Increased salivary syndecan-1 level is associated with salivary gland function and inflammation in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Syndecan-1 (SDC-1), a transmembrane heparin sulphate proteoglycan predominantly expressed on epithelial cells, also exists in a soluble form through ectodomain shedding. SDC-1 expression and shedding may be modulated in the inflammatory milieu of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We investigated SDC-1 expression in minor salivary glands (MSGs) and analysed the association between salivary or plasma levels of SDC-1 and clinical parameters in SS. METHOD: We measured salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed the salivary flow rates (SFRs) in 70 patients with SS and 35 healthy subjects. Disease activity indices, serological markers, salivary gland scintigraphy, and MSG biopsy were evaluated in patients with SS. RESULTS: SDC-1 expression was upregulated on ductal epithelial cells in inflamed salivary glands. Salivary SDC-1 levels in patients significantly exceeded those in healthy subjects [median (interquartile range) 49.0 (20.7-79.1) vs 3.7 (1.7-6.3) ng/mL, p < 0.001] and inversely correlated with SFRs (r = -0.358, p = 0.032) and ejection fractions of the parotid (r = -0.363, p = 0.027) and submandibular (r = -0.485, p = 0.002) glands in salivary gland scintigraphy. Plasma SDC-1 levels were significantly correlated with the EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (r = 0.507, p < 0.001) and EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (r = 0.267, p = 0.033). Focus scores were correlated with salivary SDC-1 levels (r = 0.551, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels may constitute potential biomarkers for salivary gland function and disease activity, respectively, in SS.

Toward Replacing Ethylene Oxide in a Sustainable World: Glycolaldehyde as a Bio-Based C2 Platform Molecule.

Fossil-based platform molecules such as ethylene and ethylene oxide currently serve as the primary feedstock for the C2 -based chemical industry. However, in the search for a more sustainable chemical industry, fossil-based resources may preferentially be replaced by renewable alternatives, provided there is realistic economic feasibility. This Review compares and critically discusses several production routes toward bio-based structural analogues of ethylene oxide and the required adaptations for their implementation in state-of-the-art C2 -based chemical processes. For example, glycolaldehyde, a structural analogue obtainable from carbohydrates by atom-economic retro-aldol reactions, may replace ethylene oxide's leading role. This alternative chemical route may not only allow the carbon footprint of conventional chemicals production to be lowered, but the introduction of a bio-based pathway may also contribute to safer production processes. Where possible, challenges, drawbacks, and prospects are highlighted.

Cycling of Dexmedetomidine May Prevent Delirium After Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine is useful for managing delirium. However, few studies have discussed the effect of dexmedetomidine on delirium after liver transplantation. Moreover, the studies have focused on treatment rather than prevention of delirium. This study found that dexmedetomidine cycling may prevent delirium by restoration of the circadian rhythm. METHODS: Of 38 patients who underwent liver transplantation between April 2013 and July 2016, 37 were retrospectively analyzed, except for 1 case of early mortality. The patients were divided into two groups, with 24 receiving dexmedetomidine for more than 3 days with cycling, and 13 receiving dexmedetomidine without cycling or for less than 3 days. Cycling was intended to restore circadian rhythm with high doses of dexmedetomidine at night and low doses during the day, while the patients remained intubated. After extubation, dexmedetomidine infusion was continued at night and discontinued during the day. The patients who used dexmedetomidine without cycling or for less than 3 days received dexmedetomidine without regard to circadian rhythm. RESULTS: Of the 24 patients who received dexmedetomidine for more than 3 days with cycling, 3 (12.5%) had delirium. In contrast, of the 12 patients who received dexmedetomidine without regard to circadian rhythm and the 1 who received dexmedetomidine cycling for less than 3 days, 6 (46.2%) had delirium (P = .042). Patients with hepatitis C showed higher prevalence of delirium (P = .022). CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine use for more than 3 days with cycling is useful for prevention of delirium after liver transplantation.

A Carcinoid Tumor of the Esophagus Treated with Endoscopic Ablation Therapy.

Esophageal carcinoids are exceedingly rare and only a few limited cases have been reported. Because knowledge about esophageal carcinoid is based primarily on case reports, the treatment of choice has not been settled. We report here on a localized carcinoid tumor in the esophagogastric junction. As our initial biopsy was nearly equal for the excision, we only performed coagulation ablation therapy instead of a wide excision which is traditionally recommended. The patient is free of recurrence so far during 50-month follow-up. Our report suggests that esophageal carcinoids may be not particularly associated with a poor prognosis.

