Bacterial adherence to polymer surfaces is a required early step in intravenous (iv) device infection. We collected eight strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 19 of coagulase-negative staphylococci from patients with proven iv device bacteremia and studied the role of plasma or connective-tissue proteins in promoting bacterial adherence to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) coverslips. Although only a negligible percentage of organisms adhered to albumin-coated PMMA, surface-bound fibronectin significantly promoted adherence of all isolates. Fibrinogen markedly promoted adherence of all S. aureus strains but of only four coagulase-negative strains. Thus, coagulase-negative staphylococci revealed a marked heterogeneity in adherence to fibrinogen-coated surfaces, a result suggesting the existence of heretofore unknown receptors for fibrinogen. Laminin promoted adherence of staphylococci to a much lower extent. Although strain specific, adherence of clinical staphylococcal isolates to foreign surfaces is significantly increased by fibronectin, fibrinogen, and laminin, an observation suggesting the possible contribution of these proteins to the pathogenesis of iv device infection.

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Fibronectin, Fibrinogen, and Laminin Act as Mediators of Adherence of Clinical Staphylococcal Isolates to Foreign Material

https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hep.24129

Noninvasive assessment of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis

Disturbances of the equilibrium between parenchyma and extracellular matrix, leading to a disproportionate increase in and an irregular deposition of newly formed connective tissue components (fibrosis), is a common sequel of chronic active liver diseases with serious clinical consequences. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the analysis of the structural composition of extracellular matrix in normal and fibrotic liver and in the dissection of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of exaggerated extracellular matrix deposition in necroinflammatory areas. Under the influence of inflammatory stimuli, perisinusoidal, retinoid-storing cells (Ito cells, parasinusoidal lipocytes), which are qualitatively and quantitatively the most important connective tissue-producing cell type in human and animal liver, transform to myofibroblast-like cells. Activation and transformation of perisinusoidal cells are mediated by paracrine and autocrine loops involving transforming growth factor beta as the main fibrogenic mediator, which is secreted by activated liver macrophages, possibly also by endothelial cells, and liberated by disintegrated thrombocytes. The molecular and cellular interactions during liver fibrogenesis have become a model for a number of other organ fibrotic processes, wound repair and even atherogenesis. Therapeutic interference with the early steps of fibrogenesis seems feasible but a breakthrough has not yet been achieved. For clinical-chemical, non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of ongoing fibrogenesis, a rather limited repertoire of more or less organ- and disease-unspecific parameters is available. Split products of the extracellular maturation pathway of the procollagen types, laminin and hyaluronan, can be assayed but the clinical interpretation of the results has to be made with caution. Strategies and major topics of future pathobiochemical and clinically oriented research are highlightened.

Liver fibrosis: perspectives in pathobiochemical research and clinical outlook.

https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/0016-5085(90)91098-Q/pdf

Markers of fibrogenesis and basement membrane formation in alcoholic liver disease. Relation to severity, presence of hepatitis, and alcohol intake.

Fibrosis is a frequent, life-threatening complication of most chronic liver diseases Despite major achievements in the understanding of its pathogenesis, the translation of this knowledge into clinical practice is still limited In particular, non-invasive and reliable (serum-) biomarkers indicating the activity of fibrogenesis are scarce Class I biomarkers are defined as serum components having a direct relation to the mechanism of fibrogenesis, either as secreted matrix-related components of activated hepatic stellate cells and fibroblasts or as mediators of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis or turnover They reflect primarily the activity of the fibrogenic process Many of them, however, proved to be disappointing with regard to sensitivity and speci-ficity Up to now hyaluronan turned out to be the relative best type I serum marker Class II biomarkers comprise in general rather simple standard laboratory tests, which are grouped into panels They fulfil most criteria for detection and staging of fibrosis and to a lesser extent grading of fibrogenic activity More than 20 scores are currently available, among which Fibrotest™ is the most popular one However, the diagnostic use of many of these scores is still limited and standardization of the assays is only partially realized Combining of panel markers in sequential algorithms might increase their diagnostic validity The translation of genetic pre-disposition biomarkers into clinical practice has not yet started, but some polymorphisms indicate a link to progression and outcome of fibrogenesis Parallel to serum markers non-invasive physical techniques, for example, transient elastography, are developed, which can be combined with serum tests and profiling of serum proteins and glycans

Biomarkers of hepatic fibrosis, fibrogenesis and genetic pre-disposition pending between fiction and reality.

Serum concentrations of laminin and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in relation to the portal venous pressure of fibrotic liver diseases

Anne Negwer

Papers

Serum concentrations of laminin and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in relation to the portal venous pressure of fibrotic liver diseases