Altered Peptidase Activities in Thyroid Neoplasia and Hyperplasia

Background. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), and thyroid nodular hyperplasia (TNH) are the most frequent diseases of the thyroid gland. Previous studies described the involvement of dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPPIV/CD26) in the development of thyroid neoplasia and proposed it as an additional tool in the diagnosis/prognosis of these diseases. However, very little is known about the involvement of other peptidases in neoplastic and hyperplastic processes of this gland. Methods. The catalytic activity of 10 peptidases in a series of 30 PTC, 10 FTA, and 14 TNH was measured fluorimetrically in tumour and nontumour adjacent tissues. Results. The activity of DPPIV/CD26 was markedly higher in PTC than in FTA, TNH, and nontumour tissues. Aspartyl aminopeptidase (AspAP), alanyl aminopeptidase (AlaAP), prolyl endopeptidase, pyroglutamyl peptidase I, and aminopeptidase B activities were significantly increased in thyroid neoplasms when compared to nontumour tissues. AspAP and AlaAP activities were also significantly higher in PTC than in FTA and TNH. Conclusions. These data suggest the involvement of DPPIV/CD26 and some cytosolic peptidases in the neoplastic development of PTC and FTA. Further studies will help to define the possible clinical usefulness of AlaAP and AspAP in the diagnosis/prognosis of thyroid neoplasms.     

Adipokine dysregulation and adipose tissue inflammation in human obesity

Obesity, a worldwide epidemic, confers increased risk for multiple serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer. Adipose tissue is considered one of the largest endocrine organs in the body as well as an active tissue for cellular reactions and metabolic homeostasis rather than an inert tissue for energy storage. The functional pleiotropism of adipose tissue relies on its ability to synthesize and release a large number of hormones, cytokines, extracellular matrix proteins and growth and vasoactive factors, collectively termed adipokines that influence a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. In the obese state, excessive visceral fat accumulation causes adipose tissue dysfunctionality that strongly contributes to the onset of obesity‐related comorbidities. The mechanisms underlying adipose tissue dysfunction include adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia, increased inflammation, impaired extracellular matrix remodelling and fibrosis together with an altered secretion of adipokines. This review describes how adipose tissue becomes inflamed in obesity and summarizes key players and molecular mechanisms involved in adipose inflammation.     

Advances in pediatric cardiology and congenital heart diseases

This article reviews the most significant developments reported between July 2006 and July 2007 in the fields of pediatric cardiology and congenital heart disease, in diagnosis and treatment in particular. In the area of imaging techniques, the increasing clinical roles of magnetic resonance imaging, tissue Doppler imaging and three-dimensional echocardiography are highlighted, as is the application of these techniques to fetal cardiology and its repercussions. The incidence and treatment of arrhythmias in children are also discussed and, with regard to heart failure, there is an assessment of recent findings in epidemiology and diagnosis, new drugs, ventricular assist systems, and the current status of heart transplantation. In the area of interventional cardiology, present-day techniques for the closure of atrial and ventricular septal defects are reviewed and there is an assessment of early results with partially absorbable devices, percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation, and new types of stent (e.g., premounted, coated and absorbable stents). In cardiac surgery, the focus is on studies that evaluate outcome quality, the search for new biocompatible conduits, experience with new techniques for treating complex transpositions (e.g., the Nikaidoh procedure and its variants), the medium- and long-term results of treating aortic valvular disease with pulmonary autografts (i.e., the Ross and Ross-Konno procedures), and current findings on the treatment of pulmonary insufficiency after correction of either the tetralogy of Fallot or a dysfunctional Fontan circuit.     

Pericarditis secondary to the rupture of a hydatid cyst

Cardiac hydatic cysts are rare and represent 0.5 to 2% of all hydatic cysts in humans, but usually associated with fatal complications. We report a case of a male 27 years old with a hydatid cyst located in left ventricle asymptomatic until rupture. It was diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiogram in a control.     

