Enhanced production of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons from lineage-restricted human undifferentiated stem cells

Current differentiation protocols for generating mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons from human pluripotent stem cells result in grafts containing only a small proportion of mesDA neurons when transplanted in vivo. In this study, we develop lineage-restricted undifferentiated stem cells (LR-USCs) from pluripotent stem cells, which enhances their potential for differentiating into caudal midbrain floor plate progenitors and mesDA neurons. Using a ventral midbrain protocol, 69% of LR-USCs become bona fide caudal midbrain floor plate progenitors, compared to only 25% of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Importantly, LR-USCs generate significantly more mesDA neurons under midbrain and hindbrain conditions in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that midbrain-patterned LR-USC progenitors transplanted into 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats restore function in a clinically relevant non-pharmacological behavioral test, whereas midbrain-patterned hESC-derived progenitors do not. This strategy demonstrates how lineage restriction can prevent the development of undesirable lineages and enhance the conditions necessary for mesDA neuron generation.

The systemic immune response in Parkinson's disease: focus on the peripheral immune component

During Parkinson's disease (PD), both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) are affected. In parallel, innate immune cells respond early to neuronal changes and alpha-synuclein (α-syn) pathology. Moreover, some of the affected neuronal groups innervate organs with a relevant role in immunity. Consequently, not only microglia, but also peripheral immune cells are altered, resulting in a systemic immune response. Innate and adaptive immune cells may participate in the neurodegenerative process by acting peripherally, infiltrating the brain, or releasing mediators that can protect or harm neurons. However, the sequence of the changes and the significance of each immune compartment in the disease remain to be clarified. In this review, we describe current understanding of the peripheral immune response in PD and discuss the road ahead.

Effect of 12-months testosterone replacement therapy on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in testicular cancer survivors - results from a randomized double-blind trial

BACKGROUND

Testicular cancer survivors (TCS) are at risk of Leydig cell insufficiency, which is a condition characterized by elevated luteinising hormone (LH) in combination with low levels of testosterone. It has been suggested that this condition is associated with impaired metabolic profile and low bone mineral density (BMD). The primary aim of the randomized double-blind trial NCT02991209 was to evaluate metabolic profile after 12-months testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in TCS with mild Leydig cell insufficiency. Here we present the secondary outcomes of changes in BMD and markers of bone turnover.

METHODOLOGY

In total, 69 TCS with mild Leydig cell insufficiency were randomized 1:1 to 12 months TRT (n = 35) (Tostran, gel, 2%, applied transdermally, with a maximum daily dose of 40 mg) or placebo (n = 34). BMD and markers of bone turnover were evaluated at baseline, after 6- and 12-months TRT, and 3-months post-treatment. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyse changes in BMD, N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX).

RESULTS

After 12 months treatment, TRT was not associated with a statistically significant difference in BMD compared to placebo; total body BMD: 0.01 g/cm2 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.01 - 0.02), BMD of the lumbar spine: 0.01 g/cm2, (95% CI: -0.01-0.03), BMD of the left femoral neck: 0.00, (95% CI: -0.01-0.02). TRT was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in P1NP: 11.65 µg/L (95% CI: 3.96, 19.35), while there was no difference in CTX.

CONCLUSION

12 months of TRT did not change BMD, while there was as small and clinically irrelevant increase in P1NP compared to placebo in TCS with mild Leydig cell insufficiency. The findings need validation in a larger cohort.

Neuroinflammation and Immune Changes in Prodromal Parkinson's Disease and Other Synucleinopathies

Multiple lines of clinical and pre-clinical research support a pathogenic role for neuroinflammation and peripheral immune system dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. In this paper, we have reviewed and summarised the published literature reporting evidence of neuroinflammation and peripheral immune changes in cohorts of patients with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder and non-manifesting carriers of GBA or LRRK2 gene mutations, who have increased risk for Parkinsonism and synucleinopathies, and could be in the prodromal stage of these conditions. Taken together, the findings of these studies suggest that the early stages of pathology in Parkinsonism involve activation of both the central and peripheral immune systems with significant crosstalk. We consider these findings with respect to those found in patients with clinical Parkinson's disease and discuss their possible pathological roles. Moreover, those factors possibly associated with the immune response, such as the immunomodulatory role of the affected neurotransmitters and the changes in the gut-brain axis, are also considered.