The complete genome sequence of a member of a new species of tobamovirus (rattail cactus necrosis-associated virus) isolated from Aporcactus flagelliformis.

In this study, we identified a new tobamovirus from diseased Aporcactus flagelliformis cactus plants, named it rattail cactus necrosis-associated virus (RCNaV), and determined its complete genome sequence. The full RCNaV genome consisted of 6,506 nucleotides and contained four open reading frames coding for proteins of M(r) 128 kDa (3,441 nt), 185 kDa (4,929 nt), 55 kDa (1452 nt), 36 kDa (1,005 nt) and 19 kDa (513 nt) from the 5' to 3' end, respectively. The overall similarities for the four ORFs of RCNaV were from 32.5% to 64.1% and from 17.0% to 67.3% to those of the other tobamoviruses, at the nucleotide and amino acid level, respectively. Comparison of the coding and non-coding regions of the virus with those of other tobamoviruses showed that RCNaV is the most closely related to cactus mild mottle virus.

Negative refraction power causes underestimation of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although studies using optical coherence tomography (OCT) reported that the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness of myopic eyes was thinner than those of normal controls, it was unclear if this finding indicated the difference in actual structural thickness or that created by sources affecting accuracy of OCT measurement. This study's aim was to evaluate the effect of refraction power on the measurement of the RNFL thickness using spectral-domain OCT. METHODS: OCT scans to measure RNFL thickness were repeated in 15 cycloplegic eyes of 15 participants, while different refraction powers were induced by wearing soft contact lenses of eight different dioptres (-6 to +8). RESULTS: Measured RNFL thicknesses decreased significantly with soft contact lenses of higher plus dioptres and increased with those of more minus dioptres. This finding was consistent with or without controlling factors including the signal strength and test-retest variability of the machine. Measurement of peripapillary RNFL thicknesses was not varied between scans performed with and without plano contact lenses. CONCLUSIONS: In spectral-domain OCT, RNFL thickness was underestimated in eyes with increasing negative refraction power and overestimated with increasing positive refraction power.

Optical coherence tomographic patterns in diabetic macular oedema: prediction of visual outcome after focal laser photocoagulation.

AIM: To identify optical coherence tomography (OCT) patterns predictive of visual outcome in diabetic macular oedema (DMO) patients who undergo focal laser photocoagulation. METHODS: This study involved 70 eyes (45 patients) with clinically significant macular oedema that underwent focal laser photocoagulation using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol. Preoperative macular OCT images were retrospectively examined. OCT features were classified into four patterns: diffuse retinal thickening (DRT); cystoid macular oedema (CMO), serous retinal detachment and vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIA). Changes in retinal thickness, retinal volume and visual acuity (VA) after focal laser photocoagulation were evaluated and compared with respect to their OCT features. RESULTS: After focal laser photocoagulation, changes in retinal thickness and retinal volume were significantly different for different OCT types (p = 0.002 and p<0.001). The change in VA from baseline was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.613). The DRT pattern was associated with a greater reduction in retinal thickening and better VA improvement than the CMO or VMIA patterns. Proportions of patients with persistent DMO (central macular thickness >250 microm after laser treatment) were greater for the CMO and VMIA patterns than DRT pattern. CONCLUSION: DRT patients achieved a greater reduction in retinal thickening and greater VA increases than CMO and VMIA patients. We suggest that classifying DMO structural patterns using OCT might allow visual outcome to be predicted after laser photocoagulation.

Effects of dietary or injected organic cations on larval Drosophila melanogaster: mortality and elimination of tetraethylammonium from the hemolymph.

