Obesity – a social and physical risk

Overweight and obesity are an accepted cause of numerous metabolic disor‐ders. The obvious strategies for prevention and therapy of increased fat body mass (reduction of energy intake, increase of physical activity) fail in most cases, especially with respect to their sustainability. The lack of success of programs developed so far for prevention and therapy of obesity suggests the existence of poorly‐understood regulatory mechanisms leading to the imbalance between energy uptake and energy expenditure. Besides physiological factors,such as dysregulated levels of hunger‐controlling or satiation‐mediating hormones, the composition of the intestinal flora and synthetic compounds with hormone‐like activity have been suggested as triggers of the development of obesity. Along with biological and metabolic parameters, scientists have focused more and more on psychological and sociological factors in the development of a strategy for the prevention of obesity. Important factors in this context are the motivation and ability to self‐regulation and aspects of the socio‐cultural context. Consequently, the real challenge in reducing the prevalence of obesity is not only the identification of relevant parameters but also the assessment of proportionality of these factors. To achieve this goal, borders of disciplines dealing with obesity development (nutrition, medicine, kinematics, psychology, sociology) need to be overcome. Common models must be developed that facilitate the assessment of both the importance of single factors and their relationship to each other.     

Case Study of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Doping by Carbon Nanotubes

Modern material science often makes use of polyvinylidene fluoride thin films because of various properties, like a high thermal and chemical stability, or a ferroelectric, pyroelectric and piezoelectric activity. Fibers of this polymer material are, on the other hand, much less explored due to various issues presented by the fibrous form. By introducing carbon nanotubes via electrospinning, it is possible to affect the chemical and electrical properties of the resulting composite. In the case of this paper, the focus was on the further improvement of interesting polyvinylidene fluoride properties by incorporating carbon nanotubes, such as changing the concentration of crystalline phases and the resulting increase of the dielectric constant and conductivity. These changes in properties have been explored by several methods that focused on a structural, chemical and electrical point of view. The resulting obtained data have been documented to create a basis for further research and to increase the overall understanding of the properties and usability of polyvinylidene fluoride fiber composites.     

Smoking is an independent risk factor for oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections but not for high-grade CIN

Background Recent evidence implicates smoking as a risk factor for cervical cancer (CC), but the confounding from high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is not clear. Objectives To analyse the role of smoking as an independent predictor of CIN2+ and HR-HPV infections in a population-based prospective (NIS, New Independent States of former Soviet Union) cohort study. Study design and Methods A cohort of 3,187 women was stratified into three groups according to their smoking status: (i) women who never smoked; (ii) those smoking in the past; and (iii) women who are current smokers. These groups were analysed for predictors of (a) HR-HPV; (b) high-grade CIN, and (c) outcome of HR-HPV infections and cytological abnormalities during prospective follow-up (n = 854). Results The three groups were significantly different in all major indicators or risk sexual behaviour (or history) implicating strong confounding. There was no increase in HSIL/LSIL/ASC-US cytology or CIN1+/CIN2+/CIN3+ among current smokers. Only few predictors of HR-HPV and CIN2+ were common to all three groups, indicating strong interference of the smoking status. There was no difference in outcomes of cervical disease or HR-HPV infections between the three groups. In multivariate model, being current smoker was one of the five independent predictors of HR-HPV (P = 0.014), with adjusted OR = 1.52 (95%CI 1.09–2.14). In addition to age, HR-HPV was the only independent predictor of CIN2+ in multivariate model (OR = 14.8; 95%CI 1.72–127.31). Conclusions These data indicate that cigarette smoking is not an independent risk factor of CIN2+, but the increased risk ascribed to smoking is mediated by acquisition of HR-HPV, of which current smoking was an independent predictor in multivariate model.     

Renal Denervation—Hypes and Hopes

Catheter‐based renal denervation (RDN) is a novel invasive approach in the treatment of resistant hypertension. It is considered a minimally invasive and safe procedure which, as shown by initial experimental and clinical trials, is able not only to reduce blood pressure but also to modify its risk factors by modulation of autonomic nervous system. Recently published results of a randomized Symplicity HTN‐3 trial, which failed to demonstrate RDN‐induced reduction of blood pressure at six months, decreased the initial enthusiasm regarding RDN and raised a question about real efficacy of this procedure. Nevertheless, still there are some other conditions characterized by increased sympathetic tone such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or ventricular arrhythmias that may benefit from RDN. Furthermore, novel therapeutical approach toward RDN using adapted electrophysiological or new specially designed electrodes may improve effectiveness of RDN procedure.     

The use of cisplatin in patients after kidney transplantation with chronic renal insufficiency: Is the benefit higher than potential risks in therapy of non-seminomatous germ cell tumors?

