Intervertebral disc and endplate cells response to IL-1ß inflammatory cell priming and identification of molecular targets of tissue degeneration.

Inflammation represents an important factor leading to metabolic imbalance within the intervertebral disc (IVD), conducive to degenerative changes. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the IVD and endplate (EP) cell behaviour in such pathological environments is essential when designing regenerative therapeutic strategies. The present study aimed at assessing the molecular response of the IVD constitutive nucleus pulposus (NPCs)-, annulus fibrosus (AFCs)- and endplate (EPCs)-derived cells to interleukin (IL)-1ß treatment, through large-scale, high-throughput microarray and protein analysis, identifying the differentially expressed genes and released proteins. Overall, the inflammatory stimulus downregulated stemness genes while upregulating pro-inflammatory, pro-angiogenic and catabolic genes, including matrix metalloproteases, which were not balanced by a concomitant upregulation of their inhibitors. Upregulation of anti-inflammatory and anabolic tumour necrosis factor inducible gene 6 protein (TNFAIP6), of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) (at gene and protein levels) and of trophic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) was also observed in all cell types; IGF1 particularly in AFCs. An overall inhibitory effect of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) signal was observed in all cell types; however, EPCs showed the strongest anti-inflammatory behaviour. AFCs and EPCs shared the ability to limit the activation of the signalling mediated by specific chemokines. AFCs showed a slightly senescent attitude, with a downregulation of genes related to DNA repair or pro-mitosis. Results allowed for the identification of specific molecular targets in IVD and EP cells that respond to an inflammatory environment. Such targets can be either silenced (when pathological targets) or stimulated to counteract the inflammation.

Intervertebral disc and endplate cell characterisation highlights annulus fibrosus cells as the most promising for tissue-specific disc degeneration therapy.

Degenerative processes of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and cartilaginous endplate lead to chronic spine pathologies. Several studies speculated on the intrinsic regenerative capacity of degenerated IVD related to the presence of local mesenchymal progenitors. However, a complete characterisation of the resident IVD cell populations, particularly that isolated from the endplate, is lacking. The purpose of the present study was to characterise the gene expression profiles of human nucleus pulposus (NPCs), annulus fibrosus (AFCs) and endplate (EPCs) cells, setting the basis for future studies aimed at identifying the most promising cells for regenerative purposes. Cells isolated from NP, AF and EP were analysed after in vitro expansion for their stemness ability, immunophenotype and gene profiles by large-scale microarray analysis. The three cell populations shared a similar clonogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic potential, as well as an immunophenotype with a pattern resembling that of mesenchymal stem cells. NPCs maintained the greatest chondrogenic potential and shared with EPCs the loss of proliferation capability during expansion. The largest number of selectively highly expressed stemness, chondrogenic/tissue-specific and surface genes was found in AFCs, thus representing the most promising source of tissue-specific expanded cells for the treatment of IVD degeneration.

A Case Series and Literature Review of Isavuconazole Use in Pediatric Patients with Hemato-oncologic Diseases and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

We analyzed the use of isavuconazole (ISA) as treatment or prophylaxis for invasive fungal disease (IFD) in children with hemato-oncologic diseases. A multicentric retrospective analysis was performed among centers belonging to the Italian Association for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP). Pharmacokinetic (PK) monitoring was applied by a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HLPC-MS/MS) assay. Twenty-nine patients were studied: 10 during chemotherapy and 19 after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The patients consisted of 20 males and 9 females with a median age of 14.5 years (age range, 3 to 18 years) and a median body weight of 47 kg (body weight range, 15 to 80 kg). ISA was used as prophylaxis in 5 patients and as treatment in 24 cases (20 after therapeutic failure, 4 as first-line therapy). According to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria, we registered 5 patients with proven IFD, 9 patients with probable IFD, and 10 patients with possible IFD. Patients with a body weight of <30 kg received half the ISA dose; the others received ISA on the adult schedule (a 200-mg loading dose every 8 h on days 1 and 2 and a 200-mg/day maintenance dose); for all but 10 patients, the route of administration switched from the intravenous route to the oral route during treatment. ISA was administered for a median of 75.5 days (range, 6 to 523 days). The overall response rate was 70.8%; 12 patients with IFD achieved complete remission, 5 achieved partial remission, 5 achieved progression, and 3 achieved stable IFD. No breakthrough infections were registered. PK monitoring of 17 patients revealed a median ISA steady-state trough concentration of 4.91 mg/liter (range, 2.15 to 8.54 mg/liter) and a concentration/dose (in kilograms) ratio of 1.13 (range, 0.47 to 3.42). Determination of the 12-h PK profile was performed in 6 cases. The median area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h was 153.16 mg·h/liter (range, 86.31 to 169.45 mg·h/liter). Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 1 to 3 toxicity (increased transaminase and/or creatinine levels) was observed in 6 patients, with no drug-drug interactions being seen in patients receiving immunosuppressants. Isavuconazole may be useful and safe in children with hemato-oncologic diseases, even in the HSCT setting. Prospective studies are warranted.

