Long-Term Immune Recovery After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for ADA Deficiency: a Single-Center Experience

Journal of Clinical Immunology - Unconditioned hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the recommended treatment for patients with adenosine deaminase (ADA)-deficient severe combined...     

Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor 189 in breast cancer cells leads to delayed tumor uptake with dilated intratumoral vessels

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for breast cancer progression and is a relevant target in anti-angiogenesis. Although VEGF121 and VEGF165, the fully or partially secreted isoforms, respectively, have been the focus of intense studies, the role of the cell-associated VEGF189 isoform is not understood. To clarify the contribution of VEGF189 to human mammary carcinogenesis, we established several clones of MDA-MB-231 cells stably overexpressing VEGF189 (V189) and VEGF165 (V165). V189 and V165 clones increased tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Remarkably, V165 induced the most rapid tumor uptake, whereas V189 increased vasodilation. In vitro overexpression of VEGF165 and VEGF189 increases the proliferation and chemokinesis of these cancer cells. Interestingly, overexpression of VEGF189 increased cell adhesion on fibronectin (1.9-fold) and vitronectin (1.6-fold), as compared to VEGF165, through alpha5beta1 and alphavbeta5 integrins. Using the BIACore system we demonstrated for the first time that VEGF189 binds directly to neuropilin-1, which is strongly expressed in MDA-MB-231 cells. In contrast, VEGF-R2 was not significantly expressed and VEGF-R1 was expressed at low level. Our in vitro results suggest an autocrine effect of VEGF189 on breast cancer cells, probably through neuropilin-1. In conclusion, our data indicate that VEGF189 participates in mammary tumor growth through both angiogenesis and nonangiogenic functions. Whether VEGF189 overexpression is correlated to prognosis in human breast tumors remains to be established.     

Tumor de Brenner benigno asociado a tumor mucinoso borderline de ovario en paciente postmenopáusica

Brenner tumour is an uncommon neoplasm of the ovary of uncertain origin and often asymptomatic. Diagnostic is complex, without specific ultrasound patterns. It has been associated with mucinous tumours with different potential for malignancy, and it is possible to find malignant or borderline components that determine the treatment. For its differential diagnosis immunohistochemical study is essential, which shows, according to various studies, a clonal origin of Brenner and mucinous tumour. This is a case report of a Brenner tumour associated with a mucinous tumour, which in a definitive study showed to be associated with a borderline ovarian tumour component.     

Adverse drug reactions in internal medicine units and associated risk factors

Objectives  

This study was designed to assess the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the internal medicine wards of two teaching Hospitals, identify the most common ADRs, the principal medications involved, and determine the risk factors implicated in the occurrence of such ADRs.     

Labeling of epsilon-lysine crosslinking sites in proteins with peptide substrates of factor XIIIa and transglutaminase.

Peptides patterned on the N-terminal sequence of fibronectin were synthesized and tested for amine acceptor qualities in reactions with dansylcadaverine catalyzed either by coagulation factor XIIIa or intracellular transglutaminase (protein-glutamine:amine gamma-glutamyltransferase, EC 2.3.2.13). On the basis of inverse half-saturations of the enzymes, the order of acceptor substrate affinity for factor XIIIa was pEAQQIV much greater than Boc-AQQIV greater than Boc-QQIV, and for transglutaminase, Boc-QQIV greater than Boc-AQQIV greater than pEAQQIV (amino acid residues are shown in one-letter code; pE, pyroglutamic acid; Boc, tert-butyloxycarbonyl). Sequence analysis of dansylcadaverine-substituted pEAQQIV indicated that the first of the two adjacent glutamine residues was the target of enzymatic modification. Boc-QIV showed no substrate activity with either enzyme. Crosslinking of crystallins in Ca2(+)-treated rabbit lens homogenate was readily inhibited by Boc-QQIV, Boc-AQQIV, and pEAQQIV, as was the formation of alpha-chain polymers in human fibrin by pEAQQIV in the presence of human factor XIIIa. SDS/PAGE analysis suggested that the inhibitory peptides selectively blocked the electron donor functionalities in these enzymatic crosslinking reactions.     

