Late symptomatic initiation of unilateral cerebellar hypoplasia

A 65-year-old woman developed a progressive action tremor on her left hand for the last two years. On examination an intentional left hand tremor with dysmetria and tendency to deviate to left on tandem were identified. There was no mental deterioration. CT scan and MR imaging disclosed a marked unilateral, left, cerebellar hypoplasia. MR also showed multiple lacunae. Neurological family disease and exposition to drugs or alcohol were not present. In some cases cerebellar hypoplasia could become symptomatic at advanced age as result of concurrent cerebral disease affecting the compensating structures for congenital defect. In this patient a vascular mechanism is suggested as possible late trigger.     

Functional significance of a natural allelic variant of human carbonyl reductase 3 (CBR3).

Human carbonyl reductase (CBR) activity accounts for a significant fraction of the metabolism of endogenous and xenobiotic carbonyl compounds. It is possible that genetic polymorphisms in CBR1 and CBR3 are key for the wide interindividual variability in the disposition of CBR drug substrates. We pinpointed a single nucleotide polymorphism in CBR3 (CBR3 V244M) that encodes for a V244 to M244 change. Blacks showed a higher frequency of the M244 allele (q = 0.51, n = 49) than did whites (q = 0.31, n = 70; p = 0.003). In addition, DNA variation panels from 10 ethnic groups presented a wide range of CBR3 V244M genotype distributions. Kinetic experiments with the recombinant CBR3 protein variants and menadione revealed that CBR3 M244 has significantly higher V(max) than does CBR3 V244 (V(max) CBR3 M244 = 40.6 +/- 1.3 micromol/min x mg versus V(max) CBR3 V244 = 19.6 +/- 2.0 micromol/min x mg, p = 0.002). In contrast, both isoforms presented similar K(m) values (K(m) CBR3 M244 = 22.9 +/- 2.9 microM versus K(m) CBR3 V244 = 24.6 +/- 3.2 microM, p = 0.43). Assays with NADP(H) demonstrated a higher V(maxNADP(H)) (1.6-fold) and increased catalytic efficiency (V(maxNADP(H))/K(mNADP(H))) for CBR3 M244 compared with CBR3 V244 (p = 0.013). Comparative three-dimensional analyses based on the structure of the homologous porcine carbonyl reductase suggested that the V244M substitution is positioned in a region critical for interactions with the NADP(H) cofactor. These studies demonstrate that the common CBR3 V244M polymorphism encodes for CBR3 isoforms with distinctive enzymatic properties.     

Forensic identification of skeletal remains from members of Ernesto Che Guevara’s guerrillas in Bolivia based on DNA typing

We report the positive identification of several members of the guerrillas led by Ernesto “Che” Guevara on the 1960 s in Bolivia by means of DNA fingerprinting. Successful DNA typing of both short tandem repeat loci and the hypervariable region of the human mitochondrial DNA was achieved after extracting total DNA from bones obtained from two burial sites. Given the size of the Cuban database for the STR allele frequencies, a conservative approach was followed to estimate the statistical significance of the genetic evidence. The estimated probabilities of paternity for the two cases in which the paternity logic was applied were higher than 99%. One case was analyzed using mitochondrial DNA and could not be excluded from the identity proposed by the forensic anthropology team. A fourth case was identified by exclusion, on the basis of the positive identification of the other remains, the historical and other anthropological evidence. Received: 19 January 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 April 1999     

Serial evaluation of segmental esophageal reconstruction using a polyurethane scaffold in a pig model

BackgroundMany esophageal pathologies are clinically treated by resection and reconstruction of the esophagus. Surgical esophagectomy remains a morbid procedure and despite minimally invasive advances, has changed little in decades. Novel approaches to esophageal segmental resection and reconstruction are an unmet need.MethodsCircumferential thoracic esophageal transection was performed in both male and female pigs and the defects reconstructed using 5 or 10 cm polyurethane (PU) tubular grafts and stented. A subset were treated with stent only. Animals were survived to 14, 30, 60, and 399 days. Tissues were evaluated histologically, and via non-invasive serial endoscopy and contrast swallowing studies in long-term animals.ResultsLuminal patency was achieved in all animals with no clinical evidence of leak. In short-term animals, there was healing noted in all cases with a variably sized region of ulceration remaining at the most central part of the repaired tube (between the proximal and distal anastomosis). In four long-term animals following stent removal, two resumed normal diet and thrived, while two animals were euthanized prior to the proposed endpoint because of stricture formation and inability to tolerate a normal diet. Re-epithelialization was observed in all groups, and more complete over time.ConclusionsThe PU scaffold provides a matrix across which formation of new tissue can occur. The mechanisms through which this happens remain unclear, but likely a combination of fibrosis and tissue contraction, in conjunction with new tissue formation.     

Improvement of digestive symptoms in fibromyalgia patients following a diet modification according to histamine release test – an observational study

IntroductionThere is growing interest in the relationship between fibromyalgia and processes related to food, such as food intolerances. In fact, different associations have been described between the control of dietary habits and the improvement of the different symptoms of fibromyalgia.Material and methodsWe collected the results of applying a specific test of histamine release related to the diet of patients with fibromyalgia, and evaluated the changes in terms of the symptoms usually described by the patients. A total of 84 patients who met the established criteria were recruited; 40 of them underwent the exclusion diet for a period of 6 months, while the remaining ones continued with their usual dietary habits. All patients were instructed not to modify any other parameter during the study, such as medication, exercise, or other complementary treatments. The parameters studied were as follows: the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS), the pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), as well as the patients’ body weight was controlled.ResultsThere was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the group of patients who underwent the exclusion diet in assesment by GSRS and in total in total body weight. There were no differences compared to the rest of the patients in terms of VAS and FIQ.ConclusionsDiet modification in patients with fibromyalgia by specific histamine relase test improves certain clinical parameters related to the symptoms of the digestive sphere, compared to the control group. Our work opens a possible way of non-pharmacological treatment to improve some symptoms of this very prevalent disease.