Different culture conditions affect the growth of human tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) within a mixed tendon cells (TCs) population.

BACKGROUND: Tendon resident cells (TCs) are a mixed population made of terminally differentiated tenocytes and tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs). Since the enrichment of progenitors proportion could enhance the effectiveness of treatments based on these cell populations, the interest on the effect of culture conditions on the TSPCs is growing. In this study the clonal selection and the culture in presence or absence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were used to assess their influences on the stemness properties and phenotype specific features of tendon cells. METHODS: Cells cultured with the different methods were analyzed in terms of clonogenic and differentiation abilities, stem and tendon specific genes expression and immunophenotype at passage 2 and passage 4. RESULTS: The clonal selection allowed to isolate cells with a higher multi-differentiation potential, but at the same time a lower proliferation rate in comparison to the whole population. Moreover, the clones express a higher amounts of stemness marker OCT4 and tendon specific transcription factor Scleraxis (SCX) mRNA, but a lower level of decorin (DCN). On the other hand, the number of cells obtained by clonal selection was extremely low and most of the clones were unable to reach a high number of passages in cultures. The presence of bFGF influences TCs morphology, enhance their proliferation rate and reduce their clonogenic ability. Interestingly, the expression of CD54, a known mesenchymal stem cell marker, is reduced in presence of bFGF at early passages. Nevertheless, bFGF does not affect the chondrogenic and osteogenic potential of TCs and the expression of tendon specific markers, while it was able to downregulate the OCT4 expression. CONCLUSION: This study showed that clonal selection enhance progenitors content in TCs populations, but the extremely low number of cells produced with this method could represent an insurmountable obstacle to its application in clinical approaches. We observed that the addition of bFGF to the culture medium promotes the maintenance of a higher number of differentiated cells, reducing the proportion of progenitors within the whole population. Overall our findings demonstrated the importance of the use of specific culture protocols to obtain tendon cells for possible clinical applications.

Pharmacogenetics and induction/consolidation therapy toxicities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients treated with AIEOP-BFM ALL 2000 protocol.

Drug-related toxicities represent an important clinical concern in chemotherapy, genetic variants could help tailoring treatment to patient. A pharmacogenetic multicentric study was performed on 508 pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients treated with AIEOP-BFM 2000 protocol: 28 variants were genotyped by VeraCode and Taqman technologies, deletions of GST-M1 and GST-T1 by multiplex PCR. Toxicities were derived from a central database: 251 patients (49.4%) experienced at least one gastrointestinal (GI) or hepatic (HEP) or neurological (NEU) grade III/IV episode during the remission induction phase: GI occurred in 63 patients (12.4%); HEP in 204 (40.2%) and NEU in 44 (8.7%). Logistic regression model adjusted for sex, risk and treatment phase revealed that ITPA rs1127354 homozygous mutated patients showed an increased risk of severe GI and NEU. ABCC1 rs246240 and ADORA2A rs2236624 homozygous mutated genotypes were associated to NEU and HEP, respectively. These three variants could be putative predictive markers for chemotherapy-related toxicities in AIEOP-BFM protocols.

Stability of housekeeping genes in human intervertebral disc, endplate and articular cartilage cells in multiple conditions for reliable transcriptional analysis.