This study of larval Drosophila melanogaster examined the effects of injecting the prototypical organic cation tetraethylammonium (TEA) into the hemocoel or adding TEA and/or other organic cations to the diet. Mortality, hemolymph TEA levels, and Malpighian tubule TEA secretion rates were measured. The LD50 for dietary TEA was 158.4 mM and mortality increased if competitive inhibitors of organic cation transporters were also included in the diet. Mortality increased from 24% on TEA (100 mM) alone to 83 and 67% when the diet contained both TEA and quinidine (10 mM) or cimetidine (100 mM), respectively. TEA-selective microelectrode measurements indicated that hemolymph TEA concentration was approximately 3% of that in the diet for larvae maintained on TEA-enriched diet for 24 h. Malpighian tubules isolated from larvae exposed to dietary TEA excreted more TEA than did tubules from controls fed a TEA-free diet. However, the rate of decline of hemolymph TEA concentration following ingestion or injection of TEA into the hemocoel was greater than that explicable by rates of active transport by the gut and Malpighian tubules (MTs). We propose that TEA concentrations in the hemolymph are reduced not only by active transport across the MTs and gut, but also by diffusion into the gut. The latter pathway is particularly important when larvae previously maintained upon TEA-enriched diet are transferred to a TEA-free diet. The ingestion of TEA-free food not only clears the gut lumen, but also creates a TEA-free compartment into which TEA may passively diffuse from the hemolymph.

Sclerosing meningioma: immunohistochemical analysis of five cases.

Sclerosing meningioma is a rare morphologic subtype of meningioma and may be mistaken for atypical or malignant meningioma and astrocytoma or schwannoma because of marked collagen deposits and a sparse population of cells with little resemblance to meningothelial cells. Authors describe the histopathologic and immunophenotypic features of five cases of sclerosing meningioma. Histologically, all the cases consisted of paucicellular collagenous tissue containing spindle cells with or without small foci of meningothelial cell proliferation. The morphology and immunohistochemical profile of the spindle cells were different from those of conventional meningothelial cells. The meningothelial cells showed a typical immunoreactivity of conventional meningiomas, while the spindle cells displayed a strong expression of vimentin. The Ki-67 labelling index was uniformly low in all cases, and none of cases expressed p53 protein. In summary, the recognition of meningothelial cells in massively sclerotic lesions is helpful for a correct diagnosis. In the cases with a total absence of meningothelial cells, however, the vague collagenous whorls are more diagnostic rather than immunohistochemistry. Considering association with clear cell meningioma, prospective and retrospective long-term follow-up is necessary for deciding whether reminiscent clear cell meningiomas should be separated from sclerosing meningioma or not.

Gliofibroma with extensive calcified deposits.

Gliofibroma is a rare astrocytic neoplasm of young people that shows abundant deposition of collagenous matrix around glial cells. It shares some clinical and pathologic features with desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy or desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma. However, histogenesis or clinical behavior of these tumors is not fully known. Here, we report a case of gliofibroma with unusual extensive calcification which complicated radiologic as well as pathologic diagnosis.

T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with AJCC stage III gastric cancer during postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. American Joint Committee on Cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Advanced neoplastic diseases alter the immune response in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of T-lymphocyte subsets during postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and the relationship between T-lymphocyte subsets and tumor recurrence in AJCC stage III gastric cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analysis of T-lymphocyte subsets was performed in 39 patients with stage III gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone a curative gastric resection and postoperative chemotherapy. CirculatingT-lymphocyte subsets were measured on venous blood by using flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies on preoperative day 1, and postoperative months 1, 3, and 6. RESULTS: The 5-year disease-free survival rates of patients with stage 3a and 3b gastric cancer were 57.1% and 33.3%, respectively (p = 0.06). Values of CD3+ and CD4+ T-cells, and CD4+/CD8+ ratios were consistently lower in the recurrence group throughout the observation period. CD4+ T-cell counts were significantly lower in the recurrence group on preoperative day 1, and postoperative months 1 and 6. However, most values of the T-lymphocyte subsets showed no statistically significant difference when comparing the stage 3a and 3b disease patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that immunosuppression associated with CD3+ and CD4+ T-cell depression is a risk factor for postoperative recurrence in patients with stage III gastric cancer.

Childhood meningiomas associated with meningioangiomatosis: report of five cases and literature review.

Meningioangiomatosis is a unique, rare hamartomatous lesion. Meningiomas arising in the background of meningioangiomatosis are rare conditions which pathologically and radiologically mimic invasive meningiomas, but have a benign clinical course in children and young adults. In this study, five such cases are reported. To our knowledge, this is the largest reported collection of meningiomas associated with meningioangiomatosis. Less immunoreactivity for progesterone receptor and high Ki-67 labelling index are generally known to be associated with invasive meningiomas. However, high expression of progesterone receptor and low Ki-67 labelling index in the present cases supports the idea that brain invasion is not an indicator of malignancy but an independent finding associated with meningiomas which have arisen from meningioangiomatosis. We emphasize the good prognosis of such tumours and discuss pathogenesis of meningiomas with meningioangiomatosis.

