Health effects of exposure to chlorination by-products in swimming pools

Concerns have been raised regarding the potential negative effects on human health of water disinfectants used in swimming pools. Among the disinfection options, the approaches using chlorine-based products have been typically preferred. Chlorine readily reacts with natural organic matter that are introduced in the water mainly through the bathers, leading to the formation of potentially harmful chlorination by-products (CBPs). The formation of CBPs is of particular concern since some have been epidemiologically associated with the development of various clinical manifestations. The higher the concentration of volatile CBPs in the water, the higher their concentration in the air above the pool, and different routes of exposure to chemicals in swimming pools (water ingestion, skin absorption, and inhalation) contribute to the individual exposome. Some CBPs may affect the respiratory and skin health of those who stay indoor for long periods, such as swimming instructors, pool staff, and competitive swimmers. Whether those who use chlorinated pools as customers, particularly children, may also be affected has been a matter of debate. In this article, we discuss the current evidence regarding the health effects of both acute and chronic exposures in different populations (work-related exposures, intensive sports, and recreational attendance) and identify the main recommendations and unmet needs for research in this area.     

Molecular survey of parasites in introduced Pelophylax perezi (Ranidae) water frogs in the Azores

Water frogs, Pelophylax perezi, that are introduced in the Azores, were screened for parasites using PCR primers known to amplify Apicomplexa parasites, and using nematode-specific primers. With the former, three different organisms were detected: Hepatozoon, a trichodinid protozoan ciliate and a possible Stramenopile. Using the latter set of primers, a single unknown spirurid nematode was also detected. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Hepatozoon detected within amphibian hosts appear to form a clade, although relationships of these parasites do not match the vertebrate intermediate host phylogeny. Regarding the possible Stramenopile, it is unclear whether this organism was actually present on the amphibian or in the water on the surface of the tissue sample. Our findings highlight that many different organisms can be detected with these primers and that they can be used to screen introduced host populations to detect parasites that have been brought with them.     

Temporal resolution in individuals with neurological disorders

OBJECTIVE:

Temporal processing refers to the ability of the central auditory nervous system to encode and detect subtle changes in acoustic signals. This study aims to investigate the temporal resolution ability of individuals with mesial temporal sclerosis and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the gaps-in-noise test in identifying this type of lesion.

METHOD:

This prospective study investigated differences in temporal resolution between 30 individuals with normal hearing and without neurological lesions (G1) and 16 individuals with both normal hearing and mesial temporal sclerosis (G2). Test performances were compared, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

RESULTS:

There was no difference in gap detection thresholds between the two groups, although G1 revealed better average thresholds than G2 did. The sensitivity and specificity of the gaps-in-noise test for neurological lesions were 68% and 98%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Temporal resolution ability is compromised in individuals with neurological lesions caused by mesial temporal sclerosis. The gaps-in-noise test was shown to be a sensitive and specific measure of central auditory dysfunction in these patients.     

Transient neonatal diabetes due to a missense mutation (E227K) in the gene encoding the ATP‐sensitive potassium channel (KCNJ11)

Neonatal diabetes is a monogenic form of diabetes. Herein, we report on a newborn presenting diabetic ketoacidosis at 17 days of life . A KCNJ11 mutation was identified. In such cases, insulin can be replaced by sulfonylurea with a successful metabolic control, as an example of how molecular diagnosis may influence the clinical management of the disorder.     

The morphological and molecular characterization of Henneguya rotunda n. sp., a parasite of the gill arch and fins of Salminus brasiliensis from the Mogi Guaçu River,Brazil

A new species of myxosporea (Henneguya rotunda n. sp.) was found in the membrane of the gill arch and the fins of Salminus brasiliensis in the Mogi Guaçu River, municipality of Pirassununga, São Paulo state, Brazil. Morphological and morphometric analyses using light microscopy revealed parasites with similar characteristics at both infection sites. The mature spores found infecting the fins had oval spore body with 7.1?±?0.2 μm in length, 5.6?±?0.2 μm in width, 3.7?±?0.1 μm in thickness, 16.4?±?1.2 μm in length of the caudal process, and 23.6?±?1.1 μm in total length of the spore. In a frontal view, the polar capsule was observed to be symmetrical with 3.4?±?0.2 μm in length and 1.8?±?0.1 μm in width. Mature spores contain six to seven turns of the polar filaments. The morphometric data concerning the spores obtained from plasmodia from the membrane of the gill arch were similar to those from the fins. Ultrastructure analysis revealed that the plasmodial wall was formed by a single membrane and had numerous pinocytotic canals connecting the outside of the plasmodia to the ectoplasm zone. Beyond that, various electron-translucent vesicles also were observed at the periphery of the plasmodium. The molecular analyses of the 18S rDNA gene from the spores obtained from the gill arch membrane and fin membrane showed that these sequences shared 100 % similarity. Phylogenetic studies using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods demonstrated the polyphyletic clustering of the myxosporean parasites of characiform fishes. H. rotunda n. sp. clustered as a sister species of Myxobolus pantanalis, also a parasite of S. brasiliensis.     

Best practice for PTEN gene and protein assessment in anatomic pathology

There is a lack of standardization of a best practice protocol for Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) assessment by immunohistochemistry in anatomic pathology routine practice. We performed immunohistochemistry for 19 antibodies against PTEN, eleven of which were excluded during the standardization step. Immunohistochemistry of the remaining eight antibodies was performed on a Tissue Microarray containing 55 prostate and 40 renal carcinoma samples. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used as reference standard for immunohistochemistry specificity evaluation. Concerning nuclear staining, polyclonal (Cat#22034-1-AP); 6H2.1 mMAb (Cat#ABM-2052), Y184 RabMAb (Cat#NB110-57441) and 217702 mMAb antibodies presented the highest agreement with fluorescent in situ hybridization (p < 0.001 for all) and with regard to cytoplasmic staining, Y184 RabMAb (Cat#NB110-57441); polyclonal (Cat#22034-1-AP) and 217702 mMAb presented the highest agreement (p < 0.001 for all). Our results indicate that several commercially available antibodies do not show reliability of sensitivity and specificity for PTEN evaluation and we propose 6H2.1 mMAb (Cat#ABM-2052) as the antibody of choice for laboratory standardization and best practice in clinical routine, which demonstrated excellent sensitivity for both nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, specificity for PTEN by Western blot and good correlation with PTEN status by FISH with regard to nuclear staining.