Quantitation of infectious myonecrosis virus in different tissues of naturally infected Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, using real-time PCR with SYBR Green chemistry

The Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, is the most important shrimp species in volume in world aquaculture. However, in recent decades, outbreaks of diseases, especially viral diseases, have led to significant economic losses, threatening the sustainability of shrimp farming worldwide. In 2004, Brazilian shrimp farming was seriously affected by a new disease caused by the Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV). Thus, disease control based on rapid and sensitive pathogen detection methods has become a priority. In this study, a specific quantitation method for IMNV was developed using real-time PCR with SYBR Green chemistry and viral load of the principal target tissues of chronically infected animals was quantified. The quantitative analysis revealed that mean viral load ranged from 5.08 × 10⁸ to 1.33 × 10⁶ copies/μg of total RNA in the hemolymph, 5.096 × 10⁵ to 1.26 × 10³ copies/μg in the pleopods, 6.85 × 10⁸ to 3.09 × 10⁴ copies/μg in muscle and 8.15 × 10⁶ to 3.90 × 10³ copies/μg in gills. Different viral loads of IMNV were found with greater values in the hemolymph and muscle, followed by the pleopods and gills.     

Splenic lymphangioma: A rare adult case with imaging features

This paper describes imaging findings of splenic lymphangioma in a 59-year-old female patient, together with a critical review of the literature. Lymphangioma exclusively in the spleen in adults is a rare event and, in most cases, it is asymptomatic.     

Myofibroblastic inflammatory breast tumor and fibrosarcoma: a case report

Myofibroblastic inflammatory tumors can occur in any human tissue. They are benign lesions and more common in young patients. We describe the case of a 41-year-old patient with a nodule measuring 2.5 x 1.5 cm in the superior lateral quadrant of the left breast. The pathological examination showed proliferation of the spindle cells in dense fascicles interspersed by colagen among frequent plasmocytes, lymphocytes and eosinophils, associated with scarce typical mitosis. In the same site ten years before the patient had undergone a nodulectomy and the diagnosis was a benign filloid tumor. The patient returned with a nodule in the surgical scar at follow-up and the incisional biopsy showed a malignant filloid tumor with a sarcomatous component. A mastectomy was performed.     

Bacterial vaginosis,aerobic vaginitis,vaginal inflammation and major Pap smear abnormalities

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of the vaginal milieu on the presence of abnormal Pap smears and a positive human papilloma virus (HPV) test. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2014 and May 2015, evaluating the vaginal discharge by fresh wet mount microscopy and comparing these data with Pap smear findings. Wet mount slides were scored for bacterial vaginosis (BV), aerobic vaginitis (AV), presence of Candida and Trichomonas vaginalis. Cytologic evaluation was done on all Pap smears according to the Bethesda criteria. The cobas© HPV Test (Roche) was performed for HPV detection. A total of 622 cases were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 41.6?±?10.65 years (range 21–75). Eighty-three women (13.3 %) had a cytology result worse than low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). When comparing this group with the one with normal or minor [atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) or LSIL] Pap smear abnormalities, there were no differences in the presence of Candida (32.5 % vs. 33.2 %, p?=?1.0), absence of lactobacilli (38.6 % vs. 32.5 %, p?=?0.32) or BV (20.5 % vs. 13.2 %, p?=?0.09). On the other hand, moderate or severe inflammation (msI) (41.0 % vs. 28.8 %, p?=?0,04), moderate or severe AV (msAV) (16.9 % vs. 7.2 %, p?=?0.009) and msAV/BV (37.3 % vs. 20.0 %, p?=?0.001) were more common in women with such major cervical abnormalities. No significant association was found between deviations of the vaginal milieu and high-risk HPV infection. The presence of msI or msAV, but not BV, is independently associated with an increased risk of major cervical cytological abnormalities, but not with HPV infection.     

