Organ histopathological associations with hyperostosis frontalis interna in humans / Asociaciones histopatológicas de órganos con hiperostosis frontal interna en humanos

SUMMARY: An increased thickening of the frontal bone by irregular laminar additions on the inner surface just deep to the dura mater have been known in the archaeological and medical record as hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI). The distribution of this is idiosyncratically restricted to the frontal and has no known etiology. The prevalence among post-menopausal females and rarity in males suggests that it is hormonally driven. Here we report histopathological findings of particularly hormonally active organs (pituitaries, gonads and liver) from a geriatric cadaveric sample in which HFI is assessed. HFI was present in 50 % of males (7/14) and 95 % (21/22) of females. All males with HFI had testicular atrophy or had testes absent. Males with HFI category C or D had moderate to severe testicular atrophy. Decreased numbers of interstitial cells (Leydig cells) were present in 83.3 % of males with HFI. All but one female (21/22) from this study exhibited evidence of HFI, and ovarian pathologies were unevenly distributed (fibromas in two) and most exhibited signs of being healthy and post-menopausal. Liver pathologies had opposite patterns between the sexes, with more liver pathologies occurring among males without HFI (particularly passive congestion and bile stasis). The only exceptions were that the one case of liver neoplasia was found in a male with HFI and steotosis was found in two cases with HFI and one case without HFI. In females all cases of liver pathologies (steotosis, hepatitis, passive congestion, fibrosis, and bile stasis) were associated with HFI. It appears that gonadal pathology is most closely associated with HFI in males but not females, suggesting that the role of estradiol in this unusual growth of bone in geriatric humans may be worth investigating further.

RESUMEN: Un aumento del engrosamiento del hueso frontal, por adiciones laminares irregulares en la superficie interna, justo en la profundidad de la duramadre, se conoce en los registros arqueológicos y médicos como hiperostosis frontal interna (HFI). La distribución de ésta, se restringe idiosincráticamente al hueso frontal y no tiene etiología conocida. La prevalencia entre las mujeres posmenopáusicas y la rareza en los hombres sugiere que se debe a las hormonas. Aquí informamos los hallazgos histopatológicos de órganos hormonalmente activos (hipófisis, gónadas e hí- gado) de una muestra de cadáveres geriátricos en la que se evaluó HFI. La HFI estuvo presente en el 50 % de los hombres (7/14) y el 95 % (21/22) de las mujeres. Todos los hombres con HFI tenían atrofia testicular o no tenían testículos. En los hombres con HFI categoría C o D se observó atrofia testicular de moderada a grave. Hubo una disminución en el número de células intersticiales (células de Leydig) en el 83,3 % de los hombres con HFI. En 21de 22 mujeres se observó evidencia de HFI, y las patologías ováricas se distribuyeron de manera desigual (fibromas en dos) y la mayoría exhibió signos de estar sana y posmenopáusica. Las patologías hepáticas tenían patrones opuestos entre los sexos, con más patologías hepáticas entre los hombres sin HFI (particularmente congestión pasiva y estasis biliar). Las excepciones fueron que el único caso de neoplasia hepática se encontró en un varón con HFI y se presentó esteatosis en dos casos con HFI y un caso sin HFI. En las mujeres, todos los casos de patologías hepáticas (esteatosis, hepatitis, congestión pasiva, fibrosis y estasis biliar) se asociaron con HFI. Al parecer la patología gonadal está más estrechamente asociada con la HFI en los hombres que en las mujeres, lo que sugiere un rol del estradiol en este crecimiento inusual de hueso en hombres de avanzada edad. Sería importante realizar investigaciones más detalladas precisas respecto a la hiperostosis frontal interna.

Disentangling endogenous versus exogenous pattern formation in spatial ecology: a case study of the ant Azteca sericeasur in southern Mexico.

Spatial patterns in ecology can be described as reflective of environmental heterogeneity (exogenous), or emergent from dynamic relationships between interacting species (endogenous), but few empirical studies focus on the combination. The spatial distribution of the nests of Azteca sericeasur, a keystone tropical arboreal ant, is thought to form endogenous spatial patterns among the shade trees of a coffee plantation through self-regulating interactions with controlling agents (i.e. natural enemies). Using inhomogeneous point process models, we found evidence for both types of processes in the spatial distribution of A. sericeasur. Each year's nest distribution was determined mainly by a density-dependent relationship with the previous year's lagged nest density; but using a novel application of a Thomas cluster process to account for the effects of nest clustering, we found that nest distribution also correlated significantly with tree density in the later years of the study. This coincided with the initiation of agricultural intensification and tree felling on the coffee farm. The emergence of this significant exogenous effect, along with the changing character of the density-dependent effect of lagged nest density, provides clues to the mechanism behind a unique phenomenon observed in the plot, that of an increase in nest population despite resource limitation in nest sites. Our results have implications in coffee agroecological management, as this system provides important biocontrol ecosystem services. Further research is needed, however, to understand the effective scales at which these relationships occur.

Treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with probiotics. A proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics have profound effect on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in animal models. We aimed to test the hypothesis that probiotics treatment was superior to usual care in reducing liver fat in NASH patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with histology-proven NASH were randomized to receive probiotics (n = 10) or usual care (n = 10) for 6 months. The Lepicol probiotic formula contained Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus deslbrueckii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. The primary endpoint was change in intrahepatic triglyceride content (IHTG), as measured by proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, from baseline to month 6. Secondary endpoints included changes in liver biochemistry and metabolic profile. RESULTS: IHTG decreased from 22.6 ± 8.2% to 14.9 ± 7.0% in the probiotic group (P = 0.034) but remained static in the usual care group (16.9 ± 6.1% to 16.0 ± 6.6%; P = 0.55). Six subjects in the probiotic group had IHTG reduced by more than 30% from baseline, compared to 2 subjects in the usual care group (P = 0.17). The probiotic group also had greater reduction in serum aspartate aminotransferase level (P = 0.008). On the other hand, the use of probiotics was not associated with changes in body mass index, waist circumference, glucose and lipid levels. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotics treatment may reduce liver fat and AST level in NASH patients. The therapeutic potential of probiotics in NASH should be tested in larger studies.