Vaccination of calves with yeast‐ and bacterial‐expressed paramyosin from the bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus

Previously, vaccination of cattle with Escherichia coli‐expressed bovine lungworm paramyosin (EcPMY) adjuvanted with Quil A resulted in considerable reduction in worm burden and larvae shedding (Strube et al., 2015). To further evaluate the protective potential of PMY, cattle vaccination trials were performed using either E. coli‐ (EcPMY) or Pichia pastoris‐expressed PMY (PpPMY) with different adjuvants (Matrix‐Q^? or Quil A). Combinations EcPMY+Matrix‐Q^? (trial 1), PpPMY+Matrix‐Q^? (trial 2) and PpPMY+Quil A (trial 3) were tested against challenge infections with 2000 Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae. Even though GM worm burden and larvae shedding was lower in almost all vaccinated groups, there were high variations between individuals hampering significant differences. However, in all vaccinated groups, lungworms were significantly shorter compared with those in controls. In vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with recombinant (r)PMY revealed no significant proliferation following vaccinations or challenge infection. All vaccinated cattle showed a significant rise in specific antibodies, particularly IgG and its subclass IgG1, and detected the native lungworm PMY in immunoblots starting 2 weeks after the first vaccination. The use of a different rPMY‐adjuvant combination or combined vaccination with additional recombinant antigens might be a promising future approach towards a new vaccine against lungworms in cattle.     

CT mapping of the vertebral level of right adrenal vein

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) venous mapping for the localization of the right adrenal veins (RAV) in patients suffering from primary aldosteronism.

METHODS

MDCT scans of 75 patients with primary aldosteronism between March 2008 and November 2011 were evaluated by two readers (a junior [R1] and a senior [R2] radiologist) according to the following criteria: quality of RAV depiction (scale, 1–5), localization of the RAV confluence with regard to the inferior vena cava, and depiction of anatomical variants. Results were compared with RAV venograms obtained during adrenal vein sampling and corroborated by laboratory testing of cortisol in selective RAV blood samples. Kappa statistics were calculated for interobserver agreement and for concordance of MDCT mapping with the gold standard.

RESULTS

Successful RAV sampling was achieved in 69 of 75 patients (92%). Using MDCT mapping, adrenal veins could be visualized in 78% (R1, 54/69) and 77% (R2, 53/69) of patients. MDCT mapping led to correct identification of RAV in 70% (R1, 48/69) and 88% (R2, 61/69) of patients. Venograms revealed five cases of anatomical variants, which were correctly identified in 60% (R1, R2). MDCT-based localizations were false or misleading in 16% (R1, 11/69) and 7% (R2, 5/69) of cases.

CONCLUSION

Preinterventional MDCT mapping may facilitate successful catheterization in adrenal vein sampling.Primary aldosteronism (PA) has lately been claimed to be one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension, with reports indicating a prevalence of more than 10% (1, 2), especially in patients with resistant hypertension (3). While PA is more common than previously thought, the majority of cases is not accompanied by the full clinical picture of Conn’s syndrome (triad of hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis), and many patients are in fact normokalemic. In addition to its role in causing hypertension, PA may also be an independent cardiovascular risk factor, as demonstrated by higher cardiovascular and renal morbidity in patients suffering from PA in comparison to matched controls with essential hypertension (2, 4, 5). PA is caused either by an aldosterone-producing adenoma (65%–70% of cases) or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (30%–35% of cases), whereas unilateral adrenal hyperplasia, aldosterone-producing carcinomas, or an ectopic secretion of aldosterone are rare (6). Differentiation of the underlying condition is crucial for the treatment of patients with PA: while unilateral disease can be cured by laparoscopic adrenalectomy, cases of bilateral aldosterone secretion will be medically treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists.The 2008 Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend computed tomography (CT) of the adrenal region in all patients with biochemically confirmed PA, to rule out malignancy (2). The primary indication does not involve the subtype differentiation of PA, because multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have both been proven to be scarcely sensitive and specific in the detection of aldosterone-producing adenomas (7). Hence, adrenal vein sampling (AVS) continues to represent the gold standard in the subtype differentiation of PA. However, AVS is a technically demanding interventional procedure even in experienced institutions. While the catheterization of the left adrenal vein is usually uncomplicated, sampling of the right adrenal vein (RAV) is often more challenging. Therefore, in the majority of cases successful bilateral AVS fails because of the missing catheterization on the right side (8–10). Published success rates for this procedure range from 42% up to 98% in experienced hands (11).Few authors have mentioned the possible advantage of reading CT-scans prior to AVS to identify the RAV (8, 12). To our knowledge, this is the first report on venous MDCT mapping for AVS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of newly introduced MDCT venous mapping for the localization of the RAV prior to selective catheterization in patients suffering from PA.     

