Resistin is elevated in cystic fibrosis sputum and correlates negatively with lung function

Background

Resistin is an immunometabolic mediator that is elevated in several inflammatory disorders. A ligand for Toll-like receptor 4, resistin modulates the recruitment and activation of myeloid cells, notably neutrophils. Neutrophils are major drivers of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, in part due to the release of human neutrophil elastase- and myeloperoxidase-rich primary granules, leading to tissue damage. Here we assessed the relationship of resistin to CF lung disease.

Attachment to Caregivers and Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Attachment is a behavioral and physiological system, which enables individual’s dynamic adaptation to its environment. Attachment develops in close interaction between an infant and his/her mother, plays an important role in the development of the infant’s brain, and influences the quality of interpersonal relationships throughout life.Security of attachment is believed to influence individual response to stress, exposing insecurely organized individuals to deregulated autonomic nervous system and exaggerated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, which, in turn, produces increased and prolonged exposure to stress-hormones. Such stress responses may have considerable implications for the development of diverse health-risk conditions, such as insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia, shown by numerous studies.Although the mechanisms are not yet fully understood, there is compelling evidence highlighting the role of psychological stress in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). One of the possible contributing factors for the development of T1D may be the influence of attachment security on individual stress reactivity. Thus, the suggestion is that insecurely attached individuals are more prone to experience increased and prolonged influence of stress hormones and other mechanisms causing pancreatic beta-cell destruction.The present paper opens with a short overview of the field of attachment in children, the principal attachment classifications and their historic development, describes the influence of attachment security on individual stress-reactivity and the role of the latter in the development of T1D. Following is a review of recent literature on the attachment in patients with T1D with a conclusion of a proposed role of attachment organization in the etiology of T1D.     

Complications in Intermediate Uveitis: Prevalence,Time of Onset,and Effects on Vision in Short-Term and Long-Term Follow-Up

Purpose: To study the prevalence and time of onset of ocular complications in intermediate uveitis (IU) and to assess their effects on visual outcome in short-term and long-term follow-up.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients with IU who had a minimal follow-up of one year.

Results: 96 patients (174 eyes, 70% females) were included with a mean age at presentation of 30 years. Children constituted 38% of all patients. Mean follow- up was 64.9 months. Pars planitis was the most common form followed by sarcoidosis and multiple sclerosis. Cystoid macular edema (CME), cataract, epiretinal membrane and posterior synechiae were the most prevalent complications. Posterior synechiae, band keratopathy, cataract and papillitis at presentation were associated with worse presenting visual acuity (VA). Of the late-onset complications, glaucoma/ocular hypertension (OHT) was the most significantly associated with worse long-term VA. Most sight-threatening complications (namely CME and glaucoma) were diagnosed at presentation while late complications predominantly affected the posterior segment and included among others peripheral retinal elevations, vasoproliferative tumors, and vitreous hemorrhage. Median LogMAR VA improved at short-term and long-term follow-up, from 0.2 to 0.1 (p<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed significant VA improvement for eyes with all the different complications except for eyes with glaucoma/OHT.

Conclusion: IU is a chronic low-grade uveitis that may be associated with protean early and late complications of the anterior or posterior segments or both. Optimal treatment regimens are imperative for the strict control of inflammation and proper management of complications thus allowing a favorable long-term prognosis.     

“Vinylogs” and “Acetylenylogs” of β-Adrenergic Agents

Vinylogous (Groups III and V ) and acetylenologous (Group IV ) analogs of the classical β-adrenergic agents — stimulants and blockers — were prepared in order to evaluate the effect of degree of saturation, position of unsaturation and rigidity of the chain linking the aromatic ring and the amino containing functional group on biological activity. Derivatives from Group III , which represent 4-aryl-3-butenyl-2-ol-amine analogs of Group II , retained β₁-adrenoceptor antagonist activity albeit substantially less potent (50–200-fold) than that possessed by their aryloxy counterparts. Consistent with the SAR for Group II compounds, substitution at position 2 of the aromatic ring yielded the most potent antagonists ( 5a, 5d, 5g ), with K_B's ranging from 73–93 nM while 3,4-dichloro substitution ( 5e ) markedly reduced antagonist potency (K_B = 2,400 nM). Agonist activity was also noted for 5b and 5d , suggesting that these compounds may be best classified as partial agonists. Representatives from Groups IV and V were inactive as antagonists at the β₁-adrenoceptor confirming the importance of the spatial relationship between the hydroxyl and the amino nitrogen.     

