Breastfeeding and Helicobacter pylori Infection in Early Childhood: a Continuing Dilemma

Objective:

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans. Chronic colonization increases the risk of duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. The risk factors for acquiring the infection have been extensively studied. However, there are conflicting results on the role of breastfeeding in the prevention of H. pylori infection. We conducted a study to evaluate the effects of breastfeeding on the H. Pylori infection in Kurdish children in Sanandaj, IR Iran.

Methods:

A historical cohort study was carried out from January 2011 through December 2012. Totally 221 children who were going to attain 2 years old during the study period were randomly enrolled. They were divided into two groups, i.e. breastfed and non-breastfed. We used H. pylori stool antigen test to detect infection in the selected group of children after age of 2 years and cessation of breastfeeding. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups, infected and non-infected. The associations of breastfeeding with H. pylori infection was assessed using statistical software.

Findings:

We found no difference in the odds of infection between breastfed and non-breastfed groups (OR=0.809, 95% CI [0.453–1.444]). An association between age and the prevalence of infection was found (P=0.008). There was an increase in the odds of infection as the family size grew (OR=1.93, 95% CI [1.04–3.6]) as well as increasing housing density (OR=2.12, 95% CI [1.10–4.10]).

Conclusion:

The data suggests that breastfeeding in infancy does not protect against H. pylori infection for long duration among studied children in Iran. The protective effects of breastfeeding, if any, are at most transient.     

Cognitive correlates of visual hallucinations in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

BackgroundVisual hallucinations (VH) in Parkinson's disease (PD) are associated with PD dementia and have been related to cognitive impairments in non-demented PD patients. Reports on the specific cognitive domains affected are conflicting. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of specific cognitive impairments in non-demented PD patients with VH, compared to those without VH.MethodsWe compared the clinical characteristics and neuropsychological test scores of 31 non-demented PD patients with VH with those of 31 PD patients without VH that were carefully matched for sex, age, disease duration and educational level. Several non-motor symptoms, including depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances, were also taken into account, as these may influence cognitive performance.ResultsThe PD with VH group performed significantly worse on the Trail Making Test part A (p = 0.01) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, immediate recall (p = 0.01). In addition, PD patients with VH were more anxious, more depressed and reported more sleep disturbances. Verbal learning scores were not associated with levels of anxiety, depression or sleep disruption, whereas worse Trail Making Test A performance was associated with concomitant sleep disturbances.ConclusionsIn non-demented PD patients, the presence of VH is associated with a cognitive profile characterized by impairments in verbal learning and probably attention. Since these cognitive functions are believed to be non-dopaminergic mediated functions, the present results support the hypothesis that multiple neurotransmitter systems, other than dopamine, contribute to the pathophysiology of VH in PD.     

Exploiting PI3K/mTOR signaling to accelerate epithelial wound healing

The molecular circuitries controlling the process of skin wound healing have gained new significant insights in recent years. This knowledge is built on landmark studies on skin embryogenesis, maturation, and differentiation. Furthermore, the identification, characterization, and elucidation of the biological roles of adult skin epithelial stem cells and their influence in tissue homeostasis have provided the foundation for the overall understanding of the process of skin wound healing and tissue repair. Among numerous signaling pathways associated with epithelial functions, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling route has gained substantial attention with the generation of animal models capable of dissecting individual components of the pathway, thereby providing a novel insight into the molecular framework underlying skin homeostasis and tissue regeneration. In this review, we focus on recent findings regarding the mechanisms involved in wound healing associated with the upregulation of the activity of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR circuitry. This review highlights critical findings on the molecular mechanisms controlling the activation of mTOR, a downstream component of the PI3K–PTEN pathway, which is directly involved in epithelial migration and proliferation. We discuss how this emerging information can be exploited for the development of novel pharmacological intervention strategies to accelerate the healing of critical size wounds.     

