Effects of sleep on pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials in humans

We investigated effects of sleep on pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) following painful electrical stimulation of the left index finger. The biggest advantage of this method is that signals ascending through both A-beta fibers relating to touch and A-delta fibers relating to pain can be recorded simultaneously. While the subject was awake, non-painful stimulation evoked early- and middle latency components, N20, P30 and N60, at the C4 electrode, and painful stimulation evoked not only early- and middle latency components at the C4 but also later pain-specific components, N130 and P240, at the Cz electrode. During sleep, N20 and P30 did not show a significant change in amplitude, N60 showed a slight but significant amplitude reduction, and N130 and P240 significantly decreased in amplitude or disappeared, as compared with those while awake. Therefore, we speculate on the mechanisms generating each component as follows; (1) N20 and P30 are the primary components generated in SI ascending through A-beta fibers. (2) N60 is the secondary component generated in SI involving cognitive function to some degree. (3) N130-P240 are the pain-specific components ascending through A-delta fibers, and closely related to cognitive function, because they were much affected by consciousness, different from the components ascending through A-beta fibers.     

Comparative study on deletions of the dystrophin gene in three Asian populations

The frequency and distribution of deletions of 19 deletion-prone exons clustered in two hot spots in the proximal and central regions of the dystrophin gene were compared in three populations from Singaporean, Japan, and Vietnam. DNA samples obtained from 105 Singaporean, 86 Japanese, and 34 Vietnamese Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients were examined by polymerase chain reaction amplification. Deletions of the examined exons were found in 51.2% of Japanese patients but in 40.0% or less of the Singaporeans and Vietnamese. About two thirds of the deletions were localized in the central region and the remaining deletions were clustered at the proximal region. The most commonly deleted exons at the central deletion hot spot were exon 50 in the Singaporean, exons 49 and 50 in the Japanese, and exon 51 in the Vietnamese population. At the proximal deletion hot spot, the most commonly deleted exons were exons 6 and 8 in the Singaporeans, exons 12 and 17 in the Japanese, and exons 8 and 12 in the Vietnamese. Two cases each from Singapore and Japan had large-scale gross mutations spanning both deletion hot spots. Our results suggest that, although the presence and frequency of the two deletion hot spots may be similar in the three Asian populations analyzed, the distribution and frequency of deletions among the different exons can vary as a result of population-specific intronic sequences that predispose individuals to preferential deletion breakpoints. Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: July 1, 2002     

Thioether analogues of baclofen, phaclofen and saclofen

Analogues of baclofen, phaclofen and saclofen, incorporating a sulfur atom within the methylene chain, have been tested against responses induced by baclofen for activity at gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABAB) receptor sites, using a number of preparations including the guinea-pig isolated ileum and vas deferens, rat brain cortical slices and displacement of (-)-[3H]baclofen in rat cerebellar membranes. Results indicate that 2-([2-amino-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]thio)ethanephosphonic acid 2d is the most active of the new compounds. 2d is some 2-5 times weaker than phaclofen as a GABAB antagonist and approximately half as potent as phaclofen as an inhibitor of GABAB binding.     

Fatal avian influenza A (H5N1) in a child presenting with diarrhea followed by coma

In southern Vietnam, a four-year-old boy presented with severe diarrhea, followed by seizures, coma, and death. The cerebrospinal fluid contained 1 white cell per cubic millimeter, normal glucose levels, and increased levels of protein (0.81 g per liter). The diagnosis of avian influenza A (H5N1) was established by isolation of the virus from cerebrospinal fluid, fecal, throat, and serum specimens. The patient's nine-year-old sister had died from a similar syndrome two weeks earlier. In both siblings, the clinical diagnosis was acute encephalitis. Neither patient had respiratory symptoms at presentation. These cases suggest that the spectrum of influenza H5N1 is wider than previously thought.     

High level expression of apoptosis inhibitor in hepatoma cell line expressing Hepatitis B virus

The serious result of hepatitis B (HBV) virus infection is development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the reason of development of HCC in HBV infected patients is still unclear. Recently, the suppression of cell apoptosis is found to relate with the development of cell carcinogenesis, therefore, the expression of apoptosis inhibitor in the virus related cancer line such as hepatoma cell line HepG2.215 was investigated. There are at least six Human apoptosis inhibitors (IAP) have been identified now. They are cIAP1, cIAP2, XIAP, NAPI, survivin and pIAP. Using gene-assay technology, we have recently compared the expression of IAPs in the HepG2.215 cells that persistently expresses Hepatitis B virus by integrated HBV genome with its parent cell line HepG2. The results suggest that there was obviously increase of cIAP2 and cIAP1 in the HepG2.215 cells versus HepG2 cells. Those observations imply a possibility of long time HBV infection could induce the over-expressing apoptosis inhibitors, furthermore, causing the liver cancer. The high expression of cIAP1 and cIAP2 in HBV expressing cells was confirmed by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis. However, we did not find the change of NIAP and suvivin in HepG2.215 cells. In contrast, the expression of XIAP was down in the HepG2.215 cells comparing with HepG2 cells. How HBV triggers the over-expression of apoptosis inhibitor is unclear. Transient transfection of HepG2 cells with the plasmids expressing different HBV proteins such as S, M, L, X and core proteins did not give a decisive conclusion. Further study is going on now.     

