ABSTRACT
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, rapid and fatal human prion disease that causes neurodegeneration. Rapidly progressive dementia, quick involuntary muscle jerking and specific radiographic and laboratory findings are characteristic of the disease. CJD should not be ruled even if the clinical presentation is outside the common age range. Herein we present a case of an 80-year-old man with probable diagnosis of CJD. The absolute diagnosis of CJD can only be confirmed post-mortem with a brain biopsy.
ABSTRACT
We report the case of an 18-year-old male patient who presented for the evaluation of bilateral conjunctivitis, blurry vision of the left eye, penile lesions, and dysuria. The patient was admitted to the hospital due to widespread mucosal lesions and signs of disseminated infection. Laboratory studies revealed a leukocytosis of 17.41K/µL (normal: 4K/µL - 11K/µL) with a neutrophilic predominance of 82.7%. Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), antinuclear antibody (ANA), hepatitis, human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27), and pathergy test for Behcet's were all negative. Mycoplasma pneumoniae IgM and IgG, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) IgG and IgM, and HSV-2 IgG were all positive. It was determined that the cause for his lesions was likely Mycoplasma mucositis. He was treated with ceftriaxone, azithromycin, acyclovir, and methylprednisolone. After five days of treatment, complete resolution of symptoms was achieved and he was discharged home.
ABSTRACT
A polymorphic glucocorticoid receptor (GR(Qn)) with an expanded CAG track and two silent mutations, when compared with the sequence of other isoform (GR(wt)), is found in two outbred mouse lines that were produced by selection for high (SH) or low (SL) stress response from high or low heat loss lines of mice, respectively. The GR(Qn) allele, which is also found in 5 of 16 commonly used inbred mouse lines, had a much higher frequency in SL mice; the GR(wt/wt) was found only in the SH line. Both GR(Qn/Qn) and GR(wt/Qn) mice had a much weaker corticosterone response to stress than the GR(wt/wt) mice. Assessment of open field activity revealed that GR(Qn/Qn) and GR(wt/Qn) mice exhibited significantly lower velocity and locomotor activity, less time in the center, and much longer duration in corner zones than the GR(wt/wt) mice. The increased anxiety-type behaviors of the GR(Qn/Qn) and GR(wt/Qn) mice were confirmed by the "elevated plus maze" test in which GR(Qn/Qn) and GR(wt/Qn) mice spent significantly less time in the "open arm" and longer duration in the "closed arm," than GR(wt/wt) mice. These results suggest this GR polymorphism plays a role in complex mechanisms leading to lower corticosterone response to stress, and may also be associated with decreased locomotive and increased anxiety-type behaviors in mice.
