This study demonstrates that paclitaxel-treated rats exhibit, in addition to indices of mechanical and cold hypersensitivity, a behavioural sign of spontaneous pain, the principal compliant of patients with neuropathic pain. This was accompanied by upregulation in plasma levels of key cytokines/chemokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ and MCP-1) 31 days post-treatment. However, it is noteworthy that cytokine release, rather than nerve injury per se, may be causative of NP in this model of CIPNP. Nevertheless, our findings that pharmacological blockade of TNF-α, IL-1β and MCP-1 attenuated both evoked and spontaneous pain suggest that strategies that target inhibition of these cytokines may be effective in treating CIPNP.

Purpose To explore ophthalmic surgeons’ opinions regarding three-dimensional heads-up display (3D HUD) use and investigate musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints among ophthalmologists. Methods Physicians were invited to complete an online questionnaire. Musculoskeletal complaints and data of the HUD system use were correlated with demographic information. We explored surgeons’ feedback on image quality, depth perception, and the educational value of 3D microscopy. Results In this study, the prevalence of self-reported MSK pain was 82.6% (n=132). The pain started after joining ophthalmology practice and significantly improves on weekends and vacations. We found that the pain intensity in non-HUD users is higher than in HUD users, but this correlation was not statistically significant. Sixty-one (84.7%) of HUD system users were satisfied with depth perception, and 27 (37.5%) reported improvement in peripheral acuity. Thirty-seven (51.4%) of the participants believed they perform surgeries better through HUD; this was why most participants (83.3%) recommended its use in surgical training. Conclusion Heads-up display use provides more comfortable sitting positions for surgeons, superior depth perception, and serves as a better educational tool. We believe that adopting this technology may help improve career longevity and productivity.

Objectives: To correlate plasma levels of α-synuclein and γ-synuclein in ASD children in order to elucidate their possible contribution to the pathogenesis of ASD and to study their association with the severity of the disorder. Subjects and methods: plasma level of Alpha and Gamma Synuclein in 38 male children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with 40 healthy age-matched male children by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Our results showed that plasma levels of α-synuclein (18.02 ± 5.3 pg/mL) were significantly higher in ASD children compared to control children (14.39 ± 2 pg/mL) and plasma levels of γ-synuclein were decreased in ASD group (23.74 ± 7.7 pg/mL) compared to control group (32.40 ± 6.8 pg/mL) (p<0.0001). Our data also indicates that plasma levels of both α-synuclein and γ-synuclein are significantly associated with the severity of ASD. Conclusions: Our study showed that alteration in synaptic proteins Alpha and Gamma Synuclein might be associated with ASD pathogenesis and might be an indicator of the severity of the disorder.

These findings suggest that the cytokines, particularly IL-6, whose levels were elevated in the chemotherapy-treated patients may be involved in the pathophysiology of CIP, and that they might be potential new targets for pain control in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.