A team of surgeons from Oxford, led by Professor Robert MacLaren, fitted a bionic microchip with only 3 millimeters in dimension behind the retina, in a surgical intervention which lasted 8 hours.

“I always thought that will come the day when I will see again. Now for the first time in 25 years, I dreamed in color,” said Chris James, the first patient who received the bionic microchip.

Chris James, from Wiltshire, is one of two lucky patients who had access to this innovative technology. The second patient who received this revolutionary microchip is Robin Millar, a man aged 60 years from London.

A few weeks after surgery, they may see again the light and shapes of different objects.

Doctors say that, over time, patients can accurately distinguish images. Ophthalmology experts who developed the bionic microchip are very satisfied with the outcome that is, also, a good news for sufferers of retinitis pigmentosa.

More over, another ten britain will benefit from this type of microchip in the project led by the team of doctors from Oxford. Their technique was developed after more than six years, but they still need a number of trading licenses.

Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by progressive degeneration of the retina of both eyes and causes visual loss. One of 3,000-4,000 people suffer from this condition.

Source: DailyMail.co.uk

The trial was conducted on 61 patients who received AMG 145 injection every four weeks at a time receiving concentrated doses of statins, a anticholesterol which includes the drug Lipitor.

In patients who received such injections every two weeks, in combination with low or moderate doses of statins, lower bad cholesterol – low-density lipoprotein / low density lipoprotein (LDL) – was 75% after six weeks.

AMG 145 is a human antibody that neutralizes a protein called PCSK9 that reduces the liver’s ability to eliminate the bad cholesterol from blood.

Although statins are effective, many patients fail to achieve a satisfactory decrease their levels of LDL, while other patients can not tolerate this drug.

“Based on these results, Amgen initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial that will allow a wider understanding of the benefits and risks of PCSK9 protein neutralize to a wider variety of patients whose cholesterol levels can be controlled with existing therapies”, ie by using statins, the doctor Sean Harper said in a statement , who led the study and director of development at Amgen company.

“We expect the first results of this trial in the second half of this year,” said Sean Harper.

Amgen competes with the company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, to develop and market launch an agent to block the action of PCSK9 protein.

Competitor experimental agent of the company Regeneron called REGN 727, was also successfully tested on patients with high LDL levels receiving statin therapy.

In some preliminary studies both competitors agents reduced LDL by 75% without significant side effects.

Source: www.mediafax.ro

Cancerous ulcers, cancerous tumors, supurinde wounds that will not heal, wash with an infusion of equal parts of marigold and horse-tail. It will use a spoon of this mixture with half of a liter of water.

Other diseases in which marigold tea is a remedy: urinary infections, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, colitis, ulcers), para-typhoid fever.

Usage of  marigold tea

Infusion: add 1 teaspoon of dried herb to a glass of water. Drink four cups a day.

External: sitz bath: is done using two hands full of fresh herb or 0.1 grams of dried herb.

Wash: in case of vaginal trichomoniasis, of wounds, burns, ulcers. To wash use a tablespoon of marigold to 0.5 liters of boiling water. Two minutes keep covered and use the infusion when it becomes warm.

Marigold ointment. Use a pound of margarine, lard or other fat and two handfuls of chopped herb (flower, stem, leaves). The plant is placed in melted fat (to be warm, not hot). Mix with a wooden spoon and leave covered half a day (with heat off). The next day, reheat and strain through linen or gauze. Sewer is put in the jar in the refrigerator. This is the ointment. Plant residues are put in another jar in the refrigerator and used in the form of poultices, 3-4 times.

Ointment is to be used in: contusions, sprains, varicose veins, phlebitis, varicose ulcers, hemorrhoids, wounds, post-operative scars, tumors, lymph nodes, fistulas, frostbite, burns, enlarged lymph nodes, sores in breast, even if they are malignant.

In case of tumors it can be applied in thick cream. It is used successfully in skin cancer.

Fresh juice of marigold. Leaves, stems, flowers are washed and wet put in the juice extractor. Put juice in a bottle in the refrigerator and use it in case of pruritus (itching) in scabies.

Fungal infections in the genital area, with intense itching is treated with bath of decoction of the fresh herb: 5 tablespoons of dried herb or 2 handful of fresh herb for bath, lasting 10 minutes. Plants can be used 3-4 times.

Lavender tea is made of five grams of dried herb which is infused in a liter of boiling water for 3 minutes. You can consume up to 3 cups throughout the day. The overall effect is general relief.

Infusion of lavender is made using 30 grams of dried herb in a quart liter of boiling water. The effect is: arousal, stimulates sweating, increased diuresis, invigorate, disinfects.

Lavender tincture is made using 0.1 grams of lavender flowers let to soak in 1/2 liters of alcohol for 2 weeks. Tincture obtained is kept in tightly closed bottles.

