EST analysis of genes that are expressed in the neural complex of Ciona intestinalis adults.

A subtractive cDNA library was made corresponding to mRNAs expressed in the neural complex relative to those expressed in the pharynx of adults of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Determination and comparison of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of a set of 1,527 randomly selected clones demonstrated that they represent 832 independent sequences. Five hundred seventy-two of the clones contained amino-acid-encoding sequences. BLASTX analyses showed that 342 of the 572 clones were strong matches (P<10(-7)) to previously identified proteins, while the remaining 230 fell into the "no match" category. Among the clones matching previously identified proteins, about 80 clones represented proteins that are involved in the formation, maintenance of the structure, and function of the nervous system: 22 proteins are associated with signal transduction, five proteins are related to the synapse, 11 to transcription factors, nine to transporters, five to enzymes, and 13 to extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal components, and six to apoptosis. In addition, sequence information for genes associated with the immune system and for genes encoding proteins with interesting functions were obtained. These data provide cues for further studies on genes that are expressed in and function in the ascidian nervous system

A Rare Case of Proximal Junctional Failure with Delayed Infection after Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Report of Two Cases

Proximal junctional failure (PJF) is one of the most devastating complications that develop after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. Here, we report 2 rare cases of PJF accompanied by delayed infection after ASD surgery with a review of the relevant literatures. Late-onset infection is an infrequent complication despite acute postoperative infection is common after posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion. Among them, delayed onset pyogenic spondylitis of the adjacent vertebra to the instrumented vertebrae is an extremely rare phenomenon. We do not have a clear explanation for this pathology. Since the delayed infections developed not in the fused segments but in the adjacent vertebra, the cause of the first case can be speculated as stimulation of low-virulent organisms to fester and hematogenous seeding and that of the second case as metal fretting and a sterile inflammatory response causing hematogenous microbial seeding, respectively. Additional studies on this phenomenon are warranted to elucidate the pathogenesis of this complication

Chin on Chest Deformity Caused by Upper Cervical Kyphosis Associated With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Report

Chin on chest deformity caused by upper cervical kyphosis associated with ankylosing spondylitis is rare. A 66-year-old woman presented at our institute with chief complaints of difficulty in horizontal gaze and opening her mouth. Cervical radiographs showed a C0–2 angle of 1° on flexion and 7° on extension, and her chin-brow vertical angle was 49°. We planned fixation surgery at C0–5 posteriorly to prevent the progression of kyphosis, with slight correction of the kyphosis at C0–2. The correction was performed by pushing down the over lordotically contoured titanium rods connected to an occipital plate onto the C3–5 lateral mass screws, just like cantilever technique. No palpable cracking or loss of resistance was noticed during the correction. However, intraoperative radiographs revealed apparent anterior separation of the vertebral bodies between C3 and C4. Postoperative computed tomography images at the C3/4 level suggested hemorrhage from the fracture site. Tracheostomy was performed because of massive edema around the pharynx. To secure solid bone fusion, staged surgery to extend the fusion to T3 and to graft an additional iliac bone was performed. Fortunately, the C2–7 angle was corrected to 40°, and her chin-brow vertical angle was restored to 17° without any catastrophic complications. Although the patient finally obtained an ideal sagittal alignment, the surgeon should be aware that the technique had a higher perioperative risk for iatrogenic fracture, resulting in neurological and vascular injuries

Optimization of surface-immobilized extracellular matrices for the proliferation of neural progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Article first published online: 20 MAY 2015Neural progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells have been considered as a potential source for cell-transplantation therapy of central nervous disorders. However, efficient methods to expand neural progenitor cells are further required for their clinical applications. In this study, a protein array was fabricated with nine extracellular matrices and used to screen substrates suitable for the expansion of neural progenitor cells derived from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells. The results showed that neural progenitor cells efficiently proliferated on substrates with immobilized laminin-1, laminin-5, or Matrigel. Based on this result, further attempts were made to develop clinically compliant substrates with immobilized polypeptides that mimic laminin-1, one of the most effective extracellular matrices as identified in the array-based screening. We used here recombinant DNA technology to prepare polypeptide containing the globular domain 3 of laminin-1 and immobilized it onto glass-based substrates. Our results showed that neural progenitor cells selectively proliferated on substrate with the immobilized polypeptide while maintaining their differentiated state