Language-association cortex asymmetry in autism and specific language impairment

Language deficits are among the core impairments of autism. We previously reported asymmetry reversal of frontal language cortex in boys with autism. Specific language impairment (SLI) and autism share similar language deficits and may share genetic links. This study evaluated asymmetry of frontal language cortex in a new, independent sample of right-handed boys, including a new sample of boys with autism and a group of boys with SLI. The boys with autism were divided into those with language impairment (ALI) and those with normal language ability (ALN). Subjects (right-handed, aged 6.2-13.4 years) included 22 boys with autism (16 ALI and 6 ALN), 9 boys with a history of or present SLI, and 11 normal controls. MRI brain scans were segmented into grey and white matter; then the cerebral cortex was parcellated into 48 gyral-based divisions per hemisphere. Group differences in volumetric asymmetry were predicted a priori in language-related regions in inferior lateral frontal (Broca's area) and posterior superior temporal cortex. Language impaired boys with autism and SLI both had significant reversal of asymmetry in frontal language-related cortex; larger on the right side in both groups of language impaired boys and larger on the left in both unimpaired language groups, strengthening a phenotypic link between ALI and SLI. Thus, we replicated the observation of reversed asymmetry in frontal language cortex reported previously in an independent autism sample, and observed similar reversal in boys with SLI, further strengthening a phenotypic link between SLI and a subgroup of autism. Linguistically unimpaired boys with autism had similar asymmetry compared with the control group, suggesting that Broca's area asymmetry reversal is related more to language impairment than specifically to autism diagnosis.     

The angiogenetic effect of intramuscular administration of VEGF on muscle. The influence of exercise on angiogenesis

Although angiogenetic therapy using recombinant growth factors holds much hope for the treatment of ischemic diseases, there are still unanswered questions including the method, doses or duration of therapeutic approach. We evaluated the angiogenetic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on rat heart and gastrocnemius muscles when this was administered intramuscularly and compared them to those obtained from rats, which exercised daily. CONCLUSION: Both daily swimming exercise and intramuscular administration of VEGF increased angiogenesis in rat heart, even though exercise alone was the only one that increased angiogenesis quite significantly. The combined protocol (administration of growth factor and exercise) led to an increase of angiogenesis in cardiac muscles. In contrast, there was no effect on the lateral gastrocnemius muscle either by VEGF or exercise, whereas these together induced angiogenesis locally at the site of injection.     

Infliximab for chronic cystoid macular edema associated with uveitis

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of the anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infliximab in uveitis patients without clinically evident ocular inflammation and impaired visual acuity because of chronic cystoid macular edema (CME). DESIGN: Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. METHODS: Patients with refractory CME (14 eyes, mean duration of 14 months), associated with intermediate uveitis (n = 6), Adamantiades-Behcet disease (n = 2), adult-type vascular pseudotumor (n = 1), and HLAB27+-related uveitis (n = 1) received an intravenous infliximab infusion (5 mg/kg); five patients were retreated after 1 month. RESULTS: Macular thickness, measured by ocular coherence tomography, was reduced from 428 +/- 138 microm to 219 +/- 51 microm at 2 months postbaseline (P = .0001), while visual acuity increased from 0.41 +/- 0.18 to 0.83 +/- 0.17 (P < .00001). Anatomic and functional improvement was sustained at 6 months in all. No ocular or extra-ocular side effects were noted. CONCLUSION: These promising results suggest that TNF may play an important pathogenetic role in chronic CME, thus, a controlled trial is warranted.     

The interactive examination: assessing students' self-assessment ability

BACKGROUND: The ability to self-assess one's competence is a crucial skill for all health professionals. The interactive examination is an assessment model aiming to evaluate not only students' clinical skills and competence, but also their ability to self-assess their proficiency. METHODS: The methodology utilised students' own self-assessment, an answer to a written essay question and a group discussion. Students' self-assessment was matched to the judgement of their instructors. As a final task, students compared their own essay to one written by an "expert". The differences pointed by students in their comparison documents and the accompanying arguments were analysed and categorised. Students received individual feedback on their performance and learning needs. The model was tested on 1 cohort of undergraduate dental students (year 2001, n = 52) in their third semester of studies, replacing an older form of examination in the discipline of clinical periodontology. RESULTS: Students' acceptance of the methodology was very positive. Students tended to overestimate their competence in relation to the judgement of their instructors in diagnostic skills, but not in skills relevant to treatment. No gender differences were observed, although females performed better than males in the examination. Three categories of differences were observed in the students' comparison documents. The accompanying arguments may reveal students' understanding and methods of prioritising. CONCLUSIONS: Students tended to overestimate their competence in diagnostic rather than treatment skills. The interactive examination appeared to be a convenient tool for providing deeper insight into students' ability to prioritise, self-assess and steer their own learning.     

