Association of cognitive performance with interleukin-6 receptor Asp358Ala polymorphism in healthy adults

Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised was performed in 576 healthy adults to examine whether a functional polymorphism (Asp358Ala) of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) gene is associated with cognitive performance. Verbal intelligence quotient in Asp homozygotes was significantly higher compared to Ala carriers (P = 0.005). Compared to Ala carriers, Asp homozygotes performed better in the verbal subtests requiring long-term memory stores. Elevated IL-6 and soluble IL-6R levels in Ala carriers may have negative impact on acquiring verbal cognitive ability requiring long-term memory.ArticleJOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION. 119(3):313-318 (2012)journal articl

3,4-Dicaffeoylquinic Acid, a Major Constituent of Brazilian Propolis, Increases TRAIL Expression and Extends the Lifetimes of Mice Infected with the Influenza A Virus

Brazilian green propolis water extract (PWE) and its chemical components, caffeoylquinic acids, such as 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,4-diCQA), act against the influenza A virus (IAV) without influencing the viral components. Here, we evaluated the anti-IAV activities of these compounds in vivo. PWE or PEE (Brazilian green propolis ethanol extract) at a dose of 200 mg/kg was orally administered to Balb/c mice that had been inoculated with IAV strain A/WSN/33. The lifetimes of the PWE-treated mice were significantly extended compared to the untreated mice. Moreover, oral administration of 3,4-diCQA, a constituent of PWE, at a dose of 50 mg/kg had a stronger effect than PWE itself. We found that the amount of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) mRNA in the mice that were administered 3,4-diCQA was significantly increased compared to the control group, while H1N1 hemagglutinin (HA) mRNA was slightly decreased. These data indicate that PWE, PEE or 3,4-diCQA possesses a novel and unique mechanism of anti-influenza viral activity, that is, enhancing viral clearance by increasing TRAIL

Pharmacognostic Studies on Ginger and Related Drugs (part 2): Constituents of Zingiberis Processum Rhizome (Kankyo)

Nineteen compounds has been isolated from the 80% methanolic extract of Kankyo (Japanese name for Zingiberis processum rhizome) made out of ginger, including a glucoside of 6－gingerdiol (15), four diarylheptanoids (16-19) and the sulfonated compounds such as 6－gingesulfonic acid (10) and shogasulfonic acid A (12) previously reported, besides twelve known compounds. This is the first isolation of compounds 15-19 from the Kankyo. In addition, interestingly, two kinds of Kankyo are found to be sold in the Japanese market: one contains sulfonated derivatives and the other contains no such compound

Association of interleukin-1 beta genetic polymorphisms with cognitive performance in elderly females without dementia

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is considered to have a role in age-related cognitive decline. A recent study has shown that a promoter polymorphism of the IL-1 beta gene (rs16944) is associated with cognitive performance in elderly males without dementia. In this study, we examined whether polymorphisms of the IL-1 beta gene also influence cognitive functions in elderly females. Cognitive functions were assessed by the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised (WAIS-R) in 99 elderly (>= 60 years) females without dementia. We selected five tagging polymorphisms from the IL-1 beta gene and examined the associations with the WAIS-R scores. Significant associations were found between verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) and the genotypes of rs1143634 and rs1143633 (P = 0.0037 and P = 0.010, respectively). No significant associations of rs16944 genotype were found with verbal or performance IQ. However, individuals homozygous for the G allele of rs16944 achieved higher scores in digit span compared with their counterpart, which is consistent with the previous findings in males. These results suggest that IL-1 beta gene variation may have a role in cognitive functions in aging females as well as males. Journal of Human Genetics (2011) 56, 613-616; doi:10.1038/jhg.2011.56; published online 26 May 2011ArticleJOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS. 56(8):613-616 (2011)journal articl

More severe impairment of manual dexterity in bipolar disorder compared to unipolar major depression