Sodium MRI of the human kidney at 3 Tesla.

The sodium concentration gradient in the kidney (from the cortex to the medulla) serves to regulate fluid homeostasis and is tightly coupled to renal function. It was previously shown that renal function and pathophysiology can be characterized in rat kidneys by measuring the sodium gradient with (23)Na MRI. This study demonstrates for the first time the ability of (23)Na MRI to map the distribution of sodium in the human kidney and to quantify the corticomedullary sodium gradient. The study was performed on a 3T Signa LX scanner (GE) using an in-house-built quadrature surface coil. (23)Na images of volunteers were acquired using a 3D coronal gradient-echo sequence at a spatial resolution of 0.3 x 0.3 x 1.5 cm(3) in a 25-min scan time. The signal intensity (relative to the noise) increased linearly from the cortex to each of the medullae with a mean slope of 1.6 +/- 0.2 in relative arbitrary units per mm (Rel.u./mm, N = 6) and then decreased, as expected, toward the renal pelvis. Water deprivation (12 hr) induced a significant increase of 25% (P < 0.05) in this gradient. Based on these results, we suggest that sodium MRI can serve as a valuable noninvasive method for functional imaging of the human kidney.     

A patient with right and left atrial membranes: the role of transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis

A patient who had right and left atrial membranes was examined. The diagnosis and the hemodynamic significance of both membranes were detailed by transesophageal echocardiography and were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Transesophageal imaging was found to be superior to routine echocardiography in visualization of these atrial structures.     

Growth kinetics of microscopic hepatocellular neoplasms in carcinogen-resistant and carcinogen-responsive strains of mice.

The initiation and growth of microscopic hepatocellular neoplasms in C57BL/6 mice, considered relatively resistant to hepatocarcinogenesis, was compared with that of the more responsive C3H and B6C3F1 (C57BL/6 x C3H) strains. Tumors were induced by giving male mice injections of diethylnitrosamine when they were 15 days old. During the first 18 weeks postinjection, the growth rates of neoplasms in the three strains were almost identical (doubling time of 2.1 to 2.5 weeks). However, after that time, only the growth rates of the C57BL/6 neoplasms slowed; between 30 and 42 weeks the doubling time had increased to 13 weeks. In addition, at all sacrifice times the number of neoplasms in the C3H strain was at least 2.5 times higher than in the C57BL/6 and B6C3F1 strains. These results suggest that the genetic determinant(s) for inhibited tumor growth (expressed only in C57BL/6 mice) are recessive to those for unimpeded tumor growth (expressed in C3H and B6C3F1 mice), while the determinant(s) for large numbers of tumors (expressed only in C3H mice) are recessive to those for small numbers of tumors (expressed in C57BL/6 and B6C3F1 mice). In addition to the interstrain differences in tumor growth, two other types of tumor growth heterogeneity were identified. First, in each of the three strains, the largest tumors were found to grow faster than the smaller tumors. This suggests that the very broad range in tumor size that is seen in this model results from the long-term differences in the growth rates of individual neoplasms. Second, we found that in microscopic hepatic neoplasms in B6C3F1 mice, the thymidine labeling indices were 2.3 times greater in the outer 50-microns shell (2 cells thick) than in the next deeper 50-micron layer cells. This suggests that even in these minute neoplasms, gradients in blood-borne oxygen, nutrients, or growth factors are responsible for heterogeneous growth.