Serum human glandular kallikrein (hK2) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) improve the discrimination between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia in combination with total and %free PSA

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence describing an association of hK2 and IGFs with cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in serum levels of hK2 and IGFs in a large group of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatic carcinoma (CaP) and to examine the value of these variables, as well as their various combinations with PSA, for discriminating between these two clinical entities. METHODS: Human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), free and total PSA concentrations were measured with non-competitive immunological procedures. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate the potential utility of the various markers and their combinations for discriminating between BPH and CaP. RESULTS: hK2 and IGF-1 concentrations were increased in CaP patients, in comparison to BPH patients. hK2/free PSA and free/total PSA ratios (area under the curve, AUC = 0.70) were stronger predictors of prostate cancer than the IGF-1/total PSA ratio (AUC = 0.56) in the group of patients with total PSA <4 microg/L. The hK2/free PSA ratio (AUC = 0.74) was found to have significant discriminatory value in patients with total PSA within the "gray zone" (4-10 microg/L). Multivariate logistic regression models confirmed the observed relationships and identified IGF-1/free PSA and hK2/free PSA as independent predictors of CaP. CONCLUSIONS: hK2/free PSA and IGF-1/free PSA ratios may be useful adjuncts in improving patient selection for prostate biopsy.     

Women with one ovary in in-vitro fertilisation

Pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis and ectopic pregnancy are some of the causes that may lead to unilateral oophorectomy. Women with one ovary compose a group of specific interest in assisted reproduction. Several researchers have tried to answer whether these women have lower pregnancy rates in in-vitro fertilisation compared to women with both ovaries. Most of the available studies include single ovary women following conventional in vitro fertilisation programs, with various stimulation protocols. Only a few studies include single ovary women following intracytoplasmic sperm injection/embryo transfer programs. The reported results are usually conflicting. The present review deals with the following aspects of this subject: The response of single ovary women to external stimulation. The implantation and pregnancy rates of single ovary women. The correlation of the in-vitro fertilisation outcome of single ovary women with the location of the ovary.     

Aggression,impulsivity, plasma sex hormones,and biogenic amine turnover in a forensic population of rapists

The aim of the present study was to assess androgen plasma levels and biogenic amine metabolites in a sex-offender group as well as to investigate the relationship between the biological findings and the impulsive, aggressive, and suicidal profile of the offenders. Fifty-seven males convicted for rape and 25 normal males comprised the study sample. We found that although both testosterone levels and aggression-impulsivity scores were higher in the group of rapists, testosterone levels were not associated with the aggression and impulsivity scores. Nevertheless, aggression-impulsivity scores were clearly associated with luteinizing hormone levels. This association may indicate a hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, possibly the result of a reduced serotonergic activity.     

Large matrix proteoglycans,versican and perlecan,are expressed and secreted by human leukemic monocytes

THP-1 is a monocytic cell line originally derived from a patient with acute monocytic leukemia. Interactions of THP-1 cells with other cells and their microenvironment are largely determined by proteoglycans (PGs), the identity of which has not been determined. Previous studies on glycosaminoglycan expression by THP-1 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals showed that both cell types secrete mainly chondroitin sulfate PGs to the culture medium, whereas heparan sulfate PGs are mainly retarded at the cell membrane. However, limited data on the type of PGs synthesized by THP-1 is available. In this study, the identification of PG types synthesised by THP-1 cells, which are not differentiated to macrophages, was examined. Analysis at the mRNA level by RT-PCR showed the expression of six cell membrane-associated PGs: syndecan-1, -2 and -4, glypican-1, thrombomodulin and CD44. Cell extraction, ion-exchange chromatography and dot blot analysis of the isolated PG populations with monoclonal antibodies showed the presence of syndecan-1 and thrombomodulin; the other two syndecans were not detected in any of the isolated populations. The synthesis of matrix PGs was also studied. THP-1 monocytes were positive for the mRNA encoding for versican and perlecan, but not for those encoding for decorin, biglycan, betaglycan and fibromodulin. The mRNA encoding for two versican splice variants V0 (351 bp) and V1 (386 bp), but not for V2, were identified. Biochemical analysis showed the presence of perlecan and of two populations of versican in culture medium with protein cores of average molecular sizes similar to those of V0 and V1. The production of these large matrix PGs by THP-1 monocytes is reported for the first time and may be of importance in monocyte malignant transformation and differentiation.     

Radiation dose to conceptus resulting from tangential breast irradiation

PURPOSE: To estimate the radiation dose to the conceptus resulting from tangential breast irradiation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Conceptus radiation doses were measured in anthropomorphic phantoms simulating the geometry of a pregnant woman at the first, second, and third trimesters of gestation. Medial and lateral field irradiations were generated using a 6-MV X-ray beam. Dose measurements were performed with thermoluminescent dosimeters. RESULTS: For a treatment course delivering 50 Gy to the tumor, conceptus dose at the first trimester of gestation was found to be 2.1-7.6 cGy, depending on the field size used and the distance between conceptus and primary irradiation field. The corresponding dose ranges to the conceptus during the second and third trimesters of gestation were 2.2-24.6 cGy and 2.2-58.6 cGy, respectively. Dose data and formulas are presented to estimate conceptus dose for individual patients undergoing breast radiotherapy during the entire pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: This study may be of value in the management of pregnant women needing tangential breast irradiation, because it provides the required information to estimate conceptus dose.