Level IV - retrospective study.

The spatiotemporal developmental pattern of the neural crest cells differentiation toward the first appearance of the neuronal subtypes was investigated in developing human spinal ganglia (SG) between the fifth and tenth developmental week using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence methods. First neurofilament-200-(NF200, likely myelinated mechanoreceptors) and isolectin-B4-positive neurons (likely unmyelinated nociceptors) appeared already in the 5/6th developmental week and their number subsequently increased during the progression of development. Proportion of NF200-positive cells was higher in the ventral parts of the SG than in the dorsal parts, particularly during the 5/6th and 9/10th developmental weeks (Mann-Whitney, P 5 0.040 and P 5 0.003). NF200 and IB4 colocalized during the whole investigated period. calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; nociceptive responses), vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1; polymodal nociceptors), and calretinin (calcium signaling) cell immunoreactivity first appeared in the sixth week and eighth week, respectively, especially in the dorsal parts of the SG. VR1 and CGRP colocalized with NF00 during the whole investigated period. Our results indicate the high potential of early differentiated neuronal cells, which slightly decreased with the progression of SG differentiation. On the contrary, the number of neuronal subtypes displayed increasing differentiation at later developmental stage. The great diversity of phenotypic expression found in the SG neurons is the result of a wide variety of influences, occurring at different stages of development in a large potential repertory of these neurons. Understanding the pathway of neural differentiation in the human, SG could be important for the studies dealing with the process of regeneration of damaged spinal nerves or during the repair of pathological changes within the affected ganglia.

Objective:Recording of event-related potentials by using oddball paradigm of auditory P300 has yielded conflicting results in migraine. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that migraine patients have reduced P300 amplitude and prolonged P300 latency, suggesting alterations of the cognitive-evaluative component.Methods:We recruited 29 migraine patients (24 females; median age 40 years) and 29 healthy age- and gender-matched participants. Participants were subjected to the same testing procedures of auditory P300 by discrimination the target auditory stimulus from the frequent stimulus, and analyzing P300 target/frequent stimulus amplitudes, and P300 target/frequent stimulus latencies.Results:Patients with migraine don’t have prolonged P300 target stimulus latency, but have a longer P300 frequent stimulus latency for 17.5ms. Out of 29 participants with migraine 8 had pathological P300 target stimulus amplitude, and 19 had pathological P300 frequent stimulus amplitude.Conclusion:People with migraine have altered the P300 which indicates the presence of cognitive dysfunction in these patients and importance of early diagnosis and intervention to preventing any deterioration in cognitive functions.

Loss of consciousness and falling are the key features of syncope. Common accompaniments include tonic and myoclonic muscle activity, eye deviations, automatisms, vocalizations and hallucinations that may render the distinction from epileptic seizures difficult. The frequently increased levels of serum prolactin (SPRL) were observed immediately after generalized and complex partial seizures. Presumably, the hormone release is caused by the propagation of epileptic activity, usually from the temporal lobe to the hypothalamic pituitary axis. Numerous reports have demonstrated that the post-ictal SPRL level may be used to differentiate between epileptic and syncopal, non-epileptic attacks. In order to confirm the hypothesis, the SPRL levels were measured in patients with complex partial seizures (CPS) and patients with vaso-vagal syncopal attacks (VVS). The SPRL levels were prospectively measured for each patient as soon as possible after the event (within 1 hour), then 1 hour after the first determination and finally blood was sampled 24 hours later. During the study period (18 months), 18 patients with CPS and 15 patients with VVS were investigated in total. The mean values of SPRL levels in both groups were increased immediately after the event (CPS group: 1142 +/- 305 mIU/l; VVS group: 874 +/- 208 mIU/l). The elevated SPRL levels were found in 14 (78%) patients immediately after CPS and in 9 (60%) patients immediately after VVS. After examining the results of the present study we conclude that the elevated serum prolactin level after an epileptic attack is of no significant value in differential diagnosis between epileptic and vaso-vagal syncopal attacks.

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical role of CD44 expression in ovarian serous cancer, and its relation to clinicopathologic prognostic factors, disease free survival and overall survival (OS). Immunohistochemical staining for CD44 was performed on 81 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor sections. CD44 expression was found in 43% of ovarian carcinoma samples. Correlations between categorical variables were studied using the χ and the Mann-Whitney U test. For survival analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazard regression model were used. We did not find any statistically significant difference in the distribution of respondents according to clinical stage of the disease, tumor grade or the presence of vascular invasion in relation to the expression of CD44. According to the results of uninominal analysis, early International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage of the disease (P=0.003) was associated with longer disease free survival, while the expression of CD44 (P<0.001), FIGO stage III and IV (P=0.009) and the finding of vascular invasion (P=0.005) was related to a shorter OS. In conclusion, we proved that positive CD44 immunoexpression is a independent prognostic indicator of shorter OS of patients with ovarian serous cancer.

No abstract

A strong relationship exists between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and platelets (PLTs) volume. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a parameter of PLT functions and a marker for increased PLT activation. The aim of this study was to determine early changes in number of total PLT and MPV in different manifestation of ACS and to find out predictive value of MPV in the spectrum of ACS. This was a prospective study. One hundred thirty-four ACS patients were enrolled, 76 of them finished the study. PLT and MPV in patients with unstable angina, non-ST elevation, and ST elevation myocardial infarctions were determined on arrival and 1, 3, 72 hours, and 7 days after the admission to hospital. There was decrease in PLT and MPV in all three groups after 3 hours of arrival in hospital in comparison with admission values. In the later time period (72 hours and 7 days), there was an increase in PLT and MPV only in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We have revealed completely new dynamics in early changes in MPV and PLT count in patients with AMI. Biphasic changes were found in early phase after admission to the hospital. Fast response in these parameters raises new questions about their origin.

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and subjective outcomes of the meniscal dart technique in patients having undergone arthroscopic meniscal repair by comparing it with the outside-in suturing technique. From January 2006 until June 2017, case records of 37 patients having undergone arthroscopic meniscal repair were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups based on the technique used for meniscal repair, as follows: 18 patients in suture technique group and 19 patients in meniscal dart group. Each patient was analyzed for the following parameters: age, gender, mechanism of injury, side of injury and injured meniscus, injury localization regarding anatomic position, injury type and associated injuries. The patients that underwent meniscal repair were analyzed for type of repair technique, operating results and results of follow-up (Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups according to clinical outcomes except for anatomic injury localization (p=0.035). Median of operation time was 62.5 min in suture technique group and 70 min in meniscal dart group (p=0.184); median of hospital stay was 2 days for both groups (p=0.951); median of Lysholm score was 86.5 and 84.5 (p=0.651); and median of IKDC score was 81.05 and 81.6, respectively (p=0.986). Understanding the harmful impact of meniscectomy, arthroscopic meniscal repair should be attempted whenever possible. Our data support arthroscopic repair of meniscal tears, since both the suture technique and the meniscal dart technique are safe and successful in meniscal repair in children, with good long-term results and without important complications.