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Journal of Medicine and Life Apr 2022Fibular hemimelia is defined as a partial or complete absence of the fibula. Alongside fibular deformities, there is a wide spectrum of anomalies, foot deformities, and... (Review)
Review
Fibular hemimelia is defined as a partial or complete absence of the fibula. Alongside fibular deformities, there is a wide spectrum of anomalies, foot deformities, and absent rays. A literature review showed only a handful of cases of prenatal diagnosis of fibular hemimelia. It is a rare disorder that might be isolated or associated with visceral anomalies.
Topics: Ectromelia; Female; Fibula; Humans; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis
PubMed: 35646168
DOI: 10.25122/jml-2021-0397 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2021
Topics: Abnormalities, Multiple; Child, Preschool; Ectromelia; Foot Deformities, Congenital; Hand Deformities, Congenital; Humans; Male; Nose
PubMed: 34887989
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.40.115.28167 -
Birth Defects Research Dec 2022Amelia and phocomelia represent severe limb reduction defects. Specific epidemiologic data on these defects are scarce. We conducted a descriptive analysis of prevalence...
BACKGROUND
Amelia and phocomelia represent severe limb reduction defects. Specific epidemiologic data on these defects are scarce. We conducted a descriptive analysis of prevalence data in Finland during 1993-2008 to clarify the epidemiology nationwide in a population-based register study. We hypothesized that increasing maternal age would affect the total prevalence of each disorder.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We collected information on all fetuses and infants affected by amelia and phocomelia during 1993-2008 from the National Register of Congenital Malformations in Finland. The clinical, laboratory, autopsy, and imaging data were re-evaluated where available for all cases found.
RESULTS
A total of 23 amelia and 7 phocomelia patients were identified. Thalidomide was not an etiological factor in any of the cases. The total prevalence of amelia was 2.43 per 100,000 births. The live birth prevalence was 0.63 per 100,000 live births. The total prevalence of phocomelia was 0.74 per 100,000 births, and the live birth prevalence was 0.53 per 100,000 live births. Infant mortality in amelia and phocomelia was 67% and 60%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Infant mortality is high among amelia and phocomelia. Most cases had other major associated anomalies, but syndromic amelia cases were rare. Total prevalences were higher than previously reported and showed an increase in prevalence toward the end of the study period. The percentage of elective terminations of pregnancy for these disorders is high. While isolated cases are rare, they most likely present a better prognosis. Thus, correct diagnosis is essential in counseling for possible elective termination.
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant; Female; Humans; Ectromelia; Prevalence; Finland; Limb Deformities, Congenital; Maternal Age
PubMed: 36353751
DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2123 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2021The ubiquitin system has emerged as a master regulator of many, if not all, cellular functions. With its large repertoire of conjugating and ligating enzymes, the... (Review)
Review
The ubiquitin system has emerged as a master regulator of many, if not all, cellular functions. With its large repertoire of conjugating and ligating enzymes, the ubiquitin system holds a unique mechanism to provide selectivity and specificity in manipulating protein function. As intracellular parasites viruses have evolved to modulate the cellular environment to facilitate replication and subvert antiviral responses. Poxviruses are a large family of dsDNA viruses with large coding capacity that is used to synthetise proteins and enzymes needed for replication and morphogenesis as well as suppression of host responses. This review summarises our current knowledge on how poxvirus functions rely on the cellular ubiquitin system, and how poxviruses exploit this system to their own advantage, either facilitating uncoating and genome release and replication or rewiring ubiquitin ligases to downregulate critical antiviral factors. Whilst much remains to be known about the intricate interactions established between poxviruses and the host ubiquitin system, our knowledge has revealed crucial viral processes and important restriction factors that open novel avenues for antiviral treatment and provide fundamental insights on the biology of poxviruses and other virus families.
PubMed: 34451498
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081034 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2021Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is an inflammatory cytokine produced in response to viral infections that promotes the recruitment and activation of leukocytes to sites of... (Review)
Review
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is an inflammatory cytokine produced in response to viral infections that promotes the recruitment and activation of leukocytes to sites of infection. This TNF-based host response is essential to limit virus spreading, thus poxviruses have evolutionarily adopted diverse molecular mechanisms to counteract TNF antiviral action. These include the expression of poxvirus-encoded soluble receptors or proteins able to bind and neutralize TNF and other members of the TNF ligand superfamily, acting as decoy receptors. This article reviews in detail the various TNF decoy receptors identified to date in the genomes from different poxvirus species, with a special focus on their impact on poxvirus pathogenesis and their potential use as therapeutic molecules.
