LINE-1-Induced Retrotransposition Affects Early Preimplantation Embryo DNA Integrity and Pluripotency.

Retrotransposable elements are implicated in genome rearrangements and gene expression alterations that result in various human disorders. In the current study, we sought to investigate the potential effects of long interspersed elements-1 (LINE-1) overexpression on the integrity and methylation of DNA and on the expression of three major pluripotency factors (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG) during the preimplantation stages of human embryo development. Human MI oocytes were matured in vitro to MII and transfected through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) either with an EGFP vector carrying a cloned active human LINE-1 retroelement or with the same EGFP vector without insert as control.

Cancer Associated PRDM9: Implications for Linking Genomic Instability and Meiotic Recombination.

The PR domain-containing 9 or is a gene recognized for its fundamental role in meiosis, a process essential for forming reproductive cells. Recent findings have implicated alterations in the PRDM9, particularly its zinc finger motifs, in the onset and progression of cancer. This association is manifested through genomic instability and the misregulation of genes critical to cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation.

Myocardial perfusion imaging single photon emission computed tomography may detect silent myocardial ischemia in patient with epilepsy.

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with [99mTc]tetrofosmin stress - rest single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) of patients with epilepsy with matched control individuals.

Material And Methods: All 29 adult epileptic patients were receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for epilepsy. Thirty-two individuals matched for gender and age consisted of the control group.

Α Multicenter Retrospective Study Evaluating Brivaracetam in the Treatment of Epilepsies in Clinical Practice.

Brivaracetam (BRV) is the latest approved antiepileptic drug. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of BRV in everyday clinical practice. In this retrospective, observational, multicenter study, data from epilepsy patients receiving BRV from January 2018 to July 2019 were analyzed.

An open study of valproate in subfertile men with epilepsy.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess whether, male patients with epilepsy, switching from valproic acid (VPA) to levetiracetam (LEV) or lamotrigine (LMG) critically improves sperm counts and parameters, increasing chance of patients' female partners to spontaneously conceive.

Materials And Methods: This is an observational prospective study recruiting all consecutive infertile male patients with epilepsy followed up at the outpatient Epilepsy Clinic of University Hospital of Ioannina, Northwest Greece. Infertile couples were referred to the Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction and Treatment of the University Hospital of Ioannina to conduct semen analysis.

Reproductive health in patients with epilepsy.

The aim of the present study was to review existing knowledge on the impact of epilepsy in reproductive health of both sexes. Extensive searches of relevant documentation published until February 2020 were retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar literature in English or in other languages with an English abstract. In females, epilepsy may lead to estrogen and androgen level abnormalities.

Follicle inhibition at the primordial stage without increasing apoptosis, with a combination of everolimus, verapamil.

The aim of the present study was to test whether inhibition of ovarian primordial follicles and subsequent activation can be achieved by transient mTOR inhibition. In this preclinical investigation, forty-five female immature Wistar rats were randomized in 5 groups. The control group received subcutaneous saline injections.

Reverse Transcriptase Affects Gametogenesis and Preimplantation Development in Mouse.

Background/aim: The expression of reverse transcriptase (RT) in ovaries, testes, gametes and embryos highlights its critical role in cell growth and differentiation. We sought to investigate the effects of the potent RT inhibitor lamivudine in gametogenesis and mouse embryo preimplantation development.

Materials And Methods: Male and female FVB/N mice were treated with the reverse transcriptase inhibitor Lamivudine for seven consecutive weeks.

A European questionnaire survey on epilepsy monitoring units' current practice for postoperative psychogenic nonepileptic seizures' detection.

Background: In cases undergoing epilepsy surgery, postoperative psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) may be underdiagnosed complicating the assessment of postsurgical seizures' outcome and the clinical management. We conducted a survey to investigate the current practices in the European epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) and the data that EMUs could provide to retrospectively detect cases with postoperative PNES and to assess the feasibility of a subsequent postoperative PNES research project for cases with postoperative PNES.

Methods: We developed and distributed a questionnaire survey to 57 EMUs.

Factors related to the adverse events of antiepileptic drugs.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the factors related to the severity of the adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), experienced by patients with epilepsy.

Materials And Methods: A case study was conducted in adult patients with epilepsy and followed up at the Epilepsy Outpatients of the University Hospital of Ioannina in Northwest Greece. The Adverse Event Profile (AEP) questionnaire for AEDs adverse effects assessment, the Defense style questionnaire (DSQ-88) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression' severity evaluation were used to estimate the severity of adverse effects, the defense style, and the depressive symptoms, respectively.

Diagnosis and treatment of limbic encephalitis in the cancer patient.

Limbic encephalitis is an inflammatory process involving the limbic structures of the brain, manifested with short-term memory deficits, confusion, depression and seizures. It is usually a paraneoplastic condition but it may also appear as a nonparaneoplastic syndrome. Patients with this condition may exhibit a variety of antibodies in their serum or/and cerebrospinal fluid targeting basement membrane components that bind to a variety of neurotransmitter receptors such as α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid and GABA B and proteins associated to the ion channels such as LGI1, Caspr2 or intracellular components.

Postpartum intracranial hypotension complicated by posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case report.

To present an unusual case of posterior encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) preceded by intracranial hypotension. We present a case of a 27-year-old parturient with an uneventful pregnancy that shortly after labor developed a persistent headache with characteristics compatible with intracranial hypotension. The patient had undergone epidural anesthesia for caesarian section.

Psychological distress symptoms and illness perception in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare psychological distress between patients with epilepsy and healthy controls and to evaluate potentially related factors to psychological distress in patients with epilepsy. Furthermore, we assessed how psychological distress and other potential factors mediate illness perception in patients with epilepsy in an urban area of Northwest Greece.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study was conducted in adult patients with epilepsy followed up at the University Hospital of Ioannina and in healthy controls.