Adjuvant-dependent modulation of Th1 and Th2 responses to immunization with beta-amyloid

The role of adjuvant on the T(h)1 and T(h)2 immune responses to Abeta-immunotherapy (Abeta(42 )peptide) was examined in wild-type mice. Fine epitope analysis with overlapping oligomers of the Abeta(42) sequence identified the 1-15 region as a dominant B cell epitope. The 6-20 peptide was recognized only weakly by antisera from mice administrated with Abeta(42) peptide formulated in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), alum or TiterMax Gold (TMG). However, mice immunized with Abeta(42) mixed with QS21 induced a significant antibody response to the 6-20 peptide. The only T cell epitope found was within the 6-28 sequence of Abeta(42). QS21 and CFA induced the strongest humoral response to Abeta, alum was intermediate, and TMG the weakest adjuvant. Analysis of antibody isotypes specific for Abeta indicates that alum induces primarily T(h)2-type immune response, whereas TMG, CFA and QS21 shift the immune responses toward a T(h)1 phenotype. Stimulation of splenocytes from Abeta-immunized mice with Abeta(40) peptide induced strikingly different cytokine expression profiles. QS21 and CFA induced significant IFN-gamma, IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression, whereas alum induced primarily IL-4 production. As T(h)1-type immune responses have been implicated in many autoimmune disorders, whereas T(h)2-type responses have been shown to inhibit autoimmune disease, the choice of adjuvant may be critical for the design of a safe and effective immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease.     

Description and characterization of two new HLA alleles, B*4051 and DRB1*1364, identified by sequence-based typing

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B and HLA-DRB1 typing in two female individuals revealed reaction patterns that did not correspond to any known HLA-B specificity and appeared to identify a very rare HLA-DRB1 allele, respectively. Sequence-based analysis of these samples revealed two new HLA alleles, one similar to B*4023 and the other to DRB1*1308. The new HLA-B allele, which was assigned the name HLA-B*4051, could have been generated by a double crossing over recombination between B*4001 and B*1401 or 1402, whereas DRB1*1364, the new DRB1 allele, could have been generated either by a double crossing over recombination between DRB1*1308 and DRB1*1201, 1202, or 1203 or by two independent crossing over events between DRB1*1401, DRB1*1201, 1202, or 1203 and DRB1*1301.     

Recurrent mosaic MTOR c.5930C > T (p.Thr1977Ile) variant causing megalencephaly,asymmetric polymicrogyria,and cutaneous pigmentary mosaicism: Case report and review of the literature

Genetic alterations leading to overactivation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling result in brain overgrowth syndromes such as focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and megalencephaly. Megalencephaly with cutis tri‐color of the Blaschko‐linear type pigmentary mosaicism and intellectual disability is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder attributed to the recurrent mosaic c.5930C > T (p.Thr1977Ile) MTOR variant. This variant was previously reported at low to intermediate levels of mosaicism in the peripheral blood of three unrelated individuals with consistent clinical findings. We report a fourth case of a 3‐year‐old female presenting with megalencephaly, obstructive hydrocephalus due to cerebral aqueductal stenosis, asymmetric polymicrogyria, dysgenesis of the corpus callosum, hypotonia, developmental delay, and cutaneous pigmentary mosaicism. Oligonucleotide and SNP chromosomal microarray (CMA), karyotype, and trio whole exome sequencing (WES) in the peripheral blood, as well as a targeted gene variant panel from fibroblasts derived from hyperpigmented and non‐hyperpigmented skin did not detect any abnormalities in MTOR or other genes associated with brain overgrowth syndromes. Unlike the previously reported cases, the de novo c.5930C > T (p.Thr1977Ile) MTOR variant was detected at 32% mosaicism in our patient only after WES was performed on fibroblast‐derived DNA from the hyperpigmented skin. This case demonstrates the tissue variability in mosaic expression of the recurrent p.Thr1977Ile MTOR variant, emphasizes the need for skin biopsies in the genetic evaluation of patients with skin pigmentary mosaicism, and expands the clinical phenotype associated with this pathogenic MTOR variant.     

Separate induction of human blood platelet aggregation or cytotoxicity by different concentrations of PAF-acether and thrombin

Using decreasing concentrations of PAF-acether or thrombin, it was possible to observe on human platelets, first, aggregation, classically associated to activation, then, below a threshold, cytotoxicity towardsSchistosoma mansoni larvae, proposed here as stimulation. These two activities appeared as distinct and antithetic. However, their induction might be the consequence of triggering of the same receptors with different intensity, since PAF-induced, but not thrombin-induced, cytotoxicity could be inhibited with specific PAF-antagonists BN 52021 and BN 52024 also known to inhibit PAF-induced aggregation. These results give credit to the hypothesis that haemostatic and cytotoxic properties of platelets are two distinct functions of these blood elements.