Enhancement of basophil chemotaxis in vitro by virus-induced interferon.

It is well established that viral infections may precipitate or worsen attacks of bronchial asthma. Furthermore, in symptomatic atopic subjects, the local accumulation of basophils and the production of a basophil chemotactic factor have been reported. We have investigated the effect of cell-free supernates from viral stimulated cultures of human mononuclear cells on the in vitro migration of human basophils. Our results show the presence of a factor in these culture supernates that enhances the migration of basophils toward two separate chemoattractants, a peptide from C5 and a lymphokine. The enhancing activity, while affecting basophil migration, did not change the response of monocytes. The enhancing activity resembled viral-induced interferon when (a) pH 2 stability, (b) heat resistance, (c) trypsin sensitivity, and (d) species-specificity were compared. Finally, the enhancing activity for basophil chemotaxis and the interferon titer were highly correlated in preparations with a 10(4)-fold difference in interferon specific activity. Our studies show that viral-induced interferon can augment the in vitro chemotactic response of basophils. Because mediators present in basophils may be involved in the pathogenesis of immediate hypersensitivity, the modulation of basophil movement by interferon suggests a possible mechanism for the association between viral infections and atopic disorders.     

Language Impairment and Early Social Competence in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comparison of DSM-5 Profiles

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and structural language impairment (LI) may be at risk of more adverse social-developmental outcomes. We examined trajectories of early social competence (using the Vineland-II) in 330 children aged 2–4 years recently diagnosed with ASD, and compared 3 subgroups classified by: language impairment (ASD/LI); intellectual disability (ASD/ID) and ASD without LI or ID (ASD/alone). Children with ASD/LI were significantly more socially impaired at baseline than the ASD/alone subgroup, and less impaired than those with ASD/ID. Growth in social competence was significantly slower for the ASD/ID group. Many preschool-aged children with ASD/LI at time of diagnosis resembled “late talkers” who appeared to catch up linguistically. Children with ASD/ID were more severely impaired and continued to lag further behind.     

Effects of the type of embolization particles on carboplatin concentration in liver tumors after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in a rabbit model of liver cancer

PURPOSE: To study the effect of particle type used during transarterial hepatic chemoembolization (TACE) on carboplatin concentration after TACE in an animal model of liver cancer (VX2) and to determine the concentration of carboplatin within tumor, liver, and plasma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The VX2 tumors were grown in the livers of 23 rabbits. Carboplatin (5 mg/kg) was selected because of its known potency against VX2 tumor. Group 1 was treated with TACE with tris-acryl gelatin microspheres (100-300 microm), group 2 was treated with TACE with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA; 150-250 microm), group 3 (control) was treated with intraarterial saline solution, and group 4 (pharmacokinetic) was treated with intraarterial carboplatin. Animals were killed after 48 hours, and concentrations of carboplatin were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy from samples of blood and liver (central and peripheral zones of tumor and nontumorous liver tissue). RESULTS: In group 1 (tris-acryl gelatin microspheres) and group 2 (PVA), the mean carboplatin concentrations were 117 microg/g and 31.8 microg/g, respectively, within the central zone of the tumor and 38.5 mug/g versus 7.9 microg/g, respectively, in the peripheral zone. No carboplatin was detected in nontumorous liver tissue and plasma concentrations were low in both treated groups (<0.079 microg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Carboplatin concentration was significantly greater (by a factor of two to four) within the central zone of the tumor compared with the peripheral zone in both treated groups. The overall tumor carboplatin concentrations were significantly greater in the tris-acryl gelatin microsphere group than in the PVA group (P < .001), which could translate into greater potency and tumor kill. Administration of tris-acryl gelatin microspheres may be clinically advantageous during TACE, as it contributed to greater delivery of chemotherapy to tumor in the present study.     

Recurrent fluctuant mass of the wrist and forearm associated with chronic tenosynovitis by Mycobacterium kansasii

This article presents a case of a painless fluctuant mass on the volar aspect of the wrist and forearm of an immunocompetent 45-year-old man with no history of significant underlying disease. This mass proved to be a chronic tenosynovitis associated with Mycobacterium kansasii infection. The patient, who had a history of multiple minor cuts and abrasions plus exposure to an aquatic environment, had a wide resection of the lesion and elective tenosynovectomy. Operative findings revealed a marked tenosynovitis of flexor tendons. Several rice bodies lesions were also observed along the course of the involved flexor tendons.Biopsy showed a granulomatous inflammatory reaction. Specimens of affected tissue were sent to a laboratory for solid (at 30°C and at 37°C) and liquid (at 37°C) mycobacterial culture. The initial Ziehl-Neelsen stain for acid-fast bacilli was positive. After 8 days of incubation, acid-fast bacilli were recovered. In accordance with the diagnosis of M kansasii tenosynovitis and the results of antibiotic susceptibility testing, triple therapy with rifampicin, isoniazid and clarithromycin was initiated. After 3 months of therapy, the patient experienced improvement in the swelling and is due to receive 12 months of antibiotic therapy. Despite awareness of atypical mycobacterial infections, diagnosis is frequently delayed, leading to increased morbidity. Patients with exposure to these atypical pathogens require a broadened differential to include appropriate testing and culture of specimens to obtain an accurate diagnosis.     

Investigating phenotypic heterogeneity in children with autism spectrum disorder: a factor mixture modeling approach

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by notable phenotypic heterogeneity, which is often viewed as an obstacle to the study of its etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. On the basis of empirical evidence, instead of three binary categories, the upcoming edition of the DSM 5 will use two dimensions – social communication deficits (SCD) and fixated interests and repetitive behaviors (FIRB) – for the ASD diagnostic criteria. Building on this proposed DSM 5 model, it would be useful to consider whether empirical data on the SCD and FIRB dimensions can be used within the novel methodological framework of Factor Mixture Modeling (FMM) to stratify children with ASD into more homogeneous subgroups. Methods: The study sample consisted of 391 newly diagnosed children (mean age 38.3 months; 330 males) with ASD. To derive subgroups, data from the Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised indexing SCD and FIRB were used in FMM; FMM allows the examination of continuous dimensions and latent classes (i.e., categories) using both factor analysis (FA) and latent class analysis (LCA) as part of a single analytic framework. Results: Competing LCA, FA, and FMM models were fit to the data. On the basis of a set of goodness‐of‐fit criteria, a ‘two‐factor/three‐class’ factor mixture model provided the overall best fit to the data. This model describes ASD using three subgroups/classes (Class 1: 34%, Class 2: 10%, Class 3: 56% of the sample) based on differential severity gradients on the SCD and FIRB symptom dimensions. In addition to having different symptom severity levels, children from these subgroups were diagnosed at different ages and were functioning at different adaptive, language, and cognitive levels. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that the two symptom dimensions of SCD and FIRB proposed for the DSM 5 can be used in FMM to stratify children with ASD empirically into three relatively homogeneous subgroups.     

Daily Stress and Social Support among Women with CAD: Results from a 1-year Randomized Controlled Stress Management Intervention Study

Background  

Psychosocial stress may play a causative role in development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD).