Healthy Control Persons Research Articles

Sexual Dysfunction, Marital Adjustment, and Quality of Life Among Male Persons with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome Attending Tertiary Healthcare Institution in Northeast India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Sexual dysfunction is one of the major problems associated with the chronic use of alcohol. Sexual dysfunction is also significantly associated with marital adjustment and quality of life. Aim and objectives: To determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and its association with marital adjustment and quality of life among persons with alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) and to compare with the healthy control group. Materials and methods: The present study used a cross-sectional, comparative, and descriptive research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample of 128 (64 patients with ADS and 64 healthy control persons) between the ages of 21 and 50, from the Department of Addiction Medicine, LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), Tezpur, Assam. Sociodemographic and clinical data sheet, the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SDAQ), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIED), and The Drug Abuse Screening Test scales (DAST) were used. Results: The study revealed a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the ADS group (64%) compared to the healthy control group (35.9%) (Chi-square = 46.916; p < .001). Marital satisfaction was significantly lower in the ADS group than in the healthy control group (Fisher’s exact test = 76.932; p < .001). Quality of life was also diminished in the ADS group, particularly in the physical ( t = −5.310; p <.001), social ( t = −4.481; p < .001), and environmental domains ( t = −4.250; p < .001). Furthermore, sexual dysfunction exhibited a significant negative correlation with marital adjustment ( r = −0.676; p < .01) and all domains of quality of life [physical domain ( r = −0.235; p < .001), social domain ( r = −0.383; p < .001), and environmental domain ( r = −0.383; p < .001)]. Conclusion: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction was high in persons with alcohol dependence syndrome as compared to the healthy control group and it has a relationship with marital adjustment and quality of life. The findings highlight the importance of screening and evaluating sexual dysfunction in individuals with alcohol dependence. Comprehensive pharmacological and nonpharmacological services are warranted to address the unique needs of this population, promoting both recovery from alcohol dependence and improvement in overall quality of life.

Evaluation of serum taurine level as a biomarker for early diagnosis and follow up of chronic myeloid leukemia

Evaluation of serum taurine level as a biomarker for early diagnosis and follow up of chronic myeloid leukemia

AI-enabled epidermal electronic system to automatically monitor a prognostic parameter for hypertension with a smartphone

We present a wearable, flexible, wireless and smartphone-enabled epidermal electronic system (EES) for the continuous monitoring of a prognostic parameter for hypertension. The thin and lightweight EES can be tightly attached to the chest of a patient and synchronously monitor first lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and seismocardiograms (SCG). To demonstrate the concept, we developed the EES using state-of-the-art cleanroom technologies. Two types of sensors were integrated: A pair of metal electrodes to contact the skin and to record ECG and a vibration sensor based on a thin piezoelectric polymer to record SCG from the same location of the chest, simultaneously. The complete EES was powered by the near field communication functionality of the smartphone. We developed a machine-learning algorithm and trained it on public ECG data and recorded SCG signals to extract characteristic features of the recordings. Binary classifiers were used to automatically annotate peaks. After training, the algorithm was transferred to the smartphone to continuously analyze the timing between particular ECG and SCG peaks and to extract the Weissler’s index as a prognostic parameter for hypertension. Tests with data of healthy control persons and clinical experiments with patients diagnosed with cardio-pulmonary hypertension showed a promising prognostic performance. The presented EES technology could be utilized for pre-screening of cardio-pulmonary hypertension, which is a strong burden in our today’s healthcare system.

