Promoter methylation of AREG, HOXA11, hMLH1, NDRG2, NPTX2 and Tes genes in glioblastoma

Epigenetic alterations alone or in combination with genetic mechanisms play a key role in brain tumorigenesis. Glioblastoma is one of the most common, lethal and poor clinical outcome primary brain tumors with extraordinarily miscellaneous epigenetic alterations profile. The aim of this study was to investigate new potential prognostic epigenetic markers such as AREG, HOXA11, hMLH1, NDRG2, NTPX2 and Tes genes promoter methylation, frequency and value for patients outcome. We examined the promoter methylation status using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in 100 glioblastoma tissue samples. The value for clinical outcome was calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimation with log-rank test. DNA promoter methylation was frequent event appearing more than 45 % for gene. AREG and HOXA11 methylation status was significantly associated with patient age. HOXA11 showed the tendency to be associated with patient outcome in glioblastomas. AREG gene promoter methylation showed significant correlation with poor patient outcome. AREG methylation remained significantly associated with patient survival in a Cox multivariate model including MGMT promoter methylation status. This study of new epigenetic targets has shown considerably high level of analyzed genes promoter methylation variability in glioblastoma tissue. AREG gene might be valuable marker for glioblastoma patient survival prognosis, however further analysis is needed to clarify the independence and appropriateness of the marker.

CTX-M-producing Escherichia coli in Lithuania: associations between sites of infection, coresistance, and phylogenetic groups

Increasing resistance of Escherichia coli (E. coli) to antibiotics, especially to the third-generation cephalosporins, has prompted studies on widespread resistance genes such as blaCTX-M and differentiation of E. coli to phylogenetic groups. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between the CTX-M type and the phylogenetic group, the site of infection, and coresistance in Lithuanian E. coli isolates producing β-lactamases. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 90 E. coli ESBL strains were recovered from the lower respiratory tract, the urinary tract, sterile body sites, wounds, and other body sites between 2008 and 2012. The E. coli isolates resistant to at least 2 antibiotics with different modes of action along with resistance to cefotaxime were considered as multiresistant. The blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA-1, and blaSHV genes, the phylogenetic groups, and the resistance profiles were analyzed. RESULTS. Of the 90 isolates, 84 (93.3%) were classified as multiresistant and 6 (6.6%) as resistant. The blaCTX-M-15 gene was the most prevalent gene followed by the blaCTX-M-14 and blaCTX-M-92 genes. The logistic regression analysis revealed the associations between CTX-M-15 and resistance to ceftriaxone, between CTX-M-14 and resistance to cefoxitin, aztreonam, ampicillin/sulbactam, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, and tobramycin, and between CTX-M-92 and resistance to cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, gentamicin, and tobramycin. CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study showed a significant association between CTX-M-15, CTX-M-14, and CTX-M-92 β-lactamases and resistance to some antibiotics as well as CTX‑M-14 β-lactamase and phylogenetic group A in the Lithuanian population. The associations between the CTX-M type and the site of infection were not determined.

Inherited macular dystrophies and differential diagnostics

The inherited macular dystrophies are characterized by different grade central visual loss and different character macula atrophy, because of retinal pigment epithelium lesion. The cause of photoreceptors degeneration is still not known. In this article, we review subjective and objective ophthalmological examines essential to diagnosis and differential diagnosis of inherited autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive macular dystrophies. It is known seven gene mutations (ABCA4, ELOVL4, PROML1, VMD2, Peripherin/RDS, TIMP3, XLRS), which may cause inherited macular dystrophies development. Inheritance type of inherited macular dystrophies, prevalence, beginning of disease, spread of the disease between female and male, clinic, electroretinography, electrooculography, differential diagnosis, genetic research and prognosis are also reviewed.

A primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the central nervous system in a 51-year-old woman: a case report and literature review

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are a group of rare, aggressive, and highly malignant embryonal tumors of unknown etiology of the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is a term for a group of small round cell tumors thought to be derived from fetal neuroectodermal precursor cells. Primitive neuroectodermal tumor is usually described as a tumor of children younger than 15 years and is very rare in adults. The article presents a short literature review and a rare case of a primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the central nervous system diagnosed in a 51-year-old woman.