Gerald Seinost

Distinct levels of genetic diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi are associated with different aspects of pathogenicity

Different species of pathogenic Borrelia show different symptoms and tick vector specificity. Even within regions where only one species is found, Lyme disease progresses very differently from one patient to another. Since Borrelia shows very little recombination either within or between species, alleles of a gene can be used to mark clones. The ospC gene is highly variable within each species and can be used to define groups of related clones. It has been previously shown that only four out of seventeen ospC groups of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto cause invasive forms of the disease. Other groups cause erythema migrans, a skin rash at the site of the tick bite, but not invasive disease, while still other groups seem to be nonpathogenic to humans. In this study we extend the analysis of the ospC gene to the other pathogenic species, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii. Only two groups in B. afzelii and four groups in B. garinii cause invasive disease. Thus, only ten out of the 58 defined ospC groups cause invasive and presumably chronic Lyme disease.

Cystic adventitial degeneration of the popliteal artery — the diagnostic value of duplex sonography

Cystical adventitial degeneration of the popliteal artery is a disorder which is difficult to diagnose, due to the similarity of the symptoms of people presenting with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) or popliteal entrapment syndrome. The only thing that differs from patients suffering from PAOD is the lack of typical risk factors for arteriosclerosis. Typical diagnostic procedures like conventional angiography or magnetic resonance Imaging angiography can be negative, too and therefore misleading. The only which is crucial in the diagnosis of cystic adventitial degeneration of the popliteal artery is to know the morphological background of this disorder, namely that it is a cyst of the adventitia of the artery which leads to a dynamic exercise-dependent flow inhibition. We present a 57-year old white male who had a weeks history of intermittent claudication in his left calf. He was lacking of typical risk factors for arteriosclerosis and on first examination all pulses in both lower extremities were palpable and Doppler index on both legs was >1. Only duplexsonography revealed a cystic formation impressing the left popliteal artery in the hight of the rift in the popliteal joint.

Impaired Endothelial-Dependent and Endothelium-Independent Vasodilatation in Patients With Thromboangiitis Obliterans

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is the key process in the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate endothelial dysfunction measured by the noninvasive technique of Celermajer that plays a role in the pathogenesis of thrombangitis obliterans. Methods: A total of 36 patients with thrombangitiis obliterans ([TAO]; mean age 44.9 ± 1.3 years) were compared with 30 healthy individuals (mean age 36.1 ± 1.8 years). High frequency ultrasound was used to measure changes in response to reactive hyperemia (leading to flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilatation) and in response to 0.4 mg sublingual nitroglycerin ([NTG]; leading to NTG-induced, endothelium-independent dilatation). Results: Patients with TAO showed a lower but statistically not significant flow-mediated dilatation and a statistically significant reduced NTG-induced vasodilatation than the control group. Conclusion: Our results suggest that both mechanisms play a role in patients with TAO, the endothelium-independent impaired vasodilatation even in a more significant way than the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

Acute wiiitis representing as thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and left pelvic veins

Deep venous thrombosis as a result of venous wall injury provoked by trauma is a common finding. It often occurs in patients with sportive overstraining, caused by over fatigue of the body structures. In 2007, the entity of “acute wiiitis” was first described in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine. Acute wiiitis sums up all affections, mainly skeletal and muscle affections, provoked by playing Nintendo Wii, a very common and loved video-game system. Deep venous thrombosis as a consequence of Nintendo Wii has not been described so far. We present a patient with a massive free floating thrombus of the left pelvic veins originating from the gluteal veins and reaching into the inferior vena cava after playing Nintendo Wii.

Cystic medial necrosis Erdheim Gsell as a rare reason for spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta

Spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate intervention. The rupture usually leads to sudden death as a result of hemopericardium or hemothorax. The underlying histopathological condition in the cases described so far was mostly an atheromatous plaque. Some other rare underlying conditions were also described. We report a case of cystic medial necrosis Erdheim Gsell as a reason for fatal spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta.

Aggravation of Pre-Existing Atrioventricular Block, Wenckebach Type, Provoked by Application of X-Ray Contrast Medium

BackgroundSignificant bradycardia followed by cardiac arrest related to single bolus administration of X-ray contrast medium into a peripheral artery has not, to our knowledge, been described in the literature.Methods and ResultsWhile performing a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the left superficial femoral artery in a 68-year old patient with a pre-existing atrioventricular (AV) block, Wenckebach type, he developed an AV block III after a single bolus injection of intra-arterial X-ray contrast medium.ConclusionWe believe that application of contrast medium causes a transitory ischemia in the obstructed vessel and therefore elevation of endogenous adenosine. In the case of a previously damaged AV node this elevation of endogenous adenosine may be responsible for the development of a short period of third-degree AV block.

