Recurrent multiple cardiac hydatidosis.

Cardiac hydatid cyst is an uncommon disease. We report on a woman admitted to our clinic with chest pain and palpitations. The ECG showed anterior ischemia, and coronary anatomy was normal. The diagnosis was: multiple cardiac hydatid cysts, for which she had undergone surgery 4 years earlier for a 5 x 5 hydatid cyst and treated with albendazole. Despite this, there was a recurrence of multiple cysts. Recurrence of intracavitary hydatid cyst is rare, and surgical treatment of multiple, small cysts remains controversial.     

Possible pathogenetic role of new cytokines in postmenopausal osteoporosis and changes during calcitonin plus calcium therapy

The present study was designed to test if the serum cytokines (interleukin, or IL-1beta, -2, -2r, -6, -6r, -8, and -10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, or TNF-alpha) and osteocalcin levels were different between 50 osteoporotic and 30 postmenopausal nonosteoporotic women and to evaluate the efficacy of calcitonin therapy during 6 months on serum cytokines and osteocalcin levels in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. In our study, serum levels of osteocalcin, TNF-alpha, IL-2, and IL-8 were significantly higher in the patient group (P < 0.05), whereas serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6r were significantly lower in the patient group (P < 0.05). When analysed separately according to bone turnover, serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6r were significantly lower in the normal-turnover group (P < 0.05), and IL-2, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in the high-turnover group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Statistically significant improvement seemed to happen in the patients receiving calcitonin plus calcium therapy (P < 0.05) concerning levels of serum IL-6r at the 1st month (P < 0.05), IL-10, IL-2r, IL-6r, and osteocalcin at the 3rd month, and IL-6r and osteocalcin at the end of the 6th month. Our findings demonstrate that calcitonin plus calcium therapy appears to be particularly more effective for patients with high turnover. In addition, our study suggests that IL-10 and IL-6r may have an important role in normal-turnover osteoporosis, while IL-2, IL-8, and TNF-alpha may play an important role in high-turnover postmenopausal osteoporosis.     

Cognitive modulation of the cerebral processing of human oesophageal sensation using functional magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND: While cortical processing of visceral sensation has been described, the role that cognitive factors play in modulating this processing remains unclear. AIM: To investigate how selective and divided attention modulate the cerebral processing of oesophageal sensation. METHODS: In seven healthy volunteers (six males, mean age 33 years; ranging from 24 to 41 years old) from the general community, phasic visual and oesophageal (non-painful balloon distension) stimuli were presented simultaneously. During the selective attention task, subjects were instructed to press a button either to a change in frequency of oesophageal or visual stimuli. During a divided attention task, subjects received simultaneous visual and oesophageal stimuli and were instructed to press a button in response to a change in frequency of both stimuli. RESULTS: Selectively focussing attention on oesophageal stimuli activated the visceral sensory and cognitive neural networks (primary and secondary sensory cortices and anterior cingulate cortex respectively) while selective attention to visual stimuli primarily activated the visual cortex. When attention was divided between the two sensory modalities, more brain regions in the sensory and cognitive domains were utilised to process oesophageal stimuli in comparison to those employed to process visual stimuli (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Selective and divided attention to visceral stimuli recruits more neural resources in both the sensory and cognitive domains than attention to visual stimuli. We provide neurobiological evidence that demonstrates the biological importance placed on visceral sensations and demonstrate the influence of cognitive factors such as attention on the cerebral processing of visceral sensation.     

The use of stress echocardiography in the assessment of mitral valvular disease

Stress echocardiography plays an important role in evaluating asymptomatic patients with significant mitral stenosis and symptomatic patients with only mild disease at rest, as it correlates the exercise-induced symptoms with changes in transmitral gradients, pulmonary pressures, and mitral valve area. In patients with mitral regurgitation (MR), exercise or dobutamine protocols assess for the change in the degree of regurgitation and the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in response to high flow states, and detect underlying left ventricular (LV) dysfunction prior to valvular surgery. Exercise echocardiography also helps in the prognostic assessment of patients with mitral valve prolapse as new MR, or latent LV dysfunction may be provoked to identify a group of high risk individuals with normal resting echocardiographic parameters. Finally, it evaluates the proper functioning of prosthetic mitral valves and helps on the monitoring of transmitral gradients and PAPs after mitral valve surgery.     

