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Considers the random balanced growth factor to forward-lag-type and mixed-lag-type input-output (IO) models. Use of stochastic methods in taking into account the instability of IO and capital matrices; Exact and approximate characteristics of stochastic solutions; Dynamic models with time lags.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective trial was to assess the diagnostic utility of combined endobronchial (EBUS) and endoscopic (EUS) ultrasound-guided needle aspiration by use of a single ultrasound bronchoscope (CUSb-NA) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) restaging in patients after induction therapy., Methods: In a consecutive group of NSCLC patients with pathologically confirmed N2 disease (clinical stage IIIa and IIIb) who underwent induction chemotherapy, CUSb-NA was performed. All of the patients with negative or suspected for metastases (uncertain) diagnosed by endoscopy underwent subsequently transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) as a confirmatory test., Results: From January 2009 to December 2012, 106 patients met the inclusion criteria and underwent restaging CUSb-NA under mild sedation, in whom 286 (mean 2.7, range 2-5) lymph node stations were biopsied, 127 (mean 1.2, range 1-3) by EBUS-transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) and 159 (mean 1.5, range 1-4) by EUS-fine needle aspiration (FNA). The CUSb-NA revealed metastatic lymph node involvement in 37/106 patients (34.9%). In 69 (65.1%) patients with negative and uncertain CUSb-NA in 4 (3.8%) out of them, who underwent subsequent TEMLA metastatic nodes were found in 18 patients (17.0%) and there were single lymph nodes found only in one mediastinal station (minimal N2) in 10 (9.4%) out of them. False-positive results were found in 2 (1.9%) patients. In 9 (8.5%) patients CUSb-NA occurred to be false negative in Stations 2R and 4R (only accessible for EBUS), exclusively in small nodes and in 4 (3.8%) patients in Station 5-not accessible for CUSb-NA. The prevalence of mediastinal lymph node metastases in the present study was 51.9%. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, total accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of the restaging CUSb-NA were 67.3% (95% CI [confidence interval]-53-79), 96.0% (95% CI-86-99), 81.0% (95% CI-73-87), 95.0% (95% CI-83-99) and 73.0% (95% CI-61-83), respectively. The sensitivity, accuracy and NPV of CUSb-NA were higher compared with EBUS-TBNA and EUS-FNA alone. No complications of CUSb-NA were observed., Conclusions: The CUSb-NA is a reasonable and safe technique in mediastinal restaging in NSCLC patients after induction therapy. Following our data, in patients with negative result of CUSb-NA, a surgical restaging of the mediastinum should be considered., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Antibodies reacting with various microbial epitopes have been described in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are associated with a specific diagnosis and clinical presentation., Aim: To evaluate the profile of new anti-glycan antibodies, their potential association with disease phenotype and diagnostic accuracy in paediatric Crohn's disease (CD)., Material and Methods: Blood samples from 134 paediatric IBD patients (109 CD, 25 ulcerative colitis (UC)) and 67 controls were blindly analysed for anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA), anti-chitobioside carbohydrate (ACCA), anti-laminaribioside carbohydrate (ALCA), and anti-mannobioside carbohydrate (AMCA) antibodies using commercially available assays. The serological response to glycans was correlated with clinical disease characteristics., Results: At least one of the tested anti-glycan antibodies was present in 75% of CD patients. Despite the high frequency of reactivity to glycan epitopes, a limited overlap of serological markers was observed. In total, 49% of ASCA-negative patients presented with one of the following: ACCA, ALCA, or AMCA. The occurrence of one antibody from the anti-glycan panel was independently associated with complicated disease phenotype and ileocolonic disease location. A higher level of immune response as assessed by the quartile sum scores for ACCA, ALCA, and AMCA was linked with older age at diagnosis (10-17 years) and ileocolonic disease location. The ASCA had the greatest accuracy for diagnosis and differentiation of CD., Conclusions: Qualitative and quantitative serologicalal response to glycan epitopes was associated with distinct clinical presentation in paediatric CD patients. This raises the possibility for the use of these markers to differentiate subgroups of CD patients with more sever clinical presentation. The ASCA was the most accurate serological marker for CD; however, testing for the new anti-glycan antibodies may constitute an adjunctive tool in a specific group of patients to aid in the differentiation of CD with absent ASCA from ulcerative colitis.