Glycolipid and protein profiles of normal and Trypanosoma cruzi infected heart muscle cells.

Using Triton X-114, glycolipids and proteins were extracted from heart muscle cells (HMC) infected with Trypanosoma cruzi clone Dm28c and from uninfected HMC, and analysed by SDS-PAGE and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Two major differences were observed: (a) two proteins with a molecular mass of 92 kDa and 69 kDa were present in the uninfected cells but absent from the infected cells and (b) a 70-90 kDa protein band was detected only in parasitized cells. These differences would seem to constitute alterations taking place during the process of cell recognition and/or parasite interiorization. No differences were observed in the respective glycolipid compositions, of control and infected cells analysed by HPTLC. A glycolipid with the same mobility as the neutral glycolipid isolated from epimastigotes of T. cruzi was detected in the uninfected cells. This finding may lend support to the previously described hypothesis that molecular mimicry is implicated in the cardioneuropathology of Chagas' disease.     

SPEECH EVALUATION WITH AND WITHOUT PALATAL OBTURATOR IN PATIENTS SUBMITTED TO MAXILLECTOMY

Most patients who have undergone resection of the maxillae due to benign or malignant tumors in the palatomaxillary region present with speech and swallowing disorders. Coupling of the oral and nasal cavities increases nasal resonance, resulting in hypernasality and unintelligible speech. Prosthodontic rehabilitation of maxillary resections with effective separation of the oral and nasal cavities can improve speech and esthetics, and assist the psychosocial adjustment of the patient as well. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the palatal obturator prosthesis on speech intelligibility and resonance of 23 patients with age ranging from 18 to 83 years (Mean = 49.5 years), who had undergone inframedial-structural maxillectomy. The patients were requested to count from 1 to 20, to repeat 21 words and to spontaneously speak for 15 seconds, once with and again without the prosthesis, for tape recording purposes. The resonance and speech intelligibility were judged by 5 speech language pathologists from the tape recordings samples. The results have shown that the majority of patients (82.6%) significantly improved their speech intelligibility, and 16 patients (69.9%) exhibited a significant hypernasality reduction with the obturator in place. The results of this study indicated that maxillary obturator prosthesis was efficient to improve the speech intelligibility and resonance in patients who had undergone maxillectomy.     

Diagnostic accuracy of fetal renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter as a predictor of uropathy: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of prenatal ultrasound measurement of anteroposterior renal pelvis diameter (APD) to discriminate between significant uropathy and idiopathic renal pelvis dilatation. METHODS: One-hundred-and-three neonates who were found to have fetal renal pelvis dilatation, defined as presence of an APD > or = 5 mm, underwent systematic investigation for uropathies and were prospectively followed. An ultrasound scan was performed after the first week of postnatal life and all infants underwent a voiding cystourethrogram. Neonates with an APD larger than 10 mm underwent renal scintigraphy. Ultrasound scans, clinical examination and laboratory reviews were scheduled at 6-month intervals. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves were constructed to determine the best cut-offs for APD to identify renal units with significant uropathy as well as those requiring surgical intervention. Significant uropathy was defined as the presence of well-established urinary tract abnormalities or when there was abnormal renal scintigraphy. RESULTS: The estimated area under the curve for APD was 0.900 (95% CI, 0.841-0.942) indicating excellent power to discriminate between idiopathic pelvis dilatation and significant uropathy. The sensitivity and specificity for the 7.5 mm cut-off point were 97.9% and 40.6%, respectively. To identify infants who required surgical intervention, the calculated area under the curve was 0.953 (95% CI, 0.908-0.980). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that measurement of APD is an excellent test to identify fetuses with significant uropathy, as well as those requiring postnatal intervention.     

Ultrastructural identification of oligodendrocyte/myelin proteins in corpus callosum of hypothyroid animals

Thyroid hormone (T3) deficiency impairs the development of the CNS, particularly myelination. We have previously described an increase in the frequency of morphological abnormalities in the central myelin sheath in a hypothyroidism model, which reinforced the hypothesis of a role for T3 in myelin compaction. However, there are no data concerning the cellular distribution of myelin proteins in hypothyroid animals. In the present work, we describe the distribution of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (CNPase), myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) throughout the central myelin sheath of a hypothyroidism model. We used euthyroid and hypothyroid adult rats at 90 days of age. In order to induce hypothyroid status, animals received 0.02% methimazol from the 19th gestation day onwards. After perfusion with a fixative mixture, small pieces of corpus callosum were obtained, dehydrated and embedded in LR White resin. Ultrathin sections were immunoreacted, using specific antibodies revealed by a secondary antibody coupled to colloidal gold particles of 10 nm. Gold particle density per region of myelin sheath for each one of these proteins was obtained. In normal animals, CNPase, PLP and MBP were identified in sites that had already been described in previous studies. In hypothyroid animals, CNPase was identified in the region corresponding to compact lamellae, which normally does not contain this protein, while, in this same region, PLP and MBP immunolabeling were decreased. These results suggest that thyroid hormone deficiency impairs the distribution of the major oligodendrocyte/myelin markers. This effect may justify the reduction in myelin sheath compaction previously demonstrated in a similar model of hypothyroidism.     

Periocular involvement in cutaneous leishmaniasis

OBJECTIVE: Although cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurs mostly in the facial area, periocular involvement accounts for 2-5% of the facial lesions. CL lesions localized in the periocular region can easily be confused with various other diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of periocular involvement in CL in the Cukurova region of Turkey, as well as the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and methods of treatment of this disease. METHODS: Between December 1998 and December 2004, patients who were diagnosed with CL were evaluated prospectively with respect to periocular involvement. RESULTS: From the 2066 patients evaluated with CL, 2622 lesions were identified. In 59 (2.9%) of these patients, a total of 66 (2.5%) lesions were located in the periocular area. Thirty-two (48.5%) of these lesions were of the papular type, 15 (22.7%) the nodulo-ulcerative type, 10 (15.2%) the plaque type, and nine (13.6%) the nodular type. Dacryocystitis was identified in four patients with periocular involvement. Over the follow-up period, no ocular or periocular deformities or complications developed in these patients. CONCLUSION: Patients suspected of CL should be evaluated and treated early in the course of their disease to prevent any permanent ocular or periocular deformities.     

Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection Following Heart Transplantation

Acute antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in heart transplantation is often associated with hemodynamic compromise, and is associated with increased mortality and development of accelerated transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD). The diagnosis of AMR has historically been controversial and outcomes with aggressive immunosuppressive therapy including plasmapheresis and cyclophosphamide are poor. Advances in diagnostic techniques like the demonstration of immunopathologic evidence for antibody-mediated rejection by deposition of the complement split product C4d in tissue and detection of anti-HLA antibodies by flow cytometry will assist in further characterizing AMR. Immunosuppression targeting B-lymphocytes and use of m-TOR inhibitors to alter the predilection to develop TCAD and improve survival in AMR remains to be proven.