Rosmarinus plants: Key farm concepts towards food applications

Rosmarinus species are aromatic plants that mainly grow in the Mediterranean region. They are widely used in folk medicine, food, and flavor industries and represent a valuable source of biologically active compounds (e.g., terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids). The extraction of rosemary essential oil is being done using three main methods: carbon dioxide supercritical extraction, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation. Furthermore, interesting antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, anthelmintic, anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, antidepressant, and antiamnesic effects have also been broadly recognized for rosemary plant extracts. Thus the present review summarized data on economically important Rosmarinus officinalis species, including isolation, extraction techniques, chemical composition, pharmaceutical, and food applications.     

Elevated serum interleukin-34 level in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and disease activity

Clinical Rheumatology - To determine the role of Interleukin-34 (IL-34) in the pathogenesis of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (J-SLE), by exploring the relationship between IL-34...     

44Sacral extracorporeal magnetic stimulation is an effective treatment for pelvic floor dyssynergia; Comparative study with biofeedback therapy

Background: Recent development of extracorporeal magnetic stimulation (ECMS) which uses current‐changing magnetic fields allows the induction of electrical stimulation in the desired deep tissue. Recent study showed the sacral nerve stimulation reduces corticoanal excitability that may play a functional role in anal continence mechanisms. Preliminary study shows that ECMS of sacral nerve can modify pelvic floor function and expel rectal balloon in patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia (PFD). Aims: To evaluate the effect of ECMS compared with biofeedback therapy (BF) in patients with PFD. Methods and Materials: Thirty‐eight patients who fulfilled Rome II criteria for PFD by colon transit time and anorectal function tests, were randomly treated with 8 sessions of ECMS (2/weeks; n = 19) at prone position or BF (2/weeks; n = 19) at sitting position. Stimulation parameters were set at 50–80% of maximum intensity, 10 and 50 Hz frequency, 3 s burst length with 3 and 6 s off using arm‐typed stimulator (BioCom‐1000, Mcube Co., Korea). Symptom scores for constipation with/without anorectal function test were repeatedly measured after each treatment. Response was defined as 50% or more decreased symptom score after treatment (partial response: 30–50%, poor: <30%). Results: Fifteen patients (age 49.1 ± 13.4 years, mean ± SD; 4 men) completed 8 session of BF and 14 patients (54.5 ± 17.6 years, 3 men) completed 8 session of ECMS. Four patients of BF group discontinued treatment due to unsatisfactory therapeutic effect (n = 1) and withdrew consent (n = 3) and 5 patients of ECMS group discontinued treatment because of same reasons (n = 1, 4). Total symptom scores were significantly decreased after treatment of 8 session in both treatment groups (13.4 ± 6.6 vs. 4.3 ± 4.0 for BF, p = 0.009; 14.9 ± 5.6 vs. 3.4 ± 4.0 for ECMS, p < 0.001). Bowel movements per week were also significantly increased after treatment in both groups (median 2 vs. 7 for BF, p = 0.035; median 2 vs. 7 for ECMS, p = 0.008). Thirteen out of 15 patients showed response in BF group and 12 out of 14 showed good response in ECMS group. No adverse effects in both groups. Conclusions: ECMS is as effective as BF for the treatment of PFD. Long‐term effect of ECMS for the patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia need to be evaluated in the near future.     

A founder mutation in BBS2 is responsible for Bardet‐Biedl syndrome in the Hutterite population: utility of SNP arrays in genetically heterogeneous disorders

Innes AM, Boycott KM, Puffenberger EG, Redl D, MacDonald IM, Chudley AE, Beaulieu C, Perrier R, Gillan T, Wade A, Parboosingh JS. A founder mutation in BBS2 is responsible for Bardet‐Biedl syndrome in the Hutterite population: utility of SNP arrays in genetically heterogeneous disorders. Bardet‐Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a multisystem genetically heterogeneous disorder, the clinical features of which are largely the consequence of ciliary dysfunction. BBS is typically inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, and mutations in at least 14 genes have been identified. Here, we report the identification of a founder mutation in the BBS2 gene as the cause for the increased incidence of this developmental disorder in the Hutterite population. To ascertain the Hutterite BBS locus, we performed a genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis on a single patient and his three unaffected siblings from a Hutterite family. The analysis identified two large SNP blocks that were homozygous in the patient but not in his unaffected siblings, one of these regions contained the BBS2 gene. Sequence analysis and subsequent RNA studies identified and confirmed a novel splice site mutation, c.472‐2A>G, in BBS2. This mutation was also found in homozygous form in three subsequently studied Hutterite BBS patients from two different leuts, confirming that this is a founder mutation in the Hutterite population. Further studies are required to determine the frequency of this mutation and its role, if any, in the expression of other ciliopathies in this population.     

