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Rev Chilena Infectol 2020 Dec;37(6):762-766

Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Antoine van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was a Dutch cloth merchant and self-taught microscopist who is considered the father of Microbiology. His marvellous lenses and keen microscopic observations over nearly five decades made it possible for the first time to unravel the secrets of the microcosm. The main objective of this work is that the reader can directly access some of his famous letters addressed to the Royal Society of London, announcing the discovery of his famous little animals. Read More

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Orthopedic Department, Reinier Haga Orthopedisch Centrum, Toneellaan 2, 2725 NA, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.

Purpose: Postoperative mortality is commonly reported as outcome measurement after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Mortality might be influenced by multiple factors including cementation of the prosthesis. Until now, the influence of cementation on early and late mortality after TKA is unknown. Read More

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2021 Apr 7;19(1):52. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Paediatric Immunology and Rheumatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Lundlaan 6, 3584, EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: Involving the end-users of scientific research (patients, carers and clinicians) in setting research priorities is important to formulate research questions that truly make a difference and are in tune with the needs of patients. We therefore aimed to generate a national research agenda for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) together with patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals through conducting a nationwide survey among these stakeholders.

Methods: The James Lind Alliance method was used, tailored with additional focus groups held to involve younger patients. Read More

BMC Public Health 2021 Apr 7;21(1):675. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Developmental Psychology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that maternal mental health issues are associated with (young) children's weight outcomes. However, most studies have been limited by cross-sectional designs and have been aimed at (younger) children. The current prospective study focuses on the link between maternal mental health (i. Read More

Spine Deform 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Norton Leatherman Spine Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.

Purpose: Symptomatic adult spinal deformity (ASD) with an extremely variable presentation with pain, with and without neurogenic leg pain, and/or disturbed sagittal and coronal balance, causes a significant societal burden of disease. It is an important consequence of the aging adult population, generating a plethora of spine-related interventions with variable treatment efficacy and consistently high costs. Recent years have witnessed more than a threefold increase in the prevalence and treatment of ASD, and further increases over the coming decades are expected with the growing elderly population worldwide. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2021 Apr 2. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.

Background: Indoor environments are considered one of the main settings for transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Households in particular represent a close-contact environment with high probability of transmission between persons of different ages and with different roles in society.

Methods: Complete households with a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive case in the Netherlands (March-May 2020) were included. Read More

Internet Interv 2021 Apr 24;24:100372. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Introduction: Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at increased risk for anxiety and depression, with negative consequences for adherence, health, and quality of life. New approaches to prevent and treat anxiety and depression that are tailored to the concerns of this population are needed. A CF-specific internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention was developed to increase access to evidence-based mental health care and decrease cost and burden of care for people with CF. Read More

Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2021 Mar 30. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Vascular Surgery, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Objective: The North American Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) reporting standards for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) were published in 2016 to produce consistency in the diagnosis and treatment of NTOS, but outcomes resulting from following these standards are not yet available. The results of a standardised multidisciplinary care pathway for NTOS based on the North American SVS reporting standards for NTOS are reported.

Methods: Patients referred between August 2016 and December 2019 with suspected NTOS were evaluated in this single center prospective cohort study. Read More

Cells 2021 Mar 26;10(4). Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Laboratory for CardioVascular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a form of pulmonary hypertension characterized by the presence of fibrotic intraluminal thrombi and causing obliteration of the pulmonary arteries. Although both endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and inflammation are linked to CTEPH pathogenesis, regulation of the basal inflammatory response of ECs in CTEPH is not fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the role of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pro-inflammatory signaling pathway in ECs in CTEPH under basal conditions. Read More

Pharmaceutics 2021 Mar 11;13(3). Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 108, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of pain and disability. Local corticosteroid injections are effective in treating OA pain and inflammation but are short-acting. Prolonged intra-articular (IA) corticosteroid exposure may even lead to cartilage deterioration. Read More

Nat Cell Biol 2021 Apr 1;23(4):377-390. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Molecular Cancer Research, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Direct targeting of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway to suppress extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer (CRC) has proven clinically unsuccessful, but promising results have been obtained with combination therapies including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition. To elucidate the interplay between EGF signalling and ERK activation in tumours, we used patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from KRAS and BRAF mutant CRCs. PDOs resemble in vivo tumours, model treatment response and are compatible with live-cell microscopy. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2021 Mar 1;4(3):e213497. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Importance: Although the number of treatments for elderly patients with non-transplant-eligible (NTE) multiple myeloma (MM) has increased substantially, evidence is lacking on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of novel treatment sequences.

