Open Access

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A syndrome is a collection of symptoms which occur together and may point to a single underlying cause for these symptoms. In case of nephrotic syndrome the symptoms are massive protein loss via the urine (i.e. proteinuria of more than 3.5 grams per 24 hours), low serum protein level, in particular low serum albumin, and as a consequence severe edema and high serum lipid levels...

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Since 1980, the worldwide prevalence of obesity has doubled, with a subsequent increase of the risk for life threatening comorbidities accompanied with a severe economic burden (2,3). In fact, 65% of the world's population live in countries where obesity kills more people than underweight...

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We argued that the fetal brain may be particular sensitive to developmental programming since the brain is subject to dramatic developmental processes during the prenatal life period and introduced the developmental origins of behavior, health and disease (DOBHaD) hypothesis. The central aim of this dissertation was to examine the effect of exposure to maternal anxiety during pregnancy on neurocognitive functioning in infants and young children. Because research in the DOBHaD field almost exclusively focused on the effects of negative maternal states and traits we also included a potential positive/protective factor in our study: maternal mindfulness...

This thesis addresses three topics in obesity research: a. alterations in the obese brain and b. insulin resistance and inflammation. The studies described in this thesis are performed in humans with the major aim to translate findings from rodents and explore new pathways that might be targeted for future medical treatment...

The world has become a global village. This statement represents more than just a phrase. When Karinthy published his “Six degrees of separation” theory more than 80 years ago, it sounded almost unbelievable. Despite the fact that the human population grew several times larger in the meantime, that theory sounds more true today than ever before (although, strictly speaking it is not true if we consider isolated Amazonian tribes, for example)...

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is a hereditary cardiomyopathy characterized by an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and ventricular arrhythmias with primarily right ventricular (RV) involvement. However, predominant left ventricular (LV) forms are increasingly recognized. Moreover, on the molecular level, both ventricles are affected in a similar manner...

Organ transplantation has become increasingly successful in terms of patient survival and is currently the best treatment option for patients with organ failure. With living donor opportunities only being available for certain organs, most efforts are aimed to increase donation rates from deceased donors...

Childhood asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by episodes of airflow obstruction, often in response to triggers like infections, allergens, exercise and emotions. The prevalence of childhood asthma and asthma-like symptoms has dramatically increased during the end of the last century...