Effects of atmosphere of incubation on recovery of bacteria and yeasts from blood cultures in Tryptic soy broth

A comparison was made of the results of blood cultures between 1974 and 1981 in unvented and transiently vented bottles of Tryptic soy broth under vacuum with CO2. A total of 14,646 isolates were available for statistical analysis. Significantly more isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus, Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Serratia, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Neisseria, and Candida were recovered from the vented bottle. Significantly more isolates of Corynebacterium, Haemophilus, Flavobacterium, Moraxella, Bacteroidaceae, and Peptostreptococcus were recovered from the unvented bottle.     

Characteristics of patients with coexisting IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy

Background: Coexistence of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and membranous nephropathy (MN) in the same patient is rare. Few studies have reported the clinical and pathological features of patients with combined IgAN and MN (IgAN–MN).

Methods: The clinico-pathological features, levels of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and autoantibodies against M-type transmembrane phospholipase A₂ receptor (anti-PLA₂R) in sera were compared among IgAN–MN, IgAN, and MN patients.

Results: Twenty-six patients with biopsy-proven IgAN–MN were enrolled. The mean age at biopsy was 43.6?±?15.9?years, and 65.4% were male. Proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels in patients with IgAN–MN were similar to that of MN patients. Compared with the IgAN patients, IgAN–MN patients showed a higher median proteinuria level (4.3 vs. 1.2?g/day, p?2, p?MN patients presented with milder pathological lesions than IgAN patients according to the Oxford Classification. IgAN–MN patients had comparable serum levels of Gd-IgA1 with those of IgAN patients (353.4?±?95.5 vs. 347.0?±?109.6?U/mL, p?=?.801). Percentage of IgAN–MN patients with detectable serum levels of anti-PLA₂R was lower than that of MN patients (38.5% vs. 68.6%, p?=?.011).

Conclusions: IgAN–MN patients display similar clinical features to MN patients and milder pathological lesions than IgAN patients. IgAN–MN patients have similar levels of Gd-IgA1 to those of IgAN patients, and a lower proportion of anti-PLA₂R than MN patients.     

Diet Quality and Fruit,Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption by Household Food Insecurity among 8- to 12-Year-Old Children during Summer Months

BackgroundSchool-delivered nutrition assistance programs have improved dietary intake for children from food-insecure households during the school year. However, little is known about their diet quality and eating patterns during summer months.ObjectiveSchool-aged children’s summer month weekday and weekend day diet quality and eating patterns were assessed by household food insecurity.DesignSecondary analysis of cross-sectional data was employed.Participants/settingDuring the summers of 2011 through 2017, baseline data were collected from parent–child dyads participating in one of two community-based obesity prevention trials in metropolitan Minnesota (N=218). The mean age of children was 10 years; 50% were girls, 49% were nonwhite, and 25% were from food-insecure households.Main outcome measuresChildren from food-secure and food-insecure households were identified by using the short form of the US Household Food Security Survey. Healthy Eating Index 2015 and eating patterns—including energy intake and consumption of whole fruits, vegetables, 100% fruit/vegetable juice, and sugar-sweetened beverages—were estimated by means of 24-hour dietary recall interviews conducted on weekdays and weekend days.Statistical analysis performedGeneral linear modeling was used to examine diet quality and eating patterns by food insecurity, controlling for child age, child body mass index z score, and parent education.ResultsChildren from food-insecure and food-secure households had Healthy Eating Index 2015 scores less than 50. Children from food-insecure households reported less energy intake, fewer cups of whole fruit, and more sugar-sweetened beverage consumption for every 1,000 kcal consumed on a weekend day when compared with their counterparts from food-secure households (P<0.05). Similar results were not seen for weekday eating patterns.ConclusionsWhole fruit and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption varied by food insecurity on weekend days during summer months. Because children tend to gain weight during summer months, efforts to increase weekend access to whole fruits and promote water consumption may contribute to weight gain prevention and healthy development, especially for children from food-insecure households.     

