Preliminary evidence for sensitive periods in the effect of childhood sexual abuse on regional brain development

Volumetric MRI scans from 26 women with repeated episodes of childhood sexual abuse and 17 healthy female comparison subjects (ages 18-22 years) were analyzed for sensitive period effects on hippocampal and amygdala volume, frontal cortex gray matter volume and corpus callosum area. Hippocampal volume was reduced in association with childhood sexual abuse at ages 3-5 years and ages 11-13 years. Corpus callosum was reduced with childhood sexual abuse at ages 9-10 years, and frontal cortex was attenuated in subjects with childhood sexual abuse at ages 14-16 years. Brain regions have unique windows of vulnerability to the effects of traumatic stress.     

Thrombin regulates CD40 expression in microglial cells

Microglial cells are the innate immune cells of the central nervous system and quickly respond to injury by proliferation, cytokine release, and increased cell surface antigen expression. Thrombin is a multifunctional serine proteinase, which has the capability to activate microglial cells. Here, we report that pharmaceutical-grade thrombin dose-dependently increases the expression of CD40 in N9 microglial cells. This effect is blocked by a thrombin inhibitor, mimicked by thrombin receptor-activating peptide and modified by mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitors. Thrombin-induced CD40 regulation might play a role in diseases with breakdown of the blood-brain barrier such as multiple sclerosis or stroke.     

Myosin heavy-chain isoform distribution, fibre-type composition and fibre size in skeletal muscle of patients on haemodialysis

OBJECTIVE: Chronic uraemia is associated with abnormalities in skeletal muscles, which can affect their working capacity. It is also well known that the fibre-type composition of skeletal muscles influences endurance, muscle strength and power. In this study we therefore determined the size and distribution of muscle fibres and the myosin heavy-chain (MHC) isoform composition in patients on haemodialysis (HD) in order to establish any differences with values for untrained control subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle of 14 non-diabetic patients on HD. The size and distribution of muscle fibres were evaluated using adenosine triphosphate synthase (ATPase) histochemistry, whilst MHC isoform composition was determined in muscle homogenates using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Values were compared to those for a group of age-, gender- and BMI-matched untrained control subjects. The aerobic work capacity of the patients was also determined. RESULTS: The MHC composition for I, IIA and IIX isoforms was found to be 35.3% +/- 18.2%, 35.9% +/- 7.1% and 28.9% +/- 15.6%, respectively, findings supported by the ATPase histochemically determined fibre-type composition of the vastus lateralis muscle. The mean fibre area of type 1 and 2 fibres was 3283 +/- 873 and 3594 +/- 1483 MICROm2, respectively. The MHC composition and the size of the type 1 fibres of the patients on HD were significantly different from those of the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate relatively fewer type 1 and consequently more type 2x fibres, with a corresponding change in MHC isoforms (MHC I and MHC IIX) in the skeletal muscle of patients on HD. Several patients on HD were found to have <15% type 1 (or relative percentage of MHC I) fibres. Such a low percentage of type 1 fibres is very rarely observed in normal untrained subjects. Chronic uraemia more severely affects the composition than the size of fibres.     

55 cases of allergic reactions to hair dye: a descriptive,consumer complaint-based study

Severe facial and scalp dermatitis following the use of permanent hair dyes has been reported in several cases. Para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is known as a potent contact allergen, and PPD is allowed in hair dye at a concentration of 6%. Hair dye reactions are usually diagnosed by the patients themselves, and adverse reactions to hair dye may not necessarily be recorded by the health care system, unless the reactions are especially severe. Based on this assumption, we suspected that hair dye dermatitis was occurring more frequently than reported in the literature. Consumer complaint-based data were obtained by advertising for persons with adverse reactions to hair dye. Among those responding to the advertisement, 55 cases of severe, acute allergic contact dermatitis were identified. The main symptoms were severe oedema of the face, scalp and ears, and clinically this was often mistaken for angio-oedema. The 55 cases comprised a total of 75 visits to the health service and 5 admissions to hospital. 18 persons had sick leave, which supports the impression of very severe dermatitis reactions. 60% were treated with antihistamine, while 52% were treated with corticosteroids. 29% of the cases were patch tested and all were found positive to PPD. Our data presented here clearly show that PPD and its derivatives in hair dye at the present concentrations presents a significant health risk for the population. Furthermore, the severe acute allergic skin reactions are often misdiagnosed in the health care system. The frequency of allergic contact dermatitis resulting from hair dye is likely to be underestimated. New methods to survey the frequency of adverse reactions should be considered.     

