Decrease of peritoneal inflammatory CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ lymphocytes and apoptosis of eosinophils in a murine Taenia crassiceps infection

After an intraperitoneal infection of mice with Taenia crassiceps metacestodes, peritoneal inflammatory cells labeled with fluoresceinated MoAb anti-mouse were analyzed by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was studied by annexin A/PI, TUNEL assays, DNA laddering, caspase-3 activity, and electron microscopy. An important continuous decrease of CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ lymphocytes, and an increase of eosinophils and macrophages throughout the observation time were found. Apoptosis of eosinophils was quantified during the observation period with a peak at 6 days post-infection (67.27%). In an additional experiment at 12 days post-infection using TUNEL staining, a high level of apoptosis of eosinophil (92.3%) and a significant decrease of CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ lymphocytes were confirmed. Caspase-3 activity in peritoneal fluid, peritoneal cells' DNA fragmentation, and apoptosis of eosinophils and monocytes were found. The dramatic decrease of peritoneal inflammatory T and B cells and the high level of apoptosis of inflammatory eosinophils induced in mice by infection with T. crassiceps cysticerci may be important factors of the immunosuppression observed in cysticercosis.     

A novel human adenovirus hexon protein of species D found in an AIDS patient

To date, human adenoviruses are classified into 53 types (types 1–51 and types 53 and 54), which have been grouped into six species named A through F, and the recently identified type 52 has been proposed as member of a new species, G. Type classification is based on type-specific epitopes within loop 1 (L1) and loop 2 (L2) of the hexon protein, which contain seven hypervariable regions that are responsible for type specificity. In this paper, we present the characterization of an adenovirus strain isolated from a male AIDS patient in Cordoba, Argentina. This strain was found to be a member of species D by genomic Sma I restriction analysis. Sequencing of the L1 and L2 regions of the hexon gene and immunological characterization by virus neutralization revealed this hexon to be unique and distinct from the previously identified hexons of types within species D. A seroepidemiologic study in the human population of Cordoba showed that this strain was not endemic in the local human population.     

Tibiofemoral Joint Positioning for the Valgus Stress Test

Context:

Recommendations on the positioning of the tibiofemoral joint during a valgus stress test to optimize isolation of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) from other medial joint structures vary in the literature. If a specific amount of flexion could be identified as optimally isolating the MCL, teaching and using the technique would be more consistent in clinical application.

Objective:

To determine the angle of tibiofemoral joint flexion between 0° and 20° that causes a difference in the slope of the force-strain line when measuring the resistance to a valgus force applied to the joint.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

University research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants:

Twelve healthy volunteers (6 men, 6 women: age  =  26.4 ± 5.6 years, height  =  170.9 ± 8.4 cm, mass  =  75.01 ± 14.6 kg).

Intervention(s):

Using an arthrometer, we applied a valgus force, over a range of 60 N, to the tibiofemoral joint in 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20° of flexion.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Force-strain measurements were obtained for 5 positions of tibiofemoral joint flexion.

Results:

As knee flexion angle increased, slope values decreased (F_4,44  =  17.6, P < .001). The slope at full extension was not different from that at 5° of flexion, but it was different from the slopes at angles greater than 10° of flexion. Similarly, the slope at 5° of flexion was not different from that at 10° of flexion, but it was different from the slopes at 15° and 20° of flexion. Further, the slope at 10° of flexion was not different from that at 15° or 20° of flexion. Finally, the slope at 15° of flexion was not different from that at 20° of flexion.

Conclusions:

When performing the manual valgus stress test, the clinician should fully extend the tibiofemoral joint or flex it to 5° to assess all resisting medial tibiofemoral joint structures and again at 15° to 20° of joint flexion to further assess the MCL.     

