Incomplete intestinal obstruction as the possible main complaint in Behcet’s disease after surgery for recurrent abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysms: a case report and literature review

Background

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis characterized by oral and genital aphthosis, and ocular and skin lesions. The disease is involved in vascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Vasculitis may exacerbate fatal problems, such as anastomotic pseudoaneurysms. If the mesenteric vessels are involved, severe abdominal symptoms such as intestinal obstruction may occur.

Case presentation

This case report describes a young female patient who suffered from BD with recurrent abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysms, as well as deep venous thrombosis and subsequent complications of incomplete intestinal obstruction. This patient first underwent stent grafting, which was followed by rupture of two newly formed anastomotic pseudoaneurysms within six months. Emergency open surgical repair (OSR) was then performed on the ruptured pseudoaneurysms. Thrombosis and incomplete ileus occurred five months after surgery. This case was unique due to the presence of incomplete intestinal obstruction being the possible main complaint for a patient with Behcet’s disease, and it is the first ever case to be reported.

Conclusion

Intestinal obstruction may present as the possible main complaint in BD. Careful and attentive strategy should be carried out to prevent fatal outcomes.

     

Nonlinear analysis of biomagnetic signals recorded from uterine myomas

Objective

To determine if there is any non-linearity in the biomagnetic recordings of uterine myomas and to find any differences that may be present in the mechanisms underlying their signal dynamics.

Methods

Twenty-four women were included in the study. Sixteen of them were characterised with large myomas and 8 with small ones. Uterine artery waveform measurements were evaluated by use of Pulsatility Index (PI) (normal value PI<1.45).

Results

Applying nonlinear analysis to the biomagnetic signals of the uterine myomas, we observed a clear saturation value for the group of large ones (mean = 11.35 ± 1.49) and no saturation for the small ones.

Conclusion

The comparison of the saturation values in the biomagnetic recordings of large and small myomas may be a valuable tool in the evaluation of functional changes in their dynamic behavior.

     

Crystal structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> protein ybgI,a toroidal structure with a dinuclear metal site

Background

The protein encoded by the gene ybgI was chosen as a target for a structural genomics project emphasizing the relation of protein structure to function.

Results

The structure of the ybgI protein is a toroid composed of six polypeptide chains forming a trimer of dimers. Each polypeptide chain binds two metal ions on the inside of the toroid.

Conclusion

The toroidal structure is comparable to that of some proteins that are involved in DNA metabolism. The di-nuclear metal site could imply that the specific function of this protein is as a hydrolase-oxidase enzyme.

     

Optimization of fecal sample preparation for untargeted LC-HRMS based metabolomics

Introduction

Collecting feces is easy. It offers direct outcome to endogenous and microbial metabolites.

Objectives

In a context of lack of consensus about fecal sample preparation, especially in animal species, we developed a robust protocol allowing untargeted LC-HRMS fingerprinting.

Methods

The conditions of extraction (quantity, preparation, solvents, dilutions) were investigated in bovine feces.

Results

A rapid and simple protocol involving feces extraction with methanol (1/3, M/V) followed by centrifugation and a step filtration (10 kDa) was developed.

Conclusion

The workflow generated repeatable and informative fingerprints for robust metabolome characterization.

     

Differentiation of myomas by means of biomagnetic and doppler findings

Aim

To elucidate the hemodynamics of the uterine artery myomas by use of Doppler ultrasound and biomagnetic measurements.

Method

Twenty-four women were included in the study. Sixteen of them were characterised with large myomas whereas 8 of them with small ones. Biomagnetic signals of uterine arteries myomas were recorded and analyzed with Fourier analysis. The biomagnetic signals were distributed according to spectral amplitudes as high (140–300 ft/√Hz), low (50–110 ft/√Hz) and borderline (111–139 ft/√Hz). Uterine artery waveform measurements were evaluated by use of Pulsatility Index (PI) (normal value PI < 1.45).

Results

There was a statistically significant difference between large and small myomas concerning the waveform amplitudes (P < 0.0005) and the PI index (P < 0.0005). Specifically, we noticed high biomagnetic amplitudes in most large myomas (93.75 %) and low biomagnetic amplitudes in most small ones (87.5 %).

