Role of DAT‐SPECT in the diagnostic work up of Parkinsonism

The diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) can be achieved with high degrees of accuracy in cases with full expression of classical clinical features. However, diagnostic uncertainty remains in early disease with subtle or ambiguous signs. Functional imaging has been suggested to increase the diagnostic yield in parkinsonian syndromes with uncertain clinical classification. Loss of striatal dopamine nerve terminal function, a hallmark of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism, is strongly related to decreases of dopamine transporter (DAT) density, which can be measured by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The use of DAT‐SPECT facilitates the differential diagnosis in patients with isolated tremor symptoms not fulfilling PD or essential tremor criteria, drug‐induced, psychogenic and vascular Parkinsonism as well as dementia when associated with Parkinsonism. This review addresses the value of DAT‐SPECT in early differential diagnosis, and its potential as a screening tool for subjects at risk of developing PD as well as issues around the assessment of disease progression. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society     

Multimodal intraoperative monitoring: towards a routine use in surgical treatment of severe spinal disorders

European Spine Journal -     

Anionic block polymerization of β-lactones initiated by potassium solutions, 1. Synthesis of poly(4-methyl-2-oxetanone-block-2-oxetanone)

The block polymerization of 4-methyl-2-oxetanone (β-butyrolactone) with 2-oxetanone (β-propiolactone) proceeds fast with a yield of more than 90%, in the presence of potassium solutions in THF containing 18-crown-6. Poly(4-methyl-2-oxetanone-block-2-oxetanone) polymers having the expected molecular weight and composition are formed by this way. Their glass transition and melting temperatures as well as their melting enthalpies, determined by DSC, show a strict correlation with block polymer composition.     

CD80 and CD86 expression on LPS-stimulated monocytes and the effect of CD80 and CD86 blockade on IL-4 and IFN-gamma production in nonatopic bronchial asthma

CD80 and CD86 seem to play an important role in the allergen-induced secretion of interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13. Up to now, the expressions of CD80 (B7.1) and CD86 (B7.2) on monocytes and the kinetics of the expression of these molecules on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes in nonatopic asthma have not been defined. Using monoclonal antibodies, we have compared the expressions of CD80 (B7.1) and CD86 (B7.2) on the monocytes of healthy persons and nonatopic asthmatic patients. We have also assessed the effect of CD80 and CD86 inactivation on IL-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma production in nonatopic asthmatics and healthy subjects. We found that a low expression of CD80 (1.64 +/- 0.65 vs. 3.53 +/- 1.43%) and a moderate expression of CD86 (41.25 +/- 13.4 vs. 49.46 +/- 11.49%) on the studied monocytes were characteristic for asthma. In nonatopic asthma patients inactivation of CD80 or CD86 blockade significantly reduced IFN-gamma production by T lymphocytes (p < 0.02; p < 0.03). In both the studied groups, anti-CD80 antibodies did not diminish T lymphocyte production of IL-4. However, anti-CD86 antibodies significantly (p < 0.04) reduced the IL-4 concentration in culture supernatants. Our results confirm that both the CD80 and CD86 molecules play an important role in the maintenance and amplification of the inflammatory process. It suggests that in the inflammatory process that occurs in nonatopic bronchial asthma, Th1 as well as Th2 lymphocytes are equally important.     

Post-pneumonectomy empyemas: causes,clinical course,management

Between 1984 and 2000 in the Thoracic Surgery Centre pneumonectomies were performed in 947 patients. Postpneumonectomy empyema (PE) occurred in 67 (7%) patients. The aim of this paper were: analysis the reasons of postpneumonectomy empyema appearance, defined bacterial flora, clinical course and optimal management. The causes of PE were: pleural cavity haematoma (20 patients-29.8%), wound suppuration (18 patients-26.8%), bronchial fistula (31 patients-46.2%). These complications appeared singly or together in 49 (73.1%) patients. In 2 (3.0%) patients a long treatment in the Intensive Care Unit because of postoperative shock was the cause of infection. In 3 (4.5%) cases the cause of empyema was associated with infection during the operation. In 13(19.4%) cases the cause of empyema was not established. In 55 patients infections of pleural cavities were diagnosed in the first 8 weeks after operations. In 12 patients empyemas were established later. 12 (17.9%) patients died during the analyzed 1 year period after operation. In 18 (26.9%) patients infections were caused by only one bacterial strain and in 49 (73.1%) by two or three bacterial strains. The different methods of treatment (thoracentesis, drainage, operation) depending on general condition of patient were done.     

Über die Wechselwirkung des Katalysators und Cokatalysators mit dem Monomeren und dem Polymeren bei der kationischen Polymerisation des Isobutylens. II. Modellstudium des Polymerisations-Depolymerisations-Gleichgewichts im System Triisobutylen/AlBr3/DBr/Heptan

In the reaction of triisobutylene with AlBr₃/DBr system, backbone isomerization and formation of higher oligomers takes place, in addition to deuteration. Both reactions are explained by the cleavage of the backbone bonds of the intermediate carbonium ions. The fragments formed can react with other components of the reaction system. The possible role of these reactions in the mechanism of termination and chain transfer in the cationic polymerization of isobutylene is discussed briefly.     

Baseline levels of chromosome instability in the human lymphoblastoid cell TK6

Induced genomic instability in the human B lymphoblastoid cell line TK6 manifests itself as increases in end-to-end chromosome fusions and non-reciprocal chromosome translocations. It is not associated with elevated frequencies of specific locus mutations or other cytogenetic alterations. Previous studies on a limited number of cells and end-points suggested that induced instability in TK6 mirrors spontaneous instability in terms of the types of alterations observed. In the present study we expanded on our previous analysis to include more cells and more end-points in order to derive a more precise measure of spontaneous instability in TK6 cells. The frequency of normal growth rate thymidine kinase mutants (TK(-/-)), measured in 44 independently isolated clones, was 2.73 +/- 0.78 x 10(-6)/cell, while that for slow growth mutants was 2.39 +/- 0.52 x 10(-6)/cell. These are similar to the frequencies observed for HPRT mutants in primary human cells. There was wide variation in chromatid break frequencies, but the average break frequency, at 0.04+/-0.01 breaks/cell, was only slightly higher than that reported for primary human cells. In contrast, the dicentric frequency of 0.006/cell was more than 10-fold higher for TK6 cells than that reported for normal primary human cells. Furthermore, the dicentrics in TK6 cells are unusual in that they are the result of end-to-end chromosome fusions. TK6 cells also show much higher levels of non-reciprocal chromosome translocations than are usually observed in primary human cells. The results suggest an inherent instability in TK6 cells that differs from what is observed in primary cells in that it affects the frequency of end-to-end chromosome fusions and non-reciprocal chromosome translocations, but not TK gene mutations or other cytogenetic alterations.