Thymus is enlarged in children with current atopic dermatitis. A cross-sectional study

Atopic dermatitis is a common skin disorder of unknown aetiology with peak incidence in early childhood. The disease is associated with peripheral T-cell accumulation in the skin. The thymus is a key organ of the cellular immune response early in life. We hypothesized that atopic dermatitis is associated with an unbalanced establishment of the peripheral T-lymphocyte system. This cross-sectional study was performed to compare thymus sizes in patients with atopic dermatitis and healthy controls. Thirty-seven children with current atopic dermatitis were enrolled and compared with 29 healthy controls. An interview and medical examination were performed by one doctor, an ultrasound scan was performed within 3 days of the examination, and the thymus index, a marker of thymus size, was measured. The thymus index was on average 32% higher (95% CI 3%-67%) in children with active atopic dermatitis compared with healthy controls. It declined with age in both children with atopic dermatitis and healthy controls, but the reduction in size was only significant for healthy controls. We demonstrate increased size of thymus among children with active atopic dermatitis compared with healthy controls. The larger size of thymus is compatible with increased thymic activity and emission of T lymphocytes.     

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in Greenland. A seroepidemiological study

In a sero-epidemiological study of the prevalence of chlamydial and gonococcal infections in Greenland three groups of subjects were studied--262 patients attending an outpatient department in the town of Nuuk (of whom 12% harboured Chlamydia trachomatis and 54% Neisseria gonorrhoeae), 63 controls from the same town, and the entire population of 150 in the settlement of Uvkusigsat. Using a microimmunofluorescence test evidence of exposure to C trachomatis was found in 79% of the female and 26% of the male patients, in 12% and 50% of the female and male controls respectively, and in 51% and 21% of the female and male populations of Uvkusigsat respectively. Using an indirect haemagglutination test antibodies to gonococcal pili were found in sera of 92% of the female and 70% of the male patients, in 30% of the male and 10% of the female controls, and in 41% of the women and 33% of the men in Uvkusigsat. The study indicates that genital chlamydial and gonococcal infections are serious public health problems in Greenland and that such infections are acquired early in both sexes and often occur concomitantly.     

Massive pulmonary embolism with cardiac arrest treated with continuous thrombolysis and concomitant hypothermia

This case report describes the clinical course in a 49-year-old man with repeated cardiac arrests due to massive pulmonary embolism. He was successfully treated with intravenous tenecteplase followed by catheter-based alteplase infusion during external cooling. The case illustrates that vitally important bolus thrombolytic therapy may be continued as catheter-based treatment along with hypothermia without significant bleeding complications.     

Effects of sleep loss on sleep architecture in Wistar rats: gender-specific rebound sleep

This study was designed to examine the influence of gender on sleep rebound architecture after a 4-day paradoxical sleep deprivation period. After a 5-day baseline sleep recording, both male and female rats in different phases of the estrus cycle were submitted to paradoxical sleep deprivation for 96 h. After this period, the sleep rebound recording was evaluated for 5 days (one estrus cycle). The findings revealed that after paradoxical sleep deprivation, sleep efficiency and paradoxical sleep returned to baseline values on the second day of the light period, for all except the proestrus group. During the dark rebound period, only the female groups presented increased sleep efficiency on the first day. Paradoxical sleep returned to baseline values on the third day, except for males and the cycling females submitted to paradoxical sleep deprivation in the diestrus phase, whose baseline values returned to normal on the second day of rebound period. Thus, the females and males displayed distinct patterns as a result of sleep disruption.