University of Hamburg

About: University of Hamburg is a education organization based out in Hamburg, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 45564 authors who have published 89286 publications receiving 2850161 citations. The organization is also known as: Hamburg University.

Cells of the adult human heart.

Abstract: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies require a deeper understanding of the molecular processes involved in the healthy heart. Knowledge of the full repertoire of cardiac cells and their gene expression profiles is a fundamental first step in this endeavour. Here, using state-of-the-art analyses of large-scale single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomes, we characterize six anatomical adult heart regions. Our results highlight the cellular heterogeneity of cardiomyocytes, pericytes and fibroblasts, and reveal distinct atrial and ventricular subsets of cells with diverse developmental origins and specialized properties. We define the complexity of the cardiac vasculature and its changes along the arterio-venous axis. In the immune compartment, we identify cardiac-resident macrophages with inflammatory and protective transcriptional signatures. Furthermore, analyses of cell-to-cell interactions highlight different networks of macrophages, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes between atria and ventricles that are distinct from those of skeletal muscle. Our human cardiac cell atlas improves our understanding of the human heart and provides a valuable reference for future studies.

Benefit of Abciximab in Patients with Refractory Unstable Angina in Relation to Serum Troponin T Levels

Abstract: Background In patients with refractory unstable angina, the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa–receptor antibody abciximab reduces the incidence of cardiac events before and during coronary angioplasty. We investigated whether serum troponin T levels identify patients most likely to benefit from therapy with this drug. Methods Among 1265 patients with unstable angina who were enrolled in the c7E3 Fab Antiplatelet Therapy in Unstable Refractory Angina (CAPTURE) trial, serum samples drawn at the time of randomization to abciximab or placebo were available from 890 patients; we used these samples for the determination of troponin T and creatine kinase MB levels. Patients with postinfarction angina were not included. Results Serum troponin T levels at the time of study entry were elevated (above 0.1 ng per milliliter) in 275 patients (30.9 percent). Among patients receiving placebo, the risk of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction was related to troponin T levels. The six-month cumulative event rate was 23.9 p...

EFNS guideline on the drug treatment of migraine--revised report of an EFNS task force.

Abstract: Migraine is one of the most frequent disabling neurological conditions with a major impact on the patients' quality of life. To give evidence-based or expert recommendations for the different drug treatment procedures of the different migraine syndromes based on a literature search and an consensus in an expert panel. All available medical reference systems were screened for all kinds of clinical studies on migraine with and without aura and on migraine-like syndromes. The findings in these studies were evaluated according to the recommendations of the EFNS resulting in level A,B, or C recommendations and good practice points. For the acute treatment of migraine attacks, oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans are recommended. The administration should follow the concept of stratified treatment. Before intake of NSAIDs and triptans, oral metoclopramide or domperidon is recommended. In very severe attacks, intravenous acetylsalicylic acid or subcutaneous sumatriptan are drugs of first choice. A status migrainosus can probably be treated by steroids. For the prophylaxis of migraine, betablockers (propranolol and metoprolol), flunarizine, valproic acid, and topiramate are drugs of first choice. Drugs of second choice for migraine prophylaxis are amitriptyline, naproxen, petasites, and bisoprolol.

Effect of Danube River dam on Black Sea biogeochemistry and ecosystem structure

Abstract: Rivers contribute significantly to the pollution and eutrophication that have caused drastic changes to the ecosystem of the Black Sea1–3. Although damming is known to affect riverborne nutrient loads, and thus riverine ecosystems, evidence for significant effects in open coastal waters is sparse4–6. Here we present long-term data sets of water and nutrient discharge from the River Danube to the Black Sea. These data reveal a reduction in the dissolved silicate load of the river by about two-thirds since dam constructions in the early 1970s. A concomitant decrease in wintertime dissolved silicate concentrations by more than 60% was observed in central Black Sea surface waters. The consequent changes in silicon to nitrogen ratio of the Black Sea nutrient load appear to be larger than those caused by eutrophication alone, and seem to be responsible for dramatic shifts in phytoplankton species composition from diatoms (siliceous) to coccolithophores and flagellates (non-siliceous). Our results strongly suggest that the damming of the Danube has been instrumental in causing the observed changes in Black Sea surface waters3,7–9, and that the large number of dams in operation around the world today could similarly affect the food web structure and biogeochemical cycling in coastal seas.