Conclusion

It is suggested that the biomagnetic recordings of uterine artery myomas could be a valuable modality in the estimation of the circulation of blood cells justifying the findings of Doppler velocimetry examination.

     

Deep infiltrating ureteral endometriosis with catamenial hydroureteronephrosis: a case report

Background

This aim of this case report is to raise awareness of ureteral endometriosis in women of reproductive age with hydronephrosis in the absence of urolithiasis to enable early diagnosis and prevent loss of renal function.

Case presentation

A 44-year-old Asian woman presented with a 4-year history of cyclic right flank pain and right hydronephrosis during menstruation. Despite several evaluations by physicians, including gynecologists, the cause of her symptoms was not diagnosed. On transvaginal ultrasonography, the uterus was observed deviated to the right, with a nodular lesion at the right uterosacral ligament, and the right ovary was attached to the uterus with no apparent cystic lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass in the right uterine wall and mild wall thickening with delayed enhancement of the right distal ureter. Right ureteral endometriosis was suspected. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed narrowing of the distal right ureter between the right uterosacral ligament and the right ovary with adhesions caused by deep infiltrating endometriosis. The adhesion bands and infiltrating endometriosis around the right ureter were dissected.

Conclusions

The nonspecific symptoms of ureteral endometriosis can result in incorrect diagnosis, with renal damage as a result of prolonged hydronephrosis. A high index of suspicion and use of imaging modalities enable earlier diagnosis and preservation of renal function.

     

A lost opportunity for science: journals promote data sharing in metabolomics but do not enforce it

Introduction

Data sharing is being increasingly required by journals and has been heralded as a solution to the ‘replication crisis’.

Objectives

(i) Review data sharing policies of journals publishing the most metabolomics papers associated with open data and (ii) compare these journals’ policies to those that publish the most metabolomics papers.

Methods

A PubMed search was used to identify metabolomics papers. Metabolomics data repositories were manually searched for linked publications.

Results

Journals that support data sharing are not necessarily those with the most papers associated to open metabolomics data.

Conclusion

Further efforts are required to improve data sharing in metabolomics.

     

Pseudo current density maps of electrophysiological heart,nerve or brain function and their physical basis

Background

In recent years the visualization of biomagnetic measurement data by so-called pseudo current density maps or Hosaka-Cohen (HC) transformations became popular.

Methods

The physical basis of these intuitive maps is clarified by means of analytically solvable problems.

Results

Examples in magnetocardiography, magnetoencephalography and magnetoneurography demonstrate the usefulness of this method.

Conclusion

Hardware realizations of the HC-transformation and some similar transformations are discussed which could advantageously support cross-platform comparability of biomagnetic measurements.

     

Untargeted metabolomics suffers from incomplete raw data processing

Introduction

Untargeted metabolomics is a powerful tool for biological discoveries. To analyze the complex raw data, significant advances in computational approaches have been made, yet it is not clear how exhaustive and reliable the data analysis results are.

Objectives

Assessment of the quality of raw data processing in untargeted metabolomics.

Methods

Five published untargeted metabolomics studies, were reanalyzed.

Results

Omissions of at least 50 relevant compounds from the original results as well as examples of representative mistakes were reported for each study.

Conclusion

Incomplete raw data processing shows unexplored potential of current and legacy data.

     

Orthogonal P-wave morphology is affected by intra-atrial pressures

Background

It has previously been shown that the morphology of the P-wave neither depends on atrial size in healthy subjects with physiologically enlarged atria nor on the physiological anatomical variation in transverse orientation of the left atrium. The present study aimed to investigate if different pressures in the left and right atrium are associated with different P-wave morphologies.

Methods

38 patients with isolated, increased left atrial pressure, 51 patients with isolated, increased right atrial pressure and 76 patients with biatrially increased pressure were studied. All had undergone right heart catheterization and had 12-lead electrocardiographic recordings, which were transformed into vectorcardiograms for detailed P-wave morphology analysis.

Results

Normal P-wave morphology (type 1) was more common in patients with isolated increased pressure in the right atrium while abnormal P-wave morphology (type 2) was more common in the groups with increased left atrial pressure (P = 0.032). Moreover, patients with increased left atrial pressure, either isolated or in conjunction with increased right atrial pressure, had significantly more often a P-wave morphology with a positive deflection in the sagittal plane (P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Isolated elevated right atrial pressure was associated with normal P-wave morphology while left-sided atrial pressure elevation, either isolated or in combination with right atrial pressure elevation, was associated with abnormal P-wave morphology.