Smoking Restores Impaired LTD-Like Plasticity in Schizophrenia: a Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study

Impaired neuroplastic responses following noninvasive brain stimulation have been reported repeatedly in schizophrenia patients. These findings have been associated with deficits in GABAergic, glutamatergic, and cholinergic neurotransmission. Although various neurophysiological studies have indicated a relationship between nicotine and neuroplasticity in healthy individuals, the present study is the first investigation into the impact of nicotine on LTD-like plasticity in patients with schizophrenia. Cortical excitability and cortical plasticity were explored in 30 schizophrenia patients (17 smoker, 13 nonsmoker) and 45 healthy controls (13 smoker, 32 nonsmoker) by using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) before and following cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left primary motor cortex. Our analysis revealed abolished LTD-like plasticity in nonsmoking schizophrenia patients. However, these plasticity deficits were not present in smoking schizophrenia patients. In healthy controls, significant MEP reductions following cathodal tDCS were observed in nonsmoking individuals, but only trend-level reductions in smokers. In smoking schizophrenia patients, the severity of negative symptoms correlated positively with reduced neuroplasticity, whereas nonsmoking patients displayed the opposite effect. Taken together, the data of our study support the notion of an association between chronic smoking and the restitution of impaired LTD-like plasticity in schizophrenia patients. Although replication and further research are needed to better understand this relationship, our findings indicate that nicotine intake might stabilize the impaired inhibition–facilitation balance in the schizophrenic brain through a complex interaction between cortical plasticity, and GABAergic and cholinergic neurotransmission, and might explain the reduced prevalence of negative symptoms in this population.     

Effects of allergic airway disease on mouse adenovirus type 1 respiratory infection

Virus infection may contribute to asthma pathogenesis. In turn, a Th2-polarized pulmonary environment may increase host susceptibility to infection. We used a cockroach antigen (CRA) model of allergic airway disease to test the hypothesis that Th2 cytokine overproduction increases susceptibility to mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1). CRA sensitization led to upregulated lung expression of IL-4 and IL-13, lung cellular inflammation, and exaggerated airway mucus production. Following intranasal MAV-1 infection, lung cellular inflammation was more pronounced in CRA-sensitized mice than in unsensitized mice at 7 days post-infection but not at a later time point. CRA sensitization did not significantly suppress lung IFN-γ expression, and lung IFN-γ expression was upregulated in both CRA-sensitized mice and unsensitized mice over the course of MAV-1 infection. Despite CRA-induced differences in pulmonary inflammation, MAV-1 viral loads in lung and spleen and MAV-1 gene expression in the lung did not differ between CRA-sensitized and unsensitized mice. Our data therefore suggest that MAV-1 pathogenesis is not affected directly or indirectly by the Th2 polarization associated with allergic airway disease.     

Inflammatorische Aortenaneurysmen

We report our single center experience of renal function, hydronephrosis and changes in perianeurysmal fibrosis (PAF) after endovascular repair (EVAR) of inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (IAAA). A total of 6 patients were treated for IAAA with EVAR and the technical success was 100%. During the follow-up period 5 patients showed regression of PAF and 1 patient showed minor progression of PAF on computed tomography scans. In 2 patients hydronephrosis was regressive postoperatively but no patients died within 30 days. There were no secondary complications to report and no secondary intervention was necessary. In the long-term course one patient exhibited complete regression of PAF. In appropriate cases EVAR is a safe method for aneurysm repair for IAAA. In patients with acute inflammation or hydronephrosis individual treatment concepts are required.     

Filled versus empty intervals in prospective hypnotic time estimation with a real-simulator design.

While interest in hypnotic time perception dates back to the 19th century (St. Jean, 1989) only recently have researchers focused on hypnosis and time estimation under more controlled conditions. Following the work of Jasinski (1986) and Mozenter and Kurtz (1992) we predicted a 2-way interaction between Group (high hypnotizable, low hypnotizable, and simulator) and Condition (waking, hypnotized) across 3 time intervals (30, 60, and 120 seconds). It was further hypothesized that "filled" intervals (with white noise) would be perceived as longer than "empty" intervals across all conditions. Sixty-two undergraduates were screened on the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C and verbally estimated time intervals of 30, 60, and 120 seconds, 5 times each, both while in a waking and a hypnotic condition. Support was found for the predicted 2-way interaction for women only. High hypnotizable women showed a significant increase in overestimation from the waking to hypnosis condition, men did not. The predicted difference between "filled" versus "empty" intervals was not found.     

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