Auricular vagal nerve stimulation in peripheral arterial disease patients

BACKGROUND Auricular nerve stimulation has been proven effective in different diseases. We investigated if a conservative therapeutic alternative for claudication in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) via electroacupuncture of the outer ear can be established. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this prospective, double-blinded trial an ear acupuncture using an electroacupuncture device was carried out in 40 PAD patients in Fontaine stage IIb. Twenty patients were randomized to the verum group using a fully functional electroacupuncture device, the other 20 patients received a sham device (control group). Per patient, eight cycles (1 cycle = 1 week) of electroacupuncture were performed. The primary endpoint was defined as a significantly more frequent doubling of the absolute walking distance after eight cycles in the verum group compared to controls in a standardized treadmill testing. Secondary endpoints were a significant improvement of the total score of the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) as well as improvements in health related quality of life using the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The initial walking distance significantly increased in both groups (verum group [means]: 182 [95 % CI 128-236] meters to 345 [95 % CI 227-463] meters [+ 90 %], p < 0.01; control group [means]: 159 [95 % CI 109-210] meters to 268 [95 % CI 182-366] meters [+ 69 %], p = 0.01). Twelve patients (60 %) in the verum group and five patients (25 %) in controls reached the primary endpoint of doubling walking distance (p = 0.05). The total score of WIQ significantly improved in the verum group (+ 22 %, p = 0.01) but not in controls (+ 8 %, p = 0.56). SF-36 showed significantly improvements in six out of eight categories in the verum group and only in one of eight in controls. CONCLUSIONS Electroacupuncture of the outer ear seems to be an easy-to-use therapeutic option in an age of increasingly invasive and mechanically complex treatments for PAD patients.

Homoarginine/ADMA ratio and homoarginine/SDMA ratio as independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events in lower extremity arterial disease

Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in development of atherosclerosis and lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). Homoarginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) are sensitive markers for endothelial dysfunction and independent risk factors for cardiovascular death. However, homoarginine may influence the proatherogenic effects of ADMA and SDMA suggesting homoarginine/ADMA ratio or homoarginine/SDMA ratio as further predictors for cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, we investigated the predictive value of homoarginine/ADMA ratio and homoarginine/SDMA ratio related to cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events in claudicant patients with LEAD. 151 patients with intermittent claudication were included in a prospective observational study (observation time 7.7 ± 2.5 years) with cardiovascular mortality as main outcome parameter and the occurrence of cardiovascular events as secondary outcome parameter. Homoarginine, ADMA and SDMA were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at baseline. Low homoarginine/ADMA ratio and homoarginine/SDMA ratio were independently associated with higher cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.803 [95% CI 1.178–6.674], p = 0.020; HR 2.782 [95% CI 1.061–7.290], p = 0.037, respectively) and higher incidence of cardiovascular events (HR 1.938 [95% CI 1.015–3.700], p = 0.045; HR 2.397 [95% CI 1.243–4.623], p = 0.009, respectively). We observed that homoarginine/ADMA ratio and homoarginine/SDMA ratio are independent predictors for long-term cardiovascular mortality and events in claudicant patients with LEAD.

Progressive jugular vein thrombosis in cutaneous extramedullary plasmacytoma

A 67-yr-old woman with a 5-yr history of idiopathic thrombosis in the right internal jugular vein presented at our department with progressive skin lesions in her face, progressive thrombosis in the right internal jugular vein, and a newly found thrombosis in the left internal jugular vein despite sufficient oral anticoagulation. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance IgG lambda was diagnosed 5 yr prior to admission. Physical examination revealed massive vein convolutes spread from head over neck to the chest. Bone marrow biopsy showed no pathological findings. Magnetic resonance venography showed massive soft tissue expansion in the face with low contrast enhancement infiltrating the wall of superior caval vein and reaching the right atrium in the form of a cone. Upon this structure, appositional thrombus formation was found. Punch biopsy samples taken from maculous skin lesions in the face clinically suspicious of angiosarcoma revealed vascular malformation without evidence for malignancy. To get a more representative specimen, deep biopsy was carried out. Histology showed a cutaneous plasmacytoma expressing IgG lambda. Chemotherapy with Dexamethason, Doxorubicin, and Bortezomib was scheduled. Before specific treatment was started, the patient died of acute heart failure. Autopsy showed no evidence of acute pulmonary embolism, but tumor thrombi in both jugular veins and the superior caval vein with an extension up to 19 centimeters. In the face and neck, an extended cutaneous tumor infiltration could be found. The bone marrow showed no evidence of infiltration. Accordingly, the patient suffered from a primary cutaneous manifestation of an extramedullary plasmacytoma (Fig. 1). Cutaneous plasmacytomas are frequently diagnosed in dogs with an excellent prognosis (1). In humans, extramedullary cutaneous plasmacytomas are scarce and little is known about treatment and progression of this malignant plasma cell tumor. Remarkable 5-yr survival rates (93–98%) for primary extramedullary plasmacytomas involving skin and lymph nodes were published recently (2). To make this rare diagnosis, deep tissue biopsy is indispensable which reveals the characteristic pattern of densely packed atypical plasma cells in the absence of coexistent myelomatous bone marrow disease (3).