Everyday memory in patients with depression: An explorative pilot study using an ecological assessment paradigm

Background People with major depressive disorder (MDD) often experience significant memory problems in their daily lives, which, however, frequently do not correspond to standardized memory test (SMT) results. The present pilot study aimed to examine the everyday memory performance of people with MDD by means of an ecological assessment paradigm (EAP). Methods Participants were unexpectedly called one week after their neuropsychological test assessment and asked about their memories of specific details of the former test situation. Associations of this EAP with SMT, subjective everyday memory problems, and symptom coping were exploratively analyzed. Results The study involved 22 MDD inpatients (M = 42.5 years, 64% female) and 22 comparable healthy control persons. MDD patients showed a significantly reduced performance in the EAP as well as in the SMT and they reported more memory problems in their daily lives. However, the EAP was not related to SMT results assessed a week before. Moreover, only the EAP was significantly associated with subjective daily memory problems and (distraction) coping style in the MDD group. Conclusions The EAP appears to better reflect the everyday memory problems of persons with depression than standardized test procedures. However, the findings need to be validated by further research with larger samples.

Abstract P129: Cardiovascular Safety Of Severe And Sustained Hypoxia Exposure In Physically Fit Patients Following Myocardial Infarction

In mice, hypoxia exposure corresponding to 8000 m altitude over several weeks induced myocardial proliferation and improved left ventricular ejection fraction following myocardial infarction. To enable translation of these findings from mice to patients with myocardial infarction, we determined whether exposure to severe sustained hypoxia is limited by right ventricular failure secondary to hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. We enrolled three men who suffered myocardial infarctions 49-126 months prior to the study (left ventricular ejection fraction 47±7 %) but were otherwise healthy and one male, healthy control person. We induced hypoxia by adding nitrogen to ambient air until alveolar oxygen partial pressure decreased to 35 mmHg. Normobaric hypoxia was then maintained for 14 consecutive days (FiO2=0.095) corresponding to 6062- 6224 m altitude. We added 1% oxygen over night to ameliorate sleep and prevent acute mountain sickness. We conducted echocardiography at baseline, during hypoxia in hypoxic conditions and 3 days after reconditioning. Measurements included right ventricular to atrial pressure gradient as surrogate for pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PAPsys), tricuspid annulus systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular (RV) free wall strain. Hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension, that rapidly abated in recovery (baseline: 35±3 mmHg, hypoxia: 47±9, recovery: 28±1, p=0.0292). TAPSE was not reduced by hypoxic exposure (baseline: 28±3 mmHg, hypoxia: 26±1 recovery: 29±2, p=0.0693) and right ventricular free wall strain was maintained (baseline: -22.4±3.9 mmHg, hypoxia: -24±5.4 recovery: -22.7±1.5, p=0.8493). The healthy control person showed similar responses. No signs or symptoms of right heart failure occurred throughout the study. In highly selected patients with myocardial infarction, substantial normobaric hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension, however, right ventricular function was well preserved. These observations pave the way for translational studies on hypoxia-induced cardiovascular regeneration and may have implications for patients traveling to high altitude.

Studying the Effect of COVID-19 on Liver Enzymes and Lipid Profile in Iraqi Recovering Patients

The Covid-19 virus disease has been shown to affect numerous organs and systems including the liver. The study aimed to compare lipid profiles and liver enzyme levels in individuals who had recovered from Covid-19 infection. To achieve the study objectives, liver Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Random Blood Sugar (RBS) and Lipid profile which include cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Triglycerides (T.G), Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very low-density Lipoprotein (VLDL) were determined. One hundred twenty serum samples were obtained, of which fifty samples were utilized as the control healthy persons (not affected by COVID) and seventy samples came from COVID-19 patients who had recovered. Liver enzymes showed a significant increase in serum AST, ALT, and ALP between the two groups (p-values) of 0.001. The lipid profile demonstrated notable ariations which showed an increase in cholesterol, TG, LDL, and VLDL., as well as a decrease in HDL level in the recovered patients’ group compared to the control (p-values) with a value of 0.001. There were no significant differences in RBS between the recovered patients’ group as compared with the control, (p-value) (0.062). Also, body mass index )BMI( and age showed no significant differences. This study concluded that Covid 19 survivors experienced issues with their lipid profiles and liver enzymes

