The presence of blood flow influences the interaction between von Willebrand factor (VWF) and blood cells, affecting characteristics of forming blood clots. The interactions between coagulation and... Show moreThe presence of blood flow influences the interaction between von Willebrand factor (VWF) and blood cells, affecting characteristics of forming blood clots. The interactions between coagulation and inflammation have mainly been studied in thrombosis models, but it remains unclear whether these interactions might also play a role in reduced bleeding in patients with bleeding disorders. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the literature investigating the interactions between VWF and blood cells in flow models. For article selection, a systematic search was performed in Embase, Medline-Ovid, Cochrane Library, Web of Science databases, and Google Scholar. After selection, 24 articles were included. These articles describe direct or platelet-dependent interactions between VWF and neutrophils, monocytes, erythrocytes, or lymphocytes under different flow conditions. Almost all the described interactions required the presence of activated platelets. Only erythrocytes, monocytes, and natural killer cells were capable of directly binding the VWF multimers. Overall, interactions between VWF and blood cells mainly occurred in the presence of platelets. Because of the large variation in study design and used flow rates, further research is necessary to compare the results between studies and draw firm conclusions on when and under what conditions these interactions can occur. After our findings, many questions remained unanswered. This review might provide a starting point for future research. Extended knowledge on the influence of blood flow on VWF and blood cell interactions can contribute to improved understanding of the variation in bleeding in patients with bleeding disorders. Show less
Objectives: The benefit of oseltamivir treatment in patients admitted with influenza virus infection and the design of studies addressing this issue have been questioned extensively. As the burden... Show moreObjectives: The benefit of oseltamivir treatment in patients admitted with influenza virus infection and the design of studies addressing this issue have been questioned extensively. As the burden of influenza disease is substantial and oseltamivir treatment is biologically plausible, this study assessed the clinical benefit of oseltamivir treatment in adult patients admitted with severe seasonal influenza virus infection in daily practice.Patients and methods: A multi-centre, retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of treatment with and without oseltamivir <48 h after admission in patients admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection in three large hospitals in the Netherlands. Propensity score matching was used to compare clinically relevant outcome variables.Results: In total, 390 patients were included in this study, of whom 80% had comorbidities. Thirty-day mortality, as well as the composite endpoint of 30-day mortality or intensive care unit admission >48 h after admission, were reduced by 9% (P = 0.04) and 11% (P = 0.02), respectively. Length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality rates all showed a trend towards reduction. The median duration between symptom onset and initiation of treatment was 3 days.Conclusions: This study supports that, in daily practice, patients admitted with influenza virus infection should be treated with oseltamivir within 48 h of admission, even if they have had complaints for >48 h. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. Show less
Objectives: The benefit of oseltamivir treatment in patients admitted with influenza virus infection and the design of studies addressing this issue have been questioned extensively. As the burden... Show moreObjectives: The benefit of oseltamivir treatment in patients admitted with influenza virus infection and the design of studies addressing this issue have been questioned extensively. As the burden of influenza disease is substantial and oseltamivir treatment is biologically plausible, this study assessed the clinical benefit of oseltamivir treatment in adult patients admitted with severe seasonal influenza virus infection in daily practice.Patients and methods: A multi-centre, retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of treatment with and without oseltamivir <48 h after admission in patients admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection in three large hospitals in the Netherlands. Propensity score matching was used to compare clinically relevant outcome variables.Results: In total, 390 patients were included in this study, of whom 80% had comorbidities. Thirty-day mortality, as well as the composite endpoint of 30-day mortality or intensive care unit admission >48 h after admission, were reduced by 9% (P=0.04) and 11% (P=0.02), respectively. Length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality rates all showed a trend towards reduction. The median duration between symptom onset and initiation of treatment was 3 days.Conclusions: This study supports that, in daily practice, patients admitted with influenza virus infection should be treated with oseltamivir within 48 h of admission, even if they have had complaints for >48 h. Show less
Meeuwsen, J.A.L.; Vries, J.J. de; Duijvenvoorde, A. van; Velden, S. van der; Laan, S.W. van der; Koeverden, I.D. van; ... ; Jager, S.C.A. de 2019
future AbstractMouse studies have established distinct monocyte subtypes that participate in the process of atherosclerotic lesion formation. The pro-inflammatory Ly6Chigh monocyte subtype actively... Show morefuture AbstractMouse studies have established distinct monocyte subtypes that participate in the process of atherosclerotic lesion formation. The pro-inflammatory Ly6Chigh monocyte subtype actively contributes to murineplaque progression and destabilization. Also in humans, different peripheral monocyte subtypes have been identified, of which the CD14+CD16− classical monocyte is suggested to display similar pro-atherosclerotic properties as the murine Ly6Chigh subtype. We aimed to investigate if circulating CD14+CD16− classical monocytes associate with characteristics of a vulnerable carotid atherosclerotic plaque and if they associate with the risk of secondary adverse manifestations of atherosclerotic disease.We enrolled 175 carotid endarterectomy patients of the Athero-Express biobank in our study. Just prior to surgical procedure, blood was collected and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. Characterization of monocyte subsets was performed by flow cytometry. Plaque characteristics were semi-quantitatively scored for the presence of fat, collagen, intraplaque hemorrhage and calcification. Vessel density, smooth muscle cells and macrophages were assessed quantitatively on a continuous scale. All features of a vulnerable plaque phenotype, including low amounts of collagen and smooth muscle cells, and increased fat content, vessel density, intraplaque hemorrhage and plaque macrophages were not significantly associated with differential levels of peripheral classical CD14+CD16− monocytes or other monocyte subsets. Using Cox regression models to evaluate the prognostic value of circulating monocyte subtypes, we found that total counts of peripheral monocytes, as well as CD14+CD16− classical and other monocyte subtypes were not associated with the risk of secondary cardiovascular events during 3 years follow-up.Circulating classical CD14+CD16− monocytes do not associate with specific vulnerable plaque characteristics. In addition, they do not predict secondary adverse manifestations. This suggests that in patients with established carotid artery disease, the circulating monocytes do not reflect plaque characteristics and have no value in identifying patients at risk for future cardiovascular events. Show less