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Obesity is a global health problem with a broad set of comorbidities, such as malnutrition, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, systemic hypertension, heart failure, and kidney failure. This review describes recent findings of neuroimaging and two studies of cell density regarding the roles of overnutrition-induced hypothalamic inflammation in neurodegeneration. These studies provided consistent evidence of smaller cortical thickness or reduction in the gray matter volume in people with overweight and obesity; however, the investigated brain regions varied across the studies. In general, bilateral frontal and temporal areas, basal nuclei, and cerebellum are more commonly involved. Mechanisms of volume reduction are unknown, and neuroinflammation caused by obesity is likely to induce neuronal loss. Adipocytes, macrophages of the adipose tissue, and gut dysbiosis in overweight and obese individuals result in the secretion of the cytokines and chemokines that cross the blood-brain barrier and may stimulate microglia, which in turn also release proinflammatory cytokines. This leads to chronic low-grade neuroinflammation and may be an important factor for apoptotic signaling and neuronal death. Additionally, significant microangiopathy observed in rat models may be another important mechanism of induction of apoptosis. Neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases) may be similar to that in metabolic diseases induced by malnutrition. Poor cognitive performance, mainly in executive functions, in individuals with obesity is also discussed. This review highlights the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms linked to obesity and emphasizes the importance of developing effective prevention and treatment intervention strategies for overweight and obese individuals.

Background Mucormycosis is a rare, invasive disease associated with high mortality rates, produced by opportunistic pathogens related to the Mucorales order and characterised by a diverse range of clinical forms; acute rhino-orbital-cerebral and pulmonary symptoms are the most reported ones. Objectives To report the experience of mucormycosis observed in a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico for 35 years. Methods This was a retrospective, descriptive and observational study on mucormycosis at a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico from January 1985 to December 2019. Demographic and clinical data and mycological and histopathological records were selected. Results Two hundred fourteen proven cases of mucormycosis for 35 years at a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico were included. Most of the cases were male patients with a median age of 45 years. The two most associated underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (76.6%) and haematologic malignancy (15.4%). The three primary clinical forms were as follows: rhino-orbito-cerebral (75.9%), cutaneous (8.41%) and pulmonary (7.47%) mucormycosis. The most isolated agents were Rhizopus arrhizus (58.4%) and Lichtheimia corymbifera (12.3%). The overall therapeutic response was 58.5%, and the best response was observed with amphotericin B deoxycholate and surgical debridement. Conclusion Mucormycosis is an emerging disease, and its incidence has increased at our hospital over the years. In this study, the rhino-cerebral clinical type was the most frequent in patients with uncontrolled diabetes; the main aetiological agent was R. arrhizus. Early diagnosis, control of the underlying disease and prompt management may increase the survival rate.

Pituitary adenomas (PA) are the second most common intracranial tumors. These neoplasms are classified according to the hormone they produce. The majority of PA occur sporadically, and their molecular pathogenesis is incompletely understood. The present transcriptomic and methylomic analysis of PA revealed that they segregate into three molecular clusters according to the transcription factor driving their terminal differentiation. First cluster, driven by NR5A1, consists of clinically non-functioning PA (CNFPA), comprising gonadotrophinomas and null cell; the second cluster consists of clinically evident ACTH adenomas and silent corticotroph adenomas, driven by TBX19; and the third, POU1F1-driven TSH-, PRL- and GH-adenomas, segregated together. Genes such as CACNA2D4, EPHA4 and SLIT1, were upregulated in each of these three clusters, respectively. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed specific alterations of these clusters: calcium signaling pathway in CNFPA; renin-angiotensin system for ACTH-adenomas and fatty acid metabolism for the TSH-, PRL-, GH-cluster. Non-tumoral pituitary scRNAseq data confirmed that this clustering also occurs in normal cytodifferentiation. Deconvolution analysis identify potential mononuclear cell infiltrate in PA consists of dendritic, NK and mast cells. Our results are consistent with a divergent origin of PA, which segregate into three clusters that depend on the specific transcription factors driving late pituitary cytodifferentiation.

A 6 year-old male, with seizures characterized by abnormal epigastric sensation, behavioral arrest, upper extremities search automatisms and secondary tonic-clonic generalization. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a hypointense cystic extra-axial image with an increase in the thickness of the convolutions in the first and second gyri of the right frontal lobe. It was decided to resect the frontal lesion with transoperative motor mapping. Morphological and immunohistochemical findings corresponded to dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor with focal cortical dysplasia. Adequate semiology, analysis of the electroencephalogram, and imaging studies allowed treating adequately the cortical dysplasia. At present, the patient is seizure-free without medication (Engel IA).

One of the characteristics of the cerebral aging process is the presence of chronic inflammation through glial cells, which is particularly significant in neurodegeneration. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) participates in the inflammatory response. Currently, evidence in animal models shows that the hallmarks of aging are associated with changes in the AHR levels. However, there is no information concerning the behavior and participation of AHR in the human aging brain or in Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease (AD). We evaluated the expression of AHR in human hippocampal post-mortem tissue and its association with reactive astrocytes by immunohistochemistry. Besides this, we analyzed through ELISA the AHR levels in blood serum from young and elder participants, and from AD patients. The levels of AHR and glial fibrillar acid protein were higher in elder than in young post-mortem brain samples. AHR was localized mainly in the cytosol of astrocytes and displayed a pattern that resembles extracellular vesicles, this latter feature was more conspicuous in AD subjects. We found higher serum levels of AHR in AD patients than in the other participants. These results suggest that AHR participates in the aging process, and probably in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like AD.