Rationale:The use of cisplatin in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is risky and depends on a number of factors. The optimal procedure in stage I of a non seminomatous germ cell tumor without proven lymphangioinvasion after orchiectomy is controversial and is the subject of a number of discussions due to the lack of randomized studies assessing individual treatment options. The adjuvant method of choice is surveillance or application of cisplatin-based chemotherapy with the risk of treatment related nephrotoxicity. Information about cisplatin safety in renal transplant patients is particularly limited. The aim of this paper is to share the experience with the application of adjuvant chemotherapy Bleomycin, Etoposide, Cisplatin (BEP) in high-risk patient with nonseminoma after kidney transplantation.Patient concerns:We report a case report of rare group of high-risk patient with non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumor (NSGCT) after kidney transplantation before application of adjuvant chemotherapy BEP. Patient presented with month-long discomfort in the scrotal area. Previously, he was treated with chronic kidney disease based on chronic glomerulonephritis, which was treated with repeated kidney transplantation.Diagnosis:The ultrasound examination for a month-long discomfort in the scrotal area found a solid mass of the left testis. Radical inguinal orchiectomy confirmed NSGCT with the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI). Postoperative staging with computed tomography of the chest and abdomen did not show obvious dissemination of the disease.Interventions:Reducing original dose of chemotherapeutics according to the recommendations of the summary of product characteristics led to only a transient increase in creatinine levels.Outcomes:The 5-year risk of relapse in surveillance was reduced to around 3% by applying cisplatin-based chemotherapy.Lessons:Application of cisplatin-based chemotherapy is safe and effective in patients with CKD and in patients with a kidney transplant.     

A Taxonomically Unique Acinetobacter Strain with Proteolytic and Hemolytic Activities Recovered from a Patient with a Soft Tissue Injury

A taxonomically unique bacterial strain, Acinetobacter sp. A47, has been recovered from several soft tissue samples from a patient undergoing reconstructive surgery owing to a traumatic amputation. The results of 16S rRNA, rpoB, and gyrB gene comparative sequence analyses showed that A47 does not belong to any of the hitherto-known taxa and may represent an as-yet-unknown Acinetobacter species. The recognition of this novel organism contributes to our knowledge of the taxonomic complexity underlying infections caused by Acinetobacter.     

Efficiency of Intramyocardial Injections of Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells in Patients with Ischemic Heart Failure: A Randomized Study

Intramyocardial transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) is believed to be a promising method for the treatment of patients with chronic ischemic heart disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term results of intramyocardial bone marrow cell transplantation in patients with severe ischemic heart failure. One hundred nine patients with chronic myocardial infarction and end-stage chronic heart failure were randomized into two groups: 55 patients received intramyocardial BMMC injection and 54 received optimal medical therapy. The NOGA system (Biosense-Webster) was used to administer 41?±?16?×?106 BMMC into the border zone of myocardial infarction. None of the patients developed periprocedural complications following BMMC injections. The injections led to improvement of CCS class (3.1?±?0.4 to 1.6?±?0.6 after 6 months and 1.6?±?0.4 after 12 months; p?=?0.001) and NYHA functional class (3.3?±?0.2 to 2.3?±?0.2 after 6 months and 2.5?±?0.1 after 12 months; p?=?0.006). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly in the BMMC group (27.8?±?3.4% vs 32.3?±?4.1%; p?=?0.04) while it tended to decrease in the control group (26.8?±?3.8% to 25.2?±?4.1%; p?=?0.61). Summed rest score improved in the BMMC group after 12 months (30.2?±?5.6 to 27.8?±?5.1; p?=?0.032). The improvement of stress score was more noticeable (34.5?±?5.4 to 28.1?±?5.2; p?=?0.016). Neither stress nor rest score changed in patients numbers on medical therapy. In BMMC group 6 (10.9%) patients died at 12-month follow-up compared with 21 (38.9%) in control group (log-rank test, p?=?0.0007). Intramyocardial bone marrow cell transplantation to patients with ischemic heart failure is safe and improved survival, clinical symptoms, and has beneficial effect on LV function     

Aberrant demethylation of the recoverin gene is involved in the aberrant expression of recoverin in cancer cells

Please cite this paper as: Aberrant demethylation of the recoverin gene is involved in the aberrant expression of recoverin in cancer cells. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19 : 1023–1025. Abstract: The Ca²⁺‐binding protein recoverin is normally specific for the retina. Recoverin aberrantly expressed in lung and melanoma tumors can trigger the host immune response followed by the development of a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome represented by cancer‐ and melanoma‐associated retinopathy, respectively. The mechanisms, underlying the aberrant expression of recoverin in tumor cells, have remained unknown. The data obtained in this study suggest that (i) DNA methylation participates in the repression of synthesis of mRNA for recoverin in normal tissues and (ii) aberrant hypomethylation of the recoverin gene region, overlapping the promoter up‐stream of the first exon and the first exon itself, is involved in the aberrant expression of recoverin in tumor cells.