Addressing the MSICS learning curve: identification of instrument-holding techniques used by experienced surgeons

AIM: To detect the quantitative expression levels of the pro-inflammatory interleukin-8 (IL8), antimicrobial peptides Human beta defense-2 (HBD2), and Human beta defense-3 (HBD3) genes in bacterial conjunctivitis. METHODS: The human conjunctival epithelial cells were obtained using the impression cytology technique from healthy controls and patients. The genes expression levels were determined utilizing a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The contribution of causative agent type, the number of isolates and severity of clinical features, in the increase of genes expression was also determined. RESULTS: The RT-PCR showed that IL8, HBD2, and HBD3 expression increased in bacterial conjunctivitis as compared to healthy control (P<0.001). In gram-negative bacterial conjunctivitis, HBD2 was highly up-regulated (P<0.001) compared to other types of bacterial conjunctivitis. In mixed bacterial conjunctivitis, a direct correlation between HBD2 up-regulation and HBD3 up-regulation was observed (P<0.05). The severity of clinical features was related to the up-regulation of IL8 and HBD2 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: IL8, HBD2, and HBD3 are immune-effectors in infectious conjunctivitis. HBD2 is active during different bacterial conjunctivitis but is more released with gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria. HBD3 is an obvious defender in different bacterial conjunctivitis.     

Schwartz-Jampel syndrome: a review of the literature and case report

Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (SJS) is a rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia associated with myotonia. The manifestations of SJS include short stature, blepharophimosis, and skeletal anomalies. The combination of skeletal and muscular abnormalities may result in oro-dental manifestations such as atypical facies, with micrognathia, microstomia, pursed lips, crossbite, cleft palate, as well as mandibular hypoplasia, the risk of dentigerous cysts, and impacted teeth. The use of general anesthesia in patients with SJS is dangerous, as there is a risk of malignant hyperthermia. The purpose of this paper is to describe a 3-year-old Chinese boy diagnosed with SJS at birth. His intra-oral examination revealed significant dental findings such as dentin defects with generalized attrition and hypodontia of the permanent dentition. Comprehensive dental treatment was provided at the same time as lower right limb surgery to reduce the potential complications with general anesthesia.     

Prenatal immune activation potentiates endocannabinoid-related plasticity of inhibitory synapses in the hippocampus of adolescent rat offspring

There is strong evidence that immune activation from prenatal infection increases the risk for offspring to develop schizophrenia. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia while models of cortical dysfunction postulate an imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition in the disorder. The current study examined the impact of prenatal immune activation on eCB-mediated inhibitory mechanisms. We compared two forms of eCB-related plasticity of evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents, namely depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) and metabotropic glutamate receptor-induced long term depression (mGluR-iLTD), in both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus between adolescent offspring from rat dams that received either saline or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during pregnancy. Compared to prenatal saline offspring, prenatal LPS offspring displayed prolonged DSI and stronger mGluR-iLTD in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively. The sensitivity of mGluR-iLTD to the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 was also lower in the dorsal hippocampus of prenatal LPS compared to prenatal saline offspring. Testing whether changes in eCB receptor signaling or levels could contribute to these changes in inhibitory transmission, we found region specific increases in 2-arachidonoylglycerol-stimulated signaling and in basal and mGluR-induced levels of anandamide in prenatal LPS offspring when compared to prenatal saline offspring. Our findings indicate that prenatal immune activation can lead to long-term changes in eCB-related plasticity of hippocampal inhibitory synaptic transmission in adolescent rat offspring. Perturbation of the eCB system resulting from prenatal immune activation could represent a mechanism linking early life immune events to the development of psychopathology in adolescence.     

ProteinChip array profiling for identification of disease- and chemotherapy-associated biomarkers of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: We previously used ProteinChip array profiling analysis to discover a serum biomarker associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we used the same method to examine other biomarkers associated with NPC and response to chemotherapy (CT) in NPC patients. METHODS: We performed ProteinChip array analysis in 209 serum samples from 66 relapsed patients before and after salvage CT with gemcitabine and cisplatin or etoposide and cisplatin combinations, 11 patients in remission, and 35 healthy individuals. Intensities of the biomarker peaks were correlated with CT response of the patients and other clinical parameters. RESULTS: We discovered 13 candidate biomarkers associated with different clinical parameters. Two biomarkers (2803 and 3953 Da) were significantly increased in patients compared with controls at all stages of disease. Analysis of pre- and post-CT paired serum samples revealed 7 biomarkers correlated with impact of CT. Of these 7 biomarkers, 2 (2509 and 2756 Da) were significantly increased and 5 (7588, 7659, 7765, 7843, and 8372 Da) were significantly decreased post-CT in either 1 or both CT cohorts. Four biomarkers from pre-CT sera were correlated with CT response, with 3 (2950, 13 510, and 14 855 Da) being significantly decreased and 1 (6701 Da) significantly increased in patients who did not respond to CT. Tandem mass spectrometric sequencing and/or immunoaffinity capture assay identified the 3953 Da biomarker as a fragment of interalpha-trypsin inhibitor precursor and 7765 Da biomarker as platelet factor-4. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-associated serum biomarkers found might serve to triage NPC patients for appropriate CT treatment.