Evaluation of the effect of narrow band‐ultraviolet B on the expression of tyrosinase,TYRP‐1, and TYRP‐2 mRNA in vitiligo skin and their correlations with clinical improvement: A retrospective study

Narrowband‐ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) is considered one of the main therapeutic tools in vitiligo, which is able to induce repigmentation and halt depigmentation. However, little remains known about the effect of NB‐UVB on TYR gene family, the main pigmentary genes, in vitiligo patients. To assess the effect of NB‐UVB on expression of some genes related to the pigmentary problem of vitiligo; tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase related protein 1 (TYRP1) and tyrosinase related protein 2 (TYRP2), mRNA levels of those genes were quantitatively evaluated by Real‐Time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‐qPCR) in skin biopsies obtained from 30 patients with nonsegmental vitiligo and five healthy controls. Vitiligo patients were classified into two groups; group 1, involving 12 untreated vitiligo patients and group 2, including 18 vitiligo patients treated by NB‐UVB. The levels of TYR, TYRP‐1, and TYRP‐2 mRNAs in untreated group were significantly lower than in control subjects (P < .001). In NB‐UVB treated group, the three genes were significantly higher than in group 1 (P < .001), however, they were still significantly lower than in the control subjects (P < .001). A significant positive correlation was detected between TYR and TYRP‐2 genes in group 2 (P = .03). This study demonstrated that mRNA level of TYR, TYRP‐1, and TYRP‐2, which decreased in vitiligo, was significantly increased upon treatment with NB‐UVB. Accordingly, the mechanism of depigmentation in vitiligo disease and repigmentation by NB‐UVB treatment may be related to the changes in the expression of these genes.     

3D and 2D ultrasound-based fetal weight estimation: a single center experience

Objective: Evaluate two new 3D and two new 2D ultrasound formulae for fetal weight estimation against the modified Hadlock formula and compare their estimation to the actual fetal weight.

Methods: Fifty pregnant females were included. Inclusion criteria: singleton pregnancy, within five days of delivery and normal or IUGR pregnancy. 3D evaluation of the fetal thigh and arm was done to calculate mid-thigh and mid-arm volumes. The actual fetal weight was recorded at delivery and compared to the estimated weights.

Results: Modified Hadlock formula had higher accuracy, whereas fractional limb volume method had higher precision. Systematic errors for the modified Hadlock formula, Model 6 of fractional limb volume and the original mid-thigh soft tissue thickness methods were 2.3%, ?4.8% and 11%, respectively, whereas the random errors were 7.7%, 6.2% and 13.8%, respectively. The percentage of cases estimated within 5%, 10% and 15% of actual fetal weight were 48%, 86% and 92%, respectively, for the modified Hadlock method, whereas for the fractional limb volume method, these were 40%, 78% and 98%, respectively.

Conclusion: Fractional limb volume method is a very promising method for fetal weight estimation. Its performance is not significantly different from the modified Hadlock method.     

Malnutrition in infancy as a susceptibility factor for temporal lobe epilepsy in adulthood induced by the pilocarpine experimental model

Malnutrition during the earliest stages of life may result in innumerable brain problems. Moreover, this condition could increase the chances of developing neurological diseases, such as epilepsy. We analyzed the effects of early-life malnutrition on susceptibility to epileptic seizures induced by the pilocarpine model of epilepsy. Wistar rat pups were kept on a starvation regimen from day 1 to day 21 after birth. At day 60, 16 animals (8 = well-nourished; 8 = malnourished) were exposed to the pilocarpine experimental model of epilepsy. Age-matched well-nourished (n = 8) and malnourished (n = 8) rats were used as controls. Animals were video-monitored over 9 weeks. The following behavioral parameters were evaluated: first seizure threshold (acute period of the pilocarpine model); status epilepticus (SE) latency; first spontaneous seizure latency (silent period), and spontaneous seizure frequency during the chronic phase. The cell and mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) density were evaluated in the hippocampal formation. Our results showed that the malnourished animals required a lower pilocarpine dose in order to develop SE (200 mg/kg), lower latency to reach SE, less time for the first spontaneous seizure and higher seizure frequency, when compared to well-nourished pilocarpine rats. Histopathological findings revealed a significant cell density reduction in the CA1 region and intense MFS among the malnourished animals. Our data indicate that early malnutrition greatly influences susceptibility to seizures and behavioral manifestations in adult life. These findings suggest that malnutrition in infancy reduces the threshold for epilepsy and promotes alterations in the brain that persist into adult life.     

Osteitis in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a comparative study between primary and recurrent cases

Reports in rhinology suggest that operated cases of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis with nasal polyps are more prone to further recurrence. This study was designed to find out if recurrence rate after surgery is related to a possible increase in the incidence and degree of osteitis. A prospective study of 82 patients with nasal polyps was carried out. They were divided into two groups: group A 50 patients, undergoing FESS for the first time, group B 32 patients, undergoing revision surgery. Histopathological examination was performed for specimens taken from the bony septa of the ethmoid with the overlying mucosa. Bony changes were seen in only 30% of the patients in group A, compared to 87.5% in group B; this difference was statistically highly significant (p = 0.001). Failure was seen in five patients (10%) in group A, 26.6% had osteitis. In contrast, failure was seen in 53% of group B, and constituted 60.7% of patients with osteitis in this group. Surgery plays a major role in increasing the incidence of osteitis in patients with nasal polyps. The increase recurrence rate in revision cases is not only related to osteitis. There are other factors than osteitis which needs further studies.     

