Lytic Growth of Human Herpesvirus 8: Morphological Aspects

The human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, is a gamma herpesvirus associated with AIDS-related body cavity-based lymphomas (BCBL), also called primary effusion lymphomas (PEL). These are a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in which HHV-8 is present, often associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. HHV-8 is also present in a latent state or in a state of low-level persistence in different primary effusion lymphoma-derived cell lines, such BCBL-1 cells, that lack EBV infection. This cell line was induced to produce mature virions by treatment with 12- O -tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the characteristic ultrastructural features of HHV-8 lytic replication were identified and compared to those of the other members of Herpesviridae family.     

Worrisome Trend of New Multiple Mechanisms of Linezolid Resistance in Staphylococcal Clones Diffused in Italy

In order to assess the frequency of clinically relevant linezolid-resistant staphylococcal isolates, and the role of linezolid in maintaining and coselecting multiple resistance mechanisms (cfr, 23S rRNA, L3/L4 mutations), a prospective Italian study was performed from 2010 to 2011 to confirm the diffusion of three major multidrug-resistant clones (ST2, ST5, ST23).     

Lack of evidence for an association between seminoma and human papillomavirus infection using GP5+/GP6+ consensus primers

Testicular germ cell tumors account for about 1% of all cancers. The incidence of these tumors is increasing and they represent the most common solid malignancies of young men aged 15–40 years with seminoma being one of the most common histotype. Pathogenesis of testicular germ cell tumors remains unknown and, although cryptorchidism is considered the main risk factor, there is evidence of an association with environmental and genetic risk factors. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a family of DNA viruses and represent a major risk factor for cervical cancer. In addition, they have been associated with other human non‐malignant and malignant diseases, including breast and head and neck cancer. HPV sequences have been detected throughout the male lower genitourinary tract as well as in seminal fluid and an increased testicular tumorigenesis has been reported in HPV transgenic mice. Aim of this study was to evaluate the potential involvement of HPV in human testicular tumorigenesis. Real‐time PCR employing GP5+/GP6+ consensus HPV primers was used to examine the presence of HPV sequences in a subset of human seminoma (n = 61) and normal testicles (n = 23). None of the specimens tested displayed the presence of HPV DNA. These findings do not support an association between HPV and human seminoma and warrant further studies to assess definitively the role of these viruses in human testicular tumorigenesis. J. Med. Virol. 85:105–109, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Candida guilliermondii: biotechnological applications, perspectives for biological control, emerging clinical importance and recent advances in genetics

Candida guilliermondii (teleomorph Meyerozyma guilliermondii) is an ascomycetous species belonging to the Saccharomycotina CTG clade which has been studied over the last 40 years due to its biotechnological interest, biological control potential and clinical importance. Such a wide range of applications in various areas of fundamental and applied scientific research has progressively made C. guilliermondii an attractive model for exploring the potential of yeast metabolic engineering as well as for elucidating new molecular events supporting pathogenicity and antifungal resistance. All these research fields now take advantage of the establishment of a useful molecular toolbox specifically dedicated to C. guilliermondii genetics including the construction of recipient strains, the development of selectable markers and reporter genes and optimization of transformation protocols. This area of study is further supported by the availability of the complete genome sequence of the reference strain ATCC 6260 and the creation of numerous databases dedicated to gene ontology annotation (metabolic pathways, virulence, and morphogenesis). These genetic tools and genomic resources represent essential prerequisites for further successful development of C. guilliermondii research in medical mycology and in biological control by facilitating the identification of the multiple factors that contribute to its pathogenic potential. These genetic and genomic advances should also expedite future practical uses of C. guilliermondii strains of biotechnological interest by opening a window into a better understanding of the biosynthetic pathways of valuable metabolites.     