A crosstalk between β1 and β3 integrins controls glycine receptor and gephyrin trafficking at synapses

The regulation of glycine receptor (GlyR) number at synapses is necessary for the efficacy of inhibition and the control of neuronal excitability in the spinal cord. GlyR accumulation at synapses depends on the scaffolding molecule gephyrin and is linked to GlyR synaptic dwell time. However, the mechanisms that tune GlyR synaptic exchanges in response to different neuronal environments are unknown. Integrins are cell adhesion molecules and signaling receptors. Using single quantum dot imaging and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we found in rats that β1 and β3 integrins adjust synaptic strength by regulating the synaptic dwell time of both GlyRs and gephyrin. β1 and β3 integrins crosstalked via calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and adapted GlyR lateral diffusion and gephyrin-dependent trapping at synapses. This provides a mechanism for maintaining or adjusting the steady state of postsynaptic molecule exchanges and the level of glycinergic inhibition in response to neuron- and glia-derived signals or extracellular matrix remodeling.     

Housing satisfaction for persons with psychiatric disabilities

Provision of residential services to people with mental illness has assumed increasing importance since deinstitutionalization and as community‐ based services have increased. This large‐scale multisite study of housing programs specifically for persons with mental illness examines one of the factors that lead to successful residential tenure for persons with serious mental illness. To date, the Lehman Quality of Life Scale has been used primarily to assess satisfaction with housing in studies of residential services. This article reports on a new measure of housing satisfaction. This new 25‐item instrument was developed, field tested in a variety of housing settings across the country, and analyzed for reliability and validity by a group of housing researchers and clinicians. The implications of using this instrument for future evaluation and research on housing for persons with mental illness are examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 581–590, 2003.     

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma of the kidney with neuroendocrine differentiation: report of two cases

We encountered 2 cases of mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma (MTSCC) during a short time. In a 61-year-old man who had macroscopic hematuria for 1 month, the 14.5 x 14.0 x 12.0-cm resected tumor involved the right middle aspect of the renal parenchyma and compressed the renal pelvis. In an asymptomatic 47-year-old man, a renal tumor was found during an annual physical examination. The 3.5 x 3.0 x 2.0-cm tumor was located at the upper pole of the right kidney. The histologic findings in both cases were similar Tumors consisted of tightly packed, small, elongated tubules separated by pale mucinous stroma. The tumor cells were cuboidal to spindled with eosinophilic cytoplasm and low nuclear grade. Mitoses were few or nonexistent and without abnormal figures. Both tumors were immunoreactive for cytokeratin (CK) cocktail (AE1/AE3), high-molecular-weight CK (34betaE12), low-molecular-weight CK (35betaH11), CK7, epithelial membrane antigen, E-cadherin, and vimentin. The tumor cells also were reactive for neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin, and synaptophysin. The ultrastructure of the tumor cells contained abundant mitochondria, junctional complex, and dense-core neurosecretory granules. We present 2 additional cases of MTSCC showing typical morphologic features with neuroendocrine differentiation.     

Development and differentiation of neural rosettes derived from human embryonic stem cells

Neurons and glia are important targets of human embryonic stem cell research promising a renewable source of these differentiated cells for biomedical research and regenerative medicine. Neurons and glia are derived, in vivo from the neuroepithelium of the neural tube. Concomitant to development along the anterior to posterior axis, gradients of morphogens across the dorsal and ventral axis of the neural tube establish positional codes that generate distinct progenitor domains and ultimately specify subtype identity. The neural rosette is the developmental signature of neuroprogenitors in cultures of differentiating embryonic stem cells; rosettes are radial arrangements of columnar cells that express many of the proteins expressed in neuroepithelial cells in the neural tube. In addition to similar morphology, neuroprogenitors within neural rosettes differentiate into the main classes of progeny of neuroepithelial cells in vivo: neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Despite these similarities, important differences exist and the extent to which neural rosettes can model neurogenesis in vivo is not yet clear. Here, the authors review the recent studies on the development and differentiation of neural rosettes from human embryonic stem cells. The authors focus on efforts to generate motor neurons and oligodendrocytes in vitro as representative of the challenges to obtaining the progeny of a single progenitor domain with in vitro methods. Opportunities for further progress are discussed.     

