Resistin gene expression: Novel study in dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Resistin, an adipocyte-specific hormone involved in insulin resistance and adipocyte differentiation, was initially identified in adipose tissue and macrophages. The physiological role of this molecule in camels remains largely unexplored. This study analysed for the first time blood and tissue levels of resistin as well as expression of resistin gene by real time PCR in adipose tissue (hump, visceral & epididymal) and different muscles (gastrocnemius, heart and caecum) in dromedary camels. The results revealed that resistin concentration was significantly (P<0.01) higher in epididymal adipose tissue as compared to other tissues and the lowest concentration was detected in serum. Additionally, the differential mRNA expression levels of resistin gene showed the highest expression level in epididymal adipose tissue as compared to other tissues. In conclusion, the results demonstrated for the first time that resistin was expressed in different tissues of dromedary camels. These data underscore an important facet of the physiological role of resistin as a factor involved in insulin resistance and glucose metabolism in camels.

Effect of Vitamin D supplementation in patients with liver cirrhosis having spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) is one of the most serious liver cirrhosis with ascites complications. Vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency has been associated with a high risk of infection and mortality in cirrhotic patients. Herein, the assessment of Vit D level as a prognostic marker in SBP patients and the impact of Vit D supplementation on their treatment plan was studied as well.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ascetic patients with SBP and Vit D deficiency were divided randomly into treatment and control groups. The control group received standard treatment without Vit D and the treatment group received standard treatment plus Vit D. Clinical monitoring of Vit D was done over 6 months.

RESULTS

At baseline, all patients in both groups revealed an elevated serum and ascetic TLC, AST, ALT, total and direct bilirubin, in addition to elevation in INR and procalcitonin (PCT) level. Univariate regression analysis confirmed that deficiency of Vit D was an independent predictor of infection and mortality (p < 0.01; Crude Hazard Ratio: 0.951). Over 6 months, the study revealed significant improvement in serum Vit D level in the treatment group (34.6 ± 9.2 and 18.3 ± 10.0 ng/mL; p < 0.001). Moreover, a statistically significant increase in survival rate (64% vs. 42%; p < 0.05) and duration (199.5 days vs. 185.5 days; p < 0.05) were recorded as well. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis confirmed that Vit D supplementation was positively correlated to survival over 6 months (p < 0.001; Adjusted Hazard Ratio: 0.895).

CONCLUSIONS

Vit D deficiency is prevalent in SBP cirrhotic patients and is used as an independent predictor of infection and death. Therefore, Vit D supplementation revealed improvement in their response to treatment.

Factors associated with return to work of breast cancer patients following axillary lymph node dissection

BACKGROUND

The identification of factors that are related to return to work after surgery for breast cancer could help healthcare professionals accurately identify patients at risk of return to work-related difficulties in order to provide them with appropriate support during breast cancer management.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify factors related to return to work in breast cancer patients three months after axillary lymph node dissection.

METHODS

Seventy-three women who were working before the surgery were evaluated. Age, body mass index, level of lymph node dissection, marital status, children, co-resident household members, preoperative chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, postoperative hormonal therapy, postoperative radiotherapy, shoulder range of motion, upper limb function (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand; DASH), and work were evaluated. Patients who had returned to work constituted the return to work group, and those who had not returned to work constituted the no return to work group.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 36 returned to work at three months. Logistic regression analysis including the five variables showed that shoulder flexion range of motion and DASH were significantly associated with return to work (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The observation that the symptoms and limitations of upper limb function and shoulder flexion range of motion affect return to work may indicate the importance of postoperative rehabilitation in breast cancer patients following axillary lymph node dissection.

Investigation of Factors Affecting Early Quality of Life of Patients after Breast Cancer Surgery

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to early quality of life (QOL) three months after surgery in breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node dissection. Methods: The subjects of this study were 195 consecutive patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Age, body mass index, level of lymph node dissection, marriage, children, co-resident household members, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, postoperative hormonal therapy, postoperative radiotherapy, upper limb function (disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH)), and QOL (European Organization for the Treatment and Research of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)) were evaluated. For each item of the EORTC QLQ-C30, compared with preoperative status and three months after surgery, those who improved or remained unchanged in the three months after surgery were classified as the maintenance and improved groups, and those with worsening status were classified as the worsened group. Results: Age, level of lymph node dissection, DASH, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, and postoperative radiotherapy were significantly associated with QOL (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The early QOL of postoperative patients with breast cancer is affected by multiple factors, such as upper limb function and postoperative chemotherapy, and thus comprehensive intervention is required.