Gut microbiota imbalance and chaperoning system malfunction are central to ulcerative colitis pathogenesis and can be counteracted with specifically designed probiotics: a working hypothesis

In this work, we propose that for further studies of the physiopathology and treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases, an integral view of the conditions, including the triad of microbiota–heat shock proteins (HSPs)–probiotics, ought to be considered. Microbiota is the complex microbial flora that resides in the gut, affecting not only gut functions but also the health status of the whole body. Alteration in the microbiota’s composition has been implicated in a variety of pathological conditions (e.g., ulcerative colitis, UC), involving both gut and extra-intestinal tissues and organs. Some of these pathologies are also associated with an altered expression of HSPs (chaperones) and this is the reason why they may be considered chaperonopathies. Probiotics, which are live microorganisms able to restore the correct, healthy equilibrium of microbiota composition, can ameliorate symptoms in patients suffering from UC and modulate expression levels of HSPs. However, currently probiotic therapy follows ex-adiuvantibus criteria, i.e., treatments with beneficial effects but whose mechanism of action is unknown, which should be changed so the probiotics needed in each case are predetermined on the basis of the patient’s microbiota. Consequently, efforts are necessary to develop diagnostic tools for elucidating levels and distribution of HSPs and the microbiota composition (microbiota fingerprint) of each subject and, thus, guide specific probiotic therapy, tailored to meet the needs of the patient. Microbiota fingerprinting ought to include molecular biology techniques for sequencing highly conserved DNA, e.g., genes encoding 16S RNA, for species identification and, in addition, quantification of each relevant microbe.     

Effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on proliferation and polyamine metabolism in HGC-27 human gastric and DLD-1 colonic cancer cell lines

Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that lactobacilli can exert antiproliferative effects on the gastrointestinal epithelium. However, their role in affecting the cellular proliferative mechanisms is not completely clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing concentrations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (L. GG) homogenate on cell growth and proliferation (by MTT, [³H]-thymidine incorporation and polyamine biosynthesis) in neoplasms originating from different gastrointestinal tracts. Thus, HGC-27 human gastric cancer cells and DLD-1 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells were evaluated. Besides, in order to verify which bacterial fraction was involved in the antiproliferative effects, the cytoplasm and cell wall extracts were tested separately. Gastric HGC-27 and colonic DLD-1 cells showed significant differences in their proliferative behavior, in particular in their polyamine profile and biosynthesis. Notwithstanding, one and the other proved to be sensitive to the growth inhibition by the highest concentrations of bacterial homogenate. Both HGC-27 and DLD-1 cells were resistant to the bacterial cell wall fractions, whereas increasing cytoplasm fraction concentrations induced an evident antiproliferative effect. These data suggest that cytoplasm extracts could be the responsible for L. GG action on proliferation in these two cell lines from gastric and colonic neoplasms.     

Amyloid beta and the longest-lived rodent: the naked mole-rat as a model for natural protection from Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid beta (Aβ) is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) as an integral component of both neural toxicity and plaque formation. Brains of the longest-lived rodents, naked mole-rats (NMRs) approximately 32 years of age, had levels of Aβ similar to those of the 3xTg-AD mouse model of AD. Interestingly, there was no evidence of extracellular plaques, nor was there an age-related increase in Aβ levels in the individuals examined (2–20+ years). The NMR Aβ peptide showed greater homology to the human sequence than to the mouse sequence, differing by only 1 amino acid from the former. This subtle difference led to interspecies differences in aggregation propensity but not neurotoxicity; NMR Aβ was less prone to aggregation than human Aβ. Nevertheless, both NMR and human Aβ were equally toxic to mouse hippocampal neurons, suggesting that Aβ neurotoxicity and aggregation properties were not coupled. Understanding how NMRs acquire and tolerate high levels of Aβ with no plaque formation could provide useful insights into AD, and may elucidate protective mechanisms that delay AD progression.     

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on sleep quality in university students and administration staff

Journal of Neurology - In Italy, lockdown due to COVID-19 health emergency started on March 10 and partially ended on May 3rd, 2020. There was a significant increase of psychological distress and...     

A Review on Joint Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Plaque Area Measurement in Ultrasound for Cardiovascular/Stroke Risk Monitoring: Artificial Intelligence Framework

Journal of Digital Imaging - Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the top ten leading causes of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis disease in the arteries is the main cause of the CVD, leading to...