Hematological profile of pregnant women in southwest of Nigeria

ObjectiveTo evaluate the values of some major hematological parameters at different trimesters of pregnancy.MethodsThe research involved 33 healthy pregnant women as the study group and 11 non-pregnant women as control. The age range of these women was 20-40 years. Ethical approval was obtained from Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu. Three milliliters of venous blood collected from the median cubital vein with minimum stasis were put into K⁺EDTA bottle. The blood was properly mixed and analyzed for packed cell volume (PCV), total white cell count, differential counts and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Hematology was done according to standard methods.ResultsThe result showed that study group exhibited statistically significant lower values of PCV, monocyte and lymphocyte while WBC, eosinophil and ESR were not significantly changed. There was no significant difference in all hematological parameters among the three trimesters.ConclusionsHealthy pregnancy may have effect on hematological parameters. Therefore, there is a need to monitor these parameters during pregnancy. We also find that stages of pregnancy have no influence on hematological parameters.     

Prolonged hemiplegic migraine

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine variant. It is characterized by recurrent attacks of headache associated with temporary neurological deficit, usually unilateral hemiparesis or hemiplegia. It can be difficult to distinguish from migrainous stroke clinically, and a full neurological work-up and careful review of medical history and symptoms are necessary for the diagnosis. Two forms of hemiplegic migraine are known: familial and sporadic, phenotypically similar, differentiated by the absence of family history of similar attacks in the sporadic form. We report a case of sporadic hemiplegic migraine with unusually prolonged deficit and progression to quadriplegia with complete return to baseline 7 days after onset. Diffusion weighted images helped in excluding infarction.     

Ratio Between Positive Lymph Nodes and Total Excised Axillary Lymph Nodes as an Independent Prognostic Factor for Overall Survival in Patients with Nonmetastatic Lymph Node-Positive Breast Cancer

Background

The status of the axillary lymph nodes in nonmetastatic lymph node-positive breast cancer (BC) patients remains the single most important determinant of overall survival (OS). Although the absolute number of nodes involved with cancer is important for prognosis, the role of the total number of excised nodes has received less emphasis. Thus, several studies have focused on the utility of the axillary lymph node ratio (ALNR) as an independent prognostic indicator of OS. However, most studies suffered from shortcomings, such as including patients who received neoadjuvant therapy or failing to consider the use of adjuvant therapy and tumor receptor status in their analysis.

Methods

We conducted a single-center retrospective review of 669 patients with nonmetastatic lymph node-positive BC. Data collected included patient demographics; breast cancer risk factors; tumor size, histopathological, receptor, and lymph node status; and treatment modalities used. Patients were subdivided into four groups according to ALNR value (<.25, .25–.49, .50–.74, .75–1.00). Study parameters were compared at the univariate and multivariate levels for their effect on OS.

Results

On univariate analysis, both the absolute number of positive lymph nodes and the ALNR were significant predictors of OS. On multivariate analysis, only the ALNR remained an independent predictor of OS, with a 2.5-fold increased risk of dying at an ALNR of ≥.25.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that ALNR is a stronger factor in predicting OS than the absolute number of positive axillary lymph nodes.     

The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 contributes to atherogenesis in mice and humans

Atherosclerosis remains a major cause of death in the developed world despite the success of therapies that lower cholesterol and BP. The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 is expressed in multiple cell types implicated in atherogenesis, and pharmacological blockade of this channel inhibits VSMC and lymphocyte activation in rats and mice. We found that coronary vessels from patients with coronary artery disease expressed elevated levels of KCa3.1. In Apoe(-/-) mice, a genetic model of atherosclerosis, KCa3.1 expression was elevated in the VSMCs, macrophages, and T lymphocytes that infiltrated atherosclerotic lesions. Selective pharmacological blockade and gene silencing of KCa3.1 suppressed proliferation, migration, and oxidative stress of human VSMCs. Furthermore, VSMC proliferation and macrophage activation were reduced in KCa3.1(-/-) mice. In vivo therapy with 2 KCa3.1 blockers, TRAM-34 and clotrimazole, significantly reduced the development of atherosclerosis in aortas of Apoe(-/-) mice by suppressing VSMC proliferation and migration into plaques, decreasing infiltration of plaques by macrophages and T lymphocytes, and reducing oxidative stress. Therapeutic concentrations of TRAM-34 in mice caused no discernible toxicity after repeated dosing and did not compromise the immune response to influenza virus. These data suggest that KCa3.1 blockers represent a promising therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis.     

The extract of Mucuna pruriens possesses histamine activity

ObjectiveTo investigate the activity of the active principle in the spines of the seed pods of Mucuna pruriens using contraction of guinea pig ileum as index of pharmacological activity.MethodsThe active principle was extracted with 0.0015 M NaCl. Muscle strips of guinea pig ileum were prepared and contractile responses were measured using a Kymograph. Two sets of experiment were conducted: (1). The contraction of the ileum in presence of different concentrations of histamine, 2-methylhistamine and the extract of Mucuna pruriens. (2). The contractile response of the ileum in presence of different concentrations of the extract and antagonists including diphenhydramine, atropine and methysergide.Results(1) The extract of Mucuna pruriens hair, 2-methylhistamine and histamine produced dose dependent contraction of guinea pig ileum (Extract ED₅₀ = 13.0 μg/mL, 2-methylhistamine ED₅₀ = 8.5 μg/mL and histamine ED₅₀ = 10.0 μg/mL). (2) Diphenhydramine, an H₁ antagonist competitively blocked the contractile response of the Mucuna pruriens extract. (3) Coadminstration of the Mucuna pruriens extract either with different doses of antimuscarinic agent atropine or 5-hydroxytryptamine blocking agent methysergide did not alter the extract induced contractile response of the guinea pig ileum.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that the spines of Mucuna pruriens possess histamine activity which may contribute to its itching and painful irritation effects.     

Comparative clinical effectiveness of various 5-HT3 RA antiemetic regimens on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with hospital and emergency department visits in real world practice

Purpose  

The aim of this study was to compare the risk of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) events for various 5-HT₃ RAs in patients who received moderately (MEC) or highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) by evaluating hospital or emergency department (ED) admissions.     

A survey of the genetics of stomach, liver, and adipose gene expression from a morbidly obese cohort

To map the genetics of gene expression in metabolically relevant tissues and investigate the diversity of expression SNPs (eSNPs) in multiple tissues from the same individual, we collected four tissues from approximately 1000 patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and clinical traits associated with their weight loss and co-morbidities. We then performed high-throughput genotyping and gene expression profiling and carried out a genome-wide association analyses for more than 100,000 gene expression traits representing four metabolically relevant tissues: liver, omental adipose, subcutaneous adipose, and stomach. We successfully identified 24,531 eSNPs corresponding to about 10,000 distinct genes. This represents the greatest number of eSNPs identified to our knowledge by any study to date and the first study to identify eSNPs from stomach tissue. We then demonstrate how these eSNPs provide a high-quality disease map for each tissue in morbidly obese patients to not only inform genetic associations identified in this cohort, but in previously published genome-wide association studies as well. These data can aid in elucidating the key networks associated with morbid obesity, response to RYGB, and disease as a whole.