Lateral Flow Test (LFT) detects cell-free microRNAs predictive of preterm birth directly from human plasma

Despite extensive research toward the development of point-of-care nucleic acid tests (POC NATs) for the detection of microRNAs (miRs) from liquid biopsies, major hurdles remain including the strict requirement for extensive off-chip sample preprocessing. Herein, a nucleic acid lateral flow test (NALFT) is reported on that enables the direct detection of endogenous miRs from as little as 3 μL of plasma without the requirement for any enzyme-catalyzed target amplification or complex miR extraction steps. This is achieved through integration of a denaturing hydrogel composite material onto the LFT, allowing for near-instantaneous on-chip release of miRs from their carriers (extracellular vesicles or transport proteins) prior to detection. This next-generation LFT is sensitive enough to detect endogenous concentrations of miR-150-5p, a predictive biomarker for preterm birth (PTB) found deregulated in maternal blood from as early as 12th week of pregnancy. Herein, a key step is represented toward a first bedside test for risk-stratification during pregnancy by predicting true outcome at a very early stage. More generally, the universal and versatile nature of this novel sample preprocessing platform can further improve the robustness of existing NALFTs and facilitate their application at the POC

Antecedents, psychiatric characteristics and follow-up of adolescents hospitalized for suicide attempt of overwhelming suicidal ideation.

To evaluate the socio-demographic as well as the health and psychiatric profiles of adolescents hospitalised for suicide attempt or overwhelming suicide ideation and to assess repetition of suicide attempt over a period of 18 months. Between April 2000 and September 2001, all patients aged 16 to 21 years admitted to the University Hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne for suicide attempt or ideation were included in the study. At this time (T0) semi-structured face to face interviews were conducted to identify socio-demographic data, mental health and antecedents regarding suicidal conducts. Current psychiatric status was assessed with the MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Instrument). At T1 and T2, reassessments included psychiatric status (MINI) as well as lifestyles, socio-professional situation and suicidal behaviours. At T0, 269 subjects met the study criteria, among whom 83 subjects (56 girls and 27 boys) left the hospital too quickly to be involved or refused to participate in the study (final sample at T0: 149 girls; 37 boys). The participation rate at T1 and T2 was respectively 66% and 62% of the original sample. The percentage of adolescents meeting the criteria for psychiatric diagnoses (91%) was high: affective disorder (78%); anxiety disorder (64%); substance use disorder (39%); eating disorder (9%); psychotic disorder (11%); antisocial personality (7%) with most subjects (85%) having more than one disorder. Around 90% of the subjects interviewed at T1, and/or T2, had received follow-up care after their hospitalisation, either by a primary care physician or a psychotherapist or both. Two subjects died of violent death and 18% made a further suicide attempt. Most adolescents hospitalised for suicidal episodes suffer from psychiatric problems which should be addressed by a careful psychiatric assessment, followed up if needed by a structured after care plan

Prospective study of psychological development of adolescent female athletes: initial assessment.

PURPOSE: This study aimed at assessing the impact of physical training on psychological functioning at the onset of a prospective study of psychological and somatic maturation of adolescent female athletes. METHODS: Twenty-seven highly trained gymnasts aged 12.7 +/- 1.1 year (mean +/- SD, training load = 18-26 hr/week) and 16 age-matched but moderately trained swimmers (13.0 +/- 0.9 yr, training load 4-15 hr/wk) were submitted to standardized somatic and psychiatric examinations during training camps. RESULTS: Gymnasts were significantly shorter, lighter and thinner (p < 0.001) than swimmers. Their bone age was moderately but significantly retarded (-1.42 +/- 0.99 yr, p < 0.001) in contrast with swimmers in whom it was adequate for chronological age (+0.28 +/- 0.94 year, ns). Only 7.4% of gymnasts had already had menarche in contrast with 50% of age-matched swimmers (p = 0.003). Psychological functioning was considered as normal in all subjects. However, seven athletes including 3/27 gymnasts and 4/16 swimmers (p = 0.394) were considered as subjects "at risk" to develop a manifest mental disorder over time. Ten gymnasts (41.7%) presented with a global delay in psychological maturation, whereas no such case was observed among swimmers (p = 0.015). No correlation could be established between psychological delay and pubertal retardation (p = 0.210). CONCLUSION: Strenuous training in gymnastics for more than 1 yr has so far no detectable interference with the normal maturational events of adolescence. The outcome of athletes at risk to develop psychopathology as well as those with a global delay in psychological maturation who presented as if they were still in the latency period, remains uncertain

L'enfant, la croissance et le sport de haut niveau. [The child, growth and high-level sports]

The hormonal response to a short but intense session of physical exercise should be distinguished from the endocrine adaptation to systematic physical conditioning. The normal child is perfectly equipped to handle stress situations such as those generated by leisure sport: the transient increase in stress hormones has no deleterious effect on growth and puberty. For highly trained children and adolescents, standardized dynamic testing will provide little information on the state of their endocrine system. In addition, the effects of training should be differentiated from those of various bias of selection. In young elite athletes, as for adult athletes, the alterations of the endocrine system result from an inappropriate physical conditioning programme for the individual level of tolerance. Whereas it has been shown that the gonadal function is predominantly affected (pubertal delay, menstrual dysfunction), alterations of growth hormone and cortisol productions have also been reported. Anomalies of pubertal growth should be searched for among elite adolescent athletes: there are data suggesting that their growth potential should probably not be affected below 15 weekly hours of training. However, children do not respond to stress in a uniform manner and one should be prepared to detect the occasional athlete with inadequate growth at lower training intensities. This seems to be the case when training starts before puberty as well as in physical activities associated with a strict weight control. When growth and/or puberal progression become inappropriate, the only logical therapy consists in reducing markedly or stopping training temporarily: in this situation, there is no medical justification whatsoever to initiate a substitutive therapy

L’adolescent et son désir, en fin de vie

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