Other use: to strengthen the hair, pain relief in  rheumatism and bruises (applied as compresses for 10 minutes), mouth and tongue ulcers (use a few drops in a glass with water and gargle).

Warning: do not use high doses of tincture or tea of lavender as it causes a state of high arousal which is then followed by a depression, somnolence and hypothermia.

Appearance of the plant: is in the category of shrub and not increases more than 1 meter, has many ramifications. The stem is square, the consistency of wood, grass twigs present. Flowers appear only in the summer and the colour is light blue to purple, their disposal is in the form of thin ear.

Active compounds in lavender (substances that give effects mentioned above): alcohols, linalool, borneol, geraniol, cineol, coumarin derivatives.

Indications for therapy: Oliguria (less urine), uremia (in advanced renal failure),fatigue, anxiety (fear unjustified), nerve hyperexcitability, colds, laryngitis,bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, flu, fever, insomnia, migraine, leucorrhea, itching skin, wounds.

Causes

The kidneys become infected in 97% of cases with Escherichia coli. This bacterium normally is found in the digestive tract and is removed with faeces. Thanks to the particularly female genital area and shorter urethra than men, this bacterium has the opportunity to reach the urethra to the bladder (where quartered determines cystitis), and if defense mechanisms are overcome the bacterium will reach the kidneys. This way of infection is called high infection by ascending way.

Favorable factors for kidney infection with kidney stones, decreased fluid intake, decreased immunity.

In 3% of cases the infection is due to another infection in the body, which is disseminating by blood. The infection reaches the kidney through the blood to be filtered by it. In these cases the infections are caused by bacteria like streptococcus, staphylococcus, or viruses. The method of infection is downward in this case, by blood.

Symptoms

- Begins with the polaki-dysuria (sign of lower UTI): less urine, frequent urination with feeling of incomplete, sometimes with discomfort in urination.

- Fever occurs in spikes, more than 38 degrees.

- Back pain (kidney pain) to one side or both sides, can occur spontaneously, or induced (in tapping the area).

- There can be nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, generalized malaise.

The clinical picture is often extremely suggestive for the diagnosis of pyelonephritis, being necessary to present immediately at the emergency for medical treatment establishment.

Antibiotics even after antibiogram are the curative treatment for acute pyelonephritis, but must be supplied with bed rest and fluid intake of 2500 ml per day.

Untreated correctly there can appear complications as: toxic-septic shock, sepsis, renal failure, kidney abscess, or chronic pyelonephritis that in turn evolves into chronic renal failure.

Thalassemia

Hemoglobin is found inside red blood cells and its role is to transport oxygen through blood to tissues. Hemoglobin structure is supported by two types of protein chains – four globin.

Normal globins of hemoglobin are: – 2 alpha chains and 2 beta chains in adult hemoglobin (Hb A1) 97-98% of total – 2 chains alpha and 2 delta chains in 2-3% of adult hemoglobin (Hb A2) – and 2 alpha chains and 2 gama chains in newborn hemoglobin (Hb F).

In thalassemia, the synthesis of a globin chain is reduced and replaced with the complementary chain. Therefore, is affected the quantity and quality of hemoglobin. This causes red blood cell degradation and thus leads to anemia and lack of oxygen to tissues.

Types of thalassemia and symptoms

1. Beta thalassemia major (Cooley’s anemia, Mediterranean anemia, thalassemia major):

- There is a decreased production or absence of beta chains because they are replaced with gamma chains (Hb F);

- It is transmitted genetically, homozygous (both parents must carry the gene and not necessarily sick);

- Has a frequency of 5% of the population.

- Symptoms:

• insidious onset after age of 6-7 months by progressive mucocutaneous pallor, jaundice, skin hemochromatosis, decreased appetite, weight deficit, enlarged abdomen, enlarged liver and spleen;

Clinically, children with thalassemia major have a specific mongoloid facies with skull tower-like, muscle hypotrophy.

Complications in thalassemia major: hemochromatosis (iron deposition in tissues after hemoglobin degradation), liver (fibrosis, cirrhosis), myocardial (congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, death), chronic relapsing pericarditis, endocrine glands (diabetes, insufficient endocrine, pubertal retardation ), muscle (myopathy), low resistance to infection after spleenectomy, bone fractures, gallstones, trophic disorders (leg ulcers).

Treatment of thalassemia major: infusion with blood at 3-4 weeks accompanied by chelators of excess iron (Desferal) in 5-6 doses a week, folic acid and vaccin for hepatitis. In cases where the spleen is too large and painful or transfusion requirements are exceeded there is indicated spleenectomy (spleen removal). This intervention may have infectious complications, which is why antibiotic prophylaxis is therefore recommended.

