Increased prevalence of abnormal vertebral patterning in fetuses and neonates with trisomy 21

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of an abnormal number of ribs in a cohort of fetuses and neonates with trisomy 21 and compare this with a subgroup of fetuses without anomalies. Materials and methods: Radiographs of 67 deceased fetuses, neonates, and infants that were diagnosed with trisomy 21 were reviewed. Terminations of pregnancy were included. The control group was composed of 107 deceased fetuses, neonates, and infants without known chromosomal abnormalities, structural malformations, infections or placental pathology. Cases in which the number of thoracic ribs or presence of cervical ribs could not be reliably assessed were excluded. The literature concerning vertebral patterning in trisomy 21 cases and healthy subjects was reviewed. Results: Absent or rudimentary 12th thoracic ribs were found in 26/54 (48.1%) cases with trisomy 21 and cervical ribs were present in 27/47 (57.4%) cases. This prevalence was significantly higher compared to controls (28/100, 28.0%, Χ2(1) = 6.252, p = .012 and 28/97, 28.9%, Χ2(1) = 10.955, p < .001, respectively). Conclusions: Rudimentary or absent 12th thoracic ribs and cervical ribs are significantly more prevalent in deceased fetuses and infants with trisomy 21

The Stimulation of Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase by the Prion Protein Fragment 106–126 in Human Microglia Is Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-dependent and Involves p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

A synthetic peptide consisting of amino acid residues 106-126 of the human prion protein (PrP-(106--126)) has been previously demonstrated to be neurotoxic and to induce microglial activation. The present study investigated the expression of the inducible form of the nitric-oxide synthase (NOS-II) in human microglial cells treated with PrP-(106--126). Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we found that PrP-(106--126) induces NOS-II gene expression after 24 h of treatment and that this effect is accompanied by a peak of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) binding at 30 min as evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Since our previous data demonstrated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to be a potent inducer of NOS-II in these cells, we analyzed the expression of this cytokine in PrP-(106--126)-treated microglia. PrP-(106--126) caused the release of TNF-alpha as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and a blocking antibody, anti-TNF-alpha, abolished NOS-II induction elicited by this peptide. Moreover, PrP-(106-126) activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and the inhibition of this pathway determines the ablation of NF-kappa B binding induced by this fragment peptide

Seizures and disturbed brain potassium dynamics in the leukodystrophy megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts

OBJECTIVE: Loss of function of the astrocyte-specific protein MLC1 leads to the childhood-onset leukodystrophy "megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts" (MLC). Studies on isolated cells show a role for MLC1 in astrocyte volume regulation and suggest that disturbed brain ion and water homeostasis is central to the disease. Excitability of neuronal networks is particularly sensitive to ion and water homeostasis. In line with this, reports of seizures and epilepsy in MLC patients exist. However, systematic assessment and mechanistic understanding of seizures in MLC are lacking. METHODS: We analyzed an MLC patient inventory to study occurrence of seizures in MLC. We used two distinct genetic mouse models of MLC to further study epileptiform activity and seizure threshold through wireless extracellular field potential recordings. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and K+-sensitive electrode recordings in mouse brain slices were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of epilepsy in MLC. RESULTS: An early onset of seizures is common in MLC. Similarly, in MLC mice, we uncovered spontaneous epileptiform brain activity and a lowered threshold for induced seizures. At the cellular level, we found that although passive and active properties of individual pyramidal neurons are unchanged, extracellular K+dynamics and neuronal network activity are abnormal in MLC mice. INTERPRETATION: Disturbed astrocyte regulation of ion and water homeostasis in MLC causes hyperexcitability of neuronal networks and seizures. These findings suggest a role for defective astrocyte volume regulation in epilepsy. Ann Neurol 2018;83:636-649

Understanding the Ultra-Rare Disease Autosomal Dominant Leukodystrophy: an Updated Review on Morpho-Functional Alterations Found in Experimental Models

Autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD) is an ultra-rare, slowly progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disorder associated with the loss of white matter in the central nervous system (CNS). Several years after its first clinical description, ADLD was found to be caused by coding and non-coding variants in the LMNB1 gene that cause its overexpression in at least the brain of patients. LMNB1 encodes for Lamin B1, a protein of the nuclear lamina. Lamin B1 regulates many cellular processes such as DNA replication, chromatin organization, and senescence. However, its functions have not been fully characterized yet. Nevertheless, Lamin B1 together with the other lamins that constitute the nuclear lamina has firstly the key role of maintaining the nuclear structure. Being the nucleus a dynamic system subject to both biochemical and mechanical regulation, it is conceivable that changes to its structural homeostasis might translate into functional alterations. Under this light, this review aims at describing the pieces of evidence that to date have been obtained regarding the effects of LMNB1 overexpression on cellular morphology and functionality. Moreover, we suggest that further investigation on ADLD morpho-functional consequences is essential to better understand this complex disease and, possibly, other neurological disorders affecting CNS myelination

Trends in the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Italy between 1991 and 2010

The prevalence of asthma increased worldwide until the 1990s, but since then there has been no clear temporal pattern. The present study aimed to assess time trends in the prevalence of current asthma, asthma-like symptoms and allergic rhinitis in Italian adults from 1990 to 2010. The same screening questionnaire was administered by mail or phone to random samples of the general population (age 20–44 yrs) in Italy, in the frame of three multicentre studies: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) (1991–1993; n56,031); the Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA) (1998–2000; n518,873); and the Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD) study (2007–2010; n510,494). Time trends in prevalence were estimated using Poisson regression models in the centres that repeated the survey at different points in time. From 1991 to 2010, the median prevalence of current asthma, wheezing and allergic rhinitis increased from 4.1% to 6.6%, from 10.1% to 13.9% and from 16.8% to 25.8%, respectively. The prevalence of current asthma was stable during the 1990s and increased (relative risk 1.38, 95% CI 1.19–1.59) from 1998–2000 to 2007–2010, mainly in subjects who did not report allergic rhinitis. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis has increased continuously since 1991. The asthma epidemic is not over in Italy. During the past 20 yrs, asthma prevalence has increased by 38%, in parallel with a similar increase in asthma-like symptoms and allergic rhiniti

Increased prevalence of abnormal vertebral patterning in fetuses and neonates with trisomy 21

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of an abnormal number of ribs in a cohort of fetuses and neonates with trisomy 21 and compare this with a subgroup of fetuses without anomalies. Materials and methods: Radiographs of 67 deceased fetuses, neonates, and infants that were diagnosed with trisomy 21 were reviewed. Terminations of pregnancy were included. The control group was composed of 107 deceased fetuses, neonates, and infants without known chromosomal abnormalities, structural malformations, infections or placental pathology. Cases in which the number of thoracic ribs or presence of cervical ribs could not be reliably assessed were excluded. The literature concerning vertebral patterning in trisomy 21 cases and healthy subjects was reviewed. Results: Absent or rudimentary 12th thoracic ribs were found in 26/54 (48.1%) cases with trisomy 21 and cervical ribs were present in 27/47 (57.4%) cases. This prevalence was significantly higher compared to controls (28/100, 28.0%, Χ2(1) = 6.252, p = .012 and 28/97, 28.9%, Χ2(1) = 10.955, p < .001, respectively). Conclusions: Rudimentary or absent 12th thoracic ribs and cervical ribs are significantly more prevalent in deceased fetuses and infants with trisomy 21