Plasma endocannabinoid levels in multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the CNS. Therapies that affect the endocannabinoid (EC) system may have immunomodulatory, symptomatic and neuroprotective effects.

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine how levels of EC and related compounds are altered in MS.

METHODS

Plasma and whole blood were collected from 24 MS patients (10 relapsing-remitting (RR); 8 secondary-progressive (SP); 6 primary-progressive (PP); 19 females; 25-66 years) and 17 controls (10 females; 22-62 years). Plasma EC and related compounds were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), cannabinoid receptors CB(1) and CB(2) mRNA were measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Anandamide (AEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) were higher in RRMS compared to controls (p=0.001 and p=0.027). AEA, PEA and oleoylethanolamide were also increased in SPMS plasma (p=0.001, p=0.004, and p=0.005). PPMS patients had higher AEA plasma levels compared to controls (p=0.009). FAAH mRNA was decreased in SPMS (p=0.04) but not in RRMS or PPMS blood. CB(1) (p=0.012) and CB(2) mRNA (p=0.003) were increased in the PPMS.

CONCLUSION

The EC system is altered in MS. It may be dynamically modulated depending on the subtype of the disease, but further studies with larger subgroups are needed to confirm this.

Relationship between a family history of malignancy and the incidence of laryngeal carcinoma in the Liaoning province of China

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of family history of malignancy to the incidence of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

DESIGN

We performed a retrospective review of classified statistics from the detailed information of cases and matched controls.

SETTING

First Hospital of China Medical University in the Liaoning province of China, between October 2005 and November 2007.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 288 previously untreated patients with laryngeal cancer and 296 control subjects with non-malignant diseases were analysed by use of a hospital-based case-control study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence rates and family history of malignancy.

RESULTS

Single-factor logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds ratio value of a family history of malignancy was 2.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.2). Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed this result, with an odds ratio value of 2.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.2-4.5). There was significant association between a family history of malignancy and the development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

A family history of malignancy plays an important role in and is an independent risk factor for the incidence of laryngeal carcinoma.

Treatment center (TC) variability in survival of patients (pts) with colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with bevacizumab (BV): A subanalysis from the BRiTE Observational Study (OCS)

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Background: Treatment options and overall survival (OS) rates for pts with mCRC have increased markedly over the past decade. However, the variability in OS across TCs, and possible contributing factors (measured and unmeasured), remain unclear. We present an analysis from the BRiTE OCS assessing variability in OS as a function of TC, and sought to identify site factors that may predict better outcomes. Methods: BRiTE enrolled 1,953 pts with mCRC receiving a first-line BV-based regimen, from 248 U.S. sites, mostly community practices (Grothey et al. J Clin Oncol. 2008 26:5326). A Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify predictors of OS (age, PS, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, site of primary tumor) and calculate the expected number of deaths (E) compared to the observed number of deaths (O) within each TC. The ratio O/E was calculated and its distribution is presented. Sites with high O/E (top 25%) vs low O/E (lowest 25%) were titled “worst” (W) and “best” (B), respectively. B and W sites were compared by type (academic vs community, hospital vs clinic, urban vs rural), number of pts treated, choice of first-line chemotherapy, postprogression (PD) therapy, and duration of BV. TCs with ≥3 pts were included in the analysis (198). Results: Significant variation in the O/E ratio was observed across TCs ( Table ). The differences between W and B TCs were that pts at W TCs were less likely to receive a first-line oxali containing regimen (65% vs 67%), had shorter overall duration of BV (8 m vs 12 m) and were less likely to use BV following PD (33% vs 39%). Measured site, pt, and treatment variables explained ∼7% of the variability in O/E, suggesting most TC variability was due to unmeasured factors. Conclusions: Significant variability in OS exists across BRiTE TCs, which appears partly related to the specific therapies received by pts. Further work is needed to determine whether W TCs can be optimized and improve outcomes in pts with mCRC.

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Association of bone scintigraphic abnormalities with knee malalignment and pain

OBJECTIVE

The information content of knee bone scintigraphy was evaluated, including pattern, localisation and intensity of retention relative to radiographic features of knee osteoarthritis, knee alignment and knee symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 308 knees (159 subjects) with symptomatic and radiographic knee osteoarthritis of at least one knee was assessed by late-phase (99m)Technetium methylene disphosphonate bone scintigraph, fixed-flexion knee radiograph, full limb radiograph for knee alignment and for self-reported knee symptom severity. Generalised linear models were used to control for within-subject correlation of knee data.

