Successful Treatment of Essential Palatal Tremor Lasting Over a Long Term with a Rare Application of Botulinum Toxin in a Child

 AbstractHow to Cite This Article: Eryılmaz A, Başal Y, Günel C, Ozkul A, Tosun A. Successful Treatment of Essential Palatal Tremor LastingOver a Long Term with a Rare Application of Botulinum Toxin in a Child. Iran J Child Neurol. Autumn 2015;9(4): 75-77.AbstractObjectiveAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. In recent years, the impacts of various micronutrients on ADHD have been studied. However, vitamin D has received much less attention. This study was aimed at evaluating the association and level ofserum vitamin D in children with ADHD.Materials & MethodsThis case-control study was carried out, in 2012, on 6 to 12 yr-old children. Thirty-seven were children with ADHD in the cases group and another 37 healthy children were in the control group. Venous blood sample was drawn from each child to measure the serum level of vitamin D. Other variables were compared as well.ResultsThe mean serum vitamin D level of children with ADHD (19.11±10.10 ng/ml) was significantly lower than that of the control group (28.67±13.76 ng/ml) (P<0.001).ConclusionDeficiency of vitamin D has been proved in various psychiatric diseases. This study evidenced a significantly low level of serum vitamin D in children with ADHD. This suggests the need for regularly monitoring of serum vitamin D levels and treatment of patients with vitamin D deficiencies

Rarely Seen Nasal Congenital Problems Causing Neonatal Upper Respiratory Obstruction: A Case Series

Since newborns are obligatory nasal breathers, upper respiratory tract problems may sometimes be life threatening. The most common pathology causing dyspnea and stridor in newborns is laryngomalacia. Nasal cavity pathologies that risk the neonatal airway are more rarely met. These anomalies may be seen either as solitary anomalies or as a part of a syndrome. While choanal atresia is one of the best-known nasal cavity anomalies, choanal stenosis, congenital nasal mid-line masses, congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis, and nasal tip anomalies are more rarely seen structural pathologies. Choanal atresia may be present either as an isolated congenital anomaly or as a part of CHARGE syndrome. Some rare chromosome anomalies may also cause significant problems during nasal respiration in newborns. With this study, we presented a case series of newborns with pathologies that affected nasal respiration. Although the diagnosis and treatment of choanal atresia and congenital dacryocystocele are well known, the information on the diagnosis and treatment of the other two uncommon cases are limited. With this study, we aimed to contribute to the literature by presenting our approach in six cases having congenital pathologies that cause nasal respiratory obstruction

Inhibitory Effect of Pycnogenol® on Airway Inflammation in Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Rhinitis

Background: The supplement Pycnogenol® (PYC) has been used for the treatment of several chronic diseases including allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the in vivo effects on allergic inflammation have not been identified to date. Aims: To investigate the treatment results of PYC on allergic inflammation in a rat model of allergic rhinitis. Study Design: Animal experimentation. Methods: Allergic rhinitis was stimulated in 42 rats by intraperitoneal sensitization and intranasal challenge with Ovalbumin. The animals were divided into six subgroups: healthy controls, AR group, AR group treated with corticosteroid (dexamethasone 1 mg/kg; CS+AR), healthy rats group that were given only PYC of 10 mg/kg (PYC10), AR group treated with PYC of 3mg/kg (PYC3+AR), and AR group treated with PYC of 10 mg/kg (PYC10+AR). Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (Ig-E) levels of serum were measured. Histopathological changes in nasal mucosa and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-1β were evaluated. Results: The levels of the IL-4 were significantly decreased in the PYC3+AR, PYC10+AR and CS+AR groups compared with the AR group (p=0.002, p<0.001, p=0.006). The production of the IFN-γ was significantly decreased in the PYC3+AR and PYC10+AR groups compared with the AR group (p=0.013, p=0.001). The administration of PYC to allergic rats suppressed the elevated IL-10 production, especially in the PYC3+AR group (p=0.006). Mucosal edema was significantly decreased respectively after treatment at dose 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg PYC (both, p<0.001). The mucosal expression of TNF-α has significantly decreased in the PYC3+AR and PYC10+AR groups (p=0.005, p<0.001), while the IL-1β expression significantly decreased in the CS+AR, PYC3+AR, and PYC10+AR groups (p<0.001, p=0.003, p=0.001). Conclusion: PYC has multiple suppressive effects on allergic response. Thus, PYC may be used as a supplementary agent in allergic response