Incidence rates of suicide attempts and self-harm in Europe. What can we learn? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Definitions used for suicide attempts and self-harm have been discussed for many years and is used differently in European countries, sometimes even interchangeably. Therefore, it is difficult to compare relevant rates across nations.

Objectives

This study aims at estimating the rate of suicide attempts and self-harm in chosen European countries in the more recent years when distinguishing between applied definitions.

Methods

A systematic search for relevant articles published between 2010-2020 will be performed in databases such as PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Only articles in English or Danish will be included. Data will be collected for all age groups above 15 years of age. The prevalence of suicide attempts and self-harm will be calculated by a random effect model. Subgroup analyses will be performed to compare the rates according to age.

Results

from the performed systematic review and meta-study will be presented at the conference.

Conclusions

The conclusion will be presented when results have been analysed.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Testicular cancer survivors have shorter anogenital distance that is not increased by 1 year of testosterone replacement therapy

STUDY QUESTION

Is anogenital distance (AGD) shorter in testicular cancer (TC) survivors than in men from the general population, and is AGD affected by testosterone replacement therapy in adulthood?

SUMMARY ANSWER

AGD, measured as distance from anus to scrotum (AGDas), is shorter in TC survivors and does not change as a result of testosterone replacement therapy.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Animal studies have shown that AGD is a postnatal 'read-out' of foetal androgen action, and short AGD in male offspring is considered a sign of feminization caused by in utero disruption of the reproductive system. Likewise, measurement of AGD in human studies has suggested AGD to be part of the testicular dysgenesis syndrome hypothesis, which proposes that male reproductive disorders, such as hypospadias, cryptorchidism, some cases of impaired semen quality and TC, all share a common foetal origin.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

The aim was to assess AGD in men with a history of TC and controls, and furthermore to examine AGD during testosterone replacement therapy in adulthood. Study participants were TC survivors with a mild Leydig cell insufficiency who participated in a randomized double-blind study of testosterone replacement therapy versus placebo for 52 weeks (N = 69). Men from the general population were prospectively included from a study on testicular function as controls (N = 67).

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

We measured two variants of AGD; as our primary outcome the anoscrotal distance (AGDas) measured from the centre of the anus to the posterior base of the scrotum, and secondarily the anopenile distance (AGDap) measured from the anus to the cephalad insertion of the penis. Using multiple regression analysis, the mean difference in AGD between TC survivors and men from the general population was assessed, adjusted for height, BMI and examiner. Next, AGD was measured before and after 52 weeks of treatment with testosterone or placebo, and with covariance analysis differences between the two groups at follow-up was assessed after adjustment for baseline AGD, examiner, BMI and change in BMI during treatment.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

TC survivors had a shorter AGDas (-0.84 cm, 95% CI: -1.31; -0.37) compared to men from the general population, and AGDas did not differ between the testosterone and placebo treated group at follow-up (0.11 cm, 95% CI: -0.22; 0.44). In contrast, AGDap was not shorter in TC survivors after adjustment (0.05 cm, 95% CI: -0.30; 0.39), and was 0.48 cm longer (95% CI: 0.13; 0.82) at follow-up in the testosterone treated compared to the placebo-treated group.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

A limitation of the study is that the number of included men was limited, and results need confirmation in a larger study. Furthermore, TC survivors were significantly older than controls. For the comparison of AGD in TC survivors and controls, it was not possible to conduct the examinations with the examiner being blinded to which group he was examining, and it cannot be excluded that this can cause a bias.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

