Sudden death in epileptic rats exposed to nocturnal magnetic fields that simulate the shape and the intensity of sudden changes in geomagnetic activity: an experiment in response to Schnabel, Beblo and May

To test the hypothesis that sudden unexplained death (SUD) in some epileptic patients is related to geomagnetic activity we exposed rats in which limbic epilepsy had been induced to experimentally produced magnetic fields designed to simulate sudden storm commencements (SSCs). Prior studies with rats had shown that sudden death in groups of rats in which epilepsy had been induced months earlier was associated with the occurrence of SSCs and increased geomagnetic activity during the previous night. Schnabel et al. [(2000) Neurology 54:903–908) found no relationship between SUD in human patients and geomagnetic activity. A total of 96 rats were exposed to either 500, 50, 10–40 nT or sham (less than 10 nT) magnetic fields for 6 min every hour between midnight and 0800 hours (local time) for three successive nights. The shape of the complex, amplitude-modulated magnetic fields simulated the shape and structure of an average SSC. The rats were then seized with lithium and pilocarpine and the mortality was monitored. Whereas 10% of the rats that had been exposed to the sham field died within 24 h, 60% of the rats that had been exposed to the experimental magnetic fields simulating natural geomagnetic activity died (P<.001) during this period. These results suggest that correlational analyses between SUD in epileptic patients and increased geomagnetic activity can be simulated experimentally in epileptic rats and that potential mechanisms might be testable directly.     

Low "penetrance" of phylogenetic knowledge in mitochondrial disease studies

An up-to-date view of the worldwide mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) phylogeny together with an evaluation of the conservation of each site is a reliable tool for detecting errors in mtDNA studies and assessing the functional importance of alleged pathogenic mutations. However, most of the published studies on mitochondrial diseases make very little use of the phylogenetic knowledge that is currently available. This drawback has two inadvertent consequences: first, there is no sufficient a posteriori quality assessment of complete mtDNA sequencing efforts; and second, no feedback is provided for the general mtDNA database when apparently new mtDNA lineages are discovered. We demonstrate, by way of example, these issues by reanalysing three mtDNA sequencing attempts, two from Europe and another one from East Asia. To further validate our phylogenetic deductions, we completely sequenced two mtDNAs from healthy subjects that nearly match the mtDNAs of two patients, whose sequences gave problematic results.     

非综合征耳聋大家系永生细胞系的建立及几种EB病毒转化外周血淋巴细胞建系方法的探讨

永久保存珍贵的家系材料,是对该家系进行深入研究的基础,为此采用EB病毒（Epstein-Barr virus,EBV）转化淋巴细胞的方法对中国江苏淮阴地区非综合征耳聋大家系行建系工作。该家系患者呈典型的母系遗传特征,且研究发现患者中均具有线粒体DNA 12s RNA A1555G突变,是迄今世界上最大的非综合征耳聋家系之一,在该家系的建系过程中 使用了4种不同的方法。建系结果分别为：微量全血法1株,冻存全血法1株,冻存白细胞法14株及环孢霉素A（CyA）法36株,共计52株。本文就建系工作及这四种转化方法作一简单探讨。     

Improvements in 25 Years of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy

In 1980, Dr. Michel Mirowski and his team inserted the first implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in a patient. Initially, ICD therapy was not widely accepted, and many physicians actually considered this therapy unethical. Large secondary and primary prevention trials, demonstrating a beneficial effect of ICD therapy in selected patients not only on arrhythmic death but also on all-cause mortality, stimulated a rapid growth in the number of implants and increased patient’s and physician’s acceptance. Improvements in size and weight, arrhythmia discrimination capabilities, battery technology, shock waveform and output, monitoring capabilities and defibrillator electrode technology eventually resulted in the current large number of yearly implants. Today, almost 40 years after the conception of the ICD and 25 years after the first human implant, ICD therapy is the treatment of choice for patients at risk for life-threatening arrhythmias either as secondary or primary prevention. Furthermore, with the more recent addition of resynchronisation therapy to standard ICD therapy, it became possible to treat selected patients with advanced symptoms of heart failure and to lower the risk of sudden death.     

