Lack of association of apoE ε4 allele with insulin resistance

ApoE is a polymorphic protein involved in the metabolism of plasma lipoproteins; the ε4 allele was shown to be associated with coronary and aortic atherosclerosis in age-dependent fashion mediated by unknown mechanisms. This study was undertaken to assess whether the apoE isoforms in humans were associated with normal glucose tolerance and with metabolic and inflammatory risk factors of CVD. ApoE genotype was assessed in 365 individuals. Of those, 309 were studied in the postabsorptive conditions and 142 of them also underwent a 3h-OGTT; 56 additional subjects were studied by means of the insulin clamp in combination with [6,6-2H2] glucose infusion. ApoE genotype frequencies were similar to those previously reported and were not influenced by age and BMI. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, FFA, the lipid profile, surrogate markers (HOMA-IR, OGTT-derived index) as well as the clamp-derived parameters or insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion were not different by apoE genotypes. Serum adipokines concentrations (leptin, adiponectin, resistin) and markers of inflammation (serum fasting hsCRP and MCP1/CCL2) were also not different by apoE genotypes. In the subgroup of young ε4 carriers which underwent the clamp procedure, a higher fasting endogenous glucose production was detected. ApoE genotype was not associated with insulin resistance or altered insulin secretion, and no abnormalities in the typical circulating endocrine, metabolic, and inflammatory features of the insulin resistance syndrome were detected.     

Rinderpest Virus Sequestration and Use in Posteradication Era

After the 2011 declaration of rinderpest disease eradication, we surveyed 150 countries about rinderpest virus stocks. Forty-four laboratories in 35 countries held laboratory-attenuated strains, field strains, or diagnostic samples. Vaccine and reagent production and laboratory experiments continued. Rigorous standards are necessary to ensure that stocks are kept under safe conditions.     

Multiple brain networks support processing speed abilities of patients with multiple sclerosis

Objectives: Many people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) experience cognitive impairment, especially decreases in information processing speed (PS). Neural disconnection is thought to represent the neural marker of this symptom, although the role played by alterations of specific functional brain networks still remains unclear. The aim is to investigate and compare patterns of association between PS-demanding cognitive performance and functional connectivity across two MS phenotypes.

Methods: Forty patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 25 with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) had neuropsychological and MRI assessments. Multiple regression models were used to investigate the relationship between performance on tests of visuomotor and verbal PS, and on the verbal fluency tests, and functional connectivity of four cognitive networks, i.e. left and right frontoparietal, salience and default-mode, and two control networks, i.e. visual and sensorimotor.

Results: Patients with SPMS were older and had longer disease history than patients with RRMS and presented with worse overall clinical conditions: higher disease severity, total lesion volume, and cognitive impairment rates. However, in both patient samples, cognitive performance across tests was negatively correlated with functional connectivity of the salience and default-mode networks, and positively with connectivity of the left frontoparietal network. Only the visuomotor PS scores of the RRMS group were also associated with connectivity of the sensorimotor network.

Conclusions: PS-demanding cognitive performance in patients with MS appears mainly associated with strength of functional connectivity of frontal networks involved in the evaluation and manipulation of information, as well as the default mode network. These results are in line with the hypothesis that multiple neural networks are needed to support normal cognitive performance across MS phenotypes. However, different PS measures showed partially different patterns of association with functional connectivity. Therefore, further investigations are needed to clarify the contribution of inter-network communication to specific cognitive deficits due to MS.     

Model-Based Estimates of the Effects of Efavirenz on Bedaquiline Pharmacokinetics and Suggested Dose Adjustments for Patients Coinfected with HIV and Tuberculosis

Safe, effective concomitant treatment regimens for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infection are urgently needed. Bedaquiline (BDQ) is a promising new anti-TB drug, and efavirenz (EFV) is a commonly used antiretroviral. Due to EFV''s induction of cytochrome P450 3A4, the metabolic enzyme responsible for BDQ biotransformation, the drugs are expected to interact. Based on data from a phase I, single-dose pharmacokinetic study, a nonlinear mixed-effects model characterizing BDQ pharmacokinetics and interaction with multiple-dose EFV was developed. BDQ pharmacokinetics were best described by a 3-compartment disposition model with absorption through a dynamic transit compartment model. Metabolites M2 and M3 were described by 2-compartment models with clearance of BDQ and M2, respectively, as input. Impact of induction was described as an instantaneous change in clearance 1 week after initialization of EFV treatment and estimated for all compounds. The model predicts average steady-state concentrations of BDQ and M2 to be reduced by 52% (relative standard error [RSE], 3.7%) with chronic coadministration. A range of models with alternative structural assumptions regarding onset of induction effect and fraction metabolized resulted in similar estimates of the typical reduction and did not offer a markedly better fit to data. Simulations to investigate alternative regimens mitigating the estimated interaction effect were performed. The results suggest that simple adjustments of the standard regimen during EFV coadministration can prevent reduced exposure to BDQ without increasing exposures to M2. However, exposure to M3 would increase. Evaluation in clinical trials of adjusted regimens is necessary to ensure appropriate dosing for HIV-infected TB patients on an EFV-based regimen.     

Autosomal dominant early-onset cortical myoclonus, photic-induced myoclonus, and epilepsy in a large pedigree

PURPOSE: Cortical tremor, a form of rhythmic cortical myoclonus (rhythmic CM), and epilepsy have been described in families with autosomal dominant inheritance. Linkage analyses revealed two putative loci on chromosome 2p and 8q. Clinical photosensitivity was not a prominent feature in such families. We describe a large Italian family with rhythmic CM, photosensitivity, and epilepsy. METHODS: Twenty-three individuals of a five-generation family were studied. Linkage analyses for the loci on chromosome 2p11.1 and 8q23.3 were performed. RESULTS: Of the 23 studied family members, 16 were affected. Rhythmic CM of childhood onset was present in all 16 individuals (onset ranging from 3 to 12 years), was associated with photic-induced myoclonic jerks in seven, and with epileptic seizures in six (onset ranging from 23 to 34 years). Five children of the V generation manifested also episodes of arousal with generalized tremor in early infancy ("tremulous arousals"). Jerk-locked back-averaging of rhythmic CM of six affected individuals, documented a premyoclonic EEG correlate. C-reflex at rest was present in two affected adults. Linkage analyses excluded mapping to the 2p11.1 and 8q23.3 loci. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical variability and severity of the phenotypes in this family are in line with those of previously described pedigrees with autosomal dominant cortical myoclonus and epilepsy. In this family, a progression of symptoms was found: rhythmic CM and tremulous arousals occurred in childhood, whereas visually induced manifestations and epileptic seizures occurred during adolescence-adulthood. Exclusion of linkage to the two known loci is consistent with genetic heterogeneity of such familial clustering of symptoms.     

Progressive knowledge loss: a longitudinal case study.

The evolution of the progressive loss of semantic knowledge of a patient, VZ, with lesions mainly affecting the infero-medial temporal lobes, was followed for two years. At the beginning of the study VZ's performance was mainly characterized by a category-specific deficit for living things and a modality-specific deficit for perceptual attribute knowledge. As time went on, VZ's disorder affected all categories by changing the relationship between category and attribute knowledge. Data show that dissociations may change in the course of progressive cognitive breakdown, depending on both degeneration stage and task demands. VZ's performance is discussed in the light of the most influential theoretical accounts. Methodological suggestions regarding longitudinal studies of degenerative patients are also put forward.