Intervention to improve level of overall functioning and mental condition of adolescents at high risk of developing first-episode psychosis in Finland

Aim: Being at high risk of developing psychosis has been suggested to be a result of a combination of acute life stressors and trait‐like vulnerability to psychosis. Reducing levels of stress could support overall functioning and mental condition in those at risk. Methods: The Jorvi Early Psychosis Recognition and Intervention (JERI) project at Helsinki University Central Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, Finland, is an early intervention team for adolescents at risk of developing first‐episode psychosis. The project is based on the idea of multiprofessional, community, home, family and network‐oriented, stress‐reducing, overall functioning‐supporting, low‐threshold care. The JERI team meets multiprofessionally with adolescents in their natural surroundings, for example, at school or at home, together with their parents, network and community co‐worker, who has originally contacted the JERI team because of unclear mental health problems. Subjects were assessed with the PROD‐prodromal screen to identify those at risk of developing first‐episode psychosis. Results: Statistically significant difference between baseline and follow‐up measures was found in at risk subjects (n = 28) in scales of overall functioning (P = 0.000), depression (P = 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.001), quality of life (QOL) and pre‐psychotic symptoms. Conclusions: JERI‐type intervention may improve level of overall functioning and support mental condition in adolescents at risk of developing first‐episode psychosis, even though further study with larger numbers of subjects, with a control group and with a longer follow‐up time, is needed.     

Allergy in marathon runners and effect of Lactobacillus GG supplementation on allergic inflammatory markers

OBJECTIVE: We studied the prevalence of asthma and allergy in non-elite marathon runners and investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on allergic inflammatory markers. METHODS: Asthma and allergies were surveyed by questionnaire, and blood eosinophils, serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), total IgE, and Phadiatop were measured in 141 Finnish marathon runners who took part in the Helsinki City Marathon. They were also randomized to receive either Lactobacillus GG (LGG) or placebo during the 3 months of the pollen season prior to the marathon. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 4.3% (six out of 139 athletes), of allergic rhinitis 17.3% (24/139), of food allergy 5.0% (7/139), and of atopic eczema 4.3% (6/139). Prevalence of atopy was 31% (35/112), and 21% (24/112) of the athletes were sensitized to birch pollen. Asthma or allergy medication was used by 20% (28/139) of the athletes. During pollen season, serum ECP increased significantly in all athletes, and total IgE and Phadiatop in atopics. The marathon induced a significant eosinopenia but had no effect on serum ECP or total IgE. No differences in changes were seen between groups receiving LGG or placebo. CONCLUSION: Non-elite marathon runners have asthma and allergies similar to Finnish general population. LGG supplementation did not prevent the increase of allergic markers during the pollen season, or the eosinopenia induced by the marathon.     

Comparison of Established Diagnostic Methodologies and a Novel Bacterial smpB Real-Time PCR Assay for Specific Detection of Haemophilus influenzae Isolates Associated with Respiratory Tract Infections

Haemophilus influenzae is a significant causative agent of respiratory tract infections (RTI) worldwide. The development of a rapid H. influenzae diagnostic assay that would allow for the implementation of infection control measures and also improve antimicrobial stewardship for patients is required. A number of nucleic acid diagnostics approaches that detect H. influenzae in RTIs have been described in the literature; however, there are reported specificity and sensitivity limitations for these assays. In this study, a novel real-time PCR diagnostic assay targeting the smpB gene was designed to detect all serogroups of H. influenzae. The assay was validated using a panel of well-characterized Haemophilus spp. Subsequently, 44 Haemophilus clinical isolates were collected, and 36 isolates were identified as H. influenzae using a gold standard methodology that combined the results of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and a fucK diagnostic assay. Using the novel smpB diagnostic assay, 100% concordance was observed with the gold standard, demonstrating a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.26% to 100.00%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 63.06% to 100.00%) when used on clinical isolates. To demonstrate the clinical utility of the diagnostic assay presented, a panel of lower RTI samples (n = 98) were blindly tested with the gold standard and smpB diagnostic assays. The results generated were concordant for 94/98 samples tested, demonstrating a sensitivity of 90.91% (95% CI, 78.33% to 97.47%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 93.40% to 100.00%) for the novel smpB assay when used directly on respiratory specimens.     

