Summary KCNT1 mutations have been found in epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS; also known as migrating partial seizures in infancy), autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, and other types of early onset epileptic encephalopathies (EOEEs). We performed KCNT1‐targeted next‐generation sequencing (207 samples) and/or whole‐exome sequencing (229 samples) in a total of 362 patients with Ohtahara syndrome, West syndrome, EIMFS, or unclassified EOEEs. We identified nine heterozygous KCNT1 mutations in 11 patients: nine of 18 EIMFS cases (50%) in whom migrating foci were observed, one of 180 West syndrome cases (0.56%), and one of 66 unclassified EOEE cases (1.52%). KCNT1 mutations occurred de novo in 10 patients, and one was transmitted from the patient's mother who carried a somatic mosaic mutation. The mutations accumulated in transmembrane segment 5 (2/9, 22.2%) and regulators of K+ conductance domains (7/9, 77.8%). Five of nine mutations were recurrent. Onset ages ranged from the neonatal period (<1 month) in five patients (5/11, 45.5%) to 1–4 months in six patients (6/11, 54.5%). A generalized attenuation of background activity on electroencephalography was seen in six patients (6/11, 54.5%). Our study demonstrates that the phenotypic spectrum of de novo KCNT1 mutations is largely restricted to EIMFS.

Objectives: Ghrelin, an endogenous growth hormone secretagogue, is a known accelerator of feeding behavior and suppresses pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) in ovariectomized rats. However, the mechanisms underlying this action remain unclear. We examined the effects of naloxone (NAL), a specific opioid antagonist, on the suppression of pulsatile LH secretion by ghrelin to determine whether β-endorphin (β-END) is involved in this suppressive effect. Methods: Ghrelin was administered intracerebroventricularly, and NAL was injected intravenously in ovariectomized rats; then, serum LH concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in blood samples drawn every 6 min for 2 h to analyze pulsatile secretion. Results: Administration of ghrelin significantly reduced mean LH concentration and pulse frequency. Coadministration of NAL with ghrelin significantly restored mean LH concentration and pulse frequency. Conclusion: Suppressive effect of intracerebroventricular injection of ghrelin on pulsatile LH secretion was mediated by β-END, suggesting that hypothalamic ghrelin suppressed pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion via β-END in female rats.

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A 5-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission suffered from fatal visceral varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection after the oral administration of a high-dose dexamethasone. She abruptly developed fulminant hepatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and died 3 days later. VZV DNA and antigens were detected in the peripheral blood (6 x 10(8) copies/mL) and a postmortem liver specimen, respectively. The exposure to VZV was not confirmed and no skin lesions were observed. VZV infection should be considered in patients with unexplained liver dysfunction under severe immunosuppressive condition, even in the absence of viral exposure and skin involvement.

These EZH2-291 to -299 and EZH2-735 to -742 peptides could be promising candidates for peptide-based immunotherapy for HLA-A24+ prostate cancer patients with metastases.