Neurosurgery of the peripheral nervous system: Entrapment syndromes of the brachial plexus

[No abstract available

The significance of duodenal mucosal atrophy in patients with common variable immunodeficiency: a clinical and histopathological study

Gastrointestinal manifestations and villous atrophy can be seen in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). In some patients, infectious agents may be responsible, whereas in Others, celiac diseases (CD) may be the cause. In this study, we investigate the causes and th ehistopathologic festures seen in patients with CVID. Eleven patients with CVID and villous atrophy underwent duodenal biopsies, human leukocyte antien (HLA) typing, and testing for all celiac antibodies. Fifteen patients with CVID and normal villi and 6 patients with CD but without CVID served as controls. Histologic response to a gluten-free diet (GFD) allowed a diagnosis of CD in 3 of 11 patients. In the remaining 8, the lack of a histologic response to a GFD or HLA typing excluded CD. Celiac antibodies gave conflicting results and were of no help. Polymorphonuclear infiltrates and lesions like graft-versus-host disease are seen more ofter in flat mucos aunresponsive to a GFD. However, the specificity of these findings remains to be determined and response to a GFD remains the only diagnostic criteria for CD in these patients. Villous atrophy was gluten-sensitive in 3 of 11 patients with CVID. It was not related to gluten-responsive CD in most patients

Pharmacological targeting of the ephrin receptor kinase signalling by GLPG1790 in vitro and in vivo reverts oncophenotype, induces myogenic differentiation and radiosensitizes embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells

EPH (erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular) receptors are clinically relevant targets in several malignancies. This report describes the effects of GLPG1790, a new potent pan-EPH inhibitor, in human embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) cell lines

Prevalence and natural history of potential coeliac disease in adult patients.

OBJECTIVE: Potential celiac disease (PCD) is a form of CD characterized by positive endomysial/tissue transglutaminase antibodies and a preserved duodenal mucosa despite a gluten-containing diet (GCD); it can evolve into flat, active CD. This evolution is, however, not certain. Our aim was to retrospectively study the prevalence and the natural history of adult patients with PCD. METHODS: The clinical notes of all 47 patients with PCD attending our clinic between September 1999 and October 2011 were retrospectively reevaluated. To study their clinical features, patients with active CD, randomly selected and matched for sex and date of birth, served as controls. Symptoms, associated diseases, familiarity, and laboratory data at diagnosis were compared. RESULTS: Prevalence of PCD among all celiac patients directly diagnosed in our center was 42/187, (1/4.4, 18.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.3-23.4%). Age at diagnosis, laboratory data, prevalence of symptoms, associated diseases, and familiarity for CD did not differ between patients with PCD and those with active CD. Some patients with PCD maintained a normal duodenal mucosa for many years and their symptoms spontaneously improved despite maintaining a GCD. CONCLUSIONS: PCD is not a rare form of CD. Having found no difference at all in age at diagnosis and clinical features between PCD and active CD could suggest that PCD is not a prodrome of CD but is a separate entity that can only subsequently evolve into active CD

Herbicidas pré-emergentes em pomar de pessegueiros

Three pre-emergent herbicides were tested, at two different concentrations, with the aim to keep the peach orchards free of weeds during the vegetative cicle. The experiment was conducted near Cascata, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in a three-year-old peach orchard, cv. Princesa, a fresh marketing cultivar. The best treatments were Diuron at 1.6 kg A.I./ha and Simazine at 2.2 kg A.I./ha. However, the control of weeds was better in all the herbicide treated plots than in the ones hoed. There were no significant differences in seed germination in the different soil sample, as compared to the controls. There were no significant differences among treatments regarding fruit production, fruit size and stem development. The bioassay was made using seeds of canary grass and wild chicory and the results showed no residues of herbicides in the soil, 310 and 320 days after their application.Experimento instalado próximo à UEPAE de Cascata, RS, em pomar de pessegueiro - cultivar Princesa, própria para consumo in natura, com plantas de três anos de idade -, com a finalidade de manter o pomar livre de invasoras durante o ciclo vegetativo da cultura. Foram testados três herbicidas pré-emergentes, cada um em duas concentrações. Os melhores tratamentos foram Diuron, a 1,6 kg P.A./ha e Simazine, a 2,2kg P.A./ha. Todos os tratamentos tiveram efeito positivo em relação à capina. Não foi observada diferença estatística entre os tratamentos quanto ao desenvolvimento do tronco das plantas, tamanho e número de frutas. Pelos resultados encontrados nos testes biológicos realizados com semente de alpiste e almeirão, não foram detectados resíduos de herbicidas no solo, 320 e 310 dias após a aplicação dos produtos no primeiro e segundo ano, respectivamente

β-Arrestin-1 expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in laryngeal carcinoma.

Aim: The novel primary end-point of the present study was to ascertain β-arrestin-1 expression in a cohort of consecutive patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) with information available on their cigarette-smoking habits. A secondary end-point was to conduct a preliminary clinical and pathological investigation into the possible role of β-arrestin-1 in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), identified by testing for E-cadherin, Zeb1, and Zeb2 expression, in the setting of LSCC. Methods: The expression of β-arrestin-1, E-cadherin, zeb1, and zeb2 was ascertained in 20 consecutive LSCCs. Results: Statistical analysis showed no significant associations between β-arrestin-1 and EMT (based on the expression of E-cadherin, Zeb1, and Zeb2). The combined effect of nicotine and β-arrestin-1 was significantly associated with a shorter disease-free survival ( P=0.01) in our series of LSCC. This latter result was also confirmed in an independent, publicly available LSCC cohort ( P=0.047). Conclusions: Further investigations on larger series (ideally in prospective settings) are needed before we can consider closer follow-up protocols and/or more aggressive treatments for patients with LSCC and a combination of nicotine exposure and β-arrestin-1 positivity in tumor cells at the time of their diagnosis. Further studies on how β-arrestin functions in cancer via different signaling pathways might reveal potential targets for the treatment of even advanced laryngeal malignancies

Risk factors for infections due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae after open heart surgery

OBJECTIVES Patients undergoing major surgery are at increased risk of developing infections due to resistant organisms, including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp). In this study, we assessed risk factors for CR-Kp infections after open heart surgery in a teaching hospital in northern Italy. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted from January to December 2014. The primary outcome measure was postoperative CR-Kp infection, defined as a time-to-event end-point. The effect of potentially related variables was assessed by univariable and multivariable analyses. Secondary end-points were in-hospital mortality and 180-day postoperative mortality. RESULTS Among 553 patients undergoing open heart surgery, 32 developed CR-Kp infections (6%). In the final multivariable model, CR-Kp colonization [hazard ratio (HR) 227.45, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 67.13-1225.20, P < 0.001], cardiopulmonary bypass time in minutes (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02, P < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR 3.99, 95% CI 1.61-9.45, P = 0.004), SOFA score (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.08-1.53, P = 0.007), preoperative mechanical ventilation (HR 8.10, 95% CI 1.31-48.57, P = 0.026), prolonged mechanical ventilation (HR 2.48, 95% CI 1.08-6.15, P = 0.032) and female sex (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.00-4.36, P = 0.049) were associated with the development of CR-Kp infection. Increased in-hospital mortality and 180-day mortality were observed in patients who developed CR-Kp infections in comparison with those who did not. CONCLUSIONS In our cohort, CR-Kp colonization was an important predictor of CR-Kp infection after open heart surgery. CR-Kp infection after surgery significantly affected survival. Preventing colonization is conceivably the most effective current strategy to reduce the impact of CR-Kp