Characterisation of microsatellite markers in the stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

We characterized twenty unique polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Eurasian stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, a bird of conservation concern in Europe. The loci were genotyped in 24 individuals and displayed between 2 and 21 alleles per locus. All twenty loci were autosomal based on the genotyping of individuals of known sex and seventeen loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These microsatellites will be used to investigate population structure in this species with the aim of informing those responsible for creating conservation management strategies.     

Recombinant human erythropoietin in very elderly patients with myelodysplastic syndromes: results from a retrospective study

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are common in elderly patients. Recombinant human erythro-poietin (rHuEPO) has been widely used to treat anemia in lower risk MDS patients, but few data are known about rHuEPO treatment in the very elderly patient group. In order to investigate the role of rHuEPO treatment in terms of response, overall survival (OS), and toxicity in a very elderly MDS patient group, 93 MDS patients treated with rHuEPO when aged ≥80 years were selected among MDS cases enrolled in a retrospective multicenter study by the cooperative group Gruppo Romano Mielodisplasie (GROM) from Jan 2002 to Dec 2010. At baseline, median age was 82.7 (range 80–99.1) with a median hemoglobin (Hb) level of 9 g/dl (range 6–10.8). The initial dose of rHuEPO was standard (epoetin alpha 40,000 IU/week or epoetin beta 30,000 IU/week) in 59 (63.4 %) pa-tients or high in 34 (36.6 %) (epoetin alpha 80,000 IU/week) patients. We observed an erythroid response (ER) in 59 (63.4 %) patients. No thrombotic event was reported. Independent predictive factors for ER were low transfusion requirement before treatment (p?=?0.004), ferritin <200 ng/ml (p?=?0.017), Hb >8 g/dl (p?=?0.034), and a high-dose rHuEPO treatment (p?=?0.032). Median OS from rHuEPO start was 49.3 months (95 % CI 27.5–68.4) in responders versus 30.6 months (95 % CI 7.3–53.8) in resistant patients (p?=?0.185). In conclusion, rHuEPO treatment is safe and effective also in the very elderly MDS patients. However, further larger studies are warranted to evaluate if EPO treatment could be worthwhile in terms of quality of life and cost-efficacy in very old patients.     

Risk Factors for Dysphagia and the Impact on Outcome After Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Neurocritical Care - Despite the tremendous impact of swallowing disorders on outcome following ischemic stroke, little is known about the incidence of dysphagia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)...     

Evaluation of <i>MGMT</i> Gene Methylation in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Unresectable neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) often poorly respond to standard therapeutic approaches. Alkylating agents, in particular temozolomide, commonly used to treat high-grade brain tumors including glioblastomas, have recently been tested in advanced or metastatic NENs, where they showed promising response rates. In glioblastomas, prediction of response to temozolomide is based on the assessment of the methylation status of the MGMT gene, as its product, O6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, may counteract the damaging effects of the alkylating agent. However, in NENs, such a biomarker has not been validated yet. Thus, we have investigated MGMT methylation in 42 NENs of different grades and from various sites of origin by two different approaches: in contrast to methylation-specific PCR (MSP), which is commonly used in glioblastoma management, amplicon bisulfite sequencing (ABS) is based on high-resolution, next-generation sequencing and interrogates several additional CpG sites compared to those covered by MSP. Overall, we found MGMT methylation in 74% (31/42) of the NENs investigated. A higher methylation degree was observed in welldifferentiated tumors and in tumors originating in the gastrointestinal tract. Comparing MSP and ABS results, we demonstrate that the region analyzed by the MSP test is sufficiently informative of the MGMT methylation status in NENs, suggesting that this predictive parameter could routinely be interrogated also in NENs.     