Risk Factors for Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Survivors Following Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Objective

The aim of the current study was to assess the risk factors for developing lymphedema following breast cancer treatment.

Methods

The subjects of this study were 238 consecutive patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer at Shikoku Cancer Center. The study variables were the occurrence of lymphedema, the body mass index, the follow-up period, the drain removal time, the level of lymph node dissection, the presence or absence of co-resident household members, radiation therapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

We observed lymphedema in 23.9% of patients after axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy using docetaxel and cyclophosphamide increased the risk of developing lymphedema (P <0.05).

Conclusions

Those patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy using docetaxel and cyclophosphamide should be observed closely after axillary lymph node dissection, and appropriate intervention should be considered from an early stage.

Risk factors of impairment of shoulder function after axillary dissection for breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

Postoperative shoulder joint dysfunction has been observed at a certain rate after breast cancer surgery with axillary lymph node dissection. The purposes of this study were to verify the feasibility and effects of home-based exercise using a DVD and clarify the target of intensive intervention with physiotherapy by identifying the factors that cause postoperative shoulder dysfunction.

METHODS

The study comprised 237 female patients who underwent breast cancer surgery with axillary lymph node dissection, whose data were acquired until 3 months postoperatively. All patients were instructed to exercise at home using a DVD. Range of motion (ROM) of shoulder flexion and abduction and the disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score were measured before surgery, 1 week and 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery. As factors influencing the recovery of shoulder ROM at 3 months after surgery, the presence or absence of radiation and factors up to 1 month after surgery (age, body mass index, the relationship between operated side and dominant side of the hand, treatment modalities, and complications).

RESULTS

Shoulder ROM and DASH scores had gradually recovered from 1 week to 3 months postoperatively. As the results of the multivariate analysis, the factors that were associated with the recovery of ROM of shoulder flexion at 3 months were the side of surgery corresponding to the dominant hand (negative factor) and the presence of paresthesia at 1 week postoperatively (positive factor) (p < 0.05). Radiation therapy and the side of surgery corresponding to the dominant hand were negative factors for the recovery of shoulder abduction (p < 0.01). Regarding the feasibility of the home exercise, 214/229 (93.4%), 172/210 (81.9%), and 139/206 (67.5%) of patients performed exercise at least once a day at 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our result indicated that the side of surgery corresponding to the dominant hand was the inhibiting factor for recovery for both shoulder flexion and abduction at 3 months after surgery. Home-based exercise with DVD was considered feasible. For the verification of this effectiveness, a randomized control study should be planned in the future.

Incident fracture associated with increased risk of mortality even after adjusting for frailty status in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Cohort Study

Frail elderly individuals have elevated risks of both fracture and mortality. We found that incident fractures were associated with an increased risk of death even after adjusting for pre-fracture frailty status as represented by physical performance tests and laboratory tests for common geriatric diseases in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men.

INTRODUCTION

While fractures reportedly increase the risk of mortality, frailty may complicate this association, generating a false-positive result. We evaluated this association after adjusting for pre-fracture levels of frailty.

METHODS

We examined 1998 community-dwelling ambulatory men aged ≥65 years at baseline in the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men Study for frailty status as represented by activities of daily living (ADL), physical performance tests (grip strength, one-foot standing balance with eyes open, timed 10-m walk), and laboratory sera tests. Participants were then followed for 5 years for incident clinical fractures and death. Effects of incident fracture on death were determined by Cox proportional hazards model with the first fracture during follow-up as a time-dependent predictor and with frailty status indices as covariates.

