GC is commonly used for the analysis of cannabis samples, e.g. in forensic chemistry. However, as this method is based on heating of the sample, acidic forms of cannabinoids are decarboxylated into their neutral counterparts. Conversely, HPLC permits the determination of the original composition of plant cannabinoids by direct analysis. Several HPLC methods have been described in the literature, but most of them failed to separate efficiently all the cannabinoids or were not validated according to general guidelines. By use of an innovative methodology for modelling chromatographic responses, a simple and accurate HPLC/DAD method was developed for the quantification of major neutral and acidic cannabinoids present in cannabis plant material: Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), THC acid (THCA), cannabidiol (CBD), CBD acid (CBDA), cannabigerol (CBG), CBG acid (CBGA) and cannabinol (CBN). Delta8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta8-THC) was determined qualitatively. Following the practice of design of experiments, predictive multilinear models were developed and used in order to find optimal chromatographic analytical conditions. The method was validated following an approach using accuracy profiles based on beta-expectation tolerance intervals for the total error measurement, and assessing the measurements uncertainty. This analytical method can be used for diverse applications, e.g. plant phenotype determination, evaluation of psychoactive potency and control of material quality.

Despite previously carrying out a first open study of sacroiliac injection of long-acting corticosteroid, it was not possible to evaluate the role of a placebo effect. We therefore performed a double-blind study in 10 patients/13 articulations, suffering painful sacroiliitis. At 1 month, 5/6 sacroiliac joints injected with corticosteroid described a relief of > 70%, in comparison to 0/7 of the placebo group (P < 0.05). Dolometry showed a marked decrease in the corticosteroid group from (mean +/- S.E.M.) 6.8 +/- 0.6 to 1.3 +/- 0.3, and decreases were mild in the placebo group: 7.0 +/- 0.6 to 5.2 +/- 0.5 (P < 0.005). Six of the seven sacroiliac joints of the placebo group and two patients with failure and relapse of the corticosteroid group were reinjected with corticosteroid. At 1 month, 12/14 (85.7%) were assessed as having a good result. Results were still significant at 3 months (62%) and 6 months (58%). Tolerance was good or very good in 86% of the cases, and we did not report any notable complication. This technique is safe and very efficient, and it has to be considered more widely in patients with contraindications or complications with NSAID, or if the medical treatment is unable to control sufficiently the active sacroiliitis.

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Background: A key role of oxidative stress has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. However, little has been said about oxidative stress status (OSS) of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU). Material and Methods: Biomarkers of the systemic OSS included antioxidants (9 assays), trace elements (3 assays), inflammation markers (4 assays) and oxidative damage to lipids (3 assays). Results: Blood samples were drawn after 9 (7–11) and 41 (39–43) days of ICU stay, respectively in 3 and 6 patients. Vitamin C, thiol proteins, reduced glutathione, γ-tocopherol, β-carotene and PAOT® score were significantly decreased compared to laboratory reference values. Selenium concentration was at the limit of the lower reference value. By contrast, the copper/zinc ratio (as a source of oxidative stress) was higher than reference values in 55% of patients while copper was significantly correlated with lipid peroxides (r = 0.95, p < 0.001). Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and myeloperoxidase) were significantly increased when compared to normals. Conclusions: The systemic OSS was strongly altered in critically ill COVID-19 patients as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation but also by deficits in some antioxidants (vitamin C, glutathione, thiol proteins) and trace elements (selenium).

In a retrospective auxological study of 145 patients seen in Belgium during a 9‐year period for treatment of precocious puberty, 28% appeared to be foreign children (39 girls, one boy) who immigrated 4 to 5 years earlier from 22 developing countries, without any link to a particular ethnic or country background. The patients were either adopted (n = 28) or non‐adopted (n = 12), the latter having normal weight and height at immigration and starting early puberty without evidence of earlier deprivation. This led to the hypothesis that the mechanism of precocious puberty might involve previous exposure to oestrogenic endocrine disrupters. A toxicological plasma screening for eight pesticides detected p, p'‐DDE, which is derived from the organochlorine pesticide DDT. Median p, p'‐DDE concentrations were respectively 1.20 and 1.04 ng/ml in foreign adopted (n = 15) and non‐adopted (n = 11) girls with precocious puberty, while 13 out of 15 Belgian native girls with idiopathic or organic precocious puberty showed undetectable concentrations (<0.1 ng/ml). A possible relationship between transient exposure to endocrine disrupters and sexual precocity is suggested, and deserves further studies in immigrant children with non‐advanced puberty.