A biomarker for tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis based on a recombinant Leishmania hypothetical protein

The measures for leishmaniasis control include the precise diagnosis of disease. However, although several recombinant antigens have been tested with this biotechnological purpose, no effective product exists, which could detects patients with the active disease, as well as differentiates them from cured and treated patients. In this study, a conserved Leishmania hypothetical protein, which was identified in Leishmania infantum parasites, but evaluated to presents high homology in the amino acid sequences between distinct parasite species, was evaluated for the diagnosis of tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis. In addition, PBMCs collected from treated and untreated mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients, as well as in healthy subjects living in endemic region of disease, were in vitro stimulated, when IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 levels were evaluated in the cell supernatant. Regarding the serological analyses, ELISA experiments using the recombinant protein (rLiHyL) and a human serological panel revealed high sensitivity and specificity values to detect both diseases, while control antigens showed worst results. Regarding the cellular response, results showed that rLiHyL-stimulated cells produced higher IFN-γ and lower IL-4 and IL-10 levels in the supernatants. Also, the anti-protein antibody production was evaluated in these patients, and data showed higher IgG2 and lower IgG1 levels found in the treated patients and healthy controls, demonstrating the stimulation of a Th1-type response induced by the rLiHyL protein. In conclusion, this hypothetical protein can be considered as antigenic in TL and VL, as well as a vaccine candidate to be tested in future studies to protect against disease.     

Short-term storage of freshly harvested bone

An in vitro study was designed to test effects of various graft storage media on glucose metabolism and collagen synthesis of embryonic chick tibiae, using these variables as indices of bone cell viability. Normal saline solution, distilled water, and 5% dextrose in lactated Ringer's solution were evaluated after a 5-hour incubation and again after a 3-day recovery period in a complete culture medium. The study suggests that bone grafts may be stored in normal saline solution or 5% dextrose in lactated Ringer's solution for up to 5 hours. Normal saline solution is recommended because of fewer deleterious effects. Distilled water should not be used as a storage medium for bone grafts.     

Dental predictors of high caries increment in children.

A comprehensive set of dental variables was investigated to find the "best" combination of predictors for high caries increment in 7/8-year-old and 10/11-year-old children. Four populations with widely different caries prevalence were studied. Logistic regression analysis supplied multiple-input models by stepwise selection of predictors. A "low number of sound primary molars" was the best and most consistent predictor of high caries increment. The second best predictors were "high numbers of pre-cavity lesions on permanent first molars" (discolored pits and fissures in the younger age group and white spots on the smooth parts of buccolingual surfaces in the older age group). Inclusion of radiological variables did not substantially increase the quality of prediction. For practical application, models with various multiple inputs selected by stepwise procedures were compared with "fixed" three-input models. These three-input models resulted in predictive quality nearly equal to those of the multiple models. Traditional one-input models, containing DMFT or dmft, were inferior to the three-input models, particularly in the older age class. The lower the caries prevalence of the source data, the better was the prediction. As a summary measure characterizing the predictive performance of a model, we used the index "area under the receiver operating characteristic curve" A. For the 1984 data and the three-input models, the area was approximately 80%, and for the 1972 data, the area was 65-70%.     

Odontogenic infection leading to cervical emphysema and fatal mediastinitis

A case of fatal mediastinitis following an odontogenic infection has been presented. The anatomic pathways through fascial planes from the mouth to the mediastinum have been reviewed. The causes of cervical emphysema when the oral cavity is an entry site have been discussed. Usually this process is benign, but the possibility that gas-forming anaerobes could be present in the emphysema and that insidious mediastinitis could concurrently occur is stressed. The presence of Bacteroides asaccharolyticus in the anaerobic cultures from the submandibular and chest abscesses, and the recovery of aerobic organisms, leads to speculation about a synergistic action between these organisms.     

Myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle: Review of the literature and report of two additional cases

Myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle is uncommon. The condition is benign and results in reactive heterotopic bone formation, usually producing limitation of opening of the jaws. Radiographic and microscopic examination can confirm the diagnosis. Treatment of myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle is surgical, with other modalities used when occurring in other muscles of the body     

The Maternal Adversity,Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment Project: Theory and Methodology

Objective:

To describe the theory and methodology of the multi-wave, prospective Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN) study. The goal of MAVAN is to examine the pre- and postnatal influences, and their interaction, in determining individual differences in mental health.

Method:

MAVAN is a community-based, birth cohort study of pregnant Canadian mothers and their offspring. Dyads are assessed longitudinally, with multiple assessments of both mother and child in home and laboratory across the child’s development. Study measures, including assessments of cognitive and emotional function, are described. The study uses a candidate gene approach to examine gene–environment interdependence in specific developmental outcomes. Finally, the study includes measures of both brain-based phenotypes and metabolism to explore comorbidities associated with child obesity. One of the unique features of the MAVAN protocol is the extensive measures of the mother–child interaction. The relation between these measures will be discussed.

Results:

Evidence from the MAVAN project shows interesting results about maternal care, families, and child outcomes. In our review, preliminary analyses showing the correlations between measures of maternal care are reported. As predicted, early evidence suggests that maternal care measures are positively correlated, over time.

Conclusions:

This review provides evidence for the feasibility and value of laboratory-based measures embedded within a longitudinal birth cohort study. Though retention of the samples has been a challenge of MAVAN, they are within a comparable range to other studies of this nature. Indeed, the trade-off of somewhat greater participant burden has allowed for a rich database. The results yielded from the MAVAN project will not only describe typical development but also possible targets for intervention. Understanding certain endophenotypes will shed light on the pathogenesis of various mental and physical disorders, as well as their interrelation.     

Identification of Subgroups of Schizophrenia Patients With Changes in Either Immune or Growth Factor and Hormonal Pathways

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder normally diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. However, these criteria do not necessarily reflect differences in underlying molecular abnormalities of the disorder. Here, we have used multiplexed immunoassay analyses to measure immune molecules, growth factors, and hormones important to schizophrenia in acutely ill antipsychotic-naive patients (n = 180) and matched controls (n = 398). We found that using the resulting molecular profiles, we were capable of separating schizophrenia patients into 2 significantly distinct subgroups with predominant molecular abnormalities in either immune molecules or growth factors and hormones. These molecular profiles were tested using an independent cohort, and this showed the same separation into 2 subgroups. This suggests that distinct abnormalities occur in specific molecular pathways in schizophrenia patients. This may be of relevance for intervention studies that specifically target particular molecular mechanisms and could be a first step to further define the complex schizophrenia syndrome based on molecular profiles.Key words: schizophrenia, subtypes, diagnosis, molecular profiling, immune factors, growth factors