Identification of women at increased risk of osteoporosis: no need to use different screening tools at different ages

OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare various approaches for selecting women for a bone mineral density (BMD) examination in three different age groups: (1) the most commonly recommended strategy, i.e., selection based on the presence of at least one major risk factor for osteoporosis (personal history of fracture, maternal history of hip fracture, low weight, early menopause), (2) by weight, and (3) calculation of an individual risk score based on the predictive equation (logistic regression model) including the factors most predictive of osteoporosis in each age group. METHODS: Data from three population-based samples of postmenopausal women of different ages 60-70 years (n=399), 70-80 years (n=392), and 80 years or older (n=3628). Within each age group, the value of these different approaches was primarily assessed in terms of their discriminant value (sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV)) for osteoporosis. Other women besides osteoporotic women might also be considered at high risk of fracture (and hence treated), in particular osteopenic women (T-score<-1.5) with multiple risk factors for fracture. Hence, we also estimated and compared the overall number of selected women who might be considered at high risk of fracture after BMD testing, according to selection criteria. RESULTS: In each age group and classifying a similar percentage of women at high risk, use of weight as a tool for identifying osteoporotic women has a higher sensitivity and PPV than the currently recommended approach. Increasing the cutoff for weight increases sensitivity. However, identifying the majority (around 80%) of all osteoporotic women requires testing more than half the population. Combining weight with other factors into more complex risk scores usually does not significantly improve the discriminant value of the assessment. When similar percentages of women are selected, more women with osteopenia and multiple risk factors are identified when selection is based on usual referral criteria. However, since more osteoporotic women are identified after selection by weight (higher PPV for osteoporosis), the overall number of women who might be considered at high risk of fracture after BMD testing is higher after selection by weight. CONCLUSIONS: In each age group considered, selecting women for BMD testing based on weight is the simplest and most effective screening method for identifying osteoporotic women as well as other subgroups of women who might also be considered to be at high risk of fracture.     

Connecting thalamus and cortex: the role of ephrins

The complex task of wiring up the brain during embryonic development is achieved by a multitude of guidance signals acting in complex combinations to drive growing axons to their proper targets. The somatosensory system provides an extensively studied model system featuring many universal mechanisms of neural development. In rodents, it constitutes an important model to study how precise topographic connections are achieved. Recent evidence suggests that the Eph/ephrin family of guidance molecules is of pivotal importance for the development of the somatosensory system. Members of Eph/ephrin family are thought to be involved in the global presorting of thalamic axons projecting to the cortex, in labeling specific cortical areas for innervation, in providing topographic cues within the target area, and in distinguishing cortical layers for intracortical wiring. The Eph/ephrin system also seems to contribute to the formation of specific corticothalamic feedback projections. So far, the functions of only a few members of the Eph/ephrin family have been examined, but expression analysis indicates complex combinatorial effects of these signaling molecules. Understanding the Eph/ephrin wiring code is expected to yield new insights into the development and plasticity of brain circuits involved in higher functions.     

Association between race and hot flashes in midlife women

OBJECTIVE: Studies suggest that African American women may have a greater risk of hot flashes compared to Caucasian women, but the reasons for this are unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that African American women have an increased risk of hot flashes due to racial differences in risk factors for hot flashes, including high body mass index (BMI) and lower estrogen levels. METHODS: A population-based study was conducted among women aged 45-54 years. Participants were divided into women who reported ever experiencing hot flashes (n=356) and women who reported never experiencing hot flashes (n=257). Participants provided a blood sample for hormone assays, were weighed and measured, and completed a questionnaire. RESULTS: Among peri-menopausal women, African American women were more likely than Caucasian women to report any hot flashes (RR=2.08), severe hot flashes (RR=2.19), and hot flashes for more than 5 years (RR=1.61). The risk ratios for the associations between race and the hot flash outcomes were attenuated after controlling for other important hot flash risk factors (i.e. obesity and low estrogen levels). CONCLUSIONS: African American women have an increased risk of hot flashes compared to Caucasian women due to racial differences in a number of risk factors for hot flashes, including advanced age, obesity, current smoking, less than 12 drinks in the past year, and lower estrogen levels.