The Role of Levomilnacipran in the Management of Major Depressive Disorder: A Comprehensive Review.

Levomilnacipran, the more active enantiomer of the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) milnacipran, was recently approved in the US for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The drug was developed as an extended release (ER) capsule formulation to allow for once-daily administration, thereby improving patient adherence. This agent differs from other available SNRIs in having a greater potency for inhibition of norepinephrine relative to serotonin reuptake.

Serenoa repens as an Endocrine Disruptor in a 10-Year-Old Young Girl: A New Case Report.

Serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. The plant is a low shrubby palm that is native of West Indies, and it grows in the coastal lands of North America and other European mediterranean countries. Its fruits contain high concentrations of fatty acids and phytosterols.

Adrenal disorders and the paediatric brain: pathophysiological considerations and clinical implications.

Various neurological and psychiatric manifestations have been recorded in children with adrenal disorders. Based on literature review and on personal case-studies and case-series we focused on the pathophysiological and clinical implications of glucocorticoid-related, mineralcorticoid-related, and catecholamine-related paediatric nervous system involvement. Childhood Cushing syndrome can be associated with long-lasting cognitive deficits and abnormal behaviour, even after resolution of the hypercortisolism.

Identification of acute myocardial infarction from electronic healthcare records using different disease coding systems: a validation study in three European countries.

Objective: To evaluate positive predictive value (PPV) of different disease codes and free text in identifying acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from electronic healthcare records (EHRs).

Design: Validation study of cases of AMI identified from general practitioner records and hospital discharge diagnoses using free text and codes from the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), International Classification of Diseases 9th revision-clinical modification (ICD9-CM) and ICD-10th revision (ICD-10).

Setting: Population-based databases comprising routinely collected data from primary care in Italy and the Netherlands and from secondary care in Denmark from 1996 to 2009.

Epidemiology of gout and hyperuricaemia in Italy during the years 2005-2009: a nationwide population-based study.

Objective: To assess the epidemiology of gout and hyperuricaemia in the Italian general population during the years 2005-2009.

Methods: Using the Italian primary care database (Health Search/CSD Longitudinal Patient Database), the prevalence, incidence and recurrence rates of gout and/or hyperuricaemia (serum urate level >360 mmol/l (6 mg/dl)) in outpatients aged ≥18 years during the years 2005-2009 were estimated. Rates together with 95% CI were measured overall and stratified by age, gender and calendar year.

A beta3 Asp217-->Val substitution in a patient with variant Glanzmann Thrombasthenia severely affects integrin alphaIIBbeta3 functions.

A dysfunctional Glanzmann Thrombasthenia (variant) is a rare bleeding disorder due to qualitative abnormalities of platelets alphaIIBbeta3 heterodimers. Dynamically conformational change of alphaIIBbeta3 is a complex mechanism that is not fully understood. For these reasons, genotyping and functional analysis of variant Glanzmann Thrombasthenia is important to elucidate the molecular basis of alphaIIBbeta3 receptor functions.

Extended flow cytometry characterization of normal bone marrow progenitor cells by simultaneous detection of aldehyde dehydrogenase and early hematopoietic antigens: implication for erythroid differentiation studies.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a cytosolic enzyme highly expressed in hematopoietic precursors from cord blood and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor mobilized peripheral blood, as well as in bone marrow from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. As regards human normal bone marrow, detailed characterization of ALDH+ cells has been addressed by one single study (Gentry et al, 2007). The goal of our work was to provide new information about the dissection of normal bone marrow progenitor cells based upon the simultaneous detection by flow cytometry of ALDH and early hematopoietic antigens, with particular attention to the expression of ALDH on erythroid precursors.

Differentiation of monocytes into macrophages induces the upregulation of histamine H1 receptor.

Background: Histamine modulates several functions in human monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. However, responses elicited by histamine differ depending on cell type, suggesting variable expression of histamine receptors in the monocyte/macrophage lineage.

Objective: We sought to examine whether the expression of H(1) receptors was regulated by cell differentiation of human monocytes into macrophages or dendritic cells.

Complete remission induced by G-CSF in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21)(q22;q22).

We describe a case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(8;21) in which complete remission (CR) was obtained with G-CSF given at 10 microg/kg in the absence of concomitant cytotoxic chemotherapy. CR was achieved following 2 weeks of therapy and confirmed by investigating minimal residual disease by four-color flow cytometry analysis. During treatment with G-CSF, maturing cells with cytoplasmic Auer Rods were observed in the peripheral blood, suggesting a differentiation effect.