Relationship between Intracranial Granulomas and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Gamma Interferon and Interleukin-10 in Patients with Tuberculous Meningitis

Cerebrospinal fluid gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-10 levels in 39 patients with tuberculous meningitis were serially measured. Cytokine levels did not predict intracranial granuloma (IG) development, but IFN-γ levels in the top quartile after 1 month of therapy were highly associated (odds ratio = 18) with detection of an IG by computed tomography scanning.     

Linear and Whorled Nevoid Hypermelanosis: Report of a Case Associated with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract: A child had cerebral palsy and linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosis on the right side of his body. He had spasticity and wasting in both lower limbs, with electroencephalographic changes and brain abnormalities on computerized tomographic scan. Chromosomal study of peripheral blood leukocytes found a normal male karyotype. The pathogenesis of this condition is still unclear.     

Thermal transition and frequency response of the dielectric behaviour of some cellulosic substances

The real part of the relative permittivity ?′_r of some cellulosic materials contaminated with commercial impurities and NaCl (determined as weight percent ash contents), and that of the purified fibres, as well as their hydrolysed residues, free of such contaminations, was measured in the frequency range 10² Hz ≤ f ≤ 10⁵ Hz and in the temperature range 283,15 K ≤ T ≤ 333,15 K. Additional measurements of the imaginary part of relative permittivity ?″_r have been carried out in the same frequency and temperature ranges for hydrocellulose samples free of inorganic impurities and contaminated with NaCl. The results obtained show that the variation with temperature of the relative permittivity of the samples examined exhibits a change in slope in the vicinity of 303,15 K except for hydrocellulose samples free of impurities. They further show that the presence of inorganic contaminations has a significant effect on the magnitude of the relative permittivity and its variation with temperature, particularly at low frequency. In the case of samples contaminated with inorganic impurities, interfacial polarization is responsible for the anomalous dielectric behaviour observed with the examined samples.     

Chromosome abnormalities in benign prostatic hyperplasia

We combined conventional cytogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization of short-term cultures of 28 samples from benign prostatic hyperplasia. Lou of the Y chromosome was the most common chromosome change, followed by trisomy 7. Trisomy 7, however, may be unrelated to the origin of benign prostate hyperplasia, in which the only and not very specific change seems to be the loss of the Y chromosome. Genes Chrom Cancer 9:227-233 (1594). © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Ring chromosome 6 as the only change in a thymoma

Cytogenetic analysis of a thymoma showed the presence of a ring chromosome 6 as the sole chromosome abnormality. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecular diagnostic alterations in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and potential diagnostic applications

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignancy that continues to be difficult to treat and cure. In many organ systems and tumor types, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the molecular basis for tumorigenesis, disease progression and genetic implications for therapeutics. Although tumorigenesis pathways and the molecular etiologies of HNSCC have been extensively studied, there are still very few diagnostic clinical applications used in practice today. This review discusses current clinically applicable molecular markers, including viral detection of Epstein–Barr virus and human papillomavirus, and molecular targets that are used in diagnosis and management of HNSCC. The common oncogenes EGFR, RAS, CCND1, BRAF, and PIK3CA and tumor suppressor genes p53, CDKN2A and NOTCH are discussed for their associations with HNSCC. Discussion of markers with potential future applications is also included, with a focus on molecular alterations associated with targeted therapy resistance.     

Preimplantation genetic screening to improve in vitro fertilization pregnancy rates: a prospective randomized controlled trial

This prospective randomized controlled pilot trial was designed to evaluate whether prescreening embryos for aneuploidy can improve clinical outcomes in infertile patients undergoing IVF, without limiting to poor prognosis patients. Although there was no statistically significant improvement in live birth rates or implantation rates in this pilot study, there was a trend toward improved clinical outcomes, indicating that future multicenter randomized trials are needed.     

Sleep architecture based on sleep depth and propensity: patterns in different demographics and sleep disorders and association with health outcomes

Study ObjectivesConventional metrics of sleep quantity/depth have serious shortcomings. Odds-Ratio-Product (ORP) is a continuous metric of sleep depth ranging from 0 (very deep sleep) to 2.5 (full-wakefulness). We describe an ORP-based approach that provides information on sleep disorders not apparent from traditional metrics.MethodsWe analyzed records from the Sleep-Heart-Health-Study and a study of performance deficit following sleep deprivation. ORP of all 30-second epochs in each PSG and percent of epochs in each decile of ORPs range were calculated. Percentage of epochs in deep sleep (ORP < 0.50) and in full-wakefulness (ORP > 2.25) were each assigned a rank, 1–3, representing first and second digits, respectively, of nine distinct types (“1,1”, “1,2” … ”3,3”). Prevalence of each type in clinical groups and their associations with demographics, sleepiness (Epworth-Sleepiness-Scale, ESS) and quality of life (QOL; Short-Form-Health-Survey-36) were determined.ResultsThree types (“1,1”, “1,2”, “1,3”) were prevalent in OSA and were associated with reduced QOL. Two (“1,3” and “2,3”) were prevalent in insomnia with short-sleep-duration (insomnia-SSD), but only “1,3” was associated with poor sleep depth and reduced QOL, suggesting two phenotypes in insomnia-SSD. ESS was high in types “1,1” and “1,2”, and low in “1,3” and “2,3”. Prevalence of some types increased with age while in others it decreased. Other types were either rare (“1,1” and “3,3”) or high (“2,2”) at all ages.ConclusionsThe proposed ORP histogram offers specific and unique information on the underlying neurophysiological characteristics of sleep disorders not captured by routine metrics, with potential of advancing diagnosis and management of these disorders.     

Incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection and their clarithromycin-resistant strains in otitis media with effusion regarding phenotypic and genotypic studies

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are pathogenic bacteria that infect a half of the human population, colonize gastric mucosa and can be found in gastric juice. Reflux of gastric juice has been suggested to be associated with glue ear in children. It has been suggested that tonsil and adenoid tissues are potential reservoirs of H. pylori infection. These observations raise the question as to whether H. pylori infection might have a role in otitis media with effusion (OME) in children. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the incidence and possible role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of OME in children and to evaluate the clarithromycin-resistant strains. Molecular assessment was done to evaluate the culture results vs. molecular study. A total of 60 children, who were prone to ventilation tube insertion, adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy were included in the study. The control group consisted of 40 children who underwent adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy without the history of OME. Samples of the middle ear fluid and mucosa, adenoid tissue, tonsillar tissue and gastric lavage were cultured and underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis then were assembled by using QIAxcel System as capillary electrophoresis for H. pylori detection. There was significant difference between the results of cultures and PCR (P < 0.05). Middle ear fluid culture was positive for H. pylori in 40% of the patients vs. 56.7% PCR results while middle ear mucosa culture was positive in 20% vs. 26.7% PCR results. Gastric lavage culture was positive in 46.6% of the patients and PCR was positive in 63.3% of the patients. Adenoid culture and PCR were positive in 56.3% for each, while tonsil culture was positive in 70% and PCR was positive in 90%. H. pylori presence in the gastric lavage, the tonsillar and adenoid tissues by culture and PCR was significantly more frequent in the study group compared to the control group. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of clarithromycin-resistant isolates ranged from 1.5 to 8 μg/ml. This study showed the presence of H. pylori in around 50% of the patients with OME. PCR revealed its sensitivity than culture techniques. The incidence of clarithromycin resistance was found to be high among the isolates (39.6%).