Idiopathic Spinal Cord Herniation as a Treatable Cause of Progressive Brown-Sequard Syndrome

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation is a rare spinal cord disorder caused by spinal cord prolapse through a adural defect. It is a curable disease, so early detection is of particular importance. We report a 38-year-old woman with Brown-Sequard syndrome which was caused by the thoracic spinal cord herniation. Her weakness was almost completely resolved after surgical management, which emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and surgical management in this rare disease entity.     

Nonspecific mitochondrial disease with epilepsy in children: diagnostic approaches and epileptic phenotypes

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize epileptic phenotypes in children with nonspecific mitochondrial disease (MD) and to evaluate MD diagnostic approaches. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical, electroencephalogram, and laboratory records of 142 patients with epilepsy was performed. The patients were evaluated for MD, and 124 patients were included in the final cohort. The MD criteria used included an oral glucose lactate stimulation test (OGLST) and urine organic acid/plasma amino acid (UOA/PAA) assays as metabolic indicators of modified Walker criteria, as suggested by Bernier et al. (Neurology 59:1406-1411, 2002). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were classified as having definite MD (9), probable MD (5), possible MD (6), or pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency (3), including one patient which showed a respiratory chain (RC) defect and PDH deficiency. Seven out of eight patients in whom significant RC defects were observed showed complex I defects. In 14 patients, epileptic seizures start at infantile ages. Of 17 patients who substantially presented generalized seizures, 4 patients started with partial seizures. Five patients consistently presented only partial seizures. The OGLST and UOA/PAA assays were useful for a more precise diagnosis of MD, although low positive predictive value of the OGLST was regrettable. No patient was classified as definite MD by Walker's original criteria, but the use of our revised MD criteria resulted in the classification of nine additional patients as definite MD. CONCLUSIONS: MD manifested considerable diverse epileptic phenotypes and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of epilepsy in children with unexplained encephalomyopathy and progressive and fluctuating clinical courses.     

Estimated research and development costs of rotavirus vaccines

Diseases like rotavirus afflict both upper- and lower-income countries, but most serious illnesses and deaths occur among the latter. It is a vital public health issue that vaccines for these types of global diseases can recover research and development (R&D) costs from high-priced markets quickly so that manufacturers can offer affordable prices to lower-income nations. Cost recovery depends on how high R&D costs are, and this study attempts to replace high, unverified estimates with lower, more verifiable estimates for two new vaccines, RotaTeq (Merck) and Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline or GSK), based on detailed searches of public information and follow-up interviews with senior informants. We also offer a new perspective on “cost of capital” as a claim for recovery from public bodies. Our estimates suggest that companies can recover all fixed costs quickly from affluent markets and thus can offer these vaccines to lower-income countries at prices they can afford. Better vaccines are a shared project between companies and public health agencies; greater transparency and consistency in reporting of R&D costs is needed so that fair prices can be established.     

Liposome-mediated transfer of vascular endothelial growth factor cDNA augments survival of random-pattern skin flaps in the rat.

Tissue engineering is an application for gene therapy that is in its infancy. We show that simple liposomal-mediated gene transfer could result in a potentially useful biological effect in the field of wound healing. cDNA encoding the 165 amino acid form of vascular endothelial growth factor complexed to commercially available liposomes was injected into rat skin 1 week before raising a random pattern 3 x 10 cm flap. The flap survival was enhanced by 14 percent, and was accomplished without accessing the arterial inflow of the territory. These results were statistically significant (p<0.002) and reproducible. No adverse effects were seen. Histological analysis of the angiogenesis localized much of the new vessel formation to the area around the hair follicles. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of extracted flap tissue confirmed the presence of the transgene.