Association of IL-17F Gene Polymorphism and Its Serum Level with SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Although multiple studies have addressed the clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease, little data exist regarding the defi- nition of immune and inflammatory profiles associated with this infection. Its clinical manifestations often worsen in association with hypercytokinemia (elevated interleukin 8 and interleukin 17). We conducted this research to elucidate the effect of interleukin 17 levels and interleukin 17F gene polymorphism on the severity and outcomes of coronavirus disease. Ninety patients with confirmed coronavirus disease and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. Coronavirus disease cases were classified into nonsevere, severe, and critical according to the World Health Organization definition. Approximately 10 mL peripheral blood sample was collected from all patients and controls by venipuncture in-plane and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tube. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used for calculating serum interleukin 17 levels, whereas real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for genotyping using the 5'-nuclease allelic discrimination assay for single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping. As regards interleukin 17 levels, there was a significant elevation of interleukin 17 in coronavirus disease cases compared to control healthy persons (P < .001). Moreover, serum interleukin 17 levels tended to be significantly higher with increased disease sever- ity (P = .004). Patients with critical diseases expressed a significant rise of interleukin 17 compared to severe (P = .03) and nonsevere cases (P = .02). We noted no significant difference between the critical, severe, and nonsevere cases regarding different interleukin 17F genotypes. Coronavirus disease is associated with elevated levels of interleukin 17, which tended to be considerably higher with disease severity. However, different interleukin 17F genotypes do not affect either the predisposition or the severity of coronavirus disease.

An open presurgery MRI dataset of people with epilepsy and focal cortical dysplasia type II

Automated detection of lesions using artificial intelligence creates new standards in medical imaging. For people with epilepsy, automated detection of focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) is widely used because subtle FCDs often escape conventional neuroradiological diagnosis. Accurate recognition of FCDs, however, is of outstanding importance for affected people, as surgical resection of the dysplastic cortex is associated with a high chance of postsurgical seizure freedom. Here, we make publicly available a dataset of 85 people affected by epilepsy due to FCD type II and 85 healthy control persons. We publish 3D-T1 and 3D-FLAIR, manually labeled regions of interest, and carefully selected clinical features. The open presurgery MRI dataset may be used to validate existing automated algorithms of FCD detection as well as to create new approaches. Most importantly, it will enable comparability of already existing approaches and support a more widespread use of automated lesion detection tools.

‘Personality and bipolar disorder: personality profiles of patients with remitted bipolar disorder and matched controls in a Danish sample’

Background The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bipolar disorder (BD) in remission differ in personality traits compared with a healthy control group. Methods A sample of patients with BD (n = 44) was compared with an individually matched control group (n = 44) using the Danish version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). Paired t-tests were used to analyze differences between the two groups and multiple regression models to evaluate predictors of NEO scores in the patient group. Results Patients with BD reported significantly higher scores on both Neuroticism and Openness to Experience and lower scores on Conscientiousness. No differences were found on Extraversion and Agreeableness. The effect size for Neuroticism and its facets had a range from 0.77 to 1.45 SD. Statistically significant group differences were seen on 15 of 30 lower-level traits within all five high-order dimensions. There were large effect sizes for Trust (0.77) and Self-discipline (0.85), while the other statistically significant group differences were smaller with effect sizes in the range from 0.43 to 0.74 SD. However, patients with BD showed a profile with high-order dimensions and lower-level traits within one standard deviation from the mean score except for the lower-level trait Depression. Conclusions Our findings suggest that patients with BD differ from healthy control persons with respect to higher levels of Neuroticism, Openness to Experience and lower scores on Agreeableness and on Conscientiousness, but prospective studies are needed to evaluate the implications of this finding.

Reward Processing During Monetary Incentive Delay Task After Leptin Substitution in Lipodystrophy-an fMRI Case Series.

