Gastro-duodenal digestion products of the major peanut allergen Ara h 1 retain an allergenic potential

BACKGROUND: The process of gastro-duodenal digestion may play a role in determining the allergenic properties of food proteins. The sensitizing and allergenic potential of digestion products of highly degraded allergens, such as the major peanut allergen Ara h 1, is currently under debate. We evaluated the effect of in vitro gastro-duodenal digestion of Ara h 1 on T cell reactivity and basophil histamine release. METHODS: An in vitro model of gastro-duodenal digestion was used to investigate changes in the allergenic properties of Ara h 1 using in vitro assays monitoring T cell reactivity (proliferation, cytokine production) and histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals. The digestion process was monitored using an SDS-PAGE gel. RESULTS: In vitro gastric digestion led to rapid degradation of Ara h 1 into small fragments M(r) L5600. Gastric digestion did not affect the ability of Ara h 1 to stimulate cellular proliferation. Gastro-duodenal digestion significantly reduced its ability to stimulate clonal expansion (P<0,05; Wilxocon's signed rank test). The Th-2 type cytokine polarization of T cells from peanut allergic donors (IFN-gamma/IL-13 ratio and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio of CFSE(low) CD4(+) T cells) remained unchanged regardless of the level of digestion. Histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals was induced to the same extent by native Ara h 1 and its digestion products. CONCLUSION: Gastro-duodenal digestion fragments of Ara h 1 retain T cell stimulatory and IgE-binding and cross-linking properties of the intact protein.     

Acute Cellular Rejection with CD20-Positive Lymphoid Clusters in Kidney Transplant Patients Following Lymphocyte Depletion

Lymphoid clusters (LC) containing CD20-positive B cells in kidney allografts undergoing acute cellular rejection (ACR) have been identified in small studies as a prognostic factor for glucocorticoid resistance and graft loss. Allograft biopsies obtained during the first episode of ACR in 120 recipients were evaluated for LC, immunostained with CD20 antibody, and correlated with conventional histopathologic criteria, response to treatment and outcome. LC were found in 71 (59%) of the 120 biopsies. All contained CD20 positive B cells that accounted for 5-90% of the LC leukocyte content. The incidence of LC was highest in the patients who had no lymphoid depletion or had been treated with Thymoglobulin preconditioning (79% vs. 75%, respectively) compared to 37% in patients pretreated with Campath (p = 0.0001). Banff 1a/1b ACR were more frequent in the LC-positive than the LC-negative group (96% vs. 80%, respectively; p = 0.0051). With a posttransplant follow-up of 953 +/- 430 days, no significant differences were detected between LC-postitive and LC-negative groups in time to ACR, steroid resistance, serum creatinine and graft loss. CD20+LC did not portend glucocorticoid resistance or worse short to medium term outcomes. CD20+LC may represent a heterogenous collection in which there may be a small still to be fully defined unfavorable subgroup.     

肝病治疗仪治疗高原慢性乙型肝炎患者的临床观察

目的观察WGLY-801型电脑肝病治疗仪对慢性乙型肝炎的治疗效果。方法随机选取慢性乙型肝炎患者144例,分为治疗组66例,在常规治疗基础上加用肝病治疗仪;对照组78例,采用常规治疗,观察两组治疗效果。治疗三疗程共45天(每疗程15天),观察临床症状、肝功能的动态变化,并对最终效果进行评价。结果经治疗后,两组患者临床症状、肝功能较前均有好转,但治疗组起效快,疗程明显缩短,疗效好,差异有明显统计学意义(p<0.05)。结论肝病治疗仪,操作简单,疗效确切,值得进一步推广应用。     

