Abstract Introduction: Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) has shown to be beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM). There is cumulative evidence that cytokines play a crucial role in FM. It's unknown whether clinical effects of WBC can be demonstrated at the molecular level and how long the effects last. Methods: We compared effects of serial WBC (6 sessions (- 130 °C in 6 weeks) in FM patients and healthy controls (HC). Primary outcome was the change in pain level (visual analogue scale 0-100 mm) after 6 sessions. Secondary outcomes were a change in disease activity (revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire) and pain after 3 sessions and 3 months after discontinued therapy and in cytokine levels (interleukin (IL-)1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-10). The patients’ opinions on the satisfaction, effectiveness and significance of WBC were evaluated. Results: Twenty-three FM patients and 30 HC were enrolled. WBC resulted in a significant reduction in pain and disease activity after 3 and 6 sessions. No clinical benefit could be measured 3 months after discontinued treatment. Overall, probands were satisfied with WBC and considered WBC to be important and effective. FM patients had significantly different levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 at each reading point compared to HC. Levels of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly altered over time in FM patients. Compared to HC FM patients showed a significantly different response of IL1, - 6 and - 10 to WBC. Conclusion: Serial WBC is a fast acting and effective treatment for FM. Proven effects of WBC may be explained by changes in cytokines.

Objective: Pattern separation (PS) is the ability to represent similar experiences as separate, non-overlapping representations. It is usually assessed via the Mnemonic Similarity Task – Object Version (MST-O) which, however, assesses PS performance without taking behavioral context discrimination into account, since it is based on pictures of everyday simple objects on a white background. We here present a validation study for a new task, the Mnemonic Similarity Task – Context Version (MST-C), which is designed to measure PS while taking behavioral context discrimination into account by using real-life context photographs. Methods: Fifty healthy subjects underwent the two MST tasks to assess convergent evidence. Instruments assessing memory and attention were also administered to study discriminant evidence. The test-retest reliability of MST-C was analyzed. Results: Weak evidence supports convergent validity between the MST-C task and the MST-O as measures of PS (rs = 0.464; p < 0.01); PS performance assessed via the MST-C did not correlate with memory or attention; a moderate test-retest reliability was found (rs = 0.595; p < 0.01). Conclusion: The MST-C seems useful for assessing PS performance conceptualized as the ability to discriminate complex and realistic spatial contexts. Future studies are welcome to evaluate the validity of the MST-C task as a measure of PS in clinical populations.

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram caracterizar os sintomas visuais de deficiência de micronutrientes e avaliar efeitos desses micronutrientes no estado nutricional da mamoeira. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação utilizando-se solução nutritiva, de fevereiro a junho de 2003. Foram utilizadas plantas de mamoneira (Ricinus communis L.) do híbrido comercial Íris. Os tratamentos foram: completo, omissão de B, omissão de Cu, omissão de Fe, omissão de Mn, omissão de Mo e omissão de Zn. A omissão de B, Fe e Mn resultou em sintomas característicos de deficiência. Os sintomas se desenvolveram primeiramente em plantas deficientes em Fe ou Mn, seguidas das deficientes em boro. A produção de matéria seca foi afetada na seguinte ordem: Fe>Mn>B. Tanto as folhas superiores como as inferiores refletem o estado nutricional da mamoneira em relação a B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo e Zn. O teor de clorofila nas folhas, medido em unidades SPAD, foi influenciado pela omissão dos micronutrientes.

The objectives of this work were to characterize the visual symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies, and their effects on nutricional status of castor beans. A greenhouse experiment with nutrient solutions was carried out from February to June, 2003. The commercial hybrid "Iris" was used. Treatments were as follows: complete, minus B, minus Cu, minus Fe, minus Mn, minus Mo, and minus Zn. Symptoms of deficiency were observed in the treatments with omission of B, Fe, and Mn. The symptoms firstly developed when either Fe or Mn was deficient, and they were followed by those deficient in boron. Dry matter yield was affected in the decreasing order: Fe>Mn>B. Both upper and lower leaves reflect the nutritional status of the castor bean with respect to B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn. Leaf chlorophyll, as measured in units SPAD, was influenced by the treatments.

Amostras de líquido cefalorraquidiano (LCR) e soro de 17 pacientes brasileiros com HAM/TSP, seis com esclerose múltipla e seis com epilepsia idiopática (controle não-inflamatório) foram analisadas para a presença de anticorpos para os vírus do sarampo, rubéola, varicela zoster e herpes simples pelo método de ELISA. Todos os casos de HAM/TSP e esclerose múltipla tinham resposta imune intratecal (IgG oligoclonal). Somente 1/17 casos de HAM/TSP apresentavam resposta imune poliespecifica intratecal para sarampo e rubéola. Anticorpos específicos para sarampo e rubeola (resposta MRZ) foram observados em todos os pacientes com esclerose múltipla, mas não nos controles com epilepsia idiopática. A relevância das respostas poliespecifica e monoespecifica é discutida para essas doenças neurológicas crônicas.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 17 patients with HAM/TSP (HTLV-I associated myelopathy/ tropical spastic paraparesis), six with multiple sclerosis and six with idiopathic epilepsy (non inflammatory control) from Brazil were analysed for the presence of intrathecal synthesis of virus-specific antibodies against measles, rubella, varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All HAM/TSP and multiple sclerosis cases had an intrathecal immune response (oligoclonal IgG). In HAM/TSP, only 1/17 case showed a polyspecific intrathecal immune response against measles and rubella virus. In multiple sclerosis, specific antibodies against measles and rubella (MRZ response) were observed in all patients but not in the control with idiopathic epilepsy. The diagnostic and theoretical relevance of mono- and polyspecific immune responses is discussed for these chronic neurological diseases.