Herpetic croup: two case reports and a review of the literature

Croup is an acute infectious illness usually occurring in children; it is characterized by brassy cough and stridor. The main pathogens include mainly parainfluenza and influenza viruses. Recently there have been reports of prolonged croup caused by the herpes simplex viruses. We report two cases of prolonged croup due to herpes simplex types 1 and 2. We also review and summarize the reported pediatric cases of herpetic croup.     

Classroom aeroallergen exposure in Arkansas head start centers.

BACKGROUND: The impact of preschool environmental conditions on classroom aeroallergen concentrations is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between school environmental conditions and classroom aeroallergen concentrations in the Pulaski County Head Start (HS) Program. METHODS: Thirty-three HS centers in Pulaski County, Arkansas, underwent a detailed environmental evaluation. Classroom settled dust samples were analyzed for the presence of common indoor allergens. RESULTS: Classroom eating (70%), wall-to-wall carpeting (58%), and water damage (33%) were common. Median classroom allergen levels were as follows: dust mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), 0.6 microg/g; Fel d 1, 0.4 microg/g; Can f 1, 1.7 microg/g; cockroach, below detection; Mus m 1, 0.18 microg/g; and mold spores, 17,800 CFU/g. Can f 1 and Mus m 1 allergens were detected in 100% of HS centers. Facilities with carpeting, increased humidity, and single-use facilities showed trends toward increased dust mite concentrations. Detectable cockroach allergen was more common in classrooms cleaned by teachers than by professional housekeepers. CONCLUSIONS: Aeroallergens were commonly detected in Pulaski County HS center classrooms, with dog and mouse allergens detected in 100% of centers. Median classroom allergen concentrations were low, and classroom characteristics were not strongly predictive of increased allergen exposure.     

Being in charge: Older women and their younger female kin

Our cross-cultural study of the relationship between older women and their younger female kin examines women's hierarchies based on age and focuses on the exercise of authority by women, when such authority is traditional and accepted. Data were collected for two world-wide samples each consisting of 30 societies, varying in complexity, subsistence base, geographic location, and in customs related to women's lives. Three hypotheses were tested. The findings, which are statistically significant, suggest that the relationships between older women and their younger female kin are patterned and predictable, determined by the role of women in subsistence activities, by rules for post-marital residence, and by descent.When domination can only be exercised... directly, between one person and another, it can not take place overtly and must be disguised under the veil of enchanted relationships, the official model of which is presented by the relations between kinsmen.The gentle, invisible form of violence, which is never recognized as such... can not fail to be seen as the most economical mode of domination...The system is such that the dominant agents have a vested interest in virtue. (Bourdieu 1991191, 192, 194)     

Delayed effects of thallium in the rat brain: regional changes in lipid peroxidation and behavioral markers, but moderate alterations in antioxidants, after a single administration.

Thallium (Tl+) toxicity has been related with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress (OS) in the central nervous system. Since changes in endogenous antioxidant systems might contribute to acute Tl+-induced OS and neurotoxicity, in this study we measured the metal concentration and the levels of lipid peroxidation (LP) in different brain regions (hypothalamus (Ht); cerebellum (Ce); striatum (S); hippocampus (Hc) and frontal cortex (Cx)) in possible correlation with the content of reduced glutathione (GSH), the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the animal performance in behavioral tests, all evaluated after a single administration of thallium acetate (8 or 16 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats. Seven days after Tl+ administration, the metal was homogeneously and dose-dependently accumulated in all regions evaluated. LP was increased in Ht, Ce and S, while GSH was depleted in S. Cu,Zn-SOD activity was also decreased in Ht and S. All these changes occurred with 16 mg/kg dose and at 7 days after treatment, but not at 1 or 3 days. In addition, Tl+-treated animals exhibited general hypokinesis, but no changes were observed in spatial learning. Our findings suggest that a delayed response of the brain to Tl+ may be the result of its residual levels. Also, despite the regional alterations produced by Tl+ in LP and the limited changes in endogenous antioxidants, there is a correlation between the Tl+-induced oxidative damage and the affected behavioral tasks, suggesting that, although still moderate, Tl+ evokes neurotoxic patterns under the experimental conditions tested.     

Guanosine and GMP prevent seizures induced by quinolinic acid in mice

In the mammalian CNS, glutamate and GABA are the principal neurotransmitters mediating excitatory and inhibitory synaptic events, respectively, and have been implicated in the neurobiology of seizures. Guanine-based purines, including the nucleoside guanosine and the nucleotide GMP, have been shown to antagonize glutamatergic activity at the receptor level and the other purine nucleoside adenosine is a well-known modulator of seizure threshold. In the present study we investigated the anticonvulsant effect of i. p. guanosine and GMP against seizures induced by the glutamate agonist quinolinic acid (QA) or the GABA(A) antagonist picrotoxin in mice. Animals were pretreated with an i.p. injection of saline, guanosine or GMP 30 min before either an i.c.v. injection of 4 microliter QA (36.8 nmol) or a subcutaneous injection of picrotoxin (3.2 mg/kg). All animals pretreated with vehicle followed by QA or picrotoxin presented seizures, which were completely prevented by the NMDA antagonist MK-801 and the GABA agonist phenobarbital, respectively. Guanosine and GMP dose-dependently protected against QA-induced seizures, up to 70 and 80% at 7.5 mg/kg, with ED(50)=2. 6+/-0.4 and 1.7+/-0.6 mg/kg, respectively. Conversely, neither guanosine, GMP nor MK-801 affected picrotoxin-induced seizures, indicating some degree of specificity towards the glutamatergic system. This study suggests anticonvulsant properties of i.p. guanosine and GMP, which may be related with antagonism of glutamate receptors.     

