Effects of Turmeric Powder on Aflatoxin M1 and Aflatoxicol Excretion in Milk from Dairy Cows Exposed to Aflatoxin B1 at the EU Maximum Tolerable Levels

Due to the climatic change, an increase in aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) maize contamination has been reported in Europe. As an alternative to mineral binders, natural phytogenic compounds are increasingly used to counteract the negative effects of AFB1 in farm animals. In cows, even low dietary AFB1 concentrations may result in the milk excretion of the genotoxic carcinogen metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). In this study, we tested the ability of dietary turmeric powder (TP), an extract from Curcuma longa (CL) rich in curcumin and curcuminoids, in reducing AFM1 mammary excretion in Holstein–Friesian cows. Both active principles are reported to inhibit AFM1 hepatic synthesis and interact with drug transporters involved in AFB1 absorption and excretion. A crossover design was applied to two groups of cows (n = 4 each) with a 4-day washout. Animals received a diet contaminated with low AFB1 levels (5 ± 1 µg/kg) for 10 days ± TP supplementation (20 g/head/day). TP treatment had no impact on milk yield, milk composition or somatic cell count. Despite a tendency toward a lower average AFM1 milk content in the last four days of the treatment (below EU limits), no statistically significant differences with the AFB1 group occurred. Since the bioavailability of TP active principles may be a major issue, further investigations with different CL preparations are warranted.     

Peripheral Angioplasty as the First-choice Revascularization Procedure in Diabetic Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia: Prospective Study of 993 Consecutive Patients Hospitalized and Followed Between 1999 and 2003

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of peripheral angioplasty (PTA) as the first-choice revascularisation procedure in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: PTA was employed as first choice revascularisation in a consecutive series of diabetic patients hospitalized for CLI between January 1999 and December 2003. RESULTS: PTA was successful performed in 993 patients. Seventeen (1.7%) major amputations were carried out. One death and 33 non-fatal complications were observed. Mean follow-up was 26+/-15 months. Clinical restenosis was observed in 87 patients. The 5 years primary patency was 88%, 95% CI 86-91%. During follow-up 119 (12.0%) patients died at a rate of 6.7% per year. CONCLUSIONS: PTA as the first choice revascularisation procedure is feasible, safe and effective for limb salvage in a high percentage of diabetic patients. Clinical restenosis was an infrequent event and PTA could successfully be repeated in most cases.     

Pegylated TRAIL retains anti-leukemic cytotoxicity and exhibits improved signal transduction activity with respect to TRAIL

To improve the pharmacokinetic profile of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) an N-terminal specific pegylation was performed to generate pegylated TRAIL (PEG-TRAIL). In in vitro experiments, we found that although PEG-TRAIL was slightly less efficient than recombinant TRAIL in promoting leukemic cell apoptosis, it showed an improved ability to promote migration of bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells and to elicit the ERK1/2 intracellular signal transduction pathway. Overall, these data suggest that TRAIL pegylation retains, or even enhances, the biological activities of TRAIL relevant for its therapeutic applications.     

Selective targeted delivery of TNFalpha to tumor blood vessels

We sought to enhance the selective toxicity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) to permit its systemic use in cancer therapy. Because ligand-targeted therapeutics have proven successful in improving the selective toxicity of drugs, we prepared a fusion protein (L19mTNFalpha) composed of mouse TNFalpha and a high-affinity antibody fragment (L19 scFv) to the extradomain B (ED-B) domain of fibronectin, a marker of angiogenesis. L19mTNFalpha was expressed in mammalian cells, purified, and characterized. L19mTNFalpha was an immunoreactive and biologically active homotrimer. Radiolabeled L19mTNFalpha selectively targeted tumor neovasculature in tumor-bearing mice, where it accumulated selectively and persistently (tumor-to-blood ratio of the percentage of injected dose per gram [%ID/g] of 700, 48 hours from injection). L19mTNFalpha showed a greater anticancer therapeutic activity than both mTNFalpha and TN11mTNFalpha, a control fusion protein in which an antibody fragment, irrelevant in the tumor model used, substituted for L19. This activity was further dramatically enhanced by its combination with melphalan or the recently reported fusion protein L19-IL2. In conclusion, L19mTNFalpha allows concentrating therapeutically active doses of TNFalpha at the tumor level, thus opening new possibilities for the systemic use of TNFalpha in cancer therapy.     

Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4 Outbreak,Italy, 2011

During 2011, 5 persons in the area of Lazio, Italy were infected with a monophyletic strain of hepatitis E virus that showed high sequence homology with isolates from swine in China. Detection of this genotype in Italy parallels findings in other countries in Europe, signaling the possible spread of strains new to Western countries.     