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare diagnostic utility of combined (i.e. transbronchial and transoesophageal) ultrasound imaging with needle biopsy of the mediastinum in lung cancer (LC) staging, (a) by use of a single ultrasound bronchoscope (CUSb) and (b) by using two scopes (CUS)., Methods: In consecutive LC patients, clinical stage IA-IIIB the CUS or CUSb was performed under mild sedation and, if negative, underwent lung resection with confirmatory systematic lymph node dissection., Results: From 214 LC patients, 110 underwent CUS and 104 underwent CUSb (618 biopsies); both revealed metastases in 50% of cases. There was 'minimal N2' in 11 of 14 false negative patients. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of CUS was 91.7%, 98%, 94.6%, 98.2% and 90.7% respectively and of CUSb was 85%, 93.2%, 88.5%, 94.4%, 82%, respectively with no significant difference in yield of CUS vs CUSb (P = 0.255 and P = 0.192). The mean time of CUS (25 ± 4.4 min) was significantly longer as compared to CUSb (14.9 ± 2.3 min) (P < 0.001). No severe complications of either method were observed., Conclusions: The combined ultrasound imaging of the mediastinum by use of CUSb is significantly less time-consuming and equally as effective and safe as the use of CUS for LC staging.

Aim: The study presents the results of the analysis of antibiotic consumption and its direct costs in selected neonatal units., Material and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively (the year 2007) in five hospitals, during the pilot phase of the Polish Neonatal Network . Antibiotic consumption was assessed using the Defined Daily Dose (DDD). The costs were assessed as the costs of purchase of one DDD., Results: The study included 11 922 children hospitalized in the period from 1.01 to 31.12.2007. In this group, 731 infants have birth weight < 1500 grams (from 2.2% to 64.2% in individual units, median--7.3%). The mean consumption of antibacterial drugs was 48.52 DDD/1 000 person-days (P-D) of stay among the entire study population (median--42,52), and varied from 23.13 to 85.82 DDD/1,000 P-D. However, this difference has not been statistically significant. The most commonly used group of antibiotics were beta-lactams--in four out of five units the percentage of its usage ranged from 48.71% to 74.67%. Next group were aminoglicosides--in one unit its usage reached 56.97% and in other ranged from 5.01% to 22.53%. Glycopeptides and macrolides were also used in every unit of the studied group. The usage of glycopeptides ranged from 1.7% to 10.81% and of macrolides from 1.32% to 15.71%. Different kinds of antibiotics were used occasionally. The differences of costs of purchase of one DDD between hospitals were greater and varied from 17,64 PLN/ DDD to 84,58 PLN/ DDD (average costs). A considerable range of costs index values was also noted for different groups of antibiotics. The costs of purchase of one DDD of beta-lactams varied from 19.54 PLN/ DDD to 68.35 PLN/ DDD; for aminoglicosides the cost varied from 4.61 PLN/ DDD to 122.9 PLN/ DDD, for glycopeptides--from 31.40 PLN/ DDD to 283.13 PLN/ DDD and in case of macrolides: from 12.05 PLN/ DDD to 90.77 PLN/ DDD. This differentiation of the cost of purchasing a single defined daily dose, taking into account the specific groups of antibiotics, did not have the characteristics of statistical significance., Conclusions: As expected, the antibiotic regimens in the studied wards were similar. This is due to a homogeneous population of hospitalized patients. However, the differences of costs of purchase of antibiotics observed in the study, indicate the considerable variety of the treatment patterns in Polish neonatology units and the need to develop and implement recommendations of effective pharmacotherapy for patients in intensive neonatal care units and the implementation of a unified model of infections surveillance.