Management of maternal ventriculo-atrial shunt malfunction during pregnancy

AbstractHydrocephalic females reaching childbearing age is increasing due to treatment advances. It has been suggested that ventriculo-atrial (VA) shunts be preferred over ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunts during pregnancy. We present a case with multiple VA shunt malfunctions during two separate pregnancies. We treated the patient with a valveless VA shunt during both and were able to achieve near-term deliveries. During the second pregnancy the patient had an emergent caesarian section due to severe hydrocephalus and stunted fetal growth. Delivering the child also relieved her hydrocephalus. Of unclear reasons the right atrium failed as a distal absorption site during both pregnancies, and we must conclude that VA shunts do not necessarily alleviate problems regarding pressure at the distal end of the shunt system but never the less should be considered a treatment option on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore we conclude that a valveless shunt should be considered in select cases of maternal shunt malfunction where valves exert to high pressure resistance

The Common Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) Promoter Polymorphism FSHR -29G > A Affects Androgen Production in Normal Human Small Antral Follicles

Follicle-stimulating hormone receptors (FSHRs) are almost exclusively expressed on granulosa cells, and FSH action is probably most clearly reflected in intrafollicular hormone milieu of antral follicles. Little is known about the possible effects of the common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) FSHR −29G > A (rs1394205) on hormonal conditions in humsan small antral follicles (hSAFs) obtained from women in the natural menstrual cycle. This study investigated the follicle fluid (FF) concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone, estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, and testosterone in hSAF in relation to the different genotypes of FSHR −29G > A. FF from 362 follicles was collected in 95 women undergoing fertility preservation, who did not suffer from a disease that directly affected ovarian function. The testosterone levels of the minor A/A genotype were significantly increased compared to the A/G and the G/G genotype. Furthermore, significantly reduced androstenedione levels were observed for the G/G genotype, as compared to the A/G genotype, while the other hormones did not show statistical significant differences. In conclusion, the androgen levels of hSAF were significantly elevated in the minor SNP genotype in the FSHR promoter polymorphism FSHR −29G > A

L’utilisation des réseaux sociaux (Snapchat, WhatsApp et Instagram) et le cyberbullying

100% des jeunes possèdent un téléphone portable, 99% ont un ordinateur et 97% ont accès à Internet (Waller et al., 2016). Ces nouveaux moyens technologiques font partie de notre quotidien. Depuis l’apparition de ces réseaux, un nouveau mouvement est né : le cyberbullying. Ce harcèlement par Internet consiste à l’utilisation de technologies modernes de communication afin de nuire aux autres de manière délibérée et agressive. Quand les jeunes arrivent en classe, ils apportent avec eux l’entier de leur vécu quotidien, familial ou encore émotionnel. Les problèmes liés à l’utilisation massive de ces réseaux font partie de notre quotidien d’enseignant. Malheureusement, les études faites jusqu’au jour d’aujourd’hui portent en majeure partie sur les élèves entre 13 ans et plus. Mais qu’en est-il des jeunes âgés entre 9 et 12 ans ? Notre travail de recherche porte donc sur l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux (Snapchat, Instagram et WhatsApp) et le cyberbullying. Deux outils différents ont été utilisés lors de cette recherche : des questionnaires afin d’avoir des résultats quantitatifs et deux entretiens afin d’avoir un point de vue qualitatif. Nos résultats montrent que WhatsApp est le réseau social le plus utilisé, suivi d’Instagram en deuxième position et finalement de Snapchat. Les élèves considèrent le nombre de dangers et de conflits sur les réseaux comme très faibles. Ils avouent tout de même donner plus d’informations personnelles sur WhatsApp que sur les autres réseaux choisis dans l’étude. Concernant leur vision du contrôle des parents, ils l’estiment très faible. Cependant, il s’agit uniquement de leur avis, il serait intéressant de savoir la réalité des faits en interrogeant les parents. Les deux sujets interrogés savent définir le cyberbullying et connaissent les différents acteurs agissant au sein de cette forme de harcèlement. Ils sont également conscients des différents risques, conséquences ou sentiments que peut ressentir une cyber-victime mais n’abordent pas du tout ceux concernant le témoin ou le cyber-harceleur. En conclusion, notre recherche montre que les réseaux sociaux font partie intégrante du quotidien d’un grand nombre d’élèves. Il est donc essentiel que les enseignants s’interrogent sur les moyens de gérer les problèmes que ceux-ci peuvent amener en classe mais également les moyens de les éviter

miRNA profiling of circulating EpCAM(+) extracellular vesicles:promising biomarkers of colorectal cancer

