Sternal abscess due to Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae in a renal transplant patient

 Bartonella henselae, previously called Rochalimaea henselae, is the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD) in immunocompetent subjects and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised ones. Bone lesions are common in bacillary angiomatosis, but not in CSD. We present the case of a patient with a renal transplant treated by immunosuppressive therapy who developed a sternal abscess with a histological pattern of CSD. The CT pattern was that of a lytic bone lesion with adjacent fluid collection. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a polymerase chain reaction amplification performed on bone material. Bartonella henselae is a newly described bacteria that causes CSD in a normal host and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of an osteolytic lesion of the sternum with adjacent fluid collection related to CSD, which occurred in a patient with a renal transplant.     

The Mutants of the Vitamin-D-Binding Protein: More than 120 Variants of the GC/DBP System

In this report 40 newly observed GC/DBP mutants are described. A list of the thus far identified GC mutants is presented: in addition to the three common alleles, a total of 124 Gc variants are recorded. Their population distribution is described and their relationship to the molecular features of the DBP protein is discussed. The methods currently in use for the delineation of GC mutants are briefly considered.     

Quantitative analysis of surface EMG activity of cranial and leg muscles across sleep stages in human.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to make a quantitative analysis of the changes in cranial and limb muscle activity from wakefulness to light and deep sleep stages and during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of normal subjects. METHODS: Polysomnographic recordings were made of the sleep of 9 healthy human subjects, including electromyograms of the suprahyoid, temporalis and masseter cranial muscles and the anterior tibialis limb muscle. Quantitative assessments of EMG activity were carried out with root mean square (RMS) and frequency-spectral analysis (FSA) methods. RESULTS: From wakefulness to sleep, a significant reduction (-25.2 to -71.2%; P < 0.01) was observed in EMG activity (for both RMS and FSA) of the 3 cranial muscles using both methods of analysis. The EMG activity of suprahyoid muscle further decreased from non-REM to REM sleep (-17.8 to -43.0%; P < 0.01). In contrast, the EMG activity of the anterior tibialis muscle was only slightly reduced across sleep stages and did not further reduce during REM sleep. During REM sleep, all the 4 muscles maintained minimal activity. CONCLUSIONS: The maintenance of muscle activity during REM sleep suggests that a minimal level of activity is required to preserve physiological functions (e.g. airway patency, posture) related to homeostasis and bodily protection. SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggests that quantitative sleep EMG analysis is important for understanding the mechanisms of sleep-related movement disorders or when objective assessment of changes in EMG activity are needed for diagnostic purposes or for the assessment of drug efficiency.     

The Effect of Antiepileptic Drugs on Cognition: Patient Perceived Cognitive Problems of Topiramate versus Levetiracetam in Clinical Practice

Summary:  Introduction: Neurocognitive complaints may interfere with long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment and are an important issue in clinical practice. Most data about drug-induced cognitive problems are derived from highly controlled short-term clinical trials. We analyzed such cognitive complaints for the two most commonly used AEDs in a clinical setting using patient perceived problems as primary outcome measure.
Method: All patients of the epilepsy center Kempenhaeghe that received topiramate (TPM) or levetiracetam (LEV) from the introduction to mid 2004 were analyzed using a medical information system, an automated medical file. Patients were analyzed after 6, 12, and 18 months of treatment.
Results: Four hundred and two patients used either TPM (n = 260) or LEV (n = 142); 18 months retention showed a statistically significant difference, revealing 15% more patients that continued LEV compared to TPM: 18 months retention 46% for TPM and 61% for LEV [F (1.400) = 3.313, p = 0.043]. Neurocognitive complaints accounted for a significant number of drug discontinuations and especially the high frequency of neurocognitive complaints in the first period of TPM treatment appeared to be significant different from LEV [F(2,547) = 3.192, p = 0.042]. In the remaining patients, the difference in neurocognitive complaints was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: cognitive complaints are common in TPM treatment and frequently lead to drug withdrawal. The impact of LEV on cognitive function is only mild. This leads to a much higher (15%) drug discontinuation rate for TPM compared to LEV.     

