Parecoxib has non-significant long-term effects on bone healing in rats when administered for a short period after fracture

Introduction  Selective and non-selective cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors impair bone healing by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of parecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on bone healing in rats, when it is applied in a pattern similar to clinical treatment patterns, that is, in a high dose and for a short period after bone fracture. Method  Closed non-displaced mid-diaphyseal fractures in the middle of the left femoral shaft were generated in each animal. In the study group, parecoxib sodium (1.06 mg/kg) was administered intra-peritoneally every day for 7 days. In the control group, normal saline was administered intra-peritoneally every day for 7 days. In both groups fracture healing (bone union and callus formation) was evaluated with X-rays 28 and 42 days after surgery. Results  Bone healing was lower in the study group (60 vs. 80% in the control group 28 days after fracture and 80 vs. 90% 42 days after fracture) but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion  Parecoxib does not have a significant long-term effect on bone healing in rats, when it is administered in a high dose and for a short period after bone fracture. Declaration  The experiments comply with the current laws of the EU, and the protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee on Animal Research.     

Wnt7a overexpression delays beta-tubulin III expression in transgenic mouse embryos

Wnt7a and HA-tagged Wnt7a have previously been shown to promote or delay neuronal differentiation respectively. In this study, we show that embryonic days 9.5 and 10.5 transgenic mouse embryos overexpressing Wnt7a specifically in nestin-positive neural stem/progenitor cells displayed a delay in neuronal differentiation, assayed by beta-tubulin III expression. Our results corroborate previous studies using HA-Wnt7a, and suggest a critical role for Wnt7a in control of neuronal progenitor maturation.     

Psychological evaluation of living liver donors--a single centre experience

The psychological evaluation of living liver donors is a substantial part of the preoperative evaluation of donors in many transplantation centres around the globe and aims at securing decision autonomy and informed consent, verifying the psychological stability of the donor and ruling out psychosocial risks. The aims of this paper are to present a short overview of the current state of the psychosocial evaluation of living donors based on the existing literature and to discuss our centre's experience in the psychological evaluation of donors, the lessons we have learned in the past 10 years and an agenda for the future evaluation of donors and research.     

XbaI GLUT1 Gene Polymorphism and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes with Nephropathy

Altered expression of the facilitated glucose transporter GLUT1 affects pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. There is indication that variation of GLUT1 gene (SLC2A1) contributes to development of microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM) patients. A genetic association study involving Caucasians was carried out to investigate the role of XbαI polymorphism in the GLUT1 gene in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Study population (n = 240) consisted of 148 unrelated patients with DM (92 cases with diabetic nephropathy (DN)), and of 92 matched healthy control subjects. Diabetic nephropathy was defined as persistent albuminuria (> 300 mg/24 h) and/or renal failure, in the absence of non-diabetes induced renal disease. The analysis showed that the risk of developing DM and DN in XbaI(−) carriers, when healthy individuals were considered as controls, was two-fold: odds ratio (OR) 2.08 [95% confidence interval (1.14–3.79)]. However, there was no evidence of association between XbaI(−) and DN when patients with DM and without DN were considered as controls: OR = 1.12 (0.55–2.26). Thus, the GLUT1 XbaI(−) allele is associated with DM, and possibly with a more severe form of the disease that can lead to development of DN.     

Endoscopic treatment of an impacted pancreatic duct stone using a balloon catheter for electrohydraulic lithotripsy without pancreatoscopy

Obstructing main pancreatic duct (PD) stones represent a challenge for endoscopic removal because they are frequently impacted within the duct, are hard, and process sharp edges. Multiple series have been published demonstrating that removal of obstructing stones in the main PD can improve symptoms in the majority of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has become an accepted technique to facilitate stone clearance when standard endoscopic methods fail. More recently, direct contact lithotripsy with the use of smaller caliber endoscopes has been described as an alternative to ESWL. Limited experience suggests that intraductal electrohydraulic lithotripsy under direct endoscopic visualization with a small caliber pancreatoscope results in successful fragmentation of PD stones that have been refractory to standard endoscopic methods or ESWL. Herein, we report the use of intraductal electrohydraulic lithotripsy to fragment a large obstructing PD stone guided only by fluoroscopy without the utilization of a pancreatoscope.     

Challenges in Antigenic Characterization of Circulating Influenza A(H3N2) Viruses during the 2011-2012 Influenza Season: an Ongoing Problem?

Genetic and antigenic characterization of 37 representative influenza A(H3N2) virus strains isolated in Greece during the 2011-2012 winter season was performed to evaluate matching of the viruses with the seasonal influenza vaccine strain A/Perth/16/2009. Hemagglutinin gene sequence analysis revealed that all Greek strains clustered within the Victoria/208 genetic clade. Furthermore, substitutions in the antigenic and glycosylation sites suggested potential antigenic drift. Our hemagglutination inhibition (HI) analysis showed that the Greek viruses were Perth/16-like; however, these viruses were characterized as Victoria/208-like when tested at the United Kingdom WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) with HI assays performed in the presence of oseltamivir, a finding consistent with the genetic characterization data. Variability in the HI test performance experienced by other European laboratories indicated that antigenic analysis of the A(H3N2) virus has limitations and, until its standardization, national influenza reference laboratories should include genetic characterization results for selection of representative viruses for detailed antigenic analysis by the WHO CCs.     

Smoking cessation in clinical practice: predictors of six-month continuous abstinence in a sample of Greek smokers.

AIM: To identify the predictors of six-month continuous abstinence among Greek smokers treated in a Smoking Cessation Clinic, emphasising the role of sleep disturbance on the outcome. METHODS: A nested case-control design was used. Patients who attended the Smoking Cessation Clinic between November 2004 and October 2005, and who completed six months of follow-up, constituted the final study population (N=285). The patients were separated into two groups - those who managed to quit smoking and those who didn't. The cessation method included pharmacotherapy, one-to- one behavioral counselling, and follow-up by telephone communication. RESULTS: Among various baseline characteristics examined, multivariate regression analysis indicated that the time to first cigarette after awakening, and use of bupropion, independently predicted abstinence, while awakening during the night was negatively associated with abstinence. CONCLUSION: These multivariate factors, which can positively or negatively affect the outcome, should be taken into account so that smoking cessation treatment can be individualised.