Postocclusive hyperemia measured with laser Doppler flowmetry and transcutaneous oxygen tension in the diagnosis of primary Raynaud's phenomenon : a prospective, controlled study

The aim of this study was to measure the sensitivity and specificity of transcutaneous oxygen tension and postocclusive hyperemia testing using laser Doppler flowmetry in patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon. One hundred patients and one hundred controls were included in the study. Baseline microvascular blood flow and then time to peak flow following occlusion were measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Afterwards, the transcutaneous oxygen tension was recorded. The sensitivities of baseline microvascular blood flow, postocclusive time to peak flow, and transcutaneous oxygen tension were 79%, 79%, and 77%, respectively. The postocclusive time peak flow had a superior specificity of 90% and area under the curve of 0.92 as compared to 66% and 0.80 for baseline microvascular flow and 64% and 0.76 for transcutaneous oxygen tension. Time to postocclusive peak blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry is a highly accurate test for differentiating patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon from healthy controls

Anthropometry and body composition of adolescents in Cracow, Poland

The aim of the present study was to determine the level of adiposity and obesity in Polish adolescents and compare the results with earlier studies conducted in this population as well as those carried out in other populations.The study group consisted of 456 boys and 514 girls aged 14-18 years living in Cracow chosen from randomly selected secondary schools. Weight, height, waist, and hip circumference (WC, HC) as well as triceps, biceps, subscapular, and suprailiac skinfold thickness (SFT) were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio (STR), and percentage body fat were computed. The prevalence of overweight and obesity based on Polish children growth reference were calculated and age-dependent and gender-specific smoothed percentile curves for BMI and ROC curves were generated.Weight, height, WC, HC (up 16yr), WHtR (up 15yr), and WHR were considerably higher in males than females. Weight, height, and HC increased with age; WHtR remained the same. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 10.2% (boys 10.3%; girls 10.1%) and 4.2% (boys 5.3%; girls 3.3%). ROC analysis revealed that WHtR was the best tool for detection of obesity (AUC of 0.982±0.007) in males, whereas the sum of four SFTs (AUC: 0.968±0.011) and WHtR (AUC: 0.963±0.012) were the best predictors of obesity in females.The level of adiposity in Cracow adolescents increased during the last decade. However, it is still lower than in other well-developed societies struggling with obesity epidemics

Postocclusive Hyperemia Measured with Laser Doppler Flowmetry and Transcutaneous Oxygen Tension in the Diagnosis of Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon: A Prospective, Controlled Study

The aim of this study was to measure the sensitivity and specificity of transcutaneous oxygen tension and postocclusive hyperemia testing using laser Doppler flowmetry in patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon. One hundred patients and one hundred controls were included in the study. Baseline microvascular blood flow and then time to peak flow following occlusion were measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Afterwards, the transcutaneous oxygen tension was recorded. The sensitivities of baseline microvascular blood flow, postocclusive time to peak flow, and transcutaneous oxygen tension were 79%, 79%, and 77%, respectively. The postocclusive time peak flow had a superior specificity of 90% and area under the curve of 0.92 as compared to 66% and 0.80 for baseline microvascular flow and 64% and 0.76 for transcutaneous oxygen tension. Time to postocclusive peak blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry is a highly accurate test for differentiating patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon from healthy controls

The role of the deleted in colorectal carcinoma gene (Dcc) in cocaine-related behaviours