Depression and quality of life in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare depression and QoL between patients with epilepsy and healthy controls, evaluating potentially related factors to depression and QoL in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece.

Methods: A case study was conducted in adult patients with epilepsy followed up at the University Hospital of Ioannina and in healthy controls. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression's severity evaluation, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for the QoL estimation and the Adverse Event Profile (AEP) questionnaire for the Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs) adverse effects assessment were used.

Cancer-associated stroke: Pathophysiology, detection and management (Review).

Numerous types of cancer have been shown to be associated with either ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. In this review, the epidemiology and pathophysiology of stroke in cancer patients is discussed, while providing vital information on the diagnosis and management of patients with cancer and stroke. Cancer may mediate stroke pathophysiology either directly or via coagulation disorders that establish a state of hypercoagulation, as well as via infections.

An Unsupervised Methodology for the Detection of Epileptic Seizures Using EEG Signals: A Multi-Dataset Evaluation.

Although the electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most commonly used means to monitor epileptic patients, public EEG datasets are very scarce making it difficult to develop and validate seizure detection algorithms. In this work an unsupervised seizure detection methodology is used to isolate ictal EEG segments without requiring any apriori information or human intervention. Seizures are detected using four simple seizure detection conditions that are activated when rhythmical activity from different brain areas is simultaneously concentrated in the alpha (8-13 Hz), theta (4-7 Hz) or delta (1-3 Hz) frequency range.

The impact of mapping interictal discharges using EEG-fMRI on the epilepsy presurgical clinical decision making process: A prospective study.

Purpose: We set out to establish the clinical utility of EEG-correlated fMRI as part of the presurgical evaluation, by measuring prospectively its effects on the clinical decision.

Methods: Patients with refractory extra-temporal focal epilepsy, referred for presurgical evaluation were recruited in a period of 18 months. The EEG-fMRI based localization was presented during a multi-disciplinary meeting after the team had defined the presumed RESULTS: Sixteen patients (six women), with a median age of 28 years, were recruited.

Detecting Myocardial Ischemia With Technetium-Tetrofosmin Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Ischemic Stroke.

Background: To assess the myocardial status in patients with stroke, employing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with Technetium-tetrofosmin (Tc-TF)-single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Fifty-two patients with ischemic stroke were subjected to Tc-TF-SPECT MPI within 1 month after stroke occurrence. None of the patients had any history or symptoms of coronary artery disease or other heart disease.

Brand-to-generic levetiracetam switch in patients with epilepsy in a routine clinical setting.

Purpose: The therapeutic equivalence of generic and brand antiepileptic drugs, based on studies performed on healthy volunteers, has been questioned. We compare, in a routine clinical setting, brand versus generic levetiracetam (LEV) bioequivalence in patients with epilepsy and also the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the substitution.

Methods: A prospective, open-label, non-randomized, steady-state, multiple-dose, bioequivalence study was conducted in 12 patients with epilepsy (5 females), with a mean age of 38.

Retrotransposon expression and incorporation of cloned human and mouse retroelements in human spermatozoa.

Objective: To investigate the expression of long interspersed element (LINE) 1, human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) K10, and short interspersed element-VNTR-Alu element (SVA) retrotransposons in ejaculated human spermatozoa by means of reverse-transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis as well as the potential incorporation of cloned human and mouse active retroelements in human sperm cell genome.

Design: Laboratory study.

Setting: University research laboratories and academic hospital.

Pharmacological preconditioning for short-term ex vivo expansion of human umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells by filgrastim.

Although umbilical cord blood (UCB) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (UCBT) has emerged as a promising haematological reconstitution therapy for leukemias and other related disorders, the insufficient UCB stem cell dosage still hinders better clinical outcomes. Previous research efforts, by focusing on ex vivo UCB expansion capabilities have sought to benefit from well-known mechanisms of self-renewal characteristics of UCB stem cells. However, the long-term (> 21 days) in vitro culture period and the low neutrophil recovery significantly reduce the transplantability of such ex vivo expanded UCB stem cells.

UGT1A6- and UGT2B7-related valproic acid pharmacogenomics according to age groups and total drug concentration levels.

Aim: The role of UGT1A6 and UGT2B7 polymorphisms and the impact of total drug plasma concentration in valproic acid (VPA) pharmacogenomics.

Patients & Methods: A total of 134 Greek patients were recruited (76 adults). Patients were genotyped for UGT1A6 19T>G, 541A>G and 552A>C and UGT2B7 802T>C polymorphisms.

Holliday Junctions Are Associated with Transposable Element Sequences in the Human Genome.

Holliday junctions (HJs) constitute important intermediate structures for many cell functions such as DNA recombination and DNA repair. They derive from a 10-nt degenerate sequence, with a 3-nt core motif. In this study, we explored the human genome whether the HJ degenerate sequence associates with transposable elements (TEs) and mainly with those of the active and inactive ALU, LINE, SVA and HERV families.

Ischemic stroke risk factors during Greek economic crisis.

Background: The impact of Greece's economic crisis on healthcare is of great concern. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of economic crisis on the prevention of cerebral ischemic events.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) admitted to a tertiary neurological department in northwestern Greece during the period 2008-2014.

Gender specific association of decreased bone mineral density in patients with epilepsy.

Objective: To evaluate whether epilepsy or certain antiepileptic drugs render patients prone to develop low bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis risk.

Methods: Thirty-eight (27 males, 11 females) consecutive adult epileptic patients receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and 71 control individuals matched for race, gender, age and body mass index (BMI) were subjected to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Results: The mean lumbar spine and total hip BMD values were lower in the patients compared to control group (0.