Sudden death and its predictors in myocardial infarction survivors in an Indian population

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to assess the incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in post myocardial infarction patients and to determine the predictive value of various risk markers in identifying cardiac mortality and SCD.MethodsLeft ventricular function, arrhythmias on Holter and microvolt T wave alternans (MTWA) were assessed in patients with prior myocardial infarction and ejection fraction ≤ 40%. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death and resuscitated cardiac arrest during follow up. Secondary outcomes included total mortality and SCD.ResultsFifty-eight patients were included in the study. Eight patients (15.5%) died during a mean follow-up of 22.3 ± 6.6 months. Seven of them (12.1%) had SCD. Among the various risk markers studied, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 30% (Hazard ratio 5.6, 95% CI 1.39 to 23) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in holter (5.7, 95% CI 1.14 to 29) were significantly associated with the primary outcome in multivariate analysis. Other measures, including QRS width, heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence and MTWA showed no association.ConclusionsAmong patients with prior myocardial infarction and reduced left ventricular function, the rate of cardiac death was substantial, with most of these being sudden cardiac death. Both LVEF ≤30% and NSVT were associated with cardiac death whereas only LVEF predicted SCD. Other parameters did not appear useful for prediction of events in these patients. These findings have implications for decision making for the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators for primary prevention in these patients.     

Identification of loss-of-function RyR2 mutations associated with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and sudden death

Mutations in cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) are linked to catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). Most CPVT RyR2 mutations characterized are gain-of-function (GOF), indicating enhanced RyR2 function as a major cause of CPVT. Loss-of-function (LOF) RyR2 mutations have also been identified and are linked to a distinct entity of cardiac arrhythmia termed RyR2 Ca²⁺ release deficiency syndrome (CRDS). Exercise stress testing (EST) is routinely used to diagnose CPVT, but it is ineffective for CRDS. There is currently no effective diagnostic tool for CRDS in humans. An alternative strategy to assess the risk for CRDS is to directly determine the functional impact of the associated RyR2 mutations. To this end, we have functionally screened 18 RyR2 mutations that are associated with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) or sudden death. We found two additional RyR2 LOF mutations E4146K and G4935R. The E4146K mutation markedly suppressed caffeine activation of RyR2 and abolished store overload induced Ca²⁺ release (SOICR) in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. E4146K also severely reduced cytosolic Ca²⁺ activation and abolished luminal Ca²⁺ activation of single RyR2 channels. The G4935R mutation completely abolished caffeine activation of and [³H]ryanodine binding to RyR2. Co-expression studies showed that the G4935R mutation exerted dominant negative impact on the RyR2 wildtype (WT) channel. Interestingly, the RyR2-G4935R mutant carrier had a negative EST, and the E4146K carrier had a family history of sudden death during sleep, which are different from phenotypes of typical CPVT. Thus, our data further support the link between RyR2 LOF and a new entity of cardiac arrhythmias distinct from CPVT.     

Study of complex structural variations of X-linked deafness-2 based on single-molecule sequencing

X-linked deafness-2 (DFNX2) is cochlear incomplete partition type III (IP-III), one of inner ear malformations characterized by an abnormally wide opening in the bone separating the basal turn of the cochlea from the internal auditory canal, fixation of the stapes and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) gusher upon stapedectomy or cochleostomy. The causative gene of DFNX2 was POU3F4. To investigate the genetic causes of DFNX2 and compare the efficiency of different sequencing methods, 12 unrelated patients were enrolled in the present study. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and long-read sequencing were used to analyze the genetic etiology of DFNX2. Six variants of POU3F4 were identified in this cohort by NGS. Three patients with a negative diagnosis based on NGS were enrolled in further long-read sequencing. Two of them were all found to carry structural variations (SVs) on chromosome X, consisting of an 870-kb deletion (DEL) at upstream of POU3F4 and an 8-Mb inversion (INV). The 870-kb DEL may have been due to non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), while non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) within a single chromatid may have accounted for the 8-Mb INV. Common POU3F4 mutations in DFNX2 included point mutations, small insertions and deletions (INDELs), and exon mutations, which can be detected by Sanger sequencing and NGS. Single-molecule long-read sequencing constitutes an additional and valuable method for accurate detection of pathogenic SVs in IP-III patients with negative NGS results.     

