Clinicopathological findings in a case series of extrathoracic solitary fibrous tumors of soft tissues

Background  

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) represent a rare entity of soft tissue tumors. Previously considered being of serosal origin and solely limited to the pleural cavity the tumor has been described in other locations, most particularly the head and neck. Extrathoracic SFT in the soft tissues of the trunk and the extremities are very rare. Nine cases of this rare tumor entity are described in the course of this article with respect to clinicopathological data, follow-up and treatment results.     

Effets de la chirurgie á coeur ouvert sur les mécanismes de défense contre lea infections bactériennes

Extracorporeal circulation during open-heart surgery may damage cellular and humoral factors in the blood. Phagocytic functions of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes were investigated in 10 patients 1 day before, then 1 hour, 2, 4 and 10 days after open-heart surgery. Transient diminutions in the phagocytic capacity of polymorphs was found for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in one patient, and E. coli only in two patients up to the 4th postsurgical day. A positive correlation was found between the duration of extracorporeal circulation and the transient diminutions in phagocytic capacity for these three patients. However, the bactericidal capacity of polymorphs and their capacity to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium were normal in all patients. The serum concentrations of total hemolytic complement, C3, IgG and IgM were generally diminished up to the 4th day after surgery, but the opsonic power of the serum was almost normal in all the patients.     

Effects of intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine in the developing kitten. 1. On the sleepwaking cycles

Intraventricular 6-OHDA was injected in kittens at different stages of development, and the subsequent sleep polygram was analyzed, in order to determine the role of the catecholaminergic system in the ontogenesis of sleep regulations during the first and the second postnatal months.

6-OHDA, used with or without previous chlorimipramine treatment, led within a 10-day period to drastic reductions of the endogenous monoamines in the forebrain of all age groups. Although the neurotoxicity of 6-OHDA was almost constant among the different age groups, the effects on sleep depended on the age of the animals at the time of the injection. In the 5-week-old injected kittens, 6-OHDA affected PS according to an adult-like pattern. In the 3-week-old kittens, 6-OHDA alone (leading to both catecholamines and serotonin decreases) induced the same PS deficit as in the adult cat. In the 1- and 2-week-old kittens, neither 6-OHDA alone, nor 6-OHDA with previous chlorimipramine treatment, distrubed the sleep regulations.

These data are compared to similar experiments performed in the adult cat. They are discussed in terms of sleep control ontogenesis. It is concluded that the catecholaminergic system plays no important role in the mechanisms of sleep regulation in the early postnatal period in the kitten, whereas its regulatory influence on PS is confirmed in the juvenile animal. The functional maturation of the catecholaminergic system in terms of sleep regulation is achieved between the third and the fifth week of postnatal life.     

Suppression of PGO waves in the kitten: Anatomical effects on the lateral geniculate nucleus

Bilateral mesencephalic electrolytic lesions were performed in 2-week-old kittens, in order to suppress the ascending ponto-geniculo-occipital activity. The subsequent anatomical development of the lateral geniculate nucleus was analyzed. A significant maturational deficit was evidenced in 5-week-old experimental kittens as compared to age-paired controls. It is concluded that a lesion in the X area impairs the maturation of CNS. The relationship between this area (the phasic components of paradoxical sleep) and the maturation of CNS are still to be demonstrated.     

Defects in acute responses to TLR4 in Btk-deficient mice result in impaired dendritic cell-induced IFN-γ production by natural killer cells

This study defines a critical role for Btk in regulating TLR4-induced crosstalk between antigen presenting cells (APCs) and natural killer (NK) cells. Reduced levels of IL-12, IL-18 and IFN-γ were observed in Btk-deficient mice and ex vivo generated macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) following acute LPS administration, whilst enhanced IL-10 production was observed. In addition, upregulation of activation markers and antigen presentation molecules on APCs was also impaired in the absence of Btk. APCs, by virtue of their ability to produce IL-12 and IL-18, are strong inducers of NK-derived IFN-γ. Co-culture experiments demonstrate that Btk-deficient DCs were unable to drive wild-type or Btk-deficient NK cells to induce IFN-γ production, whereas these responses could be restored by exogenous administration of IL-12 and IL-18. Thus Btk is a critical regulator of APC-induced NK cell activation by virtue of its ability to regulate IL-12 and IL-18 production in response to acute LPS administration.     

Does consumption of two portions of salmon per week enhance the antioxidant defense system in pregnant women?

