Unexpected requirement for ZAP-70 in pre-B cell development and allelic exclusion

ZAP-70, a member of the Syk family of tyrosine kinases, has been reported to be expressed exclusively in T and NK cells. We show here that it is expressed throughout B cell development and that it plays a role in the transition of pro-B to pre-B cells in the bone marrow, a checkpoint controlled by signals from the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR), which monitors for successful rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes. Whereas mice deficient in Syk show a partial block at this step, mice mutant in both Syk and ZAP-70 show a complete block at the pro-B cell stage and a failure of heavy chain allelic exclusion, hallmarks of defective pre-BCR signaling.     

Friedreich ataxia--diagnosis after a decade. Differential diagnosis of inherited spinocerebellar ataxias

The clinical diagnosis of inherited spinocerebellar ataxias is difficult, because phenotypes frequently overlap. The authors attempt to review the different inherited ataxia syndromes, discussing the most frequent one, Friedreich-ataxia in detail. The case of a patient with Friedreich-ataxia is presented, where the genetically supported diagnosis has been made more than ten years following the onset of the symptoms, after several hospitalizations and misdiagnosis. The correct diagnosis can be established based on the Geoffroy-Harding criteria and gene mutation analysis.     

Implementation of the nursing process in a radiotherapy unit: development of a medical record

The goal of our service is to systematize the nursing care provided to the clients with gynecological and mammary cancer who underwent radiation therapy, using the nursing process, the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) taxonomy and collaborative problems in the diagnoses phase. Therefore, we created a record card in which we briefly reported the relevant data to nursing care, containing: anamnesis, general explanations about treatment, main collaborative problems, nursing diagnoses, interventions, outcomes and evolution. This card was tested in service and evaluated by the group that had created it regarding content and design, enabling the elaboration of its last version that is presented in the article.     

Syk-dependent cytokine induction by Dectin-1 reveals a novel pattern recognition pathway for C type lectins

Pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) detect molecular signatures of microbes and initiate immune responses to infection. Prototypical PRRs such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) signal via a conserved pathway to induce innate response genes. In contrast, the signaling pathways engaged by other classes of putative PRRs remain ill defined. Here, we demonstrate that the beta-glucan receptor Dectin-1, a yeast binding C type lectin known to synergize with TLR2 to induce TNF alpha and IL-12, can also promote synthesis of IL-2 and IL-10 through phosphorylation of the membrane proximal tyrosine in the cytoplasmic domain and recruitment of Syk kinase. syk-/- dendritic cells (DCs) do not make IL-10 or IL-2 upon yeast stimulation but produce IL-12, indicating that the Dectin-1/Syk and Dectin-1/TLR2 pathways can operate independently. These results identify a novel signaling pathway involved in pattern recognition by C type lectins and suggest a potential role for Syk kinase in regulation of innate immunity.     

Expression of c-Met receptor and hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor in synovial sarcoma and epithelioid sarcoma

 Overexpression of c-Met receptor/hepatocyte growth factor (scatter factor) system (c-Met/HGF/SF) as a physiologically paracrine cellular signaling system is thought to be involved in the progression of malignant tumours. In 26 synovial sarcomas and epithelioid sarcomas, c-Met and HGF/SF expression was analysed immunohistochemically. There were 10 biphasic synovial sarcomas, 7 of which showed moderate to strong c-Met expression in epithelial areas compared with the fibrous component, with corresponding expression of HGF/SF. Six of 9 monophasic fibrous synovial sarcomas showed only very faint c-Met and corresponding HGF/SF expression. In 7 epithelioid sarcomas strong expression of c-Met and HGF/SF was observed within epithelioid tumour cells. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization demonstrated the synthesis of c-Met receptor in tumor cells by detecting c-met-mRNA. This analysis shows that in synovial sarcomas and epithelioid sarcomas, tumour entities with epithelial and mesenchymal structures, c-Met and HGF/SF overexpression can be detected, indicating a role of this signaling system in these subtypes of sarcoma, and especially in the more epithelioid tumour phenotype. An autocrine interaction between overexpressed c-Met receptor and HGF/SF may be hypothesized. Received: 21 July 1997 / Accepted: 19 November 1997     

Three-Dimensionally Printed Individual Drill Sleeve for Depth-Controlled Sections in Third Molar Surgery

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Tuberculosis due to multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype identified by DNA fingerprinting: the first case identified in Hungary

In a 28 years old Mongolian woman in whom pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed a poly- and multidrug (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, streptomycin) resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from sputum in 2002. Since the patient was from a country with high tuberculosis incidence it was conceivable that she had been infected by a strain with primary resistance in Mongolia. In order to confirm the origin of the strain an IS6110-based DNA fingerprint test was performed on the isolate. The assay revealed that the isolated M. tuberculosis strain belonged to the so-called Beijing family which was never detected in Hungary before.