In vivo characterization of emerging white matter microstructure in the fetal brain in the third trimester

The third trimester of pregnancy is a period of rapid development of fiber bundles in the fetal white matter. Using a recently developed motion‐tracked slice‐to‐volume registration (MT‐SVR) method, we aimed to quantify tract‐specific developmental changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), and volume in third trimester healthy fetuses. To this end, we reconstructed diffusion tensor images from motion corrected fetal diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. With an approved protocol, fetal MRI exams were performed on healthy pregnant women at 3 Tesla and included multiple (2–8) diffusion scans of the fetal head (1–2 b = 0 s/mm² images and 12 diffusion‐sensitized images at b = 500 s/mm²). Diffusion data from 32 fetuses (13 females) with median gestational age (GA) of 33 weeks 4 days were processed with MT‐SVR and deterministic tractography seeded by regions of interest corresponding to 12 major fiber tracts. Multivariable regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of GA with volume, FA, and ADC for each tract. For all tracts, the volume and FA increased, and the ADC decreased with GA. Associations reached statistical significance for: FA and ADC of the forceps major; volume and ADC for the forceps minor; FA, ADC, and volume for the cingulum; ADC, FA, and volume for the uncinate fasciculi; ADC of the inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculi, ADC of the inferior longitudinal fasciculi; and FA and ADC for the corticospinal tracts. These quantitative results demonstrate the complex pattern and rates of tract‐specific, GA‐related microstructural changes of the developing white matter in human fetal brain.     

Applications of PCR (real-time and MassTag) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in diagnosis of respiratory infections and diarrheal illness among deployed U.S. military personnel during exercise Balikatan 2009, Philippines

Laboratory-based surveillance for diarrheal and respiratory illness was conducted at the 2009 Republic of the Philippines-United States Balikatan exercise to determine the presence of specific pathogens endemic in the locations where the military exercises were conducted. Ten stool and 6 respiratory specimens were obtained from individuals meeting case definitions for diarrhea or respiratory illness. Stool specimens were frozen in dry ice and remotely tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Rotavirus, Astrovirus, Adenovirus, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium and polymerase chain reaction for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, Vibrio, Salmonella, and Norovirus. Eight (4 for Campylobacter jejuni, 2 for Campylobacter coli, 1 for Norovirus genogroup II, and 1 for both Campylobacter coli and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli) of 10 samples were positive for at least 1 enteric pathogen. MassTag polymerase chain reaction for influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus groups A and B, human coronavirus-229E and human coronavirus-OC43, human metapneumovirus, enterovirus, human parainfluenza viruses 2,3, and 4a, human adenovirus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumonia, and Mycoplasma pneumonia was done on respiratory specimens. Out of 6 samples, 3 tested positive for H. influenzae; 1 tested positive for both H. influenzae and human parainfluenza virus 3; and 2 tested negative. Laboratory-based surveillance can be useful in determining etiologies of diarrheal and respiratory illness of deployed military personnel.     

Comparison of ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines for myocardial revascularization

Journal of Nuclear Cardiology - In 2014, the Task Force on Myocardial Revascularization of the European Society of Cardiology and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery with the...     

Mu opioid receptor mRNA expression, binding, and functional coupling to G-proteins in human epileptic hippocampus

Mu opioid receptors (MOR) are known to be involved in seizure activity. The main goal of the present study was to characterize the MOR mRNA expression, binding, as well as G protein activation mediated by these receptors in epileptic hippocampus of patients with pharmacoresistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In contrast with autopsy samples, hippocampus obtained from patients with mesial TLE demonstrated enhanced MOR mRNA expression (116%). Saturation binding experiments revealed significantly higher (60%) B(max) values for the mesial TLE group, whereas the K(d) values were not statistically different. Although mesial TLE group demonstrated high levels of basal binding for the G proteins (136%), DAMGO-stimulated [(35)S]GTPγS binding did not demonstrate significant alterations. In conclusion, our present data provide strong evidence that the epileptic hippocampus of patients with pharmacoresistant mesial TLE presents significant alterations in MOR. Such changes may represent adaptive mechanisms to compensate for other as yet unknown alterations.     

Effective Analysis of the Use of Peracetic Acid after Instrumentation of Root Canals Contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA) in cleaning root canals contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis.

Methods

Sixty first and second mandibular molars were used. Their mesiobuccal canals were prepared with the Reciproc System (VDW, Munich, Germany). The canals were irrigated with 10 mL saline during instrumentation. The teeth were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 20), according to the irrigation solution to be used after instrumentation: group PAA (5 mL 1% PAA), group EDTA/sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (5 mL 17% EDTA followed by 5 mL 2.5% sodium hypochlorite), and group S (5 mL saline). Microbiological samples were collected before instrumentation and after final irrigation. Bacterial quantification was performed by counting the number of colony-forming units (CFUs/mL). The results were analyzed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results

The 3 groups showed a significant reduction (P < .05) in CFUs/mL after final irrigation. PAA and NaOCl associated with EDTA produced a significantly higher reduction in CFUs/mL (P < .05) compared with saline. There was no statistically significant difference between PAA and EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl (P > .05).

Conclusions

According to the results of the present study, the effectiveness of 1% PAA was similar to that of 17% EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl in cleaning curved root canals contaminated with E. faecalis.