The shorter AGDas in TC survivors compared to controls, which did not change upon adult testosterone replacement therapy, supports the hypothesis that reduced AGD is part of the testicular dysgenesis syndrome and may be a marker of disrupted foetal testicular development. By contrast, AGDap was not shorter in TC survivors and might be modestly sensitive to adult testosterone treatment, and thus inferior to AGDas as a constant postnatal marker of the foetal androgen environment.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

Expenses were paid by the Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet. Kiowa Kirin International covered expenses for Tostran and placebo. The Danish Cancer Society, The Danish Cancer Research Foundation, the Preben & Anna Simonsen Foundation, and Rigshospitalet have supported the study. L.P. was financed by the Research Fund of the Capital Region of Denmark. The authors have no competing interests.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Part of the study is based on men participating in a randomized controlled trial registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02991209, 25 November 2016.

ESMO Consensus Conference on testicular germ cell cancer: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) consensus conference on testicular cancer was held on 3-5 November 2016 in Paris, France. The conference included a multidisciplinary panel of 36 leading experts in the diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer (34 panel members attended the conference; an additional two panel members [CB and K-PD] participated in all preparatory work and subsequent manuscript development). The aim of the conference was to develop detailed recommendations on topics relating to testicular cancer that are not covered in detail in the current ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and where the available level of evidence is insufficient. The main topics identified for discussion related to: (1) diagnostic work-up and patient assessment; (2) stage I disease; (3) stage II-III disease; (4) post-chemotherapy surgery, salvage chemotherapy, salvage and desperation surgery and special topics; and (5) survivorship and follow-up schemes. The experts addressed questions relating to one of the five topics within five working groups. Relevant scientific literature was reviewed in advance. Recommendations were developed by the working groups and then presented to the entire panel. A consensus vote was obtained following whole-panel discussions, and the consensus recommendations were then further developed in post-meeting discussions in written form. This manuscript presents the results of the expert panel discussions, including the consensus recommendations and a summary of evidence supporting each recommendation. All participants approved the final manuscript.

Decision-making, therapy, and outcome in lateral compression fractures of the pelvis - analysis of a single center treatment

Background

Pelvic lateral compression fractures are the most stable of the unstable fractures. Therefore, decision making regarding operative or non-operative therapy is still a matter of debate.

Methods

Factors, influencing decision making for therapy, were explored based on prospectively collected register data of a single Level-1 trauma center. The analysis included epidemiological records such as age and gender, and injury characterizing parameters such as degree of displacement and the Injury Severity Score (ISS). In-hospital mortality and complications served as short-term outcome variables. After matching for relevant confounders, long-term results were compared between operatively and non-operatively treated patients, evaluating the Merle d’Aubigne and the EQ. 5D-3 L scores.

Results

Over an 11-year period (2004–14), 134 patients suffered from lateral compression fractures out of 567 pelvic fractures (33%). After excluding patients with clear indications for operation (complex pelvic fractures and pubic symphysis ruptures) and pediatric fractures, 114 patients could be included in the analysis. Sixty-one patients were treated conservatively (54%), 53 with an operation (46%). The operated patients were younger (43.7 vs 58.3 years), had higher ISS (19.9 vs 15.5 points) and fracture displacements (2.3 vs 4.9 mm) (p < 0.001 for all). The length of hospital stay was shorter in the conservatively treated group (12.7 vs 17.3 days, p < 0.02). Although the types of complications were different, the incidence was not. The mortality was less in the operated group (1.9% vs. 6.6%), however, a logistic regression analysis showed that only the ISS was an independent risk factor, but not the type of therapy. Merle d’Aubigne and EQ. 5D-3 L scores were not different in the matched cohorts.

Conclusion

Decision-making for operative therapy was favored in severely injured young patients with high displacement. However, short- and long-term outcomes showed no difference between operatively and non-operatively treated patients.

