Differences in bovine parainfluenza 3 virus variants studied by monoclonal antibodies against viral glycoproteins

We previously showed that of three bovine parainfluenza 3 virus strains the M strain, which is neurovirulent for young mice, has an extensive syncytium-inducing activity, whereas avirulent SC and 910N strains are weak in this activity. It was also demonstrated that both M and SC strains have very low hemagglutination and neuraminidase activities, while the 910N strain shows these activities to high levels. In the present study, monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were raised against the glycoproteins of the 910N strain, and utilized to further characterize these three viral strains. Five Mabs against the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein, which were classified into four different epitope-recognizing groups, neutralized the M strain much more effectively than the 910N and SC strains, while the Mabs showed lower hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers against the M and SC strains than the 910N strain. Three Mabs against the fusion protein neutralized the M strain but not the 910N and SC strains, while they showed no HI activity against any of these strains. These findings suggested that the M strain is considerably different from other strains in the structure of the viral envelope proteins.     

Increased variability of axonal excitability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Objective

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterised by the increased excitability of motoneurons and heterogeneous loss of axons. The heterogeneous nature of the disease process among fibres may show variability of excitability in ALS.

Methods

Multiple nerve excitability tests were performed in 28 ALS patients and 23 control subjects, by tracking at the varying threshold levels (10%, 20%, 40% and 60% of maximum amplitudes).

Results

In normal controls, excitability measures at low target levels have the following characteristics compared to those at high target levels: longer strength–duration time constant, greater threshold reduction during depolarising currents and smaller threshold increase to hyperpolarising currents. ALS patients had less clear amplitude dependency of the parameters than the controls, indicating variability of axonal excitability. Three ALS patients demonstrated greater target-amplitude-dependent threshold changes in threshold electrotonus than controls, suggesting selective axonal hyperexcitability.

Conclusions

Some of the ALS patients had variable axonal excitability at different target amplitudes, suggesting preferential hyperexcitability in the axons with low target amplitude levels.

Significance

Variable membrane potentials of motor axons in ALS may be assessed by recording excitability testing at different target amplitude levels.     

Learning curve for laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with regional lymph node dissection for early gastric cancer

An assessment of the learning curve of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) might encourage its worldwide spread among inexperienced surgeons. One hundred sixty-seven patients with early gastric cancer were enrolled in this study: 67 underwent conventional open distal gastrectomy and 100 underwent LADG after classification into 5 groups of 20 according to the surgeon's level of experience. Patient characteristics and operative findings were compared between groups. Operation time was significantly longer, time to first flatus earlier, and blood loss reduced in the LADG groups compared with the open distal gastrectomy group. Surgeons with experience of 60 cases performed operations of similar times in both groups, and blood loss decreased with experience of 20 cases. There was no operative conversion, the frequency of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs administered were significantly less, and length of hospital stay were shorter by surgeons with experience of 60 cases. LADG is a technically feasible surgical procedure, depending on the surgeon's technical proficiency. Experience of at least 60 cases of LADG seems to result in satisfactory patient outcomes.     

MALT-type lymphoma of lacrimal gland: case report

A 72-year-old female presented with a lump in the left superior-lateral eyelid. The magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-delineated mass in the left lacrimal gland. The tumor was isointense on both the T1 and T2 weighted images, and it was homogenously enhanced with Gd-DTPA. Surgery via the trans-cranial approach revealed a pinkish and elastic-hard tumor. Total resection was successfully performed. The hematoxilyn-eosin staining of the surgical specimen showed a dense infiltrate of lymphocytes, which were composed predominantly of small lymphocytes, centrocyte-like cells, monocytoid cells, and occasionally transformed lymphocytes. The immunohistochemical findings for CD20, CD3, UCHL-1, CD23, CD5, cyclinD1, and bcl-2 were compatible with Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT)-type lymphoma. The patient received local radiation therapy (30 Gy/15 fractions). She remained in complete clinical remission of the disease about one and a half years after treatment.     

Alternation of Gene Expression in Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons Following Complete Freund’s Adjuvant or Capsaicin Injection into the Rat Face

The hyperexcitability of trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons following inflammation or C-fiber stimulation is known to be involved in a variety of changes in gene expression in TG neurons, resulting in pain abnormalities in orofacial regions. We analyzed nocifensive behavior following complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) or capsaicin injection into the maxillary whisker pad, and gene expression in the TG neurons using microarray analysis. The head-withdrawal latency to capsaicin injection or the head-withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad skin in CFA-treated rats was significantly decreased compared to vehicle-treated rats. Many up-regulated and down-regulated genes in the TG neurons of each model were reported. Genes which have not been linked to peripheral inflammation or C-fiber activation were detected. Moreover, microarray chip containing a number of non-coding sequences was also up-regulated by C-fiber activation. These findings suggest that the diverse gene expressions in TG neurons are differentially involved in the inflammatory chronic pain and the acute pain induced by C-fiber activation, and the hyperexcitation of C-fibers are associated with the activation of certain non-coding RNAs.     

Differences in bovine parainfluenza 3 virus variants studied by sequencing of the genes of viral envelope proteins

By determining gene nucleotide sequences we compared the primary structures of the membrane (M), fusion (F), and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins of bovine parainfluenza 3 virus strains, M, SC, and MR which are substrains derived from a wild strain YN. The M and SC viruses are indistinguishable in having very weak hemagglutination (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) activities, but M virus' syncytium-inducing (SI) activity is considerably higher than that of the SC virus. However, the results showed that the amino acid sequence of the F protein was identical in M and SC viruses, demonstrating that M virus' high SI activity was not due to alteration of its F protein. Two differences in M and SC viruses' other proteins then seemed to be important, although their significance in the SI activity is not clear at present; the first being the 70th amino acid residue of the M protein, which was Asp in the M virus and Gly in the SC virus, and the other being the 539th residue of the HN protein, which was Tyr in the M virus and His in the SC virus. The nucleocapsid proteins of both M and SC viruses were identical. The MR virus, which is a variant derived from the M virus and has high HA and NA activities but very weak SI activity, was different from the M virus at only one site throughout the M, F, and HN proteins; the 193rd amino acid residue of the HN protein was Leu in the MR virus and Phe in the M virus. This result strongly suggested that the substitution of Leu with Phe at this particular site was closely linked to the drastic reduction in both HA and NA activities.     

B-cell nature malignant lymphoma probably caused by EB-virus infection

Summary In cells in a haemopericardium associated with a B-cell malignant lymphoma, immature herpes type virus particles were found by electron microscopy. Epstein-Barr virus associated nuclear antigen (EBNA) and virus capsid antigen (VCA) were also found, both in the tumor cells, in the bloody pericardial fluid and in cultivated cells. Serological studies revealed high anti-toxoplasma antibody levels both in the pericardial fluid and in serum. Both EB virus and toxoplasma infections are assumed to have played an important role on the pathogenesis of the present case.