Introduction: Inbred strains of mice show heritable differences in their responses to drugs of abuse. Mice differ in their initial sensitivity to cocaine as measured by cocaine-induced locomotor activity. Genetic mapping studies using recombinant strains of mice confirmed a locus on mouse chromosome 18 which accounted for a large proportion of the variance in response to the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. A strong candidate gene, the deleted in colorectal cancer gene (Dcc), was identified using in silico bioinformatic techniques. In studies involving mice with a Dcc knockout, the mutant strain has been shown to exhibit a blunted behavioural response to amphetamine. Objectives: In light of these converging lines of evidence, the present study investigated the role of the Dcc gene in the initial sensitivity to cocaine, as measured by cocaine-induced locomotor activity in an open field apparatus. In addition, the reinforcing properties of the drug were assessed by examining intravenous cocaine self-administration in Dcc null mutants and wild-type littermates. Results: Dcc null mutants were shown to exhibit lower initial cocaine sensitivity. Under a fixed ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement, Dcc null mutants were no different in their operant responding. However, under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, mice with a Dcc mutation reached higher break points and made more active lever responses at the 0.05mg/kg dose, indicating a greater motivation to acquire the drug. Conclusions: The Dcc gene plays a role in mediating the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. Dcc heterozygotes show a blunted cocaine-induced locomotor response, and an increased drive to self-administer the drug when drug contingencies are steadily increased under a progressive ratio schedule. The different effects of the gene knockout on cocaine-related behaviours may be mediated by the differential involvement of the motor and cortical brain areas subserving the two behavioural paradigms used. It is proposed that the increased responding under the progressive ratio of reinforcement may be related to an amplified motivational salience for cocaine and/or related cues, or an increase in response-outcome monitoring mediated by increased dopaminergic medial prefrontal cortex activity.Introduction: Les souches consanguines de souris montrent des différences héréditaires dans leurs réponses aux drogues d'abus. En particulier, les souris diffèrent dans leur sensibilité initiale à la cocaïne tel que mesurée par l'activité locomotrice induite par la cocaïne. Des études de cartographie génétique utilisant des lignées recombinantes de souris ont confirmés un locus sur le chromosome 18, relié à une grande proportion de la variance phénotypique des effets psychostimulants de la cocaïne. Un gène candidat solide, le gène délété dans le cancer colorectal (Dcc), a été identifié en utilisant des techniques bio-informatiques « in silico. » Les études des souris avec un knock-out Dcc, ont montré que la lignée mutante présente une réponse comportementale émoussée à l'amphétamine. Objectifs: En raison des lignes convergentes de preuves d'un rôle du gène Dcc dans l'action de la cocaïne, la présente étude a évalué le rôle du gène Dcc dans la sensibilité initiale à la cocaïne, tel que mesuré par l'activité locomotrice induite par la cocaïne dans une boite à champ-ouvert. De plus, les propriétés renforçantes de la cocaïne ont été évaluées en examinant l'auto-administration intraveineuse de la drogue chez des souris knock-out Dcc hétérozygotes (Dcc KO) et des souris de type sauvage. Résultats: Les souris Dcc KO ont présentés une sensibilité initiale plus faible en réponse à une injection de cocaïne. Durant un programme de renforcement à proportion constante (FR1), les souris Dcc KO ne présentaient aucune différence dans leurs réponses opérantes. Cependant, lors d'un programme de renforcement proportion progressif, les souris Dcc KO ont atteint des points de rupture plus élevés et ont effectués plus de réponses sur le levier actif à la dose 0.05mg/kg, indiquant une plus grande motivation pour obtenir la drogue. Conclusions: Le gène candidat Dcc joue un rôle dans les effets psychostimulants de la cocaïne. Les hétérozygotes Dcc montrent une réponse locomotrice induite par la cocaïne diminuée, et une augmentation dans les réponses opérantes lorsque le nombre de réponses requises pour obtenir la drogue est régulièrement augmenté selon un programme de renforcement proportion progressif. L'effet différent du gène sur les comportements reliés à la cocaïne peut être expliqué par l'implication différentielle des zones cotices moteurs et préfrontaux activés par les deux paradigmes utilisés. Il est proposé que les réponses augmentées dans le rapport progressif de renforcement peuvent être liés à une amplification de la motivation d'obtenir la cocaïne et/ou des indices reliés à la drogue, ou une augmentation de la surveillance des réponses guidées par les conséquences médiée par l'activité dopaminergique du cortex préfrontal médial

A Comparison of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration and Fine-Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Solid Pancreatic Lesions

Background and Aims. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is the method of choice for sampling pancreatic lesions. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy and safety of FNB using a novel core needle to FNA in solid pancreatic lesions. Methods. A retrospective review of patients in whom EUS FNA or FNB was performed for solid pancreatic lesions was conducted. Diagnostic performance was calculated based upon a dual classification system: classification 1, only malignant pathology considered a true positive, versus classification 2, atypical, suspicious, and malignant pathology considered a true positive. Results. 43 patients underwent FNB compared with 51 FNA. Using classification 1, sensitivity was 74.0% versus 80.0%, specificity 100% versus 100%, and diagnostic accuracy 77.0% versus 80.0% for FNB versus FNA, respectively (all p>0.05). Using classification 2, sensitivity was 97% versus 94.0%, specificity 100% versus 100%, and diagnostic accuracy 98.0% versus 94.0% for FNB versus FNA, respectively (all p>0.05). FNB required significantly fewer needle passes (median = 2) compared to FNA (median = 3; p0.05). Conclusion. FNA and FNB have comparable sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy. FNB required fewer passes

A Comparison of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration and Fine-Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Solid Pancreatic Lesions

Background and Aims. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is the method of choice for sampling pancreatic lesions. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy and safety of FNB using a novel core needle to FNA in solid pancreatic lesions. Methods. A retrospective review of patients in whom EUS FNA or FNB was performed for solid pancreatic lesions was conducted. Diagnostic performance was calculated based upon a dual classification system: classification 1, only malignant pathology considered a true positive, versus classification 2, atypical, suspicious, and malignant pathology considered a true positive. Results. 43 patients underwent FNB compared with 51 FNA. Using classification 1, sensitivity was 74.0% versus 80.0%, specificity 100% versus 100%, and diagnostic accuracy 77.0% versus 80.0% for FNB versus FNA, respectively (all p>0.05). Using classification 2, sensitivity was 97% versus 94.0%, specificity 100% versus 100%, and diagnostic accuracy 98.0% versus 94.0% for FNB versus FNA, respectively (all p>0.05). FNB required significantly fewer needle passes (median = 2) compared to FNA (median = 3; p0.05). Conclusion. FNA and FNB have comparable sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy. FNB required fewer passes