Trial registration

DRKS, no. 00000488. Registered 14th July 2010 - Retrospectively registered

Reproductive hormones and metabolic syndrome in 24 testicular cancer survivors and their biological brothers

Testicular cancer survivors have impaired gonadal function and increased risk of metabolic syndrome when compared to healthy controls. However, because of the fetal etiology of testicular cancer, familial unrelated healthy men might not be an optimal control group. The objective of this study was to clarify if testicular cancer survivors have impaired gonadal function and increased risk of metabolic syndrome when compared to their biological brothers. A cross-sectional study of testicular cancer survivors (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02240966) was conducted between 2014 and 2016. Of 158 testicular cancer survivors included, 24 had a biological brother who accepted to participate in the study. Serum levels of reproductive hormones and prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to International Diabetes Federation Criteria and National Cholesterol Education Program (Adult Treatment Panel III) criteria comprised the main outcome measures of the study. Median age was similar in testicular cancer survivors and their biological brothers [44 years (IQR 39-50) vs. 46 (40-53) years respectively (p = 0.1)]. In testicular cancer survivors, follow-up since treatment was 12 years (7-19). Serum levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were elevated (p ≤ 0.001), while total testosterone, free testosterone, inhibin B and anti-Müllerian hormone were lower (p ≤ 0.001) in testicular cancer survivors than in their biological brothers. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was similar and apart from HDL-cholesterol, which was lower in testicular cancer survivors (p = 0.01); there were no differences in the individual components of the metabolic syndrome between testicular cancer survivors and their brothers. In conclusion, gonadal function was impaired in testicular cancer survivors, while we did not detect any difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between testicular cancer survivors and their biological brothers.

Raising standards in clinical research - The impact of the ECRIN data centre certification programme, 2011-2016

The nature and the purpose of the ECRIN Data Centre Certification Programme are summarised, and a very brief description is given of the underlying standards (129 in total, divided into 19 separate lists). The certification activity performed so far is described. In a pilot phase 2 centres were certified in 2012. Calls in 2014 and 2015 resulted in a further 8 certified centres, with 2 certifications still in progress, and the 2016 call has generated several additional applications. The impact and benefits of the programme are listed, divided into a) the effects of the introduction of the standards, b) the effects of the certification programme in general, and c) the effects of the certification programme on individual units. The discussion emphasises the generally positive impact of the programme so far but stresses the need to better clarify the perspective and role of the programme.

Renal impairment and late toxicity in germ-cell cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Treatment with bleomycin-etoposide-cisplatin (BEP) impairs renal function and increases the risk of late cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. We investigated the influence of BEP on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and assessed the importance of GFR changes on CVD and death in a large cohort of germ-cell cancer survivors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

BEP-treated patients (N = 1206) were identified in the Danish DaTeCa database, and merged with national registers to identify late toxicity. GFR were measured (51Cr-EDTA clearance) before and after treatment and at 1, 3 and 5-year follow-up. The influence of BEP on GFR was evaluated with a linear mixed model. Risk factors for late toxicity were identified by a landmark analysis adjusting for covariates. The cohort was compared with the background population with standardized hospitalization/mortality rates.

RESULTS

GFR changed (ΔGFR) -11.3%, -15.4% and -25.9% after three, four and five+ cycles of BEP. For patients with impaired renal function before treatment the changes were 4.3%, 0.0% and -12.8%, respectively. During follow-up a significant rebound of GFR was documented. Compared with the background population, all patients, irrespective of renal function, had an increased risk of CVD and death. This risk depended on chronic kidney disease stage before treatment but not after treatment. ΔGFR had no influence on risk of late toxicity [death: hazard ratio (HR) 1.06, P = 0.50; CVD: HR 0.97, P = 0.61].

CONCLUSIONS

Renal function after BEP is closely related to number of cycles, but the changes in GFR are partly reversible and have no impact on risk of CVD or death.

