European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2021
Comparative StudyComparison of real time and droplet digital PCR to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma.
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma has been linked to disease severity and mortality. We compared RT-qPCR to droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma from COVID-19 patients (mild, moderate, and critical disease). ⋯ Both methods yielded similar prevalence of RNAemia between groups, with ICU patients showing the highest (>85%). RT-qPCR was as useful as ddPCR to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia in plasma.
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We wanted to investigate the influence of native-valve infective endocarditis (IE) on long-term outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). ⋯ Patients with native-valve IE have a higher risk of death, ischaemic stroke, and early major bleeding after SAVR than matched patients without IE. Results confirm the high risk for complications of IE patients after SAVR and highlight the importance of vigorous prevention of both stroke and bleeding after SAVR in these patients.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2021
Initial experience with percutaneous mitral valve repair in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.
Percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) is a therapeutic option for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with heart failure due to differential aetiologies. However, only little is known about the safety and efficacy of this procedure in patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy. ⋯ PMVR is a feasible and safe procedure in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and might carry a possible survival benefit in this patient group.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2021
The Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Development of Obesity in Living Kidney Donors After Donor Nephrectomy.
Hyperuricaemia plays a role in the pathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic disorders. The aim of this study to investigate the relationship between pre-donation serum uric acid (SUA) level and obesity development after nephrectomy in living kidney donors. ⋯ Living kidney donors (LKD) have a tendency to obesity after nephrectomy. Preoperative serum uric acid level gives important information in LKDs that it could foresee the development of obesity after donation.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Jun 2021
Observational StudyCardiac troponin and COVID-19 severity: results from BIOCOVID study.
Myocardial injury is a common finding in COVID-19 strongly associated with severity. We analysed the prevalence and prognostic utility of myocardial injury, characterized by elevated cardiac troponin, in a large population of COVID-19 patients, and further evaluated separately the role of troponin T and I. ⋯ In this multicentre study, myocardial injury was a common finding in COVID-19 patients. Its prevalence increased when a sex-specific cut-off and cardiac troponin T were used. Elevated troponin was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality, irrespective of cardiac troponin assay and cut-offs to detect myocardial injury. Hence, the early measurement of cardiac troponin may be useful for risk stratification in COVID-19.