Testosterone Levels Are Decreased and Associated with Disease Duration in Male Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 Patients

The Cerebellum - Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder due to an unstable expansion of a CAG repeat in the ATXN2 gene. Despite clinical and experimental...     

CE-108, a new macrolide tetraene antibiotic

In the search for strains producing antifungal compounds, a new tetraene macrolide CE-108 (3) has been isolated from culture broth of Streptomyces diastaticus 108. In addition, the strain also produces the previously described tetraene rimocidin (1) and also the aromatic polyketide oxytetracycline. Both tetraene compounds, structurally related, are produced in a ratio between 25 to 35% (CE-108 compared to rimocidin), although it can be inverted toward CE-108 production by changing the composition of the fermentation medium. This paper deals with the characterization of the producer strain, fermentation, purification, structure determination and biological properties of the new macrolide tetraene CE-108.     

Parálisis unilateral aislada del nervio oculomotor común posterior a trauma craneoencefálico leve

Isolated traumatic oculomotor nerve (ON) palsy is an uncommon clinical presentation of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are very few cases in which it has been possible to demonstrate the isolated damage of the ON by avulsion of the roots, accompanied with traumatic axonal injury and intraneural microhemorrhage. We present a 23-year-old female who, after mild TBI, began to experience right ptosis, binocular diplopia, and photophobia. Clinical examination showed a complete ophthalmoparesis of the right ON, without other neurological deficits. Neuroimaging studies demonstrated no structural compressive damage of the right ON. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Gradient-echo and T1 weighted post-gadolinium was made, demonstrating signs of intraneural hemorrhage of the right ON, in addition to traumatic axonal injury extending from the right cerebral peduncle to the orbital fissure. Specific MRI protocols contribute as evidence of an isolated lesion to the ON.     

Purification of human chorionic gonadotropin from pregnancy urine by immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody anti-beta chain hCG

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is found in pregnancy urine and in urine from some cancer patients. It is found in a variety of forms, whose concentrations have clinical importance. A highly active preparation of hCG from pregnancy urine has been obtained by a simple method of immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against beta-subunit hCG. The recuperation of hCG from urine extract by this procedure was 84.18%, with a purification factor of 19.78. The specificity activity of the obtained hCG was 9705.36 IU/mg. The preparation appeared homogeneous by SDS-PAGE, analytical gel filtration, and double immunodiffusion. The molecular mass was 40 kDa by gel filtration on Superose 12 HR. Molecular masses estimated by electrophoresis were 14.6 and 23.5 kDa for the alpha and beta subunits, respectively.     

Ozone oxidative post‐conditioning in acute renal failure

Objectives The ischaemia–reperfusion process is largely mediated by reactive oxygen species. Taking into account that a transient and controlled administration of ozone is able to upregulate cellular antioxidant enzymes, a morphological, biochemical and functional renal study was performed in rats undergoing warm renal ischaemia. Methods Rats were divided into four groups. All except the negative controls underwent 60 min' bilateral renal ischaemia followed by 10 days' reperfusion. The positive control group received no further treatment. The ozone group received an ozone/oxygen mixture (ozone dose 0.5 mg/kg) immediately after the ischaemia and daily for the 10 days' reperfusion; the oxygen group were given the same concentration of oxygen alone (13 mg/kg). Biochemical parameters fructosamine, phospholipase A₂, catalase, superoxide dismutase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were measured, as well as renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate. Key findings Renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate decreased significantly in the positive controls and the oxygen group whereas values in the ozone group were similar to those in the negative control group. With respect to the biochemical parameters, ozone maintained a homeostasis redox, with significant increases in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities and similar values for phospholipase A₂ and fructosamine compared with the negative control group. Fewer morphological alterations were seen in kidneys from the ozone group. No advantages were obtained in the positive control and oxygen groups. Conclusions The protective effect of ozone may be explained by upregulation of the antioxidant defence system and beneficial effects on blood circulation and in oxygen metabolism. Ozone treatment may represent a therapeutic approach for minimising renal damage after transplantation.     

Evaluation of STESS,mRSTESS, and EMSE to Predict High Disability and Mortality at Hospital Discharge in Ecuadorian Patients with Status Epilepticus

Background

Adequate identification of the severity of status epilepticus (SE) contributes to individualized treatment. The scales most widely used for this purpose are: Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), Epidemiology-Based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE) and modified Rankin Scale STESS (mRSTESS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the STESS, EMSE and mRSTESS scales to predict high disability and hospital mortality at discharge (HD/HM).

Methods

A prospective study was conducted in which total of 41 patients were registered from November 2015 to January 2018 at Eugenio Espejo Hospital. Clinical variables such as age, sex, clinical status at the beginning of the SE, initial symptom of SE, as well as the STESS, mRSTESS and EMSE variant scales were studied at the time of the diagnosis of SE.

Results

A total of 41 patients were evaluated, of which 8 (19.5%) had HD at hospital discharge and died 13 (31.7%) during their care. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to predict HD/HM was 0.71 (95% CI (confidence interval) 0.55–0.87), 0.81 (95% CI 0.67–0.94), 0.89 (95% CI 0.79–0.99), 0.90 (95% CI 0.80–1.0), 0.89 (95% CI 0.78–0.99) for the STESS, mRSTESS, EMSE-EAC (etiology, age, comorbidities), EMSE-EACEG (etiology, age, comorbidities, electroencephalography) and EMSE-ECLEG (etiology, age, level of consciousness at pre-treatment, electroencephalography), variants of EMSE, respectively. The binary logistic regression demonstrated how the following cut-off points were determined: STESS OR (odd ratio) 4.80 (p?=?0.02), mRSTESS OR 7.89 (p?=?0.00), EMSE-EAC OR 22.16 (p?=?0.00), EMSE-ECLEG OR 18.00 (p?=?0.00), EMSE-EACEG OR 14 (p?=?0.00).

Conclusions

All of the evaluated scales (STESS, mRSTESS, and EMSE) were shown to be useful in predicting HD/HM. EMSE was observed to be the most effective of the scales, with relative similarities among the variants.