Antiviral activity of enterocin CRL35 against herpesviruses

Enterocin CRL35 is an antibacterial polypeptide of 3.5×10³ Da produced by Enterococcus faecium CRL35. A series of experiments are described that show the enterocin also had antiviral activity against thymidine-kinase positive (tk⁺) and deficient (tk⁻) strains of herpes simplex (HSV) type 1 and 2 in Vero and BHK-21 cells. This activity was observed at 100 μg/ml, 15-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentration. In both cell lines there was a 2 log inhibition of infectivity. The compound inhibited viral multiplication in a dose-dependent manner and had no virucidal effect. Enterocin CRL35 also inhibited the virion-associated host shutoff in infected Vero cells showing that intracellular viral multiplication was affected.     

Cardiac cysts. A case of isolated cardiac hydatidosis]

In the presence of cardiac cysts we must discard a hydatid disease, even if there is no involvement of other organs. Imaging techniques are useful for guiding the initial diagnosis. The presence of daughter vesicles or multiple cysts is very characteristic. We present a patient affected by cardiac hydatid disease, in the form of multiple cardiac cysts, without extracardiac affectation, who presented pericardial chest pain. The patient was dealt with surgery to avoid the risks of a cyst rupture.     

Hyaluronic acid signals for repair in ethanol-induced apoptosis in skin cells in vitro

Ethanol is commonly used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to assess ethanol-induced apoptosis and the possible repair by hyaluronic acid (HA) in vitro. In addition we aimed to determine the modulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interferon (IFN-α).Design and methodsWe treated human A431 epidermoid skin cells and mouse fibroblasts with two concentrations of ethanol for 24 h. HA obtained from umbilical cord excision was used at three concentration levels (2%, 4% and 8%) to determine its efficacy in the treatment. We measured cytotoxicity, TNF-α and IFN-α and visualized the cultures by electron microscopy.ResultsTreatment of cells with ethanol at 50 mM and 100 mM increased both the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis, as well as the release of TNF-α into the culture medium.ConclusionsEthanol may induce apoptosis in skin cells by enhancing the effects of TNF-α. HA in the 2% and 4% concentrations reduced TNF-α and morphological inflammation both in human A431 epidermoid skin cells and in mouse fibroblasts.     

Renin-angiotensin system polymorphisms and renal scarring

The purpose of the study was to determine whether DNA polymorphisms at the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) genes were associated with evolution to renal scar formation and, consequently, with reflux nephropathy (RN) in patients with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Some authors have suggested that the DD genotype of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene would be an adverse renal prognosis factor. We recruited 246 patients (aged 3 months to 22 years) from four Spanish hospitals. These included 69 patients with VUR, 110 with RN (determined by absence/presence of renal scarring on dimercaptosuccinc acid scan), 27 with chronic renal failure due to RN, and 40 patients (control group) with urinary tract infection and normal findings on renal ultrasonography and voiding cystoureterogram. The ACE I/D, angiotensin II type 1 receptor AT1 A1166C, angiotensin II type 2 receptor A3123C AT2, and angiotensinogen AGT M235T polymorphisms were determined on the basis of polymerase chain reaction amplification. ACE serum levels were determined by spectrophotometric methods. We found no statistical differences in the distribution of RAS polymorphisms between the different groups. The ACE D allele was linked to higher ACE serum levels. We found no association between ACE I/D polymorphism and presence of hypertension, proteinuria, grade of VUR, or unilateral/bilateral VUR. Patients with the DD genotype had a lower incidence of febrile urinary tract infection as a first symptom of VUR/RN (P<0.05). We conclude that genetic polymorphisms of RAS components are not independent prognostic indicators of renal scarring in patients with VUR.     

Transjugular percutaneous inoue balloon mitral commissurotomy in a patient with inferior vena cava obstruction after liver transplantation.

Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy was performed successfully via the transjugular approach in a patient with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis and obstruction of the inferior vena cava due to prior liver transplantation. This case demonstrates the advantage of the jugular approach in patients with difficult anatomy.     

