Cx43 hemichannel microdomain signaling at the intercalated disc enhances cardiac excitability

Cx43, a major cardiac connexin, forms precursor hemichannels that accrue at the intercalated disc to assemble as gap junctions. While gap junctions are crucial for electrical conduction in the heart, little is known about the potential roles of hemichannels. Recent evidence suggests that inhibiting Cx43 hemichannel opening with Gap19 has antiarrhythmic effects. Here, we used multiple electrophysiology, imaging, and super-resolution techniques to understand and define the conditions underlying Cx43 hemichannel activation in ventricular cardiomyocytes, their contribution to diastolic Ca²⁺ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and their impact on electrical stability. We showed that Cx43 hemichannels were activated during diastolic Ca²⁺ release in single ventricular cardiomyocytes and cardiomyocyte cell pairs from mice and pigs. This activation involved Cx43 hemichannel Ca²⁺ entry and coupling to Ca²⁺ release microdomains at the intercalated disc, resulting in enhanced Ca²⁺ dynamics. Hemichannel opening furthermore contributed to delayed afterdepolarizations and triggered action potentials. In single cardiomyocytes, cardiomyocyte cell pairs, and arterially perfused tissue wedges from failing human hearts, increased hemichannel activity contributed to electrical instability compared with nonfailing rejected donor hearts. We conclude that microdomain coupling between Cx43 hemichannels and Ca²⁺ release is a potentially novel, targetable mechanism of cardiac arrhythmogenesis in heart failure.     

Aftercare programs for reducing recidivism among juvenile and young adult offenders: A meta-analytic review

The aim of this meta-analytic study, including 22 studies and 5764 participants, was to examine the effects of aftercare programs on recidivism in juvenile and young adult offenders released from correctional institutions. The studies had to be (quasi-)experimental, with the control group receiving ‘care as usual’ or no treatment. Recidivism was measured by re-arrests and/or reconvictions and was based on official reports. Although the overall effect size for aftercare programs was generally small (d = .12), moderator analyses indicated more substantial effects and showed that aftercare is most effective if it is well-implemented and consists of individual instead of group treatment, and if it is aimed at older and high-risk youth. Whereas the treatment duration and moment of starting the aftercare program were not related to the program's effectiveness, more intensive aftercare programs were associated with lower recidivism rates.     

Detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus by real-time PCR assay

BackgroundDiagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV) disease remains a challenge due to several factors related to the cost, the workload of available commercial assays to detect and genotype HPV, and to the low prevalence of infected patients.ObjectiveOur study aimed to develop a real-time PCR, based on SPF10 primers, in order to combine HPV-DNA detection and genotype identification avoiding the negative samples.Study designValidation of SYBR-green based SPF10 real-time PCR on HPV-DNA plasmids followed by the investigation of the viral status in 92 samples from oropharyngeal (94%) cutaneous biopsies (3%) and anal smears (3%) which had previously been HPV-genotyped by LiPA hybridization. In-house HPV viral loads were performed to evaluate the SPF10 real-time PCR sensitivity.ResultsData showed that 100% of HPV plasmids, assessable by LiPA hybridization, were detected and genotyped appropriately after SPF10 real-time PCR assays. These results defined a range of melting temperature peaks for HPV positivity by real-time PCR. The efficient determination of the presence of HPV-DNA by SPF10 real-time PCR was validated for 98% of clinical samples compared to commercial method. Discordant results were due to a low HPV-DNA amount and to a supplementary HPV genotype identified. The SPF10 real-time PCR sensitivity was evaluated between 1 and 10 copies/10³ cells using in-house HPV (6, 11 and 16) viral load assays.ConclusionThe real-time PCR method was efficient in combining screening and genotyping of HPV-DNA. Cost and workload reduction by SPF10 real-time PCR approach may facilitate earlier diagnosis and clinical management of HPV infected patients.     

Early prediction of major depression in chronic hepatitis C patients during peg-interferon a-2b treatment by assessment of vegetative-depressive symptoms after four weeks

AIM: To study the predictive value of the vegetativedepressive symptoms of the Zung Depression Rating Scale for the occurrence of depression during treatment with peg-interferon α-2b of chronic hepatitis C (CHC)patients.METHODS: The predictive value of vegetativedepressive symptoms at 4 wk of treatment for the occurrence of a subsequent diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) was studied in CHC patients infected after substance use in a prospective, multicenter treatment trial in Belgium. The presence of vegetative-depressive symptoms was assessed using the Zung Scale before and 4 wk after the start of antiviral treatment.RESULTS: Out of 49 eligible patients, 19 (39%)developed MDD. The area under the ROC curve of the vegetative Zung subscale was 0.73, P = 0.004. The sensitivity at a cut-point of ＞ 15/35 was 95% (95% CI:74-100). The positive predictive value equalled 44% (95%CI: 29-60).CONCLUSION: In this group of Belgian CHC patients infected after substance use, antiviral treatment caused a considerable risk of depression. Seven vegetativedepressive symptoms of the Zung scale at wk 4 of treatment predicted 95% of all emerging depressions, at a price of 56% false positive test results.     

Pericholangitis and Sclerosing Cholangitis Are Risk Factors for Dysplasia and Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis

Known risk factors for the development of dysplasia and cancer in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients are 1) increased extent and duration of disease and 2) increased age at symptom onset. This case-control study was performed to determine whether cholestatic liver disease is associated with neoplastic transformation. Twenty-nine UC patients with extensive disease of long duration and dysplasia or cancer detected in a cancer surveillance program were pair-matched to UC patients without neoplasia from a large inflammatory bowel disease registry matched on extent of disease, sex, and calendar year of disease onset. Of the 29 cases, 10 were found to have cholestatic liver disease; nine with pericholangitis and one with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Two controls had PSC. Cholestatic liver disease was a significant risk factor for the development of dysplasia or cancer (odds ratio 9.00, 95% confidence interval 1.14–71.0). Increased age at symptom onset also was found to be a significant risk factor for neoplasia (odds ratio 1.04 for each additional year, 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.08) that did not exhibit confounding or interacting effects with cholestatic liver disease. The degree of neoplasia (low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, or cancer) did not appeared to affect the results. Therefore, cholestatic liver disease, either pericholangitis or PSC, was significantly associated with the development of dysplasia or cancer in UC patients and should be considered an important risk factor for neoplastic transformation.