Targeted sequencing of cancer-related genes reveals a recurrent TOP2A variant which affects DNA binding and coincides with global transcriptional changes in glioblastoma.

High-grade gliomas are aggressive, deadly primary brain tumors. Median survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM, WHO grade 4) is 14 months and <10% of patients survive 2 years. Despite improved surgical strategies and forceful radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis of GBM patients is poor and did not improve over decades.

Exploring Novel Therapeutic Opportunities for Glioblastoma Using Patient-Derived Cell Cultures.

Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common, primary brain tumors in adults. Despite advances in neurosurgery and radio- and chemotherapy, the median survival of GBM patients is 15 months. Recent large-scale genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses have shown the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of GBMs, which hampers the outcomes of standard therapies.

Gliosarcoma Is Driven by Alterations in PI3K/Akt, RAS/MAPK Pathways and Characterized by Collagen Gene Expression Signature.

Gliosarcoma is a very rare brain tumor reported to be a variant of glioblastoma (GBM), IDH-wildtype. While differences in molecular and histological features between gliosarcoma and GBM were reported, detailed information on the genetic background of this tumor is lacking. We intend to fill in this knowledge gap by the complex analysis of somatic mutations, indels, copy number variations, translocations and gene expression patterns in gliosarcomas.

Cytokines in the pathogenesis of hemophilic arthropathy.

Hemophilic arthropathy (HA) is one of the most common and typical manifestation in the course of recurrent bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia. Clinical and subclinical joint bleeding episodes gradually lead to irreversible changes manifesting themselves as pain, progressing ankylosis, marked limitation of the range of motion, muscle atrophy and osteoporosis commonly concomitant with joint deformity resulting from chronic proliferative synovitis and both cartilage and bone degeneration leading to the final functional impairment of the joint. In spite of numerous studies, the pathophysiology of HA has not been fully elucidated, especially as regards immunopathological mechanisms which are associated with the subclinical and early stage of the disease and to be more precise, with chronic joint inflammation.

Thyroid hormones in the central nervous system (CNS) and their effect on neoplasm formation, particularly on the development and course of glioblastoma multiforme - research hypothesis.

The present study is aimed to present the potential role of thyroid hormones (TH) in the pathogenesis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In first part of this presentation the effect of general homeostasis of TH on GBM formation and course was shown. Then the evidence concerning present state of the knowledge about active transport of TH to the brain, the role of iodothyronine deiodinase type 2 and 3 in the setting concentration of T3 in the brain and GBM cells, and finally knowledge about the role of genomic (TH nuclear receptors THRA and THRB) and non-genomic modes (membrane integrin receptor αvβ3) of action of TH and its importance for GBM was outlined.

Down-regulation of IKKβ expression in glioma-infiltrating microglia/macrophages is associated with defective inflammatory/immune gene responses in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive malignancy associated with profound host immunosuppression. Microglia and macrophages infiltrating GBM acquire the pro-tumorigenic, M2 phenotype and support tumor invasion, proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and block immune responses both locally and systematically. Mechanisms responsible for immunological deficits in GBM patients are poorly understood.

Morphometric predictors of posterior circulation aneurysms risk rupture.

Objectives: Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) of the posterior circulation (PC) rupture more frequently and their morbidity and mortality rates are higher compared to anterior circulation. Morphological parameters such as size ratio (SR), inflow angle and parent artery geometry are believed to contribute significantly in determining IA risk rupture. The aim of this study is to establish angiography-based morphometric predictors of PC IA risk rupture.

Quality of life and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation: a 2-year follow-up study.

Aim: To assess the correlation between quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms and motor signs in patients with Parkinson disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS STN).

Material And Methods: 74 patients, average age 55.6 ± 7 and duration of disease 12.

Pain perception in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Abnormalities in pain perception are a part of the clinical picture in Parkinson's disease (PD) and belong to the category of non-motor symptoms. Two groups of patients were included in this study: (i) an experimental group of 36 patients with PD who were eligible for subthalamic deep brain stimulation (the experimental group [EG]) and (ii) a control group (CG) of 34 patients with a space-occupying lesion who were admitted for a framed stereotactic biopsy. Stereotactic frame fixation was used in both groups as a nociceptive stimulus.

Alternative splicing of iodothyronine deiodinases in pituitary adenomas. Regulation by oncoprotein SF2/ASF.

Pituitary tumors belong to the group of most common neoplasms of the sellar region. Iodothyronine deiodinase types 1 (DIO1) and 2 (DIO2) are enzymes contributing to the levels of locally synthesized T3, a hormone regulating key physiological processes in the pituitary, including its development, cellular proliferation, and hormone secretion. Previous studies revealed that the expression of deiodinases in pituitary tumors is variable and, moreover, there is no correlation between mRNA and protein products of the particular gene, suggesting the potential role of posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms.

