Biomarkers on patient T cells diagnose active tuberculosis and monitor treatment response

BACKGROUND. The identification and treatment of individuals with tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health priority. Accurate diagnosis of pulmonary active TB (ATB) disease remains challenging and relies on extensive medical evaluation and detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the patient’s sputum. Further, the response to treatment is monitored by sputum culture conversion, which takes several weeks for results. Here, we sought to identify blood-based host biomarkers associated with ATB and hypothesized that immune activation markers on Mtb-specific CD4⁺ T cells would be associated with Mtb load in vivo and could thus provide a gauge of Mtb infection.METHODS. Using polychromatic flow cytometry, we evaluated the expression of immune activation markers on Mtb-specific CD4⁺ T cells from individuals with asymptomatic latent Mtb infection (LTBI) and ATB as well as from ATB patients undergoing anti-TB treatment.RESULTS. Frequencies of Mtb-specific IFN-γ⁺CD4⁺ T cells that expressed immune activation markers CD38 and HLA-DR as well as intracellular proliferation marker Ki-67 were substantially higher in subjects with ATB compared with those with LTBI. These markers accurately classified ATB and LTBI status, with cutoff values of 18%, 60%, and 5% for CD38⁺IFN-γ⁺, HLA-DR⁺IFN-γ⁺, and Ki-67⁺IFN-γ⁺, respectively, with 100% specificity and greater than 96% sensitivity. These markers also distinguished individuals with untreated ATB from those who had successfully completed anti-TB treatment and correlated with decreasing mycobacterial loads during treatment.CONCLUSION. We have identified host blood-based biomarkers on Mtb-specific CD4⁺ T cells that discriminate between ATB and LTBI and provide a set of tools for monitoring treatment response and cure.TRIAL REGISTRATION. Registration is not required for observational studies.FUNDING. This study was funded by Emory University, the NIH, and the Yerkes National Primate Center.     

Ethyl lactate as a potential green solvent to extract hydrophilic (polar) and lipophilic (non-polar) phytonutrients simultaneously from fruit and vegetable by-products

Phytonutrients extracted from natural resources are receiving much attention among researchers due to their highly antioxidative characteristics which prevent several degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These nutraceutical compounds can be used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as natural antioxidants, preservatives, colourants and functional foods. Huge volume of food wastes are generated from the processing industry and these low-value food residues are rich in various phytonutrients worth recovering. This approach of valorisation reduces the generation of food wastes and is cost-effective considering the cheap feedstock, reduced waste management expenses and high market value of extracted compounds. In light of the health and safety risks posed by commonly used organic extraction solvents derived from the petrochemical industry, there is a need to recover the phytonutrients using green, sustainable and efficient solvents that are safe for human consumption. This work discusses ethyl lactate as a safe, green, efficient and potentially cheap solvent to recover phytonutrients from fruit and vegetable by-products. Ethyl lactate is compared with other organic solvents commonly used from the aspects of safety, environmental impacts and efficiency. Current challenges when employing ethyl lactate are also discussed.     

Non-arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy after Uneventful Cataract Extraction

We present the case of a 74-year-old Caucasian female who suffered sudden visual loss after routine phacoemulsification cataract surgery. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. The case is described in detail, and a concise review of the literature is presented together with the authors’ view on the subject outlined. This is a very rare complication after cataract surgery even in high-risk patients with associated systemic co-morbidities. We suspect that the previous history of obesity, coronary artery disease, and arteriosclerosis contributed to the development of this serious ocular complication. We suggest appropriate measures to reduce the risk of its occurrence.     

Rabs and axonal regeneration

Membrane trafficking processes are presumably vital for axonal regeneration after injury, but mechanistic understanding in this regard has been sparse. A recent loss-of-function screen had been carried out for factors important for axonal regeneration by cultured cortical neurons and the results suggested that the activity of a number of Rab GTPases might act to restrict axonal regeneration. A loss of Rab27b, in particular, is shown to enhance axonal regeneration in vitro, as well as in C. elegans and mouse central nervous system injury models in vivo. Possible mechanisms underlying this new finding, which has important academic and translational implication, are discussed.     

心理群体干预对缓解体外受精妇女焦虑作用的随机对照研究

目的：评价东部身体-智力-精神（EBMS）群体干预对进行体外受精（IVF）的中国妇女焦虑缓解的作用。设计：随机对照研究。机构：三级辅助生殖机构。受试者：227例接受第1个IVF周期治疗的妇女。干预：干预组（n=69）接受4次EBMS群体咨询，而对照组（n=115）无任何干预。主要观察指标：状态-特质焦虑问卷。结果：与对照组相比，干预组在干预后状态焦虑平均分显著下降。每组移植同样数目的卵子，但干预组没有明显更高妊娠率的倾向。     

Surfactant

Surfactant, a complex substance containing specific proteins and phospholipids, is essential for gas exchange in the lungs. Research shows that surfactant not only lowers surface tension, but also plays a role in host defense. Surfactant replacement therapy is a cornerstone in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants. New information on endogenous surfactant composition including surfactant apoproteins has led to advances in the surfactant replacement products currently available. Because of the success of surfactant deficiency treatment in neonates, surfactant replacement therapy has been studied in both the pediatric and adult population for the treatment of other respiratory disorders. This article describes the composition, metabolism, and function of endogenous surfactant and other uses of surfactant replacement therapies in neonates.