Post-polio syndrome. Cases report and review of literature

It is estimated that around 15 million people survived polio infection worldwide since early twentieth century. In 1950 effective vaccination was used for first time. Since that time number of affected people decreased. The last epidemic of Haine–Medine disease in Poland was in 1950s. Another rare cases of infections were observed till 1970s. About at least 15 years after polio virus infection, slowly progressive muscle limbs paresis with muscle atrophy, joints pain, paresthesia were observed in polio survivors. That constellation of symptoms was called post-polio syndrome (PPS). PPS frequency among people after paralytic and nonparalytic polio infectious is ranged from 30% to 80%. Fatigue that leads to physical and mental activity deterioration is another important symptom that is observed in 90% of patients with PPS. Etiology of disease remains elusive. Probably it is an effect of spine frontal horns motoneurons damage during acute virus polio infection that leads to overloading and degeneration of remaining ones. The most important risk factors of PPS are female sex and respiratory symptoms during acute polio infection. Electromyography is an important part of PPS diagnostic process. Electrophysiological abnormalities are seen in clinically affected and unaffected muscles. The most frequent are fasciculations and fibrillations during rest activity, extension of motor unit area, time duration and amplitude. In this study we described three cases of people who developed PPS years after Haine–Medine disease and correlation between their EMG results and clinical status. We also analyzed electromyography results both after one month since first PPS signs occurred as well as after few years. Presentation of dynamic changes in EMG was the most important aim of that study

Rolle des Transkriptionsfaktors cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) bei der Lungenalterung

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Bedeutung von CREB bei der Lungenalterung zu untersuchen. Diese Untersuchungen zeigten am Mausmodell, dass der Proteingehalt an totalem und phosphoryliertem (aktiviertem) CREB mit der Lungenalterung reduziert wird. Am Beispiel von humanen Zellmodellen (A549 als immortale Lungenepithelzellen sowie primäre fetale und adulte Lungenfibroblasten) konnten zelluläre Seneszenz sowie chronischer oxidativer Stress als mögliche Ursachen der alters-vermittelten CREB-Abnahme identifiziert werden. Dabei war die Abnahme von CREB nicht transkriptionell sondern post-transkriptionell/-translational reguliert. In diesem Zusammenhang wurde ein Anstieg der microRNA-34b, welche die CREB-Translation blockieren kann, sowie eine stark zunehmende Ubiquitinierung von CREB identifiziert. Am Mausmodell konnte zudem gezeigt werden, dass es mit zunehmendem Alter zu post-translationalen Veränderungen der extrazellulären Kollagene durch Zucker, den sogenannten advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), kommt.RAB27A und IGFBP3 konnten als Targetgene von CREB identifiziert werden, welche bei der Lungenalterung eine Rolle spielen könnten.The aim of this work was to investigate the role of CREB in lung aging. This study demonstrated, using a mouse model, that the protein content of total and phosphor-activated CREB in lungs reduces with age. As exemplified by human cell models (immortal lung epithelial cells A549, primary fetal and adult lung fibroblasts) cellular senescence and chronic oxidative stress have been identified as possible causes of age-mediated CREB reduction. The decrease of CREB was not transcriptionally regulated, but post-transcriptionally/-translational regulated. An increase of microRNA-34b, which can repress CREB translation, as well as a strong increase in ubiquitination of CREB was also identified. It has also been shown on mouse model that aging leads to post-translational alterations of the extracellular collagens by sugars, the so-called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Although they had a negative effect on the protein expression of CREB, the molecular background could not be fully clarified.Comparative gene expression analysis of human lung cells with and without knock down of CREB, senescent and pre-senescent lung cells and lung tissues of young and old mice identified RAB27A and IGFBP3 as target genes of CREB, which could play a role in lung aging.von Paulina Anna Rolewsk

Brain strokes related to aortic aneurysma – the analysis of three cases

Brain stroke connected with aortic blood flow disturbances is a rare disease and its incidence is difficult to assume. Nevertheless, 10-50% of patients with aortic dissection may not experience any pain. In case of 18-30% patients with aortic dissection neurological signs are first disease presentation and among them ischemic stroke is the most common. The most popular aortic dissection classification is with use of Stanford system. Type A involves the ascending aorta and type B is occurring distal to the subclavian artery. Aortic dissection risk factors include hypertension, cystic medionecrosis, bicuspid aortic valve and Marfan’s or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Morphological and Chemical Traits as Quality Determinants of Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), on the Example of ‘Standard Winter’ Cultivar

