Polymorphisms of Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) Gene in Vulnerability to Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia.

PURPOSE: Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disorder, is usually treated with Levodopa (L-DOPA). The use of this drug, however, is severely limited by the development of side effects of the motor system: Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). The aim of this study is to investigate the association between seven COMT gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the development of LID in patients with PD. METHODS: 232 Caucasian patients with PD were investigated. 212 patients with PD received Levodopa therapy. Dyskinesia was assessed with the use of the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS).  Genotyping was carried out on seven SNPs of the COMT gene (rs4680, rs6269, rs4633, rs4818, rs769224, rs165774, rs174696) using a real-time PCR method, and blind to the clinical status of the subjects. RESULTS: We found association between four SNPs, rs165774, rs4818, rs4633, rs4680, and LID. When the duration of disease was added as a covariate in regression analysis, however, the results did not reach statistical significance. Only the additive model for rs165774 was found to be close to be statistical significance (OR = 1.627 [0.976-2.741], permutation p = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: The results failed to clearly support a contribution of the studied polymorphisms; this may be related to a dominant relationship with the disease duration confounding the effect on the prevalence of LID.

Fat embolism syndrome in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Report on a novel case and systematic literature review.

We report a non-ambulatory 13-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who experienced severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and cerebral fat embolism following elective soft tissue surgery. Post-surgery radiological examination revealed bilateral femoral fractures and marked osteopenia that were believed to have caused disseminated pulmonary and cerebral fat embolism. The patient had never been on glucocorticoid treatment. Five months post-surgery, he remained in a state of minimal consciousness. A literature review was performed and eleven publications included, providing case reports of a total number of 23 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with fat embolism syndrome. The most common causes were falls from the wheelchair that predominantly resulted in femoral fractures. Median age at the event was around 14 years. Seven patients succumbed to complications of fat embolism. No event was described in the context of surgery. We want to raise awareness that spontaneous unnoticed fractures may occur especially in adolescents with DMD from traumatic injury of large bones and also during elective surgery with a high risk of causing fat embolism with severe sequelae.

Spectrum of urogenital tuberculosis.

Urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) plays an important role because its complications may be fatal, it significantly reduces quality of life, and it is often associated with AIDS. Diagnosis of UGTB is often delayed. We analyzed 131 case histories of UGTB patients from the years 2009-2011. Gender, age, and the clinical form and main features of the disease were taken into account. The most common form was kidney tuberculosis (74.8%). Isolated kidney tuberculosis (KTB) more often occurs in women: 56.8%. Patients of middle and old age more often showed the stage of cavernous KTB; younger patients had smaller forms. Among all cases, an asymptomatic course was seen in 12.2% and, among cases of KTB, in 15.9%. Every third patient complained of flank pain and dysuria (35.2% and 39.8%, respectively); 17% presented with toxicity symptoms, 9.1% with renal colic, and 7.9% with gross hematuria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in urine was found in 31.8% of cases in all levels of isolated KTB. UGTB has no specific symptom; even sterile pyuria occurs only in 25%. The acute onset of tuberculous orchiepididymitis was seen in 35.7% of patients, hemospermia in 7.1%, and dysuria in 35.7%. The most common complaints for prostate tuberculosis were perineal pain (31.6%), dysuria (also 31.6%), and hemospermia (26.3%). MTB in prostate secretion/ejaculate was revealed in 10.5% of this group. All urogenital tract infections should be suspected as UGTB in patients who are living in a region with a high incidence rate, who have had contact with tuberculosis infection, and who have a recurrence of the disease that is resistant to standard therapy.

Male genital tuberculosis: epidemiology and diagnostic.

