Something that Touches your Heart: an Unusual Case of Abdominal Clonic Movements.

Background: Rarely, cardiac pacemaker implant can lead to the development of involuntary hyperkinetic movement disorders localized to the abdominal wall or the diaphragm.

Phenomenology Shown: We report a case of a 79-year-old female who developed rhythmic continuous clonic right abdominal movements caused by cardiac pacemaker lead dislodgement.

Educational Value: Our case highlights that, in the differential diagnosis of hyperkinetic abdominal movement disorder, the presence and the possible pathogenic role of a cardiac pacemaker should be kept in mind.

Decreased Circulating mtDNA Levels in Professional Male Volleyball Players.

Purpose: Exercise exerts various effects on the immune system, and evidence is emerging on its anti-inflammatory effects; the mechanisms on the basis of these modifications are poorly understood. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) released from damaged cells acts as a molecule containing the so-called damage-associated molecular patterns and can trigger sterile inflammation. Indeed, high plasma levels of mtDNA are associated to several inflammatory conditions and physiological aging and longevity.

[Oxidative stress management in elite athletes].

It is well known that strenuous exercise training can induce an overproduction of reactive oxygen species with subsequent impairment of cellular macromolecules and metabolism, leading to cellular dysfunction. In elite athletes, reactive oxygen species can add to other injurious factors for muscle tissue; therefore special precautions are required to avoid an increase in injury risk.

ER stress controls iron metabolism through induction of hepcidin.

Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that is secreted by the liver and controls body iron homeostasis. Hepcidin overproduction causes anemia of inflammation, whereas its deficiency leads to hemochromatosis. Inflammation and iron are known extracellular stimuli for hepcidin expression.

Relationship between MUC5AC and altered expression of MLH1 protein in mucinous and non-mucinous colorectal carcinomas.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the expression of mucins and mismatch repair proteins in colorectal carcinomas. The immunohistochemical distribution of apomucins MUC2, MUC5AC, and the expression of MLH1 and MSH2 proteins were examined in 76 mucinous and 60 non-mucinous colorectal carcinomas. MUC2 was noted in all mucinous carcinomas, whereas MUC5AC was present in 41 cases only (54%).