The relationship between positive and negative automatic thought and activity in the prefrontal and temporal cortices: A multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) study

Background

Recently, neurobiological studies of the cognitive model of depression have become vastly more important, and a growing number of such studies are being reported. However, the relationship between the proportion of positive and negative automatic thought and activity in the prefrontal and temporal cortices has not yet been explored. We examined the relationship between brain activity and the proportion of positive and negative automatic thought in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Methods

We recruited 75 individuals with MDD (36 females; mean age=39.23±12.49). They completed the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised, Japanese version of the National Adult Reading Test, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Brain activation was measured by 52-channel NIRS.

Results

We found that activation in the vicinity of the right superior temporal gyrus is related to a deviation to negative of the proportion of positive and negative thoughts in individuals with MDD. Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity was higher in the group with comparatively frequent positive thought.

Limitations

Our participants were patients taking antidepressant medication, which is known to influence brain activity. Second, the poor spatial resolution of NIRS increases the difficulty of identifying the measurement position.

Conclusions

We found that activation of the prefrontal and temporal cortices is related to the proportion of automatic thoughts in the cognitive model of depression.     

Lymphknotenmetastasen bei Plattenepithelfrühkarzinomen des Ösophagus

The definition of early carcinoma of the esophagus has changed with time on the basis of new data. As from 2007 an early carcinoma is defined as an intramucosal carcinoma with or without metastasis. In the subclassification based on invasion depth, m1 and m2 squamous cell carcinomas have no metastasis and are considered curable by endoscopic resection alone, whereas less than 10% of m3 carcinomas and some 20% of sm1 squamous cell carcinomas have lymph node metastasis. In this article the relationship between various histopathological findings and the incidence of lymph node metastasis is reviewed. The m3 and sm1 superficial squamous cell carcinomas showing 0-I and 0-III types, large tumors over 50 mm in size or those showing vessel permeation have higher incidences of lymph node metastasis. In the field of gastrointestinal surgical pathology pathologists are now expected to not only diagnose the presence or absence of malignancy but also to investigate in detail many of the histological factors related to the prevalence of lymph node metastasis.     

Antibodies to Ro/La, Cenp-B, and snRNPs Antigens in Autoimmune Hepatitis of North America versus Asia: Patterns of Immunofluorescence, ELISA Reactivities, and HLA Association

To assess whether demography is one of theimportant factors determining antibody response tonuclear antigens [ANA: SSA-Ro (52K and 60K), SSB-La,snRNPs (A, 70K, B/B), and Cenp-B], weinvestigated 95 and 47 sera of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) fromNorth America and Asia, respectively, byimmunofluorescent (IF) and recombinant ELISA.Correlations among nuclear IF patterns, ELISA, anddisease indices were analyzed. The frequency and titer of individualantibodies differed significantly between the groups.Patients with speckled patterns were younger in bothregions and had higher aspartate aminotransferase levels only in North America. HLA-A1, B8, DQ2,and DR4 or DR3 or both in North America, and A2, B61,DQ7, and DR4 in Asia were predominant. In Asia, B61correlated with anti-70K, and DQ7 correlated with antibodies to 52K, Cenp-B, and B/B. InNorth America, A1, B8, DR3 haplotype, and DQ2 correlatedwith antibodies to A and 70K. Anti-B/B and DR4 inNorth America, and A2 in Asia, were associated withconcurrent immunologic disorder. Individual ANA clusterscorrelated with individual HLA in the demography, anddifferent HLA alleles might determine disease expressionas well as different ANA being produced inAIH.     

The Reverse-Direction Method Links Mass Experimental Data to Human Diseases

Genome-wide analyses such as DNA microarray, RNA sequencing and RNA interference-based high-throughput screening are prevalent to decipher a biological process of interest, and provide a large quantity of data to be processed. An ultimate goal for researchers must be extrapolation of their data to human diseases. We have conducted functional genome-wide screenings to elucidate molecular mechanisms of the inflammation amplifier, a NFκB/STAT3-dependent machinery that potently drives recruitment of immune cells to promote inflammation. Using a public database of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we recently reported the reverse-direction method by which our mass screening data were successfully linked to many human diseases. As an example, the epiregulin–epidermal growth factor receptor pathway was identified as a regulator of the inflammation amplifier, and associated with human diseases by GWAS. In fact, serum epiregulin levels were higher in patients with chronic inflammatory disorders. The reverse-direction method can be a useful tool to narrow mass data down to focus on human disease-related genes.     

Impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism on clinical outcome following coronary stenting is more important in non-diabetic than diabetic patients

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of CYP2C19 genotype on clinical outcome in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

CYP2C19 polymorphism and DM are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events during antiplatelet therapy following stent implantation. Platelet reactivity during clopidogrel therapy and CYP2C19 polymorphism were measured in 519 CAD patients (males 70%, age 69 years) treated with stent placement. Patients were divided into two groups; DM (n = 249), and non-DM (n = 270), and clinical events were evaluated according to the carrier state, which included at least one CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele.

Results

The level of platelet reactivity and incidence of cardiovascular events were significantly different between Carriers and non-Carriers of the non-DM (platelet reactivity: 4501 +/− 1668 versus 3691 +/− 1714AUmin, P < 0.01; events, 32/178 versus 2/92, P < 0.01, respectively), however, there was no difference in clinical outcome in the DM group (events, 34/168 versus 14/81, respectively, P = 0.57). Multivariate analysis identified CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele carriage as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in non-DM, but not in DM (non-DM, HR 7.180, 95% CI, 1.701 to 30.298, P = 0.007; DM, HR 1.374, 95% CI, 0.394 to 4.792, P = 0.618).

Conclusion

The impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism on clinical outcome seems to be more significant in non-DM compared with DM in patients with coronary stents.     

Chronic kidney disease status modifies the association of CYP2C19 polymorphism in predicting clinical outcomes following coronary stent implantation

Introduction

There is some controversy regarding the effect of CYP2C19 polymorphism on clinical outcome in patients with dual antiplatelet therapy. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular event, but the association between the possession of CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) alleles and clinical outcome according to the presence of CKD is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CKD status modifies the association of CYP2C19 polymorphism in predicting outcomes in a prospective cohort study.

Material and Methods

We enrolled 331 patients following coronary stent implantation. Patients were divided into two groups: CKD (n = 154) and non-CKD (n = 177). Platelet reactivity and CYP2C19 polymorphism were examined. The subjects were further divided into two groups according to the possession of CYP2C19 LOF alleles: carriers and non-carriers. Patients were followed up and clinical events were evaluated according to CKD and carrier status.

Results

The proportion of high platelet reactivity was significantly higher in carriers than in non-carriers in both CKD (42.4% versus 21.7%; P = 0.016) and non-CKD groups (34.3% versus 3.7%; P < 0.001). In the non-CKD group alone, the incidence of cardiovascular events was significantly higher in carriers than in non-carriers (13.7% versus 1.7%; P = 0.013). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of cardiovascular events in carriers than in non-carriers in the non-CKD group (log-rank test: P = 0.013) and there was no significant difference in the CKD group (log-rank test: P = 0.591). Multivariate analysis identified carriers as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events only in the non-CKD group alone (hazard ratio: 8.048; 95% confidence interval: 1.066 to 60.757; P = 0.043).

Conclusions

CYP2C19 polymorphism significantly correlates with clinical outcome in non-CKD patients, and CKD status modifies the association of CYP2C19 polymorphism in predicting clinical outcomes following coronary stent implantation.