Association of reduced glyoxalase 1 activity and painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus patients

AimsThe present study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) enzyme activity and painful diabetic neuropathy (DN) in patients with diabetes mellitus.MethodsGlo1 activity and biochemical markers were determined in blood samples from 108 patients with type 1 diabetes, 109 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 132 individuals without diabetes as a control. Painful and painless peripheral DN was assessed and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine independent association of Glo1 activity with occurrence of painful DN.ResultsIn patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and painful DN compared to patients with painless DN, Glo1 activity was significantly reduced by 12 and 14%, respectively. The increase in Glo1 activity was significantly associated with reduced occurrence of painful DN after adjusting for confounders by multivariate analysis.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate for the first time that Glo1 activity is lower in patients with both types of diabetes mellitus who were diagnosed with painful DN. These data support the hypothesis that Glo1 activity modulates the phenotype of DN and warrant further investigation into the role of Glo1 in DN.     

Specific, functional effector/memory CD8+ T cells are found in the liver post-vaccination

BACKGROUND: The liver efficiently eliminates activated CD8+ T blasts. It is unknown if vaccine-primed CD8+ T blasts migrate to and establish functional CD8+ T cell immunity in the liver post-immunization. AIMS: We tested, if functional CD8+ T cell populations can be detected in the liver post-vaccination. METHODS: Murine CD8+ T cells with different epitope/restriction specificities were primed by intramuscular injection of protein- or DNA-based vaccines. The kinetics of appearance in the liver, as well as the surface phenotype and functional competence of intrahepatic, specific CD8+ T cell populations was tested. RESULTS: High numbers of specific CD8+ T cells appear in the liver after vaccination that are activated (CD69+ CD44+), express effector functions (CD27lo/CD28lo phenotype, interferon gamma secretion, specific cytolytic reactivity), but show no evidence of apoptosis (annexin V-, B220lo, similar numbers/kinetics in primed, congenic lpr/lpr mice). Specific CD8+ T cells from the liver adoptively transferred into a na?ve, syngeneic host successfully reconstitute specific CD8+ T cell immunity. CONCLUSIONS: Specific, functionally competent CD8+ effector/memory T cell populations are established in the liver for months post-vaccination.     

The response to Salmonella typhimurium antigens by two different strains of mice

A technique is described for the detection and enumeration of cells producing antibody to O-somatic antigen specificities 1, 4, 5 and 12 of Salmonella typhimurium. Using this technique, a difference in the immune response has been demonstrated between Swiss White and the BALB/c strain mice, when both these strains are injected with a standard dose of acetone-killed S. typhimurium C5 vaccine. BALB/c mice fail to respond to antigen 5 and their response to the 1, 4 and 12 O-somatic antigens, while reaching the same magnitude, is less prolonged than that in Swiss White mice.     

Die τ-Fraktion im Liquor cerebrospinalis

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Dielectric Properties of Hybrid Polyethylene Composites Containing Cobalt Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes

Polymer composites with electrically conductive inclusions are intensively developed for microwave shielding applications, where lightweight and elastic coatings are necessary. In this paper, dielectric properties of hybrid polyethylene composites containing cobalt nanoparticles and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were investigated in the wide frequency range of 20–40 GHz for electromagnetic shielding applications. The percolation threshold in the hybrid system is close to 6.95 wt% MWCNT and 0.56 Co wt%. Cobalt nanoparticles (up to highest investigated concentration 4.8 wt%) had no impact on the percolation threshold, and for the fixed total concentration of fillers, the complex dielectric permittivity is higher for composites with bigger MWCNT concentrations. Moreover, the microwave complex dielectric permittivity of composites with high concentration of fillers is quite high (for composites with 13.4 wt% MWCNT and 1.1 wt% Co ε′ ≈ ε″ ≈ 20 at 30 GHz, it corresponds to microwave absorption 50% of 1 mm thickness plate); therefore, these composites are suitable for electromagnetic shielding applications.     

Stopping smoking during pregnancy: are we on the right track?

