Short term correlates of the Neuro Emotional Technique for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: A pilot case series

Introduction As many as one quarter of all cancer survivors report traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences. While the majority of these patients do not meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is growing evidence that subsyndromal symptoms can significantly contribute to functional impairment and negative health outcomes. Treatment options for the hallmark symptoms of traumatic stress—unpleasant, intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors—have not been well investigated for the cancer survivorship population. Materials and methods Seven female cancer survivors with traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences and no other major psychopathology, were enrolled to receive three sessions of Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), a brief, targeted treatment that combines traditional desensitization principles with complementary modalities. Results Psychological outcome measures (Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) and physiological measures (Heart Rate (HR) and Skin Conductance Level (SCL) demonstrated the following changes: 71% on IES, 88% SUD, 74% on HR, and 65% on SCL following the intervention. Statistically significant changes were observed for all four parameters, and effect size g for proportion improved were 0.50 each for IES, SUD, and HR, and 0.20 for SCL. Conclusions These cases suggest feasibility of the NET intervention for cancer-related traumatic stress and the potential for change in symptoms and physiological reactivity. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific and long-term effects of such an approach. Implications for cancer survivors Traumatic stress from cancer-related experiences might represent a constellation of symptoms that are amenable to brief, targeted interventions. This study was supported by the O.N.E. Research Foundation     

Antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of essential oil from wild Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) calices from Amazonian Ecuador.

Ocotea quixos essential oil was shown to possess significant inhibitory activity of platelet aggregation and clot retraction in rodent plasma. This study is aimed at fully characterizing the antiplatelet activity of the whole essential oil and its main components trans-cinnamaldehyde and methyl cinnamate also in human plasma, at investigating the mechanism underlying such activity and at evaluating the potential antithrombotic activity of subacute treatment of mice with Ocotea essential oil. In vitro Ocotea essential oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde inhibited arachidonic acid-, U46619-, ADP-, phorbol12-myristate13-alcetate-, collagen-induced platelet aggregation and thrombin-induced clot retraction in human and rodent plasma; Ocotea oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde competitively antagonized contractions induced by thromboxane A2 receptor agonist U46619 in rat isolated aortic ring (K(B) = 18 and 3.2 microg ml(-1), respectively). In vivo Ocotea oil, orally administered in a subacute treatment (30-100 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 5 days) to mice, prevented acute thrombosis induced by collagen-epinephrine intravenous injection. This antithrombotic activity was not accompanied by pro-haemorragic side effect, as detected by the inactivity in bleeding test, thus showing a favourable safety profile compared to the conventional antiplatelet agent, acetylsalicylic acid. Present findings indicate that Ocotea essential oil possesses potent and safe antithrombotic activity attributable to its antiplatelet and vasorelaxant effects. The main constituent trans-cinnamaldehyde seems to be the primary responsible for this activity through a putative mechanism involving the inhibition of thromboxane A2 receptors.     

Infection of peripheral mononuclear blood cells by hepatitis C virus.

We investigated the infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) by hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 5 patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis. The presence of HCV-RNA-positive and -negative strands was tested with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. In all subjects, HCV-RNA was shown in PBMNC. In 3 cases, HCV-RNA was shown in the T- and B-cell populations, with viral RNA also present in the monocyte-macrophage fraction of two of these. HCV-RNA-negative stranded molecules, indicative of the viral multiplication, were significantly increased in cells maintained in cultures with PHA/PMA stimulation. The results indicate that HCV infect blood mononuclear cells, thus suggesting that this cellular tropism may play a role in HCV infection.     

Video-EEG Study of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: Differential Characteristics in Patients with and without Epilepsy

Summary:  Purpose: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are episodes that may resemble epileptic seizures (ES) but are not associated with abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. Video-EEG recording of a typical episode is considered the best diagnostic tool available. PNES are, however, also documented in patients with epilepsy (PNES/ES). The purpose of this study was to assess this comorbid population, focusing on the differences between patients with PNES/ES and patients with PNES alone.
Methods: We reviewed 110 PNES episodes, occurring spontaneously or induced by means of suggestion techniques, recorded in our video-EEG laboratory over a period of eight years. We identified two subgroups of patients, consisting of 85 PNES cases and 25 PNES/ES cases, and assessed any differences in their characteristics by reviewing a number of variables (age, sex, clinical features, antiepileptic therapy, age of onset, time to diagnosis, pathological history, and length of follow-up).
Results: The comparison between the two subgroups revealed that PNES/ES patients displayed some statistically significant differences when compared with PNES alone patients, i.e., younger age, a higher percentage of spontaneously activated events, a shorter disease duration, a longer time to PNES diagnosis, and a lower percentage lost at follow-up.
Conclusions: This study confirms that PNES is a common, though probably underestimated, occurrence in epilepsy services. Our results shed light on some different characteristics between PNES and PNES/ES patients.     

Platelet transfusions are not associated with increased morbidity or mortality in cardiac surgery

PURPOSE: To determine the independent relationship between leukoreduced platelet transfusions and adverse events in cardiac surgery. METHODS: In this observational study, detailed baseline and perioperative data were prospectively collected on consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery at a single institution from 1999 to 2004. The independent associations of platelet transfusion with clinical outcomes (low output syndrome, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, sepsis, and death) were determined by multivariable logistic regression analysis and propensity score case-control analysis. RESULTS: Of the 11,459 patients analyzed, 2,174 (19%) received (leukoreduced) platelets - 1,408 received 5 U, 471 received 10 U, 140 received 15 U, and 155 received 20 or more units. Although all measured adverse event rates were higher in those who received platelets, in neither the logistic regression analyses nor the propensity score analyses was there any association between platelet transfusion and any of the adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Transfusion of leukoreduced platelets in cardiac surgery is not associated with adverse clinical outcomes when adjustments are made for important confounders.     

Relationship between maternal- and fetal-specific IgE

AIM: A positive correlation between maternal and cord-blood IgE levels is well documented for total IgEs, but not for specific IgEs. The difficulty in detecting specific cord-blood IgEs is due to their low concentrations, which hinder their dosage by low-sensitivity methods. The study aimed to correlate maternal and foetal specific IgEs against individual cow's milk proteins, detected by highly sensitive and specific techniques. METHODS: Cow's milk specific IgE detection was performed by chemiluminescence on 52 specimens of maternal and cord blood after cow's milk protein separation by 1D and 2D gel electrophoresis. Cow's milk protein (CMP) antigens were identified by mass spectrometry techniques. RESULTS: Specific IgEs for CMPs were found in 25/52 (48.1%) of maternal sera and in 19/52 (37%) of cord-blood sera. In order of decreasing frequency, the proteins found were BSA, IgG heavy chain, caseins and, in a single case, b-lactoglobulin. Positive cord-blood sera in all cases corresponded to a positive maternal result, and maternal and foetal immunoreactivity patterns were closely correlated. Moreover, in no case was there a positive cord-blood response with a negative maternal response. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates a close relationship between maternal and cord-blood specific IgE patterns. The phenomenon observed could provide a model to elucidate the general production method of foetal IgEs, which might only be produced in the presence of both the corresponding maternal IgE and the related allergen.