银杏叶提取物注射液联合地塞米松对突发性耳聋患者血液流变学、内皮功能及外周血T淋巴细胞亚群的影响

摘要 目的：探讨银杏叶提取物注射液联合地塞米松对突发性耳聋患者内皮功能、血液流变学及外周血T淋巴细胞亚群的影响。方法：选取2018年1月到2019年12月我院收治的100例突发性耳聋患者,将纳入病例依照随机数字表法分为对照组（n=50,给予鼓室注射地塞米松治疗）和观察组（n=50,对照组基础上静脉滴注银杏叶提取物注射液）,两组疗程均为10 d。对比两组疗效、血液流变学、内皮功能、外周血T淋巴细胞亚群、纯音听阈值及不良反应。结果：观察组治疗10 d后的临床总有效率为96.00%,高于对照组的82.00%（P<0.05）。观察组治疗10 d后纯音听阈值明显较对照组小（P<0.05）。观察组治疗10 d后纤维蛋白原、全血高切黏度、全血低切黏度低于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组治疗10 d后可溶性血管细胞间黏附分子-1 (sVCAM-1)、内皮素-1（ET-1）低于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组10 d后CD8⁺较对照组低,CD3⁺、CD4⁺/CD8⁺、CD4⁺较对照组高（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率比较无差异（P>0.05）。结论：采用银杏叶提取物注射液联合地塞米松治疗突发性耳聋患者,可有效改善内皮功能和血液流变学,提高机体免疫功能,效果确切,安全性佳。     

Health care utilisation after defibrillator implantation for primary prevention according to the guidelines in 2 Dutch academic medical centres

Background

The benefit of implantable defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention remains debated. We analysed the implications of prophylactic ICD implantation according to the guidelines in 2 tertiary hospitals, and made a healthcare utilisation inventory.

Methods

The cohort consisted of all consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) receiving a primary prophylactic ICD in a contemporary setting (2004–2008). Follow-up was obtained from hospital databases, and mortality checked at the civil registry. Additional data came from questionnaires sent to general practitioners.

Results

There were no demographic differences between the 2 centres; one had proportionally more CAD patients and more resynchronisation therapy (CRT-D). The 587 patients were followed over a median of 28 months, and 50 (8.5%) patients died. Appropriate ICD intervention occurred in 123 patients (21%). There was a small difference in intervention-free survival between the 2 centres. The questionnaires revealed 338 hospital admissions in 52% of the responders. Device-related admissions happened on 68 occasions, in 49/276 responders. The most frequently reported ICD-related admission was due to shocks (20/49 patients); for other cardiac problems it was mainly heart failure (52/99). Additional outpatient visits occurred in 19%.

Conclusion

Over a median follow-up of 2 years, one fifth of prophylactic ICD patients receive appropriate interventions. A substantial group undergoes readmission and additional visits. The high number of admissions points to a very ill population. Overall mortality was 8.5%. The 2 centres employed a similar procedure with respect to patient selection. One centre used more CRT-D, and observed more appropriate ICD interventions.     

心脏性猝死者心肌HO-1 和VEGF 的表达及意义

目的:探讨血红素加氧酶-1(hemeoxygenase-1,HO-1)、血管内皮生长因子(vascularendothelial growthfactor,VEGF)在心脏性猝死病人心室肌细胞中的表达及其意义.方法:运用免疫组织化学方法和Simple PCI图像分析系统观察33例心脏性猝死组和18例非心脏性猝死对照组尸检心肌组织中HO-1、VEGF蛋白的表达情况.结果:心脏性猝死组心肌组织HO-1(155.090±8.957)和VEGF蛋白表达(121.020±10.927)均显著高于非心脏性猝死对照组(116.200±6.355、84.207±4.402,均p<0.05).结论:HO-1和VEGF蛋白在心脏性猝死者心肌组织表达增强,可能与心脏性猝死有一定关系.

Abstract：

Objective: To investigate expression of the heine oxygenaso-1 (HO-I )and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)in the left ventricle in patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD). Methods: Immunohistoehernistry and Simple PCI image analysis system were used to detect the expressions of riO-1 and VEGF in 33 eases of SCD and 18 eases of non SCD (control group). Results: The expressions of HO-1( 155.090± 8.957) and VEGF(121.020± 10.927) in the myoeardium of patients in SCD group were significantly higher than those in control group (116.200± 6.355, 84.207± 4.402 ,all p<0.05). Conclusions: The high expression of HO-1 and VEGF may be related with the sudden cardiac death to some extent.