Less correction with minimally invasive surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis compared to open surgical correction.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the relationship between the results of thoracic curve correction using minimally invasive surgeries in 35 patients and open surgical correction in 47 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Methods: The correlations between the Cobb's angle of the primary and postoperative curves, angle of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, correction percentage, derotation values, estimated blood loss, duration of surgery, and period of hospitalization after surgery were assessed by calculating the mean and standard deviation. Calculation and comparison were performed using Pearson correlation.

The presence of polymorphisms in genes controlling neurotransmitter metabolism and disease prognosis in patients with prostate cancer: a possible link with schizophrenia.

Polymorphisms of neurotransmitter metabolism genes were studied in patients with prostate cancer (PC) characterized by either reduced or extended serum prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) corresponding to unfavorable and favorable disease prognosis respectively. The 'unfavorable prognosis' group (40 cases) was defined by PSADT ≤ 2 months, whereas patients in the 'favorable prognosis' group (67 cases) had PSADT ≥ 30 months. The following gene polymorphisms known to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders were investigated: a) the STin2 VNTR in the serotonin transporter gene; b) the 30-bp VNTR in the monoamine oxidase A gene; c) the Val158Met polymorphism in the catechol-ortho-methyltransferase gene; d) the promoter region C-521T polymorphism and the 48 VNTR in the third exon of the dopamine receptor gene.