Salmon is a rich source of marine n-3 fatty acids, which may increase oxidative stress and, in turn, could affect the antioxidant defense system in blood plasma and erythrocytes of pregnant women. The Salmon in Pregnancy Study provided two meals of salmon per week to pregnant women from week 20 of gestation; the control group maintained their habitual diet low in oily fish. Higher selenium and retinol plasma concentrations were observed after dietary salmon supplementation. Besides, a concomitant increase in selenium and glutathione concentration as well as glutathione peroxidase and reductase activities were detected as pregnancy progressed. However, tocopherols, retinol, β-carotene, and coenzyme Q(10) decreased in late pregnancy. Collectively, our findings lead to the hypothesis that increased farmed salmon intake may increase antioxidant defenses during pregnancy. Clinical trials identifier NCT00801502.     

Assessment of accuracy of identification of pathogenic yeasts in microbiology laboratories in the United kingdom

Rapid, accurate identification of yeast isolates from clinical samples has always been important given their innately variable antifungal susceptibility profiles. Recently, this has become paramount with the proposed introduction of species-specific interpretive breakpoints for MICs obtained in yeast antifungal susceptibility tests (M. A. Pfaller, D. Andes, D. J. Diekema, A. Espinel-Ingroff, D. Sheehan, and CLSI Subcommittee for Antifungal Susceptibility Testing, Drug Resist. Updat. 13:180-195, 2010). Here, we present the results of a 12-month evaluation of the accuracy of identifications that accompany yeast isolates submitted to the Mycology Reference Laboratory (United Kingdom) for either confirmation of identity or susceptibility testing. In total, 1,781 yeast isolates were analyzed, and the robustness of prior identifications obtained in microbiology laboratories throughout the United Kingdom was assessed using a combination of culture on chromogenic agar, morphology on cornmeal agar, and molecular identification by pyrosequencing. Over 40% of isolates (755) were submitted without any suggested identification. Of those isolates with a prior identification, 100 (9.7%) were incorrectly identified. Error rates ranged from 5.2% (for organisms submitted for antifungal susceptibility testing) to 18.2% (for organisms requiring confirmation of identity) and varied in a strictly species-specific manner. At least 50% of identification errors would be likely to affect interpretation of MIC data, with a possible impact on patient management. In addition, 2.3% of submitted cultures were found to contain mixtures of at least two yeast species. The vast majority of mixtures had gone undetected in the referring laboratory and would have impacted the interpretation of antifungal susceptibility profiles and patient management. Some of the more common misidentifications are discussed according to the identification method employed, with suggestions for avoiding such misinterpretations.     

Depth dependence of vascular fluorescence imaging

In vivo surface imaging of fluorescently labeled vasculature has become a widely used tool for functional brain imaging studies. Techniques such as phosphorescence quenching for oxygen tension measurements and indocyanine green fluorescence for vessel perfusion monitoring rely on surface measurements of vascular fluorescence. However, the depth dependence of the measured fluorescence signals has not been modeled in great detail. In this paper, we investigate the depth dependence of the measured signals using a three-dimensional Monte Carlo model combined with high resolution vascular anatomy. We found that a bulk-vascularization assumption to modeling the depth dependence of the signal does not provide an accurate picture of penetration depth of the collected fluorescence signal in most cases. Instead the physical distribution of microvasculature, the degree of absorption difference between extravascular and intravascular space, and the overall difference in absorption at the excitation and emission wavelengths must be taken into account to determine the depth penetration of the fluorescence signal. Additionally, we found that using targeted illumination can provide for superior surface vessel sensitivity over wide-field illumination, with small area detection offering an even greater amount of sensitivity to surface vasculature. Depth sensitivity can be enhanced by either increasing the detector area or increasing the illumination area. Finally, we see that excitation wavelength and vessel size can affect intra-vessel sampling distribution, as well as the amount of signal that originates from inside the vessel under targeted illumination conditions.     

The versatility of the pedicled vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap in oncologic patients

Purpose  

The vertical rectus abdominis muscle (VRAM) flap is considered a safe and simple option to cover defects of the trunk and proximal thigh. Detailed long-time follow-up studies in oncologic patients including complications and donor site morbidity are rare. In this study, complications and donor site morbidity were analysed.     

Langerhans cells--revisiting the paradigm using genetically engineered mice

Langerhans cells (LCs) are prominent dendritic cells (DCs) in epithelia, but their role in immunity and tolerance is poorly defined. 'Knockin' mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the langerin (CD207) gene were recently developed in order to discriminate epidermal LCs from other DC subsets and at the same time to track their dynamics under steady-state or inflammatory conditions in vivo. Additional knockin mice expressing a diphtheria toxin receptor fused to EGFP were used to conditionally ablate LCs and assess their role in triggering hapten-specific T cell effectors through skin immunization. We review the insights that have been provided by these various knockin mice and discuss gaps in our knowledge of LCs that need to be filled.