     

Metabolomic profiling of maternal hair suggests rapid development of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Introduction

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a common maternal liver disease; development can result in devastating consequences, including sudden fetal death and stillbirth. Currently, recognition of ICP only occurs following onset of clinical symptoms.

Objective

Investigate the maternal hair metabolome for predictive biomarkers of ICP.

Methods

The maternal hair metabolome (gestational age of sampling between 17 and 41 weeks) of 38 Chinese women with ICP and 46 pregnant controls was analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.

Results

Of 105 metabolites detected in hair, none were significantly associated with ICP.

Conclusion

Hair samples represent accumulative environmental exposure over time. Samples collected at the onset of ICP did not reveal any metabolic shifts, suggesting rapid development of the disease.

     

Quantitative analysis of tetrahydrofolate metabolites from <Emphasis Type="Italic">clostridium autoethanogenum</Emphasis>

Introduction

Quantification of tetrahydrofolates (THFs), important metabolites in the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) of acetogens, is challenging given their sensitivity to oxygen.

Objective

To develop a simple anaerobic protocol to enable reliable THFs quantification from bioreactors.

Methods

Anaerobic cultures were mixed with anaerobic acetonitrile for extraction. Targeted LC–MS/MS was used for quantification.

Results

Tetrahydrofolates can only be quantified if sampled anaerobically. THF levels showed a strong correlation to acetyl-CoA, the end product of the WLP.

Conclusion

Our method is useful for relative quantification of THFs across different growth conditions. Absolute quantification of THFs requires the use of labelled standards.

     

A methodology for elucidating regulatory mechanisms leading to changes in lipid profiles

Introduction

It is difficult to elucidate the metabolic and regulatory factors causing lipidome perturbations.

Objectives

This work simplifies this process.

Methods

A method has been developed to query an online holistic lipid metabolic network (of 7923 metabolites) to extract the pathways that connect the input list of lipids.

Results

The output enables pathway visualisation and the querying of other databases to identify potential regulators. When used to a study a plasma lipidome dataset of polycystic ovary syndrome, 14 enzymes were identified, of which 3 are linked to ELAVL1—an mRNA stabiliser.

Conclusion

This method provides a simplified approach to identifying potential regulators causing lipid-profile perturbations.

     

KniMet: a pipeline for the processing of chromatography–mass spectrometry metabolomics data

Introduction

Data processing is one of the biggest problems in metabolomics, given the high number of samples analyzed and the need of multiple software packages for each step of the processing workflow.

Objectives

Merge in the same platform the steps required for metabolomics data processing.

Methods

KniMet is a workflow for the processing of mass spectrometry-metabolomics data based on the KNIME Analytics platform.

Results

The approach includes key steps to follow in metabolomics data processing: feature filtering, missing value imputation, normalization, batch correction and annotation.

Conclusion

KniMet provides the user with a local, modular and customizable workflow for the processing of both GC–MS and LC–MS open profiling data.

     

Urine metabolic fingerprinting can be used to predict the risk of metritis and highlight the pathobiology of the disease in dairy cows

Introduction

Metritis is an uterine pathology that causes economic losses for the dairy industry. It is associated with lower reproductive efficiency, increased culling rates, decreased milk production and increased veterinary costs.

Objectives

To gain a more detailed view of the urine metabolome and to detect metabolite signature in cows with metritis. In addition, we aimed to identify early metabolites which can help to detect cows at risk to develop metritis in the future.

Methods

We used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy starting at 8 and 4 weeks prior to the expected day of parturition, during the week of diagnosis of metritis, and at 4 and 8 weeks after diagnosis of metritis in Holstein dairy cows.

Results

At 8 weeks before parturition, pre-metritic cows had a total of 30 altered metabolites. Interestingly, 28 of them increased in urine when compared with control cows (P?<?0.05). At 4 weeks before parturition, 34 metabolites were altered. At the week of diagnosis of metritis a total of 20 metabolites were altered (P?<?0.05). The alteration continued at 4 and 8 weeks after diagnosis.

