Guiding Principles for Implementing Stepped Care in Mental Health: Alignment on the Bigger Picture

Stepped care models are a mental healthcare delivery framework in which a continuum of support allows selection of a range of interventions to match a client's evolving needs and preferences. Currently in use in multiple settings worldwide, stepped care has the potential to provide a needed advance for the development of comprehensive mental health systems. However, definitions of stepped care lack consistency, resulting in differing interpretations reflected in variable implementation, ultimately limiting its replicability, utility and potential for impact. To help foster greater alignment in research and practice, we propose a set of principles for stepped care which can provide guidance on how to bridge multiple mental health services together, reduce fragmentation, and respond to the full breadth of mental health needs along a continuum of care in diverse settings. We hope that articulating these principles will foster discussion and spur mental health stakeholders to translate them into actionable standards.

Nonspecific Effects of Normal Aging on Taxonomic and Thematic Semantic Processing

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the effect of normal aging on the processing of taxonomic and thematic semantic relations.

METHOD

We used the Visual-World-Paradigm coupled with eye-movement recording. We compared performance of healthy younger and older adults on a word-to-picture matching task in which participants had to identify each target among semantically related (taxonomic or thematic) and unrelated distractors.

RESULTS

Younger and older participants exhibited similar patterns of gaze fixations in the two semantic conditions. The effect of aging took the form of an overall reduction in sensitivity to semantic competitors, with no difference between the taxonomic and thematic conditions. Moreover, comparison of the proportions of fixations between the younger and older participants indicated that targets were identified equally quickly in both age groups. This was not the case when mouse-click reaction times were analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings argue in favor of nonspecific effects of normal aging on semantic processing that similarly affect taxonomic and thematic processing. There are important clinical implications, as pathological aging has been repeatedly shown to selectively affect either taxonomic or thematic relations. Measuring eye-movements in a semantic task is also an interesting approach in the elderly, as these seem to be less impacted by aging than other motor responses.

Screening for Fontan-associated liver disease: are we doing enough?

Introduction

Fontan-associated Liver Disease (FALD) is an extracardiac complication with a substantial disease burden that can reduce quality of life, increase healthcare demand and result in premature mortality. Effective FALD screening is paramount in preventing late-stage complications.

Purpose

To assess the adherence of a tertiary adult congenital heart disease referral centre to FALD screening.

Methods

1. A total of 256 Fontan patients reviewed at our centre between 1st January 1977 and 31st December 2020 were identified from the congenital cardiac surgical database and the adult congenital heart disease clinical nurse specialist database.

2. The following patients were excluded: aged under 18 years on 31st December 2020 (103 cases), out of region or loss to follow-up (35 cases), death (30 cases), cardiac or liver transplantation (4 cases) and Fontan takedown (3 cases.) The mean endpoint (death, transplant or Fontan takedown) was 30 years.

3. The final study population included 81 patients.

4. Data was collected by review of clinic letters, blood test and imaging results from electronic records between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2020.

5. The data were analysed to determine whether the screening recommendations from “Fontan-Associated Liver Disease: Proceedings from the American College of Cardiology Stakeholders Meeting, October 1 to 2, 2015, Washington DC” (ACC Stakeholders Meeting) were performed.

Results

The ACC Stakeholders Meeting recommended history taking and physical examination at least once a year with Fontan blood tests (full blood count, urea and electrolytes, liver function tests, alpha-fetoprotein and international normalized ratio) and imaging (abdominal ultrasound, computerised tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) at least once every three years.

Of the 81 patients (47 male, mean age 27±8.3 years), the mean age of Fontan completion was 6.6±5.3 years. The mean follow-up period since Fontan completion was 20±8.1 years. History taking and physical examination were documented in 84% (68/81) and 79% (64/81) of patients respectively. 60% (59/81) had a full set of Fontan blood tests taken which increased to 73% (49/81) if alpha-fetoprotein was excluded while imaging was performed in 80% (65/81) of cases.

Overall, 46% (37/81) cases had abnormal Fontan blood test or imaging. Hepatology referral was made in only 21% (17/81) of cases and MELD-XI score was not documented.

Conclusions

FALD screening tests were frequently underperformed compared to international guidance. Adherence may be improved by 1) promoting a Fontan blood test bundle; 2) implementing a standardised letter template which includes an investigation date list; 3) advocating MELD-XI score; and 4) exploring a joint cardiac and hepatology Fontan clinic.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1Figure 2

Rapid prototyping of flexible terahertz metasurfaces using a microplotter

Additive manufacturing is a promising tool for the rapid prototyping of terahertz metamaterials at low-cost. In this letter, a terahertz metamaterial is fabricated using a microplotter system on a flexible polyimide film. The limits of the rapid prototyping technique is investigated both experimentally and numerically in order to determine the spectral range accessible by the fabricated metamaterials. Here, the metamaterial is composed of four arrays of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) antennas exhibiting a Fabry Perot resonance at frequencies from 0.25 to 0.8 THz. From a structural analysis of the printed antennas, we determined that the printing resolution is limited to about 5 μm. The arrays are analyzed by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The good agreement between THz-TDS measurements and numerical simulations showed that the microplotter system can be used for rapid prototyping by adjusting a limited number of fabrication parameters.