Behaviorally, the most pronounced effects of leptin substitution in leptin deficiency are the hunger-decreasing and postprandial satiety-prolonging effects of the adipokine. Previously, with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we and others showed that eating behavior-controlling effects are at least in part conveyed by the reward system. However, to date, it is unclear if leptin only modulates eating behavior specific brain reward action or if it also alters the reward function of the brain unrelated to eating behavior. We investigated with functional MRI the effects of metreleptin on the reward system in a reward task unrelated to eating behavior, the monetary incentive delay task. Measurements in 4 patients with the very rare disease of lipodystrophy (LD), resulting in leptin deficiency, and 3 untreated healthy control persons were performed at 4 different time points: before start and over 12 weeks of metreleptin treatment. Inside the MRI scanner, participants performed the monetary incentive delay task and brain activity during the reward receipt phase of the trial was analyzed. We found a reward-related brain activity decrease in our 4 patients with LD over the 12 weeks of metreleptin treatment in the subgenual region, a brain area associated with the reward network, which was not observed in our 3 untreated healthy control persons. These results suggest that leptin replacement in LD induces changes of brain activity during reward reception processing completely unrelated to eating behavior or food stimuli. This could suggest eating behavior-unrelated functions of leptin in the human reward system. The trial is registered as trial No. 147/10-ek at the ethics committee of the University of Leipzig and at the State Directorate of Saxony (Landesdirektion Sachsen).

Shame, self-disgust, and envy: An experimental study on negative emotional response in borderline personality disorder during the confrontation with the own face.

A markedly negative self-image and pervasive shame proneness have consistently been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The present experimental study investigated the intensity of negative emotional responses with a focus on shame in BPD compared to healthy control persons (HCs) during an experimental paradigm promoting self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation. Furthermore, the relationship between levels of state shame during the experiment and shame proneness in BPD compared to HCs was examined. A sample of 62 individuals with BPD and 47 HCs participated in the study. During the experimental paradigm, participants were presented with photos of (i) the own face, (ii) the face of a well-known person, and (iii) of an unknown person. They were asked to describe positive facets of these faces. Participants rated the intensity of negative emotions induced by the experimental task as well the pleasantness of the presented faces. Shame-proneness was assessed using the Test of the Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA-3). Individuals with BPD experienced significantly higher levels of negative emotions than HCs both before and during the experimental task. While HC participants responded to their own face particularly with an increase in shame compared to the other-referential condition, the BPD patients responded above all with a strong increase of disgust. Furthermore, the confrontation with an unknown or well-known face resulted in a strong increase of envy in BPD compared to HC. Individuals with BPD reported higher levels of shame-proneness than HCs. Higher levels of shame-proneness were related to higher levels of state shame during the experiment across all participants. Our study is the first experimental study on negative emotional responses and its relationship to shame proneness in BPD compared to HC using the own face as a cue promoting self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation. Our data confirm a prominent role of shame when describing positive features of the own face, but they emphasize also disgust and envy as distinct emotional experience characterizing individuals with BPD when being confronted with the self.

Variation of butyrate production in the gut microbiome in type 2 diabetes patients

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus type 2 is a common disease that poses a challenge to the healthcare system. The disease is very often diagnosed late. A better understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiome and type 2 diabetes can support early detection and form an approach for therapies. Microbiome analysis offers a potential opportunity to find markers for this disease. Next-generation sequencing methods can be used to identify the bacteria present in the stool sample and to generate a microbiome profile through an analysis pipeline. Statistical analysis, e.g., using Student’s t-test, allows the identification of significant differences. The investigations are not only focused on single bacteria, but on the determination of a comprehensive profile. Also, the consideration of the functional microbiome is included in the analyses. The dataset is not from a clinical survey, but very extensive.ResultsBy examining 946 microbiome profiles of diabetes mellitus type 2 sufferers (272) and healthy control persons (674), a large number of significant genera (25) are revealed. It is possible to identify a large profile for type 2 diabetes disease. Furthermore, it is shown that the diversity of bacteria per taxonomic level in the group of persons with diabetes mellitus type 2 is significantly reduced compared to a healthy control group. In addition, six pathways are determined to be significant for type 2 diabetes describing the fermentation to butyrate. These parameters tend to have high potential for disease detection.ConclusionsWith this investigation of the gut microbiome of persons with diabetes type 2 disease, we present significant bacteria and pathways characteristic of this disease.

