Cognitive Versus Hemorrhagic Onset in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: Neuroimaging Features

BACKGROUND

Intracerebral hemorrhage and cognitive decline are typical clinical presentations of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features differ between CAA with hemorrhagic versus cognitive onset.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, sixty-one patients with CAA were classified by onset presentation of the disease: hemorrhage (n = 31) or cognitive decline (n = 30). The two groups were compared for MRI markers of small vessel disease, namely cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), cortical superficial siderosis, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), enlarged perivascular spaces, cortical microinfarcts, and visual rating scales for cortical atrophy. In the patients with cognitive onset, further exploratory analyses investigated MRI markers according to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuropsychological profiles.

RESULTS

Patients with cognitive onset showed a higher prevalence of CMBs (p < 0.001), particularly in temporal (p = 0.015) and insular (p = 0.002) lobes, and a higher prevalence of WMHs (p = 0.012). Within the cognitive onset group, 12 out of 16 (75%) patients had an Alzheimer's disease (AD) CSF profile but did not differ in MRI markers from those without AD pathology. Patients with cognitive onset displayed a multidomain profile in 16 out of 23 (70%) cases; patients with this profile showed increased WMHs and CMBs in parietal lobes compared with the amnestic group (p = 0.002) and dysexecutive group (p = 0.032), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Higher burdens of WMHs and CMBs, especially in temporal and insular lobes, are associated with the cognitive onset of CAA. MRI markers could help to shed light on the clinical heterogeneity of the CAA spectrum and its underlying mechanisms.

Specific hypomethylation programs underpin B cell activation in early multiple sclerosis

Epigenetic changes have been consistently detected in different cell types in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their contribution to MS pathogenesis remains poorly understood partly because of sample heterogeneity and limited coverage of array-based methods. To fill this gap, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in four peripheral immune cell populations isolated from 29 MS patients at clinical disease onset and 24 healthy controls. We show that B cells from new-onset untreated MS cases display more significant methylation changes than other disease-implicated immune cell types, consisting of a global DNA hypomethylation signature. Importantly, 4,933 MS-associated differentially methylated regions in B cells were identified, and this epigenetic signature underlies specific genetic programs involved in B cell differentiation and activation. Integration of the methylome to changes in gene expression and susceptibility-associated regions further indicates that hypomethylated regions are significantly associated with the up-regulation of cell activation transcriptional programs. Altogether, these findings implicate aberrant B cell function in MS etiology.

Influence of rapeseed meal on productivity and health of broiler chicks

Research was focussed on investigating the influence of different quantities (0, 10, 20 and 30%) of rapeseed meal (RM), 00-cultivar Silvia on production results, as well as on the morphological and pathohistological changes in the internal organs of chicks during the course of the experiment, measured on the 21st and 42nd days of the 42-day experiment. The experiment involved 120 chicks divided into four groups: a control group (C) and three experimental groups (E1-3). It was found that chicks in Groups C, E1 and E2 realised significantly (P < 0.05) higher gains than those in Group E3, both after the test period and at the end of the experiment. No significant differences with regard to feed conversion were found between groups of chicks. Throughout the experiment chicks in Groups E1-3 were found to have a significantly (P < 0.05) heavier liver. Compared to Groups E1-3, Group C chicks had a significantly (P < 0.05) heavier gizzard after 21 days, but following the finisher diet Group E3 had a significantly (P < 0.05) lighter gizzard. Compared with birds in Group C, those in Groups E2-3 had significantly heavier (P < 0.05) unevacuated intestines when fed the starter diet, and those in Groups E1-2 showed a similar result when fed the finisher diet. Chicks in Group E3 had a significantly lower grill weight than those in Groups C, E1 and E2, both in the first half of the experiment and at the end. The starter diet did not result in any differences in the quantity of abdominal fat among groups, but following the finisher diet Groups E2-3 showed significantly less abdominal fat in comparison to Groups C and E1 (P < 0.05). Group C showed a significantly higher carcass yield than Groups E1-3 (P < 0.05) in the first half of the experiment and at the end. Groups E1-3 manifested a slight to medium hypertrophy of thyroid epithelial tissue as well as slight thymus hypertrophy and slight atrophy of the cloacal bursa follicles.

Effect of feeding olive by-products on certain blood parameters and serum enzyme activities of fattening rabbits

The effect of feeding different levels (10 and 20%) of dehydrated olive cake pulp on certain blood parameters and on the catalytic activity of serum enzymes was studied in fattening rabbits. A total of 60 rabbits were divided into a control group (C) and two experimental groups (E1, E2), each comprising 10 males and 10 females. Rabbits of Group C received no dehydrated olive cake pulp in their diet, while rabbits of Group E1 and Group E2 were fed 10% and 20% dehydrated olive cake pulp, respectively. After Day 56 of the experiment, blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture and certain blood parameters as well as the catalytic activity of serum enzymes were determined. Following the experimental feeding period no significant differences were found between Group C and Groups E1 and E2 in red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit value. Similarly, after 56 days of experimental fattening no significant differences were found between the control group and the experimental groups in the catalytic activity of the serum enzymes alkaline phosphatase (AP), aspartate amino-transferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). However, Group E2 rabbits manifested a significantly higher alanine amino-transferase (ALT) activity in the serum than did rabbits of Group E1. The results indicate that the inclusion of dehydrated olive cake pulp in the diet at the rate of 10% or 20% caused no changes in the investigated blood parameters and serum enzyme activities of fattening rabbits.