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Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the awakening salivary cortisol in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) using a time series design. We included ten AN inpatients, six with a very low BMI (high symptom severity, HSS group) and four patients with less severe symptoms (low symptom severity, LSS group)., Methods: Patients collected salivary cortisol daily upon awakening. The number of collected saliva samples varied across patients between n=65 and n=229 (due to the different lengths of their inpatient stay). In addition, before retiring, the patients answered questions daily on the handheld regarding disorder-related psychosocial variables. The analysis of cortisol and diary data was conducted by using a time series approach., Results: Time series showed that the awakening cortisol of the AN patients was elevated as compared to a control group. Cortisol measurements of patients with LSS essentially fluctuated in a stationary manner around a constant mean. The series of patients with HSS were generally less stable; four HSS patients showed a non-stationary cortisol awakening series. Antipsychotic medication did not change awakening cortisol in a specific way. The lagged dependencies between cortisol and depressive feelings became significant for four patients. Here, higher cortisol values were temporally associated with higher values of depressive feelings., Conclusions: Upon awakening, the cortisol of all AN patients was in the standard range but elevated as compared to healthy controls. Patients with HSS appeared to show less stable awakening cortisol time series compared to patients with LSS., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: For severely obese patients, bariatric surgery has been recommended as an effective therapy., Objectives: The Bariataric Surgery and Education (BaSE) study aimed to assess the efficacy of a videoconferencing-based psychoeducational group intervention in patients after bariatric surgery., Setting: The BaSE study is a randomized, controlled multicenter clinical trial involving 117 patients undergoing bariatric surgery (mean preoperative body mass index [BMI] 49.9 kg/m(2), SD 6.4). Patients were enrolled between May 2009 and November 2012 and were randomly assigned to receive either conventional postsurgical visits or, in addition, a videoconferencing-based 1-year group program., Methods: Primary outcome measures were weight in kilograms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and general self-efficacy (GSE). Secondary outcome measures were depression symptoms and eating behavior., Results: 94% of the patients completed the study. Mean weight loss for all patients was 45.9 kg (SD 16.4) 1 year after surgery (mean excess weight loss [EWL] 63%). Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no differences in weight loss, EWL, HRQOL, or self-efficacy between study groups at 1 year after surgery. However, patients with clinically significant depression symptoms (CSD) at baseline assigned to the intervention group (n = 29) had a significantly better HRQOL (P = .03), lower depression scores (P = .02), and a trend for a better EWL (.06) 1 year after surgery compared with the control group (n = 20)., Conclusion: We could not prove the efficacy of the group program for the whole study sample. However, results indicate that the intervention is effective for the important subgroup of patients with CSD., (Copyright © 2015 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to examine the features and changes of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) with severe and less severe symptoms over the course of inpatient treatment. Our study included n=20 AN patients who received treatment at the University Hospital, Heidelberg. N=11 patients were admitted at a psychosomatic and internal-medicine ward that specialized in the treatment of AN patients with a very low BMI (patient group with high symptom severity, HSS). The mean BMI of these patients was 13.2 kg/m(2) (SD=1.4) at the beginning of the study and 16.9 kg/m(2) (SD=1.7) at the end. N=9 patients were treated at a psychotherapeutic ward where AN patients with less severe symptoms are admitted (patient group with low symptom severity, LSS). The mean BMI of these latter patients was 16.3 kg/m(2) (SD=0.89) at the beginning of the study and 17.1 kg/m(2) (SD=0.65) at the end. Salivary cortisol was measured on two consecutive days respectively, both at the beginning and the end of the study. At the beginning of the study, patients with HSS had a significantly lower mean CAR compared to patients from the LSS group (3.4 nmol/l vs. 11.4 nmol/l). At the end of the study, the mean CAR of patients from the HSS group was still significantly lower compared to the mean CAR of patients with LSS (2.0 nmol/l vs. 9.2 nmol/l). Results indicate that AN patients with severe symptoms exhibit a lower CAR compared to AN patients with less severe symptoms., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Lowering LDL-cholesterol by statins has been proven to be associated with reduction of proinflammatory regulators e.g. activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. To our knowledge, anti-inflammatory potential of newer cholesterol lowering agents such as ezetimibe is less intensively studied. Therefore we analyzed the effects of equipotent LDL-lowering therapy with simvastatin alone compared to a combination with ezetimibe on NF-κB activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: Thirty-one patients with type 2 diabetes were included in a double-blind, randomized trial receiving either 80 mg simvastatin (sim80; n = 10) or a combination of 10 mg simvastatin and 10 mg ezetimibe (sim10eze10; n = 11) or placebo (n = 9) for eight weeks. NF-κB binding activity and inflammatory markers (IL-6, hsCRP) were analyzed at baseline and after eight weeks of treatment. NF-κB binding activity was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. IL-6 and hsCRP were measured by ELISA., Results: After eight weeks of treatment LDL-cholesterol was lowered to the same extent in both treatment groups (p = 0.40) but not in placebo. However, patients taking sim80 showed a significant reduction of mononuclear NF-κB binding activity compared to baseline (p = 0.009) while no effect was observed in the sim10eze10 group (p = 0.79). Similar differences in anti-inflammatory effects were also observed when analyzing hsCRP (sim80: p = 0.03; sim10eze10: p = 0.40) and IL-6 levels (sim80: p = 0.15; sim10eze10: p = 0.95)., Conclusion: High dose simvastatin therapy reduces proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB binding activity and hsCRP levels, while combination of low dose simvastatin with ezetimibe resulting in a similar LDL-reduction does not affect these inflammatory markers., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Whereas it is generally perceived to be harmful, enhanced coagulation activation can also convey salutary effects. The high prevalence of the prothrombotic factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation in whites has been attributed to a positive selection pressure (eg, resulting from reduced blood loss or improved survival in sepsis). The consequences of enhanced coagulation activation, as observed in FVL carriers, on microvascular diabetic complications remain unknown. We therefore investigated the role of FVL in diabetic nephropathy. In heterozygous or homozygous diabetic FVL mice, albuminuria and indices of diabetic nephropathy were reduced compared with diabetic wild-type mice. This was associated with reduced glomerular apoptosis and preservation of podocytes in diabetic FVL-positive mice. In vitro, low-dose thrombin (50pM) prevented, whereas high-dose thrombin (20nM) aggravated, glucose-induced apoptosis in podocytes. In diabetic patients, the FVL mutation, but not the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 4G/5G polymorphism, is associated with reduced albuminuria, which is consistent with a nephroprotective role of low but sustained thrombin generation. Consistently, anticoagulation of diabetic FVL-positive mice with hirudin abolished the nephroprotective effect. These results identify a nephroprotective function of low but sustained thrombin levels in FVL carriers, supporting a dual, context-dependent function of thrombin in chronic diseases.

Since the development of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty several techniques such as laser or atherectomy devices have been developed for recanalization of peripheral arterial occlusions. In a first clinical study we investigated if also the application of intravascular ultrasound can be useful for recanalization of occluded peripheral arteries. We applied an ultrasound angioplasty device (ACOLYSIS, ANGIOSONICS, USA) in a percutaneous approach in 8 patients with peripheral arterial occlusions (7 femoro-popliteal segments, 1 external iliac artery-occlusion). All patients suffered from severe leg ischemia due to subacute thrombotic occlusions. The ultrasound transmitter was introduced and advanced under fluoroscopic guidance to the site of the lesion. After activation the ultrasound transmitter was slowly advanced into the occlusion easily creating a channel within the occlusive material. Depending on the length of the occlusion (5-16 cm) treatment times ranged from 120-480 s. To further reduce the mass of the occlusive material an aspiration thrombectomy was performed in all cases leading to a complete recanalization in 6 cases. In 2 cases a remaining stenosis was successfully dilated. Intra-vascular ultrasonic devices can be useful for recanalization of occluded peripheral arteries. With the use of high-energy ultrasound a selective injury of the occlusive material can be induced without damaging the surrounding arterial wall. This selectivity is based on the differences in elasticity between the atherosclerotic plaque and the media layers. Especially if thrombolytic therapy of longer peripheral arterial occlusions fails or is contraindicated ultrasound angioplasty may be a new approach for recanalization.

Deep-vein thrombosis is common after plaster-cast immobilisation for traumatic injury. We did a randomised prospective study of the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin on the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis in patients with minor injuries treated with plaster-cast immobilisation of the leg. A control group (n = 163) received no prophylaxis, the prophylaxis group received low-molecular-weight heparin once daily (n = 176). The incidence of deep-vein thrombosis in the prophylaxis group was 0% (one tailed p < 0.006) vs 4.3% in the control group. No severe side-effects of low-molecular-weight heparin were observed. Thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin once daily is effective in reducing the risk of deep-vein thrombosis in outpatients with plaster-cast immobilisation of the leg.