Overreliance on thematic knowledge in semantic dementia: Evidence from an eye-tracking paradigm

OBJECTIVE

The present study explored two types of semantic relationships in semantic dementia (SD), that rely on functionally and neuroanatomically distinct semantic systems (taxonomic vs. thematic).

METHOD

We used the visual world paradigm coupled with eye-movement recordings, to gain an implicit, fine-grained and dynamic measure of semantic processing. Nine patients with SD and 15 healthy controls performed a simple word-to-picture matching task in which they had to identify each target among semantically related (taxonomic or thematic) competitors and unrelated distractors.

RESULTS

We demonstrated different patterns of gaze fixations between patients with SD and controls: while patients with SD and controls were similarly sensitive to competition from taxonomically related pictures, patients with SD were far more sensitive than controls to thematically related competitors before identifying the targets. Moreover, most of the confusion errors made by patients with SD involved taxonomic distractors rather than thematic ones.

CONCLUSIONS

We interpreted these findings as reflecting a semantic disequilibrium in SD, with increasing overreliance on thematic knowledge as taxonomic knowledge gradually deteriorates. We concluded that thematic relationships constitute a set of residual semantic knowledge and that their exaggerated activation in SD might certainly deserve further explorations to determine their specific role in this disease and notably, their influence on patients' abilities to deal with daily living activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Identification of taxonomic and thematic relationships: Do the two semantic systems have the same status in semantic dementia?

Introduction: Disequilibrium between the taxonomic and thematic semantic systems was previously hypothesized in participants with semantic dementia (SD), without rigorously assessing their ability to identify the two types of semantic relationships. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to directly compare the ability of 10 participants with SD, 10 participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 20 controls to identify thematic versus taxonomic relationships. Methods: Participants performed an explicit forced-choice picture-matching task in which they had to determine which of two pictures of choice was semantically related to the target picture. Target pictures could display natural or artifact objects. Each target was presented once with a taxonomically related picture and once with a thematically related picture. Results: Analyses of correct thematic and taxonomic matches as a function of target domain showed that the performance of the two groups of patients differed in the taxonomic conditions but not in the thematic conditions, demonstrating a relative preservation of thematic knowledge in SD. Additional correlation analyses further indicated that the particular status of thematic relationships in SD was even stronger for artifact concepts. Conclusions: Results provide evidence of the heterogeneous nature of semantic knowledge disruption in SD, and could be regarded as being consistent with the existence of two neuroanatomically and functionally distinct semantic systems. Results further stress the relevance of performing a more detailed and complete assessment of semantic performance in participants with SD, in order to capture the impaired but also preserved aspects of their knowledge.

Paraneoplastic syndromes in ophthalmology

Paraneoplastic syndromes involving the visual system are a heterogeneous group of disorders occurring in the setting of systemic malignancy. They are unrelated to local tumor invasion or metastasis and unexplained by nutritional, metabolic, infectious or iatrogenic causes. The presence of antibodies may aid in the diagnosis of a paraneoplastic syndrome, although this is not an absolute requirement. Chorioretinal involvement is seen in CAR (cancer-associated retinopathy) syndrome, MAR (melanoma-associated retinopathy) syndrome, paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy, and bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation. Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes with ophthalmologic involvement include optic neuropathy, opsoclonus-myoclonus, Eaton-Lambert myasthenic syndrome, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) and rhombencephalitis.

[Lyme disease or not ?]

Lyme disease is a complex pathology due to an infection by a spirochaete from the genus Borrelia. This infection results from a tick bite lasting more than 24 hours. Signs and symptoms are numerous and are usually classified in three stages: early localized disease, early disseminated disease and late disease. The skin, the heart, the nervous system and the joints are mostly concerned. It is important to distinguish the clinical manifestations of the disease from those that are sometimes associated with it but with no scientific evidence. The purpose of this article is to insist on which signs and symptoms can be related to the disease and on those that usually are not. Diagnostic methods and treatments are also discussed.

