Clinical Verification of Homeopathy

The world is changing! This is certainly true regarding the homeopathic practice and access to homeopathic medicine. Therefore our first priority at the ECH-LMHI [1] has been to produce a yearly report on the scientific framework of homeopathy. In the 2010 version a new chapter about epidemic diseases has been added including the Leptospirosis survey on the Cuban population. A second priority has been to review the definition of the homeopathic medicines respecting the new framework generated by the official registration procedure and the WHO report. We are working now on a documented (Materia Medica and provings) list of homeopathic remedies to facilitate the registration of our remedies. The new challenges are: first of all more good research proposals and as such more funding (possible through ISCHI + Blackie Foundation as examples) [2]; international acceptance of new guidelines for proving and clinical verification of homeopathic symptoms (Proposals are ready for discussion); total reconsideration of the homeopathic repertories including results of the clinical verification of the symptoms. The world is changing, we are part of the world and changes are needed also for homeopathy!

Small Fiber Neuropathy in Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis (SC) is a granulomatous disease of an unknown origin. The most common SC-related neurological complication is a small fiber neuropathy (SFN) that is often considered to be the result of chronic inflammation and remains significantly understudied. This study aimed to identify the clinical and histological correlates of small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis patients. The study was performed in 2018–2019 yy and included 50 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis (n = 25) and healthy subjects (n = 25). For the clinical verification of the SFN, the “Small Fiber Neuropathy Screening List” (SFN-SL) was used. A punch biopsy of the skin was performed followed by enzyme immunoassay analysis with PGP 9.5 antibodies. Up to 60% of the sarcoidosis patients reported the presence of at least one complaint, and it was possible that these complaints were associated with SFN. The most frequent complaints included dysfunctions of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems and the gastrointestinal tract. A negative, statistically significant correlation between the intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IEND) and SFN-SL score was revealed. In patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, small fiber neuropathy might develop as a result of systemic immune-mediated inflammation. The most common symptoms of this complication were dysautonomia and mild sensory dysfunction.

Radioactivity and Space Range of Ultra-Low-Activity for in vivo Off-line PET Verification of Proton and Carbon Ion Beam—A Phantom Study

Purpose: The radioactivity induced by proton and heavy ion beam belongs to the ultra-low-activity (ULA). Therefore, the radioactivity and space range of commercial off-line positron emission tomography (PET) acquisition based on ULA should be evaluated accurately to guarantee the reliability of clinical verification. The purpose of this study is to quantify the radioactivity and space range of off-line PET acquisition by simulating the ULA triggered by proton and heavy ion beam.Methods: PET equipment validation phantom and low activity 18F-FDG were used to simulate the ULA with radioactivity of 11.1–1480 Bq/mL. The radioactivity of ULA was evaluated by comparing the radioactivity in the images with the values calculated from the decay function with a radioactivity error tolerance of 5%. The space range of ULA was evaluated by comparing the width of the R50 analyzed activity distribution curve with the actual width of the container with a space range error tolerance of 4 mm.Results: When radioactivity of ULA was >148 Bq/mL, the radioactivity error was <5%. When radioactivity of ULA was >30 Bq/mL, the space range error was below 4 mm.Conclusions: Off-line PET can be used to quantify the radioactivity of proton and heavy ion beam when the ULA exceeds 148 Bq/mL, both in radioactivity and in space range.

Plasma-derived candidate biomarkers for detection of gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a major cancer of the gastrointestinal tract with poor prognosis. Reliable and affordable biomarker-based assays with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of this cancer are a clinical need. With the aim of studying the potential of the plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), we carried out quantitative proteomic analysis of the EV proteins, using three types of controls and various stages of the disease, which led to the identification of 86 proteins with altered abundance. These include 29 proteins unique to early stage, 44 unique to the advanced stage and 13 proteins being common to both the stages. Many proteins are functionally relevant to the tumor condition or have been also known to be differentially expressed in GBC tissues. Several of them are also present in the plasma in free state. Clinical verification of three tumor-associated proteins with elevated levels in comparison to all the three control types—5′-nucleotidase isoform 2 (NT5E), aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and neprilysin (MME) was carried out using individual plasma samples from early or advanced stage GBC. Sensitivity and specificity assessment based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated a significant association of NT5E and ANPEP with advanced stage GBC and MME with early stage GBC. These and other proteins identified in the study may be potentially useful for developing new diagnostics for GBC.

