Role of IGF2 in the Study of Development and Evolution of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate Cancer (PC) is commonly known as one of the most frequent tumors among males. A significant problem of this tumor is that in early stages most of the cases course as indolent forms, so an active surveillance will anticipate the appearance of aggressive stages. One of the main strategies in medical and biomedical research is to find non-invasive biomarkers for improving monitoring and performing a more precise follow-up of diseases like PC. Here we report the relevant role of IGF2 and miR-93-5p as non-invasive biomarker for PC. This event could improve current medical strategies in PC.

[Validation of the French version of the self-evaluation of negative symptoms (SNS)]. / Validation de la version française de l'échelle autoévaluation des symptômes négatifs (SNS).

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a disorder affecting 1% of the population and is associated with severe functional impairment. Negative symptoms are responsible for the majority of this impairment, and many patients with schizophrenia have negative symptoms. However, their evaluation is still a challenge. Thus, standardized assessments are needed to facilitate identification of these symptoms. Many tools have been developed, but most are based on observer ratings. Self-evaluation can provide an additional outcome measure and allow patients to be more engaged in their treatment. The Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) has been developed recently. This is a remarkably understandable instrument for patients with schizophrenia as it allows them to readily complete it without assistance, providing information with respect to their own perception of negative symptoms. The SNS is a self-assessment that permits patients to evaluate themselves in 5 dimensions of negative symptoms. This validation study for the SNS revealed good psychometric properties alongside satisfactory acceptance by patients. AIM: This study was to confirm the validation of the French version of the self-evaluation of negative symptoms (SNS). METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder according to the DSM-IV-R, with a stable regimen of anti-psychotic drugs for the last two months, aged more than 18 years old were eligible for the study. Symptoms were rated using the SNS, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenics (CDSS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Clinical Global Impression and Parkinsonism. Patients were asked to fulfill the SNS twice, 6 weeks apart. RESULTS: Sixty patients were evaluated. Cronbach's coefficient (α=0.8) showed good internal consistency. The SNS significantly correlated with the SANS (r=0.6), the negative sub-score of the BPRS (r=0.6) and the Clinician Global Impression on the severity of negative symptoms (r=0.7). SNS scores did not correlate with level of insight (r=0.08) or Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale positive sub-scores (r=0.2). SNS scores correlated with CDSS scores. However, we did not find correlation between the first item of the CDSS which evaluates depression and the "diminished emotional range" sub-score of SNS. The test-retest of SNS revealed no changes of scores at two evaluations 6 weeks apart. CONCLUSION: The acceptance by patients of the SNS was excellent. The French version of the SNS demonstrated a good internal consistency, good convergent validity and good discriminant validity. The study demonstrates the ability of patients with schizophrenia to accurately report their own experiences. Self-assessments of negative symptoms should be more widely employed in clinical practice because they may allow patients with schizophrenia to develop appropriate coping strategies.

Kinematic evaluation of the finger's interphalangeal joints coupling mechanism--variability, flexion-extension differences, triggers, locking swanneck deformities, anthropometric correlations.

The human finger contains tendon/ligament mechanisms essential for proper control. One mechanism couples the movements of the interphalangeal joints when the (unloaded) finger is flexed with active deep flexor. This study's aim was to accurately determine in a large finger sample the kinematics and variability of the coupled interphalangeal joint motions, for potential clinical and finger model validation applications. The data could also be applied to humanoid robotic hands. Sixty-eight fingers were measured in seventeen hands in nine subjects. Fingers exhibited great joint mobility variability, with passive proximal interphalangeal hyperextension ranging from zero to almost fifty degrees. Increased measurement accuracy was obtained by using marker frames to amplify finger segment motions. Gravitational forces on the marker frames were not found to invalidate measurements. The recorded interphalangeal joint trajectories were highly consistent, demonstrating the underlying coupling mechanism. The increased accuracy and large sample size allowed for evaluation of detailed trajectory variability, systematic differences between flexion and extension trajectories, and three trigger types, distinct from flexor tendon triggers, involving initial flexion deficits in either proximal or distal interphalangeal joint. The experimental methods, data and analysis should advance insight into normal and pathological finger biomechanics (e.g., swanneck deformities), and could help improve clinical differential diagnostics of trigger finger causes. The marker frame measuring method may be useful to quantify interphalangeal joints trajectories in surgical/rehabilitative outcome studies. The data as a whole provide the most comprehensive collection of interphalangeal joint trajectories for clinical reference and model validation known to us to date.