A systematic review of surveillance after endovascular aortic repair

Objective

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the optimal modality and frequency of surveillance after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in adult patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Genotoxic effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 153, 138, 101, 118) in a fish cell line (RTG-2)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent pollutants in aquatic environments, often causing the decline or disappearance of wild populations. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of some PCBs (PCB153 (2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl) and 138 (2,2′,3,4,4′,5′-hexachloro-biphenyl), both non-dioxin-like compounds, and the pentachlorobiphenyls PCB118 (2,3′,4,4′,5-) and 101 (2,2′,4′,5,5′-), the former an ortho-substituted, low-affinity dioxin-like compound and the latter a non-coplanar congener classified as non-dioxin-like) in fish cells (RTG-2). These congeners are mostly present in surface waters and in edible aquatic organisms and the loss of DNA integrity in vitro serves as a sensitive biomarker of cytogenetic alterations and is considered as an initial step for the identification of genotoxic effects.The alkaline comet assay and the micronucleus test show clear genotoxic damage after short and longer exposure (2 and 24 h) to maximum soluble, non-cytotoxic doses, evident sooner with PCBs 101 and 118. Oxidative stress situations involving ROS release, reduction in total GSH, lipid peroxidation and alteration to superoxide dismutase, seen after exposure with all the congeners, though with different kinetics, seem the most likely explanation for the genotoxic damage. This appears to be confirmed by the modified comet assay (pH 10) for detection of oxidized bases using endonuclease III. The increased generation of intracellular ROS might explain the apoptosis seen after treatment with the single PCBs and evaluated on the basis of the rise in 3-7 caspase activity. Therefore both the non-coplanar, non-dioxin-like PCBs (153, 138, 101) and the low-affinity dioxin-like compound PCB118 cause evident genotoxic damage, probably as a consequence of oxidative stress.     

Genotoxic and mutagenic effects of erythrosine B,a xanthene food dye,on HepG2 cells

Erythrosine (ErB) is a xanthene and an US Food and Drug Administration approved dye used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Although its utilization is permitted, ErB is described as inhibitor of enzymes and protein–protein interactions and is toxic to pituitary and spermatogenesis processes. However, the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of ErB is inconclusive in the literature. This study aimed to analyze the genotoxicity of this dye using the alkaline comet assay and is the first investigation to evaluate ErB mutagenicity using the cytokinesis block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-Cyt) assay in HepG2 cells. These cells were chosen because they produce phase I and phase II enzymes that can mimic in vivo metabolism. The cells were treated with seven concentrations (0.1–70.0 μg mL⁻¹) of ErB, and the results showed genotoxicity at the two highest concentrations and mutagenicity at six concentrations. Furthermore, as micronuclei result from clastogenic and aneugenic processes, while comet assay is often considered more sensitive and detects DNA single strain breaks, we suggest that an aneugenic is responsible for the observed damage. Although ErB is approved for use in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, it must be used carefully because it damages the DNA structure.     

Effects of orally administered antioxidants on micronuclei and sister chromatid exchange frequency in workers professionally exposed to antineoplastic agents

The widespread use of antineoplastic drugs in cancer treatment increased concern about possible hazard to workers involved in the preparation and administration of these drugs. In the present study, the effects of commercial antioxidative drug Oligogal Se® on genome protection were analyzed in 15 nurses handling the antineoplastic drugs at the Oncology Department in comparison to twenty healthy volunteers. The nurses took antioxidant mixture Oligogal Se®, consisting of vitamins C, E, A and selenium, one capsule per day, over a period of 6 months. Genome damage was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes by usage of sister chromatid exchange test and the cytokinesis-block micronuclei test. The frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and micronuclei (MN) in the exposed group was significantly higher when compared to the control group (SCE, p < 0.05; MN, p < 0.01 respectively). After antioxidant supplementation, the frequency of sister chromatid exchange and micronuclei decreased (p < 0.05) when compared with the values from the beginning of the study, but were still above the values of the control group. The effects of confounding factors such as cigarette smoking and cytostatics exposure time were also evaluated. The data indicated that Oligogal Se® contributed to the decreasing of genome damages in workers handling the cytostatics.