HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism was not a risk factor for Parkinson's disease in Chinese-based populations: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Many studies have evaluated the association between the HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism and risk for Parkinson's disease (PD) in Chinese-based populations, however, published data remain inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis from all relevant studies to evaluate an association of HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism with susceptibility to PD. METHODS: The summary odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the association. The Q statistic was used to evaluate homogeneity and funnel plots were used to assess publication bias. The minor A allele frequencies, additive, dominant as well as recessive genetic models were examined in the analyses. RESULTS: Five case-control studies with a total of 2230 PD cases and 2262 controls from Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia were included in the final meta-analysis. Neither the minor A allele frequencies nor the genotypic distributions were significantly different between PD cases and controls when all studies were pooled into this meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism was not responsible for PD in Chinese-based populations.

Primary cerebellar paraganglioma: a pediatric case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Only four cases of primary intracerebellar paragangliomas have been reported in the literature to date. Because of its rarity, primary intracerebellar paraganglioma still presents a diagnostic challenge for both radiologists and neurosurgeons, and the optimal therapeutic modality is still debatable for its hypervascularity and location. PATIENTS: We report a 16-year-old boy with pathology-proven primary intracerebellar paraganglioma who presented with dull headache, dizziness, and gait disturbance, and underwent gross total resection. Further, we review all reported cases of primary intracerebellar paraganglioma in the English literature and discuss its clinical profile, neuroradiological features, and treatment modalities. RESULTS: His symptoms improved following tumor removal without radiotherapy, and postoperative neuroimaging thirteenth months after surgery showed no recurrence. In the literature, all four patients were stable in the follow-up period including three with complete resection and one with partial resection plus adjuvant radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection is the treatment modality most often used for primary intracerebellar paraganglioma; radiation therapy may be used when there is residual tumor or recurrence. Angiography may help to clarify the vessel architecture for reducing intraoperative bleeding when primary intracerebellar paraganglioma is considered.

[Recombinant AAV1 mediated vascular endothelial growth factor gene expression promotes angiogenesis and improves neural function: experiment with rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression mediated by recombinant AAV1 (rAAV1) vector in brain ischemia and the mechanism thereof. METHODS: Sixty-four SD rats were randomly divided into 2 equal groups and received intra-ventricular injection with rAAV1-VEGF or rAAV1-lacZ as controls. 21 days later the rats underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Neurological severity score (NSS) was recorded 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after MCAO. 48 rats were sacrificed 21 days after MCAO and brains were taken out from 48 rats. Immune quantitative analysis was used to identify the quantity of VEGF expression. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify the site of VEGF expression. Immunofluorescence double labeling of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and 5-bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) was performed to detect the proliferation of endothelial cells. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran was infused into the caudal vein of 8 rats from each group and then the rats were killed with their brains taken out to evaluate the cerebral microvessel perfusion and microvessel density. RESULTS: The NSSs of the VEGF group 7, 14, and 21 days after MCAO were all significantly lower than those of the control group (all P < 0.05), and the VEGF165 protein expression quantity was 27 times as that of the control group (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that VEGF expression was distributed mainly in the caudate putamen, corpus callosum, choroid plexus, and hippocampus in the VEGF group, while no expression was detected in the control group. The microvessel density of the VEGF group was 157 +/- 13, significantly higher than that of the control group [(89 +/- 9), P < 0.05]. BrdU +/vWF + endothelial cells were detected in the area adjacent to the MCAO. The density of microvessel infused with FITC-dextran was (152,617 +/- 13,076) microm2/mm2 in the VEGF group, significantly higher than that of the control group [(91,658 +/- 6577) microm2/mm2 P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: rAAV1 mediates the VEGF gene expression in multiple structures in the brain and attenuates the neurological deficit of MCAO. VEGF gene transfer may stimulate angiogenesis and improves blood supply in brain. Neovascularization may be a therapeutic strategy for brain ischemia.