Local immune responses in sensitized sheep following challenge infection with Teladorsagia circumcincta

Sheep were sensitized by weekly infections with Teladorsagia circumcincta over a 9-week period. After a 12-week rest, sheep were divided into four groups and killed without challenge or 3, 5 and 10 days post challenge (DPC) with 50000 L3. Recovery of challenge larvae from abomasal scrapings was highest at 3 DPC while no parasites were recovered by 10 DPC. Abomasal lymph nodes (ALN) of challenged sheep were significantly larger at 5 DPC, coinciding with an increase in the proportion of CD4 T cells and a decrease in CD21+ cells, probably reflecting the loss of CD21 from terminally differentiated antibody secreting cells. A significant increase was observed in gammadelta-TCR+ cells at 3 DPC in the ALN, while their number slightly decreased in the abomasal tissues throughout the challenge period. The number of tissue eosinophils was dramatically increased after challenge compared with the unchallenged controls, with a peak at 3 DPC, coinciding with the peak in larval recovery. CD4+ cells significantly increased in the abomasal tissues at 5 DPC, while no changes in globule leucocytes were observed until 10 DPC. Antibody-secreting cell probes (ASC-probes) generated from the ALN showed highest reactivity against larval antigens at 5 DPC. This reactivity was predominantly directed against regions between 90 and 100 kDa and 30-35 kDa in the L3 preparation and lower molecular weight antigens in the L4. No reactivity was observed against the adult extract. The 30-35 kDa antigen seemed to exist as a high molecular weight complex in L3 homogenate and was not susceptible to protease K treatment, suggesting it may be non-protein in nature.     

老年冠心病合并糖尿病患者雷帕霉素洗脱支架置入术后5年随访研究

目的探讨老年冠心病合并糖尿病患者经皮冠状动脉介入（PCI）置入雷帕霉素洗脱支架（SES）治疗的远期疗效。 方法回顾性随机入选2003年1月至2007年12月住院期间老年冠心病合并糖尿病患者行PCI 100例,并入选同时期100例无糖尿病的冠心病患者行PCI为对照组。随访5年,随访包括心绞痛复发、死亡、心肌梗死、卒中和再次血运重建的主要不良心脑血管事件。结果 两组支架术成功率均为100%。随访率100%,随访5年,糖尿病组与非糖尿病组术后并发症发生率（8.0%、7.0%）、卒中发生率（5%、3.0%）、心源性死亡率（0%、0%）差异无显著性（均为ρ〉0.05）。再次血运重建率（30.0%、14.0%）、非致死性心肌梗塞（6.0%、2.0%）心绞痛复发率（42%、20%）、全因死亡率（10%、2.0%）糖尿病组高于非糖尿病组;但心源性病死率均为0%。结论：老年患者选择性冠脉内置入药物洗脱支架安全,成功率高,远期疗效尚好,但糖尿病仍是远期不良预后的独立预测因素。     

No changes in time trial performance of master endurance athletes after 4 weeks on a low carbohydrate diet

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a 4-week low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet regimen on body weight, exercise performance and hormonal response to running in master athletes. Six endurance master athletes performed three 30-min time trials, before (TT1), after 15 days (TT2) and after 30 days (TT3) on a low CHO diet. Blood samples were collected for hormonal and lactate measurements. After 15 days body weight had decreased (TT1 72.3 ± 2.4 kg, TT2 70.0 ± 2.7 kg; P = 0.006) and then remained stable. No differences were observed in performance (TT1 7,015 ± 273 m, TT2 6,920 ± 286 m, TT3 7,202 ± 315 m) and in the insulin/glucagon ratio. After 2 and 4 weeks, adrenocorticotropic hormone decreased significantly both at rest (baseline: TT1 42.5 ± 7.8 pg·ml^?1, TT3 21.6 ± 3.2 pg·ml^?1) and during exercise (end of exercise: TT1 120 ± 20 pg·ml^?1, TT2 80 ± 16 pg·ml^?1, TT3 31 ± 2 pg·ml^?1). Baseline cortisol concentrations had increased significantly after as little as 15 days on the low CHO diet. The results of the present study demonstrate no changes in time trial performance in master endurance athletes after 4 weeks on a low CHO diet. However, an effect on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis emerged.     

Childhood Pityriasis Rosea

Abstract: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute, self‐limiting papulosquamous disorder of unknown etiology. Published studies of childhood PR are scarce and most are reviews. The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical features of childhood PR.     

Activation of uterine intraepithelial γδ T cell receptor-positive lymphocytes during pregnancy

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) of the uterus of non-pregnant sheep were analyzed by single- and two-color flow cytometry. Very few lymphocytes carrying classical B and T cell markers (CD5, surface immunoglobulin) were detected in the uterine epithelial cell suspensions and all IEL expressed the CD8 surface marker although with varying intensities. Three distinct subpopulations were identified including a major (46-56%) population of CD8⁺CD45R^?γδ T cell receptor (TcR)-negative cells and approximately equal numbers of CD8⁺CD45R+γδTcR^? and CD8⁺CD45R⁺γδTcR⁺ lymphocytes. The same three subpopulations were also present in the interplacentomal areas of the uterus of ewes at a late stage of pregnancy but there was a dramatic increase (60-70%) in the γδ TcR⁺ subpopulation. In addition, a pronounced increase in both size and granularity was observed in the IEL population of pregnant uteri and this was attributed to the γδ TcR⁺ cells. Light and electron microscopic examination of these γδ TcR⁺ IEL revealed an increase in metabolic activity and the formation of exceptionally large cytoplasmic granules and confirmed their restricted localization within the uterine epithelium close to the trophoblast. These results represent for the first time, a clear example of the activation of γδ TcR⁺ cells which is not associated with an ongoing disease process or infection, γδ TcR⁺ cells have recently been observed in the epithelium of the murine reproductive tract and were characterized by their unique homogeneous receptor structure. The present results indicate that these cells may play an important physiological role during pregnancy.     

