Selection of statin considering the HDL cholesterol level

Low HDL cholesterol level is an independent risk factor in the cardivascular diseases and the therapeutic aim is to increase this. In high risk patients (cardiovascular disease-, diabetic- or metabolic syndrome patients), the target value of HDL cholesterol is more than 1,0 mmol/l in males and 1,3 mmol/l in females. The PPARalpha receptor activity has an expressed impact on the HDL cholesterol metabolism. It has been proved that in addition to fibrates, statins also influence its functioning. Simvastatin, as compared to atorvastatin, increases the HDL cholesterol level in a better way which positive effect has also been proved by the clinical trials. On choosing a therapy the optimisation of the HDL cholesterol level is also important in addition to achieving an LDL cholesterol target value.     

New strategy in the treatment of hypertension: inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with renin inhibitor

In the Hungarian population, there is also a growing number of patients with hypertension. In order to prevent the target organ's damage or in order to slow down the process, it is indispensable to reach the therapeutic target blood pressure. An opportunity for reducing the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. So far, we have had three large families, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and aldosterone antagonists, to our disposal. The above are the key molecules for the hypertension treatment, but their application is accompanied by plasma renin level elevations, and thus, increase of plasma renin activation. The protection against increased plasma renin activation is helped by the renin inhibitors. Several decades were needed for their clinical introduction, till a non-peptide, safety medicament was successfully produced, which can be administered orally in small once-per-day doses. Their most promising representative is aliskiren. Still an open question is the mapping of the advantage of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blockers combination with aliskiren. The morbidity and mortality investigations are still missing and we curiously await them.     

TEL/AML1 and immunoreceptor gene rearrangements-which comes first?

TEL/AML1 fusion gene is present in 20-25% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemias. In order to unravel at which stage of B-cell precursor development the fusion is originated, we analysed frequency and pattern of immunoreceptor (immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor) gene rearrangements in 47 TEL/AML1-positive and 43 TEL/AML1-negative cases of the same CD10+ immunophenotype. Moreover, we compared corresponding immunoreceptor gene rearrangements in 11 cases of TEL/AML1-positive leukaemia at diagnosis and relapse. More mature immunogenotype of TEL/AML1-positive cases and changes in 37% of rearrangements between diagnosis and relapse suggest that in most cases the TEL/AML1 fusion is formed during immunoreceptor gene rearrangement process.     

Neurofilament protein and neuronal activity markers define regional architectonic parcellation in the mouse visual cortex

This study was designed to assess the chemoarchitectural organization and extent of the mouse visual cortex. We used nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein, a neuronal marker that exhibits region-specific cellular and laminar patterns, to delineate cortical subdivisions. A comprehensive analysis demonstrated that pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons expressing neurofilament proteins display striking laminar and regional patterns in the mouse visual cortex permitting the delineation of the primary visual cortex (V1) and its monocular and binocular zones, 2 lateral, and 5 medial extrastriate cortical areas with clear anatomical boundaries and providing evidence that the mouse medial extrastriate cortex is not homogeneous. We also investigated the expression profiles of 2 neuronal activity markers, the immediate early genes c-fos and zif-268, following deprivation paradigms to ascertain the visual nature of all subdivisions caudal, medial, and lateral to V1. The present data indicate that neurochemically identifiable subdivisions of the mouse visual cortex exist laterally and medially to V1 and reveal specific anatomical and functional characteristics at the cellular and regional levels.     

Signature profiles of CMV-specific T-cells in patients with CMV reactivation after hematopoietic SCT

Depletion of cellular immunity as a consequence of conditioning before allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) frequently results in CMV reactivation, which may in turn lead to life-threatening infections and require timely antiviral treatment. We have investigated the functional signatures of CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in 191 samples from 118 individuals. We compared healthy donors with both patients with high and undetectable viral loads, and those who controlled and did not control their CMV reactivations. Polychromatic flow-cytometric measurements of CD154 (CD40L), intracellular cytokines (IFNγ, IL2) and a degranulation marker (CD107a) allowed us to assess the functional status of various T-cells simultaneously. We found that dual IFNγ/IL2-producing CD8+ T-cells were present in patients controlling their CMV reactivations but absent from non-controllers. CD8+ T-cells that produce only IFNγ were the most abundant subtype, but they most likely represent non-protective memory cells. Distinct functional signatures were examined by hierarchical clustering, and this revealed that, unlike polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells that produce IFNγ alone were not functioning in concert with other subsets. In conclusion, our study revealed functional signatures that may be useful for immune monitoring, and it could change the interpretation of previous studies that assessed only IFNγ.     

Usefulness of magnetic resonance findings of the hypothalamic-pituitary region in the management of short children with growth hormone deficiency: evidence from a longitudinal study

Purpose  

The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the hypothalamic–pituitary (H-P) region and response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment in short children with growth hormone deficiency, basing on changes of auxologic parameters, as well as to answer the question if MRI may serve for selecting and monitoring the rhGH responders.