Cytokines and depression in cases with fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic, painful musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread pain, pressure, hyperalgesia, morning stiffness, and an increased incidence of depressive symptoms. The etiology, however, has remained elusive. The aim of the present study was to examine the inflammatory response system in FM and to investigate the effect of depression level on serum cytokines. METHODS: Serum interleukin-1 (IL-I), IL-2 receptor (IL-2r), IL-6, and IL-8 and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score were determined in 32 healthy volunteers and in 81 patients with FM, classified according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. RESULTS: In our study, serum IL-1 and IL-6 were not statistically significant, but serum IL-8, IL2r, and HDRS score were significantly higher in patients with FM than the control group (p < 0.01). In addition, in patients with FM, IL-8 was found to be related to pain intensity (r = 0.35; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: IL-8 may play an important role in the occurrence of pain in FM.     

Modulation of Activity in Swallowing Motor Cortex Following Esophageal Acidification: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Esophageal acid exposure induces sensory and motility changes in the upper gastrointestinal tract; however, the mechanisms involved and the effects on activity in the brain regions that control swallowing are unknown. The aim of this study was to examine functional changes in the cortical swallowing network as a result of esophageal acidification using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Seven healthy volunteers (3 female, age range=20-30 years) were randomized to receive either a 0.1 M hydrochloric acid or (control) saline infusion for 30 min into the distal esophagus. Postinfusion, subjects underwent four 8 min blocks of fMRI over 1 h. These alternated between 1 min swallowing water boluses and 1 min rest. Three-dimensional cluster analysis for group brain activation during swallowing was performed together with repeated-measures ANOVA for differences between acid and saline. After acid infusion, swallowing-induced activation was seen predominantly in postcentral gyrus (p<0.004). ANOVA comparison of acid with saline showed a significant relative reduction in activation during swallowing of the precentral gyrus (M1) BA 4 (p<0.008) in response to acid infusion. No areas of increased cortical activation were identified with acid vs. saline during swallowing. Esophageal acidification inhibits motor and association cortical areas during a swallowing task, probably via changes in vagal afferent or nociceptive input from the esophagus. This mechanism may play a protective role, facilitating acid clearance by reduced descending central motor inhibition of enteric/spinal reflexes, or by preventing further ingestion of injurious agents.     

Success of immediate loading implants compared to conventionally‐loaded implants: a literature review

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to compare the clinical performance between conventionally‐ (delayed) and immediately‐loaded implants. A literature search of studies published between 1995 and 2012 was performed using several electronic databases and the following key words: “immediate loading”, “dental implants”, “immediate function”, “early loading”, “oral implants”, “immediate restoration”, and “systematic review” was performed. The electronic search was supplemented with hand‐searching in dental journals and cross‐referencing within the selected articles. Studies were considered for inclusion if they analyzed the success of the immediate loading protocol for implants, with emphasis given to randomized, controlled clinical trials. Among the clinical studies extracted from the literature, 120 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. These studies included trials that involved yielded consistent results of success rates of immediately‐loaded implants comparable to those known from conventionally‐loaded implants, which were subjected to the immediate loading protocol or other loading protocols. According to the findings, there is evidence to suggest that immediate loading protocols demonstrate high implant survival rates and could be cautiously recommended for certain clinical situations. However, studies with a high level of evidence, especially randomized, controlled trials, performed over a longer timeframe are required to show a clear benefit over conventional and other loading types.     

Loading of the human 9-1-1 checkpoint complex onto DNA by the checkpoint clamp loader hRad17-replication factor C complex in vitro

The human DNA damage sensors, Rad17-replication factor C (Rad17-RFC) and the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) checkpoint complex, are thought to be involved in the early steps of the DNA damage checkpoint response. Rad17-RFC and the 9-1-1 complex have been shown to be structurally similar to the replication factors, RFC clamp loader and proliferating cell nuclear antigen polymerase clamp, respectively. Here, we demonstrate functional similarities between the replication and checkpoint clamp loader/DNA clamp pairs. When all eight subunits of the two checkpoint complexes are coexpressed in insect cells, a stable Rad17-RFC/9-1-1 checkpoint supercomplex forms in vivo and is readily purified. The two individually purified checkpoint complexes also form a supercomplex in vitro, which depends on ATP and is mediated by interactions between Rad17 and Rad9. Rad17-RFC binds to nicked circular, gapped, and primed DNA and recruits the 9-1-1 complex in an ATP-dependent manner. Electron microscopic analyses of the reaction products indicate that the 9-1-1 ring is clamped around the DNA.