RNA sequencing and analysis of three Lupinus nodulomes provide new insights into specific host-symbiont relationships with compatible and incompatible Bradyrhizobium strains

Nitrogen fixation in the legume root-nodule symbiosis has a critical importance in natural and agricultural ecosystems and depends on the proper choice of the symbiotic partners. However, the genetic determinism of symbiotic specificity remains unclear. To study this process, we inoculated three Lupinus species (L. albus, L. luteus, L. mariae-josephae), belonging to the under-investigated tribe of Genistoids, with two Bradyrhizobium strains (B. japonicum, B. valentinum) presenting contrasted degrees of symbiotic specificity depending on the host. We produced the first transcriptomes (RNA-Seq) from lupine nodules in a context of symbiotic specificity. For each lupine species, we compared gene expression between functional and non-functional interactions and determined differentially expressed (DE) genes. This revealed that L. luteus and L. mariae-josephae (nodulated by only one of the Bradyrhizobium strains) specific nodulomes were richest in DE genes than L. albus (nodulation with both microsymbionts, but non-functional with B. valentinum) and share a higher number of these genes between them than with L. albus. In addition, a functional analysis of DE genes highlighted the central role of the genetic pathways controlling infection and nodule organogenesis, hormones, secondary, carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, as well as the implication of plant defence in response to compatible or incompatible Bradyrhizobium strains.

The evolutionary fate of the chloroplast and nuclear rps16 genes as revealed through the sequencing and comparative analyses of four novel legume chloroplast genomes from Lupinus

The Fabaceae family is considered as a model system for understanding chloroplast genome evolution due to the presence of extensive structural rearrangements, gene losses and localized hypermutable regions. Here, we provide sequences of four chloroplast genomes from the Lupinus genus, belonging to the underinvestigated Genistoid clade. Notably, we found in Lupinus species the functional loss of the essential rps16 gene, which was most likely replaced by the nuclear rps16 gene that encodes chloroplast and mitochondrion targeted RPS16 proteins. To study the evolutionary fate of the rps16 gene, we explored all available plant chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Whereas no plant mitochondrial genomes carry an rps16 gene, many plants still have a functional nuclear and chloroplast rps16 gene. Ka/Ks ratios revealed that both chloroplast and nuclear rps16 copies were under purifying selection. However, due to the dual targeting of the nuclear rps16 gene product and the absence of a mitochondrial copy, the chloroplast gene may be lost. We also performed comparative analyses of lupine plastomes (SNPs, indels and repeat elements), identified the most variable regions and examined their phylogenetic utility. The markers identified here will help to reveal the evolutionary history of lupines, Genistoids and closely related clades.

The chloroplast genome of the hexaploid Spartina maritima (Poaceae, Chloridoideae): Comparative analyses and molecular dating

The history of many plant lineages is complicated by reticulate evolution with cases of hybridization often followed by genome duplication (allopolyploidy). In such a context, the inference of phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic scenarios based on molecular data is easier using haploid markers like chloroplast genome sequences. Hybridization and polyploidization occurred recurrently in the genus Spartina (Poaceae, Chloridoideae), as illustrated by the recent formation of the invasive allododecaploid S. anglica during the 19th century in Europe. Until now, only a few plastid markers were available to explore the history of this genus and their low variability limited the resolution of species relationships. We sequenced the complete chloroplast genome (plastome) of S. maritima, the native European parent of S. anglica, and compared it to the plastomes of other Poaceae. Our analysis revealed the presence of fast-evolving regions of potential taxonomic, phylogeographic and phylogenetic utility at various levels within the Poaceae family. Using secondary calibrations, we show that the tetraploid and hexaploid lineages of Spartina diverged 6-10 my ago, and that the two parents of the invasive allopolyploid S. anglica separated 2-4 my ago via long distance dispersal of the ancestor of S. maritima over the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, we discuss the meaning of divergence times between chloroplast genomes in the context of reticulate evolution.

Exploring the genome of the salt-marsh Spartina maritima (Poaceae, Chloridoideae) through BAC end sequence analysis

Spartina species play an important ecological role on salt marshes. Spartina maritima is an Old-World species distributed along the European and North-African Atlantic coasts. This hexaploid species (2n = 6x = 60, 2C = 3,700 Mb) hybridized with different Spartina species introduced from the American coasts, which resulted in the formation of new invasive hybrids and allopolyploids. Thus, S. maritima raises evolutionary and ecological interests. However, genomic information is dramatically lacking in this genus. In an effort to develop genomic resources, we analysed 40,641 high-quality bacterial artificial chromosome-end sequences (BESs), representing 26.7 Mb of the S. maritima genome. BESs were searched for sequence homology against known databases. A fraction of 16.91% of the BESs represents known repeats including a majority of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons (13.67%). Non-LTR retrotransposons represent 0.75%, DNA transposons 0.99%, whereas small RNA, simple repeats and low-complexity sequences account for 1.38% of the analysed BESs. In addition, 4,285 simple sequence repeats were detected. Using the coding sequence database of Sorghum bicolor, 6,809 BESs found homology accounting for 17.1% of all BESs. Comparative genomics with related genera reveals that the microsynteny is better conserved with S. bicolor compared to other sequenced Poaceae, where 37.6% of the paired matching BESs are correctly orientated on the chromosomes. We did not observe large macrosyntenic rearrangements using the mapping strategy employed. However, some regions appeared to have experienced rearrangements when comparing Spartina to Sorghum and to Oryza. This work represents the first overview of S. maritima genome regarding the respective coding and repetitive components. The syntenic relationships with other grass genomes examined here help clarifying evolution in Poaceae, S. maritima being a part of the poorly-known Chloridoideae sub-family.