Quantitative gene expression analysis is widely used to evaluate the expression of specific tissue markers. To obtain reliable data it is essential to select stable housekeeping genes whose expression is not influenced by the anatomical origin of cells or by the culture conditions. No studies have evaluated housekeeping gene stability in intervertebral disc (IVD) cells and only few studies using cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and articular cartilage (AC) cells are present in the literature. We analysed the stability of four candidate housekeeping genes (GAPDH, TBP, YWHAZ and RPL13A) in human cells isolated from nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF), CEP and AC. Cell isolation, expansion, cryoconservation, and differentiation in 3D pellets were tested. GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper tools and the comparative ΔCt method were used to evaluate housekeeping gene stability. In each cell population, TBP alone or combined with YWHAZ was identified as the best normaliser in both monolayer and 3D pellets. GAPDH was the best performer only for AC cells in monolayer. In most culture conditions considering groups of two or more cell types, TBP was the most stable and YWHAZ was the second choice. GAPDH was the best performer only in 3D pellets with factors for AC and AF combined with CEP cells. RPL13A was the most stable only for AF with CEP cells at isolation. Our findings will be useful to properly design the experimental set-up of studies involving IVD, CEP or AC cells in different culture conditions, in order to obtain accurate and high quality data from quantitative gene expression analysis.

Bone-muscle unit activity, salivary steroid hormones profile, and physical effort over a 3-week stage race.

Muscle traction and bone metabolism are functionally linked and co-regulated by a series of factors. Although a role for steroid hormones was hypothesized, a clear definition of the bone-muscle interconnection still lacks. To investigate this relationship, we studied bone metabolism, muscle activity, and salivary steroid hormones profile in relation with the physical effort across a cycling stage race, a model of effort in absence of load. Nine pro-cyclists were recruited; body weight and power output/energy expenditure were recorded. Diet was kept constant. Saliva was collected at days -1, 4, 8, 12, 14, 19, and 23; blood and urine were collected at days -1, 12, and 23. Salivary steroid hormones [cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone, and estradiol], serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) activities, plasma sclerostin, and urinary calcium and phosphorous were measured. Cortisol remained constant, testosterone decreased at day 4, and estradiol and DHEA firstly increased and then returned to basal levels. Hormone concentrations were not correlated with plasma volume shifts. LDH, CK, AST, sclerostin, and urinary calcium and phosphorous increased. DHEA and estradiol correlated with the physical effort and the bone-muscular markers. A relationship between muscle activity, in absence of load, and bone resorption emerged under a putative regulation by DHEA and estradiol.

Modifications of biochemical parameters related to protein metabolism and renal function in male soccer players after a match.

AIM: The impact of a soccer match on parameters related to protein catabolism and renal function was evaluated in male players. METHODS: Blood was collected before and immediately after a 90 minutes soccer match from 19 athletes of two first division teams in Brazil. Red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), ammonia, uric acid, urea and creatinine were analyzed. The modification of plasma volume was calculated, and biochemical values were corrected for this change. Urea/creatinine ratio and equations to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were used to assess kidney function. RESULTS: Plasma volume decreased from pre- to post-match. Post-match values higher than the pre-match ones were observed for RBC, Hb and Ht, as a consequence of plasma volume decrease. An increase in ammonia and creatinine concentrations post-match in comparison with pre-match values was registered, without changes in uric acid and urea levels. A reduction in urea/creatinine ratio and in eGFR was observed post-match, suggesting a decrease of renal function. CONCLUSION: A soccer match induced alterations in parameters linked to renal function and protein metabolism in male athletes. Particular attention should be paid in the monitoring of the ammonia concentration as an indicator of metabolic activity and energy requirement during prolonged exercise.

Salivary steroid hormone response to whole-body cryotherapy in elite rugby players.

Saliva represents a low stress, not-invasively collected matrix that allows steroid hormone monitoring in athletes by reflecting type, intensity and duration of exercise. Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) consists of short whole-body exposures to extremely cold air (-110° to -140°C) which, despite being initially used to treat inflammatory diseases, is currently acquiring increasing popularity in sports medicine. Cryostimulation practice is now widely accepted as an effective treatment to accelerate muscle recovery in rugby players. The aim of this work was to study the changes of steroid hormones in saliva of rugby players after both 2 and 14 consecutive WBC sessions, in order to investigate the effects of the treatment on their salivary steroid hormonal profile. Twenty-five professional rugby players, belonging to the Italian National Team, underwent a 7-day cryotherapy protocol consisting of 2 daily sessions. Saliva samples were taken in the morning prior to the start of the WBC, in the evening after the end of the second WBC, and in the morning of the day after the last WBC session. The samples were analyzed for cortisol, DHEA, testosterone and estradiol using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cortisol and DHEA showed a reduction already after the 2 WBC sessions of the first day; after 14 consecutive WBC sessions cortisol, DHEA, and estradiol levels decreased, while testosterone increased as did the testosterone to cortisol ratio. These results were confirmed by the fact that the majority of subjects showed variations exceeding the critical difference (CD). In conclusion, we found that WBC acutely affects the salivary steroid hormone profile, and the results are evident already after only one twice-daily session. Most significantly, after one-week of consecutive twice-daily WBC sessions, all the hormones were modified. This is the first experimental report that links changes in the hormonal asset to WBC.

