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The Fate of Human Platelets Exposed to Porcine Renal Endothelium: A Single-Pass Model of Platelet Uptake in Domestic and Genetically Modified Porcine Organs Butler et al. A major barrier to xenotransplantation is thrombotic microangiopathy, a phenomenon that may be caused by an abnormal interaction between the endothelial surface within the xenograft organ and the human recipient’s platelets. In this study, the authors sought to characterize the interaction between human platelets and porcine organs through a series of single-pass perfusion experiments utilizing fluorescently labeled platelets. They found that human platelets were removed from circulation by porcine liver endothelium, but were not removed when exposed to porcine renal endothelium. Their findings suggest that the interaction between recipient platelets and the uninjured endothelium of the porcine kidney should not hinder clinical xenotransplantation, a conclusion that is expected to influence the evolving approach to creating genetically-modified donor pigs. (see page 698)
Ketamine Attenuates High Mobility Group Box-1eInduced Inflammatory Responses in Endothelial Cells Liu et al. Although ketamine is known to have potent anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of severe inflammatory conditions, including sepsis, ischemia, and burns, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been fully elucidated. In this article, the authors report that ketamine inhibited high mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1)-mediated inflammatory effects on endothelial cells, including barrier disruption, neutrophil adhesion and migration, and adhesion molecule expression, through inhibition of the toll like receptor-2/4 and nuclear factor-kB signaling pathways. The findings suggest that ketamine could be useful in the treatment of vascular inflammatory diseases mediated by HMGB1. (see page 593)
A Scoring System to Predict the Severity of Appendicitis in Children Gorter et al. Determining whether a child has simple or complex appendicitis is an essential step when planning treatment. Existing models for distinguishing between simple and complex appendicitis have limitations, including the exclusion of ultrasound findings in the scoring systems. In this study, the authors sought to develop and validate a prediction model that includes ultrasound variables. The resulting modeldwhich included duration of pain, fever, diffuse abdominal guarding, elevated C-reactive protein level, and indicative ultrasound findingsdwas used to create a scoring system that yielded excellent diagnostic accuracy in the validation cohort. This scoring system may be valuable in identifying children who have simple appendicitis amenable to nonoperative treatment. (see page 452)
The Fate of Human Platelets Exposed to Porcine Renal Endothelium: A Single-Pass Model of Platelet Uptake in Domestic and Genetically Modified Porcine Organs Butler et al. A major barrier to xenotransplantation is thrombotic microangiopathy, a phenomenon that may be caused by an abnormal interaction between the endothelial surface within the xenograft organ and the human recipient’s platelets. In this study, the authors sought to characterize the interaction between human platelets and porcine organs through a series of single-pass perfusion experiments utilizing fluorescently labeled platelets. They found that human platelets were removed from circulation by porcine liver endothelium, but were not removed when exposed to porcine renal endothelium. Their findings suggest that the interaction between recipient platelets and the uninjured endothelium of the porcine kidney should not hinder clinical xenotransplantation, a conclusion that is expected to influence the evolving approach to creating genetically-modified donor pigs. (see page 698)
Ketamine Attenuates High Mobility Group Box-1eInduced Inflammatory Responses in Endothelial Cells Liu et al. Although ketamine is known to have potent anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of severe inflammatory conditions, including sepsis, ischemia, and burns, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been fully elucidated. In this article, the authors report that ketamine inhibited high mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1)-mediated inflammatory effects on endothelial cells, including barrier disruption, neutrophil adhesion and migration, and adhesion molecule expression, through inhibition of the toll like receptor-2/4 and nuclear factor-kB signaling pathways. The findings suggest that ketamine could be useful in the treatment of vascular inflammatory diseases mediated by HMGB1. (see page 593)
A Scoring System to Predict the Severity of Appendicitis in Children Gorter et al. Determining whether a child has simple or complex appendicitis is an essential step when planning treatment. Existing models for distinguishing between simple and complex appendicitis have limitations, including the exclusion of ultrasound findings in the scoring systems. In this study, the authors sought to develop and validate a prediction model that includes ultrasound variables. The resulting modeldwhich included duration of pain, fever, diffuse abdominal guarding, elevated C-reactive protein level, and indicative ultrasound findingsdwas used to create a scoring system that yielded excellent diagnostic accuracy in the validation cohort. This scoring system may be valuable in identifying children who have simple appendicitis amenable to nonoperative treatment. (see page 452)