Objective: To determine the optimal sequence of treatment for patients with NTE MM from the perspective of the patient, physician, and society.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Using data from a Dutch observational registry, this economic evaluation combined evidence from network meta-analyses in a patient-level simulation model and modeled time-to-event and types of events from a hospital perspective with a lifetime horizon. Read More

Appetite 2021 Mar 26;163:105211. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Universidad de La Frontera, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Salud Pública, Temuco, Chile; Universidad de La Frontera, Facultad de Medicina, Centro de Investigación en Epidemiología Cardiovascular y Nutricional (EPICYN), Temuco, Chile; Universidad de La Frontera, Centro de Investigación y Gestión para la Salud Basada en la Evidencia (CIGES), Temuco, Chile.

The aims of this study were to identify profiles of women based on their levels of emotional, external and restraint eating, and to determine differences in these eating styles profiles based on nutritional status, sociodemographic characteristics, stress, social support, and satisfaction with the body image. Questionnaires were administered to 884 women aged 20 to 60 living in two Chilean cities. Questionnaires included the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Read More

Lancet 2021 Mar 25. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.

Migraine is a disabling neurological disorder, diagnosis of which is based on clinical criteria. A shortcoming of these criteria is that they do not fully capture the heterogeneity of migraine, including the underlying genetic and neurobiological factors. This complexity has generated momentum for biomarker research to improve disease characterisation and identify novel drug targets. Read More

Sci Data 2021 03 26;8(1):21. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Czech Society for Ornithology, Prague, Czechia.

Around fifteen thousand fieldworkers annually count breeding birds using standardized protocols in 28 European countries. The observations are collected by using country-specific and standardized protocols, validated, summarized and finally used for the production of continent-wide annual and long-term indices of population size changes of 170 species. Here, we present the database and provide a detailed summary of the methodology used for fieldwork and calculation of the relative population size change estimates. Read More

BMC Cancer 2021 Mar 25;21(1):323. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: The introduction of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockers (i.e. nivolumab and pembrolizumab) has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with advanced melanoma. Read More

Adv Ther 2021 Mar 23. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Department of General Medicine, Amgen Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder characterized by a high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and is an important cause for premature cardiovascular disease. Because of underdiagnoses, an acute event is often the first clinical manifestation of FH. There are limited data on the prevalence and treatment of FH among adults admitted for treatment of acute cardiovascular events in Bulgaria. Read More

Alzheimers Res Ther 2021 03 22;13(1):63. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000, Rotterdam, CA, the Netherlands.

Background: Missing data can complicate the interpretability of a clinical trial, especially if the proportion is substantial and if there are different, potentially outcome-dependent causes.

Methods: We aimed to obtain unbiased estimates, in the presence of a high level of missing data, for the intervention effects in a prodromal Alzheimer's disease trial: the LipiDiDiet study. We used a competing risk joint model that can simultaneously model each patient's longitudinal outcome trajectory in combination with the timing and type of missingness. Read More

FASEB J 2021 Apr;35(4):e21366

Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) is an essential transcription factor in development of the kidney, liver, and pancreas. HNF1β-mediated transcription of target genes is dependent on the cell type and the development stage. Nevertheless, the regulation of HNF1β function by enhancers and co-factors that allow this cell-specific transcription is largely unknown. Read More

J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021 Mar 22. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Objective: Some studies have suggested alterations of structural brain asymmetry in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but findings have been contradictory and based on small samples. Here, we performed the largest ever analysis of brain left-right asymmetry in ADHD, using 39 datasets of the ENIGMA consortium.

Methods: We analyzed asymmetry of subcortical and cerebral cortical structures in up to 1,933 people with ADHD and 1,829 unaffected controls. Read More

Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2021 Mar 18. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland (Department of Clinical Psychology).