Perceptions of facial aesthetics in surgical patients with basal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a non-melanoma form of skin cancer that is frequently localized within the cervicofacial area. So far, little research is available on how patients perceive their facial aesthetics after surgical treatment for BCC. OBJECTIVES: To analyse (i) if there was a statistically significant improvement over time with regard to the perceived facial aesthetics of surgical patients; (ii) if there was a significant difference between primary and recurrent BCC patients; and (iii) between patients who had Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) or surgical excision (SE). To assess (iv) which baseline perceptions and/or clinical parameters may predict the evaluation of facial aesthetics at 6 months after surgery. METHODS: Parallel to a clinical trial, a survey was carried out in which patients were asked, by means of a newly developed disease-specific questionnaire, about perceptions with regard to their facial aesthetics before and after surgery. RESULTS: Aesthetic perceptions of all surgical patients improved over time. There was no statistically significant difference on facial aesthetics between the group with a primary or recurrent BCC and patients treated with MMS or SE. Results also showed that the evaluation of postsurgical facial aesthetics can be predicted by both visibility of the tumour and preoperative perceptions. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to administer preoperatively a short questionnaire in which perceptions related to facial aesthetics are included. In doing so, physicians will become more familiar with the aesthetic problems patients might have regarding their afflicted facial site. Ultimately, it may help physicians in deciding whether patients will benefit from additional cosmetic procedures after surgery.     

Image features of two rare mediastinal tumors: schwannoma of intrathoracic phrenic nerve and clear cell chondrosarcoma of the rib

The current report focuses on two patients of the same age who presented similar appearances on initial anteroposterior chest images. Follow-up images showed superoanterior and superoposterior mediastinal lesions. The first patient with noninvasive cystic thymoma was suspected before surgery, while the pathologic diagnosis was intrathoracic phrenic nerve schwannoma. The second patient was with an asymmetric, dumbbell-shaped paravertebral tumor over T3 and T4 on the left side. The preoperative…     

Ameloblastoma ex calcifying odontogenic cyst (dentinogenic ghost cell tumor)

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) has shown to be of extensive diversity in its clinical and histopathological features, as well as in its biological behavior. In this report, a rare case is described of ameloblastoma ex COC (dentinogenic ghost cell tumor) and the relevant literature is briefly reviewed.     

Effect of naringin on bone cells.

Statin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, was shown to increase BMP-2 gene expression for bone formation, by blocking the mevalonate pathway in cholesterol production. We investigated the effect of naringin, a flavonoid available commonly in citrus fruits, which was also a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in UMR 106 osteoblastic cell line in vitro. The control group consisted of cells cultured without any intervention for different time intervals (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h), whereas the experimental (naringin) group consisted of cells cultured with naringin of different concentrations (0.001 micromol/L, 0.01 micromol/L, and 0.1 micromol/L) for the same time intervals of the control. Colorimetric Tetrazolium (MTT) assay, total protein content assay, and alkaline phosphatase activity were used to measure the cellular activities. Results for the naringin group showed an increase in MTT assay compared with the control and the effect was dose dependent. At high concentration (0.1 micromol), the increases ranged from 60% to 80%. In the total protein content assay, naringin also showed an increase compared with control and the effect was also dose dependent. At high concentration (0.1 micromol), the increases ranged from 9% to 20%. In the alkaline phosphatase activity assay, naringin at high concentration (0.1 micromol) significantly increased the activity up to 20%. In conclusion, naringin significantly increased bone cell activities in vitro. This is the first study specifically attempted to investigate the effect of naringin on bone cell activities. Besides statin, this provided another example of mevalonate pathway blockage in the cholesterol production pathway by HMG-CoA reductase inhibition will increase the bone cell activities.     

Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α may be a marker for vasculitic neuropathy

Neuromuscular biopsy is still an essential method for diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy, although its diagnostic sensitivity is at most 60%. Our objective was to examine the expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α) in peripheral nerves and to evaluate its usefulness in diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy, especially for discrimination from other axonal neuropathies. Forty‐one patients with vasculitic neuropathy consisting of 20 definite, 14 probable and seven possible diagnoses, 15 patients with metabolic neuropathy, five with motor neuron disease and six with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy were included. Nerve biopsy specimens were immunohistochemically examined for HIF‐1α and various cell markers. Distinct immunoreactivity (IR) was observed in nuclei of endoneurial cells in 54% (22/41) of vasculitic patients, while specimens from metabolic neuropathies showed less nuclear IR and the difference of mean density of HIF‐1α‐positive nuclei was significant. Two patients with possible vasculitis who showed HIF‐1α‐positive nuclei in endoneurium, were later confirmed to have vasculitis by skin biopsies. Most of the cells expressing HIF were demonstrated to be Schwann cells. There was a trend in the vasculitic patients with early phase nerve damage to display higher endoneurial HIF‐1α‐IR. HIF‐1α may be an immunohistochemical marker for vasculitic neuropathy, especially when the observed section contains no vasculitic lesions.