2. Beta thalassemia minor (thalassemia minor)

- Consists in an increase of hemoglobin A2 (delta chains instead of gamma) with more than 3.5%.

- The disease is transmitted directly from one parent, patients are carriers of a single gene. By reproducing with a partner with the same gene can give birth to a child with beta thalassemia major.

- Only 25-30% of patients have mild symptoms of thalassemia minor: mild anemia with discrete pallor and moderately enlarged spleen.

- You do not need treatment, but iron preparations are contraindicated.

3. Alpha thalassemia – is affected the synthesis of alpha globin chains which are replaced by gamma or delta chains.

- In the heterozygous form (minor) of thalassemia symptoms are represented by mild anemia and homozygous form is incompatible with life.

Anaphylactoid purpura is common in preschool aged children and especially in males. There is a seasonal incidence with increased frequency in spring and autumn.

Henoch Schonlein symptoms:

Clinical debut: 1-2-3 weeks after infection and presents:

• purpura: macules, urticaria-like papules without pruritus (itching), with hemorrhagic character;
• bullous petechiae (red spots) which are ecchymotic or necrotic (rare);
• Purpura and petechia appear symmetrically on the lower extremities (legs), buttocks, around the joints;
• Very rarely are affected the trunk or face, but appear instead in Henoch-Schonlein purpura strange localized hemorrhagic edemas (lip, scalp, hand, foot);
• Successive crises are exacerbated by cold and standing;
• Joints are affected in 60-80% of cases of a artritis or arthralgia aspect (joint pain with or without signs of inflammation: redness, heat, pain);
• It may appear some vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, GI bleeding (vomiting blood can occur – hematemesis or melena stool, black-oil-like);
• In 10-15% of cases can appear severe abdominal pain like appendicitis and which can be complicated by intussusception or bowel perforation;
• A the kidney level, in 70-80% of cases there is a focal oligo-symptomatic glomerulonephritis (not with edema, rarely hypertension) but frequently with macroscopic hematuria (red urine).

Henoch Schonlein purpura treatment consists of absolute rest in bed, diet to avoid food allergy and dietary salt restriction for corticosteroid therapy, treating causing infection, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, antiaggregation, antihistamines and vasculotropes.

Generally, this type of anaphylactoid purpura in children heals without becoming chronic. Prognosis is worse in a limited number of cases (1-2%) mostly due to surgical accidents and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis when it remains persistent in 25-30% of cases.

- Fever syndrome – constant fever curve uninfluenced of drugs that combat fever and antibiotics, but responsive to glucocorticoids;

- Mucocutaneous manifestations:

• butterfly erythema (“Vespertilio”): cheek, nose, without nasolabial groove;
• photosensitivity – face, neck (areas exposed to sun);
• subacute lesions: erythematous → papules, scaling;
• discoid lupus. Forms of discoid lupus are characterized by erythema and hyperkeratosis and then atrophy;
• vasculitic lesions: variable aspects (purpura, erythema, ulceration of fingers, nettle rash);
• Raynaud’s phenomenon, livedo reticularis;
• transient or permanent alopecia;
• mucosal lesions: petechiae, painless ulcer on hard and soft palace, nasal septum, painful or painless.

Bone, joints and muscular manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus:

• arthritis (95%) often symmetrical in small joints, elbows, fists and hands, often reversible, sometimes with deformations, morning stiffness (minutes);
• bone damage: aseptic necrosis of the femoral head (vasculitis, corticosteroids), osteoporosis;
• myalgia, muscle fatigue.

Polyserositis in systemic lupus erythematosus is represented by an inflammation of the serous membranes of the body with fluid accumulation:

• pleurisy – (30%) bilateral, small amount of pericardialeffusion;
• peritonitis: rarely (abdominal pain, vomiting).

In half of cases of lupus erythematosus appears renal manifestations:

• proteinuria, hematuria, nitrogen retention with hypertension.

Cardiovascular events

• pericarditis;
• myocarditis: tachycardia unexplained by fever or anemia;
• heart failure caused by myocarditis, hypertension;
• endocarditis, coronary damage (ATS, vasculitis);
• vasculitis: skin ulcers, purpura, neuritis, arterial and venous thrombosis, recurrent thrombophlebitis;

Symptoms of pulmonary systemic lupus erythematosus:

• Lupus acute pneumonia with fever, dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, infiltrates or basal atelectasis (mimics infectious pneumonia);
• chronic pneumonia: asymptomatic (rarely dyspnoea, cough, cyanosis, rales), but with diffuse inflitrates of lung bases.