Screening of Parkinson’s Differential MicroRNA Based on GEO Database and Its Clinical Verification

Objective. This study is set out to explore the potential difference of miR in PD through GEO data and provide diagnostic indicators for clinical practice. Methods. In this study, differential miR was screened through the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, 68 PD patients treated in our hospital from May 2017 to March 2018 were collected as the research group (RG), and 50 normal subjects who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were collected as the control group (CG). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression and diagnostic value of miR-374a-5p in serum of patients. The potential target genes of miR-374a-5p were predicted, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and Gene Ontology Consortium (GO) were carried out. Results. GEO2R analysis revealed that 193 miRs are expressed differentially, of which 78 were highly expressed and 115 were poorly expressed. The miR-374a-5p expression in the serum of the RG was reduced markedly and had a diagnostic value. Targetscan and miRDB online websites were used to predict their target genes, with 415 common target genes. miR-374a-5p may participate in 27 functional pathways and 8 signal pathways. Conclusion. miR-335-5p has low expression in PD and is expected to be a potential diagnostic indicator.

Conceptual model of patho- and sanogenesis of the sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis

Objective. To develop a conceptual model of patho- and sanogene­sis of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) osteoarthritis on base of the known data about the SIJ, the results of our own biomechanical studies of this joint, its ligaments and stabilizing muscles by finite element modelling, data of clinical verification of these results. Methods. The object of the model is the SIJ as a link, which connects the spine and pelvis. The proposed conceptual model is based on the M. Panjabi hypothesis of chronic lumbar pain in the case of partial dama­ge to ligaments, which leads to muscle dysfunction. Results. A new conceptual model of SIJ osteoarthritis was developed. In this model we tried to take into account the limitations of the existing SIJ stability hypotheses and models of the appearance of the pelvic girdle pain, SIJ dysfunction and SIJ arthrosis. The model is based on the results of our own research. It was proved, that patients with SIJ osteoarthritis have an asymmetry of the width of the joint slits, the inclination of the sacrum and pelvis, sacral rotation, hyperlordosis in the LV–SI segment. These factors lead to a shift of the horizontal axis of sacral rotational mobility relative to the pelvic bones. This horizontal axis shift leads to the instabili­ty of the SIJ on one side of the joint, and to the functional block on another side. The results of these functional changes were damage of the SIJ ligaments-stabilizers, dysfunction of the SIJ muscles-stabilizers, degenerative changes of SIJ elements and pain. The deve­loped model allows to explain the distortion of muscular response pattern in patients with improper SIJ biomechanics in conditions of SIJ osteoarthritis. The increase of the SIJ biomechanics changes enlarges the the muscle response pattern distortion. Conclusions. The developed conceptual model explains many clinical manifestations of the SIJ osteoarthritis and will help to understand better the mechanics of the pelvic girdle pain in such conditions, will improve the results of diagnosis and treatment.

Bioinformatics Analysis Predicts ceRNA Regulatory Axes Related to Melanoma Pathogenesis

Background Melanoma is a highly malignant skin tumour, with an incidence and mortality rates accounting for approximately 5% and >75% of all tumours, respectively. In the present study, we aimed to screen mRNAs, microRNAs, and circRNAs related to the pathogenesis of melanoma via bioinformatics methods. Materials and methods The microarray data correlating with melanoma were obtained from the GEO database, and the differentially expressed genes between melanomatissues and non-melanoma tissues were screened using GEO2R. Moreover, the Hub genes were screened using the STRING database, Cytoscape software, and GEPIA database. The DAVID database was used for gene enrichment analysis. Thereafter, the ceRNA network diagram was constructed using the starBase database and was analysed for survival in order to predict the molecular markers for diagnosis and treatment of skin cutaneous melanoma; the most probable ceRNA mechanism was screened via pan-cancer analysis. Furthermore, the ceRNA network was verified using the GEPIA and UALCAN databases. Results In total, 266, 20, and 10 differentially expressed mRNAs, microRNAs, and circRNA10 were screened. Using Cytoscape software, 59 Hub and 31 key genes were screened, followed by construction of the ceRNA and ceRNA-gene enrichment analysis networks. Conclusion Clinical verification revealed that SIPA1L1 could regulate the expression of DSC3 by sponge adsorption of has-miR-106b and has-miR-20b, and thereby affect the pathogenesis and progression of skin cutaneous melanoma.