[Gated single photon emission computer tomography for the detection of silent myocardial ischemia]. / Utilidad de la tomografía computarizada de emisión de fotón único sincronizada con el electrocardiograma para la detección de isquemia miocárdica silente en diabéticos tipo 2.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis may have a normal resting electrocardiogram and stress test. AIM: To assess the yield of Gated Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) for the screening of silent myocardial ischemia in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electrocardiogram, stress test and gated-SPECT were performed on 102 type 2 diabetic patients aged 60+/-8 years without cardiovascular symptoms. AH subjects were also subjected to a coronary angiography whose results were used as gold standard. RESULTS: Gated-SPECT showed myocardial ischemia on 26.5% of studied patients. The sensibility, specificity accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92.3%, 96%, 95%, 88.8%, 97.3%, respectively. In four and six patients ischemia was detected on resting electrocardiogram and stress test, respectively. Eighty percent of patients with doubtful resting electrocardiogram results and 70% with a doubtful stress test had a silent myocardial ischemia detected by gated-SPECT There was a good agreement between the results of gated-SPECT and coronary angiography (k=0.873). CONCLUSIONS: Gated-SPECT was an useful tool for the screening of silent myocardial ischemia.

Utilidad de la tomografía computarizada de emisión de fotón único sincronizada con el electrocardiograma para la detección de isquemia miocárdica silente en diabéticos tipo 2 / Gated single photon emission computer tomography for the detection of silent myocardial ischemia

Background: Asymptomatic patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis may have a normal resting electrocardiogram and stress test. Aim: To assess the yield of Gated Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) for the screening of silent myocardial ischemia in type 2 diabetic patients. Material and methods: Electrocardiogram, stress test and gated-SPECT were performed on 102 type 2 diabetic patients aged 60 ± 8 years without cardiovascular symptoms. AH subjects were also subjected to a coronary angiography whose results were used as gold standard. Results: Gated-SPECT showed myocardial ischemia on 26.5 percent of studied patients. The sensibility, specifity accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92.3 percent, 96 percent, 95 percent, 88.8 percent, 97.3 percent, respectively. In four and six patients ischemia was detected on resting electrocardiogram and stress test, respectively. Eighty percent of patients with doubtful resting electrocardiogram results and 70 percent with a doubtful stress test had a silent myocardial ischemia detected by gated-SPECT There was a good agreement between the results of gated-SPECT and coronary angiography (k =0.873). Conclusions: Gated-SPECT was an useful tool for the screening of silent myocardial ischemia.

[Infections of the central nervous system in emergency department]. / Infecciones del sistema nervioso central en urgencias.

Infections of the central nervous system are frequent diseases in emergency care. They can have a bacterial, parasitic or viral origin. Initial symptoms can be non-specific, which can complicate and delay diagnosis, hence the extreme importance of all the information that can be obtained through anamnesis and physical exploration, with frequent complementary explorations. In the last hundred years, with the introduction of antibiotic drugs, there has been a significant fall in mortality secondary to meningoencephalitis, but in spite of that they continue to provoke high morbidity and mortality. Other phenomena, such as vaccination campaigns, migratory movements, infection by HIV and other states of immunosuppression, have given rise to important epidemiological changes such as the virtual disappearance of some infections or the appearance of others that rarely existed previously. The list of potential infections of the central nervous system is extensive, which is why in this review we set out, from the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic point of view, those that are most frequent in our environment and some that, although very infrequent, might require emergency attention due to their severity.

Assessment of individual finger muscle activity in the extensor digitorum communis by surface EMG.

The extensor digitorum communis (ED) is a slender muscle group in the dorsal forearm from which tendons arise to the index (D2), medius (D3), ring (D4), and little (D5) fingers. Limited independence has been attributed to the parts that actuate the individual fingers. However, in a detailed anatomical analysis, it was found that the ED parts to the different fingers have constant and widely spaced anatomical locations that promote independent function. These observations and the superficial muscle belly locations prompted the hypothesis that these ED parts would be individually assessable by small anatomically placed surface EMG electrodes. In the present study, this hypothesis was evaluated by measuring electromyography (EMG) from the ED parts and surrounding muscles during individual finger tapping tasks with the forearm resting on a flat surface. It was found that individual ED activity can be well measured in ED2, ED3, ED4, and extensor digiti minimi (EDM). ED3 did not give nor did its electrodes receive significant crosstalk from other ED parts. ED4 electrodes recorded an EMG level of 30 +/- 19% (mean +/- SD) ED2 EMG in D2 tapping and ED2 electrodes a level of 53 +/- 22% ED4 EMG in D4 tapping, by hypothesis mostly crosstalk. EDM electrodes may record EMG at the level of ED4 EMG in D4 tapping. In D2 tapping, the mutual ED2 and extensor indicis redundancy reflected in large intersubject EMG differences with sometimes one or the other almost silent. The results may expand the possibilities of EMG analysis and finger muscle electrostimulation in ergonomic and clinical applications.

Biomechanical evaluation of nursing tasks in a hospital setting.

A field study was conducted to investigate spinal kinematics and loading in the nursing profession using objective and subjective measurements of selected nursing tasks observed in a hospital setting. Spinal loading was estimated using trunk motion dynamics measured by the lumbar motion monitor (LMM) and lower back compressive and shear forces were estimated using the three-dimensional (3D) Static Strength Prediction Program. Subjective measures included the rate of perceived physical effort and the perceived risk of low back pain. A multiple logistic regression model, reported in the literature for predicting low back injury based on defined risk groups, was tested. The study results concluded that the major risk factors for low back injury in nurses were the weight of patients handled, trunk moment, and trunk axial rotation. The activities that required long time exposure to awkward postures were perceived by nurses as a high physical effort. This study also concluded that self-reported perceived exertion could be used as a tool to identify nursing activities with a high risk of low-back injury.

Differential contribution of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 and -2 (PARP-1 and -2) to the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reaction in rat primary spermatocytes.

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases (PARP-1 and -2) are activated by DNA strand breaks to synthesize protein-bound ADP-ribose polymers from NAD+. The two enzymes are overexpressed in rat spermatocytes and are likely to play a role in meiosis. Indeed parp-2-/- mice, but not parp-1 knockouts, show hypofertility. Aside, PARP-1 and PARP-2 are both involved in DNA damage repair and signalling, but their relative contributions to such processes remain as yet unknown, largely because of the lack of PARP isoform-specific inhibitors that has precluded in vivo studies. Here, we used permeabilized rat primary spermatocytes or isolated spermatocyte nuclei and radiolabelled NAD+ to investigate potential isoform-specific effects on basic features of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reaction, including size of ADP-ribose polymers at different NAD+ concentrations, extent of auto- versus etheromodification, and modulation of such reactions by the PARP inhibitor, PJ34. We found that PARP-1 automodification prevailed over PARP-2 modification. In addition, over 50% of cellular poly(ADP-ribose) was covalently bound to histones H1 and H2. The inhibitory effect of PJ34 appeared to be targeted mainly to the elongation step of the reaction. We propose that a different propensity of PARP-1 and PARP-2 to undergo automodification and/or catalyze etheromodification, both in terms of number of enzyme molecules being involved and amount of bound poly(ADP-ribose), may underlie distinct roles in the regulation of spermatocyte functions.

The Hamaker constant of anatase aqueous suspensions.

The linear relationship of the yield stress with the square zeta potential may be used to determine the Hamaker constants in suspensions. In this work we have obtained the Hamaker constant for the attractive forces between anatase particles in aqueous suspensions using this method and compared them with those obtained by contact angle measurement. The results show excellent agreement.

[Neurocysticercosis. An emergent disease]. / Neurocisticercosis. Una enfermedad emergente.

Neurocysticerosis is an affection of the central nervous system by the larvae of the Taenia solium. Although its diagnosis in our country is exceptional, in recent years a notable increase in the number of cases diagnosed has been observed, due to the phenomenon of immigration from countries where the disease is endemic. The most frequent form of presentation of neurocysticercosis is seizures, followed by headache. To diagnose it we must evaluate the epidemiological data, the clinical record and confirm this through neuroimage and immunological studies. The treatment selected should be pharmacological, principally with albendazole, and surgery reserved for cases where the former fails. Hygienic measures and the treatment of patients with teniasis are of great importance. Neurocysticerosis has ceased to be an exceptional diagnosis and given the foreseeable increase of its incidence in our milieu, health professionals must understand this disease and include it at higher levels of the algorithms of differential diagnosis.