RESULTS

The compartmental localisation (medial vs lateral) and intensity of knee bone scan retention were associated with the pattern (varus vs valgus) (p<0.001) and severity (p<0.001) of knee malalignment and localisation and severity of radiographic osteoarthritis (p<0.001). Bone scan agent retention in the tibiofemoral, but not patellofemoral, compartment was associated with severity of knee symptoms (p<0.001) and persisted after adjusting for radiographic osteoarthritis (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study describing a relationship between knee malalignment, joint symptom severity and compartment-specific abnormalities by bone scintigraphy. This work demonstrates that bone scintigraphy is a sensitive and quantitative indicator of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Used selectively, bone scintigraphy is a dynamic imaging modality that holds great promise as a clinical trial screening tool and outcome measure.

Evaluation of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene,S-phenylmercapturic acid,trans,trans-muconic acid, 3-methyladenine, 3-ethyladenine, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and thioethers as biomarkers of exposure to cigarette smoke

The objective was to evaluate the utility of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA), 3-methyladenine (3-MeAd), 3-ethyladenine (3-EtAd), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and thioethers as biomarkers for assessing the exposure in adult smokers who switched from smoking conventional cigarettes to candidate potential reduced exposure products (PREP) or who stopped smoking. Two electrically heated smoking systems (EHCSS) were used as prototype cigarettes that have significant reductions in a number of mainstream smoke constituents as measured by smoking machines relative to those from conventional cigarettes. Urine samples were collected from a randomized, controlled, forced-switching study in which 110 adult smokers of a conventional cigarette brand (CC1) were randomly assigned to five study groups. The groups included the CC1 smoking group, a lower-tar conventional cigarette (CC2) smoking group, EHCSS1 group, EHCSS2 group and a no smoking group that were monitored for 8 days. Biomarkers were measured at baseline and day 8. The daily excretion levels of these biomarkers were compared among the groups before and after switching, and the relationships between the daily excretion levels of these biomarkers and cigarette smoking-related exposure were investigated using Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analyses. It was concluded that under controlled study conditions: (1) 1-OHP, S-PMA and t,t-MA are useful biomarkers that could differentiate exposure between smoking conventional and EHCSS cigarettes or between smoking conventional cigarettes and no smoking; between S-PMA and t,t-MA, the former appeared to be more sensitive; (2) 3-MeAd could only differentiate between smoking conventional cigarettes and no smoking; the results for 3-EtAd were not conclusive because contradictory results were observed; (3) 8-OHdG had a questionable association with smoking and therefore the utility of this biomarker for smoking-related exposure could not be established; and (4) urinary excretion of thioethers as a biomarker lacked sensitivity to demonstrate a clear dose-response relationship in conventional cigarette smokers, although it could differentiate the excretion levels between those subjects who smoked a conventional cigarette and those who stopped smoking.

Negative words on surgical wards result in therapeutic failure of patient-controlled analgesia and further release of cortisol after abdominal surgeries

BACKGROUND

The perception of pain is germane to the environmental stimuli. Nurses on surgical wards are the main contributor in influencing patients' psychophysiological fettle. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different words, negative or positive, from nurses on postoperative pain therapy with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

METHODS

1500 ASA I-II patients, who underwent abdominal hysterectomy, were screened and 771 were randomized into one of four groups. In the no words group (NW, N.=35), no words was delivered. The positive (PW, N.=248), partially negative (NW1, N.=241) and totally negative (NW2, N.=247) groups received corresponding words when treating with morphine PCA, the words were given singly at the 3(rd), 6(th), 12(th), 18(th) h and repeatedly at the 3(rd) and 6(th) h, and each group was redivided into six subgroups according to varying time points. Pain intensity, morphine consumption, side effects, overall sedation and satisfaction scores were recorded and plasma cortisol was tested.

RESULTS

A total of 614 patients completed the study. Negative words expressed significant influence on pain therapy at the 3(rd) and 6(th) h after surgeries (P<0.01), and this effect was more convenient in repeatedly treated patients (P<0.001). Positive and the 12(th) and 18(th) h negative words displayed little role in pain management. Morphine consumption, side effects, satisfaction and cortisol level converted with the change of the pain intensity. No intergroup differences were observed in patients' overall conditions.

