Approaching Hans Holbein’s painting The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521/22) this paper combines the expertise of anatomical analysis and the perspective of theology and philosophy in order ...to address some of the well-rooted assumptions about Holbein in the historical reception of his Dead Christ. The authors propose a balanced conclusion about the hypothesis of a drowned man from the Rhine being a model for the painting, pointing out that the body of the man from Holbein’s painting, according to anatomical details, could not have previously been in water. Furthermore, the absence of an Adam’s apple on Christ’s body is interpreted in the light of New Testament texts, rather than as a result of Holbein’s lack of anatomical precision. Similarly, the fact that Holbein painted a corpse deprived of all signs of divinity is seen in connection with the theological notion of kenosis. Ultimately, the authors conclude that the results of the anatomical analysis reflect the key elements of the hermeneutics of Gospel reports of Christ’s passion and death.
To determine the characteristics of patients who experienced muscle fasciculations and migraine auras without headache after BNT162b2 immunization.
In January 2022, we published a case report that ...described a 48-year-old female patient who experienced muscle twitching and migraine auras without headache following BNT162b2 immunization. A self-administered online survey was sent to people who had written to us and complained of similar symptoms described in the case report (N=20).
The survey was completed by 11 participants, of whom 10 reported muscle twitching following BNT162b2 immunization lasting a median of 14 (4-36.5) days. Five of these participants (50%) reported migraine auras without headache. Participants further reported on self-identified triggers that altered the intensity of their symptoms, such as anxiety or caffeine. Fifty percent of participants who got an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (3/6) experienced increased muscle symptom intensity during the acute phase of the disease.
To the best of our knowledge, our survey is the first to summarize patients' experiences of these phenomena occurring after BNT162b2 immunization. It is important to note that no causal relationship between vaccination and these phenomena can be inferred.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The human sphenoid sinus is an extremely variable cavity and an important landmark in hypophyseal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the sphenoid sinus type, ...size, extent of pneumatization and occurrence of protrusions of the adjacent neurovascular structures.
A total of 51 randomly selected skulls (≥20 years of age, 33 male; 102 sinuses) were analyzed using cone beam computed tomography to estimate pneumatization extension beyond the body of the sphenoid (planum sphenoidale, pterygoid process, greater wings, clivus, dorsum sellae) and protrusions of the maxillary, mandibular, optic or pterygoid nerve or the internal carotid artery.
Difference in pneumatization type between the left and the right-sided sinus was observed in 45% of the skulls. Conchal pneumatization was registered in 2%, presellar in 24%, sellar in 41% and postsellar in 33% of total sinuses. Presellar sinuses frequently pneumatized planum sphenoidale and sporadically other structures, and were characterized by sporadic optic nerve protrusions. Sellar and particularly postsellar sinuses were characterized by simultaneous pneumatization extensions and neurovascular protrusions. In the case of postsellar-type sinuses, the probability of these multiple interactions was not affected by their actual size, while it increased with the increasing sinus dimensions in the case of sellar-type sinuses. A more detailed analysis indicated that increasing sinus height, length or width increased the probability of interactions and pneumatization of particular surrounding structures.
Data suggest that the sphenoid sinus pneumatization type and dimensions might be used to estimate the risks of iatrogenic injury during transsphenoidal surgical procedures.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare hereditary disease caused by a mutation in the intracellular domain of the activin A receptor type I and is characterized by episodes (flare-ups) ...of progressive heterotopic endochondral ossification (HO) in the soft tissues. The mutation alone is not sufficient for the occurrence of HO since flare-ups are triggered by inflammation and activation of the innate immune system. A number of cellular and humoral mediators have been implicated in animal and in vitro models. Observations in humans support the inflammatory nature of the condition, but data on the involved mediators are variable. We hypothesize that for induction of flare-ups in patients with FOP increase in at least one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines is both essential and sufficient to trigger the entire process of the inflammatory cells influx resulting in the novel ectopic bone formation and we suggest that C–C motif ligand 5 (CCL5), a pro-inflammatory chemokine also known as Regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), might be the key candidate. CCL5 is a chemoattractant for all cellular types implicated in HO and is produced by the cells of the tissue microenvironment at the sites of HO as well as by the pro-inflammatory cellular mediators. CCL5 induces ossification in cultured human pluripotent mesenchymal cells (hMSCs) and in the primary culture of monocytes from FOP patients (but not from their healthy relatives), stimulation with lipopolysaccharide induces CCL5 expression. Finally, in a pilot study we used a panel of 23 cytokines and chemokines to screen the plasma samples of three subjects: a female patient with FOP during a flare-up; a female patient with hyperostosis corticalis generalisata (van Buchem disease), another rare disease characterized by excessive bone formation at the sites where it regularly occurs that does not include inflammatory events; and a healthy woman without bone disorders. There appeared a rather clear-cut signal of a 2-fold higher level of CCL5 in the FOP patient vs. the healthy subject and the van Buchem patient. Evaluation of the hypothesis would require an international prospective study, with main motivation being the lack of a conclusive treatment as the major unmet need in FOP. A treatment targeting CCL5 receptor already exists and is used in HIV-infected patients.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
8.
Science communication to the public Kusic, Zvonko; Vukicevic, Slobodan; Grgurevic, Lovorka
Croatian medical journal,
04/2018, Volume:
59, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Approaching Hans Holbein’s painting The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521/22) this paper combines the expertise of anatomical analysis and the perspective of theology and philosophy in order ...to address some of the well-rooted assumptions about Holbein in the historical reception of his Dead Christ. The authors propose a balanced conclusion about the hypothesis of a drowned man from the Rhine being a model for the painting, pointing out that the body of the man from Holbein’s painting, according to anatomical details, could not have previously been in water. Furthermore, the absence of an Adam’s apple on Christ’s body is interpreted in the light of New Testament texts, rather than as a result of Holbein’s lack of anatomical precision. Similarly, the fact that Holbein painted a corpse deprived of all signs of divinity is seen in connection with the theological notion of kenosis. Ultimately, the authors conclude that the results of the anatomical analysis reflect the key elements of the hermeneutics of Gospel reports of Christ’s passion and death.
Portal hypertension (PH) drives the progression of liver cirrhosis to decompensation and death. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement is the standard of PH quantification, and HVPG≥10 ...mmHg defines clinically significant PH (CSPH). We performed proteomics-based serum profiling to search for a proteomic signature of CSPH in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).
Consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cACLD and results of HVPG measurements were prospectively included. Serum samples were pooled according to the presence/absence of CSPH and analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed, followed by comprehensive literature review for proteins identified with the most striking difference between the groups.
We included 48 patients (30 with, and 18 without CSPH). Protein CD44, involved in the inflammatory response, vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1 (LYVE-1), both involved in lymphangiogenesis were found solely in the CSPH group. Although identified in both groups, proteins involved in neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation, as well as tenascin C, autotaxin and nephronectin which mediate vascular contractility and lymphangiogenesis were more abundant in CSPH.
We propose that altered inflammatory response, including NET formation, vascular contractility and formation of new lymph vessels are key steps in PH development. Proteins such as CD44, VEGF-C, LYVE-1, tenascin C, Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, Nephronectin, Bactericidal permeability-increasing protein, Autotaxin, Myeloperoxidase and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-like protein 4 might be considered for further validation as potential therapeutic targets and candidate biomarkers of CSPH in cACLD.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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