Everolimus therapy for progressive adrenocortical cancer

Patients with advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) have limited treatment options after failure of chemotherapy. Tumor IGF2 expression has been shown to be amplified in the majority of cases of ACC and autocrine/paracrine activation of the IGF receptor (IGF-R) is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of ACC. It has been shown in vitro that inhibition of the IGF-R inhibits ACC cell proliferation. mTOR is a downstream effector of the IGFR signaling pathway; therefore, the rapamycin analog everolimus could prove to be useful for treatment of patients with ACC. Four women with ACC (ages 25-60 years) developed stage IV disease after surgery. All had progressive disease (PD) despite treatment with mitotane and other treatment modalities (etoposide, doxorubicin, cis-platinum in 3/4 patients, further streptozotocin + 5-FU in 1/4 patients, further thalidomide therapy in 2/4 patients; 1 patient progressed on an IGF-R antagonist). The patients were started on everolimus 10 mg/day orally and 2/4 patients also continued mitotane. Disease progression was monitored monthly by CT in 3/4 and after 3 months in 1/4. In all patients everolimus was well tolerated. In the three patients monitored monthly, PD was evident after 1, 3, and 4 months; in the patient evaluated after 3 months PD was also evident. In this small exploratory study, no clinically meaningful response was observed with everolimus in four patients with advanced ACC. The failure of efficacy could be related to an interaction with mitotane, multiple signaling pathways, and/or other downstream IGF-R effectors operative in the pathogenesis of ACC.

Diagnostic value of quantitative PCR for adenovirus detection in stool samples as compared with antigen detection and cell culture in haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Adenovirus (AdV) infections constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality during haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent guidelines recommend repeated screening for AdV in whole blood (WB), with quantitative PCR (qPCR) as the reference standard. Despite pre-emptive antiviral treatment based on qPCR in WB, the mortality rate after disseminated AdV infection remains very high. The aim of our study was to advance early screening for AdV, using a standardized method, so as to enable the earlier initiation of antiviral treatment or adoptive immunotherapy. The diagnostic value of AdV DNA quantification in stool samples was investigated retrospectively and compared with antigen detection and cell culture in 21 patients with AdV infection, from 182 patients followed in the Transplant Unit of Nancy University Hospital Centre, including 18 patients with systemic infection. In 16/18 patients with positive AdV viraemia, AdV DNA was present in stool samples earlier than in WB (median, 42 days; range, 3-199 days), whereas both antigen detection and cell culture were still negative for 11/18 patients with systemic AdV infection. The course of AdV viral loads in stool samples was predictive of adenoviraemia (sensitivity, 89%). Very late and lethal AdV infections were observed in cord blood transplant recipients, and would have been detected much earlier with the use of qPCR on stool samples. This study confirmed that quantification of AdV in stool samples by qPCR is beneficial for the management of transplant recipients, with or without antigen detection.

No improvement of survival with reduced- versus high-intensity conditioning for allogeneic stem cell transplants in Ewing tumor patients

BACKGROUND

Outcomes of Ewing tumor (ET) patients treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) were compared regarding the use of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) and high-intensity conditioning (HIC) regimens as well as human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched and HLA-mismatched grafts.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data of 87 ET patients from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Registry for Stem Cell Transplantations, Asia Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation and MetaEICESS registries treated with allo-SCT. Fifty patients received RIC (group A) and 37 patients received HIC (group B). Twenty-four patients received HLA-mismatched grafts and 63 received HLA-matched grafts.

RESULTS

Median overall survival was 7.9 months [±1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.44-10.31] for group A and 4.4 months (±1.06, 95% CI 2.29-6.43) for group B patients (P = 1.3). Death of complications (DOC) occurred in 4 of 50 (0.08) and death of disease (DOD) in 33 of 50 (0.66) group A and in 16 of 37 (0.43) and 17 of 37 (0.46) group B patients, respectively. DOC incidence was decreased (P < 0.01) and DOD/relapse increased (P < 0.01) in group A compared with group B. HLA mismatch was not generally associated with graft-versus-Ewing tumor effect (GvETE).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no improvement of survival with RIC compared with HIC due to increased DOD/relapse incidence after RIC despite less DOC incidence. This implicates general absence of a clinically relevant GvETE with current protocols.

Germline mutations of the CBL gene define a new genetic syndrome with predisposition to juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia

BACKGROUND

CBL missense mutations have recently been associated with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML), an aggressive myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasm of early childhood characterised by excessive macrophage/monocyte proliferation. CBL, an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a multi-adaptor protein, controls proliferative signalling networks by downregulating the growth factor receptor signalling cascades in various cell types.