Donor-matched mesenchymal stem cells from knee infrapatellar and subcutaneous adipose tissue of osteoarthritic donors display differential chondrogenic and osteogenic commitment.

Cell-based therapies have recently been proposed for the treatment of degenerative articular pathologies, such as early osteoarthritis, with an emphasis on autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as an alternative to terminally differentiated cells. In this study, we performed a donor-matched comparison between infrapatellar fat pad MSCs (IFP-MSCs) and knee subcutaneous adipose tissue stem cells (ASCs), as appealing candidates for cell-based therapies that are easily accessible during surgery. IFP-MSCs and ASCs were obtained from 25 osteoarthritic patients undergoing total knee replacement and compared for their immunophenotype and differentiative potential. Undifferentiated IFP-MSCs and ASCs displayed the same immunophenotype, typical of MSCs (CD13+/CD29+/CD44+/CD73+/CD90+/CD105+/CD166+/CD31-/CD45-). IFP-MSCs and ASCs showed similar adipogenic potential, though undifferentiated ASCs had higher LEP expression compared to IFP-MSCs (p<0.01). Higher levels of calcified matrix (p<0.05) and alkaline phosphatase (p<0.05) in ASCs highlighted their superior osteogenic commitment compared to IFP-MSCs. Conversely, IFP-MSCs pellets showed greater amounts of glycosaminoglycans (p<0.01) and superior expression of ACAN (p<0.001), SOX9, COMP (p<0.001) and COL2A1 (p<0.05) compared to ASCs pellets, revealing a superior chondrogenic potential. This was also supported by lower COL10A1 (p<0.05) and COL1A1 (p<0.01) expression and lower alkaline phosphatase release (p<0.05) by IFP-MSCs compared to ASCs. The observed dissimilarities between IFP-MSCs and ASCs show that, despite expressing similar surface markers, MSCs deriving from different fat depots in the same surgical site possess specific features. Furthermore, the in vitro peculiar commitment of IFP-MSCs and ASCs from osteoarthritic donors towards the chondrogenic or osteogenic lineage may suggest a preferential use for cartilage and bone cell-based treatments, respectively.

Reciprocal regulation of calcium-/phosphate-regulating hormones in cyclists during the Giro d'Italia 3-week stage race.

Calcium and phosphate are essential for cell functions, and their serum concentrations result from the balance between intestinal absorption, bony storage, and urinary excretion. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), expressed by osteocytes and osteoblasts, acts in the kidney, leading to hypophosphatemia and low 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol synthesis, but suppresses parathyroid function. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a high-energy demanding cycling race on this bone-kidney-parathyroid axis. We studied nine cyclists during the 2011 Giro d'Italia stage race. Pre-analytical and analytical phases followed academic and anti-doping recommendations. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25(OH)D, total calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and plasma FGF23 were measured on days -1, 12, and 22 and corrected for changes in plasma volume. Dietary calcium and phosphorus, anthropometric parameters (height, weight, and body mass index) and indexes of metabolic effort (net energy expenditure, power output) were recorded. Dietary calcium and phosphorus intakes were kept at the same levels throughout the race. Twenty-five (OH)D, PTH, and calcium concentrations remained stable. FGF23 increased 50% with a positive correlation with the indexes of metabolic effort and, consequently, phosphorous decreased, although only in the first half. The strong metabolic effort acts on the bone-kidney-parathyroid system, and the rise in FGF23 plasma concentration might be aimed at maintaining calcium and phosphorus homeostasis.