High epidermal growth factor receptor amplification rate but low mutation frequency in Middle East lung cancer population

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 18-21 mutations were shown to be highly predictive of response to gefitinib (Iressa) therapy in lung cancer. Studies on Western and Japanese lung cancers have indicated substantial differences in the EGFR mutation frequency between these populations. To investigate the prevalence of EGFR in another distinct ethnic group, EGFR alterations were studied in 47 consecutive non small cell lung cancers from Saudi Arabia by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and DNA sequencing. Detectable EGFR expression was seen in 69.8% of 43 interpretable cancers. Epidermal growth factor receptor amplification, present in 15.3% of 39 analyzable cancers, was strongly associated with high levels of EGFR expression (P = .0047). Only 1 exon 18-21 mutation was seen among 34 lung cancers that could be successfully sequenced. It is concluded that EGFR exon 18-21 mutations are rare in Middle East patients with lung cancer and occur in a similar range as in Western patients. The remarkable high rate of EGFR gene amplifications could potentially facilitate studies on the predictive role of gene copy number changes for response to anti-EGFR therapies in Middle East patient sets.     

High throughput tissue microarray analysis of FHIT expression in diffuse large cell B-cell lymphoma from Saudi Arabia.

Recent studies have suggested a potential prognostic role of alterations of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To evaluate possible mechanisms of FHIT inactivation and to further clarify its potential prognostic relevance, we analyzed a set of 114 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with clinical follow-up information. Tissue microarrays were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for protein expression, and corresponding DNA samples were analyzed for FHIT promotor hypermethlyation. Reduced or absent FHIT expression was found in 75 of 114 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (66%), but was unrelated to clinical tumor stage or patient prognosis. FHIT promotor hypermethylation was observed in 29 of 93 (23%) interpretable diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hypermethylation was not significantly correlated to protein expression loss, which could be explained by competing mechanisms for FHIT inactivation in a substantial fraction of non FHIT hypermethylated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hypermethylation was significantly associated with poor prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients and predominantly seen in nongerminal center diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (27%), but less frequent (13%) in germinal center diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In summary, these data suggest that promotor hypermethylation is responsible for reduced FHIT expression in a substantial subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which is primarily composed of nongerminal center subtype with poor patient prognosis.     

Autosomal dominant SCA5 and autosomal recessive infantile SCA are allelic conditions resulting from SPTBN2 mutations

Although many genes have been identified for the autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCAs), several patients are unlinked to the respective loci, suggesting further genetic heterogeneity. We combined homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing in a consanguineous Egyptian family with congenital ARCA, mental retardation and pyramidal signs. A homozygous 5-bp deletion in SPTBN2, the gene whose in-frame mutations cause autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia type 5, was shown to segregate with ataxia in the family. Our findings are compatible with the concept of truncating SPTBN2 mutations acting recessively, which is supported by disease expression in homozygous, but not heterozygous, knockout mice, ataxia in Beagle dogs with a homozygous frameshift mutation and, very recently, a homozygous SPTBN2 nonsense mutation underlying infantile ataxia and psychomotor delay in a human family. As there was no evidence for mutations in 23 additional consanguineous families, SPTBN2-related ARCA is probably rare.     

AIP Mutations are not Identified in Patients with Sporadic Pituitary Adenomas

The pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas remains a subject of interest. Recently, mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) were identified as germline events leading to pituitary tumor predisposition in Finnish and Italian families with familial growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas and acromegaly. We examined the frequency of AIP mutations in pituitary tumors and blood of Canadian patients with sporadic pituitary somatotroph adenomas and sporadic pituitary adenomas of other types. Genomic DNA was extracted from pituitary tumors and white blood cells obtained from peripheral blood. Three PCR reactions were carried out to amplify the sites of known mutation, and amplified products were sequenced. AIP mutations were not detected as germline events in blood or as somatic alterations in tumors of 66 patients with pituitary adenomas. These included 50 acromegalics and 16 patients with other types of pituitary tumor. No mutations were detected in the blood of 22 controls and 10 patients with other endocrinopathies. Our results indicate that mutations in AIP are not identified in sporadic pituitary adenomas of Canadian patients. This rare mechanism of pituitary tumorigenesis appears to be unique to the initial Finnish and Italian families described. RD and SS contributed equally to this work.