Allergenicity of the osmophilic fungus Aspergillus restrictus evaluated by skin prick test and radioallergosorbent test

Recently large amounts of Aspergillus restrictus, a species of osmophilic fungi, have been detected in house dust using culture media with low water activity. But little attention has been paid to this fungus as an allergen. In the present study, the authors examined the allergenic activity of A. restrictus by skin prick tests and radioallergosorbent tests (RAST) on 94 asthmatic patients (mean age 12.0, range 3-18). Aspergillus fumigatus, Alternaria alternata and house dust were used for comparison. In the skin prick tests, A. restrictus, A. fumigatus, A. alternata and house dust elicited positive reactions in 8 (8.5%), 8 (8.5%), 15 (16.0%) and 69 (73.4%) patients, respectively. RAST showed positive reactions in 27 (28.7%) subjects for A. restrictus, 22 (23.4%) for A. fumigatus, 35 (37.2%) for A. alternata, and 75 (79.8%) for house dust. These results indicated that some asthmatic individuals showed immediate-type hypersensitivity to A. restrictus, and the prevalence of hypersensitivity of A. restrictus determined by skin prick tests and RAST was comparable with that of A. fumigatus but lower than that of A. alternata or house dust. This indicates that this fungal species may be of importance as a causative agent in atopic diseases.     

Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise plus dietary restriction on body composition,resting energy expenditure and aerobic fitness in mildly obese middle-aged women

This study investigated the effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise plus voluntary food restriction on the body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and aerobic fitness of mildly obese middle-aged women. The subjects were randomly assigned to exercise/diet (n = 17) or control (n = 15) groups. The exercise/diet group participated in an aerobic training programme, 45–60 min · day ^–1 at 50%–60% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), 3–4 days · week^–1, and also adopted a self-regulated energy deficit relative to predicted energy requirements (–1.05 MJ · day ^–1 to –1.14 MJ · day ^–1 ). After the regimen had been followed for 12 weeks, the body mass of the subjects had decreased by an average of 4.5 kg, due mainly to fat loss, with little change of fat free mass (m _ff). The absolute RMR did not change, but the experimental group showed significant increases in the RMR per unit of body mass (10%) and the RMR per unit of m _ff (4%). The increase in RMR/m _ff was not correlated with any increase in VO_2max/m _ff. The resting heat production per unit of essential body mass increased by an average of 21%, but the resting heat production rate per unit of fat tissue mass remained unchanged. We concluded that aerobic exercise enhances the effect of moderate dietary restriction by augmenting the metabolic activity of lean tissue.     

ASO Visual Abstract: Influence of Damaged Stomach on Anastomotic Leakage After Cervical Esophagogastrostomy for Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Annals of Surgical Oncology -     

Is the Gauer-Henry reflex important for immersion diuresis in men?

BACKGROUND: This study examines the relationship between the threshold for plasma vasopressin concentration [PVP] responses and diuresis (Gauer-Henry reflex), and tests the hypothesis that water intake would not influence diuresis. METHODS: Eight men (19-25 yr) underwent four treatments: euhydration in air (Eu-air), euhydration in water immersion (Eu-H2O), and with prior 3.6% hypohydration in air (Hypo-air), and hypohydration in immersion (Hypo-H2O). Ad libitum drinking was allowed during the 3-h experimental and 1-h recovery periods. RESULTS: Drinking was greatest during the first 10 min: 3.5 ml x kg(-1) with Hypo-air (450 ml x 3 h(-1)) and only 1.7 ml x kg(-1) (p < 0.05) with Hypo-H2O (235 ml x 3 h(-1)). At 1 h, concomitant [PVP] decreased from a control level of 6.6+/-1.5 to 4.0+/-1 .0 pg x ml(-1) (delta = 2.6 pg x ml(-1), p < 0.05) with Hypo-air, and from 5.9+/-0.6 to 2.3+/-0.2 pg x ml(-1) (delta = 3.6 pg x ml(-1), p < 0.05) with Hypo-H2O. Urine flow was unchanged from control level (<1.0 ml x min(-1)) with Hypo-air, Hypo-H2O, and Eu-air, but increased to 4-5 ml x min(-1) with Eu-H2O. Neither water intake volume nor urine flow was related to the magnitude of [PVP] depression. Regression of Uosm/Posm ratio on [PVP] and urine flow indicated that [PVP] above 2 pg x ml(-1) did not affect urine flow. Thus, ad libitum water intake in previously hypohydrated subjects did not affect urine flow or the decrease in [PVP]. The threshold [PVP] to initiate significant diuresis was about 2 pg x ml(-1), and significant diuresis can occur with no change in [PVP] maintained at about 1 pg x ml(-1) during immersion in euhydrated subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, it appears that the Gauer-Henry reflex is not the major mechanism for immersion-induced diuresis. Clearly, other diuretic factors are also involved.     