Unenhanced computed tomography in acute renal colic reduces cost outside radiology department

BACKGROUND

Unenhanced multidetector computed tomography (UMDCT) is well established as the procedure of choice for radiologic evaluation of patients with renal colic. The procedure has both clinical and financial consequences for departments of surgery and radiology. However, the financial effect outside the radiology department is poorly elucidated.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the financial consequences outside of the radiology department, a retrospective study comparing the ward occupation of patients examined with UMDCT to that of intravenous urography (IVU) was performed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 594 consecutive patients were admitted for renal colic during two 6-month periods. One hundred seventy-three consecutive patients were examined with IVU in 2000 and 421 with UMDCT in 2005. The only difference between the two groups was the imaging procedure. The duration of hospital stay and pathology findings were registered.

RESULTS

In 50% of the patients undergoing UMDCT, a stone was found; a stone was found or suspected in 40% of patients undergoing IVU. Patients undergoing IVU stayed significantly longer in the ward than patients examined by UMDCT (P<0.0001). The new procedure (UMDCT) saved the hospital USD 265,000 every 6 months compared to the use of IVU.

CONCLUSION

Use of UMDCT compared to IVU in patients with renal colic leads to cost savings outside the radiology department.

The redistributive effect of health care finance in twelve OECD countries

The OECD countries finance their health care through a mixture of taxes, social insurance contributions, private insurance premiums and out-of-pocket payments. The various payment sources have very different implications for both vertical and horizontal equity and on redistributive effect which is a function of both. This paper presents results on the income redistribution consequences of the health care financing mixes adopted in twelve OECD countries by decomposing the overall income redistributive effect into a progressivity, horizontal inequity and reranking component. The general finding of this study is that the vertical effect is much more important than horizontal inequity and reranking in determining the overall redistributive effect but that their relative importance varies by source of payment. Public finance sources tend to have small positive redistributive effects and less differential treatment while private financing sources generally have (larger) negative redistributive effects which are to a substantial degree caused by differential treatment.

Equity in the finance of health care: some further international comparisons

This paper presents further international comparisons of progressivity of health care financing systems. The paper builds on the work of Wagstaff et al. [Wagstaff, A., van Doorslaer E., et al., 1992. Equity in the finance of health care: some international comparisons, Journal of Health Economics 11, pp. 361-387] but extends it in a number of directions: we modify the methodology used there and achieve a higher degree of cross-country comparability in variable definitions; we update and extend the cross-section of countries; and we present evidence on trends in financing mixes and progressivity.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and upper gastrointestinal bleeding, identifying high-risk groups by excess risk estimates

BACKGROUND

The relationship between use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) has been established beyond reasonable doubt. The literature on risk factors has almost exclusively focused on comparisons of relative risks in subgroups of patients: men versus women, old versus young and so forth. However, from a pragmatic, clinical viewpoint, only the excess risk provides a meaningful, robust measure of the magnitude of risk factors. The purpose of the study was to determine the excess risks in subgroups of patients and to characterize the utilization pattern of NSAIDs.

METHODS

A registry-based cohort study was conducted in a prescription and diagnosis registry in Odense, which covered a population of 207,000 persons for a period of 19 months.

RESULTS

In total, 183 (113 men and 70 women) UGB patients were identified, of whom 37 were current users of NSAIDs. The standardized incidence rate of UGB was 46 per 100,000 person-years for nonexposed and 253 per 100,000 person-years for exposed person-time, yielding an excess risk of 207 per 100,000 person-years (confidence interval (CI), 132-319) and a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 5.5 (CI, 3.9-7.9). Men had higher excess risk than women (277 versus 150 per 100,000 person-years). The SIR decreased with increasing duration of exposure. The excess risk was particularly high in persons aged 75 years or more (1258 per 100,000 person-years) and in patients with a history of peptic ulcer (879 per 100,000 person-years), being about 10- and 5-fold higher than in the complementary groups. NSAID utilization was remarkably sporadic. We found 31,503 users and a median purchase of 20 defined daily doses. Short-term use was highly prevalent in all age groups. Women, the elderly, and persons with a history of ulcer had a higher prevalence of NSAID use than others.