PubMed: 34451529
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081065 -
Fetal and Pediatric Pathology Jun 2022Roberts syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by tetra-phocomelia with abnormalities of ESCO2. We report a male stillborn with tetra-phocomelia and no ESCO2...
Roberts syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by tetra-phocomelia with abnormalities of ESCO2. We report a male stillborn with tetra-phocomelia and no ESCO2 mutation. Pre- and post-natal imaging and autopsy findings included schizencephaly, phocomelia of four limbs, micrognathia, oligodactyly, and cardiopulmonary malformations. Microcephaly on pre-natal imaging was not confirmed by autopsy examination. Karyotype, prenatal chromosome microarray and ESCO2 gene testing were normal. Given the various skeletal anomalies found on autopsy and imaging evaluations, at least phenotypically, our case appeared to conform into Roberts syndrome spectrum. Since the infant did not have the mutation associated with this disorder, this infant could be labeled as the first report of a pseudo-Roberts syndrome because many of his phenotypic anomalies are characteristic of Roberts syndrome in absence of the ESCO2 gene mutation.
Topics: Acetyltransferases; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Craniofacial Abnormalities; Ectromelia; Female; Humans; Hypertelorism; Infant; Karyotyping; Male; Pregnancy
PubMed: 33026893
DOI: 10.1080/15513815.2020.1827320 -
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy Oct 2023This article reviews the published data encompassing the development, pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of brincidofovir, a nucleotide analogue DNA polymerase inhibitor... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the published data encompassing the development, pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of brincidofovir, a nucleotide analogue DNA polymerase inhibitor developed for the treatment of smallpox.
DATA SOURCES
A literature review was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, and Clinicaltrials.gov from inception up to December 2022, using terms , and .
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION
Data were limited to studies published in English language, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of brincidofovir.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Two surrogate animal models were included in the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to approve brincidofovir: ectromelia virus in mice and rabbitpox in rabbits. Phases 2 and 3 studies established safety for approval. Brincidofovir biweekly for the treatment of disseminated adenovirus disease resulted in all-cause mortality, ranging from 13.8% to 29%. In a study for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis, patients with clinically significant cytomegalovirus infection through week 24 posttransplant was 51.2% with brincidofovir and 52.3% with placebo.
CONCLUSIONS
Brincidofovir adds a second oral agent to treat smallpox, with a different mechanism of action than tecovirimat. In the event of a smallpox outbreak, prompt treatment will be necessary to contain its spread. Brincidofovir shows efficacy in surrogate animal models. In healthy volunteers and individuals treated, or used as prophylaxis, for cytomegalovirus or adenovirus, the primary adverse events were gastrointestinal in addition to transient hepatotoxicity. Additionally, excessive deaths were observed in hematopoietic cell transplant patients receiving it as cytomegalovirus prophylaxis, requiring a black box warning.
Topics: Humans; Rabbits; Animals; Mice; Smallpox; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Antiviral Agents; Disease Models, Animal; Variola virus; Cytosine; Cytomegalovirus
PubMed: 36688308
DOI: 10.1177/10600280231151751 -
The Journal of the Royal College of... May 2024Six decades ago the world learned that thalidomide, a seemingly non-toxic sedative and hypnotic, caused severe birth defects including the flipper-like deformity of the...
Six decades ago the world learned that thalidomide, a seemingly non-toxic sedative and hypnotic, caused severe birth defects including the flipper-like deformity of the arms known as phocomelia. When thalidomide was tested against placebo by the trialist Louis Lasagna in 1960 (while the drug was banned from the U.S. marketplace), he found the 100-mg dosage equivalent to placebo, as well as greatly inferior to the 200-mg dosage, in producing sleep. Even as these findings were made known, a 100-mg dose of thalidomide was in general use as a sleep aid for pregnant women. It appears that unbeknownst to themselves, an untold number of pregnant women around the world who were prescribed thalidomide incurred the risks of a teratogen in return for the benefits of a sugar pill.
PubMed: 38807349
DOI: 10.1177/14782715241258503