Correlations Among Consistency, Computed Tomography Values, and Histopathological Subtypes of Spinal Meningioma

The consistency of spinal meningiomas is important to consider when performing tumor removal surgery. This study evaluated the correlations between spinal meningioma consistency and both preoperative computed tomography (CT) values and histopathological subtypes. Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection of spinal meningioma at our institution were identified, and preoperative CT values and the signal intensity of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of the tumor were determined retrospectively. The consistency of the spinal meningioma was defined based on the ultrasonic surgical aspirator output during tumor debulking. Patients were assigned to 2 groups: a soft group (n=4) and a hard group (n=11). The T2 signal intensity was significantly higher in the soft group than in the hard group (p=0.001). While the CT values were considerably higher in the hard group, the difference was not significant (p=0.19). Regarding the histopathological subtypes, psammomatous meningioma exhibited significantly higher CT values than meningothelial meningioma (p=0.019); however, there was a higher frequency of hard tumors in meningothelial meningioma cases than in psammomatous meningioma cases. Although neither robust correlations between tumor consistency and CT values nor a relationship between tumor consistency and histopathological subtype has been established, these results might help with the perioperative manegement of spinal tumors

精神疾患関連遺伝子多型の解析

ヒトGSK3β遺伝子のプロモーター領域について多型解析を行った結果,統合失調症および躁鬱病と有意に相関する遺伝子多型は認められなかった。このことは,mRNAの安定性に関与する領域,トランス調節因子などについて解析する必要があることを示唆している。The aim of this study is to reveal polymorphism in genes associated with psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Genomic DNA from patients affected by schizophrenia or bipolar, and normal humans were analyzed. Comparing the psychiatric disorders with normal humans, no significant differences in a ratio of polymorphism found throughout the regulatory region of GSK3β gene (promoter and 5\u27-UTR). Lithium, a therapeutic agent for psychiatric disorder such as bipolar, inhibits GSK3βand production of amyloidβ, a main component of senile plaques in Alzheimer\u27s disease. In addition, the level of GSK3βis decreased in schizophrenia patients and increased depending on aging. The results in this study lead us to consider that 3\u27-UTR of GSK3β gene and trans acting factors for GSK3β transcription should be studied. In conclusion, the present data may provide us basic and important information that promote revealing the molecular mechanism for regulation of GSK3βgene expression