Endothelial Notch1 Activity Facilitates Metastasis

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Acute blood pressure response in hypertensive elderly women immediately after water aerobics exercise: A crossover study

Water aerobics exercise is widely recommended for elderly people. However, little is known about the acute effects on hemodynamic variables. Thus, we assessed the effects of a water aerobic session on blood pressure in hypertensive elderly women. Fifty hypertensive elderly women aged 67.8 ± 4.1 years, 1.5 ± 0.6 m high and BMI 28.6 ± 3.9 kg/m², participated in a crossover clinical trial. The experiment consisted of a 45-minute water aerobics session (70%–75% HRmax adjusted for the aquatic environment) (ES) and a control session (no exercise for 45 minutes) (CS). Heart rate was monitored using a heart rate monitor and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) measurements were taken using a semi-automatic monitor before and immediately after the sessions, and at 10, 20 and 30 minutes thereafter. It was using a generalized estimating equation (GEE) with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test (p < 0.05). At the end of the experimental session, ES showed a rise in SBP of 17.4 mmHg (14.3%, p < 0.001) and DBP of 5.4 mmHg (7.8%, p < 0.001) compared to CS. At 10 minutes after exercise, BP declined in ES by a greater magnitude than in CS (SBP 7.5 mmHg, 6.2%, p = 0.005 and DBP 3.8 mmHg, 5.5%, p = 0.013). At 20 minutes after exercise and thereafter, SBP and DBP were similar in both ES and CS. In conclusion, BP returned to control levels within 10–20 minutes remaining unchanged until 30 minutes after exercise, and post-exercise hypotension was not observed. Besides, BP changed after exercise was a safe rise of small magnitude for hypertensive people.     

Cochlear implant fixation: are sutures really necessary?

The objective of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the risk of cochlear implant migration and complications related to the here presented alternative surgical fixation technique of the receiver/stimulator without any foreign body materials. Fixation of the implant was achieved by an “L-shaped” muscle-periosteal flap and an exactly shaped bony well. Between January 2006 and December 2009, 247 consecutive primary cochlear implantations have been performed with the described technique in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery of the University of Cologne (tertiary referral center). Devices from different manufacturers have been implanted. Implantation age ranged from 6 months to 78 years (mean age: 24.50 years). Follow-up time ranged from 12 to 60 months. Neither implant dislocations nor migrations were observed in our patients. In four very young children (1.6 %), additional suture fixation of the implant was performed. Postoperative complications, i.e. seroma or hematoma were observed in a total of six cases (2.4 %). The here presented surgical fixation technique is a sufficient and reliable way for fixation of cochlear implants independent of the device type.     

LigaSure small jaws versus cold knife dissection in superficial parotidectomy

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of LigaSure small jaws in superficial parotidectomy for blood loss, operative time and facial nerve function. This was a prospective non-randomized study of 35 patients with a benign parotid tumor. Sixteen patients had LigaSure small jaws parotidectomy, and 19 patients had cold knife parotidectomy. Operative time, blood loss, facial palsy and other complications were assessed. The use of LigaSure was associated with a significant reduction in mean operative time (128 min vs. 155, p = 0.04) and intraoperative blood loss (40 mL vs. 115 mL, p < 0.001). Transient facial weakness was seen in 4 of the 16 patients in the LigaSure group and in 1 of the 19 patients in the conventional group (p = 0.2). No significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to hemorrhage, length of hospital stay, infection, wound healing, salivary fistula or seroma. LigaSure small jaws in parotidectomy results in significantly less blood loss and operative time compared to cold knife dissection.     

Description of selected characteristics of familial glioma patients – Results from the Gliogene Consortium

BackgroundWhile certain inherited syndromes (e.g. Neurofibromatosis or Li-Fraumeni) are associated with an increased risk of glioma, most familial gliomas are non-syndromic. This study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of the largest series of non-syndromic glioma families ascertained from 14 centres in the United States (US), Europe and Israel as part of the Gliogene Consortium.MethodsFamilies with 2 or more verified gliomas were recruited between January 2007 and February 2011. Distributions of demographic characteristics and clinical variables of gliomas in the families were described based on information derived from personal questionnaires.FindingsThe study population comprised 841 glioma patients identified in 376 families (9797 individuals). There were more cases of glioma among males, with a male to female ratio of 1.25. In most families (83%), 2 gliomas were reported, with 3 and 4 gliomas in 13% and 3% of the families, respectively. For families with 2 gliomas, 57% were among 1st-degree relatives, and 31.5% among 2nd-degree relatives. Overall, the mean (±standard deviation [SD]) diagnosis age was 49.4 (± 18.7) years. In 48% of families with 2 gliomas, at least one was diagnosed at <40 y, and in 12% both were diagnosed under 40 y of age. Most of these families (76%) had at least one grade IV glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), and in 32% both cases were grade IV gliomas. The most common glioma subtype was GBM (55%), followed by anaplastic astrocytoma (10%) and oligodendroglioma (8%). Individuals with grades I–II were on average 17 y younger than those with grades III–IV.InterpretationFamilial glioma cases are similar to sporadic cases in terms of gender distribution, age, morphology and grade. Most familial gliomas appear to comprise clusters of two cases suggesting low penetrance, and that the risk of developing additional gliomas is probably low. These results should be useful in the counselling and clinical management of individuals with a family history of glioma.     

CASP8 D302H and meningioma risk: an analysis of five case-control series

Caspase 8 (CASP8) is a key regulator of apoptosis or programmed cell death, and hence a defence against cancer. The CASP8 polymorphism D302H has recently been shown to influence the risk of breast cancer. We tested the hypothesis that the CASP8 polymorphism D302H may influence risk of meningioma through analysis of five independent series of case patients and controls (n=631 and 637, respectively). Carrier status for 302H was not associated with a statistically significantly increased risk (OR=1.16; 95% CI: 0.87-1.53; P=0.31) making it unlikely that this variant contributes to the inherited risk of meningioma.