Cytotoxic,antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Nerium oleander collected in Morocco

Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of ethanolic and aqueous crude extracts of Nerium oleander(N. oleander) leaves. Methods: Cytotoxic activities were evaluated by WST-1 bioassay on two human cancer cell lines, namely human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 and human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The antioxidant property of N. oleander extracts was assessed by DPPH scavenging and he agar disc diffusion method was used for the determination of an毬-carotene bleaching tests. Ttimicrobial activity against different strains. Results: Using cell viability indices, the WST-1 test revealed that both extracts reduced cell viability in both cell lines. Our results also showed that aqueous extract was more active than ethanolic extract, with IC50 values of(1.67±0.22) μg/mL and(2.36±0.44) μg/mL on MDA-MB-231 cells, and(2.89±0.35) μg/mL and(5.09±0.52) μg/mL on HT29 cells, respectively. The study of the antioxidant activity showed that N. oleander extracts had a considerable scavenging capacity and exerted a significant preventive effect against the oxidation of 毬-carotene by the peroxide radicals. However, the antibacterial test showed that both ethanolic and aqueous extracts of N. oleander had a moderate antibacterial effect limited only to Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusions: Our results shows that N. oleander aqueous and ethanolic extracts have significant cytotoxic activities against tumor cell lines and possesses a strong antioxidant capacity, suggesting the presence of active compounds in N. oleander leaves that could be a potential source of phytochemicals with high medicinal value to be used in cancer treatment and prevention.     

Role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the protective action of N-methyl-D-aspartate in the apoptotic death of cerebellar granule neurons induced by low potassium

Several neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, may influence neuronal apoptotic death. Rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) cultured in low potassium (5 or 10 mM KCl) for more than 5 days in vitro (DIV) die apoptotically. These cells survive in the presence of high potassium (25 mM KCl, K25) or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), an agonist of glutamatergic receptors. CGN transferred from high to low potassium die apoptotically. Here, we characterized the effect of BDNF and NMDA on the apoptotic death induced by low potassium in CGN. Cell death of CGN by culturing in low potassium for 6 DIV was inhibited by BDNF and NMDA. When CGN were cultured in K25 and transferred to a low-potassium medium, 65% of neurons died after 48 hr. Under these conditions, BDNF, NMDA, or BDNF + NMDA increased CGN survival. Both BDNF and NMDA decreased caspase-9 activity and mRNA caspase-3 levels and activity induced by low potassium. CGN survival induced by BDNF is mediated by TrkB activation, whereas that induced by NMDA is mediated by NMDA receptor and TrkB activation. NMDA, but not BDNF, raised [Ca(2+)](i), which was reduced by low-potassium treatment. These results suggest that NMDA receptor stimulation induces CGN survival through the influx of extracellular Ca(2+) that may evoke the release of BDNF and the activation of TrkB. Complementary mechanisms induced by depolarization and changes in Ca(2+) levels would also contribute to the neuroprotection exerted by NMDA and potassium.     

Maternal relationship style, paediatric health care use and infant health

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the current exploratory study was to examine the relationships between maternal relationship style, paediatric health care use and infant health variables in a sample of middle-class and ethnically diverse mother-infant dyads.

METHODS:

An initial cross-sectional cohort study obtained demographic and self-report data on mothers’ relationship styles. As an extension of the original study, infants’ patient files were reviewed for the year following initial recruitment to obtain data regarding the use of paediatric health care services and infant health. The final sample included 64 mothers and their infants.

RESULTS:

Correlational analyses revealed that mothers’ higher endorsement of a dismissive relationship style were associated with fewer acute care visits and fewer reported infant illnesses.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with other relationship styles, mothers who highly endorsed a dismissive relationship style tended to use fewer acute paediatric health care services and reported fewer infant health problems. However, further longitudinal research is needed to clarify these relationships.     

Rectovestibular fistula with vaginal malformations

Anorectal malformations are associated with other anomalies among which vaginal malformations are occasionally encountered and may go unnoticed by the primary physician. Between January 1998 and December 2003, 563 cases of anorectal malformations were managed in Pediatric Surgery Department, Chittagong Medical College & Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Among these, five cases of rectovestibular fistula were associated with vaginal malformations. In this retrospective study age, physical findings, operative findings and procedures, outcome of operation and postoperative follow-up were evaluated. Mean age at presentation was 8.67 years (range 2 months to 17 years). All cases referred as rectovaginal fistula and vaginal anomalies (atresia to agenesis) were detected after thorough examination. Initial pelvic colostomy was done in all patients. Cases 1, 3 and 4 had distal vaginal agenesis and underwent posterior sagittal anorectovaginoplasty. In case 5, atretic vaginal duplication was found with didelphic hypoplastic uterus and absent left kidney. Case 2 (vaginal atresia) operated elsewhere is waiting for definitive surgery. Colostomy closure was done in four cases. The third patient had already married and conceived. Bowel habits are regular in all except the second patient. In females, a thorough understanding of anorectal malformations is necessary to identify the association with vaginal anomalies and awareness of this association will lead to earlier diagnosis and appropriate operative measures.