CONCLUSION

Negative words on surgical wards influenced postoperative pain management at the earlier period of time after abdominal surgeries associated with the HPA axis activation.

Short-wave near-infrared spectroscopy of milk powder for brand identification and component analysis

The aim of the present paper was to provide new insight into the short-wave near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis of milk powder. Near-infrared spectra in the 800- to 1,025-nm region of 350 samples were analyzed to determine the brands and quality of milk powders. Brand identification was done by a least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) model coupled with fast fixed-point independent component analysis (ICA). The correct answer rate of the ICA-LS-SVM model reached as high as 98%, which was better than that of the LS-SVM (95%). Contents of fat, protein, and carbohydrate were determined by the LS-SVM and ICA-LS-SVM models. Both processes offered good determination performance for analyzing the main components in milk powder based on short-wave NIR spectra. The coefficients of determination for prediction and root mean square error of prediction of ICA-LS-SVM were 0.983, 0.231, and 0.982, and 0.161, 0.980, and 0.410, respectively, for the 3 components. However, there were less than 10 input variables in the ICA-LS-SVM model compared with 225 in the LS-SVM model. Thus, the processing time was much shorter and the model was simpler. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that the short-wave NIR region is promising for fast and reliable determination of the brand and main components in milk powder.

The survival benefit of deceased donor liver transplantation as a function of candidate disease severity and donor quality

The survival benefit of liver transplantation depends on candidate disease severity, as measured by MELD score. However, donor liver quality may also affect survival benefit. Using US data from the SRTR on 28 165 adult liver transplant candidates wait-listed between 2001 and 2005, we estimated survival benefit according to cross-classifications of candidate MELD score and deceased donor risk index (DRI) using sequential stratification. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for each liver transplant recipient at a given MELD with an organ of a given DRI, comparing posttransplant mortality to continued wait-listing with possible later transplantation using a lower-DRI organ. High-DRI organs were more often transplanted into lower-MELD recipients and vice versa. Compared to waiting for a lower-DRI organ, the lowest-MELD category recipients (MELD 6-8) who received high-DRI organs experienced significantly higher mortality (HR = 3.70; p < 0.0005). All recipients with MELD > or =20 had a significant survival benefit from transplantation, regardless of DRI. Transplantation of high-DRI organs is effective for high but not low-MELD candidates. Pairing of high-DRI livers with lower-MELD candidates fails to maximize survival benefit and may deny lifesaving organs to high-MELD candidates who are at high risk of death without transplantation.

Ascites in hepatitis C liver transplant recipients frequently occurs in the absence of advanced fibrosis

Ascites after liver transplantation is uncommon (3-7%) but causes morbidity and mortality. Although hepatitis C (HCV), pretransplant ascites, encephalopathy and cold ischemia time have been identified as predictors, neither posttransplant renal function nor the severity of recurrent HCV (inflammatory grade; fibrosis stage) has been systematically assessed. Among 173 HCV transplants (1 January 1998 to 31 December 2002), 18 patients (10%) developed posttransplant ascites. Cox proportional hazards models identified recipient female gender (hazard ratio [HR]= 12.18; p = 0.0001), cold ischemia time (HR = 1.17 per incremental hour; p = 0.021) and posttransplant creatinine (Cr) (HR = 1.56 per incremental 1.0 mg/dL; p = 0.0052) as independent predictors. Ludwig-Batts inflammation grade (HR = 1.32; p = 0.36) and fibrosis stage (HR = 1.63; p = 0.12) were not significant predictors. The 18 recipients had 19 ascites episodes; 12/19 had fibrosis stage 0, 1 or 2 (10/12 with stage 0 or 1). All 12 lacked diagnostic parenchymal or vascular histopathology. Renal function at ascites diagnosis were similar for transplants with fibrosis stage 0, 1 or 2 versus 3 or 4 (1.8 +/- 1.6 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.6 mg/dL; Cr clearance 39.6 +/- 15.6 vs. 39.3 +/- 13.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). In conclusion, recipient female gender, cold ischemia time and poor posttransplant renal function were independent predictors of ascites after HCV liver transplantation. Two thirds of ascites episodes, however, occurred without significant fibrosis or histopathology.