Tracing embodied word production in persons with Parkinson’s disease in distinct motor conditions

Embodied cognition theories posit direct interactions between sensorimotor and mental processing. Various clinical observations have been interpreted in this controversial framework, amongst others, low verb generation in word production tasks performed by persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD). If this were the consequence of reduced motor simulation of prevalent action semantics in this word class, reduced PD pathophysiology should result in increased verb production and a general shift of lexical contents towards particular movement-related meanings. 17 persons with PD and bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subhtalamic nucleus (STN) and 17 healthy control persons engaged in a semantically unconstrained, phonemic verbal fluency task, the former in both DBS-off and DBS-on states. The analysis referred to the number of words produced, verb use, and the occurrence of different dimensions of movement-related semantics in the lexical output. Persons with PD produced fewer words than controls. In the DBS-off, but not in the DBS-on condition, the proportion of verbs within this reduced output was lower than in controls. Lowered verb production went in parallel with a semantic shift: in persons with PD in the DBS-off, but not the DBS-on condition, the relatedness of produced words to own body-movement was lower than in controls. In persons with PD, DBS induced-changes of the motor condition appear to go along with formal and semantic shifts in word production. The results are compatible with the idea of some impact of motor system states on lexical processing.

Systemic Metabolic Alteration Dependent on the Thyroid-Liver Axis in Early PD.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by initial involvement of the olfactory bulb/amygdala or autonomic nerves followed by nigral degeneration. Although autonomic innervation strictly regulates multiorgan systems, including endocrine functions, circulation, and digestion, how dysautonomia in PD affects systemic metabolism has not been identified. In this study, we tried to estimate the pathogenic linkage of PD by nuclear medicine techniques, trans-omic analysis of blood samples, and cultured cell experiments. Thyroid mediastinum ratio of 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy was measured in 1,158 patients with PD. Furthermore, serum exosome miRNA transcriptome analysis and plasma metabolome analysis followed by trans-omic analysis were performed in patients with de novo PD and age-matched healthy control persons. Additionally, thyroid hormone was administered to skeletal muscle and liver derived cells to evaluate the effect of hypothyroidism for these organs. Sympathetic denervation of thyroid correlating with its cardiac denervation was confirmed in 1,158 patients with PD by MIBG scintigraphy. Among patients with drug-naïve PD, comprehensive metabolome analysis revealed decreased levels of thyroxine and insufficient fatty acid β-oxidation, which positively correlate with one another. Likewise, both plasma metabolome data and transcriptome data of circulating exosomal miRNAs, revealed specific enrichment of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARα) axis. Finally, association of thyroid hormone with PPARα-dependent β-oxidation regulation was confirmed by in vitro experiments. Our findings suggest that interorgan communications between the thyroid and liver are disorganized in the early stage of PD, which would be a sensitive diagnostic biomarker for PD. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:303-316.

Assessment of serum level of interleukin 33 in genital warts patients

Background: Genital warts (GWs) are highly prevalent sexually transmitted viral illnesses that are most prevalent in young, sexually active people of both sexes. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause GWs. The cytokine IL-33, an IL-1 family member, stimulates immune cells necessary for type 2 immune reactions. Immune cells like CD8+ T lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages, Th1 cells, and B cells, and natural killer cells that are engaged in type-1 immunity, infection, and chronic inflammation are activated in part by IL-33. Aim: This study aims to examine whether there is a difference in levels of serum IL-33 between genital warts patients and healthy controls and its correlation with genital warts' characteristics. Subjects and Methods: Levels of serum IL-33 were assessed in 40 patients with GWs and 40 healthy control persons using enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay kits. Results: Levels of serum IL-33 were significantly lower among patients with GWs compared to the control group (p= &lt;.001). Patients with recurrent warts had slightly lower levels of these substances. Additionally, a modest inverse relationship between the quantity of warts and levels of serum IL-33 was found. Conclusion: patients with genital warts had considerably lower levels of serum IL-33 than normal controls. &#x0D;

