γ-Catenin-Dependent Signals Maintain BCR-ABL1+ B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

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Impact of Direct Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Without Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty on Procedural and Clinical Outcomes: Insights From the FRANCE TAVI Registry

Objectives

This study sought to describe the current practices and compare outcomes according to the use of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) or not during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Routes for salmonella contamination of poultry meat: epidemiological study from hatchery to slaughterhouse

Data were collected on the prevalence of salmonella at different stages during the life cycle of 18 broiler flocks on different farms as well as during slaughter in different poultry slaughterhouses. For the isolation of salmonella, the highest sensitivity (93.9%) was obtained by enrichment in the semi-solid agar Diasalm. The 'overshoe method' utilizing several pairs of overshoes provided the highest sensitivity for determining the salmonella status of the broilers during rearing. A clear decrease of the relative importance of the first production stages was demonstrated for the salmonella contamination of the end product, whereas horizontal transmission of salmonella to broilers during rearing and to broiler carcasses in the slaughterhouse was shown to be the main determinative factor. Ten of the 18 flocks received a salmonella positive status with the highest shedding occurring during the first 2 weeks of rearing. The shedding of the animals was significantly negatively influenced by the use of subtherapeutic or therapeutic doses of antibiotics. The intake of portable material in the broiler house was identified as the most important risk factor for horizontal transmission. Significant associations were found between the contamination level of a flock and hygiene of the broiler house, feed and water in the broiler house and both animal and non-animal material sampled in the environment. No correlation was found between contamination during the rearing period and contamination found after slaughtering. The presence of faecal material in the transport crates and predominantly the identity of the slaughterhouse seemed to be the determining factors for carcass quality. Improved hygiene management during transport of broilers and in some slaughterhouses could significantly reduce the risk of salmonella contamination of poultry meat.     

Gene amplification in fibroblasts from ataxia telangiectasia (AT) patients and in X-ray hypersensitive AT-like Chinese hamster mutants

In search of functions involved in the regulation of gene amplification, and given the relevance of chromosome breakage in initiating the process, we analyzed the gene amplification ability of cells hypersensitive to inducers of DNA double-strand breaks and defective in cell cycle control: two human fibroblast strains derived from patients affected by ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and two hamster mutant cell lines belonging to complementation group XRCC8 of the rodent X-ray-sensitive mutants. These mutants are considered hamster models of AT cells. To measure gene amplification, the frequency and the rate of occurrence of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate resistant cells were determined. In both hamster mutants, these two parameters were increased by about an order of magnitude compared with parental cells, suggesting that amplification ability was increased by the genetic defect. In primary AT fibroblasts, as in normal human fibroblasts, gene amplification was undetectable and a block in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle was induced upon PALA treatment. These results suggest that in AT fibroblasts, where only the ATM gene is mutated, ATM-independent mechanisms prevent gene amplification, while, in the immortalized hamster cell lines, which are already permissive for gene amplification, the AT-like defect increases the probability of gene amplification.     

Cancer incidence among male Swedish veterinarians and other workers of the veterinary industry: a record-linkage study

Objective: To investigate the risk of cancer among veterinarians in a large record-linkage study from Sweden. Methods: We used the nationwide, Swedish Cancer Environment Registry III, which links the Cancer Register data for 1971–1989 to the national population censuses from 1960 and 1970, to compare the incidence of cancer among male veterinarians to that of the remaining part of the active population using multivariable Poisson regression models and standardized incidence ratios. One thousand one hundred and seventy eight men classified as veterinarians or workers in the veterinary industry at either census were identified. Results: Veterinarians in the veterinary industry experienced increased risk of esophageal (relative risk (RR) 3.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42–10.09), colon (RR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.42–3.91), pancreatic (RR: 2.10, 95% CI: 0.94–4.68) and brain (RR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.04–6.03) cancers as well as melanoma of the skin (RR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.24–6.17). Similar excess risks were observed when veterinarians were compared with individuals of similar socio-economic status. Conclusion: The increased risks of esophageal, colon, pancreatic and brain cancers as well as melanoma observed among veterinarians did not seem to be explained by the high socio-economic status of this occupational group. Therefore, it is possible that some of these results reflect the carcinogenicity of occupational exposures, including animal viruses, solar or ionizing radiations and anesthetics.     

Histopathology of leprosy. Study of more than 2300 biopsies

2,326 biopsies on Moroccan subjects suffering of leprosy had been studied in 4 years. After a critical study of histopathologic diagnosis and the classifications, the authors studied especially the lepromatous granuloma, its evolution during treatment and the lepromatous reactions. Defining histologically a reactional background, they make a certain generalisation among all the types of reactions observed in lepromatous patients.     

TAFI antigen level variability in young healthy Asian Indians; first report from Asia

Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolytic Inhibitor (TAFI) is a plasma protein, which inhibits fibrinolysis by removing carboxyterminal lysine residues from partially degraded fibrin thereby decreasing plasminogen binding on its surface. In this study we have investigated the antigenic level variability (Inter and Intraindividual) of Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor in 120 healthy Asian Indians since no data on this is available regarding this population. TAFI antigen levels did not show a normal distribution in our population (p<0.001). Median TAFI antigen levels were found to be 11.683 microg/ml. It ranged from 33.9-202.5%of normal pool plasma (3.9-23.5 microg/ml). TAFI antigenic level showed high level of variability in the Indian population (coefficient of variation: 37.4%). TAFI antigenic levels were stable intraindividually (p=0.218).