Influence on chondrogenesis of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in co-culture with donor-matched mesenchymal stem cells from infrapatellar fat pad and subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Co-culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and articular chondrocytes (ACs) has been proposed for autologous cartilage cell-based therapies, to overcome the issues associated to limited availability of articular chondrocytes (ACs). To evaluate the potentiality of a co-culture approach in aged osteoarthritic patients, MSCs from infrapatellar fat pad (IFP-MSCs) and knee subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASCs) were co-cultured with donor-matched osteoarthritic, expanded and cryopreserved, ACs in a 75%/25% ratio. Co-cultures were prepared also from nasal chondrocytes (NCs) to evaluate their possible use as an alternative to ACs. Pellets were differentiated for 14 days, using mono-cultures of each cell type as reference. Chondrogenic genes SOX9, COL2A1, ACAN were less expressed in co-cultures compared to ACs and NCs. Total GAGs content in co-cultures did not differ significantly from values predicted as the sum of each cell type contribution corrected for the co-culture ratio, as confirmed by histology. No significant differences were observed for GAGs/DNA in mono-cultures, demonstrating a reduced chondrogenic potential of ACs and NCs. In conclusion, a small percentage of expanded and cryopreserved ACs and NCs did not lead to IFP-MSCs and ASCs chondro-induction. Our results suggest that chondrogenic potential and origin of chondrocytes may play a relevant role in the outcome of co-cultures, indicating a need for further investigations to demonstrate their clinical relevance in the treatment of aged osteoarthritic patients.

Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field affects proliferation, tissue-specific gene expression, and cytokines release of human tendon cells.

Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has proven to be effective in the modulation of bone and cartilage tissue functional responsiveness, but its effect on tendon tissue and tendon cells (TCs) is still underinvestigated. PEMF treatment (1.5 mT, 75 Hz) was assessed on primary TCs, harvested from semitendinosus and gracilis tendons of eight patients, under different experimental conditions (4, 8, 12 h). Quantitative PCR analyses were conducted to identify the possible effect of PEMF on tendon-specific gene transcription (scleraxis, SCX and type I collagen, COL1A1); the release of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was also assessed. Our findings show that PEMF exposure is not cytotoxic and is able to stimulate TCs' proliferation. The increase of SCX and COL1A1 in PEMF-treated cells was positively correlated to the treatment length. The release of anti-inflammatory cytokines in TCs treated with PEMF for 8 and 12 h was significantly higher in comparison with untreated cells, while the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was not affected. A dramatically higher increase of VEGF-A mRNA transcription and of its related protein was observed after PEMF exposure. Our data demonstrated that PEMF positively influence, in a dose-dependent manner, the proliferation, tendon-specific marker expression, and release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factor in a healthy human TCs culture model.

Sclerostin concentrations in athletes: role of load and gender.

Bone mass is the net product of formation and resorption, which are closely regulated by the equilibrium between endogenous/exogenous factors. Sclerostin inhibits the Wnt canonical signaling and is considered an anti-anabolic factor. We compared sclerostin serum concentrations between genders in athletes belonging to different sport disciplines, characterized by a different weight-bearing, and in their sedentary counterparts in order to study the possible link between bone metabolism in athletes and its peripheral concentration. We also compared sclerostin levels with bone alkaline phosphatase activity, a marker of bone formation. Sixty-one elite athletes, belonging to weight-bearing (15 male rugby players, 11 male enduro racers, 8 female basketball players), high-impact (6 male tennis players, 8 female ice skaters), non weight-bearing sports (13 male cyclists) and 16 sedentary controls were enrolled. Higher levels of sclerostin were found in females. Sclerostin was higher in weight-bearing than in non-weight-bearing disciplines in males. Significant inverse age-related correlation was found. Higher bone alkaline phosphatase activity was observed in females. The young adult elite athlete represents a peculiar physiologic model for studying sclerostin behavior: the applied load increased the marker concentrations, testifying a high bone turnover rate; however, a gender effect is evident.

Microbially-enhanced composting of wet olive husks.

The production of a compost from olive wet husks is described. The process is enhanced through the use of starters prepared with virgin husks enriched with selected microbial cultures. This approach, with respect to composting without the use of starters, allows to achieve faster start of the process (10 vs. 45 days), deeper humification (humification rate 19.2 vs. 12.2), shorter maturation time (2 vs. 4-5 months) and better detoxification of the starting material. Furthermore, the compost produced can effectively substitute for turf as a cultivation substrate in horticulture at greenhouse level, with beneficial effects on nutraceutical traits of tomato fruits.

Matrix metalloproteases MMP-2 and MMP-9: are they early biomarkers of bone remodelling and healing after arthroscopic acromioplasty?