VESTİBÜLER NÖRİT HASTALARINDA CEREBELLUM'UN MANYETİK REZONANS 3D T1 SEGMENTASYONLARININ ANALİZİ

Amaç: Vestibüler nörit, akut spontan vertigonun en yaygın nedenlerinden biridir. Çalışmamızda vestibüler nörit tanısı alan hastalarda cerebellum hacmini ve bağlantılarını VolBrain yazılımı ile analiz etmeyi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya 10 hasta ve 9 sağlıklı (kontrol) kişi dahil edilmiştir. Cerebellum ve loplarının otomatik segmentasyonu ve hacimsel analizi, bu 19 bireyin manyetik rezonans görüntüleri (MRI) kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Toplam 10 cerebellar bölgenin hacimleri ölçülmüş ve hasta ve kontrol grupları arasında karşılaştırılmıştır. Bulgular: Cerebellum'un toplam hacmi kontrol grubunda 123,82 ± 2,57 cm3, hasta grubunda 119,97 ± 4,15 cm3 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Ayrıca Cerebellum'daki ortalama gri madde miktarı kontrol grubunda 90.63 ± 6.59 cm3, hasta grubunda 87.87 ± 16.12 cm3 olarak ölçülmüştür. Hacimsel değişikliklerin istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğunu bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Vestibüler nörit tanısı almış hastalardan alınan MR görüntülerinin 3D T1 sekansıyla cerebellum segmentasyonu yapılarak volBrain yazılımı yardımıyla hacim ölçümü ve daha detaylı incelemeler kolaylıkla yapılabilmektedir. Üstelik düşük maliyeti ve tanı koymadaki faydası da bu yöntemin faydalı olacağını düşündürmektedir.

Short-chain fatty acids in the saliva of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition characterized by persistent symptoms and complications resulting from reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are fermentation products of dietary fibres by the gut microbiota and are often studied for their anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The presence of SCFAs in the upper gastrointestinal tract, including in patients with GERD, has not been previously studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the concentrations of SCFAs in the saliva of different age groups of patients with GERD. The study included 86 patients diagnosed with GERD, divided into two groups according to age: under and over 60 years of age, treated in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital in Cracow and 39 patients without gastrointestinal tract diseases. After clinical examination, blood was drawn to determine complete blood count, haemoglobin, and CRP. The oral cavity was examined, and unstimulated mixed saliva was collected. The SCFAs analysis was made by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after facile derivatization coupled with liquid-liquid extraction. Of the six SCAFs studied, the highest median concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid were observed in the saliva of patients with GERD and in the control group, in both the younger and older groups of patients. The concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid were also higher compared with the four other fatty acids in the saliva of patients with GERD and in the control subjects. There were no correlations between salivary SCFAs levels and selected clinical and endoscopic parameters, including chronic inflammatory changes of the esophagus and stomach. In conclusions: SCFAs are present in the saliva of patients with GERD and in the control healthy persons. With the exception of valeric and isovaleric acids, salivary levels of SCFAs were significantly higher in patients with GERD compared to the control group. The highest concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid were observed in patients with GERD and in both the younger and older patient groups. There were no differences in the concentrations of SCFAs in the saliva of female and male groups. We found no correlations between salivary SCFAs levels and selected clinical, laboratory and endoscopic changes of the oesophagus and stomach.

