Immune responses to Campylobacter and serum autoantibodies in patients with complex regional pain syndrome

We hypothesised that some complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS) may have a postinfectious and/or autoimmune basis. Sera from 92 patients with CRPS and 92 controls were investigated for immunoreactivity to Campylobacter strains and to rodent tissues. Both IgA-antibodies to Campylobacter and tissue-specific reactivity were often present in patients with short disease duration (< or = 1.5 years). Patients with minimal preceding trauma had stronger nervous tissue-specific reactivity than other patients, regardless of disease duration. These results provide preliminary evidence for immune activation early in CRPS and, additionally, that patients with minimal trauma may comprise an autoimmune subgroup.     

Endometrial stromal nodule: a case report

The endometrial stromal nodule is the rarest of the endometrial stromal tumours. It is a benign tumour composed of well-differentiated endometrial stromal cells arranged as a well-circumscribed nodule with smooth, non invasive margins. We describe a case of uterine stromal nodule occurring in a 45-year-old woman with history of menometrorrhagia in which case ultrasonography conclude to a leiomyoma. Epidemiology, pathologic aspects, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are reviewed.     

Human leukocyte antigen-DQB1 alleles are not associated with schizophrenia in Kuwaiti Arabs

Schizophrenia is among the most severe and debilitating of psychiatric disorders and has a complex mode of inheritance. A susceptibility locus has been identified on chromosome 6 and some association studies involving human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes have reported diverse results. The objective of the present study was to determine if there is an association between HLA-DQB1 alleles and schizophrenia in Kuwaiti Arabs. The frequency of HLA-DQB1 alleles was determined in a cohort of 195 Kuwaiti Arabs consisting of 81 schizophrenia patients and 114 ethnically matched healthy controls, using a polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers method. A total of nine DQB1 alleles were identified in this Kuwaiti cohort. The most prevalent DQB1 alleles in Kuwaiti schizophrenia patients were *0601 (28%), *0201 (23%) and *0501 (16%), respectively. However, no significant difference in the allele frequency was detected between schizophrenia patients and the controls. The DQB1*0602 allele, which has been negatively associated in African-Americans in previous reports, was not detected in the present Kuwaiti schizophrenia patients or controls.     

Loss of heterozygosity in serial plasma DNA samples during follow-up of women with breast cancer

We evaluated the potential utility of occult circulating tumor DNA as a molecular marker of disease in subjects previously diagnosed with breast cancer. Using 24 microsatellite markers located at sites of frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) or allele imbalance in breast cancer, we analyzed DNA from 16 primary tumors (Stage IIA or more advanced) and 30 longitudinally collected plasma specimens. Clinical data at the time of plasma collection were obtained. All 16 tumors were characterized by an individual pattern of LOH. LOH was detected in 12 of 30 (40%) plasma samples, taken from 8 of 14 (57%) subjects. However, the number of LOH in plasma was small (n = 15), and the mean proportion of LOH was much lower than in the tumors (0.05 vs. 0.52). Although infrequent, 12 of 15 (80%) plasma LOH were concordant with abnormalities in the paired tumors, and the mean percent LOH was higher than in normal plasmas, suggesting that they were authentic tumor-derived abnormalities. We found, despite this, no association, between plasma LOH and tumor stage or clinical status at time of blood collection (i.e., LOH was as common in subjects with no evident disease as in those with evident disease). In addition, detection of LOH was not consistent between serial samples from 5 of 11 subjects (45%), despite stable clinical conditions. No association with clinical outcome was evident, although the sample size was small. Microsatellite instability in plasma was infrequent, nonconcordant with paired tumor and inconsistent in serial samples. This pilot study suggests that identifying tumor-specific LOH in the plasma of breast cancer subjects may not be useful for detecting occult metastases or for monitoring disease. Other detection techniques may be more promising, but circulating tumor DNA may not be a sufficiently accurate reflection of breast cancer clinical status or tumor activity.     

Coin in nasopharynx in a young child

A 5 years old child presented with typical picture of adenoid hypertrophy but surprisingly plain radiograph of lateral view of neck showed a radio opaque object in the line of nasopharynx. During examination under anesthesia, a coin was seen impacted in nasopharynx partially covered with granulation tissue which was retrieved.