Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Specific Drug Therapy in COPD Patients with Severe Pulmonary Hypertension and Mild-to-Moderate Airflow Limitation.

Background: Patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present a poor outcome. Specific PH treatment could improve the clinical and hemodynamic status of these patients but may worsen arterial blood gases.

Objectives: Our study retrospectively included 28 patients with severe precapillary PH (mean pulmonary arterial pressure >35 mm Hg) associated with mild-to-moderate COPD [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) >50% predicted].

Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions with Antimalarials and Allergological Skin Tests.

Background: Currently used antimalarial drugs (AM) are hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which are prescribed for many autoimmune disorders. The value of skin tests on cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADR) with AM remains unknown.

Objective: The main objective of this retrospective study is to know whether skin tests for AM are useful and how to manage the recovery of AM therapy in these patients.

Detection of Cortical Microbleeds in Postmortem Brains of Patients with Lewy Body Dementia: A 7.0-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study with Neuropathological Correlates.

Background: It is unclear whether associated cerebrovascular pathology contributes to the clinical spectrum of Lewy body dementia (LBD).

Summary: The present postmortem 7.0-tesla MRI study investigates the anatomical distribution of cortical microbleeds (CoMBs) in LBD brains with and without associated Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).

Nasopalpebral Schwannomas and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.

Objective: To report a case of a schwannoma of nasopalpebral location, occurring in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A 55-year-old man presented with a nasopalpebral painless tumefaction, pneumopathy and HIV-related immunodepression after stopping combination antiretroviral therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed subcutaneous masses, with contrast enhancement of the left nose pyramid, internal cantus and inferior palpebral area, suspicious of Kaposi sarcoma.

The Gateway Hypothesis, Common Liability to Addictions or the Route of Administration Model A Modelling Process Linking the Three Theories.

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the transitions between tobacco (T), cannabis (C) and other illicit drugs (OIDs) initiations, to simultaneously explore several substance use theories: gateway theory (GT), common liability model (CLM) and route of administration model (RAM).

Methods: Data from 2 French nationwide surveys conducted in 2005 and 2010 were used (16,421 subjects aged 18-34). Using reported ages at initiations, we reconstituted a retrospective cohort describing all initiation sequences between T, C and OID.

Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper Is Expressed in Human Neutrophils and Promotes Apoptosis through Mcl-1 Down-Regulation.

Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is a potent anti-inflammatory protein, the expression of which is mainly induced by glucocorticoids (GCs) in haematopoietic cells. GILZ regulates signal transduction pathways of inflammation and plays a role in cell survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression and mechanisms of action of GILZ in the apoptosis of human neutrophils.

Interest of Antiplatelet Drug Testing after an Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Stroke occurrence despite chronic antiplatelet drug (APD) treatment is frequent. We aimed at evaluating the relevance of platelet aggregation testing in the identification of stroke etiology in this context.

Methods: Patients admitted for a suspected acute ischemic stroke, while under APD (aspirin and/or clopidogrel), were prospectively included.

Retrospective Rescreening of Negative Cervical Cytology Samples Preceding Histologically Proven CIN2-3 and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Educational Opportunity to Understand and Prevent Laboratory Errors.

Objectives: We aimed to analyze the false-negative (FN) liquid-based cytology diagnoses from the 5 years preceding all the 2013 histologically proven cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2-3 and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and to propose corrective actions.

Study Design: This was a retrospective, blinded rescreening ('5-year look-back') of liquid-based cytology samples with negative categorizations, which occurred before histologically proven CIN2-3 and SCC.

Results: The FN rate was 7.

Severe pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD: hemodynamic improvement with specific therapy.

Background: There is no recommendation for treating pulmonary hypertension (PH) when associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of PH-specific therapy in patients with COPD.

Methods: All successive patients with severe PH [mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥35 mm Hg] and COPD, who received specific PH medication and who underwent right heart catheterization at baseline and after 3-12 months of treatment, were analyzed from a prospective database.

Neuroprotective Effect of Progesterone in MPTP-Treated Male Mice.

Background: Numerous studies have reported on the neuroprotective activity of estradiol, whereas the effect of the other ovarian steroid, progesterone, is much less documented.

Methods: This study sought to investigate neuroprotection with a low dose of progesterone (1 µg) in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated male mice to model Parkinson's disease and compare it to the effect of this steroid in intact mice (experiment 1). We also investigated if high doses of progesterone could protect dopaminergic neurons already exposed to MPTP (experiment 2).

Long-Term Functional, Cosmetic and Sexual Outcomes of Hypospadias Correction Performed in Childhood.

Objective: Hypospadias surgery, especially when performed early in life, may have a significant impact on the urinary and sexual functions in an adult. Because the literature is still limited, this paper assesses long-term functional, cosmetic and sexual results of hypospadias repair performed in childhood.

Patients And Methods: The study includes 275 patients older than 12 years treated for a hypospadias by an Onlay, Mathieu, Duplay, or Duckett's technique between January 1990 and December 2000.

Evaluation of Quantitative Fluorescence in situ Hybridization for Relative Measurement of Telomere Length in Placental Mesenchymal Core Cells.

Background: Reduced telomere length in placental mesenchymal core cells has been reported during pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction. To estimate telomere length, a precise, accurate and reproducible technique must be used.

Objective: We evaluated the characteristics of a quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) technique for measuring relative telomere length in placental mesenchymal core cells.

Management of Cytomegalovirus Seroconversion during Pregnancy in France.

Introduction: Guidelines for the management of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the fetus are rare. Our main objective was to evaluate how health care practitioners in France manage cases of CMV seroconversion during pregnancy.

Material And Methods: A questionnaire was e-mailed to health care practitioners potentially concerned by CMV seroconversion during pregnancy.

Syphilis Infection: An Uncommon Etiology of Infectious Nonimmune Fetal Hydrops with Anemia.

An increased prevalence of syphilis has been observed in many developed countries over the last decade. During pregnancy, syphilis can affect the fetus through development of nonspecific symptoms such as microcephaly, ascites, hepatosplenomegaly, dilated and echogenic bowel, placentomegaly, and, uncommonly, fetal hydrops. Congenital syphilis also leads to hematologic abnormalities such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and leukocytosis.