Protective effect of Pycnogenol on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats

Context: Pycnogenol((R)), which is French maritime pine bark extract, is a potent antioxidant. It is used in medical conditions caused by oxidative stress. Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II) is an antineoplastic agent. However, its serious side effects such as ototoxicity limit its usage.Objective: Antioxidants can be used to prevent ototoxicity. We investigated the effect of Pycnogenol((R)) on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.Materials and methods: Rats were randomly assigned to four groups of five. Distortion product-evoked otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) test was performed for each rat. The experimental groups were as follows: Control Group, Pycnogenol((R)) Group: 10mg/kg Pycnogenol((R)) intraperitoneally for 7 days, Cisplatin Group: intraperitoneally 15mg/kg single injection of cisplatin on the fifth day, Cisplatin+Pycnogenol((R)) Group: intraperitoneally 10mg/kg Pycnogenol((R)) treatment for 7 days, additionally on the fifth day, 15mg/kg single injection of cisplatin was given. On the eighth day, DPOAE was re-performed and rats were sacrificed. Apoptosis was evaluated histopathologically.Results: Mean percentage of apoptotic cells was 1.5, 3, 30 and 11% in organ of Corti and 2, 2, 40, 15% in spiral ganglion neurons in Control Group, Pycnogenol((R)) Group, Cisplatin Group and Cisplatin+Pycnogenol((R)) Group, respectively. Cisplatin Group and Cisplatin+Pycnogenol((R)) Group were significantly different when compared to Control Group histopathologically both in organ of Corti and spiral ganglion neuron (p<0.001, p=0.019, p=0.001, p=0.015). DPOAE results showed that Cisplatin+Pycnogenol((R)) Group was significantly different when compared to Cisplatin Group at 3, 6 and 8kHz (p<0.05).Conclusion: Pycnogenol protected against cisplatin ototoxicity. Also, pycnogenol is not ototoxic

Evaluation of Lapatinib and Trastuzumab for Ototoxic Effects

OBJECTIVE: Trastuzumab and lapatinib are widely used chemotherapeutic agents. Our aim in this study was to assess the possible ototoxicity of these chemotherapeutic agents

Crizotinib efficacy in alk-positive advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer patients: A real-world experience from Turkey

WOS: 000454014501235Background: Increasing evidence leads to a ratiocination that genetic heterogeneity of the lung adenocarcinoma patients with sensitive EGFR mutations may impact clinical responses and outcomes to EGFR-TKIs. Method: We performed targeted NGS with a gene panel covering 416 cancer-related genes to profile genetic characteristics of 69 lung adenocarcinoma patients with activating EGFR mutations and assessed the contribution of targeted NGS to exploration of genetic heterogeneity of such cohort. Result: We detected total 200 actionable genetic alterations (mean 2.9 variations per patient, range: 1-7 variations) in tumor DNA and 140 actionable genetic alterations (mean 2.0 variations per patient, range: 0-5 variations) in matched plasma ctDNA, respectively. The concurrent genes with the highest mutation rate were TP53 (observed in 72.5% patients), other uncommon EGFR mutations (observed in 21.7% patients), EGFR amplification (observed in 20.3% patients), RB1 (observed in 10.1% patients), PIK3CA (observed in 7.2% patients), and MYC (observed in 5.8% patients). NGS provides EGFR mutation detection in plasma with a test sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 100.0%

Immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac vaccine in patients with cancer receiving active systemic therapy

Aim: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac vaccine in patients with cancer receiving active systemic therapy. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted with 47 patients receiving active systemic therapy for cancer. CoronaVac was administered as two doses (3 mu g/day) on days 0 and 28. Antibody level higher than 1 IU/ml was defined as 'immunogenicity.' Results: The immunogenicity rate was 63.8% (30/47) in the entire patient group, 59.5% (25/42) in those receiving at least one cytotoxic drug and 100% (five of five) in those receiving monoclonal antibody or immunotherapy alone. Age was an independent predictive factor for immunogenicity (odds ratio: 0.830; p = 0.043). Conclusion: More than half of cancer patients receiving active systemic therapy developed immunogenicity. Tweetable abstract Immunogenicity developed with CoronaVac in 25 (59.5%) of 42 patients who received at least one cytotoxic drug and in all patients (n = 5) who received monoclonal antibody or immunotherapy alone