Magnetic resonance imaging and histologic evidence of postoperative back muscle injury in rats

STUDY DESIGN: Postoperative back muscle injury was evaluated in rats by magnetic resonance imaging and histologic analyses. OBJECTIVE: To compare the magnetic resonance imaging manifestation of back muscle injury with the histologic findings in rats and to subsequently clarify the histopathologic appearance of the high intensity regions on T2-weighted images in human postoperative back muscles. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In a previous study, it was found that the signal intensity on T2-weighted images of the postoperative back muscles was increased in patients who had postsurgical lumbar muscle impairment, especially in those with a prolonged surgery duration. However, the specific histopathologic changes that cause the high signal intensity on T2-weighted images remain unclear. METHODS: Rats were divided into three groups: sham operation group, 1-hour retraction group, and 2-hour retraction group. Magnetic resonance imaging and histology of the multifidus muscles were examined before surgery and at 2, 7, and 21 days after surgery. RESULTS: T2-weighted imaging was more useful than T1-weighted imaging to estimate back muscle injury. The high signal intensity of the multifidus muscles on T2-weighted images remained 21 days after surgery only in the 2-hour retraction group. Histologically, the regeneration of the multifidus muscles was complete at 21 days after surgery in the 1-hour retraction group, but the regenerated muscle fibers in the 2-hour retraction group had a small diameter, and the extracellular fluid space remained large. CONCLUSION: The high signal intensity on T2-weighted images of the postoperative multifidus muscles in the regenerative phase may be due to an increased extracellular space and incomplete muscle fiber regeneration.     

Prognostic significance of entrapped liver cells in hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE: To correlate the microscopic finding of entrapped liver cells in hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer with outcome after hepatectomy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Reliable histopathologic prognostic factors in resected liver metastases from colorectal cancer have not been identified. METHODS: Seventy-one patients undergoing radical hepatectomy for liver metastases were assigned to rare (n = 36) or frequent (n = 35) groups according to the microscopically observed frequency of hepatocyte entrapment in the tumor. RESULTS: Five-year survival rates after hepatectomy were 44. 4% for the rare group and 27.2% for the frequent group. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model by a stepwise method identified this morphologic variable as a significant independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of entrapped liver cells in metastases from colorectal cancer reflects the biologic activity of the tumor and may be a useful prognostic indicator.     

Dendritic cells fused with allogeneic colorectal cancer cell line present multiple colorectal cancer-specific antigens and induce antitumor immunity against autologous tumor cells.

The aim of antitumor immunotherapy is to induce CTL responses against autologous tumors. Previous work has shown that fusion of human dendritic cells and autologous tumor cells induce CTL responses against autologous tumor cells in vitro. However, in the clinical setting of patients with colorectal carcinoma, a major difficulty is the preparation of sufficient amounts of autologous tumor cells. In the present study, autologous dendritic cells from patients with colorectal carcinoma were fused to allogeneic colorectal tumor cell line, COLM-6 (HLA-A2(-)/HLA-24(-)), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)(+), and MUC1(+) as an alternative strategy to deliver shared colorectal carcinoma antigens to dendritic cells. Stimulation of autologous T cells by the fusion cells generated with autologous dendritic cells (HLA-A2(+) and/or HLA-A24(+)) and allogeneic COLM-6 resulted in MHC class I- and MHC class II-restricted proliferation of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, high levels of IFN-gamma production in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and the simultaneous induction of CEA- and MUC1-specific CTL responses restricted by HLA-A2 and/or HLA-A24. Finally, CTL induced by dendritic cell/allogeneic COLM-6 fusion cells were able to kill autologous colorectal carcinoma by HLA-A2- and/or HLA-A24-restricted mechanisms. The demonstration of CTL activity against shared tumor-associated antigens using an allogeneic tumor cell line, COLM-6, provides that the presence of alloantigens does not prevent the development of CTL with activity against autologous colorectal carcinoma cells. The fusion of allogeneic colorectal carcinoma cell line and autologous dendritic cells could have potential applicability to the field of antitumor immunotherapy through the cross-priming against shared tumor antigens and provides a platform for adoptive immunotherapy.