Three Outbreak-causing Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C Clones,Brazil

During 2003–2012, 8 clusters of meningococcal disease were identified in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, all caused by serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis. The isolates were assigned to 3 clonal complexes (cc): cc11, cc32, and cc103. These hyperinvasive disease lineages were associated with endemic disease, outbreaks, and high case-fatality rates.     

Anti-inflammatory effect of low-intensity laser on the healing of third-degree burn wounds in rats

Third-degree burn wounds are considered severe injuries because they destroy all the skin layers and may affect subcutaneous tissues, fasciae, muscles, and bones. To favor the healing process of the injured tissues, it is very useful to diminish the occurrence of the inflammatory process. The present study was aimed at comparing the effect of different energetic densities of AlGaInP laser on the inflammatory process and in the healing of third-degree burn wounds in Wistar rats. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee, in which 36 adult male rats were selected and suffered the induction of third-degree burn injury. These rats were divided as follows: group 1—control (treated with silver sulfadiazine), group 2—received energy density of 3 J/cm², and group 3—received energy density of 6 J/cm². All animals daily received an occlusive bandage with silver sulfadiazine and 8 % papain. The laser therapy was performed alternatively three times a week. The animals were evaluated on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after the initial lesion and euthanized for the macroscopic, histologic, and morphometric analysis. A higher production of collagen was observed at 7 days and a greater re-epithelialization at 21 days in group 3 (6 J/cm²). Furthermore, the latter when compared to the other groups presented macroscopically a better aspect of the scar at 21 days with more granulation tissue and fibrosis. We conclude that the AlGaInP laser used in dosages of 3 and 6 J/cm² favors the healing of third-degree burn wounds induced in rats.     

Cadmium Accumulation in Tomato Cultivars and Its Effect on Expression of Metal Transport-Related Genes

Cadmium (Cd) content was quantified in the shoot of six tomato cultivars and the Cd effect on the expression of LeNRAMP3, LeFER, LeIRT1 and LeNRAMP1 was evaluated. The six tomato cultivars accumulated high Cd concentrations and were able to transport Cd to the fruits. Among the evaluated genes, the Cd-induced level of LeFER expression appeared to provide an evidence regarding the capacity of foliar Cd accumulation in tomato. The results indicate that tomato represents a possible pathway for Cd entry into the food chain and an attractive model organism for the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in Cd accumulation.     

Incidence of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission through breastfeeding during acute experimental Chagas disease

ObjectiveTo verify the incidence of T. cruzi transmission through breastfeeding during acute experimental Chagas’ disease.MethodsFifteen female Swiss mice were mated and, after pregnancy confirmation, placed in individual cages. A few hours after birth, the females were inoculated with 0.1 mL of blood containing approximately 3 × 10⁵ trypomastigote forms of Y strain of T. cruzi and continued breastfeeding for 25 days.ResultsIn 142 offspring examined no infection through breastfeeding was observed.ConclusionsThe low number of trypomastigote forms ingested by the newborn mice combined with biological and biochemical characteristics of blood trypomastigotes may explain the lack of transmission in this experiment.     

Mutational landscape of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia at diagnosis and relapse

Despite the high probability of cure of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), mechanisms of relapse are still largely unclear. Mutational profiling at diagnosis and/or relapse may help to identify APL patients needing frequent molecular monitoring and early treatment intervention. Using an NGS approach including a 31 myeloid gene-panel, we tested BM samples of 44 APLs at the time of diagnosis, and of 31 at relapse. Mutations in PML and RARA genes were studied using a customized-NGS-RNA panel. Patients relapsing after ATRA-chemotherapy rarely had additional mutations (P = .009). In patients relapsing after ATRA/ATO, the PML gene was a preferential mutation target. We then evaluated the predictive value of mutations at APL diagnosis. A median of two mutations was detectable in 9/11 patients who later relapsed, vs one mutation in 21/33 patients who remained in CCR (P = .0032). This corresponded to a significantly lower risk of relapse in patients with one or less mutations (HR 0.046; 95% CI 0.011-0.197; P < .0001). NGS-analysis at the time of APL diagnosis may inform treatment decisions, including alternative treatments for cases with an unfavorable mutation profile.     

Chilblain-like lesions in children following suspected COVID-19 infection

During the COVID-19 pandemic, chilblain-like lesions have been reported in mildly symptomatic children and adolescents. We present four children investigated for suspected COVID-19 infection who presented with acral skin findings and mild systemic symptoms. Histology from one case showed signs of vasculitis with evident fibrin thrombus.     

Nuclear fractal dimension in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a novel method for the evaluation of grading,staging, and survival

Fractal dimension (FD) in tissue specimens from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was evaluated. FD values in different stages of OSCC, and the correlations with clinicopathological variables and patient survival were investigated. Histological sections from OSCC and control non‐neoplastic mucosa specimens were stained with hematoxylin–eosin for pathological analysis and with Feulgen for nuclear evaluation. FD in OSCC groups vs. controls revealed statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). In addition, a progressive increase of FD from stage I and II lesions and stage III and IV lesions was observed, with statistically significant differences (P = 0.003). Moreover, different degrees of tumor differentiation showed a significant difference in the average nuclear FD values (P = 0.001). A relationship between FD and patients' survival was also detected with lower FD values associated to longer survival time and higher FD values with shorter survival time (P = 0.034). These data showed that FD significantly increased during OSCC progression. Thus, FD could represent a novel prognostic tool for OSCC, as FD values significantly correlated with patient survival. Fractal geometry could give insights into tumor morphology and could become an useful tool for analyzing irregular tumor growth patterns.