Polycaprolactone scaffold and reduced rhBMP-7 dose for the regeneration of critical-sized defects in sheep tibiae

The transplantation of autologous bone graft as a treatment for large bone defects has the limitation of harvesting co-morbidity and limited availability. This drives the orthopaedic research community to develop bone graft substitutes. Routinely, supra-physiological doses of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are applied perpetuating concerns over undesired side effects and cost of BMPs. We therefore aimed to design a composite scaffold that allows maintenance of protein bioactivity and enhances growth factor retention at the implantation site. Critical-sized defects in sheep tibiae were treated with the autograft and with two dosages of rhBMP-7, 3.5 mg and 1.75 mg, embedded in a slowly degradable medical grade poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffold with β-tricalcium phosphate microparticles (mPCL–TCP). Specimens were characterised by biomechanical testing, microcomputed tomography and histology. Bridging was observed within 3 months for the autograft and both rhBMP-7 treatments. No significant difference was observed between the low and high rhBMP-7 dosages or between any of the rhBMP-7 groups and autograft implantation. Scaffolds alone did not induce comparable levels of bone formation compared to the autograft and rhBMP-7 groups. In summary, the mPCL–TCP scaffold with the lower rhBMP-7 dose led to equivalent results to autograft transplantation or the high BMP dosage. Our data suggest a promising clinical future for BMP application in scaffold-based bone tissue engineering, lowering and optimising the amount of required BMP.     

Correction to: Bumetanide Oral Liquid Formulation for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Design of Two Phase III Studies (SIGN Trials)

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - The author of the article would like to add a video abstract as a supplementary material for a published article. The supplementary file is published...     

Engraftment after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients mobilized with Plerixafor: A retrospective,multicenter study of a large series of patients

Plerixafor (PLX) appears to effectively enhance hematopoietic stem-cell mobilization prior to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). However, the quality of engraftment following auto-HCT has been little explored. Here, engraftment following auto-HCT was assessed in patients mobilized with PLX through a retrospective, multicenter study of 285 consecutive patients. Information on early and 100-day post-transplant engraftment was gathered from the 245 patients that underwent auto-HCT. The median number of PLX days to reach the stem cell collection goal (≥2 × 10⁶ CD34⁺ cells/kg) was 1 (range 1–4) and the median PLX administration time before apheresis was 11 h (range 1–18). The median number of apheresis sessions to achieve the collection goal was 2 (range 1–5) and the mean number of CD34⁺ cells collected was 2.95 × 10⁶/kg (range 0–30.5). PLX administration was safe, with only 2 mild and transient gastrointestinal adverse events reported. The median time to achieve an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >500/μL was 11 days (range 3–31) and the median time to platelet recovery >20 × 10³/μL was 13 days (range 5–69). At 100 days after auto-HCT, the platelet count was 137 × 10⁹/L (range 7–340), the ANC was 2.3 × 10⁹/L (range 0.1–13.0), and the hemoglobin concentration was 123 g/L (range 79–165). PLX use allowed auto-HCT to be performed in a high percentage of poorly mobilized patients, resulting in optimal medium-term engraftment in the majority of patients in whom mobilization failed, in this case mainly due to suboptimal peripheral blood CD34⁺ cell concentration on day +4 or low CD34⁺ cell yield on apheresis.     

Acute effect of Snus on physical performance and perceived cognitive load on amateur footballers

Smokeless tobacco (Snus) is a substance that contains nicotine, which has been placed on World Anti‐Doping Agency's 2014 Monitoring Program. A proliferation of nicotine use in sport has been observed in recent years, but little is known regarding its effects, especially on football players' performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of Snus on physical performance, heart rate variability, subjective activation, mental fatigue, and perceived readiness before a physical test in non‐smoker, non‐Snus user, amateur football players. Participants were administered either Snus or placebo 40 min prior to a fitness test battery (handgrip test, countermovement jump, agility test, and Yo‐Yo intermittent recovery test). Results showed that Snus intake (compared with placebo) increased perceived mental fatigue level and mental load, and reduced perceived readiness level and heart rate variability. No significant differences between the two experimental conditions were found in either performance in the physical tests or perceived physical fatigue levels. In light of these results, Snus could not be considered an ergogenic substance. On the contrary, based on the extant evidence linking mental load and fatigue with physical performance, we argue that the observed negative effects on mental fatigue, perceived readiness, and heart rate variability should be considered.