Objectives: In addition to physical damage, COVID-19 also has a serious impact on the mental health of society. For many people, this involves the necessity of adapting to new conditions, uncertainty about the future and a tremendous mental burden. It was investigated whether there were any differences between the 2 measures (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) in the levels of perceived stress, anxiety, life satisfaction and experienced emotions. Read More

Pediatr Diabetes 2021 Mar 21. Epub 2021 Mar 21.

OLVG hospital, Diaboss (pediatric and adolescent diabetes clinic), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Children, adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus need to be screened for chronic complications and associated (autoimmune) diseases. There are no Dutch national guidelines for screening available but the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) gives recommendations in its guidelines. The ISPAD guidelines from 2014 were updated in 2018. Read More

Lancet Oncol 2021 Mar 18. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Association de Recherche Contre les Cancers dont Gynécologiques-ARCAGY, Paris, France.

Background: Olaparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, has previously been shown to extend progression-free survival versus placebo when given to patients with relapsed high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancer who were platinum sensitive and who had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation, as part of the SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21 trial. The aim of this final analysis is to investigate the effect of olaparib on overall survival.

Methods: This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial was done across 123 medical centres in 16 countries. Read More

Korean J Radiol 2021 Mar 9. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

The D-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The The Netherlands.

Objective: To investigate the image quality of ultralow-dose CT (ULDCT) of the chest reconstructed using a cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (CycleGAN)-based deep learning method in the evaluation of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Materials And Methods: Between June 2019 and November 2019, 103 patients (mean age, 40.8 ± 13. Read More

Endocrine 2021 Mar;71(3):708

Dutch Adrenal Patient Society NVACP, Nijkerk, The Netherlands.

JMIR Form Res 2021 Mar 17;5(3):e17456. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Digital Society Health & Well-being, The Hague, Netherlands.

The health care sector can benefit considerably from developments in digital technology. Consequently, eHealth applications are rapidly increasing in number and sophistication. For successful development and implementation of eHealth, it is paramount to guarantee the privacy and safety of patients and their collected data. Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2021 Mar 15. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Juliana Children's Hospital (Haga Teaching hospital), Els Borst-Eilersplein 275, 2545 AA, The Hague, the Netherlands.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has enormous impact on society and healthcare. Countries imposed lockdowns, which were followed by a reduction in care utilization. The aims of this study were to quantify the effects of lockdown on pediatric care in the Netherlands, to elucidate the cause of the observed reduction in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions, and to summarize the literature regarding the effects of lockdown on pediatric care worldwide. Read More

BMC Health Serv Res 2021 Mar 12;21(1):227. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

IQVIA, Herikerbergweg 314, 1101 CT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has a disruptive impact on our society. We therefore conducted a population survey to describe: 1) stress, concerns and quality of life 2) access to healthcare and cancelled/delayed healthcare and 3) productivity during the first 8 weeks of the coronavirus lockdown in the general population.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample after 8 weeks of the coronavirus lockdown in Belgium and the Netherlands. Read More

J Genet Psychol 2021 Mar 11:1-20. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.

This cross-cultural study compared the prosocial behaviors of 101 Dutch, 37 urban Indian and 91 urban Chinese preschoolers, investigated (potential) cultural differences on their mothers' values and goals, and examined how mothers' values and goals relate to preschoolers' prosocial behaviors. Preschoolers' prosocial behaviors were observed in three standardized, behavioral assessments. Mothers reported on their own values and socialization goals for their children. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2021 Mar 9. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

Background: Brain structural alterations and their clinical significance of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) have not been determined.

Methods: We recruited 35 MOGAD, 38 aquaporin 4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum diseases (AQP4+ NMOSD), 37 multiple sclerosis (MS) and 60 healthy controls (HC) who underwent multimodal brain MRI from two centres. Brain lesions, volumes of the whole brain parenchyma, cortical and subcortical grey matter (GM), brainstem, cerebellum and cerebral white matter (WM) and diffusion measures (fractional anisotropy, FA and mean diffusivity, MD) were compared among the groups. Read More