Common thyme is regarded as one of the most important culinary plants. The purpose of the work was to determine the intraspecific variability of common thyme with respect to morphological and chemical characters including the content and composition of essential oil and phenolic compounds in the herb. The objects of the study were 12 clones, vegetatively multiplied from randomly selected individual plants of cultivar ‘Standard Winter’. The morphological observations and harvest of raw materials were carried out in the first year plants’ vegetation. The highest differences between clones were on fresh and dry weight of herb (CV = 0.38 and 0.36, respectively), width of leaves (CV = 0.21), and density of glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of leaves (CV = 0.29). Examined clones were also differentiated as to the chemical features. Essential oil content (performed by hydrodestillation) and composition (by GC-MS and GC-FID) were determined and they ranged from 2.10 to 4.38 g × 100 g−1 DW. Here, thymol, γ-terpinen, and p-cymen were the dominant compounds. Clone no. 4 was distinctive as to the highest content of essential oil followed by the highest share of thymol (54.59%). The total content of phenolic acids and flavonoids (determined according to PPh 6th) also differed among clones (CV = 0.38 and 0.36, respectively). Using a validated HPLC-DAD method, the following compounds were identified: caffeic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric acids, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, naryngenin, and (−)-epicatechin. Here, rosmarinic acid followed by luteolin 7-O-glucoside were present in the highest amounts (611.47–2675.59 and 46.77–325.11 mg × 100 g−1 DW, respectively). The highest differences between clones were the contents of p-coumaric acid (CV = 0.59), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (CV = 0.50) and rosmarinic acid (CV = 0.40). Such a high range of variability can provide problems with raw material standardization. Nevertheless, it opens possibilities for breeders, whereas individual plants/clones may become valuable components for breeding

Developments at CERN-ISOLDE’s OFFLINE 2 mass separator facility for studies of molecular ion beams

ISOLDE’s Offline 2 laboratory has been upgraded to facilitate development for the production and study of molecular ion beams. New gas injection systems have been implemented for both molecular formation in the ion source and in the radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap used for beam preparation. MagneToF detectors and time-resolved single ion counting data acquisition have been implemented for low intensity beams and studies of laser-atom or laser-molecule interactions. We present a study of the formation and ionization of BaF+ using the upgraded facility

A common variant in RAB27A gene is associated with fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels in adults

BACKGROUND: Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a biomarker for eosinophilic inflammation in the airways and for responsiveness to corticosteroids in asthmatics. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify in adults the genetic determinants of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels and to assess whether environmental and disease-related factors influence these associations. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study of FeNO through meta-analysis of two independent discovery samples of European ancestry: the outbred EGEA study (French Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, N = 610 adults) and the Hutterites (N = 601 adults), a founder population living on communal farms. Replication of main findings was assessed in adults from an isolated village in Sardinia (Talana study, N = 450). We then investigated the influence of asthma, atopy and tobacco smoke exposure on these genetic associations, and whether they were also associated with FeNO values in children of the EAGLE (EArly Genetics & Lifecourse Epidemiology, N = 8858) consortium. RESULTS: We detected a common variant in RAB27A (rs2444043) associated with FeNO that reached the genome-wide significant level (P = 1.6 7 10(-7) ) in the combined discovery and replication adult data sets. This SNP belongs to member of RAS oncogene family (RAB27A) and was associated with an expression quantitative trait locus for RAB27A in lymphoblastoid cell lines from asthmatics. A second suggestive locus (rs2194437, P = 8.9 7 10(-7) ) located nearby the sodium/calcium exchanger 1 (SLC8A1) was mainly detected in atopic subjects and influenced by inhaled corticosteroid use. These two loci were not associated with childhood FeNO values. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study identified a common variant located in RAB27A gene influencing FeNO levels specifically in adults and with a biological relevance to the regulation of FeNO levels. This study provides new insight into the biological mechanisms underlying FeNO levels in adults