Chordoma: Radiological–pathological correlation

This review correlates the imaging findings and histological appearances seen in chordomas in a series of patients presenting at our institution, together with a published literature review. A parallel presentation of photographs of imaging findings and microscopic histological findings is made, with the aim being to enhance recognition of this uncommon but clinically significant entity.     

Morphologically Typical and Atypical B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemias Display a Different Pattern of Surface Antigenic Density

Recent evidences suggest that B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) may have heterogeneous biological and clinical features. Immunological phenotype may be useful for distinguishing these different forms of disease.

We used a quantitative flow cytometric approach to analyze the expression of several membrane molecules (CD19, CD20, CD22, CD23, CD11c, CD5, CD79b) commonly used to diagnose and characterize B-CLL in a choort of 84 consecutive B-CLL patients diagnosed according to morphological and immunological findings. We found that morphologically so-called “atypical” B-CLL displayed a significantly higher number of CD20 and CD22 molecules than typical forms. On the other hand, CD19 was found to be more expressed in typical B-CLL, although without reaching statistical significance. Finally, no difference was detected with respect to CD23, CD79b, CD11c and CD5 number of molecules/per cell between typical and atypical B-CLL. Other clinico-biological features, such as surface membrane immunoglobulin density, percentage of CD79b and FMC7 expression, peripheral blood lymphocytosis, trisomy 12 and advanced clinical stages were also found to be more frequent in atypical B-CLL. In conclusion, our data confirm the hypothesis that atypical B-CLL is a disease sustained by more mature B-cells, closely related but, at the same time, clearly distincted from neoplastic cells of typical B-CLL.     

Plant-Derived (Poly)phenols and Their Metabolic Outcomes: The Pursuit of a Role for the Gut Microbiota

Plant-derived (poly)phenolic compounds have been undoubtedly shown to promote endocrine homeostasis through the improvement of diverse metabolic outcomes. Amongst diverse potential mechanisms, the prebiotic modulatory effects exerted by these compounds on the gut microbiota have supported their nutraceutical application in both experimental and clinical approaches. However, the comprehension of the microbiota modulatory patterns observed upon (poly)phenol-based dietary interventions is still in its infancy, which makes the standardization of the metabolic outcomes in response to a given (poly)phenol a herculean task. Thus, this narrative review sought to gather up-to-date information on the relationship among (poly)phenols intake, their modulatory effect on the gut microbiota diversity, and consequent metabolic outcomes as a supportive tool for the future design of experimental approaches and even clinical trials.     

S-allylcysteine scavenges singlet oxygen and hypochlorous acid and protects LLC-PK(1) cells of potassium dichromate-induced toxicity.

It has been found that S-allylcysteine (SAC), a garlic-derived compound, has in vivo and in vitro antioxidant properties. In addition, it is known that SAC is able to scavenge different reactive oxygen or nitrogen species including superoxide anion (O(2)(-)), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), hydroxyl radical (OH()), and peroxynitrite anion (ONOO(-)) although the IC(5O) values for each reactive species has not been calculated and the potential ability of SAC to scavenge singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) has not been explored. The purposes of this work was (a) to explore the potential ability of SAC to scavenge (1)O(2) and HOCl, (b) to further characterize the O(2)(-), H(2)O(2), OH(), and ONOO(-) scavenging ability of SAC by measuring the IC(50) values using in vitro assays, and (c) to explore the potential ability of SAC to ameliorate the potassium dichromate (K(2)Cr(2)O(7))-induced cytotoxicity in LLC-PK1 cells in which oxidative stress is involved. The scavenging activity was compared against the following reference compounds: N-acetylcysteine for O(2)(-), sodium pyruvate for H(2)O(2), dimethylthiourea for OH(), lipoic acid and glutathione for (1)O(2), lipoic acid for HOCl, and penicillamine for ONOO(-). It was found that SAC was able to scavenge concentration-dependently all the species assayed with the following IC(5O) (mean+/-SEM, mM): O(2)(-) (14.49+/-1.67), H(2)O(2) (68+/-1.92), OH() (0.68+/-0.06), (1)O(2) (1.93+/-0.27), HOCl (2.86+/-0.15), and ONOO(-) (0.80+/-0.05). When the ability of SAC to scavenge these species was compared to those of the reference compounds it was found that the efficacy of SAC (a) to scavenge O(2)(-), H(2)O(2), OH(), and ONOO(-) was lower, (b) to scavenge HOCl was similar, and (c) to scavenge (1)O(2) was higher. In addition, it was found that SAC was able to prevent K(2)Cr(2)O(7)-induced toxicity in LLC-PK1 cells in culture. It was showed for the first time that SAC is able to scavenge (1)O(2) and HOCl and to ameliorate the K(2)Cr(2)O(7)-induced toxicity.