Immune-mediated mechanisms of endothelial damage in atherosclerosis

The endothelium of the vessel wall as a barrier between blood and the subendothelial matrix proteins is essential for preventing thrombus formation and subsequent atherosclerosis development. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which immune and autoimmune mechanisms are involved. Recently, it was demonstrated that endothelial cells in the vessel wall can be damaged not only by classic risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia, smoking and disturbed blood flow, but also (auto)immune reactions to autoantigens present in the cell surface, among which heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) was mostly studied. HSP60 normally located in mitochondria can be translocated into the cell member in response to stress stimuli. Meanwhile, autoantibodies against HSP60 are present in most subjects, especially patients with heart attack and stroke. These autoantibodies may bind to HSP60 expressed in endothelial cells resulting in the cell damage, subsequently initiating the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Based on the recent progress in the research field, the present review will update the mechanisms of immune response to endothelial cells by which cell damage can initiate the development of atherosclerosis.     

Memory Load Alters Perception-Related Neural Oscillations during Multisensory Integration

Integrating information across different senses is a central feature of human perception. Previous research suggests that multisensory integration is shaped by a context-dependent and largely adaptive interplay between stimulus-driven bottom-up and top-down endogenous influences. One critical question concerns the extent to which this interplay is sensitive to the amount of available cognitive resources. In the present study, we investigated the influence of limited cognitive resources on audiovisual integration by measuring high-density electroencephalography (EEG) in healthy participants performing the sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI) and a verbal n-back task (0-back, low load and 2-back, high load) in a dual-task design. In the SIFI, the integration of a flash with two rapid beeps can induce the illusory perception of two flashes. We found that high compared with low load increased illusion susceptibility and modulated neural oscillations underlying illusion-related crossmodal interactions. Illusion perception under high load was associated with reduced early β power (18–26 Hz, ∼70 ms) in auditory and motor areas, presumably reflecting an early mismatch signal and subsequent top-down influences including increased frontal θ power (7–9 Hz, ∼120 ms) in mid-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and a later β power suppression (13–22 Hz, ∼350 ms) in prefrontal and auditory cortex. Our study demonstrates that integrative crossmodal interactions underlying the SIFI are sensitive to the amount of available cognitive resources and that multisensory integration engages top-down θ and β oscillations when cognitive resources are scarce.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The integration of information across multiple senses, a remarkable ability of our perceptual system, is influenced by multiple context-related factors, the role of which is highly debated. It is, for instance, poorly understood how available cognitive resources influence crossmodal interactions during multisensory integration. We addressed this question using the sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI), a phenomenon in which the integration of two rapid beeps together with a flash induces the illusion of a second flash. Replicating our previous work, we demonstrate that depletion of cognitive resources through a working memory (WM) task increases the perception of the illusion. With respect to the underlying neural processes, we show that when available resources are limited, multisensory integration engages top-down θ and β oscillations.     

Correction to: Identifying Subgroups of Toddlers with DSM‑5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Core Symptoms

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04954-5     

International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: 2. Avulsion of permanent teeth

Avulsion of permanent teeth is one of the most serious dental injuries. Prompt and correct emergency management is essential for attaining the best outcome after this injury. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed these Guidelines as a consensus statement after a comprehensive review of the dental literature and working group discussions. It represents the current best evidence and practice based on that literature search and expert opinions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties and the general dentistry community were included in the working group. In cases where the published data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on consensus opinions or majority decisions of the working group. They were then reviewed and approved by the members of the IADT Board of Directors. The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide clinicians with the most widely accepted and scientifically plausible approaches for the immediate or urgent care of avulsed permanent teeth. The IADT does not, and cannot, guarantee favorable outcomes from adherence to the Guidelines. However, the IADT believes that their application can maximize the probability of favorable outcomes.     

Expression patterns and prognostic role of transketolase-like 1 in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Purpose

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) has been shown to play an important role in the metabolism of cancer cells. The transketolase-like 1 gene (TKTL1) encodes an enzyme representing an essential component of this pathway. Its expression has been demonstrated to correlate with stage and outcome in various tumors. The aim of the present study was to assess expression patterns and the prognostic role of TKTL1 in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Patients and methods

The expression of TKTL1 was assessed in a tissue microarray consisting of histopathologically benign and malign tissue of 112 patients who underwent radical cystectomy due to MIBC. Cytoplasmatic and nuclear expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry and compared separately with clinicopathologic parameters and outcome.

Results

Cytoplasmatic expression of TKTL1 was exclusively present in tumor tissue. In contrast, the proportion of nuclei positive for TKTL1 was higher in histopathologically benign tissue compared with malign tissue. No correlation was observed between cytoplasmatic or nuclear TKTL1 expression and tumor stage, grade or the presence of metastases. Patients with lymph node involvement showed a decreased frequency of cytoplasmatic expression compared with node-negative patients (p = 0.01). However, no further correlation was observed between the expression of TKTL1 and clinical outcome of patients.

Conclusions

The present study shows that the cytoplasmatic expression of TKTL1 is specific for MIBC tissue compared with histopathologically benign urothelium. This specific expression is present in a subgroup of MIBC potentially identifying patients with activated PPP suitable for a targeted inhibition of sugar metabolism. In contrast to other malignancies, TKTL1 shows no prognostic significance in MIBC.

     

Supraclavicular osteocutaneous free flap: Clinical application and surgical details for the reconstruction of composite defects of the nose

The supraclavicular fasciocutaneous flap is a well‐recognized flap in head and neck reconstruction. In this report, we describe for the first time a variation of this flap, the osteocutaneous supraclavicular (SOC) free flap, which was used to reconstruct a composite nasal defect. The defect arose after resection of a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma and involved dorsal nasal skin, cartilage, and the entire nasal bone. A 6 cm × 4 cm size flap including skin, subcutaneous tissue, and a vascularized cortico‐periosteal segment of the clavicle was raised based on the transverse cervical artery. The flap survived with no complications. A satisfactory aesthetic outcome was achieved following two revision procedures. We believe that the incorporation of bone to the supraclavicular flap may expand its applications in reconstruction of composite nasal and facial defects. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:328–332, 2015.