Sternal abscess due to Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae in a renal transplant patient

 Bartonella henselae, previously called Rochalimaea henselae, is the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD) in immunocompetent subjects and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised ones. Bone lesions are common in bacillary angiomatosis, but not in CSD. We present the case of a patient with a renal transplant treated by immunosuppressive therapy who developed a sternal abscess with a histological pattern of CSD. The CT pattern was that of a lytic bone lesion with adjacent fluid collection. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a polymerase chain reaction amplification performed on bone material. Bartonella henselae is a newly described bacteria that causes CSD in a normal host and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of an osteolytic lesion of the sternum with adjacent fluid collection related to CSD, which occurred in a patient with a renal transplant.     

Effect of single-stranded breaks on ultrastructural organization and cytochemistry of tumor cell chromatin

Laboratory of Chemistry of the Cancer Cell, Latvian Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Ministry of Health of the Latvian SSR, Riga. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR I. B. Zbarskii.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 106, No. 11, pp. 591–593, November, 1988.     

Quantitative autoradiography of 5-HT1D and 5-HT1E binding sites labelled by [H]5-HT, in frontal cortex and the hippocampal region of the human brain

In human cortex and hippocampus area, [³H]5-HT (5 nM) labels 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1D and 5-HT_1E sites. After masking 5-HT_1A receptors by 0.1 μM 8-OH-DPAT, the binding displaced by 0.1 μM 5-CT presumably represented 5-HT_1D sites and the remaining binding 5-HT_1E sites. In frontal cortex, 5-HT_1A receptors represented the main binding in layers II and VI and a lower fraction on other layers. 5-HT_1D and 5-HT_1E sites, were more homogeneously distributed in layers II to VI (21–34% of specific [³H]5-HT binding). 5-HT_1E sites were of similar affinities (K_D close to 6–8 nM) in the cortical layers II to VI. In CA1 field of hippocampus, (pyramidal layer, stratum radiatum, molecular layer), CA2 and dentate gyrus, 5-HT_1A receptors represented the major fraction, 5-HT_1D sites a significant fraction and 5-HT_1E a minor fraction of the specific [³H]5-HT binding. In CA3–CA4 fields, 5-HT_1A receptors were less densely present, 5-HT_1D sites were predominant and 5-HT_1E sites represented a significant fraction (27%). The highest densities of 5-HT_1E sites have been measured in subiculum, where 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1D, and 5-HT_1E binding sites were equally represented and in entorhinal cortex where 5-HT_1E sites represented the major binding in layer III. They were also present in layers II and IV (29 and 24%) and, to a lesser extent, in layers V and VI. 5-HT_1A sites were predominant in layer VI, II and V and were less abundant in other layers. 5-HT_1D were homogeneously present in layers II, III, IV and were present in low amounts in other layers. No 5-HT_1E were detected in choroid plexus, where [³H]5-HT was dramatically reduced by mesulergine (5-HT_2C receptors). No significant displacement of [³H]5-HT by mesulergine was measured in other structures.     

MR features of intracranial hemangioblastomas.

The contribution of MR in 10 patients with surgically proven intracranial hemangioblastomas was retrospectively evaluated and correlated with the computed tomographic findings. Angiography was obtained in eight cases. Multiple lesions were shown in only two patients, but none proved to have von Hippel-Lindau disease. In six patients the tumor typically appeared as a cystic lesion with an intensely enhancing mural nodule at the pial surface of the cyst; three patients presented with a solid lesion with a central cyst and one with a solid lesion only. Thirteen tumors were located in the posterior fossa, with one in the brain stem extending towards the spinal cord. A supratentorial localization was found in two patients. Abnormal serpiginous vessels supplying or draining the mural nodule or solid lesion were not visualized on contrast-enhanced computed tomography, but were easily identified as flow voids on MR in five patients. Calcification or hemorrhage were not seen in the entire series. Because of the multiplanar imaging capability and the lack of streak artifacts from the petrous bone, MR provides better localization than CT. MR is more accurate in predicting the number, extension and vascularity of hemangioblastomas, and provides a sound basis for further diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.     

Evaluation of a new generation of plastic evacuated blood-collection tubes in clinical chemistry, therapeutic drug monitoring, hormone and trace metal analysis.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tubes have several advantages over glass tubes: they are unbreakable, lighter and more easily disposed of. Despite a steady increase in their use and an expansion of the range of available tubes, few studies validating their use have been published in the literature. This paper describes the various studies that have been performed to compare VENOJECT glass, VENOSAFE PET and VENOSAFE PET/heparin tubes for the assay of a panel of analytes in routine clinical chemistry, immunochemistry, hormone and tumor marker analysis and trace metal determination. These studies demonstrate that VENOSAFE PET tubes are a suitable alternative to glass tubes.     

Selective modification at the N-terminal region of human growth hormone that shows antagonistic activity

A new analogue of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH), hGH des(1–6,14) was expressed in Escherichia coli, refolded and purified to homogeneity. The mutation decreased the hormone's ability to bind lactogenic and somatogenic receptors through its site 1, and almost completely abolished its ability to bind these receptors through site 2, as evidenced by both binding and gel-filtration experiments. More specifically, the binding to prolactin receptors (PRLRs) from various species or their soluble recombinant extracellular domains (ECDs) was decreased 1.5–4-fold, whereas the binding to hGH receptor (hGHR) was decreased 10–85-fold. These changes caused an almost total loss of hormone agonistic activity in several in vitro bioassays and subsequently, the hGH des(1–6,14) analogue acquired antagonistic properties. This antagonistic activity was dependent upon modification of site 1. In those cases in which the binding was reduced only slightly, e.g. binding to rabbit PRLRs, hGH des(1–6,14) acted as a strong antagonist, whereas in others in which the binding of site 1 was reduced to a higher degree, such as other PRLRs and, in particular, hGHR, the antagonistic activity was correspondingly weaker. Circular dichroism spectra of the analogue suggested that these changes do not result from a decrease in overall -helix content, but rather from minor local structural modifications at the N-terminus.     

First analysis of the proteome in two nematomorph species, Paragordius tricuspidatus (Chordodidae) and Spinochordodes tellinii (Spinochordodidae).

The proteome of most parasite species is currently unknown. Hairworms (Nematomorpha), 300 species distributed around the world, are parasitic in arthropods (mainly terrestrial species) when juveniles, but they are free-living in aquatic environments when adult. Most aspects of their systematics and biology are currently unknown. The aim of this paper was (i) to report a novel and reproducible protocol for the analysis of the proteome of hairworms using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) and mass spectrometry (matrix laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF)) and (ii) to determine the level of proteomic divergence between two sympatric but taxonomically unrelated nematomorph species in the adult stage, Paragordius tricuspidatus Dufour (Nematomorpha, Gordiidae) and Spinochordodes tellinii Camerano (Nematomorpha, Gordiidae). In total, 689 protein spots were observed for P. tricuspidatus, 575 for S. tellinii. Only 36.2% spots were shared between the two species. Quantitative analysis of the proteins which are common to both parasite species reveals substantial differences in the pattern of protein expression. These results suggest a rapid evolutionary divergence between these two nematomorph families. Also, to test the value of our MALDI-TOF protocol, we used Actin-2 (Act-2), a protein highly conserved in the course of evolution. Peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) data obtained for Act-2 of P. tricuspidatus and S. tellinii suggest a very high homology with Act-2 of different worms species belonging to the Bilateria phylum (Annelida and Nematoda) and more specifically to Lumbricus terrestris (Annelida, Lumbricidae) and Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematoda, Rhabditidae). We discuss our results in relationship with current ideas concerning the use of proteomics in systematics.