Rotational ablation of coronary artery lesions using single,large burrs

Previous clinical use of the Rotablator^(TM) In coronary artery disease has involved a sequential increase in burr sizes up to 2 mm in diameter and has often utilized balloon adjunct to achieve an optimal result. We report our experience and describe our technique using a single, large burr (2.25, 2.5, or 2.75 mm diameter) without balloon assistance. The burr size was selected to approximate 70–90 percent of the apparent normal lumen diameter. Thirty-one patients with 36 lesions of complex morphology (eccentric, irregular, calcified, ulcerated, at bends, at bifurcations, completely occluded, as well as balloon failures) were successfully treated with the Rotablator^(TM). Results were assessed by computerized quantitative angiography. The percent diameter stenosis (mean ± SD) for the group was reduced from 69.8 ± 11.3% to 30.9 ± 10% (p < 0.001). The mean absolute diameter stenosis increased from 0.9 ± 0.3 mm to 2.2 ± 0.3 mm (p < 0.001). Angiographically visible dissections were seen in 4 patients and were uncomplicated in 2. One patient had a non-Q-wave myocardial infarction. A fourth patient had a presumed acute occlusion 36 hr after the procedure, necessitating emergency bypass surgery, but without Q waves on the electrocardiogram or wall-motion abnormalities on the echocar-diogram. Nitroglycerin was infused through the Rotablator^(TM) catheter and has considerably lowered the degree and frequency of spasm. No other acute complications occurred. The mean procedure time using a single burr was shorter than when multiple burrs were used: 56.5 vs. 97.3 min, respectively (p < 0.05). The use of a single, large-size Rotablator^(TM) burr is an effective method of treating complex coronary stenoses without balloon assistance and has an encouragingly low complication rate and short procedure time. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A cross-sectional study of vitamin C intake and blood pressure in the elderly.

Data collected as part of a study designed to examine the nutritional status of non-institutionalized elderly individuals, ages 60-100 years, residing in the Boston area were used to investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and vitamin C intake reported by three-day diet records. Four hundred and ten subjects not taking antihypertensive medications were grouped into 5 categories of vitamin C intake: < 60, 60-119, 120-179, 180-239, > or = 240 mg/day. Relative differences in systolic and diastolic BP between subjects consuming > or = 240 mg/day compared to those consuming < 60 mg/day were -6.9% (p < 0.05) and -6.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. The prevalence of elevated BP (systolic > or = 160 mmHg or diastolic > or = 100 mmHg) was approximately 50% lower (p < 0.05) across this range of vitamin C intake. Adjustment of these associations for age, sex, body mass, smoking, dietary sodium:potassium ratio, and other dietary factors did little to alter the relationship between vitamin C and BP. These results lend support to the hypothesis that vitamin C and BP are related, but further research is required to test whether the relationship is causal.     

In vitro metabolism of ferroquine (SSR97193) in animal and human hepatic models and antimalarial activity of major metabolites on Plasmodium falciparum.

Ferroquine (SSR97193) has been shown to be a promising antimalarial, both on laboratory clones and on field isolates. So far, no resistance was documented in Plasmodium falciparum. In the present work, the metabolic pathway of ferroquine, based on experiments using animal and human hepatic models, is proposed. Ferroquine is metabolized mainly via an oxidative pathway into the major metabolite mono-N-demethyl ferroquine and then into di-N,N-demethyl ferroquine. Some other minor metabolic pathways were also identified. Cytochrome P450 isoforms 2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 and, possibly in some patients, isoform 2D6, are mainly involved in ferroquine oxidation. The metabolites were synthesized and tested against the 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) and W2 (chloroquine-resistant) P. falciparum strains. According to the results, the activity of the two main metabolites decreased compared with that of ferroquine; however, the activity of the mono-N-demethyl derivative is significantly higher than that of chloroquine on both strains, and the di-N-demethyl derivative remains more active than chloroquine on the chloroquine-resistant strain. These results further support the potential use of ferroquine against human malaria.