Qualification of unilateral cochlear implant recipients for a second device

Introduction: Although it is recommended to perform cochlear implantation in both ears at the same time for management of profound hearing loss in children, many centers prefer to perform sequential implantation. There are many reasons as to why a simultaneous bilateral implantation is not commonly accepted and performed. The major risk is the possibility of bilateral vestibular organ impairment. However, it is beyond doubt that children who received the first implant should be given a chance for binaural hearing and associated benefits. In the literature, there are no homogenous criteria for bilateral implantation, and it is hard to find uniform and convincing algorithms for second cochlear implantation. The aim of this study is an attempt to identify a safe way of qualifying for second cochlear implantation in children. Material and methods: Forty children with one cochlear implant were qualified for the second implantation. During qualification, the following were taken into account: time of the first implantation, audiometry results, use of the hearing aid in the ear without an implant and benefit of the device, speech and hearing development, and vestibular organ function. R esults: Fifteen out of forty children (38%) were qualified for the second implantation. In 35% of children, the decision was delayed with possible second implantation in the future. Eleven children (27%) were disqualified from the second surgery. Discussion: During evaluation according to the protocol presented in our study, 38% of children with a single cochlear implant were qualified for the second implantation with a chance for an optimal development and effective use of the second cochlear implant. We are convinced that sequential implantation with a short interval between surgeries and with an examination of the vestibular organ, hearing and speech development as well as an assessment of potential benefits from the second implant (bimodal stimulation) before the second implantation is the safest and most beneficial solution for children with severe hearing loss

Kwalifikacja do wszczepienia drugiego implantu ślimakowego u dzieci

Wstęp: Wiele ośrodków, pomimo rekomendacji dotyczących leczenia głębokiego niedosłuchu u dzieci poprzez symultaniczne wszczepienie dwóch implantów ślimakowych, decydując się na drugi implant, preferuje implantacje w trybie sekwencyjnym. Istnieje szereg przyczyn, z powodu których jednoczasowa bilateralna implantacja nie jest powszechnie akceptowana i wykonywana. Największe zagrożenie stanowi możliwość wystąpienia obustronnego wypadnięcia funkcji narządu przedsionkowego. Nie ma jednak wątpliwości, że dzieci, które otrzymały pierwszy implant, powinny mieć szansę na słyszenie binauralne i związane z tym korzyści. W piśmiennictwie światowym kryteria kwalifikacji do obustronnych implantacji nie są jednorodne i trudno znaleźć jednolite oraz przekonywujące algorytmy postępowania odnośnie do drugiego implantu ślimakowego. Celem pracy jest próba przedstawienia bezpiecznego sposobu kwalifikacji do wszczepienia drugiego implantu ślimakowego u dzieci. Materiał i metody: W niniejszej pracy przeprowadzono procedurę kwalifikacyjną do wszczepienia drugiego implantu ślimakowego u 40 dzieci posiadających jeden implant ślimakowy. W postępowaniu kwalifikacyjnym brano pod uwagę: datę pierwszej implantacji, wyniki badań audiometrycznych, aparatowanie ucha nieimplantowanego, dotychczasowy rozwój mowy i słuchu oraz badania narządu przedsionkowego. Wyniki: 38% pacjentów – 15 z 40 dzieci – zostało zakwalifikowanych do wszczepienia drugiego implantu. U 35% dzieci decyzję tę odroczono z możliwością implantacji w przyszłości. 11 dzieci (27%) nie zakwalifikowano do drugiego zabiegu. Dyskusja: Podczas postępowania zgodnego z przedstawionym protokołem kwalifikacji 38% dzieci z jednym implantem zakwalifikowano do drugiej implantacji z szansą na optymalny rozwój i efektywne wykorzystanie drugiego implantu. Uważamy, że implantacje w trybie sekwencyjnym z możliwie krótkim odstępem czasu pomiędzy zabiegami wraz z oceną narządu przedsionkowego, rozwoju słuchu i mowy oraz korzyści z drugostronnego aparatu słuchowego (stymulacja bimodalna) przed drugą implantacją są najbezpieczniejszym i optymalnym rozwiązaniem u dzieci z głębokim niedosłuchem

Modulation of LPS-Induced Neurodegeneration by Intestinal Helminth Infection in Ageing Mice

Parasitic helminths induce a transient, short-term inflammation at the beginning of infection, but in persistent infection may suppress the systemic immune response by enhancing the activity of regulatory M2 macrophages. The aim of the study was to determine how nematode infection affects age-related neuroinflammation, especially macrophages in the nervous tissue. Here, intraperitoneal LPS-induced systemic inflammation resulting in brain neurodegeneration was enhanced by prolonged Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection in C57BL/6 mice. The changes in the brain coincided with the increase in M1 macrophages, reduced survivin level, enhanced APP and GFAP expression, chitin-like chains deposition in the brain and deterioration behaviour manifestations. These changes were also observed in transgenic C57BL/6 mice predisposed to develop neurodegeneration typical for Alzheimer’s disease in response to pathogenic stimuli. Interestingly, in mice infected with the nematode only, the greater M2 macrophage population resulted in better results in the forced swim test. Given the growing burden of neurodegenerative diseases, understanding such interactive associations can have significant implications for ageing health strategies and disease monitoring

Manganese-labeled alginate hydrogels for image-guided cell transplantation

Cell transplantation has been studied extensively as a therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders. However, to date, its effectiveness remains unsatisfactory due to low precision and efficacy of cell delivery; poor survival of transplanted cells; and inadequate monitoring of their fate in vivo. Fortunately, different bio-scaffolds have been proposed as cell carriers to improve the accuracy of cell delivery, survival, differentiation, and controlled release of embedded stem cells. The goal of our study was to establish hydrogel scaffolds suitable for stem cell delivery that also allow non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We focused on alginate-based hydrogels due to their natural origin, biocompatibility, resemblance to the extracellular matrix, and easy manipulation of gelation processes. We optimized the properties of alginate-based hydrogels, turning them into suitable carriers for transplanted cells. Human adipose-derived stem cells embedded in these hydrogels survived for at least 14 days in vitro. Alginate-based hydrogels were also modified successfully to allow their injectability via a needle. Finally, supplementing alginate hydrogels with Mn ions or Mn nanoparticles allowed for their visualization in vivo using manganese-enhanced MRI. We demonstrated that modified alginate-based hydrogels can support therapeutic cells as MRI-detectable matrices.This work was supported by NanoTech4ALS (ref. ENMed/0008/2015, 13/EuroNanoMed/ 2016), funded under the EU FP7 M-ERA.NET program, and European Social Fund (POWR.03.02.00- 00-I028/17-00). Eduarda P. Oliveira acknowledges the Ph.D. scholarship (SFRH/BD/137726/2018), attributed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Authors also acknowledge the R&D Project KOAT—Kefiran exopolysaccharide: Promising biopolymer for use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, with reference PTDC/BTMMAT/29760/2017, financed by FCT and co-financed by FEDER and POCI.

The role of exercise on the innate immunity of the elderly

AbstractThe increased life span in human population has shown that some diseases, as infections, cancer and autoimmune phenomena, occur more frequently in the elderly than in the younger. We describe the ageing process involving the innate immune system and the improvement given by moderate physical activity. In addition, we discuss the altered neutrophil granulocytes function, the role of macrophages and natural killer cells, besides the influence of cytokines and secretory IgA. The acquired information help us to explain how these changes could favor the onset of diseases in the elderly and how they may boost their immune function