[Pharyngeal globe and pharyngo-laryngeal reflux]. / Globo faríngeo y reflujo faringo-laríngeo.

The globus sensation is one of the most frequent complaints in a basic ENT clinic. The etiology is still unknown, although some hypotheses have been suggested such as: psychological abnormalities, esophageal and cricopharyngeal muscle disfunction and the laryngopharyngeal reflux. Laryngopharyngeal reflux is the most frequent pathology related to the globus feeling. We've tried in this study to determine the incidence of laryngopharyngeal reflux in a group of 30 patients with globus feeling. We found 26.7% of these patients with an abnormal pH monitoring test.

Recombinant IFN-alpha2b treatment activates poly (ADPR) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) in KB cancer cells.

In the present paper, we investigated the relationship between the growth inhibitory effects of recombinant interferon-alpha2b (rIFN-alpha2b) and poly (ADPR) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) activity in the human squamous KB cancer cell line. Growth inhibition of the KB cells mediated by 1000 IU/ml of rIFN-alpha2b was accompanied by a transient rise in PARP-1 specific activity 24 h after rIFN-alpha2b treatment, confirmed by both the increase of intracellular poly (ADP-ribose) content and the PARP-1 auto-modification level. At longer times of incubation, the onset of apoptosis accompanied KB cell growth inhibition, as demonstrated by both flow cytometry and western-blotting analysis showing an 89 kDa apoptotic fragment of PARP-1. Moreover, pretreatment of the cells with the PARP-1 inhibitor, 3-aminobenzamide (3-ABA), at non-cytotoxic concentrations (1 mM), reduced the cell-growth inhibition, cell-cycle perturbation and apoptosis caused by rIFN-alpha2b. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that PARP-1 may be directly involved in the effects of rIFN-alpha2b in the KB cancer cell line.

Mortality in severe sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome patients: impact of treatment.

The aim of this study was to determine mortality in patients with sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) according to the treatments employed and comorbidity. An historical cohort of patients with SAHS diagnosed at a university hospital between 1982 and 1992 and followed until 1996 was studied. From a total of 475 SAHS patients, 444 (94%), with a mean+/-SD apnoea/hypopnoea index at diagnosis of 55+/-27, were located and included in the study. SAHS treatments employed were: surgery (88), weight loss (134), continuous positive airway pressure (124) and 98 patients were not treated. By the end of follow-up, 49 patients had died. According to Cox regression analysis, mortality in treated patients was lower than in those not treated, but higher in those with a history of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mortality in nontreated patients compared with that of the general population, adjusted for age and sex, showed excessive mortality, which decreased in treated patients. Stratification by age showed a greater mortality rate ratio in patients <50 yrs. These findings were maintained when mortality from cardiovascular causes was compared. In conclusion, a rise in mortality was found in nontreated sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome patients compared with the general population, whereas mortality in those treated for sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome did not differ significantly from that of the general population.

[Usefulness of 201T1 gammagraphy in the diagnosis of carcinoma of the larynx]. / Utilidad de la gammagrafía con 201Tl en el diagnóstico del carcinoma de laringe.

For the evaluation of a patient with a laryngeal tumor we need the clinical exam and other exams as the CT scan or MRI. Those studies have a sensitivity of less than 80%. For that reason in the last years there has been a development of new techniques trying to increase the accuracy. The 201Tl SPECT is one of them although it was developed for cardiological purposes. We present our experience in 46 patients with laryngeal tumor in whom we did a 201Tl SPECT as part of the extension study. The sensitivity of the study was 81.6% in the diagnosis of the primary tumor and 46.1% for the neck adenopathies. The 201Tl SPECT can be a good method for the evaluation and detection of recurrences in patients with pharyngo-laryngeal tumor.

[Antibiotic prophylaxis in oncologic pharyngolaryngeal surgery: ceftriaxone versus clindamycin and gentamycin]. / Profilaxis antibiótica en cirugía oncológica faringolaríngea: ceftriaxona versus clindamicina + gentamicina.