Arthroscopic acromioplasty, one of the most frequent procedures in shoulder surgery, can promote tissue healing process by the release of growth/angiogenic factors from the acromion. Matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 are involved in such process. The purpose of this study was to measure MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels in the articular fluid and in the peripheral blood of patients undergoing arthroscopic acromioplasty in order to better understand the local involvement of such factors in the healing process after surgical procedures. Concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the subacromial space and peripheral blood collected shortly after surgery were determined by ELISA. MMP-2 and MMP-9 concentrations were measured in the subacromial fluid of 23 patients. In subacromial fluid, the levels between MMP-2 and MMP-9 did not reach statistical significance (127.15±45.56 vs 149.41±53.61 pg/ml, respectively, p>0.05). Peripheral blood levels of MMP-2 (130.75±47.48 pg/ml) were comparable to the subacromial fluid ones (127.15±45.56 pg/ml) whereas MMP-9 level was higher in the subacromial space (149.41±53.61 pg/ml) than in the peripheral blood (67.61±12.62 pg/ml, p<0.001). This work suggests that the measurement of bone specific MMPs (MMP-2 and MMP-9) can be an useful tool to be monitored in parallel with growth factor levels and other bone turnover markers in order to evaluate the bone remodelling and tissue healing processes. This study suggests that the measurement of bone specific MMPs levels, in particular MMP-9, may evaluate the bone remodelling and healing after arthroscopic shoulder acromioplasty.

Extradural motor cortex stimulation as a method to treat advanced Parkinson's disease: new perspectives in geriatric medicine.

Motor fluctuations not controlled by pharmacological therapy are often encountered in long-term Parkinson's disease (PD). Neurosurgery treatment represented by deep brain stimulation (DBS) was considered a valid alternative to pharmacological treatment. Unfortunately this method is most effective in patients under age of 70. Recently it has been suggested that extradural motor cortex stimulation (EMCS) could be a valid cost-effective alternative to DBS to control motor symptoms in patients affected by Parkinson's disease. The relevant non-invasive surgical technique makes this treatment particularly indicated in geriatric patients. Brain atrophy, cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms are not an absolute contraindication to the treatment. We submitted to EMCS an outpatient afferent to our geriatric department, a woman 68 yrs old. The patient showed an improvement of 35% as measured by the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scale after the surgery. If our findings will be confirmed in larger series, a new dimension will be added to the treatment of PD.

Sleep apnea and respiratory dysfunction in congenital myotonic dystrophy.

A case of neonatal Myotonic Dystrophy (MD) is presented. A 35 week old 3570 g baby was born to a mother affected by MD and pregnancy-induced unstable diabetes. Soon after birth, he developed apnea, severe hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypotonia and mild respiratory distress. His clinical course improved during the following days, but persistent episodes of desaturation and/or cyanosis did not subside; hypotonia was mild. A polysomnographic recording showed mixed central and obstructive apnea. DNA testing showed trinucleotide repeat expansion mutations diagnostic of MD. The baby was discharged with home-sleep monitoring and breast-feeding. Recurrent apnea/bradycardia was the main clinical feature in this case of congenital MD, with increased risk of an acute life-threatening event.

Acute myositis following autologus bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

A 4-year-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia developed acute myositis associated with refractory thrombocytopenia one month after autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Clinical, electromyographic and biohumoral features were consistent with the diagnosis of myositis. The patient responded to corticosteroids, and 39 months after BMT he is in complete remission and has regained good muscle function. Although we could not determine with certainty the specific pathophysiologic mechanism of this complication, it should be pointed out that acute myositis can occur in the early post-BMT period.

Capillary blood lactate concentrations during intermittent all-out exercise.

The average maximal peak torques of the knee extensor and knee flexor muscles were measured during one, two or three series of 20 maximal contractions at an angular velocity of pi rad s(-1). Each series lasted about 20 s. After the first series, a 10 min rest was allowed before the second series of contractions. In one case only was a third series of contractions performed. Various sequences of contractions of the dominant and contralateral limbs were tested. Capillary blood lactate concentration ([LA]cap) was determined in the blood samples taken from an earlobe during each recovery. The difference between peak capillary blood lactate concentration and the concentration that would have occurred without any previous contraction (delta[LA]cap) was taken as the index of metabolic comparison between the exercise bouts. The mechanical power output during the first series of contractions was similar to that in the second and third series, but the lactate elevation was significantly higher in the first series. The discrepancy between the constancy of the power output and the decrease in lactate elevation was even more evident if delta[LA]cap was calculated as the difference between peak capillary blood lactate concentration and the value measured immediately before the second or third series. The decrease in lactate elevation was not affected by the change of the contracting limb from the first to the second series. In conclusion, the capillary blood lactate concentration profile during intermittent maximal exercise cannot be considered a suitable technique for evaluating lactate production.