希—内学习能力测验在中国聋儿中使用的信度和效度

采用经部分修改的希－内学习能力测验（Ｈ－ＮＴＬＡ）量表对全国２１个省、市、自治区１７５８名３－１７岁聋儿逐人测试。样本人群地区分布、家长职业构成与１９９０年全国人口普查资料一致。１７５８名聋儿智商呈现正态分布（ｇ１＝０．０１１Ｐ＞０．０５，ｇ２＝０．０５８Ｐ＞０．０５）。测试员间信度系数０．９８１（Ｎ＝２４），复测信度０．８４１（Ｎ＝１３６），分半信度０．９２７（３－８岁）及０．８５４（９－１７岁）。各分测验得分随年龄增加而增加，小年龄组增加明显，大年龄组增加缓慢。各分测验之间、各分测验和总离差智商之间大多数相关系数有显著统计学意义。智商与学习成绩（语文及数学）相关系数０．２０８（Ｐ＜０．０１Ｎ＝２２４），与教师评语等级相关系数０．４４（Ｐ＜０．０５ｄｆ＝１６），表明经修订的Ｈ－ＮＴＬＡ量表适用于中国听力语言障碍人群进行智力评定。     

Synergy between the genes for butyrylcholinesterase K variant and apolipoprotein E4 in late-onset confirmed Alzheimer's disease

The allelic frequency of the gene for the K variant of butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE-K) was 0.17 in 74 subjects with late-onset (age > 65 years) histopathologically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (AD), which was higher than the frequencies in 104 elderly control subjects (0.09), in 14 early-onset cases of confirmed AD (0.07) and in 29 confirmed cases of other dementia (0.10). The association of BCHE-K with late-onset AD was limited to carriers of the epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE), among whom the presence of BCHE-K gave an odds ratio of confirmed late-onset AD of 6.9 (95% C.I. 1.65-29) in subjects > 65 years and of 12.8 (1.9-86) in subjects > 75 years. In APOE epsilon 4 carriers over 75 years, only 1/22 controls, compared with 10/24 confirmed late-onset AD cases, had BCHE-K. We suggest that BCHE-K, or a nearby gene on chromosome 3, acts in synergy with APOE epsilon 4 as a susceptibility gene for late-onset AD.      

创伤病人的手术与焦虑状态调查

采用状态——特质焦虑问卷及１０项躯体性焦虑测试题，对４０例外科创伤病人手术前后的焦虑状态调查显示：术前状态焦虑量表评分显著高于术后；术前躯体性焦虑评分显著高于术后；高特质焦虑评分亚组与低特质焦虑评分亚组术前状态焦虑评分无显著差异，但术后则前者显著高于后者；急诊手术者手术前后状态焦虑评分显著高于择期手术者。     

Clinical implications of increased plasma levels of CD8 in patients with hairy cell leukemia

Plasma levels of soluble T-suppressor/cytotoxic antigen (sCD8) were measured at diagnosis or before systemic treatment in 69 patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL). The 49 nonsplenectomized patients were characterized by high concentrations of sCD8 antigen as compared with 17 controls (P less than .0001). The median sCD8 level in non- splenectomized patients was 1,050 U/mL (range: 160 to 2,400 U/mL) and was significantly higher (P less than .0001) than the median of 275 U/mL (range: 20 to 1,080 U/mL) in splenectomized patients. The relationship of sCD8 to clinical response to subsequent interferon alpha (IFN alpha) treatment was analyzed. Patients who showed subsequent hematologic response with normalization of all blood counts had significantly lower levels of sCD8 concentrations at diagnosis than those who did not (P = .0056). Furthermore, normalization of sCD8 during IFN alpha treatment paralleled the achievement of normal counts in peripheral blood, whereas soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels remained high in most patients after 12 to 15 months of treatment. We speculate that activation of suppressor/cytotoxic T cells might play a role in myelosuppression, and its modulation during treatment with IFN alpha correlates with normalization in peripheral blood counts.     

Bilateral occurrence of pheochromocytoma in patients with the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2A (Sipple's syndrome)

Two kindreds with the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A syndrome were studied. Of one of these we examined 150 members, 20 of whom were treated with thyroidectomy for medullary carcinoma and nine with bilateral adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. Of the second kindred 59 members were examined, seven of whom were thyroidectomized and seven treated with bilateral adrenalectomy. Pheochromocytomas were invariably found on both sides, even in four cases in which the adrenals on one side appeared to be completely normal, not only at preoperative roentgenologic examination but also on inspection during the operation. The microscopic finding of micronodules and a cluster of abnormal medullary cells identical with those found in pheochromocytomas in one of the apparently normal adrenals represents a first stage in the development of diffuse medullary hyperplasia as well as nodular hyperplasia. This is in accordance with the fact that in the MEN type 2A syndrome pheochromocytomas are always multicentric and multiple in origin. On the basis of these findings we conclude that all patients with the MEN 2A syndrome who show symptoms and signs of active pheochromocytoma should be subjected to bilateral adrenalectomy, even when one or both of the adrenals appear to be normal at roentgenologic investigation.