automatically extracted from the EIT data. Reference systolic PAP estimates were obtained by echocardiography. Strong correlation scores (r e [0.844, 0.990]) were found between the EIT-derived parameter and the reference PAP, thereby suggesting the validity of the proposed approach. If confirmed in larger datasets, these findings could open the way for a new branch of fully non-invasive hemodynamic monitors for patients with pulmonary hypertension.