Improving toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis strain contains the cry8Ca gene specific to Anomala corpulenta larvae

The cry8C-type gene designated cry8Ca2, which was cloned and sequenced from a Bacillus thuringiensis isolate HBF-1 in China, consisted of an open reading frame of 3483 bp encoding a protein of 1160 amino-acid residues. Sequence analysis showed that the Cry8Ca2 protoxin of 130.5 kDa had 99.9% sequence homology with the previously reported Cry8Ca1 protein, with one mismatch between the two amino-acid sequences. When the Cry8Ca2 toxin was expressed in a crystal-negative strain of B. thuringiensis (HD-73(-)), elliptical crystals were produced. Cell extracts from this recombinant strain showed insecticidal activity against Anomala corpulenta larva. Mutant cry8Ca2 genes, produced by polymerase chain reaction amplification with Taq DNA polymerase, were used to develop recombinant B. thuringiensis strains. Mutants producing higher levels of insecticidal activity were identified by bioassay. Thirty-five mutants forming crystals were characterized, and two of them showed significantly increased insecticidal activity against A. corpulenta larva. The 50% lethality concentrations (LC(50)) of the two mutants were 0.2334 x 10(8) and 0.2591 x 10(8) colony-forming units g(-1), considerably lower than the LC(50) of the wild-type strain HBF-1 (0.9583 x 10(8) CFU g(-1)) and that of B. thuringiensis serovar japonensis strain Buibui (1.0752 x 10(8) CFU g(-1)).

Extraction and Quantitative Analysis of Stearoyl-Coenzyme A Desaturase mRNA from Dairy Cow Milk Somatic Cells

Study of stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD) gene expression in the bovine mammary gland is limited by restricted availability of mammary tissue samples from biopsy or postmortem sampling of cows during temporal experiments. A technique was developed to isolate total RNA from somatic cells in bovine milk and to analyze SCD mRNA expression by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Total RNA yield was lower than in a previous goat study and was related to numbers of viable somatic cells. To obtain sufficient total RNA, 1-L milk samples were taken and stored for up to 24 h at 4 degrees C. Complementary DNA prepared from somatic cells showed a 99% match with the published sequence for SCD mRNA in bovine adipose tissue. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase mRNA abundance relative to beta-actin mRNA for 12 cows sampled across 4 time points varied (mean +/- SE) from 0.88 +/- 0.17 to 4.40 +/- 0.50. Fifty-five percent of variation was due to individual cows and 42% was due to daily variation within cows. Relative abundance of SCD mRNA was not related to the number of viable somatic cells or total RNA extracted from samples, but it was related to mammary desaturase activity, as indicated by changes in milk C14 fatty acid concentrations. We concluded that somatic cells provide a noninvasive and repeatable alternative to mammary tissue samples obtained by biopsy or postmortem.

Infrared Spectroscopy Technique for the Nondestructive Measurement of Fat Content in Milk Powder

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the infrared spectroscopy technique for nondestructive measurement of fat content in milk powder. Fat is an important component of milk powder. It is very important to be able to detect the fat content in milk powder using a rapid and nondestructive method. Near and mid infrared spectroscopy techniques were used to achieve this purpose. Least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) was applied to developing the fat-content prediction model based on the infrared spectral transmission values. The results based on LS-SVM were better than those of back-propagation artificial neural networks. The determination coefficient for prediction of the results predicted by the LS-SVM model was 0.9796 and the root mean square error was 0.836708. It was concluded that infrared spectroscopy technique could quantify the fat content in milk powder rapidly and nondestructively. The process is simple and easy to operate. Moreover, the prediction results were compared between near infrared and mid infrared spectral data. The results showed that the performances of model with both mid infrared and near infrared spectral data were a little worse than that of the whole infrared spectral data. The results could be beneficial for designing a simple and nondestructive spectral sensor for the quantification of fat content in milk powder.

Simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation: evaluation to decision making

Questions about appropriate allocation of simultaneous liver and kidney transplants (SLK) are being asked because kidney dysfunction in the context of liver failure enhances access to deceased donor organs. There is specific concern that some patients who undergo combined liver and kidney transplantation may have reversible renal failure. There is also concern that liver transplants are placed prematurely in those with end-stage renal disease. Thus to assure allocation of transplants only to those truly in need, the transplant community met in March 2006 to review post-MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) data on the impact of renal function on liver waitlist and transplant outcomes and the results of SLK.

Chemodiversity of saponins and their taxonomic importance in Clematis genus (Ranunculaceae)

Distribution patterns of chemical compounds in plants have been used for biosystematic and phylogenetic studies. Saponin profile of twelve major taxa of Clematis genus, belonging to sections, Rectae, Clematis, Meclatis, Tubulosae and Viorna were analyzed by HPLC coupled with diode array detector and ESI-MS. The chemodiversity profile of saponins has unambiguously delimited the taxa of Clematis at subgenus, section and subsection level. The distribution of saponins in Clematis genus provides useful taxonomic markers and results are presented in phenograms. The compound Huzhangoside D was common and the most abundant in analyzed species of the genus. The morphological analysis was also conducted of the same taxa and presented as cluster tree. The distribution and chemotaxonomic importance of saponins profile within the genus is discussed.

The acidity of protein fusion partners predominantly determines the efficacy to improve the solubility of the target proteins expressed in Escherichia coli

Maximization of the soluble protein expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli) via the fusion expression strategy is usually preferred for academic, industrial and pharmaceutical purposes. In this study, a set of distinct protein fusion partners were comparatively evaluated to promote the soluble expression of two target proteins including the bovine enterokinase largely prone to aggregation and the green fluorescent protein with moderate native solubility. Within protein attributes that are putatively involved in protein solubility, the protein acidity was of particular concern. Our results explicitly indicated the protein fusion partners with a stronger acidity remarkably exhibited a higher capacity to enhance the solubility of the target proteins. Among them, msyB, an E. coli acidic protein that suppresses the mutants lacking function of protein export, was revealed as an excellent protein fusion partner with the distinguished features including high potential to enhance protein solubility, efficient expression, relatively small size and the origin of E. coli itself. In principle, our results confirmed the modified solubility model of Wilkinson-Harrison and especially deepened understanding its essence. Meanwhile, the roles of other parameters such as protein hydrophilicity in solubility enhancement were discussed, a guideline to design or search an optimum protein solubility enhancer was also proposed.

BM stem cell transplantation rescues pathophysiologic features of aged dystrophic mdx muscle

BACKGROUND

The value of transplantation of BM stem cells in aged (12-month-old) mdx was evaluated because it is thought to be a more ideal model for studying the praxiology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The possible mechanisms of stem cell differentiation were then discussed.

METHODS

BM was isolated from 8-10-week-old male C57 BL/10 mice. After injecting BM cells into 12-month-old female mdx mice through the tail vein, the expression of dystrophin and MyoD was detected at different time points by immunofluorescence staining, RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

The C57 male mice donor-specific and Y-chromosome-specific sequence could be detected in all female aged mdx mice, implying the success of the transplantation. Expression of dystrophin and MyoD was detected and increased over time.

DISCUSSION

BM cells were recruited to the muscle and partially restored specific pathophysiologic features of the dystrophic muscle in aged mdx mice. Muscle differentiation of BM cells recapitulated embryonic myogenesis.

Clinical and metabolic features of polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical and metabolic features of Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

METHODS

The clinical data of 273 Chinese women diagnosed as having PCOS were retrospectively studied.

RESULTS

Of these women 34.8% had hirsutism, 45.1% had acne, 94.1% had some menstrual abnormality, and 96.7% had typical appearances of polycystic ovaries on ultrasonographic examination. The prevalence of overweight women was 30.4%, and the prevalence of insulin resistance was 12.8% using the glucose to insulin ratio (GIR) and 21.6% using the homesostasis model assessment (HOMA). Body mass index was significantly correlated with fasting insulin level (r=0.50), GIR (r=0.37) and HOMA (r=0.53).

CONCLUSION

Menstrual abnormality and polycystic ovaries were the main clinical manifestations in this cohort of Chinese women with PCOS. The prevalence of hyperandrogenism, obesity, and insulin resistance was lower in this cohort than in women from other races with the same condition. Ethnic differences needs to be considered when studying the clinical and metabolic features of women with PCOS.