No association between a presenilin 1 polymorphism and Alzheimer disease

BACKGROUND: Homozygosity of allele 1 of a presenilin 1 intron 8 polymorphism (PS1-1) has been associated with doubling of the risk of sporadic late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD), in some, but not all studies. OBJECTIVE: To genotype the PS1 intron 8 polymorphism in predominantly Hispanic families with LOAD to test for association and for linkage between this polymorphism and LOAD. DESIGN: A family-based, case-control, genetic-linkage study. SETTING: Predominantly Hispanic families were selected from probands who were part of a random sample of 2128 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older who were residing in the community of Washington Heights, which is located in the northern part of Manhattan, NY. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one families with 103 affected family members, 67 unaffected family members, and 7 family members with other diagnoses were genotyped for the PS1 polymorphism. All patients met National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria for either probable or possible Alzheimer disease. Age was truncated at 55 years or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Association analyses, conditional logistic regression, and traditional linkage methods were applied to the families for the PS1 polymorphism and for the presence of the gene for apolipoprotein E (APOE). Results of the association and conditional logistic regression analyses of PS1 intron 8 polymorphism were subsequently adjusted for the effect of APOE-epsilon4, sex, age, and education of each sibling. RESULTS: No association between the PS1 intron 8 polymorphism and LOAD was observed (relative risk, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-3.4). An association between presence of the APOE-epsilon4 allele and LOAD (relative risk 4.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-12.5) was observed. CONCLUSION: We could not confirm the relationship between the PS1 intron 8 polymorphism and LOAD in this collection of families.     

A new method for determination of urinary tryptophan metabolites in bladder carcinoma.

Abnormal tryptophan metabolism in patients with bladder carcinoma has been reported to have an extremely high correlation with future tumor recurrences. The methods for determination of these urinary metabolites have not been applicable for routine clinical use in the past. A new method is described using thin layer chromatography followed by fluorescent scanning with the SD 3000 spectrodensitometer. The range of recovery for the 6 tryptophan metabolites was from 96.9 to 106.7 per cent. In our study 31 per cent of the male and 50 per cent of the female bladder cancer patients had 2 or more abnormal tryptophan metabolites.     

Management of acute traumatic atlas fractures

OBJECTIVE: A prospective review of a clinical series was performed. The treatment features of atlas fractures with and without associated axis injuries were investigated. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients were investigated. RESULTS: No displaced fractures were treated with a cervical orthosis. Patients with displaced fractures were managed with a halo vest immobilization; 96.4% patients had a solid fusion at their last follow-up evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated not displaced or combined with not displaced axis fractures atlas fractures can be treated effectively with a rigid cervical collar alone. Isolated displaced fractures or not displaced but with concurrent displaced axis fractures require immobilization by the halo vest.     

Acid phosphatase: new developments.

Acid phosphatase was the first "tumor marker" to be measured in the blood, and over 40 years have passed since an elevation of the serum acid phosphatase level was observed in patients with prostatic carcinoma. However, significant elevations in the level of this enzyme have been observed in other diseases, as well as elevations of other tissue phosphatases. Many improvements in the colorimetric technique have been introduced, but none has been used successfully to detect the tissue origin of this ubiquitous enzyme. The finding that prostatic acid phosphatase is antigenically distinct from acid phosphatase of other tissues opened a new horizon in the measurement of acid phosphatase in prostatic cancer. On the basis of this immunochemical specificity, several immunoassays have been employed for determining the prostatic acid phosphatase level.     

Combination of Extrusion and Fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum and L. uvarum Strains for Improving the Safety Characteristics of Wheat Bran

Processed wheat bran (W) is of great importance for food and feed. Consequently, the biosafety of W should be evaluated and improved with valorisation strategies. This study tested a design combining extrusion (at temperature of 115 and 130 °C; screw speeds of 16, 20, and 25 rpm) and fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum and L. uvarum strains for the valorisation of W to provide safer food and feed stock. The influence of different treatments on biogenic amine formation, mycotoxin content, and free amino acids, as well as acidity, microbiological parameters, and sugar concentration, were analysed. This research showed that a combination of extrusion and fermentation with selected strains can change several aspects of W characteristics. There was a significant effect of applied treatments on acidity and the microbiological parameters of W, as well as biogenic amines content. The lowest total mycotoxin concentration (29.8 µg/kg) was found in extruded (130 °C; 25 rpm) and fermented with L. uvarum sample. Finally, the combination of the abovementioned treatments can be confirmed as a prospective innovative pre-treatment for W, capable of potentially enhancing their safety characteristics and composition.