[Cowden syndrome]

INTRODUCTION

Cowden syndrome is rare; oral symptoms are not always diagnosed. This case of Cowden syndrome was revealed by gingival hypertrophy.

OBSERVATION

A 21-year-old female patient consulted for gingival hypertrophy and multiple papules in the mouth. She had a history of thyroid lobectomy due to a goiter. The gingival papillomatosis and the goiter suggested a Cowden syndrome. The diagnosis was confirmed clinically by facial skin papules.

DISCUSSION

Cutaneous and oral lesions are usually the first symptoms of the syndrome. Diffuse gingival papillomatosis may suggest a Cowden syndrome and should lead to screen for associated symptoms. A high-risk diagnosis of breast and thyroid cancer is associated to Cowden syndrome and the patient should have a yearly follow-up.

Use of sedation for routine diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Survey of National Endoscopy Society Members

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Sedation rates may vary among countries, depending on patients' and endoscopists' preferences. The aim of this survey was to investigate the rate of using premedication for routine diagnostic upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy in endoscopy societies, members of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE).

METHODS

We evaluated a multiple-choice questionnaire which was e-mailed to representatives of national endoscopy societies, which are members of the ESGE. The questionnaire had 14 items referring to endoscopy practices in each country and the representatives' endoscopy units.

RESULTS

The response rate was 76% (34/45). In 47% of the countries, less than 25% of patients undergo routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy with conscious sedation. In 62% of the responders' endoscopy units, patients are not asked their preference for sedation and do not sign a consent form (59%). Common sedatives in use are midazolam (82%), diazepam (38%) or propofol (47%). Monitoring equipment is not available 'in most of the endoscopy units' in 46% (13/28) of the countries. Though they were available in 91% of the national representatives' endoscopy units, they are rarely (21%) used to monitor unsedated routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

In about 50% of ESGE-related countries, less than 25% of patients are sedated for routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy. Major issues to improve include availability of monitoring equipment and the use of a consent form.

Aberrant termination triggers nonsense-mediated mRNA decay

NMD (nonsense-mediated mRNA decay) is a cellular quality-control mechanism in which an otherwise stable mRNA is destabilized by the presence of a premature termination codon. We have defined the set of endogenous NMD substrates, demonstrated that they are available for NMD at every round of translation, and showed that premature termination and normal termination are not equivalent biochemical events. Premature termination is aberrant, and its NMD-stimulating defects can be reversed by the presence of tethered poly(A)-binding protein (Pab1p) or tethered eRF3 (eukaryotic release factor 3) (Sup35p). Thus NMD appears to be triggered by a ribosome's failure to terminate adjacent to a properly configured 3'-UTR (untranslated region), an event that may promote binding of the UPF/NMD factors to stimulate mRNA decapping.

Pbp1p, a factor interacting with Saccharomyces cerevisiae poly(A)-binding protein, regulates polyadenylation

The poly(A) tail of an mRNA is believed to influence the initiation of translation, and the rate at which the poly(A) tail is removed is thought to determine how fast an mRNA is degraded. One key factor associated with this 3'-end structure is the poly(A)-binding protein (Pab1p) encoded by the PAB1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In an effort to learn more about the functional role of this protein, we used a two-hybrid screen to determine the factor(s) with which it interacts. We identified five genes encoding factors that specifically interact with the carboxy terminus of Pab1p. Of a total of 44 specific clones identified, PBP1 (for Pab1p-binding protein) was isolated 38 times. Of the putative interacting genes examined, PBP1 promoted the highest level of resistance to 3-aminotriazole (>100 mM) in constructs in which HIS3 was used as a reporter. We determined that a fraction of Pbp1p cosediments with polysomes in sucrose gradients and that its distribution is very similar to that of Pab1p. Disruption of PBP1 showed that it is not essential for viability but can suppress the lethality associated with a PAB1 deletion. The suppression of pab1Delta by pbp1Delta appears to be different from that mediated by other pab1 suppressors, since disruption of PBP1 does not alter translation rates, affect accumulation of ribosomal subunits, change mRNA poly(A) tail lengths, or result in a defect in mRNA decay. Rather, Pbp1p appears to function in the nucleus to promote proper polyadenylation. In the absence of Pbp1p, 3' termini of pre-mRNAs are properly cleaved but lack full-length poly(A) tails. These effects suggest that Pbp1p may act to repress the ability of Pab1p to negatively regulate polyadenylation.

[Effect of Ramadan fasting on intragastric pH recorded during 24 hours in healthy subjects]

OBJECTIVES

Lifestyle changes during Ramadan as the meals are taken exclusively in the evening, and nightly sleep is often delayed and shortened. The wake/sleep cycle is also modified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Ramadan on gastric acidity in healthy volunteers.

