Radioanatomic study of maxillary sinus palatal process pneumatization

Oral Radiology - To perform a detailed analysis of palatal process pneumatization (PPP) on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. This study consisted of 376 maxillary sinuses of 188 patients...     

Coronary artery thromboembolism: Unexpected presentation of left atrial myxoma covered with thrombus

Cardiac myxomas are benign primer cardiac tumors of the heart. They can be fatal with a thromboembolic presentation. Myocardial infarction is one of these unusual thromboembolic presentations. We report a patient who presented with cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation related to myocardial infarction. After successful resuscitation, coronary angiography and transthoracic echocardiography were performed. A left atrial mass was observed and interpreted as a possible cause of coronary embolism leading to myocardial infarction. After surgical excision, the pathological examination confirmed myxoma, which was the essential cause of the tendency to arterial embolism.     

Left atrial myxoma with neovascularization presenting as a sick sinus syndrome

Myxoma is benign tumor of the heart. It is mostly located in the left atrium and revascularized by the left and right coronary artery in 30% to 40% of cases. Symptoms of these neovascularized cardiac myxomas are typically quite variable, from obstruction of mitral valve to coronary embolism resulting in acute myocardial infarction. In this case, left atrial myxoma that is revascularized by nodal branches of the right coronary artery presented as a sick sinus syndrome, which is rare in literature.     

Lung parenchymal changes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

AIM: To assess lung parenchymal changes in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using high resolution computed tomography (HRCT). METHODS: We included 78 AS patients whose average age was 33.87 (18-56) years with a ratio of 53 males to 25 females who were followed up for 3.88 (1-22) years on average. neumonia and tuberculosis were excluded. In a detailed examination of lung HRCT findings, we investigated the presence of parenchymal micronodules,parenchymal bands, subpleural bands, interlobular and intralobular septal thickening, irregularity of interfaces,ground glass opacity, consolidation, mosaic pattern,bronchial wall thickening, bronchial dilatation, tracheal dilatation, pleural thickening, emphysema, thoracic cage asymmetry, honeycomb appearance, structural distortion, apical fibrosis and other additional findings.RESULTS: In detailed HRCT evaluations, lung parenchymal changes were found in 46 (59%) of all patients. We found parenchymal bands in 21 (27%) cases, interlobular septal thickening in 9 (12%), emphysema in 9 (12%), apical fibrosis in 8 (10%), ground-glass opacities in 7 (9%), parenchymal micronodules in 5 (6%), irregularity in interfaces in 3 (4%), bronchial dilatation in 3 (4%), mosaic pattern in 2 (3%), pleural thickening in 2 (3%), consolidation in 1 (1%), bronchial wall thick ening in 1 (1%) and a subpleural band in 1 (1%) case. Furthermore, we detected subsegmental atelectasis in 2 patients and a cavitary lesion in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: Our study had the highest number of AS cases of all previous studies in evaluating lung paren chymal changes. The rate of lung parenchymal changes was slightly lower than that reported in recent literature.     

Syntheses,Cholinesterases Inhibition,and Molecular Docking Studies of Pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazine Derivatives

Cholinesterases, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), have a role in cholinergic deficit which evidently leads to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibition of cholinesterases with small molecules is an attractive strategy in AD therapy. This study demonstrates synthesis of pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazines ( 6a ‐ 6q ) series, their inhibitory activities against both cholinesterases, AChE and BChE, and molecular docking studies. The bioactivities data of pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazines showed 3‐(3′‐nitrophenyl)pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazine 6n a potent dual inhibitor among the series against both AChE and BChE with IC₅₀ values of 0.466 ± 0.121 and 1.89 ± 0.05 μm , respectively. The analogues 3‐(3′‐methylphenyl)pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazine 6c and 3‐(3′‐fluorophenyl)pyrido[2,3‐b]pyrazine 6f were found to be selective inhibition for BChE with IC₅₀ values of 0.583 ± 0.052 μm and AChE with IC₅₀ value of 0.899 ± 0.10 μm , respectively. Molecular docking studies of the active compounds suggested the putative binding modes with cholinesterases. The potent compounds among the series could potentially serves as good leads for the development of new cholinesterase inhibitors.     

What is the impact of SOCS3, IL-35 and IL17 in immune pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Objective: To investigate the plasma levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), IL-17, IL-35 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the women with history of idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and in the fertile controls.

Methods: This study was conducted with 60 idiopathic RPL cases and 40 age-matched fertile controls. Mid-follicular plasma levels of IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, SOCS3 and IL-35 were assayed by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The mean age of RPL and control cases were 31.6?±?0.6 and 32.1?±?0.7 years, respectively. While plasma IL-35 and SOCS3 levels of RPL group were significantly lower than that of the control group; IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and TGF-beta levels of RPL group were significantly higher than that of the control group. The comparison of cytokine ratios between RPL and control groups indicated significantly high TNF-alpha/IL-10, TNF-alpha/IL-4, IFN-gamma/IL-10, IFN-gamma/IL-6 and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratios in the RPL group. IL-35/IL-17 ratio was significantly low in the RPL group compared to that in the control group. Overstimulation of TNF-alpha presented moderate influence on recurrent miscarriage risk.

Conclusion: Decreased SOCS3 and IL-35 plasma levels and increased Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios in RPL cases pointed out the supression of anti-inflammatory process and this supression might play an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic RPL.     

Necdin–E2F4 interaction provides insulin-sensitizing effect after weight loss induced by gastric bypass surgery

BackgroundThe insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway promotes adipocyte differentiation and, therefore, insulin sensitivity by suppression of necdin expression, which represses peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma promoter activity by interaction with E2F4 in mouse adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that this pathway represents one of the mechanisms by which Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) induces resolution of insulin resistance.MethodsClinical samples were collected and the key biomarkers measured to test the hypothesis that the IGF-1 pathway represents 1 of the mechanisms by which RYGB induces resolution of insulin resistance in obese individuals.ResultsFree IGF-1 levels were significantly greater in the post-RYGB patients than in the pre-RYGB obese patients (2.55 ± 1.54 versus 1.32 ± .65 μg/L, P = .03) and similar to that in normal weight controls (2.54 ± 1.27 μg/L). Necdin and E2F4 gene expression in the adipose tissue was significantly downregulated after RYGB compared with obese and were similar to the levels observed in the controls. In mature human adipocytes cultured in vitro, treatment with des-IGF-1 induced downregulation of necdin and E2F4 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner (P = .01).ConclusionAfter RYGB, the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway is activated and could account for the observed decrease in the expression of necdin, which represses peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma promoter activity by interaction with E2F4. This could represent one of the mechanisms that induce resolution of insulin resistance after RYGB.