Genetic polymorphism of cytomegalovirus strains responsible of congenital infections

OBJECTIVES: Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the main cause of neurological handicap in young children. The objective for studying genetic polymorphism of strains responsible for congenital infection is to identify CMV strains or groups of strains which would be more frequent in this context and/or which would be responsible for more severe congenital infection. METHODS: In this paper, we report and analyze the literature concerning the genetic polymorphism of CMV strains responsible of congenital infection, in the genes coding for the envelop protein B and the non structural UL144 protein and in the CMV short tandem repeats. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All UL144 and gB genotypes can be vertically transmitted from mothers to fetuses, none of these studies has shown any link between the genotypes and the severity of congenital disease. Moreover, no link between short tandem repeats polymorphism and severity of congenital disease has been demonstrated. However, short tandem repeats analysis may be a powerful tool to study the epidemiology of CMV congenital infections.     

Striated intramural gallbladder lucencies on US studies: predictors of acute cholecystitis

Ultrasound scans of 51 consecutive patients with gallbladder wall thickening were reviewed, and specific sonographic features were correlated with surgical and clinical follow-up. Two patterns of thickening were identified as specific indicators of the presence or absence of acute cholecystitis. "Striated" wall thickening, consisting of several alternating, irregular, discontinuous, lucent and echogenic bands, was seen in eight of 13 patients (62%) with acute cholecystitis. This pattern was not encountered in any of the patients who did not have acute cholecystitis. Conversely, "three-layer" thickening, consisting of a single circumferential lucent zone between two relatively uniform echogenic layers, was seen in only one of 13 patients (8%) with acute cholecystitis but in 11 of 38 patients (29%) with other diagnoses. Other abnormalities, including the presence of intramural echogenic foci and wall irregularities, were more frequently seen in patients with acute cholecystitis but were not as helpful. Use of these features may suggest or help exclude a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in those patients in whom the cause of gallbladder wall thickening is otherwise not apparent.     

Interaction of the pesticide chlordimeform with adrenergic receptors in mouse brain: an in vitro study

Chlordimeform (N'(4-chloro-o-tolyl)-N, N-dimethylformamidine; CDM) is a formamidine insecticide/acaricide whose major active metabolite is its N-monomethyl analog, desmethylchlordimeform, (DCDM). While their pesticidal action in invertebrates appears to be related to activation of octopamine receptors, their mechanism of action in mammals has not been established. Because of similarities between octopamine and adrenergic receptors and suggestions of CDM and DCDM action on adrenoceptors, the in vitro interactions of CDM and DCDM with adrenoceptors were studied. In mouse brain membrane preparations CDM inhibited the binding of [³H]-clonidine to alpha₂- adrenoceptors and of [³H]-WB4101 to alpha₁-adrenoceptors with IC₅₀ values of 18.2 and 87 M, respectively. DCDM was a much more potent inhibitor, with IC₅₀ values toward alpha_2–, and alpha₁-adrenoceptors of 44 nM and 1 M, respectively. Both compounds were only weak inhibitors of the binding of [³H]-dihydroalprenolol to beta-adrenoceptors and of [³H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate to muscarinic receptors and were inactive toward benzodiazepines and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) receptors. Inhibition of [³H]-clonidine binding by both compounds was competitive, as indicated by a decreased receptor affinity without changes in receptor density. Interaction of CDM and DCDM with [³H]-WB4101 binding, on the other hand, was more complex, and not of the competitive type. These results show that CDM and its metabolite DCDM can interact directly in vitro with alpha-adrenergic receptors, suggesting that these receptors could mediate some of the effects of CDM and DCDM in vivo.     

Prognostic implications of expression of the cellular genes myc, fos, Ha-ras and Ki-ras in colon carcinoma

Messenger RNA levels of the c-fos, c-myc, c-Ha-ras and c-Ki-ras genes were studied in 39 tissue samples obtained from 17 patients undergoing surgery for colon carcinoma and other colon diseases. DNA extracted from the same samples was studied by Southern analysis. The tissues were tumors and grossly normal mucosa from each case and in some instances benign polyps and metastases. Our results indicate: (1) that 50% of cases studied show an increase in expression of at least one of the oncogenes studied; (2) that over-expression is not random, some cases over-expressing several of the genes studied; (3) that the expression pattern of the oncogenes studied varies between primary tumor and metastases; (4) that amplification is a rare event, being limited to one instance in which c-myc was amplified in a metastasis; (5) that cases which exhibit high levels of mRNA in one or more genes studied correlate with biologically aggressive tumors; and (6) that "non-expressors" are at higher risk for local recurrence based on correlations with mucin histochemistry.     