Cancer cells secrete small membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) into their microenvironment and circulation. These contain biomolecules, including proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs). Both circulating EVs and miRNAs have received much attention as biomarker candidates for non-invasive diagnostics. Here we describe a sensitive analytical method for isolation and subsequent miRNA profiling of epithelial-derived EVs from blood samples of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The epithelial-derived EVs were isolated by immunoaffinity-capture using the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) as marker. This approach mitigates some of the specificity issues observed in earlier studies of circulating miRNAs, in particular the negative influence of miRNAs released by erythrocytes, platelets and non-epithelial cells. By applying this method to 2 small-scale patient cohorts, we showed that blood plasma isolated from CRC patients prior to surgery contained elevated levels of 13 EpCAM+-EV miRNAs compared with healthy individuals. Upon surgical tumour removal, the plasma levels of 8 of these were reduced (miR-16-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-23b-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-27b-3p, miR-30b-5p, miR-30c-5p and miR-222-3p). These findings indicate that the miRNAs are of tumour origin and may have potential as non-invasive biomarkers for detection of CRC. This work describes a non-invasive blood-based method for sensitive detection of cancer with potential for clinical use in relation to diagnosis and screening. We used the method to study CRC; however, it is not restricted to this disease. It may in principle be used to study any cancer that release epithelial-derived EVs into circulation

Epigenetic changes in myelofibrosis:Distinct methylation changes in the myeloid compartments and in cases with <i>ASXL1</i> mutations

Abstract This is the first study to compare genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of sorted blood cells from myelofibrosis (MF) patients and healthy controls. We found that differentially methylated CpG sites located to genes involved in ‘cancer’ and ‘embryonic development’ in MF CD34+ cells, in ‘inflammatory disease’ in MF mononuclear cells, and in ‘immunological diseases’ in MF granulocytes. Only few differentially methylated CpG sites were common among the three cell populations. Mutations in the epigenetic regulators ASXL1 (47%) and TET2 (20%) were not associated with a specific DNA methylation pattern using an unsupervised approach. However, in a supervised analysis of ASXL1 mutated versus wild-type cases, differentially methylated CpG sites were enriched in regions marked by histone H3K4me1, histone H3K27me3, and the bivalent histone mark H3K27me3 + H3K4me3 in human CD34+ cells. Hypermethylation of selected CpG sites was confirmed in a separate validation cohort of 30 MF patients by pyrosequencing. Altogether, we show that individual MF cell populations have distinct differentially methylated genes relative to their normal counterparts, which likely contribute to the phenotypic characteristics of MF. Furthermore, differentially methylated CpG sites in ASXL1 mutated MF cases are found in regulatory regions that could be associated with aberrant gene expression of ASXL1 target genes

<i>SNHG5</i> promotes colorectal cancer cell survival by counteracting STAU1-mediated mRNA destabilization

We currently have limited knowledge of the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in normal cellular processes and pathologies. Here, we identify and characterize SNHG5 as a stable cytoplasmic lncRNA with up-regulated expression in colorectal cancer. Depletion of SNHG5 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and limits tumour outgrowth in vivo, whereas SNHG5 overexpression counteracts oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis. Using an unbiased approach, we identify 121 transcript sites interacting with SNHG5 in the cytoplasm. Importantly, knockdown of key SNHG5 target transcripts, including SPATS2, induces apoptosis and thus mimics the effect seen following SNHG5 depletion. Mechanistically, we suggest that SNHG5 stabilizes the target transcripts by blocking their degradation by STAU1. Accordingly, depletion of STAU1 rescues the apoptosis induced after SNHG5 knockdown. Hence, we characterize SNHG5 as a lncRNA promoting tumour cell survival in colorectal cancer and delineate a novel mechanism in which a cytoplasmic lncRNA functions through blocking the action of STAU1

Beliefs, barriers and preferences of European overweight women to adopt a healthier lifestyle in pregnancy to minimize risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus: an explorative study

Introduction: Overweight and obese women are at high risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Lifestyle programs might help curb the GDM risk. We explored beliefs, perceived barriers and preferences regarding lifestyle changes among overweight European pregnant women to help inform the development of future high quality lifestyle interventions. Methods: An explorative mixed methods, two-staged study was conducted to gather information from pregnant European women (BMI≥25kg/m2). In three European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom) interviews were conducted, followed by questionnaires in six other European countries (Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain). Content analysis, descriptive and chi square statistics were applied (p&#60;0.05). Results: Women preferred to obtain detailed information about their personal risk. The health of their baby was major motivating factor. Perceived barriers for physical activity included pregnancy-specific issues such as tiredness and experiencing physical complaints. Insufficient time was a barrier more frequently reported by women with children. Abstaining from snacking was identified as a challenge for the majority of women, especially for those without children. Women preferred to obtain support from their partner, as well as health professionals and valued flexible lifestyle programs. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals need to inform overweight pregnant women about their personal risk, discuss lifestyle modification and assist in weight management. Lifestyle programs should be tailored to the individual, taking into account barriers experienced by overweight first-time mothers and multipara women