Objective This study aimed to compare cortex thickness and neuronal cell density in postmortem brain tissue from people with overweight or obesity and normal weight. Methods The cortex thickness and neuron density of eight donors with overweight or obesity (mean = 31.6 kg/m2 ; SD = 4.35; n = 8; 6 male) and eight donors with normal weight (mean = 21.8 kg/m2 ; SD = 1.5; n = 8; 5 male) were compared. All participants were Mexican and lived in Mexico City. Randomly selected thickness measures of different cortex areas from the frontal and temporal lobes were analyzed based on high-resolution real-size photographs. A histological analysis of systematic-random fields was used to quantify the number of neurons in postmortem left and right of the first, second, and third gyri of frontal and temporal lobe brain samples. Results No statistical difference was found in cortical thickness between donors with overweight or obesity and individuals with normal weight. A smaller number of neurons was found among the donors with overweight or obesity than the donors with normal weight at different frontal and temporal areas. Conclusions A lower density of neurons is associated with overweight or obesity. The morphological basis for structural brain changes in obesity requires further investigation.

Aims Gynaecological malignancies such as breast, ovarian and cervical cancers have become an important public health problem. Detection of molecular alterations in cancer research is fundamental since it can reveal specific pathogenic patterns and genes that could serve as markers. Our aim was to characterize common genomic and transcriptomic signatures for the three gynaecologic malignancies with the highest incidence and mortality to try to identify new molecular markers, therapeutic targets and molecular signatures. Methods Here we analysed a total of 723 microarray libraries corresponding to equal number of breast, ovary and cervical cancer and non-cancer patient samples. Copy number variation (CNV) was carried out using 428 libraries and transcriptomic analysis using the 295 remaining samples. Results Our results showed that breast, ovary and cervical malignancies are characterized by gain of 1q chromosome. At transcriptomic level, they share 351 coding and non-coding genes, which could represent core transcriptome of gynaecological malignancies. Pathway analysis from the resulting gene lists from CNV and expression showed participation in cell cycle, metabolism, and cell adhesion molecules among others. Conclusions Chromosome 1q characterize the gynaecological malignancies, which could harbour a richness of genetic repertoire to mine for molecular markers and targets, particular gynaecologic expression profile, containing FANCI, FH and MIR155HG among others, could represent part of the transcriptomic core for diagnostic test and attractive therapeutic targets. It may not be long before every human cancer sample is profiled for a detections test to ascertain a molecular diagnosis and prognosis and to define an optimal and precise treatment strategy.

We report a unique case of a 4-year-old girl with an intriguing fibrohistiocytic tumour. Magnetic resonance imaging scans showed a dural mass of variegated intensity compressing the left occipital pole and apparently extending toward the superior sagittal sinus. Grossly, the cut surface of the surgical specimen was yellow, pale, and soft with reddish kernel-like crusts. Histologically, the yellow areas resembled cholesterol granulomas with widespread coagulative necrosis, cholesterol clefts, powdery calcification, foreign body-type giant cells, and foamy macrophages, while the scattered red spots contained numerous multinucleated giant cells of foreign-body and Touton types, the former with amphophilic to slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunoperoxidase reactions confirmed the expression of histiocytic markers and vimentin. As far as we know, no tumour displaying these peculiar morphological features has yet been described.

Pituitary apoplexy is characterized by a sudden increase in pituitary gland volume secondary to ischemia and/or necrosis, usually occurring in the context of pituitary adenoma. Little is known about craniopharyngioma apoplexy.

Objective: To establish distribution frequency and demographic characteristics of salivary gland tumours (SGT) i6n order to identify possible risk profiles. Design of study: The present report constitutes an eight year retrospective study (January 2000-August 2007). The archives of the Clinical and Experimental Pathology Laboratory (Graduate and Research Division, Dental School, National Autonomous University of Mexico) as well as archives of the Surgical Pathology Service (General Hospital, Mexico City) were subject to revision in order to select all cases where SGT tumour diagnoses were emitted. Age and gender of patients as well as SGT topography were obtained from medical records. Selected cases were classified according to location of the lesion, histological lineage and biological behaviour. Results: 360 cases of SGT were included, 227 (67%) cases were benign tumours, while 83 cases (23%) were malignant tumours. SGT were most frequent in women with ages ranging from their 3rd to 5th decades of life. 275 tumours were located in major salivary glands, 78.9% of them were identified in the parotid gland. The most frequent location of tumours arising from minor salivary glands (33 cases, 38%) was found in the palatine glands. Tumours of epithelial lineage were the predominant histological type. The most frequent benign tumours were pleomorphic adenomas (86.1%) and papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum (7.3%). The most frequent malignant tumours were adenoid cystic carcinomas (25%) and mucoepidermoid carcinomas (23.6%) Conclusions: Salivary gland tumours in Mexican population appear principally in major salivary glands of women in their 3rd to 5th decade of life. Key words: Salivary glands tumours, epithelial tumours, pleomorphic adenoma, papillary cistadenoma lymphomatosum, adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

We report a 50-year-old woman with no relevant clinical history who presented with headache and loss of memory. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a left parieto-temporal mass with annular enhancement after contrast media administration, rendering a radiological diagnosis of high-grade astrocytic neoplasm. Tumour sampling was performed but the patient ultimately died as a result of disease. Microscopically, the lesion had areas of glioblastoma mixed with a benign mesenchymal constituent; the former showed hypercellularity, endothelial proliferation, high mitotic activity and necrosis, while the latter showed fascicles of long spindle cells surrounded by collagen and reticulin fibers. With approximately 40 previously reported cases, gliofibroma is a rare neoplasm defined as either glio-desmoplastic or glial/benign mesenchymal. As shown in our case, its prognosis is apparently determined by the degree of anaplasia of the glial component.