Effects of Anti-NMDA Antibodies on Functional Recovery and Synaptic Rearrangement Following Hemicerebellectomy

The compensation that follows cerebellar lesions is based on synaptic modifications in many cortical and subcortical regions, although its cellular mechanisms are still unclear. Changes in glutamatergic receptor expression may represent the synaptic basis of the compensated state. We analyzed in rats the involvement of glutamatergic system of the cerebello-frontal network in the compensation following a right hemicerebellectomy. We evaluated motor performances, spatial competencies and molecular correlates in compensated hemicerebellectomized rats which in the frontal cortex contralateral to the hemicerebellectomy side received injections of anti-NMDA antibodies from patients affected by anti-NMDA encephalitis. In the compensated hemicerebellectomized rats, the frontal injections of anti-NMDA antibodies elicited a marked decompensation state characterized by slight worsening of the motor symptoms as well as severe impairment of spatial mnesic and procedural performances. Conversely, in the sham-operated group the frontal injections of anti-NMDA antibodies elicited slight motor and spatial impairment. The molecular analyses indicated that cerebellar compensatory processes were related to a relevant rearrangement of glutamatergic synapses (NMDA and AMPA receptors and other glutamatergic components) along the entire cortico-cerebellar network. The long-term maintenance of the rearranged glutamatergic activity plays a crucial role in the maintenance of recovered function.     

Attention and Working Memory in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Functional MRI Study

The present study examined attention and memory load-dependent differences in the brain activation and deactivation patterns between adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and typically developing (TD) controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Attentional (0-back) and working memory (WM; 2-back) processing and load differences (0 vs. 2-back) were analysed. WM-related areas activated and default mode network deactivated normally in ASDs as a function of task load. ASDs performed the attentional 0-back task similarly to TD controls but showed increased deactivation in cerebellum and right temporal cortical areas and weaker activation in other cerebellar areas. Increasing task load resulted in multiple responses in ASDs compared to TD and in inadequate modulation of brain activity in right insula, primary somatosensory, motor and auditory cortices. The changes during attentional task may reflect compensatory mechanisms enabling normal behavioral performance. The inadequate memory load-dependent modulation of activity suggests diminished compensatory potential in ASD.     

Mechanistic stoichiometry of proton translocation by cytochrome cbb3

Cytochrome cbb(3) belongs to the superfamily of respiratory heme-copper oxidases that couple the reduction of molecular oxygen to proton translocation across the bacterial or mitochondrial membrane. The cbb(3)-type enzymes are found only in bacteria, and are both structurally and functionally the most distant from their mitochondrial counterparts. The mechanistic H(+)/e(-) stoichiometry of proton translocation in these cbb(3)-type cytochrome c oxidases has remained controversial. A stoichiometric efficiency of only one-half that of the mitochondrial aa(3)-type enzyme was recently proposed to be related to adaptation of the organism to microaerobic environments. Here, proton translocation by the Rhodobacter sphaeroides enzyme was studied using purified cytochrome cbb(3) reconstituted into liposomes. An H(+)/e(-) stoichiometry of proton translocation close to unity was observed using the oxygen pulse method, but solely in conditions in which the vast majority of the enzyme was fully reduced in the anaerobic state before the O(2) pulse. These data were compared with results using whole cells or spheroplasts, and the discrepancies in the literature data were discussed. Our results suggest that a proton-pumping efficiency of 1 H(+)/e(-) may be achieved using the single-proton uptake pathway identified in the structure of cytochrome cbb(3). The mechanism of proton pumping thus differs from that of the aa(3)-type oxidases of mitochondria and bacteria.