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is present in a significant proportion of patients treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Defibrillation testing may lead to sinus rhythm (SR) restoration which may be hazardous due to the increased risk of thromboembolic complications in these patients., Aim: To identify predictors of SR restoration during defibrillation testing in patients with permanent AF undergoing ICD implantation., Methods: Permanent AF was present in 79 (12%) of 671 consecutive patients who received ICD in our institution between 2005 and 2010. In this group, 47 patients (mean age 64 ± 12 years, 38 males) underwent defibrillation testing during the implantation procedure and in the remaining 32 patients defibrillation testing was not performed due to various contraindications. Sinus rhythm was restored in 17 (36%) patients, while AF was still present after defibrillation testing in the remaining 30 patients. We analysed demographic, clinical, echocardiographic and electrophysiological parameters which could identify those patients in whom SR was restored, using univariate and multivariate analysis as well as constructing ROC curves., Results: Demographic parameters and clinical history were similar in both groups. Patients in whom SR was restored had smaller left atrial diameter (49.9 ± 5.9 vs 59.4 ± 6.1 mm, p 〈 0.001), more often received a double-coil defibrillation lead (83% vs 10%, p 〈 0.001), had less advanced heart failure as assessed using NYHA classification (p 〈 0.05), and were more frequently treated with amiodarone (47% vs 23%, p 〈 0.025). The chance of SR return was increased 11 times in patients receiving amiodarone, 6 times in patients with a double-coil lead, 2 times in patients with lower NYHA class, and 1.36 times in patients with smaller left atrium diameter (for each 1 mm increase). The ROC curves showed that using the cut-off value for the left atrial diameter of 47 mm, patients prone to SR restoration were identified with a sensitivity of 65%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 83%, and negative predictive value of 90% (area under curve 0.904, 95% CI 0.809-1.0). Multivariate analysis showed that NYHA class, amiodarone usage, type of defibrillating lead and left atrial diameter were independent predictors of SR restoration., Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation was present in 12% of consecutive patients undergoing ICD implantation and was terminated by defibrillation testing in 36% of those who underwent this test. The NYHA class, amiodarone usage, type of defibrillating lead and left atrial diameter were independent predictors of SR restoration.

Introduction: In the pathogenesis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs), growth factors, including transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), are responsible for cell proliferation, apoptosis, chemotaxis, and angiogenesis, and also for the production and secretion of some components of the extracellular matrix., Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate correlations in DPLDs between TGF-beta1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score., Patients and Methods: The study was performed in 31 DPLD patients in whom a selection of lung segments with high and low intensity of abnormalities was estimated by HRCT score. All patients underwent BAL with TGF-beta1 measured by an enzyme immunoassay in BAL fluid and video-assisted thoracic surgery lung biopsy from both selected segments., Results: All 31 patients were diagnosed, and based on histopathology, they were classified into 2 groups: idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (usual interstitial pneumonia - 12, nonspecific inter stitial pneumonia - 2, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia - 2, and desquamative interstitial pneumonia - 1) and granulomatous disease (sarcoidosis - 7, extrinsic allergic alveolitis - 5, and histiocytosis X - 2). The final analysis was performed in 28 patients who showed nonhomogenous distribution on HRCT. TGF-beta1 levels in BAL fluid were significantly higher in the areas with high intensity of abnormalities assessed by HRCT score (P = 0.018, analysis of variance). These levels were not different between the groups, but a trend towards higher levels in idiopathic inter stitial pneumonia was observed., Conclusions: The results confirm that TGF-beta1 may be a good but not specific marker of fibrosis in DPLDs. A significant positive correlation between TGF-beta1 levels in BAL fluid and the HRCT score was observed.