Effects of noradrenaline and somatostatin on basal and stimulated mucosal ion transport in the guinea-pig small intestine

Summary Noradrenaline (NA) and somatostatin (SOM) stimulate intestinal water and ion absorption and are found in mucosal nerve fibres and nerve terminals in submucous ganglia of the guinea-pig small intestine. As the main projection of submucous neurons is to the mucosa, NA and SOM might alter mucosal transport either by a direct effect on the epithelium or indirectly, by affecting submucous neurons. In this study these two possible sites of action of NA and SOM have been investigated in mucosa-submucosa preparations of guinea-pig ileum. In addition, the actions of NA and SOM on the secretory responses caused by stimulation of different populations of submucous neurons have been studied. The stimulants of secretion used were a nicotinic agonist, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP, 10^–5 M), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, 10^–7 M) and electrical field stimulation (EFS), which activate cholinergic, noncholinergic and mixed populations of submucous secretomotor neurons, respectively.Segments of intestine were dissected free of external muscle and myenteric plexus and mounted in Ussing chambers. Short-circuit current (I _sc) was measured as an indication of net active ion transport across the tissue. NA (10^–8 M) and SOM (>10^–10 M) each caused a decrease in I _sc, indicating a net increase in ion absorption. The NA response was abolished and the magnitude of the SOM response was reduced to 20% by tetrodotoxin (10^–7 M). DMPP, 5-HT and EFS each stimulated nerves that increased I _sc and each of these responses was significantly diminished by NA and SOM; for both NA and SOM the decrease in the DMPP response was significantly greater than the decrease observed in the response to carbachol (10^–6 M). Phentolamine (10^–6 M) abolished all of the effects of NA but caused no change in the SOM effects. These studies have shown that NA and SOM cause similar changes in net ion transport, that their actions are primarily on submucous secretomotor neurons and that NA and SOM can diminish the responses to stimulation of both cholinergic and noncholinergic submucous neurons.In this tissue it is also known that SOM coexists with NA in noradrenergic nerve terminals in the submucosa. However, when applied together, NA and SOM caused no greater decrement in the carbachol and 5-HT responses than would be predicted by adding the separate effects of NA and SOM. Hence there was no obvious interaction between NA and SOM effects on mucosal transport.     

Effects of sodium and GTP on the binding kinetics of [3H]diprenorphine in NG 108-15 cell membranes

Summary Equilibrium binding isotherms of [³H]diprenorphine in membranes from NG 108-15 cells are consistent with a homogenous population of binding sites. Upon addition of Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and GTP, only a 2-fold reduction in affinity with a minor decrease in the number of sites is observed. Dissociation curves of [³H]diprenorphine, however, are clearly biphasic: in the absence of Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and GTP, 80% of the bound ligand dissociates slowly with at _1/2 of 100 min, and only 20% rapidly (t _1/2 4.5 min). In the presence of Mg²⁺, nearly all the binding is found in the slowly dissociating form. Upon the addition of either Na⁺ or GTP, 20–30% of the binding dissociates more rapidly. The rate constant of the rapidly dissociating form generated by Na⁺, however, is 2.5 times greater than that induced by the presence of GTP. Thus, the addition of both, Na⁺ and GTP, converts about 80% of the receptor into a very fast dissociating form (t _1/2 1.7 min).Exposure of intact cells to pertussis toxin (10 ng/ml) or treatment of membranes with N-ethyl maleimide (500 M), strongly reduces the proportion of the slowly dissociating component. Following these treatments, the effect of GTP is reduced or abolished, but that of Na⁺ remains unaffected.We conclude from these data that the effects of Na⁺ and GTP are not only distinct in site but also in mechanism of action and that there are three forms of opioid receptors that can be differentiated by their kinetic properties. The slowly dissociating receptor form requires a functional N unit.     

