Endocrine regulation of the course of menopause by oral melatonin: first case report

OBJECTIVE: The pineal gland, through its hormone melatonin, is involved in the mechanisms that regulate the aging process involved in the onset of menopause. Considering the melatonin changes reported during pre-, peri-, and postmenopause, an influence of melatonin on the hormonal changes associated with menopause transition could be expected. DESIGN: We report the first longitudinal case study, covering a 7.5-year period, on the effects of melatonin administration on the reproductive hormones luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and 17[beta]-estradiol during that period of the reproductive life. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The data obtained in this case report show that melatonin administration was able to delay the characteristic endocrine changes that occur during the course of menopause.     

Group consensus review minimizes the diagnosis of "follicular lesion of undetermined significance" and improves cytohistologic concordance

We conducted a group consensus review of thyroid aspirates that were previously interpreted as “atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance” (AUS/FLUS) and followed by surgical interventions. The study aimed to investigate if consensus review would minimize the diagnosis of AUS/FLUS with an optimal interobserver agreement and also promote a better cytohistologic concordance. A group of reviewers who were blinded to the corresponding histologic findings simultaneously evaluated a total of 50 aspirates at a multiheaded light microscope. Using the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology as a guideline, a consensus interpretation was reached upon review of each aspirate. Interobserver agreement was calculated and recorded. The cytohistologic correlation was then performed between the consensus interpretation and the corresponding histologic diagnosis. The consensus review reclassified 26 (52%) aspirates as non‐neoplasia/benign, 10 (20%) as follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm, 1 (2%) as papillary thyroid carcinoma, and 2 (4%) as nondiagnostic. Eleven (22%) aspirates remained AUS/FLUS. The interobserver agreement across the five diagnostic categories ranged from 71.6% to 100% with an average level of 88.8%. Cytohistologic concordance was achieved in 24 of 26 (92.3%) and 9 of 11 (81.8%) aspirates that were reclassified as non‐neoplasia/benign and neoplasia/malignancy, respectively. A diagnostic accuracy of 89.2% (33/37) was obtained in reclassified cases. In conclusion, the group consensus review minimized AUS/FLUS, offered an optimal level of interobserver agreement, and most importantly, promoted excellent cytohistologic concordance in reclassified cases and, therefore, could play a substantial role in the future in reducing reaspiration and/or unnecessary surgeries. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc     

Does intravesical electrostimulation improve neurogenic constipation? A case report

An elderly patient affected by incomplete cauda equina syndrome underwent intravesical electrostimulation (IVES) to improve impaired bladder emptying. One month after IVES treatment, which consisted of 20 daily sessions, cistometrography evidenced a normalization of urinary pattern and a concomitant, but unexpected, improvement of constipation (Wexner score from 22 to 4).This report demonstrates that IVES may be considered another viable and less invasive option for controlling constipation secondary to spinal and peripheral nerve lesions.     

Single tonic-clonic seizure after energy drink abuse

Energy drinks are soft beverages especially marketed for adolescents in order to obtain a heightened sense of awareness. Concerns about the safety of these drinks are raised based on our observation of potentially serious adverse effects. Caffeine and taurine are psychoactive agents highly present in energy drinks, which may lead to modification of neurotransmission. We herein report the case of a 20-year-old man presenting with a generalized epileptic seizure after energy drink consumption.     

Saitohin polymorphism and executive dysfunction in schizophrenia

Saitohin (STH) is an intronless gene nested within the human tau gene, which contains a single nucleotide polymorphism (A/G), suggested to be involved in the physiopathology and clinical course of several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Recently, an association between this polymorphism and frontal hypoperfusion and clinical prognosis in frontotemporal dementia was reported. The present study sought to evaluate the possible role of the STH polymorphism as a concurring factor of cognitive decline in schizophrenia, a disease sharing both early psychotic manifestations, a core deficit of executive functions and hypofrontality with frontotemporal lobe dementia. 220 clinically stabilized patients with schizophrenia were assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for evaluation of executive functions and compared for STH allele frequency with 48 patients affected by frontotemporal dementia and 47 healthy subjects. There was no significant difference in allelic distribution between the healthy controls and all other groups, while we observed a significantly greater frequency of G allele among both patients with frontotemporal dementia (p?=?0.037) and schizophrenia patients with poor performances of WCST (p?=?0.044), compared to schizophrenia patients with best WCST performances. Among the patients with schizophrenia, stratified for age and gender, the STH polymorphism resulted in a significant predictor of WCST performance (p?=?0.007). These results suggest a possible contribution of STH gene products on the heterogeneity of core frontal executive functions deterioration, probably through complex interactions with mechanism involved in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration.     

Cytotoxic activity of human lymphocytes against differentiated intestinal tumour cell lines.

The natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cytotoxic activity of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) against various human tumour cell lines from intestinal origin (WIDR, HT29, Caco-2) has been investigated. The differentiated Caco-2 cells were then used as a model to investigate the cytotoxic activity against enterocyte-like target cells. Caco-2 were seeded on polycarbonate filters and maintained in culture for at least 15 days to allow the differentiation and formation of tight junctions. The integrity of tight junctions was assayed by measuring [3H]mannitol flux from apical to basolateral compartment. Cytotoxic analysis showed that both differentiated and undifferentiated Caco-2 cells were similarly susceptible to NK and LAK activity. The capacity of cytotoxic lymphocytes to kill enterocyte-like cells with intact junctional complex may suggest a direct role of cytotoxic lymphocytes in causing intestinal lesions under inflammatory conditions.     

Site-specific subgingival colonization by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in orthodontic patients.

A high prevalence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in subgingival plaque in patients for orthodontia already has been observed. The present study had the following aims: 1) to ascertain a direct relationship between the orthodontic appliance placement and the subgingival colonization by Aa, and 2) to determine whether the Aa growth specifically occurred on teeth with braces attached or whether the presence of orthodontic appliances could also cause the isolation of Aa in teeth free from therapeutic appliances. Twenty-four young systemically and periodontally healthy subjects with malaligned and crowded teeth in the anterior sextants of both dental arches participated in this study. After 1 session of ultrasonic scaling with oral hygiene instructions during the first experimental session, the mesiobuccal sites of the first molars and the distobuccal sites of the lateral incisors in both dental arches in each participant were subjected to clinical and microbiologic examination for the recovery of Aa. Clinical examination consisted of recording the presence of plaque and the examination of gingival bleeding on probing and probing depth. Microbiologic sampling was obtained with the insertion of 3 sterile paper points at the deepest part of each gingival sulcus. Altogether, 192 periodontal sites were examined. After the examinations, the patients received fixed orthodontic appliances in only 1 dental arch (test sites) and the other one was left free from appliances (control sites). Clinical examination and microbiologic sampling were repeated in the same experimental test and control sites after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. At the 12-week session, the orthodontic appliance was removed from the test arch, and, 4 weeks later, a further clinical and microbiologic examination was performed. The results showed that, during the period with orthodontic appliances, the presence of plaque scores and the gingival bleeding on probing scores were increased significantly and that Aa, initially absent from all but 1 subject, was isolated in 19 and 20 subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, no gingival sites from the control teeth (free from Aa colonization at baseline) showed positive results for the sought-after bacterium throughout the entire length of the study. It was concluded that the placement of orthodontic appliances promotes the subgingival growth of Aa; this specific microbial change is specifically restricted to subgingival plaque from orthodontic appliance-bearing teeth. The presence of orthodontic bands and brackets therefore cannot affect the microbiologic condition of the whole mouth.     

Prevalence of human papillomavirus in saliva of women with HPV genital lesions

Background

The human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are DNA viruses associated with benign and malignant lesions of skin and mucous membranes. The HPVs has been implicated as the cause of virtually all cervical cancers worldwide but studies showed that these viruses can cause numerous cancers in several tissues including Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). At least 90 % of HPV-positive OSCCs are associated with high-risk (or oncogenic) HPV-16 and oral infection confers an approximate 50-fold increase in risk for HPV-positive OSCC. HPV-positive OSCCs are associated with sexual behaviors in contrast to HPV-negative OSCCs that are associated with chronic tobacco and alcohol use. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HPV-DNA in saliva samples collected from women in which it has been previously established the HPV infection of the cervix with relative genotyping and, then, to study the possible correlation.

Methods

Saliva samples were collected from 100 women with HPV cervical lesions, aged between 22 and 52 years old, and 25 healthy women with normal cytology (control group), aged between 20 and 49 years old. PCR assay was used to detect HPV DNA.

Results

The prevalence of oral HPV infection in saliva samples was 24 % in women with HPV cervical lesions while in the control group was 8 %. It has been demonstrated a strong association between high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and oral infection due to HPV16 and 18, that are the most frequently detected HPV genotypes.

Conclusion

This study shows that patients with genital HPV infection are at risk for oral infection and, consequently, for the development of OSCC.

     

Nrf2 mediates cancer protection but not prolongevity induced by caloric restriction

Caloric restriction (CR) is the most potent intervention known to both protect against carcinogenesis and extend lifespan in laboratory animals. A variety of anticarcinogens and CR mimetics induce and activate the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Nrf2, in turn, induces a number of antioxidative and carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes. Thus, Nrf2 offers a promising target for anticarcinogenesis and antiaging interventions. We used Nrf2-disrupted (KO) mice to examine its role on the biological effects of CR. Here, we show that Nrf2 is responsible for most of the anticarcinogenic effects of CR, but is dispensable for increased insulin sensitivity and lifespan extension. Nrf2-deficient mice developed tumors more readily in response to carcinogen exposure than did WT mice, and CR was ineffective in suppressing tumors in the KO mice. However, CR extended lifespan and increased insulin sensitivity similarly in KO and WT mice. These findings identify a molecular pathway that dissociates the prolongevity and anticarcinogenic effects of CR.