Introduction: Besides radio logical methods (especially positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography), endoscopic techniques including transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal lymph nodes play an important role in lung cancer staging, thus having a significant effect on further patient management., Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic value of blind TBNA in staging of lung cancer, using systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection (SLND) at thoracotomy as a confirmatory test., Patients and Methods: Patients with lung cancer and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on computed tomography scans underwent TBNA. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with negative TBNA or with single-level N2 disease underwent thoracotomy with appropriate pulmonary resection and with SLND., Results: In 84 lung cancer patients, 166 TBNA were performed. Metastatic lymph node involvement was identified in 57 patients (67.9%). There were 10 patients (11.9%) with small cell lung cancer. Of the 74 NSCLC patients, TBNA revealed meta stases in 48 (64.9%). Twenty-four TBNA-negative patients (32.4%) and 4 patients (5.4%) with single-level N2 disease underwent pulmonary resection with SLND. In 8 of 28 operated patients (28.6%), N2 meta static nodes were identified. The per-patient analysis showed the sensitivity of TBNA to be 81.5%, specificity - 100%, accuracy - 86.5%, and negative predictive value (NPV) - 66.7%., Conclusions: Our results suggest that TBNA may be a useful method for initial NSCLC staging in patients suspected of N2-3 disease. Positive TBNA in 1 station only should not be considered as a true single-level N2 disease, because of a relatively low NPV for TBNA.

Objectives: This prospective study aimed to assess the diagnostic yield of the combined approach - endobronchial (EBUS) and endoscopic (EUS) ultrasound-guided needle aspiration (combined ultrasound-needle aspiration (CUS-NA)) in the radiologically normal mediastinum in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) staging., Methods: CUS-NA was performed simultaneously under local anaesthesia and sedation in consecutive NSCLC patients with mediastinal nodes that were not enlarged on CT (stage IA-IIB). All patients with negative CUS-NA subsequently underwent the transcervical extended bilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) as a confirmatory test., Results: A total of 120 NSCLC patients underwent CUS-NA between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008. There were 318 mediastinal nodes biopsied (158 EBUS-NA - stations: 2R - 2, 2L - 1, 4R - 34, 4L - 33 and 7 - 88 and 160 EUS-NA - stations: 4L - 57, 7 - 101 and 9 - 2). CUS-NA revealed metastatic lymph node involvement in 19 of 120 patients (16%) and in 31 of 318 biopsies (10%). The prevalence was 22%. In 99 patients with negative CUS-NA, who underwent subsequent TEMLA, metastatic nodes were diagnosed in nine patients (8%) in 11 stations: 2R - 2, 4R - 4, 4L - 1, 5 - 3 and 7 - 1. In all but one patient there were 'minimal N2' only. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, total accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of CUS-NA for normal mediastinum was 68% (95% confidence interval (CI): 48-84), 98% (95% CI: 92-100), 91% (95% CI: 86-96), 91% (95% CI: 70-99) and 91% (95% CI: 83-96), respectively. The sensitivity of CUS-NA was significantly higher than with EBUS-NA alone (p=0.04) and higher, close to the level of significance than with EUS-NA alone (p=0.07). The NPV of all techniques was high and that of CUS-NA was significantly higher than EBUS-NA alone and EUS-NA alone (p=0.01, p=0.03). No complications of CUS-NA were observed., Conclusions: In the radiologically normal mediastinum, CUS-NA is a highly effective and safe technique in NSCLC staging and, if negative, a surgical diagnostic exploration of the mediastinum may be omitted., (Copyright 2009 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic yield of the endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in restaging of the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after neo-adjuvant therapy., Methods: In a consecutive group of NSCLC patients with pathologically confirmed N2 disease, who underwent neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, EBUS-TBNA was performed. All patients with negative EBUS-TBNA underwent subsequently the transcervical extended bilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) as a confirmatory test., Results: A total of 61 patients underwent restaging EBUS-TBNA between 1 June 2007 and 31 December 2008. There were 85 mediastinal lymph nodes biopsied (stations: 2R - 2, 4R - 24, 2L - 1, 4L - 18 and 7 - 40). EBUS-TBNA revealed metastatic lymph node involvement in 