Conclusions

The metabolic fingerprints in the urine of pre-metritic and metritic cows point toward excretion of multiple amino acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites and monosaccharides. Combination of galactose, leucine, lysine and panthotenate at 8 weeks before parturition might serve as predictive biomarkers for metritis.

     

The structure of a small GTPaseRhoA in complex with PDZRhoGEF and the inhibitor HL47

Objectives

To study the structure of a small GTPaseRhoA in complex with PDZRhoGEF and the inhibitor HL47, and to provide an easier template for R&D of RhoA inhibitor.

Results

Our initial attempts to obtain a binary complex of RhoA with the inhibitor HL47 were unsuccessful probably due to the presence of GDP. By targeting a ternary complex involving the RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor PDZRhoGEF, we eliminated GDP and obtained a 2.3 Å structure of the RhoA-PDZRhoGEF-inhibitor HL47 ternary complex.

Conclusion

This structure provides a new template for target-based pharmaceutical design against RhoA.

     

Metabolic response of porcine colon explants to in vitro infection by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachyspira hyodysenteriae</Emphasis>: a leap into disease pathophysiology

Introduction

Swine dysentery caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae is a production limiting disease in pig farming. Currently antimicrobial therapy is the only treatment and control method available.

Objective

The aim of this study was to characterize the metabolic response of porcine colon explants to infection by B. hyodysenteriae.

Methods

Porcine colon explants exposed to B. hyodysenteriae were analyzed for histopathological, metabolic and pro-inflammatory gene expression changes.

Results

Significant epithelial necrosis, increased levels of l-citrulline and IL-1α were observed on explants infected with B. hyodysenteriae.

Conclusions

The spirochete induces necrosis in vitro likely through an inflammatory process mediated by IL-1α and NO.

     

Extraction of natural products from bark of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pendula</Emphasis> using ionic liquids

Introduction

Aqueous–methanol mixtures have successfully been applied to extract a broad range of metabolites from plant tissue. However, a certain amount of material remains insoluble.

Objectives

To enlarge the metabolic compendium, two ionic liquids were selected to extract the methanol insoluble part of trunk from Betula pendula.

Methods

The extracted compounds were analyzed by LC/MS and GC/MS.

Results

The results show that 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (IL-Ac) predominantly resulted in fatty acids, whereas 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate (IL-Tos) mostly yielded phenolic structures. Interestingly, bark yielded more ionic liquid soluble metabolites compared to interior wood.

Conclusion

From this one can conclude that the application of ionic liquids may expand the metabolic snapshot.

     

Characterization of ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis using <Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR-based metabolomics of human fecal extracts

Introduction

The differences in fecal metabolome between ankylosing spondylitis (AS)/rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy individuals could be the reason for an autoimmune disorder.

Objectives

The study explored the fecal metabolome difference between AS/RA patients and healthy controls to clarify human immune disturbance.

Methods

Fecal samples from 109 individuals (healthy controls 34, AS 40, and RA 35) were analyzed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Data were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant (OPLS-DA) analysis.

Results

Significant differences in the fecal metabolic profiles could distinguish AS/RA patients from healthy controls but could not distinguish between AS and RA patients. The significantly decreased metabolites in AS/RA patients were butyrate, propionate, methionine, and hypoxanthine. Significantly increased metabolites in AS/RA patients were taurine, methanol, fumarate, and tryptophan.

Conclusion

The metabolome variations in feces indicated AS and RA were two homologous diseases that could not be distinguished by ¹H NMR metabolomics.

     

Metallic small y stent placement at primary right carina for bronchial disease

Background

Metallic large Y stent placement has been used mainly for airway disease around the main carina. However, few studies have reported this treatment for bronchial disease around the primary right carina.

Methods

Twenty-eight patients were treated by small y stent. All stents were custom-designed and placed under fluoroscopic guidance. Clinical and imaging data were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

Thirty-one stents were successfully inserted in 28 patients. Twenty-five patients succeed at the first attempt (89.3%), and 3 patients needed a second attempt. Twelve complications occurred in 10 patients (35.7%). Stent restenosis and sputum retention were the most common complications. Five patients underwent successful stent removal due to complications or cure efficacy. During follow up, 17 patients died of tumors and one died of myocardial infarction. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 49.3, 19.6 and 19.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

Metallic small y stent placement is technically feasible, effective and safe for bronchial disease around the primary right carina.