Adsorption Mechanism of Patulin from Apple Juice by Inactivated Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Kefir Grains

In the food industry, microbiological safety is a major concern. Mycotoxin patulin represents a potential health hazard, as it is heat-resistant and may develop at any stage during the food chain, especially in apple-based products, leading to severe effects on human health, poor quality products, and profit reductions. The target of the study was to identify and characterize an excellent adsorbent to remove patulin from apple juice efficiently and to assess its adsorption mechanism. To prevent juice fermentation and/or contamination, autoclaving was involved to inactivate bacteria before the adsorption process. The HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) outcome proved that all isolated strains from kefir grains could reduce patulin from apple juice. A high removal of 93% was found for juice having a 4.6 pH, 15° Brix, and patulin concentration of 100 μg/L by Lactobacillus kefiranofacien, named JKSP109, which was morphologically the smoothest and biggest of all isolates in terms of cell wall volume and surface area characterized by SEM (Scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). C=O, OH, C–H, and N–O were the main functional groups engaged in patulin adsorption indicated by FTIR (Fourier transform–infrared). E-nose (electronic nose) was performed to evaluate the aroma quality of the juices. PCA (Principal component analysis) results showed that no significant changes occurred between control and treated juice.     

Intimate ties of people living with HIV in France resulted both from social status and the experience of being HIV-infected: results from the ANRS-Vespa2 study,France

Based on data from the ANRS-Vespa2 study, conducted among a representative sample of PLWHIV (France, 2011), we studied intimate ties with relatives and friends and their determinants. Six social network profiles were identified, with a clear association with socioepidemiological groups: the most surrounded individuals were MSM, and the most isolated ones were sub-Saharan African migrants (especially women). Social networks were shaped both by material socioeconomic status and HIV experience: involvement in PLWHIV organizations, disclosure of HIV infection, and the experience of discrimination. Among PLWHIV, intimate ties appeared to be shaped by both their multifaceted social position rooted in power relationships and by HIV-related stigma. Such a process nurtures social inequality in coping with HIV infection, since the most disadvantaged individuals appear to be the most isolated ones. A holistic approach to HIV care is still required to overcome the marginalization of PLWHIV.     

Pain in Children and Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A Comparative Study

Pain is a potential complication of cystic fibrosis (CF), but its consequences in daily life and other issues of pain management are not yet clearly understood. We undertook a comparative study of children and adults with CF to assess the prevalence of pain symptoms, their characteristics and treatment, their impact on daily quality of life, and the occurrence of procedural pain. The study included 73 children (1–18 years) and 110 adults (18–52 years); 59% of the children and 89% of the adults reported at least one episode of pain during the previous month. Pain was significantly more intense and lasted significantly longer among adults, but its rate and recurrence did not differ significantly between the two populations and were not related to the severity of CF. The most prevalent locations were the abdomen for children, and the back, head, and chest for adults. Although pain significantly limited physical activity, only 15% of patients reported that it caused absenteeism, and 27% reported that it negatively affected their family life. The mean pain intensity rates on a visual analog scale for the episode that had caused the greatest pain during the past month were 4.9 (2) (mean [SD]) for children and 6 (2) for adults; however, only 40% and 50%, respectively, of those with pain reported the use of analgesic treatment, mainly paracetamol (acetaminophen). At least one episode of procedural pain during the previous month was reported by 85% of children and 78% of adults. Our study demonstrates the high incidence of undertreated pain in CF patients throughout their lives.     

Oncogenic events rather than antigen selection pressure may be the main driving forces for relapse in diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas

Little is known on the phylogenetic relationship between diagnostic and relapse clones of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We applied high throughput sequencing (HTS) of the VDJ locus of Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGHV) on 14 DLBCL patients with serial samples, including tumor biopsies and/or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Phylogenetic data were consolidated with targeted sequencing and cytogenetics. Phylogeny clearly showed that DLBCL relapse could occur according either an early or a late divergent mode. These two modes of divergence were independent from the elapsed time between diagnosis and relapse. We found no significant features for antigen selection pressure in complementary determining region both at diagnosis and relapse for 9/12 pairs and a conserved negative selection pressure for the three remaining cases. Targeted HTS and conventional cytogenetics revealed a branched vs. linear evolution for 5/5 IGHV early divergent cases, but unexpected such “oncogenetic” branched evolution could be found in at least 2/7 IGHV late divergent cases. Thus, if BCR signaling is mandatory for DLBCL emergence, oncogenetic events under chemotherapy selection pressure may be the main driving forces at relapse. Finally, circulating subclones with divergent IGHV somatic hypermutations patterns from initial biopsy could be detected in PBMC at diagnosis for 4/6 patients and, for two of them, at least one was similar to the ones found at relapse. This study highlights that oncogenetic intraclonal diversity of DLBCL should be evaluated beyond the scope a single biopsy and represents a rationale for future investigations using peripheral blood for lymphoid malignancies genotyping. Am. J. Hematol. 92:68–76, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Evaluation of the colorectal cancer risk conferred by rare UNC5C alleles

AIM:To evaluate the risk associated with variants of the UNC5C gene recently suspected to predispose to familial colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS:We screened patients with familial CRC forms as well as patients with sporadic CRCs.In a first time,we analyzed exon 11 of the UNC5C gene in 120unrelated patients with suspected hereditary CRC,58patients with suspected Lynch-associated cancer or polyposis,and 132 index cases of Lynch syndrome families with a characterized mutation in a DNA mismatch repair(MMR).Next,1023 patients with sporadic CRC and1121 healthy individuals were screened for the variants identified in patients with familial cancer.RESULTS:Of 120 patients with familial CRC of unknown etiology,one carried the previously reported mis-sense mutation p.Arg603Cys(R603C)and another exhibited the unreported variant of unknown significance p.Thr617Ile(T617I).The p.Ala628Lys(A628K)mutation previously described as the main UNC5C risk variant for familial CRC was not detected in any cases of familial CRC of unknown etiology,but was present in a patient with familial gastric cancer and in two Lynch syndrome patients in co-occurrence with MMR mutations.A statistically non-significant increase in cancer risk was identified in familial CRC and/or other Lynchassociated cancers(1/178 patients vs 2/1121 healthy controls,OR=3.2,95%CI:0.29-35.05,P=0.348)and in sporadic CRCs(4/1023 patients vs 2/1121 healthy controls,OR=2.2,95%CI:0.40-12.02,P=0.364).CONCLUSION:We confirm that UNC5C mutations are very rare in familial and sporadic CRCs,but further investigations are needed to justify routine UNC5C testing for diagnostic purposes.     

Patients' characteristics and rate of Internet use to obtain cancer information

The aim of this study was to present baseline data on the access to Internet by French breast cancer patients attending genetic clinics and to examine factors affecting Internet health-related use. Twenty-four percent of participants used Internet to obtain information about the disease. This rate was higher among patients with health occupations [adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-5.1], the most highly educated (adjOR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-4.0) and those under 41 years of age (adjOR 7.3; 95% CI 2.1-26.2). Almost one of every three women was dissatisfied of this source of information.