Age and diabetes related changes of the retinal capillaries: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study

Normal human aging and diabetes are associated with a gradual decrease of cerebral flow in the brain with changes in vascular architecture. Thickening of the capillary basement membrane and microvascular fibrosis are evident in the central nervous system of elderly and diabetic patients. Current findings assign a primary role to endothelial dysfunction as a cause of basement membrane (BM) thickening, while retinal alterations are considered to be a secondary cause of either ischemia or exudation. The aim of this study was to reveal any initial retinal alterations and variations in the BM of retinal capillaries during diabetes and aging as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we investigated the potential role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in diabetic retina.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed on 46 enucleated human eyes with particular attention to alterations of the retinal capillary wall and Müller glial cells. Inflammatory cytokines expression in the retina was investigated by immunohistochemistry.Our electron microscopy findings demonstrated that thickening of the BM begins primarily at the level of the glial side of the retina during aging and diabetes. The Müller cells showed numerous cytoplasmic endosomes and highly electron-dense lysosomes which surrounded the retinal capillaries. Our study is the first to present morphological evidence that Müller cells start to deposit excessive BM material in retinal capillaries during aging and diabetes. Our results confirm the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β within the retina as a result of diabetes.These observations strongly suggest that inflammatory cytokines and changes in the metabolism of Müller glial cells rather than changes in of endothelial cells may play a primary role in the alteration of retinal capillaries BM during aging and diabetes

Genetic landscape of early-onset dementia in Hungary

Introduction: Early-onset dementias (EOD) are predominantly genetically determined, but the underlying disease-causing alterations are often unknown. The most frequent forms of EODs are early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Patients: This study included 120 Hungarian patients with EOD (48 familial and 72 sporadic) which had a diagnosis of EOAD (n = 49), FTD (n = 49), or atypical dementia (n = 22). Results: Monogenic dementia was detected in 15.8% of the patients. A pathogenic hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene was present in 6.7% of cases and disease-causing variants were detected in other known AD or FTD genes in 6.7% of cases (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, GRN). A compound heterozygous alteration of the TREM2 gene was identified in one patient and heterozygous damaging variants in the CSF1R and PRNP genes were detected in two other cases. In two patients, the coexistence of several heterozygous damaging rare variants associated with neurodegeneration was detected (1.7%). The APOE genotype had a high odds ratio for both the APOE ɛ4/3 and the ɛ4/4 genotype (OR = 2.7 (95%CI = 1.3-5.9) and OR = 6.5 (95%CI = 1.4-29.2), respectively). In TREM2, SORL1, and ABCA7 genes, 5 different rare damaging variants were detected as genetic risk factors. These alterations were not present in the control group. Conclusion: Based on our observations, a comprehensive, targeted panel of next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing investigating several neurodegeneration-associated genes may accelerate the path to achieve the proper genetic diagnosis since phenotypes are present on a spectrum. This can also reveal hidden correlations and overlaps in neurodegenerative diseases that would remain concealed in separated genetic testing

Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them

Paraneoplastic chronic demyelinating neuropathy and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome associated with multiple anti-neural antibodies and small-cell lung cancer.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) developed in a patient with presumed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and negative chest CT. Since antibodies against both Hu and voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) were detected, repeated chest CT was performed, which eventually showed a pulmonary mass lesion. Biopsy revealed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) indicating the importance of repeated chest CT in LEMS even when an existing autoimmune-like disease and negative CT may suggest an autoimmune origin. This is the first report of paraneoplastic CIDP and LEMS associated with anti-Hu, anti-VGCC and SCLC

Weight Status of 7-Year-Old Hungarian Children between 2010 and 2016 Using Different Classifications (COSI Hungary)

Aims: To describe the prevalence of thinness, overweight, and obesity in Hungarian children (age 7.0-7.9 years) according to different classifications, to assess the progress between 2010 and 2016, and to investigate whether tendencies differ according to gender. Methods: A national representative sample was generated by two-stage cluster sampling, and a total of 2,651 children (50.9% boys; age 7.49 ± 0.3 years) were measured (weight and height) in October 2016. Population estimates were calculated using the WHO, IOTF, and national cut-offs. Results: Prevalence of thinness (including grade 1 and 2) was 12.6% based on the IOTF criteria and 15.6% based on the WHO definition. 22.5% of children were identified as overweight or obese according to the IOTF classification, compared with 28.4% according to the WHO definition. Between 2010 and 2016, each classification indicated possible stability in overweight and obesity prevalence. In contrast, the prevalence of thinness grade 2 almost doubled in 6 years according to all definitions (p Conclusion: Overweight and obesity appeared to be stable over 6 years, but we detected growing thinness rates. Routine collection of high-quality data that are based on standardized and comparable methods is essential to monitor the childhood obesity problem