There are many papers comparing two antibiotic protocols for the profilaxis of head and neck infections after laryngeal surgery. We present one prospective and randomised study in 60 patients comparing the efficacy of two protocols. The comparison was between ceftriaxone versus the association of clindamicyn and gentamicyn. In our database we included the risk factors for infection, the surgical approach, the duration of surgery and the patient characteristics. We observed an incidence of 28% of infection, with a 23.3% in the clindamicyn + gentamicyn group and a 33.3% in the ceftriaxone group. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. In this study we observed a small difference between the amount of alcohol comsuption, the effectiveness of the surgical drainage, the surgical approach and the presence of wound infection. The difference was not statistical significant due to the small group of patients. The profilaxis was adequate for the total laryngectomy and cordectomy group, with a higher incidence of wound infection in patients treated with a supraglottic laryngectomy.

Rat germinal cells require PARP for repair of DNA damage induced by gamma-irradiation and H2O2 treatment.

The ability of rat germinal cells to recover from genotoxic stress has been investigated using isolated populations of primary spermatocytes and round spermatids. Using a comet assay at pH 10.0 to assess single strand breakage (SSB) in DNA, it was found that a high level of damage was induced by 5 Gy gamma-irradiation and acute exposure to 50 microM H2O2. This damage was effectively repaired during a subsequent recovery period of 1-3 hours culture in vitro but repair was significantly delayed in the presence of the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (3-ABA). Immunofluorescence detection of PARP with specific antibodies localised the protein to discrete foci within the nucleus of both spermatocytes and spermatids. Poly(ADP-ribose) (pADPR) could also be detected in spermatid nuclei following gamma-irradiation or H2O2 treatment. Moreover, PARP activation occurs both in spermatocytes and spermatids left to recover after both genotoxic stresses. The NO donors, 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1) and S-nitrosoglutathione (SNOG), caused significant SSBs in both spermatocytes and spermatids. The effects of SIN-1 could be prevented by exogenous catalase (CAT), but not superoxide dismutase (SOD), in the cell suspensions. SNOG-induced SSBs were insensitive to both CAT and SOD. It is concluded that DNA in spermatocytes and spermatids is sensitive to damage by gamma-irradiation and H2O2 and that efficient repair of SSBs requires PARP activity.

Quantitative assessment of simultaneous capacitive and resistive plantar pressure measurements during walking.

Plantar pressure data were collected simultaneously, during walking, from capacitive and resistive in-shoe pressure measurement systems. Overall mean peak pressure recordings from the resistive system were 32%, 20% and 14% greater than recordings from the capacitive system, at the heel, central metatarsal heads, and great toe, respectively. Placement of one system's insoles above or below the other's somewhat affected peak pressure measurements from both systems, while calibration via air bladder or single limb standing techniques somewhat affected resistive measurements as well. Capacitive measurement variability was 60%, 20% and 22% lower than resistive measurement variability, at the heel, central metatarsal heads, and great toe, respectively. Both systems tended to exhibit greater variability when capacitive insoles were placed above resistive insoles; however, the effects on variability of the experimental insole arrangements were well overshadowed by the overall variability differences between systems.

Metabolic changes in the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation pathway of differentiating rat germinal cells.

Endogenous levels of poly(ADP-ribose) and betaNAD+ have been determined in rat male germinal cells at different stages of differentiation. The levels of both metabolites decreased progressively from primary spermatocytes to secondary spermatocytes and especially in spermatids. We have also determined the size and complexity of the ADP-ribose polymers synthesized in permeabilized germ cells. Polymers of different chain length and complexity were observed in cells incubated with different concentrations of [32P]betaNAD+; short polymers characterized primary spermatocytes incubated with low betaNAD+ concentration. In all cell fractions, polymers of over 20 residues in size were observed at high betaNAD+ levels. Long polymers were associated with the sulfuric acid-insoluble proteins (nonhistone proteins such as PARP itself). By contrast, oligomers of 20 ADP-ribose units or less were found in the sulfuric acid-soluble proteins (histone proteins). We have also identified the main ADP-ribose protein acceptors formed in each cell type. In all cells examined, PARP appears to be extensively automodified. However, by far, the H1t variant of histone H1 appeared to be the preferred ADP-ribose target among the acid-soluble proteins separated by reverse-phase HPLC. Therefore, we conclude that an active protein-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation system is concentrated in primary spermatocytes, based on a high level of PARP automodification accompanied by the preferential heteromodification of the histone H1 variant specifically expressed in the cells undergoing the pachytene phase of the meiotic division.