Molecular epidemiology of influenza B virus and implications in immunization strategy,Southern Brazil

Epidemiological indicators have shown the substantial impact of influenza B (Flu B) on the development of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and on mortality rates. In Brazil, the trivalent vaccine, composed of only one Flu B lineage is available. We investigated Flu B infections in clinical samples collected by the epidemiological surveillance service of Paraná State, Brazil, from 2013 to 2016. The Flu B lineages Yamagata- (B/Yam) and Victoria-like (B/Vic) were identified using the qRT-PCR assay, and notification forms were reviewed. Among 379 Flu B positive samples evaluated, 370 (98%) were characterized as B/Yam or B/Vic lineages. Both co-circulated with a frequency of 47% and 53%, respectively. B/Yam infected equally both genders, while B/Vic was more frequent in females (71%). The median age of patients infected by B/Vic (23y; 11–35) was lower than that of patients infected by B/Yam (32y; 12–50). Mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating strain was observed in the 2013 season, with a high number of SARI cases. B/Vic lineage was associated with a larger number of SARI cases (62%), while B/Yam with influenza-like illness (ILI) (61%). Differences were observed in the strains circulating in separate regions of Paraná State. B/Vic was prevalent in the northwestern (67%) and B/Yam in the southeastern region (60%). The unpredictability of Flu B lineage circulation causes a substantial increase in severe disease during epidemics in a vaccine mismatch season. In addition, the differences in the epidemiological profile of the target population of Flu B infections in relation to other respiratory viruses, as well as among the B/Vic and B/Yam lineages may also be associated to an increase in disease burden. These findings have direct consequences on vaccination strategies. Therefore, further molecular epidemiology studies of Flu B in Brazil are required to corroborate these primary results.     

Simultaneous ECG-gated PET imaging of multiple mice

IntroductionWe describe and illustrate a method for creating ECG-gated PET images of the heart for each of several mice imaged at the same time. The method is intended to increase “throughput” in PET research studies of cardiac dynamics or to obtain information derived from such studies, e.g. tracer concentration in end-diastolic left ventricular blood.MethodsAn imaging bed with provisions for warming, anesthetic delivery, etc., was fabricated by 3D printing to allow simultaneous PET imaging of two side-by-side mice. After electrode attachment, tracer injection and placement of the animals in the scanner field of view, ECG signals from each animal were continuously analyzed and independent trigger markers generated whenever an R-wave was detected in each signal. PET image data were acquired in “list” mode and these trigger markers were inserted into this list along with the image data. Since each mouse is in a different spatial location in the FOV, sorting of these data using trigger markers first from one animal and then the other yields two independent and correctly formed ECG-gated image sequences that reflect the dynamical properties of the heart during an “average” cardiac cycle.ResultsThe described method yields two independent ECG-gated image sequences that exhibit the expected properties in each animal, e.g. variation of the ventricular cavity volumes from maximum to minimum and back during the cardiac cycle in the processed animal with little or no variation in these volumes during the cardiac cycle in the unprocessed animal.ConclusionECG-gated image sequences for each of several animals can be created from a single list mode data collection using the described method. In principle, this method can be extended to more than two mice (or other animals) and to other forms of physiological gating, e.g. respiratory gating, when several subjects are imaged at the same time.     

RAPTOR gene polymorphism is independently correlated with urothelial cancer susceptibility compared with environmental toxin exposure

IntroductionThere are many established environmental toxins that correlate with urothelial cancer. Genetic variations in phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)-AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway have also been reported to have association with the risk of urothelial cancer and clinical outcome. The aim of this study is to validate the role of the established RAPTOR gene carrying the risk of urothelial cancer compared with environmental toxin exposure.MethodsThis study included 168 patients with urothelial cancer and 168 patients with voiding problem as normal control. All these patients were above 50 years old. Environmental toxin exposure such as smoking, arsenic, and Chinese herb were defined as regular exposure in usual life. RAPTOR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed by Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium to compare the observed genotype frequencies to the expected genotype frequencies in controls. Pearson's χ² test was used to compare the difference in distribution of categorical variables. Statistical significance was set if p value less than 0.005 in this study.ResultsRAPTOR gene polymorphisms (rs11653499 and rs7212142) were revealed to be significantly associated to the risk of urothelial cancer whether the patients is under environmental toxin exposure or not (both p < 0.001). The predictive effects of urothelial cancer for these two SNPs were both independently significant by multivariate analysis (p < 0.001).ConclusionRAPTOR gene polymorphisms are important SNPs with significantly association with the risk of urothelial cancer in Taiwan. Further researches about raptor-mTOR complex interfering malignant transformation of urothelium is worthy of further investigation.