METHODS AND RESULTS

CBL mutations were screened in 65 patients with JMML. A homozygous mutation of CBL was found in leukaemic cells of 4/65 (6%) patients. In all cases, copy neutral loss of heterozygosity of the 11q23 chromosomal region, encompassing the CBL locus, was demonstrated. Three of these four patients displayed additional features suggestive of an underlying developmental condition. A heterozygous germline CBL p.Y371H substitution was found in each of them and was inherited from the father in one patient. The germline mutation represents the first hit, with somatic loss of heterozygosity being the second hit positively selected in JMML cells. The three patients display a variable combination of dysmorphic features, hyperpigmented skin lesions and microcephaly that enable a 'CBL syndrome' to be tentatively delineated. Learning difficulties and postnatal growth retardation may be part of the phenotype.

CONCLUSION

A report of germline mutations of CBL in three patients with JMML is presented here, confirming the existence of an unreported inheritable condition associated with a predisposition to JMML.

Evidence of a clinical response at one yr after reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in heavily pretreated adolescents with aggressive refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma

We report results of RIC AHSCT in four adolescents with aggressive refractory HL. They all received three or four lines of therapy prior to RIC-AHSCT including autografts. At the time of RIC, they were in partial response except for one patient who had progressive chemoresistant disease. The conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabin, busulfan and ATG. They all had a matched related donor. The median follow-up was 12-16-month post-allograft. All patient transplants engrafted rapidly. The median time of hospitalization was 35 days. The median time to neutrophil recovery (>or=500/muL) was 19 days. All the patients were in complete donor chimerism at day 60. Four patients developed skin (grade <or= II) acute GvHD. All responded and all are alive. Two patients are in CR, one in PR and one relapsed six months after grafting after a PR. Each of the patients in PR received two DLI. These observations, together with the responses after DLI, suggest the presence of a graft vs. lymphoma effect in patients with advanced active HL. Prospective studies are needed to identify the patients likely to benefit most from this treatment approach.

Periodic variation in R-R intervals and cardiovascular autonomic regulation in young adult Syrian hamsters

Several hamster strains are commonly used as models for cardiomyopathic phenotypes evolving toward heart failure. However, little is known about heart rate variability (HRV) in this species. Prolonged surface ECG recording, a prerequisite to HRV studies, can be obtained either by telemetry or by restraints. Here, we performed long time ECG recording using telemetry on young adult Syrian hamsters and we analyzed time series of interbeat intervals. Standard statistics showed that the mean of normal R-R intervals slightly increased with age, with standard deviation of normal R-R intervals remaining stable over time. However, time domain analysis using Poincaré plots revealed dynamic changes in the HRV. Analysis of frequency domains revealed that the ratio of spectral components (low frequency/high frequency) exhibited a maturation pattern. Thus refined analysis of HRV revealed a more complex pattern than common statistical analysis would translate. Unlike other rodents, hamsters display a great spontaneous variability of their heart rate. As the complexity canvas of HRV might be the consequence of extracardiac regulation factors, we assessed the sympathovagal balance in both time and frequency domain of heart rate. Pharmacological tests revealed that both sympathetic and vagal tones contribute to HRV in Syrian hamsters. Thus Syrian hamsters have a broad intrinsic HRV with large influences of the neurovegetative system. However, the influence of the previous beat seems to prevail over the autonomic oscillators. These animals present a high sensitivity to artificially altered cardiac regulation and might be great models for the diagnosis of early alterations in the HRV related to pathology. Therefore, Syrian hamsters represent a unique model for HRV studies.

Chimerism analysis following nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation using a new cell subset separation method: Robosep

Chimerism analysis has become an important tool to manage patients in the peri-transplant period of allogenic stem cell transplantation. During this period, cells of donor and host origin can coexist and increasing proportion of cells of host origin is considered as a recurrence of the underlying disease. We currently performed chimerism analysis on separate peripheral blood cell subsets, lymphocytes and granulocytes. To improve our isolation method, a new automated device from Stem Cell Technology Roboseptrade mark was tested and compared to our manual separation technique. The results obtained on T cell purification showed an improvement of the purity (98.42% with Robosep vs. 92.42% with the manual technique Rosettesep) and of the recovery (63.43% with Robosep and 38% with Rosettesep). The results were significantly improved on patient samples with less than 10% CD3 positive cells (purity: 90% vs. 44.44%; recovery: 73.79% vs. 43.98%). Granulocytes separation was based on CD15 expression. The results showed an improvement of the purity with Robosep (96.90% vs. 86.20% with the manual technique Polymorphprep) but the recovery was impaired (35.2% vs. 52.30%). Using a myeloid (CD66/CD33) cocktail, recovery was improved with the Robosep device (64.04% with the myeloid cocktail vs. 22.4% with the CD15 cocktail). Our data demonstrated that Robosep allowed a performant cell purification in the early period post-transplantation even for populations representing less than 10% of the peripheral blood cells.