Chronic Inflammation and Its Role in Colorectal Cancer Development

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third common cancer and fourth cancer related mortality, worldwide. Chronic Inflammation is one of the underlying mechanisms leads to this cancer. The final aim of this research was to assess the expression level of pattern recognition receptor (PRRs)-related genes TLR2, TLR4, NLRP3, NF-kβ, MBL1, GAL1 and oxidative agent NOS2 in colon tissue and blood monocytes of CRC patients to find the relative role of chronic inflammation in the initiation of the stage II CRC development. by this approach, the expression level of mentioned genes was assessed in colon tissues and monocytes of 24 cases (12 CRC and 12 healthy control persons) by 65±11 years old men. In CRC patients’ monocytes, the expression level of TLR2, TLR4, GAL1 and MBL1 genes were significantly less than those of healthy controls (p<0.05). the expression level of NOS2 and NF-kβ genes in CRC patients’ monocytes was significantly higher than those of in healthy controls (p<0.05).

Treatment-naïve idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: disease evaluation by fluorodeoxyglucose versus pyrophosphate

BackgroundImaging of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) is challenging, and no pathognomonic signs exist. Different tracers have been tested for this purpose, mainly inflammation markers including technetium-99m-pyrophosphate (PYP). We aimed to examine the utility of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) relative to PYP in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).MethodsUsing visual grading and CT-guided muscular segmentation and standardized uptake values (SUVs), we assessed muscular tracer uptake qualitatively and quantitatively, comparing FDG uptake in eight patients with recent-onset IIM and 24 healthy control persons and FDG and PYP uptake in seven patients.ResultsMuscular FDG and PYP uptake was increased in all patients. However, uptake distribution and signal intensity differed considerably. FDG scans revealed clear involvement of certain muscle groups including core and swallowing muscles and, in addition, abnormality in diseased extra-muscular organs. PYP was mainly visible in bones, whereas muscular PYP uptake was generally discrete and primarily located in the extremities. Quantitatively, FDG uptake was significantly higher in patients than in controls; the volume-weighted SUVmean for all right-side muscles was 0.84 versus 0.60 g/ml (95% confidence interval (CI) for mean difference 0.14–0.34, p = 0.0001). FDG SUVmean values were up to four times higher than PYP mean values in upper limb muscles (95% CI for the mean ratio 2.37–3.77, p = 0.0004) and two–three times higher in lower limb muscles (95% CI for the mean ratio 2.28–2.71, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsMuscular FDG uptake was higher in treatment-naïve IIM patients than in healthy controls and more distinct than PYP uptake in patients with a potential to reveal extra-muscular IIM involvement and malignancy. Thus, FDG appears to be superior to PYP in the diagnostic evaluation of IIM.

Investigating Primary Emotional Systems and the Big Five of Personality including their relations in patients with major depression and healthy control persons

ABSTRACT This study investigates two concurrent personality theories in the context of depression: Pankseppian affective neuroscience theory (ANT) describes primary emotional systems related to depression, whereas in the five-factor model (FFM), neuroticism is most robustly related with depression. Of note, ANT has been established via neuroscientific cross-mammalian-research, while the FFM belongs to the realm of Big Five personality theory, which has been established by a lexical approach. This study aimed to investigate whether the previously suggested systems or factors in depression within each of these approaches would correspond with depression, and with each other across factors/systems, in a single large sample of patients with major depression (n = 184) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 183). Subjects filled in the NEO-FFI and the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS) along with Beck’s Depression Inventory-II. In line with the literature, depressed patients demonstrated higher FEAR/SADNESS and lower SEEKING/PLAY scores when applying ANT. Also consistent with the literature, higher neuroticism scores could be observed in the depressed sample compared to the control sample. Against the background of ANT, we suggest that Panksepp’s FEAR/SADNESS might be the “bottom-up” drivers of the personality trait neuroticism. The present study shows that the observed differences in SEEKING, FEAR, and SADNESS between depressed and healthy control participants are in line with the literature and therefore can be seen as robust. The same is true for the differences in neuroticism between both samples. Finally, we discuss the applicability of the NEO-FFI and ANPS in depression research.