Cystatin C is a more sensitive marker than creatinine for the estimation of GFR in type 2 diabetic patients

BACKGROUND: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best overall index of renal function in health and disease. Inulin and 51Cr-EDTA plasma clearances are considered the gold standard methods for estimating GFR. Unfortunately, these methods require specialized technical personnel over a period of several hours and high costs. In clinical practice, serum creatinine is the most widely used index for the noninvasive assessment of GFR. Despite its specificity, serum creatinine demonstrates an inadequate sensitivity, particularly in the early stages of renal impairment. Recently, cystatin C, a low molecular mass plasma protein freely filtered through the glomerulus and almost completely reabsorbed and catabolized by tubular cells, has been proposed as a new and very sensitive serum marker of changes in GFR. This study was designed to test whether serum cystatin C can replace serum creatinine for the early assessment of nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study was performed on 52 Caucasian type 2 diabetic patients. Patients with an abnormal albumin excretion rate (AER) were carefully examined to rule out non-diabetic renal diseases by ultrasonography, urine bacteriology, microscopic urine analysis, and kidney biopsy. Serum creatinine, serum cystatin C, AER, serum lipids, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured. GFR was estimated by the plasma clearance of 51Cr-EDTA. In addition the Cockcroft and Gault formula (Cockcroft and Gault estimated GFR) was calculated. RESULTS: Cystatin C serum concentration progressively increased as GFR decreased. The overall relationship between the reciprocal cystatin C and GFR was significantly stronger (r = 0.84) than those between serum creatinine and GFR (r = 0.65) and between Cockcroft and Gault estimated GFR and GFR (r = 0.70). As GFR decreased from 120 to 20 mL/min/1.73 m2, cystatin C increased more significantly that serum creatinine, giving a stronger signal in comparison to that of creatinine over the range of the measured GFR. The maximum diagnostic accuracy of serum cystatin C (90%) was significantly better than those of serum creatinine (77%) and Cockcroft and Gault estimated GFR (85%) in discriminating between type 2 diabetic patients with normal GFR (>80 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and those with reduced GFR (<80 mL/min/1.73 m2). In particular, the cystatin C cut-off limit of 0.93 mg/L corresponded to a false-positive rate of 7.7% and to a false-negative rate of 1.9%; the serum creatinine cut-off limit of 87.5 micromol/L corresponded to a false-positive rate of 5.8% and to a false-negative rate of 17.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Cystatin C may be considered as an alternative and more accurate serum marker than serum creatinine or the Cockcroft and Gault estimated GFR in discriminating type 2 diabetic patients with reduced GFR from those with normal GFR.     

Endocarditis after mitral valve repair

Background. Native valve endocarditis is frequently managed with antibiotics alone, but prosthetic valve endocarditis usually requires an early operation. What is the best treatment of endocarditis after mitral valve repair?

Methods. From 1986 to 2000, 22 patients were treated for endocarditis affecting a previously repaired mitral valve. Causes of mitral valve dysfunction that led to repair were degenerative (11 patients), ischemic (5 patients), endocarditic (3 patients), rheumatic (2 patients), and functional (1 patient). Endocarditis was active in 21 patients and healed in 1. Interval from initial mitral valve repair to onset of endocarditis ranged from 1 week to 10.3 years (median, 6 months). Pathology included leaflet vegetation (15), annuloplasty vegetation (4), leaflet perforation (5), and abscess (3). Mean follow-up was 3.9 ± 3.3 years.

Results. Fifteen patients underwent repeat mitral valve operations with freedom from mitral valve reoperation of 65%, 41%, and 26% at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years after onset of endocarditis. After a high early hazard, risk of reoperation fell to 10.8% per year. Seven patients, all with a leaflet vegetation, were treated with antibiotics alone. Antibiotics eradicated infection in all; however all had mitral regurgitation 2+ to 4+. Survival was 96%, 74%, and 68% at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years. Endocarditis recurred in 1 patient (92% free of event).

Conclusions. Most patients that have endocarditis develop after mitral valve repair require reoperation. However if infection is limited to a leaflet, early reoperation may be unnecessary because antibiotics alone can eradicate infection.     

Changes in bone mineral density, lean body mass and fat content as measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in patients with prostate cancer without apparent bone metastases given androgen deprivation therapy

PURPOSE: We characterize the consequences of androgen deprivation therapy on body composition in elderly men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry instrument, we determined the changes in bone mineral density, bone mineral content, fat body mass and lean body mass in 35 patients with prostate cancer without bone metastases who received luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue for 12 months. RESULTS: At baseline conditions 46% of cases were classified as osteopenic and 14% as osteoporotic at the lumbar spine and 40% were osteopenic and 4% osteoporotic at the hip. Androgen deprivation significantly decreased bone mineral density either at the lumbar spine (mean gm./cm.2 [SD] 1.00 [0.194], 0.986 [0.172] and 0.977 [0.182] at baseline, and 6 and 12 months, respectively, p <0.002) or the hip (0.929 [0.136], 0.926 [0.144] and 0.923 [0.138], p <0.03). A more than 2% decrease in bone mineral density was found at the lumbar spine in 19 men (54.3%) and at the hip in 15 (42.9%). Bone mineral content paralleled the bone mineral density pattern. Lean body mass decreased (mean gm. [SD] 50,287 [6,656], 49,296 [6,554] and 49,327 [6,345], p <0.003), whereas fat body mass consistently increased (18,115 [6,209], 20,724 [6,029] and 21,604 [5,923] p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serial bone densitometry evaluation during androgen deprivation therapy may allow the detection of patients with prostate cancer at risk for osteoporotic fractures, that is those with osteopenia or osteoporosis at baseline and fast bone loss. The change in body composition may predispose patients to accidental falls, thus increasing the risk of bone fracture.