METHODS

Nine healthy volunteers had 24-hour measurement of the gastric pH; 4 periods were compared: one week prior to Ramadan, day 10 and day 24 during Ramadan, and one month after Ramadan. The pH profiles and the [H+] activity (area under the curve) were measured during 24 hours, the night phase (5PM-8AM) and diurnal phase (8AM-5PM).

RESULTS

The diurnal variations of the pH profile were more significant; the median pH was 2.3 prior to Ramadan, 1 at day 10 and day 24 and 1.6 one month after Ramadan. The 24-hours [H+] activity increased by 45% at day 10 of Ramadan compared with its level prior to Ramadan. This increase was mostly diurnal (+122%) and also nightly (+25%). The activity [H+] was steady during Ramadan. One month after Ramadan, the 24-hours [H+] activity was 23% higher than the one noted before Ramadan.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the conditions of feeding imposed by Ramadan are associated with an increase of the gastric acidity mainly in diurnal phase. These results do not explain the origin of the healthy volunteer digestive symptoms encountered during Ramadan.

[Radiation-induced sarcoma]

Based upon the literature, we discuss epidemiological, histopathological, clinical and treatment aspects of postirradiation sarcomas. The risk of postirradiation sarcoma is very low and negligible in comparison with the beneficial effect of radiotherapy, and it should not be a major factor influencing treatment decision in patients with cancer. The radical surgical approach of postirradiation sarcoma is the treatment which offers the best chance for cure.

Yeast Pab1 interacts with Rna15 and participates in the control of the poly(A) tail length in vitro

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the single poly(A) binding protein, Pab1, is the major ribonucleoprotein associated with the poly(A) tails of mRNAs in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We found that Pab1 interacts with Rna15 in two-hybrid assays and in coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Overexpression of PAB1 partially but specifically suppressed the rna15-2 mutation in vivo. RNA15 codes for a component of the cleavage and polyadenylation factor CF I, one of the four factors needed for pre-mRNA 3'-end processing. We show that Pab1 and CF I copurify in anion-exchange chromatography. These data suggest that Pab1 is physically associated with CF I. Extracts from a thermosensitive pab1 mutant and from a wild-type strain immunoneutralized for Pab1 showed normal cleavage activity but a large increase in poly(A) tail length. A normal tail length was restored by adding recombinant Pab1 to the mutant extract. The longer poly(A) tails were not due to an inhibition of exonuclease activities. Pab1 has previously been implicated in the regulation of translation initiation and in cytoplasmic mRNA stability. Our data indicate that Pab1 is also a part of the 3'-end RNA-processing complex and thus participates in the control of the poly(A) tail lengths during the polyadenylation reaction.

Ramadan diet restrictions modify the circadian time structure in humans. A study on plasma gastrin, insulin, glucose, and calcium and on gastric pH

The rule of Ramadan (1 month of food and water intakes restricted to night hours) is followed by the majority of the Moslem fraction of the human population, but the possible consequences of this long-lasting modification of food intake schedule on public health have not yet been extensively documented. Therefore, a group of healthy control subjects and a group of healed duodenal ulcer patients were studied before (controls), during (both groups), and after (both groups) the month of Ramadan. The time-restricted food and water intakes were associated with variations of gastric pH, plasma gastrin, insulin, glucose, and calcium documented on a circadian basis. All of the studied biological variables, except insulin, underwent changes in their 24-h mean concentration (e.g. decrease in gastric pH, increase in plasma gastrin), some of which were still present 1 month after the end of Ramadan. The circadian patterns of all the studied variables were altered during the month of Ramadan. Some differences between the group of healthy control subjects and the group of healed duodenal ulcer patients may suggest a greater susceptibility of the latter to the modifications of feeding and sleeping schedule, which could possibly be a risk factor for the disease.

PCF11 encodes a third protein component of yeast cleavage and polyadenylation factor I

Cleavage and polyadenylation factor I (CF I) is one of four factors required in vitro for yeast pre-mRNA 3'-end processing. Two protein components of this factor, encoded by genes RNA14 and RNA15, have already been identified. We describe here another gene, PCF11 (for protein 1 of CF I), that genetically interacts with RNA14 and RNA15 and which presumably codes for a third protein component of CF I. This gene was isolated in a two-hybrid screening designed to identify proteins interacting with Rna14 and Rna15. PCF11 is an essential gene encoding for a protein of 626 amino acids having an apparent molecular mass of 70 kDa. Thermosensitive mutations in PCF11 are synergistically lethal with thermosensitive alleles of RNA14 and RNA15. The Pcf11-2 thermosensitive strain shows a shortening of the poly(A) tails and a strong decrease in the steady-state level of actin transcripts after a shift to the nonpermissive temperature as do the thermosensitive alleles of RNA14 and RNA15. Extracts from the pcf11-1 and pcf11-2 thermosensitive strains and the wild-type strain, when Pcf11 is neutralized by specific antibodies, are deficient in cleavage and polyadenylation. Moreover, fractions obtained by anion-exchange chromatography of extracts from the wild-type strain contain both Pcf11 and Rna15 in the same fractions, as shown by immunoblotting with a Pcf11-specific antibody.

