Single cell morphology of muscle in patients with chronic muscle pain

In 119 patients referred with suspected fibromyalgia, biopsies from the quadriceps muscle were analyzed for "rubber band" morphology, and isokinetic quadriceps strength was measured. Eighty-four fulfilled the criteria for fibromyalgia, 26 had chronic myofascial pain (CMP) and 9 had other diseases including 5 with concomitant fibromyalgia. Twenty-four CMP patients and 48 fibromyalgia patients were randomly selected to match with regard to sex, age, smoking and drinking habits. "Rubber band" morphology was blindly graded on a biopsy score scale from 0 to 2. A statistically significant difference in biopsy score was found between the two matched groups (P = 0.003); median biopsy score in fibromyalgia was 0.42 and 0.25 in CMP. A cut-off value at 0.33 gave a specificity of 71% and a sensitivity of 63%. Isokinetic muscle strength did not differ in the fibromyalgia and CMP groups and was not related to the biopsy score. "Rubber band" morphology is seen more often in fibromyalgia patients than in CMP patients. The exact genesis of this phenomenon is still unknown but theories connected with the possible pathogenesis of the syndrome are presented.     

Mechanism of nuclear DNA replication in radicles of germinating cotton

The mechanism of nuclear DNA replication in radicles of germinating cotton (Gossypium barbadense) was investigated. Pulse-labeling with [³H]thymidine indicates that replication intermediates are of small molecular weight (4-10S) and behave as if single-stranded. Prolonged labeling indicates that intermediates are of discrete size, suggesting a mechanism of discontinuous replication. Electron microscopy of nuclear DNA demonstrates a complex architecture which may include “eye forms” and “forks” similar to those reported in prokaryotes and animal systems. The possible universality of DNA replication mechanisms is discussed.     

Piecemeal degranulation of mast cells in the inflammatory eyelid lesions of interleukin-4 transgenic mice. Evidence of mast cell histamine release in vivo by diamine oxidase-gold enzyme-affinity ultrastructural cytochemistry

We used light and electron microscopy to analyze the eyelid inflammation that develops in transgenic mice that overexpress interleukin-4 (IL-4; Tepper et al, Cell 62:457, 1990). Analysis of alkaline Giemsa-stained plastic sections examined by light microscopy (Dvorak et al, J Exp Med 132:558, 1970), as well as by routine transmission electron microscopy, indicated that the mast cells in the inflammatory eyelid lesions were undergoing piecemeal degranulation, a form of secretion in which the cells' cytoplasmic granules exhibit characteristic morphologic changes that are thought to be associated with the prolonged, vesicle-mediated release of the granules' constituents. Moreover, by using a newly reported enzyme affinity-gold method, which stains histamine based on binding to diamine oxidase-gold (Dvorak et al, J Histochem Cytochem 41:787, 1993), we show that these activated mast cells had released much of their histamine content. The eyelid lesions also exhibited increased numbers of mast cells; interstitial fibrosis, particularly around cutaneous nerves and blood vessels; activated fibroblasts; focal axonal damage; venules with endothelial cells containing numerous vesiculo-vacuolar organelles; and infiltrates of neutrophils and eosinophils. Our findings illustrate that overexpression of the IL-4 gene in vivo can result in eyelid lesions associated with piecemeal degranulation of mast cells, as well as tissue fibrosis and a variety of other pathologic changes. These results also represent the first direct morphologic evidence for histamine secretion by mast cells in vivo.     

Targeted Therapy in Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma

Collectively, pediatric low-grade gliomas account for most brain tumors reported in children. Surgery is typically curable for operable lesions. However, more effective therapies are required for inaccessible tumors, both to overcome refractory disease and to minimize the toxicity associated with conventional adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens. Recent years have witnessed rapid improvements in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of several childhood tumors, including low-grade gliomas. As a result, several novel compounds targeting and inhibiting critical components of molecular signaling pathways purported to be overactive in the disease have been developed. This article summarizes the most recent literature evaluating such novel targeted agents in childhood low-grade gliomas.     

Colonization of liver transplant recipients with KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae is associated with high infection rates and excess mortality: a case–control analysis

Purpose

From mid-2010 to early 2013 there was a large single-center (Leipzig University Hospital, Germany) outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) type 2 producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-2-KP) involving a total of 103 patients. The aim of this study was to compare KPC-positive liver transplant recipients (LTR) and KPC-negative controls to determine both the relative risk of infection following colonization with KPC-2-KP and the case fatality rate associated with KPC-2-KP.

Methods

The study cohort of this retrospective observational study comprised nine patients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation (LTx) (median age of 52 years, range 28–73 years) with confirmed evidence of colonization with KPC-2-KP. The data from these nine LTR were matched to 18 LTR (1:2) in whom carbapenem-resistant pathogens were not present and compared for clinical outcomes.

Results

Of these nine cases, eight (89 %) progressed to infection due to KPC-2-KP, and five (56 %) were confirmed to have bloodstream infection with KPC-2-KP. Matched-pair analysis of KPC-positive LTR and KPC-negative controls revealed a substantially increased relative risk of 7.0 (95 % confidence interval 1.8–27.1) for fatal infection with KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae after transplantation with a mortality rate of 78 % (vs. 11 %, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Colonization with KPC-2-KP in LTR leads to high infection rates and excess mortality. Therefore, frequent screening for carbapenem-resistant bacteria in patients on LTx waiting lists appears to be mandatory in an outbreak setting. Patients with evidence of persistent colonization with KPC-producing pathogens should be evaluated with extreme caution for LTx.