Supramodal effects of covert spatial orienting triggered by visual or tactile events

Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify brain areas involved in spatial attention and determine whether these operate unimodally or supramodally for vision and touch. On a trial-by-trial basis, a symbolic auditory cue indicated the most likely side for the subsequent target, thus directing covert attention to one side. A subsequent target appeared in vision or touch on the cued or uncued side. Invalidly cued trials (as compared with valid trials) activated the temporo-parietal junction and regions of inferior frontal cortex, regardless of target modality. These brain areas have been associated with multimodal spatial coding in physiological studies of the monkey brain and were linked to a change in the location that must be attended to in the present study. The intraparietal sulcus and superior frontal cortex were also activated in our task, again, regardless of target modality, but did not show any specificity for invalidly cued trials. These results identify a supramodal network for spatial attention and reveal differential activity for inferior circuits involving the temporo-parietal junction and inferior frontal cortex (specific to invalid trials) versus more superior intraparietal-frontal circuits (common to valid and invalid trials).     

A novel candidate region linked to development of both pheochromocytoma and head/neck paraganglioma

Although the histologic distinction between pheochromocytomas and head and neck paragangliomas is clear, little is known about the genetic differences between them. To date, various sets of genes have been found to be involved in inherited susceptibility to developing both tumor types, but the genes involved in sporadic pathogenesis are still unknown. To define new candidate regions, we performed CGH analysis on 29 pheochromocytomas and on 24 paragangliomas mainly of head and neck origin (20 of 24), which allowed us to differentiate between the two tumor types. Loss of 3q was significantly more frequent in pheochromocytomas, and loss of 1q appeared only in paragangliomas. We also found gain of 11q13 to be a significantly frequent alteration in malignant cases of both types. In addition, recurrent loss of 8p22-23 was found in 62% of pheochromocytomas (including all malignant cases) versus in 33% of paragangliomas, suggesting that this region contains candidate genes involved in the pathogenesis of this abnormality. Using FISH analysis on tissue microarrays, we confirmed genomic deletion of this region in 55% of pheochromocytomas compared to 12% of paragangliomas. Loss of 8p22-23 appears to be an important event in the sporadic development of these tumors, and additional molecular studies are necessary to identify candidate genes in this chromosomal region.     

Psychosomatic factors in dermatology: special perspectives for application in clinical practice

The identification of psychosomatic factors in dermatology has always been one of the principal themes in the history of this field and in the personal experience and research of the author. After a brief review of some of the milestones in the area of psychosomatic factors in dermatology, the author presents the criteria dictated by clinical experience, in the absence to date of more precise scientific data, for the individuation of such psychosomatic factors in clinical practice.     

Endoscopic treatment of colorectal polyps in a digestive endoscopy outpatient department

The aim of this report was to evaluate the effectiveness of the endoscopic treatment of colonic polyps to allow secondary prophylaxis in order to prevent the onset of cancer arising from adenomas. From October 2002 to January 2004 we performed 487 colonoscopies on a patient group with the following indications: screening prior to kidney transplant; screening for colorectal cancer (patients positive at faecal occult blood testing); follow-up of patients who had undergone colonic resections for colorectal cancer; patients with other diseases. Colorectal polyps were diagnosed in 15 males and 15 females, with a mean age of 63 years. All the neoplasms were resected during colonoscopy and specimens sent for histological study. The histological examinations yielded the following results: 4 hyperplastic polyps; 9 tubular adenomas (6 with mild, 2 with mild-to-moderate, and 1 with severe dysplasia); 8 tubulo-villous adenomas (3 with mild, 1 with mild-to-moderate, and 4 with moderate dysplasia); 4 villous adenomas (3 with mild and 1 with severe dysplasia); 1 adenocarcinoma; 1 inflammatory polyp; in 3 cases we were unable to retrieve the polyps after polypectomy. Colonoscopic detection of a neoplasm allows us to remove it and send to the pathology laboratory for definitive histological diagnosis. Moreover, snare polypectomy can be a radical treatment for dysplastic polyps without stromal axis and basal membrane infiltration. We therefore conclude that colonoscopy allows not only early diagnosis of colonic neoplasms, but also radical curative treatment in the early stages.     

The psoriasis genetics as a model of complex disease

Psoriasis [OMIM*177900] is a common, chronic and papulosquamous inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2% of Caucasian. However, this disorder is rare among Japanese, Eskimos, West Africans and North American blacks and very uncommon in North American and South American natives. The causes for these variations are likely to be both genetic and environmental. Population-based studies and twin studies indicate that psoriasis is a heritable disease with a polygenic mode of inheritance with variable penetrance. Independent genome-wide scans have suggested the involvement of a large number of chromosomal regions (loci), and many candidate genes have been proposed. We discuss genetic approaches to the disease, results and interpretations of relevant studies, as well as future perspectives. Understanding the genetic basis of psoriasis will represent a major advance in our understanding of the disease and will reveal novel disease-specific biologic pathways.     

Isocyanide terpene metabolites of Phyllidiella pustulosa, a nudibranch from the South China Sea

A series of isocyanides, compounds 4-11, including diterpenes never before found in Phyllidiid nudibranchs, have been isolated from a Chinese population of the nudibranch Phyllidiella pustulosa. Three new sesquiterpenes (8, 10, and 11), with eudesmane, guaiane, and bisabolane skeletons, respectively, have been characterized by spectral methods and chemical comparison with known related molecules. The absolute stereochemistry of the major metabolite, the isocyanide 8, an enantiomer of the known sponge metabolite stylotelline (12), has also been determined.