The margins effect: Residual tumor after breast conserving surgery

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Background: Resection of breast cancer with good surgical margins is one of the fundamental aspects of breast conserving surgery. Most studies have shown that women with positive margins after breast conserving surgery (BCS) fared worse compared to those with negative margins, regardless of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Nowadays, when partial breast irradiation is gaining popularity, understanding the natural history of positive or close margins is particularly important. We studied the surgical process in a large cohort of Israeli women with breast cancer to estimate the frequency of tumor margin involvement in the primary and subsequent surgical procedure. Methods: The National Israeli Breast Cancer Detection Programs has been monitoring the detection process of all new cases of breast cancer in Israel since 1996. Full data on tumor histology and surgical procedures, including indication of margins in the pathology report were available for 16,925 malignant breast tumors. Margins were classified as positive margins (PM), close (= 2mm) (CM) or negative margins (greater then 2mm)(NM). Results: BCS was identified in 14,815 women with invasive cancer and 2,110 with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Only 7,751 (52.3%) of the 14,815 women with invasive cancer had NM, while 2,868 (19.4%) had CM and 4,196 (28.3%) had PM. Among those with PM, 2,276 (54.6%) had a re-operation within 6 months from the index surgery and 1,265 (55.6%) of them were found to be malignant; 58% of them were invasive cancers and 42% DCIS. Among the invasives on re-operation, 24.4% still had PM and another 12.1% had CM while among the DCIS 14.4% had PM and 17.6% had CM. Of the 717 women with DCIS and positive margins at first surgery, 67.9% had a second operation. Of them, 59.8% had malignancy, 8.8% of them invasive. Overall 10.6% of all invasive cancers and 3.7% of all DCIS had PM on relumpectomy within 6 month regardless of initial margin status. Conclusions: A relatively high proportion of all women undergoing BCS were found to have positive or close margins, even after re-operations. If a failure to reach clean margins is a reflection of an aggressive tumor phenotype, special attention should be given to these patients and treatment should be adjusted accordingly.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Rapid development of post-radiotherapy sarcoma and breast cancer in a patient with a novel germline 'de-novo' TP53 mutation

AIMS

Germline mutations in the TP53 tumour suppressor gene are associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is characterised by a spectrum of neoplasms occurring in children and young adults that predominantly include early-onset breast cancer, a variety of sarcomas, brain tumours and adrenocortical tumours. The identification of patients carrying TP53 mutations is primarily based on a positive family history of these early-onset characteristic cancer types. The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of TP53 molecular testing in patients with very early onset breast cancer and no family history of cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A young woman with no family history of cancer presented with bilateral breast cancer at the age of 27 years. Forty months later she developed malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the right clavicle and another primary left breast cancer. Molecular testing of mutations 185delAG, 5382insC in BRCA1 gene and 6174delT in BRCA2 gene was performed using multiplex PCR and separation on a denaturing polyacrylamide gel. TP53 molecular analysis was performed by PCR-SSCP analysis of the whole coding region of the TP53. Exon 8 PCR products were sequenced using an ABI dye terminator kit and examined on an ABI 3100 automated sequencer.

RESULTS

Molecular testing of peripheral blood DNA did not reveal mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. A novel germline TP53 mutation, c.G841C, p.D281N, was identified. The detected mutation is a missense substitution, c.G841C, resulting in the substitution of the amino acid aspartate to asparagine, p.D281N. Molecular analysis in her parents showed that neither of them carried the mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a novel 'de novo'TP53 mutation and discuss the importance of molecular testing in early-onset breast cancer patients and its effect on the management and outcome of the disease.

Non-invasive restrained ECG recording in conscious small rodents: a new tool for cardiac electrical activity investigation

In vivo electrophysiology remains a suitable method to monitor cardiac activity; however, surface electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring remains complicated in the case of small animals. Sedation has helped to maintain the animal still; however, it is known that anesthetic drugs impair the regulation of the cardiac electrical activity. To circumvent this problem, ECG monitoring using telemetry or restraints has been developed. This study reports a new methodology, based on a restraining system without further sedation, for recording ECGs on small animal models. We investigated its efficacy in Syrian hamsters and in several strains of mice, and we compared these data to those obtained with telemetry devices. We show that this new system can easily be used in animals of different sizes ranging from adult hamsters to newborn mice. When compared to telemetry, this restrained ECG monitoring method shows a very good yield, as 65% of total beats can be used for further analysis. When recorded in the same animals, RR intervals distributions are identical for both techniques. In conclusion, this restrained ECG monitoring technique is a well-suited tool for exploring various aspects of cardiac electrophysiology in a wide variety of small animals including very young mice.

Bridging the research gap: aboriginal and academic collaboration in FASD prevention. The Healthy Communities, Mothers and Children Project

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to assist with the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder through a participatory research approach involving local women and health care workers. Our interest was in understanding how well communities could develop culturally appropriate methods of helping women to reduce their alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

Four geographically distant Aboriginal communities were presented with a task of adapting a standard Brief Alcohol Intervention, and in particular to develop a culturally appropriate means of using the Intervention with women in the community.