18 of 61 patients (30%) and in 22 of 85 biopsies (26%). In 43 patients with negative or uncertain EBUS-TBNA, who underwent subsequent TEMLA, metastatic nodes were diagnosed in nine patients (15%) - in seven (12%) in stations accessible for EBUS-TBNA (stations: 2R - 1, 4R - 5, 7 - 4) and in two (3%) in station not accessible for EBUS-TBNA (station: 5 - 2). The false-negative results of biopsies were found only in small nodes (5.8+/-2.8 mm x 7.5+/-2 mm). Moreover, all positive N2 nodes diagnosed by TEMLA contained only small metastatic deposits. There were three of 61 (5%) patients with false-positive results of biopsies in stations: 4R - 1, 4L - 1, and 7 - 2. A diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the restaging EBUS-TBNA was 67% (95% confidence interval (CI) - 65-90), 86% (95% CI - 82-95), 80%, 91% (95% CI - 80-100) and 78% (95% CI - 73-93), respectively. No complications of EBUS-TBNA were observed., Conclusions: EBUS-TBNA is an effective and safe technique for mediastinal restaging in NSCLC patients, and after the data presented in our study, in patients with negative results of EBUS-TBNA, a surgical restaging of the mediastinum might not be mandatory., (Copyright 2009 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The value of measurements of eicosanoids in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) for the evaluation of childhood asthma is still inconclusive most likely because of the limited value of the methods used. In this case-control study in 48 asthmatic and 20 healthy children, we aimed to characterize the baseline profile of the inflammatory mediators cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs), 9(alpha)11(beta)PGF(2), PGE(2), PGF(2alpha), 8-isoprostane (8-iso-PGF(2alpha)) within EBC in asthmatic compared with healthy children using new methods. In addition, we investigated their relation to other inflammatory markers. The assessment included collection of EBC, measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) and evaluation of urinary excretion of leukotriene E(4.) cysLTs were measured directly in EBC by radioimmunoassay and prostanoids were measured using gas chromatography negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Only cysLT levels were significantly higher in asthmatic compared with healthy children (p = 0.002). No significant differences in cysLTs were found between steroid naïve and patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids. In contrast, FE(NO) was significantly higher in steroid naïve compared with steroid-treated asthmatic and healthy children (p = 0.04 and 0.024, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of cysLTs in EBC for asthma was 73.6% for the whole group and 78.2% for steroid-naïve asthmatic children. The accuracy to classify asthmatic for FE(NO) was poor (62.9%) for the whole group, but improved to 79.9% when only steroid-naïve asthmatic children were taken into consideration. cysLTs in EBC is an inflammatory marker which distinguishes asthmatics, as a whole group, from healthy children.

Background: Quantitative assessment of airway caliber is generally confined to indirect methods. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy provides a direct view of the airways, but measurement of the internal size of bronchi in a standard examination is not possible. Using a special image analysis program, we developed a method allowing quantitative assessment of airway caliber by means of videobronchoscopic (VB) examination., Objectives: The purpose of the study was toshow that quantitative videobronchoscopy (VB coupled with a computer image analysis) allows direct and accurate measurement of the bronchi diameter., Methods: To test our hypothesis, we measured the same areas of a bronchial tree in CT and in VB in 40 patients with diagnostic indications for both the procedures., Results: We measured the diameters of 149 bronchi. The mean value of the difference between VB and CT measurements was equal to -0.071 mm and was not significantly different from 0 (p = 0.086). There was no obvious relation between the difference and the mean (r = 0.026, p = 0.745). The Bland Altman limits of agreement were L = -1.071 mm and U = 0.929 mm. We also assessed the bronchial diameter after endobronchial challenge and in patients with tracheobronchomalacia to show the application of this method for dynamic measurements., Conclusions: Quantitative videobronchoscopy allows the accurate and direct measurement of an airway caliber. It may be useful in clinical setting to quantify changes in a bronchial caliber (endobronchial masses, tracheobronchomalacia). Dynamic visualization of changes in airways may be useful in research, especially to explore the mechanics of airway narrowing., (Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.)