Background: Mood disorders are associated with various neurocognitive deficits. However, few studies have reported the impairment of motor dexterity in unipolar depression and bipolar disorder. In the present study, manual dexterity was compared between unipolar major depression, bipolar disorder, and healthy controls. Methods: Manual dexterity was assessed by the Purdue pegboard test in 98 patients with unipolar major depression, 48 euthymic or depressed patients with bipolar disorder, and 158 healthy controls, matched for age and gender. Results: Compared to healthy controls, sum of the scores of right, left, and both hands subtests (R + L+ B) was significantly lower in both patients with unipolar depression and bipolar disorder (P= 0.0034 and P<0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, R + L + B was significantly lower in bipolar disorder compared to unipolar depression (P=0.0016). Lithium dose and chlorpromazine equivalent dose of antipsychotics were significantly negatively correlated with some of the subtest scores. On the other hand, depression severity did not significantly correlate with any of the subtest scores. Difference in R + L+ B between unipolar depression and bipolar disorder remained statistically significant even after controlling for gender, age, lithium dose, and chlorpromazine equivalent dose (P = 0.0028). Limitations Bipolar patients during manic episode were not included in the study. Conclusions: Gross movement dexterity was impaired in both patients with unipolar depression and bipolar disorder. The severity of impairment was significantly greater in patients with bipolar disorder. The functional difference between unipolar and bipolar patients may suggest different pathological conditions between the two depressive disorders.ArticleJOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 136(3):1047-1052 (2012)journal articl

Associations of HIV testing and late diagnosis at a Japanese university hospital

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to clarify the rate of late diagnosis of HIV infection and to identify relationships between the reasons for HIV testing and a late diagnosis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among HIV-positive patients at the Jikei University Hospital between 2001 and 2014. Patient characteristics from medical records, including age, sex, sexuality, the reason for HIV testing and the number of CD4-positive lymphocytes at HIV diagnosis, were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 459 patients (men, n=437; 95.2%) were included in this study and the median age at HIV diagnosis was 36 years (range, 18-71 years). Late (CD4 cell coun

Novel Variants in the CLCN1, RYR2, and DCTN1 Found in Elderly Japanese Dementia Patients: A Case Series

Dementia has an enormous impact on medical and financial resources in aging societies like Japan. Diagnosis of dementia can be made by physical and mental examinations, imaging tests, and findings of high abnormal proteins in cerebrospinal fluids. In addition, genetic tests can be performed in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this case series, we presented three cases of dementia with unknown causes who carry novel variants in the genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Three patients (Patients 1, 2, and 6) were found by screening 18 dementia patients using a gene panel including 63 genes. The age of onset for Patient 1 was 74 years old, and his father had PD and mother had AD. The age of onset for Patient 2 was 75 years old, and her mother had AD. The age of onset for Patient 6 was 83 years old, and her father, two sisters, and daughter had dementia. The Mini-Mental State Examination produced results of 20, 15, and 22, respectively. The suspected diagnosis by neurological examinations and imaging studies for Patients 1 and 2 was AD, and for Patient 6 was FTD. Patient 1 was treated with donepezil; Patient 2 was treated with donepezil and memantine; and Patient 6 was treated with donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine. The three rare variants identified were: CLCN1, encoding a chloride channel, c.2848G>A:p.Glu950Lys (Patient 1); RYR2, encoding a calcium releasing ryanodine receptor, c.13175A>G:p.Lys4392Arg (Patient 2); and DCTN1, encoding a subunit of dynactin, c. 3209G>A:p.Arg1070Gln (Patient 6). The detected variants were interpreted according to the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) guidelines. The minor allele frequency for each variant was 0.025%, 0.023%, and 0.0004% in East Asians, respectively. The DCTN1 variant found in Patient 6 might be associated with FTD. Although none of them were previously reported in dementia patients, all variants were classified as variants of unknown significance (VUS). Our report suggests that results of genetic tests in elderly patients with dementia need to be carefully interpreted. Further data accumulation of genotype-phenotype relationships and development of appropriate functional models are warranted