Neurological and psychiatric disorders are present in 30% of cases of lupus erythematosus:

• neurological disorders: convulsions localized / generalized, severe headache, peripheral neuropathy, cranial nerve damage, aseptic lymphocytic meningitis;
• psychiatric disorders: psychosis, organic brain syndrome.

Ocular manifestations of lupus are less common but also important:

• retinal capillary vasculitis;
• keratoconjunctivitis sicca (10% of lupus cases).

Digestive symptoms of lupus are:

• anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
• hepatomegaly, splenomegaly.

Can also occur adenopathy (swollen glands) and discoid lupus.

Normally, antibodies facilitate recognizing the self in order to destroy foreign cells. In autoimmune diseases like lupus this defense mechanism is aberrant and the antibodies attack our own cells.

Antinuclear antibodies are present in over 95% of cases of lupus disease. The most specific for lupus are anti-ADNS antibodies. In addition there are present anticytoplasm antibodies, anti blood cells, anti circulating factors, anti cardiolypin.

Lupus erythematosus is a rare disease, predominantly in young women, age: 20-40 years. Known as favorable factors for lupus:

- Genetic susceptibility and transmissibility;

- UV radiation and sun exposure;

- Infections;

- Drugs such as hydralazine, procainamide, isoniazid (possibility of reversibility);

- ANA over 95% of patients;

- Specific in SLE are the antibodies antiADNds.

The onset of systemic lupus erythematosus:

- Acute or insidious in young women, after sun exposure, infections, vaccinations, pregnancy;

- Fever / feverish, fatigue, weight loss, anorexia;

- Arthralgia, arthritis (joint pain), skin lesions;

- 1/3 of cases: acute onset with serosity (pleuritis, pericarditis, peritonitis), thrombocytopenic purpura, neuropsychiatric disorders.

The depository of antibodies in organs like in systemic lupus erythematosus disease leads to a process of chronic inflammation:

• Kidney: glomerulonephritis of various types;
• Blood vessels: arterioles, venules, capillaries;
• Joints: exudative synovitis;
• Serous: pleura, pericardium, peritoneum;
• Brain: infarction, hemorrhage;
• Spleen, lymph nodes;
• Heart: myocardium, endocardium, pericardium, coronary vessels;
• Skin: discoid lupus

Treatment for lupus targets:

- General measures to forbid sun exposure and other UV sources, avoiding drugs that may induce SLE, bacterial and viral infections have to be avoided.

- The medicinal treatment consists in lupus in administration of NSAIDs in mild forms, antimalarial drugs of synthesis (rare in mild joint and skin lupus), corticosteroids have to be accompanied by dietary salt restriction (maximum 4 g of salt per day), immunosuppressants, plasmapheresis or monoclonal antibodies anti-CD4 +.

Treatment of complications

- Forms of lupus erythematosus with biological abnormalities and without clinical signs is not treated;

Evolution and prognosis in systemic lupus erythematosus:

SLE is a very serious disease with exacerbations and remissions. Death in lupus occurs more often in renal failure, vascular complications and infections.

Criteria

1. Malar rash, fixed flushing, flat or raised, on cheek area. The nasal-labial groove is respected.

2. Discoid lupus. Erythematous plates with scaly adherent keratoses with obstruction of follicles, sometimes cicatricial atrophy on old injuries.

3. Photosensitivity. Skin rash after exposure to the sun, seen by the doctor / patient.

4. Oral ulcerations. Nasopharyngeal or oral ulceration, usually painless, observed by physician.

5. Arthritis. Non-erosive arthritis, affecting two or more peripheral joints, characterized by pain, swelling or exudate.

6. Serosity. a) Pleuritis, pleural pain history or pleural rubbing heard by the doctor or pleural effusion or b) Pericarditis, affirmed on ECG, by pericardial rubs or by identifying pericardial fluid.

7. Kidney. a) Persistent proteinuria over 0.5 g/24 hours or more than 3 if it can’t be quantified or b) cell cylinders.

8. Neurological involvement. a) Seizures in the absence of responsible medication or metabolic causes (uremia, ketoacidosis, electrolyte imbalances) or b) psychosis, in the absence of responsible medication or metabolic causes (uremia, ketoacidosis, electrolyte imbalances).

9. Haematological involvement. a) hemolytic anemia with reticulocytosis or b) Leukopenia (<4.000/mm3), after 2 or more determinations or c) lymphopenia (<1.500/mm3), after 2 or more determinations or d) thrombocytopenia (<100,000 /mm3), not caused by medication.

10. Immunologic abnormalities. a) LE cells are present or b) abnormal titre of antiADNds antibodies or c) the presence of anti-Sm antibodies or d) false positive serological tests for syphilis at least 6 months.

11. Antinuclear antibodies. Abnormal ANA titre determined by immunofluorescence or another technique, in the absence of drugs that can induce SLE.