[Primary angiosarcoma of the breast. Apropos of 2 cases]

We report here 2 cases of breast angiosarcoma observed at Centre Val-d' Aurelle of Montpellier over a period of 14 years (1980 to 1994). Based on a review of literature, we analyze the epidemiological, pathological, clinical, diagnostic and treatment aspects of this rare type of breast cancer. The difficulties of histological diagnosis are underlined. Mastectomy is the treatment of reference. Breast angiosarcoma has the worst prognosis of all mammary malignancies, with a mean survival of 24 months. The low histologic grade and an early diagnosis are the most important factors of good prognosis. The benefit of irradiation and chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy remains to be demonstrated.

Mutations in STS1 suppress the defect in 3' mRNA processing caused by the rna15-2 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In a search for proteins associated with Rna15p in processing the 3' ends of messenger RNAs, we have looked for suppressors that correct, even partially, the thermosensitive growth defect of the rna15-2 mutant. Mutations in a single locus that we named SSM5, were able to suppress both the thermosensitivity of cell growth and the mRNA 3' processing defect associated with the rna15-2 mutation, but only slightly alleviated the thermosensitive growth defect of an rna14-1 mutant. The ssm5-1 mutant is sensitive to hydroxyurea at 37 degrees C, a drug that inhibits DNA synthesis. By screening for complementation of the hydroxyurea-sensitive phenotype we cloned the corresponding wild-type gene and found that it corresponds to the essential gene STS1 (also named DBF8). Sts1p has an apparent molecular weight of 30 kDa and was confirmed to be a cytosolic protein by immunofluorescence analysis. Western blot analysis indicates that the thermosensitive mutant strains rna15-2, rna14-1 and pap1-1 present a very low level of the Rna15p at 37 degrees C. The ssm5-1 mutation restores the level of Rna15p in the rna15-2 ssm5-1 double mutant. Use of the two-hybrid system suggests that Sts1p does not interact directly with Rna15p, but may be active as a homodimer. The present data suggest that Sts1p may play a role in the transport of Rna15p from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.

Hypotheses for a re-evaluation of peroxidase activity in the oral inflammation: NAD(P)H-dependent hypohalite reduction in human neutrophils

The balance of NADH oxidation by neutrophil lysates in the presence and in the absence of peroxidase/H2O/halide systems, pointed out a NADH oxidation excess when these hypohalite generators were actually present. This unexplained NADH consumption could not be attributed to a direct oxidation by hypohalites nor by the lysate self. Using OCI- as substrate, the NADH oxidation excess ranged from 52 to 99 mU/ml at pH 7.40 and from 446 to 1346 mU/ml at pH 6.00 (N = 6). Similar results were also found while using hypoiodous and hypothiocyanous compounds at pH 7.40 but not at pH 5.50. The authors discuss different hypotheses to explain this phenomenon and accordingly elaborate on the possible consequences of neutrophils degranulation in the oral tissues during inflammation processes.

Haploid regeneration from tetraploid wheat using maize pollen

Crosses were made between 21 tetraploid wheat genotypes (6 parents, 15 F1 hybrids) and a single F1 hybrid of maize that was used as the male parent. Plants were grown under controlled greenhouse conditions (daylength, 16 h; temperature, 25 °C days and 15 °C nights). To enhance embryo survival, 2,4-D (10 mg/L) was applied to spikes 24 h after pollination with maize. Embryos were recovered from the tetraploid wheat genotypes at a rate of 2.34–14.14/100 developed ovaries. Sixty-nine haploid plants were obtained from 3 parents and 12 F1, hybrids. Fifty-six of these were successfully doubled. General combining ability was significant for the two traits studied, indicating that additive genetic control is important for the number of developed ovaries and haploid embryo production in tetraploid wheat × maize crosses. In this report, we demonstrate the potential of using maize pollen to produce haploid plants from tetraploid wheat genotypes.Key words: tetraploid wheat, embryo culture, haploid, wheat × maize, combining abilities.