Endovascular embolization of ruptured and unruptured posterior circulation aneurysms. A multi-factor analysis.

Aim: Complete aneurysm obliteration reduces the risk of rebleeding and is an important goal of the aneurysm treatment.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 63 patients undergoing endovascular treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms. The occlusion rate was stratified to three groups: complete, incomplete and partial.

Deep brain stimulation for refractory epilepsy.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a method of treatment utilized to control medically refractory epilepsy (RE). Patients with medically refractory epilepsy who do not achieve satisfactory control of seizures with pharmacological treatment or surgical resection of the epileptic focus and those who do not qualify for surgery could benefit from DBS. The most frequently used stereotactic targets for DBS are the anterior thalamic nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, central-medial thalamic nucleus, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum.

Motor cortex stimulation in the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Background And Purpose: Despite the rapid development of neuropharmacotherapy, medical treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) still constitutes a significant socioeconomic problem. The authors herein present a group of patients treated with motor cortex stimulation (MCS) for NP of various types and aetiologies.

Material And Methods: Our cohort included 12 female and 11 male NP patients aged 53 ± 16 treated with MCS.

Microlesion effect as a predictor of the effectiveness of subthalamic deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

Background: Microlesion effect (MLE) is a commonly observed phenomenon after electrode insertion into the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the presence of the MLE in the early postoperative period and the relationship between MLE and STN DBS.

Methods: 74 patients with Parkinson's disease were included in this study.

Statistical analysis of the intracranial procedures in Poland in 2008-2009.

Background And Purpose: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of neurosurgical procedures provides important data for assessment of the development and trends in the field of neurosurgery. The authors present statistical data on intracranial procedures (IPs) performed in Poland in 2008-2009.

Material And Methods: Data on IPs come from reports of the National Health Fund, grouped according to the system of Diagnosis-Related Groups, group A - nervous system diseases.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy manifested as a brain tumour. Clinical and neuropathological characteristics of two cases.

We present two cases (female and male patients, aged 64 and 38, respectively) of focal mass lesions mimicking a brain tumour: one with cognitive function deficit, memory troubles, behavioral changes and left hemiparesis, the other with difficulty in orientation and right hemiparesis. General physical and neurological examinations, laboratory tests and neuroimaging were used to diagnose the cases. Both of them showed nonspecific changes in the brain tissue and the brain tumour was suspected.

Fluorescence-guided resection of primary and recurrent malignant gliomas with 5-aminolevulinic acid. Preliminary results.

Background And Purpose: Extent of resection plays a key role in the treatment of malignant gliomas (MGs). Patients with complete glioma removal, followed by chemoradiation, obtain the longest overall and progression-free survival. Fluorescence-guided resection of MGs enables intraoperative visualization of glioma tissue and increases control of the resection.

Pedunculopontine nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD) are commonly observed in advanced Parkinson's disease. The neuronal mechanism of PIGD is not fully understood. Dysfunction of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) might be a possible cause of these symptoms.

Neuropsychological assessment of language functions during functional magnetic resonance imaging: development of new tasks. Preliminary report.

Background And Purpose: Due to the complex and extended cerebral organization of language functions, the brain regions crucial for speech and language, i.e. eloquent areas, have to be affected by neurooncological surgery.

Histopathological patterns of papillary tumour of the pineal region.

Papillary tumour of the pineal region (PTPR) is a rare neoplasm that has been formally included in the 2007 WHO classification of central nervous system tumours. The critical diagnosis of this neoplasm is often difficult because of its similarity to other primary or secondary papillary lesions of the pineal region, including parenchymal pineal tumours, papillary ependymoma, papillary meningioma, choroid plexus papilloma and metastatic papillary carcinoma. We present the variability of the histopathological pattern in three cases of PTPR.

Cocaine self-administration in Warsaw alcohol high-preferring (WHP) and Warsaw alcohol low-preferring (WLP) rats.

Individuals prone to drug self-administration may be vulnerable not only to a single drug reinforcer but to a variety of drug reinforcers. It has been shown that two thirds of alcoholics regularly use drugs other than ethanol (alcohol). Up to 30% of alcohol-dependent patients report concurrent misuse of cocaine.

Thalamic deep brain stimulation in the treatment of essential tremor.

Background And Purpose: Quality of life can be severely impaired by essential tremor (ET) being the main cause of the patient's disability. The authors present a group of ET patients treated with deep brain stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (Vim DBS). The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Vim DBS in the treatment of ET.

Subthalamic deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson disease.

Background And Purpose: The role of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) in the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) is well established. The authors present a group of patients diagnosed with PD who were treated with STN DBS.

Material And Methods: Between 2008 and 2009, 32 female and 34 male patients with PD were treated with STN DBS.