METHODS

Academic and Aboriginal community researchers worked together in partnership, using a participatory action research approach to address alcohol use during pregnancy.

RESULTS

The outcome of the project was the design of four differing models of culturally appropriate community interventions designed to support vulnerable women in their childbearing years. The intervention models developed by the four communities have five core characteristics: (1) identification of women at risk; (2) assessment of the woman's drinking/ drug use; (3) provision of information to the women; (4) delivery method facilitates the decision to adopt healthier behaviors; and (5) means to monitor changes.

CONCLUSION

This project was considered successful in many respects: (1) each community developed a culturally-relevant prevention tool; (2) community involvement in the design lead to better understanding of its usefulness; (3) considerable knowledge exchange between academic and community partners took place; and (4) most importantly, it was found that community members can be active members in developing and implementing solutions to important public health issues.

Intrapericardial administration of novel DNA formulations based on thermosensitive Poloxamer 407 gel

Inherited cardiopathies are leading to life-threatening conditions such as heart failure. Moreover, treatments currently available fail in altering the cardiac phenotype. Thus, gene therapy appears as an attracting alternative to conventional treatments. However, gene delivery remains a major hurdle in achieving this goal. To obtain regional delivery of plasmid DNA, intrapericardial administration seems to be an interesting approach. In order to improve retention time at the site of injection, formulations based on a thermosensitive gel of Poloxamer 407 were assessed. Protection and condensation of plasmid DNA was initially performed through complexation with polyethyleneimine (PEI), a widely used polymer. Characterization of the size and zeta potential of the complexes suggested interactions between the polyplexes and the Poloxamer gel through significant increase of the size of the polyplexes and shielding of the surface charges. In vivo evaluation has highlighted the toxicity of PEI/DNA polyplexes toward the myocardium. However, feasibility of intrapericardial injection of Poloxamer based formulations as well as their very low toxicity has been established.

Increased level of chromosomal damage after irradiation of lymphocytes from BRCA1 mutation carriers

Deleterious mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose women to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Many functional studies have suggested that BRCA1 has a role in DNA damage repair and failure in the DNA damage response pathway often leads to the accumulation of chromosomal aberrations. Here, we have compared normal lymphocytes with those heterozygous for a BRCA1 mutation. Short-term cultures were irradiated (8Gy) using a high dose rate and subsequently metaphases were analysed by 24-colour chromosome painting (M-FISH). We scored the chromosomal rearrangements in the metaphases from five BRCA1 mutation carriers and from five noncarrier control samples 6 days after irradiation. A significantly higher level of chromosomal damage was detected in the lymphocytes heterozygous for BRCA1 mutations compared with normal controls; the average number of aberrations per mitosis was 3.48 compared with 1.62 in controls (P=0.0001). This provides new evidence that heterozygous mutation carriers have a different response to DNA damage compared with noncarriers and that BRCA1 has a role in DNA damage surveillance. Our finding has implications for treatment and screening of BRCA1 mutation carriers using modalities that involve irradiation.

Muscarinic modulations of neuronal anticholinesterase responses

Anticholinesterases (antiChEs) are increasingly used for treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases, but the dependence of their effects on the integrity of cholinergic functions has not yet been analyzed at the molecular level. Here, we report that manipulation of muscarinic neurotransmission confers drastic changes on antiChE responses in the rat brain. In the brains of naïve, un-stressed rats, the irreversible organophosphate antiChE, diisopropylfluorophosphonate (DFP) induced post-treatment accumulation of catalytically active G1 monomers of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Pre-treatment with the selective M1 muscarinic antagonist, pirenzepine, but not the general muscarinic antagonist, scopolamine, attenuated this G1 increase. DFP-enhanced AChE gene expression was accompanied by diverted splicing from the primary AChE-S mRNA variant, encoding G4 synaptic membrane AChE-S tetramers, to "readthrough" AChE-R mRNA, which encodes soluble G1 monomers. Both the mRNA increase and the shifted splicing were long lasting (>24 h) and common to the parietal cortex and hippocampal CA1 and CA3 neurons. Importantly, the splicing shift was maximal under DFP alone, as compared with sham-injected rats, and virtually preventable by pre-treatment with pirenzepine. In contrast, induction of AChE transcription was less dependent on muscarinic function, resulting in AChE-S but not AChE-R increases. Our findings demonstrate distinct regulation of the enhanced transcription and the alternative splicing reactions to antiChE treatment and shed new light on the differential responses to antiChEs of demented patients with increasingly impaired cholinergic neurotransmission.