Apamin distinguishes two types of relaxation mediated by enteric nerves in the guinea-pig gastrointestinal tract

Summary Eight smooth muscle preparations from the stomach, small intestine and large intestine of the guinea-pig were used to compare apamin's actions in reducing the effectiveness of transmission from enteric inhibitory nerves and in reducing responses to inhibitory agonists ,-methylene ATP, VIP and isoprenaline. The effects of apamin on inhibitory reflexes in the ileum and colon were also evaluated. Apamin had little or no effect on responses to VIP and isoprenaline in any region, but consistently and substantially reduced responses to ,-methylene ATP. Responses to stimulation of enteric inhibitory neurons were substantially reduced by apamin in the antrum circular muscle, ileum longitudinal and circular muscle, taenia coli and distal colon longitudinal muscle, but it was ineffective in the fundus circular muscle, proximal colon longitudinal muscle and distal colon circular muscle. It caused a small reduction of the relaxation of the ileal circular muscle caused reflexly by distension, but did not modify the similar descending inhibitory reflex in the circular muscle of the colon. It is concluded that apamin can be used to distinguish two types of non-noradrenergic transmission from enteric inhibitory nerves to gastrointestinal muscle. Furthermore, neither VIP nor ATP can be the sole transmitter chemical released from enteric inhibitory neurons throughout the gastrointestinal tract.     

Evaluation of toxic effects following administration of monoclonal antibody MBr1 in patients with breast cancer

Twelve patients with disseminated breast cancer were injected with monoclonal antibody MBr1 at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy, from January 1983 to March 1985. The first seven patients had advanced disease and the remaining five operable breast cancer. In the first seven patients the initial dosage of MBr1 was 0.5 mg and was doubled in the next patient up to 16 mg. The last five women received 10 mg of MBr1. No general side effects such as bronchospasm, hypotension, immediate or delayed allergic reactions were observed. Four patients who were injected with 10 mg or more experienced fever, shudder and vague abdominal and articular pain. The following tests were monitored: R.B.C., W.B.C., percentage of lymphocytes, blood glucose, urea nitrogen and creatinine, serum levels of Na+, K+, Cl-, total proteins levels, albumins and globulins, bilirubin, GOT, GPT, alkaline phosphatase, LDH, amylase, gamma GT and CPK. No major modifications were observed: a limited increase of the transaminases, LDH and gamma GT was evident at the last check. An early temporary alteration of CPK was observed in the four patients who had symptoms. Serum levels of MBr1 are detectable immediately after injection starting from 4 mg, and all sera were negative 48 hours later. It is concluded that the scanty toxicity allows to continue clinical investigations to verify the linkage between MBr1 and Ca-MBr1 "in vivo" after a single injection of no more than 16 mg of the MoAb. The increase of this dosage as well as multiple injections do not seem safe at present.     

Cesarean Delivery and Risk of Excess Weight Among Brazilian Preschool Children

Maternal and Child Health Journal - To study the relationship between cesarean Delivery (CD) and overweight in preschool children, considering the presence of birth aspects and demographic...     

Functional Health Literacy: Psychometric Properties of the Newest Vital Sign for Portuguese Adolescents (NVS-PTeen)

Self-management of health requires skills to obtain, process, understand, and use health-related information. Assessment of adolescents’ functional health literacy requires valid, reliable, and low-burden tools. The main objective of this study was to adapt and study the psychometric properties of the Newest Vital Sign for the Portuguese adolescents’ population (NVS-PTeen). Classic psychometric indicators of reliability and validity were combined with item response theory (IRT) analyses in a cross-sectional survey, complemented with a 3-month test-retest assessment. The NVS-PTeen was self-administered to students enrolled in grades 8 to 12 (12 to 17 years old) in a school setting. Overall, 386 students (191 girls) from 16 classes of the same school participated in the study (mean age = 14.5; SD = 1.5). Internal reliability of the NVS-PTeen was α = 0.60. The NVS-PTeen total score was positively and significantly correlated with Portuguese (r = 0.28) and mathematics scores (r = 0.31), school years (r = 0.31), and age (r = 0.19). Similar to the original scale (for the U.S.), the NVS-PTeen is composed of two dimensions, reading-related literacy and numeracy. Temporal reliability is adequate, though with a learning effect. IRT analyses revealed differences in difficulty and discriminative capacity among items, all with adequate outfit and infit values. Results showed that the NVS-PTeen is valid and reliable, sensible to inter-individual educational differences, and adequate for regular screening of functional health literacy in adolescents.