Biochemical, immunological, and immunocytochemical evidence for the association of chalcone synthase with endoplasmic reticulum membranes.

Chalcone synthase [naringenin-chalcone synthase; malonyl-CoA:4-coumaroyl-CoA malonyltransferase (cyclizing), E.C. 2.3.1.74], the key enzyme of flavonoid pathways that was believed to be soluble, has been localized on ribosome-bearing endoplasmic reticulum membranes in the epidermis of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.) hypocotyls. Enzyme activity measurement and immunoblots of buckwheat hypocotyl homogenates that were fractionated on linear sucrose density gradients and developed with a specific chalcone synthase antibody and a 20-nm ImmunoGold conjugate showed the presence of chalcone synthase in fractions enriched in endoplasmic reticulum membranes. The presence of chalcone synthase on these membranes was not caused by nonspecific adsorption or entrapment of proteins. Immunocytochemical investigations with both a 5-nm and a 20-nm ImmunoGold conjugate showed that chalcone synthase was associated with the cytoplasmic face of rough (ribosome bearing) endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Plasma membrane, nucleus, plastids, mitochondria, golgi, and the tonoplast were not labeled. These data are consistent with our earlier described model suggesting that the synthesis of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids takes place partially or fully on membrane-associated enzyme complexes.     

Magnetic resonance in the staging of multiple myeloma]

The authors retrospectively reviewed the MR examinations of 46 patients with clinical and laboratory findings of monoclonal gammopathies (MG). All cases had been submitted to radiographic examination which had shown skeletal involvement in 22 cases and osteoporosis in 11, with rupture of the vertebral body in 3 patients. Scintigraphy had been performed on all patients and CT on 12; 36 patients were subsequently submitted to follow-up (at 6, 12 and 24 months). MR examinations were performed with dedicated coils and standard sequences for the subjects with skeletal localizations on X-ray images. The extant cases, with no radiographic evidence of skeletal involvement, were submitted to MRI of the spine, skull and pelvis. In agreement with clinical and laboratory findings and with follow-up results (in 36 patients), MRI diagnosed MG with no skeletal involvement in 13 cases, osteoporosis in 8 (with rupture of the vertebral body in 2), asymptomatic non-progressive myeloma in 4, solitary myeloma in 3, and multiple myeloma in 18 cases. The good identification of bone marrow and its multiplanarity make MRI the method of choice in the study of patients with suspected or known gammopathies. If compared with other modalities, MRI is more sensitive and accurate in depicting the tumor, its size and relationship to periskeletal tissues, and its possible multifocality. Moreover, the technique has proven to be a valid tool during the follow-up, showing tumor response to therapy.     

Bilateral complete discoid medial meniscus combined with posterior cyst formation

Bilateral discoid medial menisci is an extremely rare condition of the knee and it can be associated to other pathological findings, including anterior portion cyst formation. We report on the clinical features, radiographic findings, treatment and results of one patient who presented a bilateral medial discoid meniscus combined with posterior portion cyst of the left knee. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first case of bilateral medial discoid meniscus associated with posterior portion cyst formation.     

Magnetic resonance in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysms

Eighteen patients affected by intra-cranial aneurysms, with size ranging from 3 to 30 mm, were studied by means of MRI, CT, and angiography. MRI was performed using Spin-Echo (SE) sequences with different Repetition Times (TR) and Echo Times (TE), which allowed the characterization of the lesions in relation to the relaxation times. MRI could identify all the aneurysms. In 13 subjects the parent vessels could be seen. In 5 patients the aneurysms could be recognized only after angiography, due to their dimension (less than 4 mm). The "flow effects" and the presence of methemoglobin and hemosiderin in the thrombosed portion of the lumen allowed both the detection of flow abnormalities and the characterization of laminate intra-aneurysmal thrombosis. In conclusion, MRI appears to be a sensitive methodology in the detection of intracranial aneurysms, even more sensitive than CT and Angiography in characterizing this kind of lesions.     

