Cytogenetic investigation of thallium-poisoned people: pilot study

Thirteen blood samples of thallium-poisoned people were cytogenetically investigated. The thallium concentration in blood varied from 25 to 2700 microg/L. The mean frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the poisoned group significantly exceeded our control level (7.08+/--2.19% and 2.03+/--0.25, p<.001). The rate of single fragments was significantly higher in poisoned group (7.77+/-2.68% and 1.59+/-0.23%, p<.001) while the frequencies of other types of chromosomal aberrations were similar in both groups. It is possible that thallium is an S-dependent clastogenic agent because the majority of the structural aberrations are of the chromatid type. Irrespective of mechanisms, damage to genetic material was revealed in thallium-poisoned people.     

Transcoronary Bone Marrow‐Derived Progenitor Cells in a Child With Myocardial Infarction: First Pediatric Experience

Background

Recent advances in stem cell therapy to restore cardiac function have great promise for patients with congestive heart failure after myocardial infarction in an adult population.

Objective

We examined the benefits of bone marrow‐derived progenitor cells treatment modality for the pediatric patient.

Methods and Results

We present our first case of transcoronary autologous stem cell transplantation in a 9‐year‐old girl with refractory congestive heart failure secondary to myocardial infarction 1 year after transcatheter revascularization. The child received daily injections of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor for 3 days prior to the bone marrow aspiration. The bone marrow cells were isolated to constitute CD133 + /CD34 + more than 90% of the total number. Subsequently, the progenitor cell suspension was injected via a transcoronary catheter without any complication. Three months after stem cell therapy, her cardiac function, assessed by both cardiac magnetic resonance and echocardiogram, has been improved with the left ventricular ejection fraction at 47% compared to the baseline of 30%.

Conclusion

This is the first reported pediatric case of successful transcoronary injection of bone marrow‐derived progenitor cells for end‐stage heart disease. The procedure is considered safe and feasible for the pediatric population. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Panel 2.7: first 30 days: organizing rapid responses

This is a summary of the presentations and discussion of Panel 2.7, First 30 Days: Organizing Rapid Response of the Conference, Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Phuket, Thailand, 04-06 May 2005. The topics discussed included issues related to organizing rapid responses as pertain to the responses to the damage created by the Tsunami. It is presented in the following major sections: (1) issues; (2) key questions; and (3) recommendations.     

Periodontal disease and dental caries in primary school children in rural areas of Delhi

A study was conducted in rural areas of Delhi to determine the prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries amongst children of both sexes aged 5 to 14 years. 458 children studying in primary schools in four different villages were examined. These children came from a segment of rural community with low socio-economic level and following a traditional rural life style and dietary habits. Prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries was found to be low despite perfunctory oral health care system with no fluoridation of water supply and indifference to oral health care practices among the children. This could be attributed to simple, coarse and traditional fibrous food consumed by the children.     

The use of conjunctival biomicroscopy and liquid-crystal thermography in diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents

The importance of liquid-crystal thermography alongside with conjunctival biomicroscopy for the detection and verification of the nature of microcirculatory disorders and for the control of therapeutic efficacy was shown during the examination of 87 children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus. It has been proved that differentiated use of vasoactive drugs (Xauthnol Nicatinate, Andecalin, Pyrinolcarbamat) in patients with microcirculatory disorders exceeds 1.5-1.7-fold the results obtained in the control groups.     

Electrotonic Clusters in the Dendritic Arborization of Abducens Motoneurons of the Rat

Following reconstruction with high spatial resolution of the 3-D geometry of the dendritic arborizations of two abducens motoneurons, we simulated the distribution of electrotonic voltage over the whole dendritic tree. Here, we demonstrate that the complex stochastic electrotonic structure of both motoneurons can be reduced to a statistically significant small set of well discriminated clusters. These clusters are formed by dendritic branches belonging to different dendrites of the neuron but with similar electrotonic properties. A cluster analysis was performed to estimate quantitatively the partition of the branches between the dendritic clusters. The contents of the clusters were analysed in relation to their stability under different values of specific membrane resistivity (R_m), to their remoteness from the soma and their location in 3-D space. The cluster analysis was executed in a 2-D parameter space in which each dendritic branch was described by the mean electrotonic voltage and gradient. The number of clusters was found to be four for each motoneuron when computations were made with R_m= 3 kΩ.cm². An analysis of the cluster composition under different R_m revealed that each cluster contained invariant and variant branches. Mapping the clusters upon the dendritic geometry of the arborizations allowed us to describe the cluster distribution in terms of the 3-D space domain, the 2-D path distance domain and the total surface area of the tree. As the cluster behaviour reflects both the geometry and the changes in the neuronal electrotonic structure, we conclude that cluster analysis provides a tool to handle the functional complexity of the arborizations without losing relevant information. In terms of synaptic activities, the stable dendritic branches in each cluster may process the synaptic inputs in a similar manner. The high percentage of stable branches indicates that geometry is a major factor of stability for the electrotonic clusters. Conversely, the variant branches introduce the conditions for mechanisms of functional postsynaptic plasticity.     

Impact of Coexisting Uterine Adenomyosis on the Survival Outcome of Patients with Endometrial Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: To determine the effects of uterine adenomyosis on endometrial cancerrecurrence rates. Methods: Thisretrospective cohort study reviewed all consecutive patients diagnosed with endometrial cancerwho underwent totalhysterectomy-based surgical staging at Srinagarind Hospital between January, 2010 and January, 2016. The patientsweredivided into two groups:a uterine adenomyosisgroup and a non-adenomyosis group. Patient demographics, type ofsurgery, histopathology, stage of endometrial cancer, adjuvant treatment, and survival outcomes were compared.Results: A total 350 patients were enrolled, with 132 (37.71%) in the adenomyosis group and 218 (62.29%) in the nonadenomyosis group. Deep myometrial invasion and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) were more commonly foundamong patients who had no adenomyosis compared to those with adenomyosis(52.8% vs 39.4%, P=0.02 and 53.2%vs. 38.6%, P=0.01). There were no significant differences in terms of five-year recurrence-free survival (HR=1.47;95%CI 0.88-2.44) and five-year overall survival (HR=0.81; 95%CI 0.43-1.53) between the two comparison groups.Conclusion: Coexisting uterine adenomyosis in endometrial cancer wasassociated withdeep myometrial invasion andLVSI but did not have significant impact on survival.