INTRODUCTION: Urogenital TB (UGTB) is the second most common form of extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in countries with severe epidemic situation and the third most common form in regions with low incidence of TB. Male genital TB (MGTB) seems to be a rare disease. Nevertheless, 77% of men who died from TB of all localizations had prostate TB that had mostly been overlooked during their life time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Medline/PubMed research with key words "male genital tuberculosis" was conducted. Estimates of incidence and spectrum of EPTB in Siberia are presented on the basis of statistical reports for 1999-2010. Additionally, the clinical features and laboratory findings of 310 patients with UGTB are reported. RESULTS: A Medline/PubMed research with key words "male genital tuberculosis" resulted in a total of 861 titles only. During the last decade, the incidence rate of TB in Siberia increased up to 20%. Every year in Siberia, there are about 1000 new EPTB patients; the proportion of UGTB decreased from 42.9 to 33.9%. Late diagnosed complicated forms predominated. CONCLUSION: In Siberia, there is still a severe epidemic situation now. Low living standard, poverty, as well as poor knowledge lead to late diagnosis of EPTB with complicated multi-organ forms.

The Anatase-to-Rutile Phase Transition in Highly Oriented Nanoparticles Array of Titania with Photocatalytic Response Changes.

An array of highly oriented anatase nanoparticles was successfully prepared from NH4TiOF3 with the assistance of polyetheleneglycol-400 at 450 °C. The study showed the stability of obtained layered TiO2-anatase close to 1200 °C. This research confirmed for the first time that the transition of mesocrystalline anatase to the rutile phase occurs between 1000 °C and 1200 °C, which is more than 400 °C higher than the transition of bulk TiO2 due to the used precursor. A small quantity of K-phase nanowhiskers, which issued after 800 °C in the composite based on TiO2, stimulated a fourfold increase in photocatalytic performance. This study offers a new approach to the construction and preparation of effective nanocrystalline photocatalyst.

Association and Gene-Gene Interactions Study of Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease in the Russian Population.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and represents the most common cause of dementia. In this study, we performed several different analyses to detect loci involved in development of the late onset AD in the Russian population. DNA samples from 472 unrelated subjects were genotyped for 63 SNPs using iPLEX Assay and real-time PCR. We identified five genetic loci that were significantly associated with LOAD risk for the Russian population (TOMM40 rs2075650, APOE rs429358 and rs769449, NECTIN rs6857, APOE ε4). The results of the analysis based on comparison of the haplotype frequencies showed two risk haplotypes and one protective haplotype. The GMDR analysis demonstrated three significant models as a result: a one-factor, a two-factor and a three-factor model. A protein-protein interaction network with three subnetworks was formed for the 24 proteins. Eight proteins with a large number of interactions are identified: APOE, SORL1, APOC1, CD33, CLU, TOMM40, CNTNAP2 and CACNA1C. The present study confirms the importance of the APOE-TOMM40 locus as the main risk locus of development and progress of LOAD in the Russian population. Association analysis and bioinformatics approaches detected interactions both at the association level of single SNPs and at the level of genes and proteins.

Rhodiola rosea in Subjects with Prolonged or Chronic Fatigue Symptoms: Results of an Open-Label Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Rhodiola rosea roots and rhizomes are a herbal medicine for temporary relief of stress symptoms such as fatigue and sensed weakness. A daily dosage of 400 mg is recommended. METHODS: A dry ethanolic extract of R. rosea (WS® 1375) was studied in 100 subjects with prolonged or chronic fatigue symptoms. In an uncontrolled, open-label multicenter clinical trial, the subjects were administered 2 × 200 mg WS® 1375 over 8 weeks. Outcome measures were scales and tests related to fatigue. They were evaluated in an exploratory data analysis to generate hypotheses regarding efficacy. The pilot character of the trial is marked by its broad focus on subjects suffering from fatigue in general and by its comparatively long duration. RESULTS: The greatest change was observed after 1 week of treatment. The fatigue symptoms continued to decline further, with statistically significant improvement at week 8. The safety assessments of WS® 1375 during the trial proved to be favorable, with most adverse events being of mild intensity and not related to the study drug. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that 2 × 200 mg WS® 1375 may be an effective treatment in subjects suffering from prolonged or chronic fatigue. The safety and tolerability of WS® 1375 also presented a favorable profile.