Slow event-related brain activity of aphasic patients and controls in word comprehension and rhyming tasks

Slow event-related potentials (ERP) were examined in healthy and aphasic subjects in two-stimulus designs comprising a word comprehension and a rhyming task. Aphasics, though selected to perform above chance level, made significantly more errors and responded more slowly than controls, although canonical correlations did not indicate a statistical relationship between performance measures and ERP amplitudes. A discriminant analysis of ERP amplitudes distinguished the groups for the slow wave (SW; 0.5-1.0 s post-S1 onset) in the word comprehension, for the SW and the initial contingent negative variation (iCNV; 1.0-2.0 s post-S1 onset) in the rhyming task. Similarly for both tasks, ERP topography showed left-anterior predominance of the negative SW and iCNV in controls, whereas participants with aphasia showed smaller anterior and larger left-posterior amplitudes. The centroparietal terminal CNV (tCNV; 1 s pre-S2) was smaller in participants with aphasia than in controls, but similar in topography. Results suggest left-anterior activation for those language processes that were presumably provoked in the present tasks, like lexical access, or phonological encoding. The pattern of participants with aphasia may indicate effects of language impairment and recovery, but also consequences of the brain damage.     

Management of cervicofacial lymphatic malformations requires a multidisciplinary approach

Background/PurposeCervicofacial lymphatic malformations (CFLM) are rare, potentially life-threatening vascular anomalies, yet reports on multidisciplinary treatment strategies are lacking. We evaluated outcomes for CFLMs following sclerotherapy, surgical resection, and/or medical management.MethodsWe identified children with a CFLM at a vascular anomalies center from 2004 to 2019. Exclusion criteria: retro-orbital malformations, untreated malformations, patients without follow-up. Primary clinical outcome was contour improvement, with significance defined as LM volume reduction of > 50% by cross-sectional imaging.ResultsSixty-three children met inclusion criteria: 35 with macrocystic CFLMs, six with microcystic CFLMs, and 22 with mixed-type malformations. Mean post-intervention follow-up was 27.5 months. Fifty-eight patients underwent sclerotherapy (median: two treatments). Doxycycline and/or bleomycin were used in 95% of patients. After sclerotherapy, 97% of macrocystic CFLMs improved significantly compared to 82% of mixed and 67% of microcystic lesions. Sixteen children underwent surgical resection with 75% significantly improving; two additional patients were successfully treated with sclerotherapy after debulking surgery. Six children received sirolimus for microcystic disease, of which 33% significantly improved.ConclusionSclerotherapy is very effective for macrocystic components of CFLMs, albeit less so for microcystic disease. Microcystic CFLMs frequently require surgical resection. Sirolimus is a helpful therapeutic adjunct, particularly for microcystic lesions, but more study is needed.Level of EvidenceLevel II, prognosis study     

Temperature monitoring and lesion volume estimation during double-applicator laser-induced thermotherapy in ex vivo swine pancreas: a preliminary study

Tissue temperature distribution plays a crucial role in the outcome of laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT), a technique employed for neoplasias removal. Since recent studies proposed LITT for pancreatic tumors treatment, assessment of temperature and of its effects around the laser applicator could be useful to define optimal laser settings. The aims of this work are temperature monitoring and measurement of ablated tissue volume in an ex vivo porcine pancreas undergoing double-applicator LITT. A three-dimensional numerical model is implemented to predict temperature rise and volumes of ablated tissue in treated pancreas. Experiments are performed to validate the model, with two modalities: (1) 12-fiber Bragg grating sensors are adopted to monitor the heating and cooling during LITT at several distances from the applicators tip, and (2) 1.5-T MR imaging is used to estimate the ablated volume. Experimental data agree with theoretical ones: at 2 mm from both applicators tips, the maximum temperature increase is approximately 60 °C downward from the tips, while it increases of about 40 °C and 30 °C, respectively, at the level and upward from the tips. This behavior occurs also at other distances, proving that the tissue downward from the tip is mostly heated. Furthermore, the estimated volume with MRI agrees with theoretical one (i.d., 0.91?±?0.09 vs. 0.95 cm³). The encouraging results indicate that the model could be a suitable tool to choose the optimal laser settings, in order to control the volume of ablated tissue.