SLC34A3 intronic deletion in a new kindred with hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria

Objective: Hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria (HHRH) is an autosomal recessive form of hypophosphatemia with hyperphosphaturia, hypercalciuria, and hypercalcemia. In two reports on six affected kindreds with HHRH, the disease was mapped to chromosome 9q34, which contains the SLC34A3 gene that encodes the renal type 2c sodium-phosphate cotransporter. Our objective was to define the clinical course of these cases in a family with HHRH and to screen for SLC34A3 gene in order to determine whether these mutations are responsible for HHRH.Methods: After clinical and biochemical evaluations, the entire SLC34A3 gene was screened using PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing technique. In this paper, we describe a new kindred with HHRH and a case of progressive and complicated HHRH presenting at age 27 years.Results: We found 101-bp deletion in intron 9 of the SLC34A3 gene. The index patient was homozygous for this mutation which has been previously reported in a Caucasian population. This is the first report for presence of SLC34A3 intron 9 deletion in an Iranian population.Conclusions: These data showed that HHRH can be easily missed or underdiagnosed. Genetic evaluation of patients with familial hypercalciuria, hypophosphatemia and nephrolithiasis is needed for further information on the prevalence and management of this rare disorder. Conflict of interest:None declared.     

Three-tesla MRI biphasic angiography: a method for preoperative assessment of the vascular supply in renal tumours—a surgical perspective

Purpose

The new generation of 3TMRI has improved spatial and time resolutions, which are favourable in imaging of the renal vasculature. In this study, we have compared the imaging findings of the renal blood vessels using 3TMRI and CT with intraoperative assessment of the renal vasculature as gold standard.

Methods

This prospective study was approved by the local ethical committee. Between 4/2011 and 12/2011, 80 patients with renal tumours underwent 3TMRA (angiography) (Magnetom SKYRA 3T, Siemens). Twenty of the patients were also examined with CT AG. The results of the CTA- and MRA-imaging studies were correlated with the intraoperative assessment of the renal vessels.

Results

Seventy patients (87.5 %) had a detailed intraoperative assessment of the renal vessels. The sensitivities for CTA and MRA were 88.2 and 88.6 %, respectively. All discrepancies between imaging studies and intraoperative findings were due to inability to identify small polar vessels. The results of MRA were concordant with CTA in 85.0 % of cases. The (three) discrepancies between MRI and CT were due to failure of MRI in identifying small polar vessels.

Conclusions

(1) 3TMRA gives detailed information about the renal vasculature including its topographical anatomy. (2) With MRI, small aberrant vessels are more frequently missed than with CTA. (3) CTA remains the gold standard. However, MRA may be used for planning of laparoscopic operations. (4) The quality of the 3D reconstruction is highly depending on the skills of the radiologist.     

Protective effects of Mentha piperita Linn on benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung carcinogenicity and mutagenicity in Swiss albino mice

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted the published paper "ProtectiveEffects of     

Clinical outcome with half-dose depot triptorelin is the same as reduced-dose daily buserelin in a long protocol of controlled ovarian stimulation for ICSI/embryo transfer: a randomized double-blind clinical trial (NCT00461916)

BACKGROUND: Traditional doses of depot GnRH agonist may be excessive for ovarian stimulation. We compared half-dose depot triptorelin (Group I) with reduced-dose daily buserelin (Group II) in a long protocol ICSI/embryo transfer through a double-blind randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) was started by a pretreatment with oral contraceptives for 21 days. Then, 182 patients were randomized into two groups of 91. Group I received 1.87 mg triptorelin depot i.m. followed by daily s.c. injections of saline. Group II (reduced-dose protocol) received a bolus injection of i.m. saline followed by daily s.c. injections of 0.5 mg buserelin, which was then reduced to 0.25 mg at the start of human menopausal gonadotrophin stimulation. When transvaginal ultrasound showed at least two follicles of 16-20 mm diameter, HCG was given and ICSI was performed 40-42 h later. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen in the mean (SD) number of follicles at HCG administration, as our primary outcome [10.3 (4.4) in Group I versus 11.1 (4.2) in Group II, P = 0.180, mean difference = 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.39-2.11]. The other early results of COS, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, or early pregnancy loss were also not significantly different between the groups. Group I endured longer stimulation period [11.2 (1.8) days versus 10.6 (1.9), P = 0.030]. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes were not significantly different between Group I and Group II.