RESULTS

We identified 111 fractures in 99 men and 138 deaths during the follow-up period (median follow-up, 4.5 years). Participants with incident fractures did not have significantly worse frailty statuses, but did show a significantly higher cumulative mortality rate than those without fractures (p = 0.0047). Age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of death for incident fracture was 3.57 (95 % confidence interval: 2.05, 6.24). When adjusted for physical performance, this decreased to 2.77 (1.51, 5.06), but remained significant. The HR showed no significant change when adjusted for laboratory test results (3.96 (2.26, 6.94)). Exclusion of deaths within the first 24 months of follow-up did not alter these results.

CONCLUSION

Incident clinical fracture was associated with an elevated risk of death independently of pre-fracture levels of frailty in community-dwelling elderly men.

Immunogenic cell death by oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 in squamous cell carcinoma cells

Molecules essential for the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) are called damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The effects of oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) on the production of DAMPs were examined in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. The cytopathic effects of HSV-1 RH2 were observed in mouse SCCVII cells infected at a high multiplicity of infection (MOI), and the amounts of viable cells were decreased. After being infected with RH2, ATP and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were released extracellulary, while calreticulin (CRT) translocated to the cell membrane. A flow-cytometric analysis revealed an increase in the number of annexin-V and propidium iodide (PI)-stained cells; and the amount of cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was increased. The killing effect of RH2 was reduced by pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk and the caspase-1 inhibitor z-YVAD-fmk, suggesting the involvement of apoptosis and pyroptosis. In C3H mice bearing synergic SCCVII tumors, the growth of tumors injected with the supernatant of RH2-infected cells was less than that of tumors injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). These results indicate that oncolytic HSV-1 RH2 produces DAMPs from SCC cells to induce cell death. This may contribute to the enhancement of tumor immunity by oncolytic HSV-1.

High resolution NMR measurements using a 400MHz NMR with an (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-x high-temperature superconducting inner coil: Towards a compact super-high-field NMR

Use of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) inner coils in combination with conventional low-temperature superconducting (LTS) outer coils for an NMR magnet, i.e. a LTS/HTS NMR magnet, is a suitable option to realize a high-resolution NMR spectrometer with operating frequency >1GHz. From the standpoint of creating a compact magnet, (RE: Rare earth) Ba2Cu3O7-x (REBCO) HTS inner coils which can tolerate a strong hoop stress caused by a Lorentz force are preferred. However, in our previous work on a first-generation 400MHz LTS/REBCO NMR magnet, the NMR resolution and sensitivity were about ten times worse than that of a conventional LTS NMR magnet. The result was caused by a large field inhomogeneity in the REBCO coil itself and the shielding effect of a screening current induced in that coil. In the present paper, we describe the operation of a modified 400MHz LTS/REBCO NMR magnet with an advanced field compensation technology using a combination of novel ferromagnetic shimming and an appropriate procedure for NMR spectrum line shape optimization. We succeeded in obtaining a good NMR line shape and 2D NOESY spectrum for a lysozyme aqueous sample. We believe that this technology is indispensable for the realization of a compact super-high-field high-resolution NMR.

Variation of radiocesium concentrations in cedar pollen in the Okutama area since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Due to releases of radionuclides in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, radiocesium ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) has been incorporated into large varieties of plant species and soil types. There is a possibility that radiocesium taken into plants is being diffused by pollen. Radiocesium concentrations in cedar pollen have been measured in Ome City, located in the Okutama area of metropolitan Tokyo, for the past 3 y. In this research, the variation of radiocesium concentrations was analysed by comparing data from 2011 to 2014. Air dose rates at 1 m above the ground surface in Ome City from 2011 to 2014 showed no significant difference. Concentration of (137)Cs contained in the cedar pollen in 2012 was about half that in 2011. Between 2012 and 2014, the concentration decreased by approximately one-fifth, which was similar to the result of a press release distributed by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Does tranexamic acid alter the risk of thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty in the absence of routine chemical thromboprophylaxis?

Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used to reduce blood loss during total hip arthroplasty (THA), but its use could increase the risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). Several studies have reported that TXA does not increase the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but most of those used routine chemical thromboprophylaxis, thereby masking the potential increased risk of TXA on VTE. We wished to ascertain whether TXA increases the prevalence of VTE in patients undergoing THA without routine chemical thromboprophylaxis. We carried out a retrospective case-control study in 254 patients who underwent a primary THA, 127 of whom received TXA (1 g given pre-operatively) and a control group of 127 who did not. All patients had mechanical but no chemical thomboprophylaxis. Each patient was examined for DVT by bilateral ultrasonography pre-operatively and on post-operative days 1 and 7. TXA was found to statistically significantly increase the incidence of total DVT on post-operative day 7 compared with the control group (24 (18.9%) and 12 (9.4%), respectively; p < 0.05) but most cases of DVT were isolated distal DVT, with the exception of one patient with proximal DVT in each group. One patient in the control group developed a non-fatal symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). The use of TXA did not appear to affect the prevalence of either proximal DVT or PE.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:458–62.

Operation of a 400MHz NMR magnet using a (RE:Rare Earth)Ba2Cu3O7-x high-temperature superconducting coil: Towards an ultra-compact super-high field NMR spectrometer operated beyond 1GHz

High-temperature superconductors (HTS) are the key technology to achieve super-high magnetic field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers with an operating frequency far beyond 1GHz (23.5T). (RE)Ba₂Cu₃O_7-x (REBCO, RE: rare earth) conductors have an advantage over Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10-x (Bi-2223) and Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8-x (Bi-2212) conductors in that they have very high tensile strengths and tolerate strong electromagnetic hoop stress, thereby having the potential to act as an ultra-compact super-high field NMR magnet. As a first step, we developed the world's first NMR magnet comprising an inner REBCO coil and outer low-temperature superconducting (LTS) coils. The magnet was successfully charged without degradation and mainly operated at 400MHz (9.39T). Technical problems for the NMR magnet due to screening current in the REBCO coil were clarified and solved as follows: (i) A remarkable temporal drift of the central magnetic field was suppressed by a current sweep reversal method utilizing ∼10% of the peak current. (ii) A Z2 field error harmonic of the main coil cannot be compensated by an outer correction coil and therefore an additional ferromagnetic shim was used. (iii) Large tesseral harmonics emerged that could not be corrected by cryoshim coils. Due to those harmonics, the resolution and sensitivity of NMR spectra are ten-fold lower than those for a conventional LTS NMR magnet. As a result, a HSQC spectrum could be achieved for a protein sample, while a NOESY spectrum could not be obtained. An ultra-compact 1.2GHz NMR magnet could be realized if we effectively take advantage of REBCO conductors, although this will require further research to suppress the effect of the screening current.

Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block in upper limb surgery

We examined the outcomes and levels of patient satisfaction in 202 consecutive cases of ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SBPB) in upper limb surgery performed between September 2007 and March 2010.

All blocks were performed by orthopaedic surgeons using ultrasound visualisation with a high-frequency linear probe. The probe was placed in the coronal–oblique plane in the supraclavicular fossa, and the puncture was ‘in-plane’ from lateral to medial. Most of the blocks were performed with 0.75% ropivacaine/1% lidocaine (1:1), with or without adrenaline in 1:200 000 dilution. In 201 patients (99.5%) the brachial plexus block permitted surgery without conversion to general anaesthesia. The mean procedure time for block was 3.9 min (2 to 12), the mean waiting time for surgery was 34.1 min (10 to 64), the mean surgical time was 75.2 min (6 to 232), and the mean duration of post-anaesthetic analgesia was 437 min (171 to 992). A total of 20 patients (10%) developed a transient Horner’s syndrome. No nerve injury, pneumothorax, arterial puncture or systemic anaesthetic toxicity were recorded. Most patients (96.7%) were satisfied with ultrasound-guided SBPB. This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided SBPB for orthopaedic surgery on the upper limb.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:795–9.

Split-gate organic field-effect transistors for high-speed operation

Split-gate organic field-effect transistors have been developed for high-speed operation. Owing to the combination of reduced contact resistance and minimized parasitic capacitance, the devices have fast switching characteristics. The cutoff frequencies for the vacuum-evaporated devices and the solution-processed devices are 20 and 10 MHz, respectively. A speed of 10 MHz is the fastest device reported so far among solution-processed organic transistors.