[Thrombocytopenia: clinicobiologic validation and classification]

Thrombocytopenia occurs frequently. We will illustrate, through the presentation of a clinical case, the difficulties encountered to identify and characterize thrombocytopenia. The clinicobiological validation of a low platelet count implies, at the same time, the biologist, who must assume the validation of numeration while mentioning the morphological characteristics of the platelets and other blood cells, as well as the clinician who must interpret these data according to the clinical context. Firstly, we will detail the basic rules to correctly ensure this validation. Secondly, we will see which are the arguments which that make it possible to direct the diagnosis towards an acquired or inherited thrombocytopenia. Lastly, we will approach the classification of inherited thrombocytopenias.

[Treatment of febrile neutropenia episodes in children, with a piperacillin-tazobactam and netilmicin combination]

OBJECTIVES

The authors had for aim to assess the effectiveness and toxicity of a piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination, and the possibility of avoiding using glycopeptide, in children with febrile neutropenic episodes induced by chemotherapy.

METHODS

A retrospective study was made, including children treated for a febrile neutropenic episode (absolute neutrophile count < 0.5 x 10(9)/l) by a piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination. If fever persisted 48 hours after the beginning of antibiotic therapy, a glycopeptide could be added. The responses to the treatment were defined as follows: 1) total success (no fever or documented infection) at 48 hours and at 72 hours following the beginning of treatment; 2) partial success (apyrexia beyond 72 hours without any therapeutic change); 3) failure (persistent infectious signs 48 hours after the introduction of glycopeptide).

RESULTS

Sixty-nine episodes were assessable, corresponding to 41 patients, treated for a solid tumour (29), an acute leukaemia in remission (11), or a metabolic disease (1). The febrile episodes were divided into fever of unknown origin (71%), microbiologically documented fever (12%), and clinically documented fever (17%). No death occurred, no toxicity was reported. With this antibiotic therapy, total success at 72 hours was observed in 72% in case of fever of unknown origin and 45% in case of documented infections. The success rate reached 84% when a glycopeptide was added (30% of the cases).

CONCLUSION

The piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination is very effective and well tolerated in probabilistic treatment of febrile neutropenia induced by chemotherapy, but does not allow to decreasing the frequency of glycopeptide administration.

Rewarming of healthy volunteers after induced mild hypothermia: a healthy volunteer study

OBJECTIVES

The study compares the efficacy of two active and one passive warming interventions in healthy volunteers with induced mild hypothermia.

METHODS

Eight volunteers were studied in a random order crossover design. Each volunteer was studied during re-warming from a core temperature of 35 degrees C with each of: a radiant warmer (Fisher & Paykel); a forced air warmer (Augustine Medical), and a polyester filled blanket, to re-warm.

RESULTS

No significant differences in re-warming rates were observed between the three warming devices. It was found that the subject's endogenous heat production was the major contributor to the re-warming of these volunteers. Metabolic rates of over 350 W were seen during the study.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with mild hypothermia and in whom shivering is not contraindicated our data would indicate that the rate of re-warming would be little different whether a blanket or one of the two active devices were used. In the field, this may provide the caregiver a useful choice.

Structural properties of docosahexaenoyl phospholipid bilayers investigated by solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy

Polyunsaturated lipids in cellular membranes are known to play key roles in such diverse biological processes as vision, neuronal signaling, and apoptosis. One hypothesis is that polyunsaturated lipids are involved in second messenger functions in biological signaling. Another current hypothesis affirms that the functional role of polyunsaturated lipids relies on their ability to modulate physical properties of the lipid bilayer. The present research has employed solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy to acquire knowledge of the molecular organization and material properties of polyunsaturated lipid bilayers. We report measurements for a homologous series of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines containing a perdeuterated, saturated acyl chain (n:0) at the sn-1 position, adjacent to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6omega3) at the sn-2 position. Measurements have been performed on fluid (L(alpha))-state multilamellar dispersions as a function of temperature for saturated acyl chain lengths of n = 12, 14, 16, and 18 carbons. The saturated sn-1 chains are therefore used as an intrinsic probe with site-specific resolution of the polyunsaturated bilayer structure. The 2H NMR order parameters as a function of acyl position (order profiles) have been analyzed using a mean-torque potential model for the chain segments, and the results are discussed in comparison with the homologous series of disaturated lipid bilayers. At a given absolute temperature, as the sn-1 acyl length adjacent to the sn-2 DHA chain is greater, the order of the initial chain segments increases, whereas that of the end segments decreases, in marked contrast with the corresponding disaturated series. For the latter, the order of the end segments is practically constant with acyl length, thus revealing a universal chain packing profile. We find that the DHA-containing series, while more complex, is still characterized by a universal chain packing profile, which is shifted relative to the homologous saturated series. Moreover, we show how introduction of DHA chains translates the order profile along the saturated chains, making more disordered states accessible within the bilayer central region. As a result, the area per lipid headgroup is increased as compared to disaturated bilayers. The systematic analysis of the 2H NMR data provides a basis for studies of lipid interactions with integral membrane proteins, for instance in relation to characteristic biological functions of highly unsaturated lipid membranes.