Sensing of enantiomeric excess in chiral carboxylic acids

Cinchona-derived fluorescent molecules are used in a cross-reactive sensor array for the sensing of enantiomeric excess (ee) in carboxylate drugs analysis.

Endometrial cancer in unicornuate uterus: a case report

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

Miillerian anomalies have not been implicated as a significant risk factor for the development of cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers; in the present literature, there are only a few reports of endometrial cancer arising in patients with Miillerian abnormalities. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of endometrial cancer arising in a patient with unicornuate uterus.

CASE REPORT

A 69-year-old Caucasian woman underwent clinical examination and office hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy because of abnormal post-menopausal bleeding. The diagnosis was endometrial cancer in unicornuate uterus, hence the patient underwent total hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy.

CONCLUSION

Uterine malformations and genetic disorders may cause a delayed diagnosis of gynaecological cancers. Gynaecological examination in asymptomatic patients and differential diagnosis in abnormal uterine bleeding patients should be considered.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in pregnancy is associated with a vascular endothelial growth factor promoter genotype

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The occurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) during pregnancy is uncommon and the effect of one on the other is not well described.

METHODS

The clinical and genetic features of five cases of ALS are reported with an onset during pregnancy or within 1 month from delivery. Charts from 239 women with a diagnosis of ALS attending the neuromuscular clinics at the Neuromuscular Omnicentre (NEMO) and at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato from 2008 to 2011 were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of these, 12.8% of the women in child-bearing age had a diagnosis of ALS during pregnancy or immediately after delivery. Genetic screening of the major causative genes revealed two mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene; the analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter variation showed a segregation of the haplotype CA/AG (-2578C/A; -1190A/G) in patients developing ALS related to pregnancy. No effects on foetal development or neonatal course were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancy may unmask ALS but whether this is coincidental is unclear. Hormonal and inflammatory modifications might trigger ALS in subjects with increased susceptibility to oxidative stress related to the toxic function of SOD1 or in subjects with a reduction of neuroprotective molecules such as VEGF.

Reduction in dietary trans fat intake is associated with decreased LDL particle number in a primary prevention population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Increased trans fat intake has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While the effect of trans fat on traditional lipids is known, it's association with LDL particle number (LDL-P), a novel marker of CVD risk, has not been established. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between trans fat intake and LDL-P over 1-year among individuals participating in a lifestyle intervention trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Family members (N = 400, 33% male, mean age 48 ± 13) of patients hospitalized with CVD who participated in a 1-year randomized controlled primary prevention lifestyle intervention trial and had complete dietary data and LDL-P measures at baseline and 1-year. Change in trans fat as a percentage of total diet and mean absolute change in LDL-P at 1-year was assessed using multivariate adjusted linear regression models. At baseline, there was a significant positive correlation between dietary trans fat intake and LDL-P (Beta = 37, p = 0.04). For every 1 percent change in trans fat intake there was a 27 nmol/L change in LDL-P (Beta = 27, p = 0.04) over 1-year which was independent of baseline predictors and confounders (age, sex, smoking, statin use, waist size and physical activity; Beta = 30, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

A reduction in trans fat intake over 1-year was significantly associated with a reduction in LDL-P independent of potential confounders. Healthcare providers should reinforce the beneficial impact of a healthy diet, and in particular modifications in trans fat intake on improving lipid profiles.

Benign pulmonary metastasizing leiomyomatosis: case report

The authors report a rare case of leiomyomatosis of the lung diagnosed in a 43-year-old woman, with uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis. Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is an extremely rare lesion characterized by usually multiple, benign-appearing smooth muscle tumors of the lung in females with coexisting uterine leiomyoma. On the basis of their histological and immunohistological features, a unified histogenetic view of leiomyomas with vascular invasion (LWVI) and BML of the uterus is proposed. LWVI and BML may be the same pathological entity and microscopic vascular invasion may represent the metastatic mechanism of BML. LWVI seems to be the precursor of BML.

Vaginal microbiota and viral sexually transmitted diseases

Healthy vaginal microbiota is an important biological barrier to pathogenic microorganisms. When this predominantly Lactobacillus community is disrupted, decreased in abundance and replaced by different anaerobes, bacterial vaginosis (BV) may occur. BV is associated with prevalence and incidence of several sexually transmitted infections. This review provides background on BV, discusses the epidemiologic data to support a role of altered vaginal microbiota for acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases and analyzes mechanisms by which lactobacilli could counteract sexually transmitted viral infections.

The expression pattern of small nucleolar and small Cajal body-specific RNAs characterizes distinct molecular subtypes of multiple myeloma

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are non-coding RNAs involved in the maturation of other RNA molecules and generally located in the introns of host genes. It is now emerging that altered sno/scaRNAs expression may have a pathological role in cancer. This study elucidates the patterns of sno/scaRNAs expression in multiple myeloma (MM) by profiling purified malignant plasma cells from 55 MMs, 8 secondary plasma cell leukemias (sPCLs) and 4 normal controls. Overall, a global sno/scaRNAs downregulation was found in MMs and, even more, in sPCLs compared with normal plasma cells. Whereas SCARNA22 resulted the only sno/scaRNA characterizing the translocation/cyclin D4 (TC4) MM, TC2 group displayed a distinct sno/scaRNA signature overexpressing members of SNORD115 and SNORD116 families located in a region finely regulated by an imprinting center at 15q11, which, however, resulted overall hypomethylated in MMs independently of the SNORD115 and SNORD116 expression levels. Finally, integrative analyses with available gene expression and genome-wide data revealed the occurrence of significant sno/scaRNAs/host genes co-expression and the putative influence of allelic imbalances on specific snoRNAs expression. Our data extend the current view of sno/scaRNAs deregulation in cancer and add novel information to the bio-molecular complexity of plasma cell dyscrasias.

Myocardial blood flow and flow reserve in response to hormone therapy in postmenopausal women with risk factors for coronary disease

Estrogen has beneficial effects on markers of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, but may increase overall CHD events. The effects of hormone therapy on vascular endothelial function have been mixed, and require further assessment. We studied the myocardial blood flow (MBF) response to postmenopausal combination hormone therapy (CHT) in postmenopausal women with risk factors for CHD. We performed dynamic [13N]ammonia positron emission tomography in 15 postmenopausal women in a 7-month placebo-controlled crossover trial of continuous conjugated equine estrogen/cyclical micronized progesterone. MBF was measured at rest, after sympathetic stimulation with the cold pressor test (CPT), and after i.v. adenosine infusion, to determine baseline, endothelium-dependent, and maximal flows, respectively. Response to CPT was neutral in all women at baseline (-0.51 +/- 27%). Adenosine induced a marked increase in MBF (161 +/- 111%). Treatment with 3 months of combined estrogen/progestin CHT did not change CPT or adenosine MBF responses. Myocardial flow reserve was unchanged as well. In this group of postmenopausal women at higher cardiovascular risk, no association was found between CHT assignment and change in MBF. Further study is needed to clarify the effects of CHT on the endothelium of women with presumably diseased vasculature.