The second round of the Dutch colorectal cancer screening program: Impact of an increased fecal immunochemical test cut-off level on yield of screening

The Dutch colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program started in 2014, inviting the target population biennially to perform a fecal immunochemical test (FIT). We obtained prospectively collected data from the national screening information-system to present the results of the second round (2016) and evaluate the impact of increasing the FIT cut-off halfway through the first round from 15 to 47 μg Hb/g feces on outcomes in the second round. Second round screening was done with a 47 μg Hb/g feces FIT cut-off. Participants were classified based on first round participation status as either FIT (15,47) or FIT (47,47) participants, and previous nonparticipants. In total, 348,891 (75.9%) out of 459,740 invitees participated in the second round. Participation rates were 93.4% among previous participants and 21.0% among previous non-participants. FIT(47,47) participants had a significantly higher detection rate of AN (15.3 vs. 10.4 per 1,000 participants) compared to FIT(15,47) participants in the second round, while their cumulative detection rate of AN over two rounds was significantly lower (45.6 vs. 52.6 per 1,000 participants). Our results showed that participation in the Dutch CRC screening program was consistently high and that second round detection rates depended on the first round FIT cut-off. The cumulative detection over two rounds was higher among FIT(15,47) participants. These findings suggest that a substantial part of, but not all the missed findings in the first round due to the increased FIT cut-off were detected in the subsequent round.     

儿童结缔组织病肺功能结果分析（附70例报告）

目的　评估结缔组织病（CTD）患儿肺功能状况,为进一步随访治疗提供依据。方法　收集2017年12月至2019年12月中国医科大学附属盛京医院小儿肾脏风湿科住院治疗的CTD患儿35例（CTD组）,男10例,女25例。常规测定肺通气功能及一氧化碳弥散功能,并与年龄相匹配的健康对照组25例（男9例,女16例）进行比较。应用SPSS18.0统计软件对CTD组和对照组的肺功能数据进行统计学分析。结果　CTD组肺功能异常共19例（54.29%）,其中肺通气功能障碍17例（48.57%）：分别为限制性通气功能障碍5例（14.29%）,阻塞性通气功能障碍5例（14.29%）,限制性和阻塞性混合通气功能障碍2例（5.71%）,单纯小气道功能障碍5例（14.29%）;肺换气功能障碍8例（22.86%）：合并通气功能障碍（限制性或阻塞性或小气道）6例（17.14%）,单纯弥散功能障碍2例（5.71%）。研究组肺功能参数VCmax、TLC、FVC、FEV1、FEV1/FVC、PEF、FEF50、FEF75、DLCOSB均明显低于对照组。结论　CTD患儿肺功能损害较为严重,限制性通气功能障碍与阻塞性通气功能障碍均常见,小气道功能障碍和弥散功能障碍可能是肺损害的早期阶段。临床医师对于CTD患儿应进行早期系统的肺功能检测。     

The correlation between the evolution of bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage using MR imaging and neurological damage recovery in an infant with methylmalonic aciduria

PurposeWe report on one patient with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) who presented with symmetrical hemorrhage of the caudate nucleus accompanied by severe ventricular dilatation, follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from one year later, and the clinical manifestations, neuropsychological scores, genetic test results, urine and blood laboratory results and evolution of the disorder.Materials and methodsThis study describes the recent and remote neuropathologic findings, reviews the literature, and discusses the possible pathogenetic mechanisms of these central nervous system lesions.ResultsPatients with MMA may have signs of basal ganglia hemorrhage during acute onset, and the hemorrhage may disappear after treatment. During the treatment, both laboratory examination indexes and neuropsychological scores improved. There was a correlation between the evolution of bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage using MRI(magnetic resonance imaging) and neurological damage recovery in this infant with MMA.ConclusionThere was a correlation between the evolution of the bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage using MR imaging and neurological damage recovery in an infant with MMA. We recommend performing conventional MR and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) examinations in patients with MMA who present with neurological symptoms.     

Children with autism spectrum disorder comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder examined by the Wisconsin card sorting test: Analysis by age-related differences

The DSM-5 confirmed that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated the executive function of ASD comorbid with ADHD (ASD + ADHD), ASD, and typically developed (TD) children using the Keio version of the modified Wisconsin card sorting test (KWCST). Children with ASD + ADHD (n = 43), ASD (n = 69), and TD (n = 69) were examined in two age groups: 5–9 years and 10–15 years. Both of the younger clinical groups showed significantly unfavorable scores for many indices in the second step compared to the TD group. As for the older groups, the ASD children showed significantly unfavorable scores in total errors in the second step, while the ASD + ADHD children did not show significant differences in either step. However, some index scores of the two older clinical groups were comparable to the older TD group in the second step. For the cognitive differences between clinical groups, the younger ASD + ADHD showed unfavorable scores in numbers of response cards until the first category achieved in the second step, while the older ASD showed unfavorable scores in categories achieved and perseverative errors of Nelson in the first step. For the degree of improvements in the second step, the older groups did not show significant group differences, while the younger ASD group showed significantly fewer improvements compared to the TD group. Based on these results, it is presumed that younger ASD + ADHD individuals are not sufficiently able to sustain attention and/or memory, and that the older ASD patients have difficulty in terms of flexibility.     

Anatomical and behavioral impact of a lentiviral tool tapping onto hippocampal serotonin reuptake in rats

We aimed at the further characterization of rats in which SERT gene silencing was achieved by hippocampal injection of a lentiviral vector, carrying three si-RNA to block SERT mRNA at 66% of normal levels. Improved self-control and reduced restlessness were already demonstrated in these rats. Present further studies consisted of male adult rats, bilaterally inoculated within the hippocampus; control rats received lentivirus particles inactivated with heat. Both groups were maintained in isolation for 5 months, starting from inoculation. Neurochemical changes were studied by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS): we found increased hippocampal viability and bioenergetic potential; however, rats showed a behaviorally depressive pattern, also characterized by enhanced affiliation. Based on the extent of such effects, the whole lenti-SERT group was divided into two subgroups, termed intermediate- and extreme- phenotype profiles. While all rats had a widespread modification within dorsal/ventral striatum, amygdala, and hypothalamus, only the former subgroup showed an involvement of Raphé medialis, while, for the latter subgroup, an increase of SERT within hippocampus was unexpectedly caused. Within the less-affected “intermediate” rats, hippocampal 5-HT7 receptors were down-modulated, and also similarly within substantia nigra, septum, and neocortex. This picture demonstrates that additional rather than fewer neurobiological changes accompany a lower phenotypic expression. Overall, tapping hippocampal SERT affected the balance between habits versus strategies of coping by promoting morphogenetic processes indicative of a serotonergic fiber plasticity. Supplementary studies about serotonergic dynamics and neurogenesis within fronto-striatal circuits are needed.