Spatial and Ecological Factors Modulate the Incidence of Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis-A Systematic Review.

Anti-NMDAR encephalitis has been associated with multiple antigenic triggers (i.e., ovarian teratomas, prodromal viral infections) but whether geographic, climatic, and environmental factors might influence disease risk has not been explored yet. We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of all published papers reporting the incidence of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in a definite country or region. We performed several multivariate spatial autocorrelation analyses to analyze the spatial variations in the incidence of anti-NMDA encephalitis depending on its geographical localization and temperature. Finally, we performed seasonal analyses in two original datasets from France and Greece and assessed the impact of temperature using an exposure-lag-response model in the French dataset. The reported incidence of anti-NMDAR encephalitis varied considerably among studies and countries, being higher in Oceania and South America (0.2 and 0.16 per 100,000 persons-year, respectively) compared to Europe and North America (0.06 per 100,000 persons-year) (p < 0.01). Different regression models confirmed a strong negative correlation with latitude (Pearson's R = -0.88, p < 0.00001), with higher incidence in southern hemisphere countries far from the equator. Seasonal analyses showed a peak of cases during warm months. Exposure-lag-response models confirmed a positive correlation between extreme hot temperatures and the incidence of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in France (p = 0.03). Temperature analyses showed a significant association with higher mean temperatures and positive correlation with higher ultraviolet exposure worldwide. This study provides the first evidence that geographic and climatic factors including latitude, mean annual temperature, and ultraviolet exposure, might modify disease risk.

Circumflex Scapular Artery Pseudoaneurysm as an Unusual Source of Emboli in Recurrent Posterior Circulation Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To present a rare cause of recurrent posterior embolic strokes originating from a partially thrombosed pseudoaneurysm of a shoulder artery after arthroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical history, complementary studies and follow-up were reviewed. RESULTS: The patient was successfully embolized and presented no new ischemic episodes at the 3-month follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: Shoulder artery pseudoaneurysm should be considered as an unusual source of posterior embolic strokes.

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome associated with anti Kelch-like protein-11 antibodies in a young female patient without cancer.

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurological disorder. The pathogenesis is thought to be immune-mediated. In adults, it may be idiopathic or paraneoplastic in origin. However, most cases of paraneoplastic OMS in adults are not associated with well-characterized antibodies, except for a small subgroup who have anti-Ri antibodies. Herein, we provide the first detailed description of a case of OMS associated with a Kelch-like protein-11 antibody, a newly discovered biomarker for paraneoplastic neurological syndromes associated with germ-cell tumors. This was a young female patient in whom no tumor was ever detected and who had an excellent response to rituximab.

NOTCH3 Gene Mutation in a Chilean Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy Family.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare hereditary stroke disorder caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene. We report the first Chilean CADASIL family with complete radiological and histological studies. METHODS: The family tree was constructed from an autopsy-confirmed confirmed patient, and includes 3 generations. We performed clinical, pathologic, genetic, and radiologic examinations on members of a family with CADASIL. RESULTS: In the second generation, findings compatible with CADASIL were identified in 6 individuals, all of whom had a missense mutation in exon 3 (c.268C>T) resulting in an arginine to cysteine amino acid substitution at position 90 (R90C). In the third generation, a missense mutation was detected in one of the 4 asymptomatic individuals. CONCLUSIONS: There are similarities in clinical presentation between this family and previously described Asian and European series with R90C mutations. Detecting genotypes with a gain or loss of cysteine residues opens the door to future gene transfection-based therapies.

Alcohol-based solutions for bovine testicular tissue fixation.

Tissue fixation, a central element in histotechnology, is currently performed with chemical compounds potentially harmful for human health and the environment. Therefore, alternative fixatives are being developed, including alcohol-based solutions. We evaluated several ethanol-based mixtures with additives to study fixative penetration rate, tissue volume changes, and morphologic effects in the bovine testis. Fixatives used were Bouin solution, 4% formaldehyde (F4), 70% ethanol (E70), E70 with 1.5% glycerol (E70G), E70 with 5% acetic acid (E70A), E70 with 1.5% glycerol and 5% acetic acid (E70AG), and E70 with 1.5% glycerol, 5% acetic acid, and 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; E70AGD). Five-millimeter bovine testicular tissue cubes could be completely penetrated by ethanol-based fixatives and Bouin solution in 2-3 h, whereas F4 required 21 h. Bouin solution produced general tissue shrinkage, whereas the other fixatives (alcohol-based and F4) caused tissue volume expansion. Although Bouin solution is an excellent fixative for testicular tissue, ethanol-based fixatives showed good penetration rates, low tissue shrinkage, and preserved sufficient morphology to allow identification of the stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle, therefore representing a valid alternative for histotechnology laboratories. Common additives such as acetic acid, glycerol, and DMSO offered marginal benefits for the process of fixation; E70AG showed the best preservation of morphology with excellent nuclear detail, close to that of Bouin solution.

The metabolic syndrome is associated with a higher resistance to intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in women than in men.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) might confer a higher resistance to intravenous thrombolysis in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic stroke. MetS increases the risk of stroke in women to a greater extent than in men. We aimed to investigate whether there might be sex differences in the impact of MetS on the response to intravenous thrombolysis for acute MCA ischemic stroke. METHODS: We prospectively studied consecutive ischemic stroke patients, treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator according to SITS-MOST criteria, with an MCA occlusion on prebolus transcranial Doppler examination. Resistance to thrombolysis was defined as the absence of complete MCA recanalization 24 hours after tissue-type plasminogen activator infusion by transcranial Doppler criteria. MetS was diagnosed according to the criteria established by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2005 statement. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients (75 men, 50 women; mean age, 67.6+/-11 years) were included. MetS was diagnosed in 76 (61%) patients. Resistance to clot lysis at 24 hours was observed in 53 (42%) patients. Two multivariate-adjusted, logistic-regression models identified that MetS was associated with a higher resistance to tissue-type plasminogen activator, independently of other significant baseline variables (odds ratio=9.8; 95% CI, 3.5 to 27.8; P=0.0001) and of the individual components of the MetS. The MetS was associated with a significantly higher odds of resistance to thrombolysis in women (odds ratio=17.5; 95% CI, 1.9 to 163.1) than in men (odds ratio=5.1; 95% CI, 1.6 to 15.6; P for interaction=0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of MetS on the resistance to intravenous thrombolysis for acute MCA ischemic stroke appears to be more pronounced in women than in men.

[Intra-arterial thrombolysis in basilar artery thrombosis. Recovery of two patients with locked-in syndrome]. / Trombolisis intraarterial en trombosis de la arteria basilar. Recuperación de dos pacientes con síndrome de enclaustramiento.

Locked-in syndrome is a dramatic clinical condition, the patient is awake, can listen and breath, but is unable to move any muscle, conserving only the vertical eye movements. The most common cause of locked-in syndrome is the thrombosis of the basilar artery and commonly leads to death, frequently due to pneumonia. Intravenous and intra arterial thrombolysis have been used successfully in a selective group of patients with ischemic stroke. There is only one report of two patients with locked-in syndrome who were treated successfully with intra arterial thrombolysis. Other authors, based in their experiences, do not recommend this treatment. We report two female patients aged 63 and 26 years, with Locked-in syndrome due to a basilar thrombosis who were treated successfully with intra arterial thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA). The lapses between the onset of the symptoms and thrombolysis were 5 and 8 hours respectively. A complete recanalization was obtained in both patients during the thrombolysis. One year after, the first patient has only a moderate ataxia, walking with assistance and the other has a normal neurological examination.