CONCLUSIONS

A history of peptic ulcer is associated with adverse outcome of NSAID therapy and should be regarded as a relative contraindication. A similarly strong effect of high age was shown. Male sex and short-term use are minor risk factors. The incidence of NSAID-related UGB can probably be reduced without affecting the overall utilization of NSAIDs.

Epidemiology of acute wrist trauma

Epidemiological data on wrist injuries in a population can be used for planning by applying them to criteria for care and thus deriving estimates of provisions for care according to currently desirable standards. In a 1-year study all patients > or = 15 years with acute wrist trauma and treated in the emergency room were examined according to an algorithm until a diagnosis was established. The overall incidence of wrist trauma was 69 per 10,000 inhabitants per year. Incidence of wrist trauma requiring x-ray examination was 58 per 10,000 per year. The incidence of distal radius fractures was 27 per 10,000 per year (males, 16 per 10,000, females, 37 per 10,000 per year). In order to evaluate the completeness (defined as the proportion of patients with wrist injuries seen in the emergency room to all patients with wrist injuries in the catchment area) of the hospital-based data an analysis was performed using data from a population-based study. A completeness rate of 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.31-0.78) was found. An x-ray had been taken for all patients reporting a fracture thus justifying the use of fractures as an incidence measure when comparing groups of patients with wrist trauma.

Political-economic construction of gay male clone identity

Social Construction is an ill-defined approach, lacking in specificity and poorly suited for solving problems of the real world. A concrete analysis of negative aspects of the Gay Clone Lifestyle, with a particular focus upon the premier gay clone drug, "poppers" (or nitrite inhalants), is contrasted to the desultory verbalizing characteristic of most social constructionist writing. The central point: Many features of the gay clone lifestyle were not created by or in the interests of gay men at all, but instead were economically constructed. The gay subculture largely evolved according to the profit-logic of an expanding sex industry. Over a dozen years ago, the sidewalks of my neighborhood, New York City's Lower East Side, were spray painted with the slogan, "CLONES GO HOME!" This was not an act of antigay bigotry. Gay men themselves had done the spray painting. Living in the Lower East Side-New York's traditional "melting pot"-these men had a way of life they wished to preserve from the encroachment of the "Gay Clone" lifestyle. Gay Lower East Siders considered themselves part of a diverse and vital community. They looked upon the newly emerging Gay Clone lifestyle as the product of a ghettoized mentality, an embodiment of commercialism, conformism, and vacuity. Living in a tough neighborhood, they were not impressed by leather queens with expensive wardrobes, nor by ersatz cowboys, nor by make-believe lumberjacks. They despised disco as an uninteresting species of submusic, referring to it as "Mafia Muzak." Nevertheless, the clone lifestyle came to prevail all over the world, so that an entire generation of gay men defined their own identities in terms of adherence to clonism: little mustaches; very short haircuts; plaid flannel shirts, boots, denim or leather jackets; a particular repertoire of movements, sounds, facial expressions, drug taking, and sexual practices. By the mid-70s there was a phrase in Frankfurt, "ein falscher Amerikaner" ("a fake American"), to describe a German gay man who had adopted the lifestyle of the American clone. At present, the clone lifestyle seems to be on the way out, though no doubt there are those who will carry it with them, as their identity, to the very end. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of social construction theory for understanding the clone episode in gay male history. I am particularly interested in the issues of continuity and specificity.

Public opinion about doctors' pay

Public opinion about doctors' incomes was examined in a national random sample of 843 respondents; 70.1 per cent of those questioned felt physicians are overpaid. There was a high degree of agreement among various groups that physicians are overpaid, but older people and Whites were more likely to think so than younger people and other ethnic groups. People who believe that the United States is characterized by unequal educational opportunity, unfair income distribution, and limited resources were also more likely to think physicians are overpaid.