A Very Long-term Longitudinal Study on the Evolution and Clinical Outcomes of Persistent Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect After Cryoballoon Ablation

Background

Persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) is a common but poorly characterized complication after cryoballoon (CB) pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures. We therefore investigate its prevalence, evolution, risk factors, and clinical outcomes in a prospective longitudinal study.

PINK1 mutations in sporadic early-onset Parkinson's disease.

Pathogenic PINK1 mutations have been described in PARK6-linked Parkinson's disease (PD) patients of Asian origin. However, data on the frequency of PINK1 mutations in sporadic early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) Asian patients are lacking. The objectives of this study were to report the frequency of PINK1 mutations of sporadic EOPD in an Asian cohort comprising of ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Indians, and to highlight a PINK1-positive patient who presented with restless legs symptoms. Eighty consecutive sporadic EOPD patients from the movement disorder clinics of two major tertiary institutions in the country were included. We performed sequence analysis of all the coding and exon-intron junctions of the PINK1 using specific primer sets. In addition, we genotyped polymorphisms detected from the analysis in a group of sporadic PD patients and controls. Three different mutations (two homozygous nonsense and one heterozygous missense) in the putative kinase domain were found in three patients, giving a 3.7% frequency of PINK1 mutations in our EOPD cohort. All the mutations were absent in 200 healthy controls. One patient with a novel homozygous nonsense PINK1 mutation presented unusually with restless legs symptoms. Separately, analysis of the frequency of four PINK1 polymorphisms in a group of sporadic PD and controls did not reveal any significant differences. We highlight a 3.7% frequency of PINK1 mutations in an Asian cohort (ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indian) of EOPD. The phenotypic spectrum associated with PINK1-positive patients may be wider than previously reported. Polymorphisms of PINK1 do not appear to modulate risk of PD in our population.     

胚胎NA能神经元移植对鼠点燃癫痫发作程度的影响

目的：明确胚胎NA能神经元移植对点燃癫痫发作严重程度的影响。方法：以Wistar大鼠为研究对象，按移植物的性质分为NA移植组、移植对照组和还对照组。首先定期电刺激杏仁核制备电点燃癫痫模型，再用立体定向技术向各组动物的海马移植相应的移植物，移植后观察癫痫的电生理和行为学指标（杏仁核后放电阈值、持续时间、癫痫行为级别、癫痫持续时间）变化情况，TH免疫组织化学染色了解移植物存活情况。结果：经统计学处理，移植前后各指标无显著性差异（P＞0．05）。结论：胚胎NA能神经元移植对点燃癫痫的发作严重程度无抑制作用。     

Bone mineral density testing in healthy postmenopausal women. The role of clinical risk factor assessment in determining fracture risk.

The ease of measurement and the quantitative nature of bone mineral densitometry (BMD) is clinically appealing. Despite BMD's proven capability to stratify fracture risk, data indicate that clinical risk factors provide complementary information on fracture susceptibility that is independent of BMD. Methods to quantify fracture risk using both clinical and BMD variables would have great appeal for clinical decision-making. We describe a procedure for quantifying hip fracture risk (5-yr and remaining lifetime) based on (1) the individual's age alone (base model, assuming average clinical risk factors and bone density), (2) incorporation of multiple patient-specific clinical risk factor data in the base model, and (3) incorporation of both patient-specific clinical risk factor data and BMD results.     

大鼠内毒素血症时外周血及肺泡内中性粒细胞死亡方式及呼吸爆发

本研究观察大鼠内毒素血症时肺组织中及外周血多形核中性粒细胞（PMN）凋亡，坏死及功能改变的差异。采用Wistar大鼠20只。腹腔注射LPS（O55B5，5mg/kg)造成内毒素血症，给予LPS后2，4，8，12小时（每组5只动物）取血及支气管肺泡灌洗，密度梯度法分离PMN，用流式细胞仪测定凋亡和坏死比例以及呼吸爆发功能的改变，同时采用5只大鼠作为正常对照。结果显示，内毒素血症时外周血和支气管肺泡灌洗液中PMN凋亡细胞比例相似。但与对照相比，外周血PMN坏死比例明显增加，呼吸爆发能力明显受抑，而支气管肺泡灌洗液PMN坏死比例显减少，呼吸爆发能力显增强。结论：在内毒素血症时，扣押于肺组织中的PMN在凋亡和坏死上表现出与比例显减少，呼吸爆发能力显增强，结论：在内毒素血症时，扣押于肺组织中的PMN在凋亡和坏死上表现出与外周血PMN不同的改变，其结果是组织中PMN存活增加，并持续处于活化状态，这与PMN造成组织损伤有关。     

Overview of the Clinical Efficacy of Lamotrigine

Summary: Testing the efficacy of lamotrigine (LTG) in epileptic patients has been approached in several ways. The first pilot study examined the effect of a single dose of LTG in patients with frequent interictal spikes, and a reduction in spike frequency was observed. Subsequently, single doses reduced photosensitivity in appropriate patients. Single-blind administration of LTG for 1 week in addition to the patients' regular antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), in patients with refractory seizures, reduced seizures despite the short duration of therapy. This regimen was continued using a placebo-controlled crossover study with 1-week duration of treatment. Efficacy in partial and tonic-clonic seizures was subsequently confirmed in four double-blind crossover studies; a meta-analysis of these four studies showed a 30% reduction in partial seizures despite the intractable nature of the seizures in the patients included. Current studies aim at evaluating the drug as monotherapy and in different seizure types.     

Early outcomes of surgery for small bowel obstruction: analysis of risk factors

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to review the etiologies of patients who underwent surgery for small bowel obstruction (SBO) and to evaluate the risk factors affecting the early postoperative outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case series of 430 patients (252 men) with a mean age of 64.5 years, who underwent 437 operations for SBO, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Peritoneal adhesions and hernia were the most common causes of SBO, contributing 42.3 and 26.8% of all cases, respectively. Strangulation occurred in 27.7% and caused nonviable bowel in 13.0% of obstructing episodes. Old age (age >/= 70 years), female patient, nonadhesive obstruction, and hernia were the independent significant factors associated with bowel strangulation. The 30-day mortality was 6.5%, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. Old age, the presence of premorbid pulmonary disease, and malignant obstruction were the independent factors associated with operative mortality. The overall complication rate was 35.5%, and old age was the only significant factor associated with postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for SBO is still associated with significant mortality and morbidity. As old age is significantly associated with an increased incidence of strangulation, operative mortality, and complications, this group of patients should be managed with extra cautions to avoid unfavorable outcome of surgery.