Preeclampsia-associated alterations in sphingolipid composition of the umbilical cord artery

ObjectivesPreeclampsia, the most common pregnancy-associated pathological syndrome, is accompanied by significant remodelling of the extracellular matrix and alteration in lipid composition of the umbilical cord artery (UCA).Design and methodsWe evaluate the sphingolipid composition of UCA and its alteration in preeclampsia. Thin layer chromatography, solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography were employed for these analyses.ResultsThe UCA wall is abundant in sphingomyelins and ceramides, whereas the amounts of sphingoid bases are rather low. Preeclampsia is associated with significant increases in sphingomyelins and sphinganine with a decrease in ceramides and other sphingoid bases.ConclusionsSphingoids, as secondary messengers, may evoke preeclampsia-associated decrease in hyaluronate and accumulation of collagen, sulphated glycosaminoglycans and cholesterol in the UCA wall. This we propose corresponds to an “early ageing” of the umbilical cord and may be a potential mechanism by which preeclampsia evokes an initiation of hypertension in utero and its amplification through childhood and adult life.     

Association between the – 1562 C/T MMP-9 polymorphism and cerebrovascular disease in a Polish population

Background and purposeMatrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is an endopeptidase degrading extracellular matrix. There is growing evidence that changes in extracellular matrix play an important role in vascular pathology, especially in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that MMP-9 activity is controlled by –1562 C/T polymorphism. Genotypes with T allele (CT, TT) have higher enzymatic activity. Thus, this polymorphism could be responsible for the higher risk for cerebrovascular disease and death. The aim of this study was to assess the significance of MMP-9 polymorphism as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease in a Polish population.Material and methodsA total of 775 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease (ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage) admitted to the Stroke Unit, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland between 2000 and 2004 were studied and compared with 766 matched controls. The polymorphism was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restricted enzyme digestion.ResultsAmong 418 patients with ischaemic stroke of various aetiologies and among 146 patients with primary intracerebral haemorrhage and 211 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage due to ruptured intracranial aneurysm, statistical analysis did not show a significant difference between occurrence of CC, CT, TT genotypes or C and T alleles in patients with stroke of various aetiology compared with controls.ConclusionsWe found no association between the –1562 C/T MMP-9 polymorphism and ischaemic stroke, subarachnoid haemorrhage or spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage in the studied Polish population.     

Partial potentials of selected cardiac muscle regions and heart activity model based on single fibres

We present single fibre heart activity model (SFHAM) based on the current flow through the five bunches of fibres of the cardiac muscle (CM). The five effective fibres are identified and assigned to the appropriate segments of CM. Analytical functions describing ionic flows along the fibres are derived and proposed. The parameters determining the shapes and amplitudes of the functions proposed are obtained on the basis of standard 12-lead ECG measurements after numerical fitting procedures concentrating on the QRS-waves. As a consequence, five independent courses of partial, transient potentials are obtained representing: anterior, inferior, lateral, posterior walls, and interventricular septum activities, respectively. Moreover, to check our theoretical results we compare the potentials calculated with those from physical measurements performed on the patient’s body surface. We expect that SFHAM will permit detection of pathological changes in particular fragments of CM.     

Anti-Vaccination Movement and Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children in USA

Despite an enormous success of the vaccination programs in the USA and an all time low incidence rate of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) pediatricians and family doctors are seeing increasing numbers of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. Vaccine coverage decreases causing outbreaks of VPDs in the USA. Fear of potentially deadly diseases has been replaced by the fear of real and, more often, imaginary side effects of vaccination. This fear fuels an anti-vaccination movement with the help of media (especially Internet), celebrities, and politicians. Parents are being misled and are not trusting their doctors. After all attempts to persuade parents to vaccinate their children have failed, some doctors are refusing to see those patients. There is no easy solution to the problem, however, most important is to continue public education and persuasion and addressing vaccine refusal by respectfully listening to parental concerns and discussing the risks of nonvaccination.     

Soft tissue rebalancing procedures with and without internal rotation osteotomy for shoulder deformity in children with persistent obstetric brachial plexus palsy

Introduction  

Children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) frequently have problems related to their shoulder. The aim of the investigation was to determine our results in treating shoulder deformity with tendon transfers and soft tissue releases with and without internal rotational osteotomy. We also evaluated the relationships between neurological status, age and selected clinical parameters.     

Neurogenic stunning of left ventricle following epileptic seizures in a patient with aortic regurgitation and Niemann-Pick disease

A case of a 19 year-old female with the Niemann-Pick disease and transient left ventricular dysfunction following epileptic seizures is presented. Electrocardiographic features and differentid diagnosis of this condition are presented. Kardiol Pol 2011; 69, 12: 1276-1279.     

Doublet of action potentials evoked by intracellular injection of rectangular depolarization current into rat motoneurones

A doublet of action potentials is frequently observed at the beginning of motoneuronal discharge patterns and its appearance leads to a considerable increase in the motor unit force. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the relationship between the intensity of rectangular depolarization currents injected into motoneurones and their ability to generate doublets and (2) to evaluate the influence of the initial doublets on changes in motoneuronal firing frequency. Experiments were performed on anesthetized rats, and recordings were taken from motoneurones located in the L4–L5 segments of the spinal cord. The depolarization current necessary to evoke the initial doublet of action potentials was measured and expressed in multiples of the rheobase. A gradual increase in the intensity of current injected into motoneurones resulted in initial doublets in 80% of the cases studied, at doublet threshold ranges between 1.25 and 4.0 times the rheobase. This suggests that doublets are an effect of strong synaptic excitation of motoneurones that may precede a sudden change in force during a movement. Moreover, in the great majority of the studied motoneurones, this initial doublet caused changes in the subsequent firing rate by the prolongation of the first interspike interval.     

Five-year results of a randomised controlled multi-centre study comparing heavy-weight knitted versus low-weight,non-woven polypropylene implants in Lichtenstein hernioplasty

Background  

This prospective randomised study evaluated whether non-knitted and non-woven lightweight implants can influence postoperative pain and time of return to normal activity, without increasing the recurrence rate in Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty.     

Giant lymphadenopathy infiltrated by gaucher cells mimicking lymphoma

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disease characterized by deficiency of β‐glucocerebrosidase, which results in accumulation of glucocerebroside in reticuloendothelial system, bone marrow infiltration, progressive hepatosplenomegaly, and skeletal complications. Herein we report a 5‐year‐old female with GD receiving enzyme replacement therapy who had giant mesenteric lymphadenopathies. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:870–871. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.