Fluctuations in EEG band power at subject‐specific timescales over minutes to days explain changes in seizure evolutions

Epilepsy is recognised as a dynamic disease, where both seizure susceptibility and seizure characteristics themselves change over time. Specifically, we recently quantified the variable electrographic spatio‐temporal seizure evolutions that exist within individual patients. This variability appears to follow subject‐specific circadian, or longer, timescale modulations. It is therefore important to know whether continuously recorded interictaliEEG features can capture signatures of these modulations over different timescales. In this study, we analyse continuous intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings from video‐telemetry units and find fluctuations in iEEG band power over timescales ranging from minutes up to 12 days. As expected and in agreement with previous studies, we find that all subjects show a circadian fluctuation in their iEEG band power. We additionally detect other fluctuations of similar magnitude on subject‐specific timescales. Importantly, we find that a combination of these fluctuations on different timescales can explain changes in seizure evolutions in most subjects above chance level. These results suggest that subject‐specific fluctuations in iEEG band power over timescales of minutes to days may serve as markers of seizure modulating processes. We hope that future study can link these detected fluctuations to their biological driver(s). There is a critical need to better understand seizure modulating processes, as this will enable the development of novel treatment strategies that could minimise the seizure spread, duration or severity and therefore the clinical impact of seizures.     

Surgical treatment of uterine prolapse in women with bladder exstrophy: report of two cases with modified Prolift procedure

The incidence of pelvic organ prolapse is 18% in women with bladder exstrophy. A vaginal technique to correct the prolapse may be preferable in these women with multiple abdominal operations in their histories. We have performed a modified Prolift™ procedure for the repair of severe uterine prolapse in two young women. A review of the literature is presented.     

Relaxing effect of CEDO 8956 and hydralazine HCl in cultured smooth muscle cells versus pericytes: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND: It hs been reported that some glaucoma patients have deficient endothelial nitric oxide production. The effect of the presupposed nitrovasodilators CEDO 8956 and hydralazine hydrochloride (HCl) on bovine retinal microcirculation pericytes and ophthalmic artery smooth muscle cells are investigated. METHODS: Cells were cultured on silicone membranes and their contractile tone observed by phase contrast inverted microscopy before and after exposure by fluid exchange to different drugs at various concentrations. Experiments were conducted with pericytes in the absence (control) or in the presence (10 nM - 0.1 mM) of CEDO 8956, hydralazine HCl, or sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Experiments were conducted with smooth muscle cells in the absence (control) or in the presence (0.1 mM) of CEDO 8956, or hydralazine HCl. RESULTS: In comparison to control (- 0.56 +/- 10 %), pericytes were significantly relaxed by SNP (100 +/- 0 %, p < 0.001), but not by CEDO 8956 (9.2 +/- 15.4 %) or hydralazine HCl (20.6 +/- 4.4 %). In comparison to control (1.64 +/- 5.3 %), smooth muscle cells were significantly relaxed by CEDO 8956 (46.2 +/- 12.4 %, p < 0.05) and hydralazine HCl (54.9 +/- 9.1 %, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a possible heterogeneity between cultured bovine microcirculation pericytes and ophthalmic artery vascular smooth muscle cells in the relaxing response to CEDO 8956 and hydralazine HCl. Apparently, these two drugs might not be first choice candidates in order to attempt to try to selectively improve circulation in the retina or the optic nerve head capillary network.     

Phase II trial of interferon-alpha-2a plus psolaren with ultraviolet light A in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of psolaren with ultraviolet light A (PUVA) and interferon-alpha-2a (IFN-alpha-2a) in patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From May 1993 to January 1999, 63 symptomatic patients with all stages of MF and SS were treated in a prospective Phase II trial with systemic escalating doses of IFN-alpha-2a combined with PUVA for 1 year, followed by indefinite PUVA maintenance in complete responding patients. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were enrolled (Stage IA, n = 6; IB, n = 37; IIA, n = 3; IIB, n = 3; III, n = 12; IVA, n = 2). Ten patients had received previous therapy. The median follow-up duration for the entire cohort is 37 months. Of 63 patients, 51 achieved a complete response (CR; 74.6%) or partial response (PR; 6%) to therapy. The median response duration is 32 months. The 5-year overall survival rate is 91% and the 5-year disease-free survival rate is 75%. No life-threatening side effects were observed. Five patients stopped IFN-alpha-2a therapy due to toxicity. Eighty-four percent of the patients received more than 75% of the planned dose (12 million units three times a week). CONCLUSIONS: This combination of IFN-alpha-2a and phototherapy is an effective and safe therapy for patients with symptomatic MF.