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that although smoking during pregnancy has declined in North America, this has more to do with falling rates of smoking initiation among women of childbearing age than with increased rates of pregnancy-related smoking cessation. One possible explanation is poor exposure to effective stop-smoking strategies. Better information about women who smoke during pregnancy may help target these interventions more effectively. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of a consecutive sample of 916 (40.4% of eligible) women who delivered healthy babies in 1997-98 at a tertiary teaching hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Our main focus was on health behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, and exercise habits) before and during pregnancy; but we also included questions about the presence of (other) children and (other) smokers in the household, perceived health status, the subject's age and level of education, and whether or not the present pregnancy was planned. Factors associated with pregnancy-related smoking cessation were identified using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Respondents were better educated and healthier, but smoked at rates similar to women of childbearing age in Hamilton at the time of the survey. Two thirds of prior smokers or 20% of respondents overall continued to smoke during pregnancy. After adjustment for other factors, three factors were associated with ongoing smoking during pregnancy: having other smokers in the household; having other children in the household; and not having post-secondary education. CONCLUSIONS: Many pregnant smokers are not being reached by current stop-smoking strategies. New ways to help these women and their partners are needed.     

Surgical treatment of non-malignant laryngotracheal stenosis

The objectives of this study were the following: (1) to analyze the results of surgical treatment of non-malignant subglottic laryngeal and tracheal stenosis, (2) to evaluate the feasibility and technical aspects of the video mediastinoscopy for the mobilization of the mediastinal trachea, (3) to evaluate the influence of the early internal condition of the anastomosis on the development of restenosis. From 1996 up to 2013, 75 patients aged 11–78 years underwent surgery for post-intubation/tracheostomy (71 patients), post-traumatic (3 patients), and idiopathic (1 patient) subglottic laryngeal and tracheal stenosis. Twenty-three (30.7 %) patients with subglottic laryngeal and upper tracheal stenosis underwent cricotracheal resection and thyrotracheal anastomosis (group A), while 52 (69.3 %) patients with tracheal stenosis underwent tracheal resection and cricotracheal or tracheotracheal anastomosis (group B). The length of the resected segment in patients of groups A and B was 28–55 (42 ± 11) mm and 18–65 (36 ± 14) mm, respectively, (p = 0.22). Perioperative complications within 30 days occurred in eight (34.8 %) patients of group A, and in six (11.5 %) patients of group B (p = 0.04). There was one intraoperative and one postoperative death on the third day due to heart failure. The excellent results were achieved in 63 (86.3 %), satisfactory in 8 (11.0 %), and unsatisfactory in 2 (2.7 %) patients. The incidence rate of perioperative complications is related to the location of the stenosis and the type of the resection and anastomosis. Video mediastinoscopy simplifies the mobilization of the mediastinal trachea, which allows for carrying out the anastomosis with minimal tension. Early internal abnormalities of the anastomosis predict its restenosis.     

Strong 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence is a novel intraoperative marker for representative tissue samples in stereotactic brain tumor biopsies

Stereotactic biopsies represent a routine neurosurgical procedure for the diagnosis of intracranial lymphomas and selected diffusely infiltrating gliomas. Acquisition of tissue samples that do not allow correct tumor typing and grading is, however, not uncommon. Five-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been shown to accumulate in malignant tumor tissue. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the clinical usability of 5-ALA for intraoperative detection of representative tissue in stereotactic tumor biopsies. Fifty consecutive patients underwent frameless stereotactic biopsy for a suspected brain tumor. 5-ALA was administered 4 h before anesthesia. Serial biopsy samples were obtained and intraoperatively checked for 5-ALA fluorescence (strong, vague, or none) using a modified neurosurgical microscope. All samples were examined for the presence of representative tumor tissue according to neuroimaging (MRI, positron emission tomography, and/or chemical shift imaging) and histopathological parameters. Visible 5-ALA fluorescence was observed in 43/50 patients (strong in 39 and vague fluorescence in four cases). At biopsy target, 52/53 samples of glioblastomas, 9/10 samples of gliomas grade III, and 14/16 samples of lymphomas revealed strong 5-ALA fluorescence. Samples with strong 5-ALA fluorescence were only observed at, but not outside the biopsy target. All tissue samples with strong 5-ALA fluorescence were representative according to our neuroimaging and histopathological criteria (positive predictive value of 100%). Our data indicate that strong 5-ALA fluorescence is a reliable and immediately available intraoperative marker of representative tumor tissue of malignant gliomas and intracranial lymphomas in stereotactic biopsies. Thereby, the application of 5-ALA in stereotactic brain tumor biopsies may in future reduce costs for operating room and neuropathology and may decrease procedure-related morbidity.