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Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency (SIGMD) is an uncommon primary immunodeficiency disorder. We herein report an SIGMD patient with autoimmune hepatitis. A 21-year-old Japanese man was transferred to our hospital because of acute liver dysfunction. ⋯ We diagnosed him with acute-onset autoimmune hepatitis, and his liver function test findings gradually recovered with corticosteroid administration. Although SIGMD with autoimmune diseases has been reported, the clinical features and pathogenesis have not yet been clarified. We have summarized previous reports on SIGMD patients with autoimmune diseases.
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Hemoglobin S is an abnormal protein that induces morphological changes in erythrocyte in low-oxygen conditions. In Mexico, it is reported that up to 13.7% of the population with mutation in one allele are considered asymptomatic (sickle cell trait). The sickle cell trait and diabetes mellitus are conditions that occur together in more than one million patients worldwide. ⋯ We found that older men with diabetes were susceptible to generate sickle cells and this correlated with reduced red blood cell count and an increase in media cell volume. In samples of women diabetes, there were no differences. We conclude that samples from patients with sickle cell trait and diabetes can cause sickle cells with high frequency in men, with lower red blood cells count and increased mean corpuscular volume as susceptibility parameters.
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The α2 adrenoceptor is highly enriched in spinal dorsal horn and involved in descending noradrenergic pain modification. Following peripheral tissue injury, intrathecal application of α2 adrenoceptor agonists effectively alleviates the pathological pain hypersensitivity, although the precise mechanisms are not fully understood. The present study induced inflammatory pain by intraplantar injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA), and prepared the spinal cord slices to assay the possible influence of α2 adrenoceptor agonist clonidine on the synaptic transmission mediated by NMDA receptor (NMDAR), a critical player in spinal sensitization. ⋯ Biochemical analysis in vivo revealed that intrathecal clonidine administration specifically decreased the content of GluN2B subunit-containing NMDAR at synaptosomal membrane fraction, a result associated closely with the alleviation of inflammatory pain. Electrophysiological recordings in vitro further demonstrated that GluN2B receptor-selective inhibitor ifenprodil dramatically reduced NMDAR synaptic responses in inflamed mice and more importantly, occluded the synaptic inhibition produced by clonidine. These data suggested that the noradrenergic suppression of inflammatory pain might involve the blockade of GluN2B receptor-mediated nociceptive transmission in spinal dorsal horn.
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Comparative Study
Performance of three multi-species rapid diagnostic tests for diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.
Malaria transmission in Ethiopia is unstable and variable, caused by both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is scaling up parasitological diagnosis of malaria at all levels of the health system; at peripheral health facilities this will be through use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The present study compared three RDT products to provide the FMoH with evidence to guide appropriate product selection. ⋯ CareStart appeared to be the most appropriate option for use at health posts in Ethiopia, considering the combination of quantitative performance, ease of use and heat stability. When new products become available, the choice of multi-species RDT for Ethiopia should be regularly re-evaluated, as it would be desirable to identify a test with higher sensitivity than the ones evaluated here.
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To assess the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous ethanol (EtOH) injection treatment of local recurrence or focal distant metastases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WTC). ⋯ RFA and EtOH ablation show promise as alternatives to surgical treatment of recurrent WTC in patients with difficult reoperations. Further long-term follow-up studies are necessary to determine the precise role these therapies should play in the treatment of recurrent WTC.