Direct detection of malignant mutations in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We determined the prevalence of mutations considered malignant in the genes for beta-myosin heavy chain (MYH7, 11 mutations) and troponin T (TNNT2, 5 mutations) in 30 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy aged 18 to 60 years, 83% of whom had familial antecedents of hypertrophic myocardiopathy or sudden death. Mutations were identified with polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis. Direct analysis identified 16 mutations in 2 of the 30 patients (7%): one women diagnosed at the age of 25 years as carrying the MYH7453cysteine mutation, and a 60-year-old women with the TNNT2278 cysteine mutation. These cases illustrate the considerable clinical heterogeneity that characterizes carriers of these mutations. Clinical manifestations can range from severe hypertrophy or early sudden death to the absence of symptoms up to advanced age.     

Concordance, disease progression, and heritability of coeliac disease in Italian twins

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We adopted the twin method to disentangle the genetic and environmental components of susceptibility to coeliac disease (CD). We estimated disease concordance rate by zygosity and HLA genotypes, discordance times, progression rates to disease, and heritability. METHODS: We crosslinked the Italian Twin Registry with the membership lists of the Italian Coeliac Disease Association and recruited 23 monozygotic (MZ) and 50 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs with at least one affected member. Zygosity was assigned by DNA fingerprinting, and HLA-DQ and DR alleles were genotyped. Disease status was ascertained by antiendomysial, anti-human tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and bowel biopsy. RESULTS: Concordance was significantly higher in MZ (83.3% probandwise, 71.4% pairwise) than in DZ (16.7% probandwise, 9.1% pairwise) pairs. Concordance was not affected by sex or HLA genotype of the co-twin and being MZ was significantly associated with the occurrence of CD (Cox adjusted hazard ratio 14.3 (95% confidence interval 4.0-50.3)). In 90% of concordant pairs the discordance time was 相似文献   

The first large population based twin study of coeliac disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The genetic load in coeliac disease has hitherto been inferred from case series or anecdotally referred twin pairs. We have evaluated the genetic component in coeliac disease by estimating the concordance rate for the disease among twin pairs in a large population based study. METHODS: The Italian Twin Registry was matched with the membership lists of a patient support group. Forty seven twin pairs were recruited and screened for antiendomysial (EMA) and antihuman-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies; zygosity was verified by DNA fingerprinting and twins were typed for HLA class II DRB1 and DQB1 molecules. RESULTS: Concordance rates for coeliac disease differ significantly between monozygotic (MZ) (0.86 probandwise and 0.75 pairwise) and dizygotic (DZ) (0.20 probandwise and 0.11 pairwise) twins. This is the highest concordance so far reported for a multifactorial disease. A logistic regression model, adjusted for age, sex, number of shared HLA haplotypes, and zygosity, showed that genotypes DQA1*0501/DQB1*0201 and DQA1*0301/DQB1*0302 (encoding for heterodimers DQ2 and DQ8, respectively) conferred to the non-index twin a risk of contracting the disease of 3.3 and 1.4, respectively. The risk of being concordant for coeliac disease estimated for the non-index twin of MZ pairs was 17 (95% confidence interval 2.1-134), independent of the DQ at risk genotype. CONCLUSION: This study provides substantial evidence for a very strong genetic component in coeliac disease, which is only partially due to the HLA region.     

Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of levocarnitine propionyl in the treatment of chronic obstructive arteriopathies of the lower extremities: a multicentre controlled study vs. placebo.

The treatment of symptomatic chronic obstructive peripheral arteriopathies is a difficult task since it requires the prolonged administration of drugs which are often unable to correct the various pathogenetic factors reponsible for the disability. The authors, on the basis of recent studies demonstrating the rheological and vasoactive as well as metabolic activities of levocarnitine propionyl, have decided to use this substance in the treatment of arteriopathics affected by intermittent claudication. Levocarnitine propionyl administered orally to 142 arteriopathics affected by intermittent claudication was responsible for a marked increase in initial as well as absolute walking distances. It is particularly important to note that these clinical results were obtained primarily due to the metabolic activities of levocarnitine propionyl.