宁夏贝母化学成分的研究

从宁夏贝母(Frdillapia taipaiensis P. Y. Li var. ningxiaensis Y. K. Yang et. J. K. Wu)的鳞茎中分得六个异甾体生物碱成分,鉴定为宁贝素(taipaienine,Ⅰ)、川贝酮(chuanbeinone,Ⅱ)、西贝素(imperialine,Ⅲ)、贝母乙素(verticinone,Ⅳ)、贝母辛(peimissine,Ⅴ)和异贝母甲素(isoverticine,Ⅵ).其中T为一新C-去甲-D-高甾生物碱。应用波谱分析(IR,MS,¹HNMR和¹³CNMR)等确定了它们的化学结构。     

Congenital middle-ear deafness: CT study

Computed tomography (CT) was used to study 25 patients with congenital conductive hearing loss and normal external auditory canals. Deformities were subdivided according to ossicular, fenestral, and cholesteatomatous origin. Isolated ossicular deformities were found in 14 patients (five bilateral), cholesteatoma in eight, oval-window nondevelopment (with ossicular deformity) in one, and normal studies in two (congenital stapes fixation at the level of the annular ligament). Ossicular deformities may be subdivided into incudostapedial disconnections into incudostapedial disconnections (most common), malleoincudal fixations, and stapes fixations. Most are due to developmental anomaly of the first or second branchial arch. The stapes has a dual origin (second arch and otic capsule). A cholesteatoma is defined as congenital only if there is no history of otitis and the tympanic membrane is intact. In this series, six were in the middle ear proper, and two were within the attic beyond otoscopic view. Their CT appearance, with one exception, was essentially identical to that of acquired lesions.     

Social characteristics of urban cafe guests in Norway

Which factors may influence the number of hours spent per week in cafes, and the amount of alcohol consumed in licensed premises, by urban cafe guests in Norway? In 1991 a comprehensive questionnaire survey was undertaken among 1053 visitors to 41 licensed cafes in Oslo, Norway. The five most important predictors of time spent in cafes were: household situation (β=0.20), occupation (β= 0.18), personal economic resources and sex (both β= 0.15) and age (β= 0.11). These factors were also significant predictors of the number of days during the past 4 weeks the respondents had drunk jour glasses or more of alcohol in cafes. Men, people living with others, people with poor economic resources and people not engaged in paid employment or education were the ones who reported spending the most hours per week and the most episodes of “heavy” drinking in cafes during a 4-week period. Visiting and drinking in cafes may be a way of structuring everyday life.     

Outcome of the treatment of invasive non-transitional cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the treatment outcomes of non-transitional cell carcinoma (non-TCC) cases after radical cystectomy. METHODS: Radical cystectomy was performed in 259 invasive bladder cancer patients in our department and of these, 59 (22.7%) were non-TCC. Primary squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), adenocarcinomas and undifferentiated cancers (UC) were grouped as non-TCC of the bladder. Of the 59 non-TCC; 32 SCC, 20 UC, five adenocarcinoma and two sarcomatoid tumor cases were demonstrated. RESULTS: The 5-year disease-specific survival rate of TCC and non-TCC cases were 48.9 and 28.2%, respectively (P = 0.0016). The 5-year disease-specific survival rates of SCC and UC were 25.1 and 23.4%, respectively. The median survival time of SCC, UC and adenocarcinoma cases were 19, 12 and 6 months, respectively (P = 0.4579). The disease-specific survival rates of TCC and non-TCC cases at stage pT2NoMo were 79.1 and 27.2%, respectively (P = 0.0000). The median survival time of SCC, UC and adenocarcinoma cases were 19, 12 and 13.3 months, respectively, for the same stage. The survival time of TCC, SCC and UC cases at stage pT3NoMo were 23, 26 and 45 months, respectively (P = 0.2307). The median survival time at stages pT2-3N1Mo for the same groups were 18, 16 and 11 months, respectively (P = 0.0939). CONCLUSION: The study presented here demonstrates that both TCC and non-TCC cases have poor survival rates in locally advanced disease and that at the pT2NoMo stage the prognosis of non-TCC cases is poor when compared with TCC cases.     

Effects of malnutrition on the erythrocyte fatty acid composition and plasma vitamin E levels of Pakistani children

Abstract Erythrocyte fatty acids and plasma vitamin E concentrations were determined in 47 grade 2 and 21 grade 3 malnourished Pakistani children (ages 4–56 months). Data were compared with those of 26 age- and sex-matched apparently healthy controls. Evaluation with three statistical approaches revealed that both grade 2 and grade 3 malnourished children had decreased erythrocyte ω6 fatty acids and to a lesser extent decreased ω3 fatty acids. These decreases were compensated for by increased ω9 fatty acids. The patients tended to have lower plasma vitamin E concentrations. We conclude that malnourished Pakistani children have low essential fatty acid status, notably those of the ω6 series. The combination of low erythrocyte 22:6ω3 and a low 22:5ω6/22:4ω6 ratio in grade 2 patients suggests low Δ4-desaturation activity, which may be due to impaired peroxisomal β-oxidation.