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Objectives: EMAP-like Protein 5 (EML5) is a new echinoderm microtubule-associated protein that is expressed in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profile of EML5 in the anterior temporal neocortex of patients presenting with intractable epilepsy (IE)., Materials and Methods: Western blot assays were performed to determine EML5 expression in 36 surgically resected anterior temporal neocortices of patients with IE and eight control tissues. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were employed to explore protein expression in IE., Results: EML5 was highly expressed in both neurons and glial cells of the anterior temporal neocortex of IE patients, whereas only low levels of EML5 were detected in control brain tissues. Western blotting showed an enhanced expression of EML5 protein in the anterior temporal neocortex of IE (optical density (OD) = 1.8030 ± 0.1335/1.1852 ± 0.2253, P<0.05) compared with normal control tissues., Conclusion: The results demonstrate that highly expressed EML5 in the neurons and glial cells of the cortex of patients with epilepsy is associated with microtubular dysfunction after frequent and recurrent seizures.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological features of patients with nosocomial invasive fungal infection., Methods: Fungi in blood were identified by BacT ALERT 3D, other clinical samples were cultured by Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) medium. Candidas were isolated and identified by CHRO Magar candida color medium. Fungus-cultured positive cases from Jan. 2004 to Nov. 2007 were analyzed on items as patients' age, underlying disease, sample, strain, and species distribution. All statistical analyses were carried out by SPSS 13.0., Results: The overall incidence rate of invasive fungal infections was 4.12%. The average age of patients was 7 - 96 with most patients were male, with geriatric problems and different kinds of underlying diseases. Lower respiratory tract infection was the most frequent infection site, followed by urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract. The main pathogens of invasive fungal infections were Candidas (93.80%). Strains of Candida albicans were the most frequent organisms which accounted for 67.29% of all the isolates. Mould fungus infections accounted for only 6.20%. During the 4 years of observation, the detection rate of fungi, specimen sources and the distribution of species and compartment were different with significant differences (P < 0.0083)., Conclusion: The epidemiological properties such as the source of specimen, the distribution of species and composition sections of invasive fungal infections were changing. Candida spp. were still the main pathogens of invasive fungal infections but the sections of fungi changed. The incidence of Aspergillus infections had been increasing recently.

Objective: To report the clinical and genetic study of a new Chinese family with autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (ADLTE)., Methods: The living affected members underwent a full clinical, neurophysiological, electroencephalogram (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. Genetic analysis was performed by LGI1 DNA sequence analysis., Results: The clinical feature of the patients was coincidence wall with the definition of ADLTE by International League Against Epilepsy in 2001. The living affected members had an adult or children onset of drug-responsive tonic-clonic seizures or complex partial seizures constantly preceded by auditory or visionary aura. Routine EEG revealed no focal abnormalities over both temporal regions. MRI detected no structural abnormality. Analysis of LGI1 gene showed no mutation in all affected members., Conclusion: This kindred has typical clinical manifestations of ADLTE. The pathogenesis has no association with mutation of the exons of LGI1 gene.

We investigated laminin beta1 expression in the hippocampi of patients with intractable epilepsy and explored the role of laminin beta1 in the pathogenesis of this condition. Fluorescence quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to measure laminin beta1 expression in surgically removed hippocampi of patients with intractable epilepsy, and the results were compared with control hippocampi. Fluorescence quantitative PCR showed increased expression of laminin beta1 mRNA in patient hippocampi compared with control tissues. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that laminin beta1 protein expression was significantly increased in patient hippocampi, and immunofluorescence microscopy showed accumulation of laminin beta1 in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of patient hippocampi. These findings were confirmed by Western blotting of protein preparations from patient hippocampi. Elevated expression of laminin beta1 mRNA and protein in the hippocampus suggests that laminin beta1 may play a role in the development of epileptic seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy.

Objective: To investigate the expression of cell division cycle 42 GTP-binding protein (Cdc42) in the brain tissue of patients with intractable temporal epilepsy and discuss its effect on epileptogenesis., Methods: Twenty samples brain tissues were collected from the brain tissue bank of intractable temporal epilepsy established by Epilepsy Preventive and Therapeutic Center of Chongqing. The expression of Cdc42 was determined by immunohistochemistry and fluoroimmunoassay. Twenty brain tissue samples were collected from autopsy on 20 sex and age-matched persons who died from accident were used as controls., Results: The absorption values of Cdc42 in the temporal lobe of the patients was 0.038 +/- 0.016, significantly higher than that of the controls (0.020 +/- 0.005, t = 14.59, P < 0.01). The absorption values of Cdc42 in the hippocampus of the patients was 0.049 +/- 0.009, t = 12.01, P < 0.01). Fluoroimmunoassay showed that the fluorescence intensity of Cdc42 in the temporal lobe of the patients was 18.3 +/- 2.5, significantly higher than that of the controls (11.8 +/- 2.9, t = 33.77, P < 0.01), and the Fluorescence intensity of Cdc42 in the hippocampus of the patients was and control hippocampus were 23.8 +/- 3.3, significantly higher than that of the controls (10.1 +/- 2.6, t = 12.01, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The overexpression of Cdc42 in the cortex of temporal lobe and hippocampus may play an important role in the epileptogenic mechanisms of intractable epilepsy.