Long-term use of antecubital veins for plasma exchange. The Canadian Cooperative Multiple Sclerosis Study Group

True or sham plasma exchange was done weekly for 20 weeks in patients in two of the randomization groups in a prospective, blind clinical trial of experimental treatments for multiple sclerosis. Because patients could be randomized to receive sham plasma exchange and placebo medications, it was decided when the trial was designed that the use of fistulae, arteriovenous shunts, venous cutdowns, or other aggressive forms of venous access would not be permitted for any patient. Accordingly, patients judged to have inadequate superficial antecubital veins were ineligible for the trial. To date, only 13 (4.4%) of 294 patients considered for entry into the trial have been rejected on these grounds. In only 4 of the 93 patients undergoing exchange was it necessary to discontinue plasma exchange because of inadequate venous access. In 79.3 percent of the 1207 exchanges done in these patients, there were no problems of any kind with venous access. In 5.4 percent of these 1207 exchanges, it was necessary to terminate the procedure prematurely because of difficulties with patients' veins. Thus, the great majority of patients free of serious systemic illness (other than chronic progressive multiple sclerosis) can undergo weekly plasma exchange for up to 20 weeks using superficial antecubital veins without the need to resort to more invasive methods of venous access.     

The Mechanism of the Development of Macrophage Tolerance in Tumor Microenvironment

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine - Bacteria forming the resident microbiome of the tumor are an integral component of its microenvironment. The interaction of the tumor microbiome with...     

Use of molecular biological method (MAPREC-test) for evaluating residual neurovirulence and genetic stability of oral poliovirus vaccine type 3]

MAPREC test (mutant analysis by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme cleavage), evaluating the content of neurovirulent mutants with nucleotide substitution of U for C in position 472 in the 5'-nontranslated RNA region, in a virus population was used for a retrospective analysis of 3 specimens of inoculated viruses and 55 lots of type 3 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) prepared at M. P. Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, during recent 6 years. The mean content of neurovirulent mutants in inoculated viruses was 0.26 +/- 0.06%, in monovaccines 0.34 +/- 0.04% (the maximum allowable content is 1%). The method is well reproducible and detects about 0.1% mutants in the population. MAPREC test can be used instead of currently used residual virulence control on monkeys, as it detects viral preparations which were not tested on monkeys and does not reject high-quality vaccines. The protocol of using this method in combination with other methods for neurovirulence and genetic stability control of type 3 OPV is discussed.     

Aneurysmal bone cyst arising in fibrous dysplasia during pregnancy

A case of two secondary aneurysmal bone cysts arising in fibrous dysplasia during pregnancy is reported. Marked radiographic changes were seen in one lesion over a 3-week period. The development of these cysts during pregnancy strongly suggests that the hemodynamic and/or hormonal changes of pregnancy were responsible for their formation.     

The effects of Xanthigen™ in the weight management of obese premenopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and normal liver fat

Aim: To investigate the effects of Xanthigen (brown marine algae fucoxanthin + pomegranate seed oil (PSO)) on body weight, body fat, liver lipids, and blood biochemistry; and Xanthigen and its individual components on resting energy expenditure (REE) in obese, non-diabetic female volunteers with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and normal liver fat (NLF) content.
Methods: Sixteen-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Food record data, body composition, REE (only 41 volunteers with NAFLD) and blood sample analysis were assessed weekly for 16 weeks in 151 non-diabetic, obese premenopausal women with liver fat content above 11% (NAFLD) n = 113, and below 6.5% (NLF) n = 38.
Results: Xanthigen-600/2.4 mg (300 mg PSO + 300 mg brown seaweed extract containing 2.4 mg fucoxanthin) resulted in statistically significant reduction of body weight (5.5 ± 1.4 kg NAFLD group and 4.9 ± 1.2 kg NLF group, p < 0.05), waist circumference (NAFLD group only), body (3.5 ± 1.9 kg NAFLD group, p < 0.001; 3.6 ± 0.7 kg NLF group, p < 0.05) and liver fat content, liver enzymes (NAFLD group only), serum triglycerides and C-reactive protein. Weight loss and reduction in body and liver fat content occurred earlier in patients with NLF than in patients with NAFLD. Fucoxanthin ( > 2.4 mg) and Xanthigen-400/1.6 mg (200 mg PSO + 200 mg brown seaweed extract containing 1.6 mg fucoxanthin) significantly increased REE in NAFLD subjects compared to placebo.
Conclusions: Xanthigen promoted weight loss, reduced body and liver fat content, and improved liver function tests in obese non-diabetic women. Xanthigen and Fucoxanthin also increased REE. This product may be considered a promising food supplement in the management of obesity.     

Deprivation of form vision suppresses diurnal cycling of retinal levels of leu-enkephalin

Deprivation of form vision by the fitting of translucent occluders suppressed the diurnal cycling of enkephalinergic amacrine cells (the ENSLI amacrine cells), in the chicken. Daily periods of normal vision or enforcing temporal contrast using strobe lighting appeared to restore normal functioning of the ENSLI cells. These results suggest that the ENSLI cells are involved in retinal circuits that assess the quality of the visual image and control eye growth.