Childhood meningioma: unusual location, atypical radiological findings, and favorable treatment outcome.

OBJECTS: To investigate the characteristics of childhood meningioma, especially, locations, radiological findings, pathological features (including proliferative potential) and outcome, 11 children with meningiomas were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Unusual location, large size, frequent calcification, and cyst formation were characteristic radiological findings. Gross total resection was achieved in 8 patients, and there was recurrence in 2. Gamma knife radiosurgery was performed on residual and recurrent tumors. MIB-1 indices tended to be high in large tumors. Nine patients had a Karnofsky Performance Scale of more than 70 during the follow-up period of 10 months to 19.5 years. Surgical treatment rendered 4 of 5 epileptic patients seizure free. The childhood meningiomas examined had unusual locations, atypical radiological findings, and various proliferative potentials. CONCLUSIONS: Complete resection is the treatment of choice. Gamma knife radiosurgery can be a good alternative for residual tumors and small recurrent tumors. The outcome of childhood meningiomas is good after surgery.

Erdheim-Chester disease with extensive marrow necrosis: a case report and literature review.

Erdheim-Chester disease is a rare systemic disorder characterized by a fibrosing xanthogranulomatous infiltration of multiple organs. We report a case of Erdheim-Chester disease with diffuse necrosis leading to difficulty in making a prompt diagnosis. Radiologically, osteosclerotic lesions with osteolytic element involved metadiaphyses of both proximal tibia, and retroperitoneal infiltrations encasing both kidneys, both adrenals, and aorta were found. A biopsy of the tibia showed diffuse infiltration of foamy histiocytes, Touton-type giant cells, and fibroblastic cells associated with extensive coagulative necrosis. Immunohistochemically, foamy histiocytes were positive for CD68 and peanut agglutinin and negative for S-100 protein. A few Langerhans' cells, which were difficult to identify in hematoxylin-eosin stain, were highlighted by immunostain for S-100 protein. The patient received supportive therapy and was alive 1 1/2 years after diagnosis, with newly developed bilateral retrobulbar lesions and worsened heart failure.

Extraocular muscle changes after cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity and the development of strabismus in premature infants.

To find out whether the cryotherapy for the treatment of the retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) causes structural changes of the extraocular muscle (EOM), and also whether the changes are related with the occurrence of strabismus. To examine the acute stage change, we conducted a transconjunctival cryotherapy around the superior rectus muscle of a rabbit and resected it 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the cryotherapy. In observing chronic changes, we first categorized patients who had an esotropia surgery into groups, one of which combined prematurity and cryotherapy and one group affected by prematurity but without having had cryotherapy. Then we compared the change of EOM with that of a fullterm infant group. In a rabbit, edema, acute inflammatory cells and a large amount of degenerated muscle fibers were observed immediately after the cryotherapy and on the 3rd day. On the 7th day, regenerated muscle fibers were observed and on the 14th day, the inflammatory cells decreased and the amount of regenerated muscle fiber increased. On the 28th day, abnormal findings were not observed any more and the muscle was found to be normal. When chronic changes of EOM in human on 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 years after cryotherapy, there were no abnormal findings observed in three groups. From the study, we can infer that cryotherapy can cause acute inflammation and necrosis of muscle fiber but such an acute change will improve and does not result in structural change in the long term. Therefore, the occurrence of strabismus in patients with ROP is considered to be attributable to reasons other than injury of EOM.

Cutaneous bronchogenic cyst of the abdominal wall.

We report a case of the unusual location of a cutaneous bronchogenic cyst on the abdominal wall. The patient was a 9-month-old boy who had presented with a 1.5 cm-sized polypoid mass, present since birth. Pathological examination of the excised mass revealed multiple small cystic structures surrounded by the fibroadipose tissue. The lining epithelium consisted of either pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells or a single layer of ciliated or non-ciliated cuboidal to columnar cells. The cystic walls contained a well-developed smooth muscle bundle, mucous glands and hyaline cartilage plate. This lesion was adherent to the peritoneum, but there was no direct communication with the abdominal cavity. Cutaneous bronchogenic cyst located in the abdominal wall has not been described in the English literature. The present case suggests a possible origin from a downward migration, from the sequestered bud of a tracheobronchial tree primordium along the midline of the body surface, during embryonic development.