Tubercular pseudoaneurysm of aorta: a rare association with vertebral tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Pseudoaneurysm of the aorta in association with vertebral tuberculosis is a rare phenomenon. With the resurgence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and associated resistant tuberculosis, this life-threatening complication requires greater awareness. PURPOSE: Our purpose is to report the rare presentation and successful management of tubercular pseudoaneurysm of the aorta in association with vertebral tuberculosis, and to highlight the clinicoradiological features for early and prompt diagnosis of this potentially fatal, but treatable, disease. STUDY DESIGN: A single case report and overview of the disease comprises the design of this study. PATIENT SAMPLE: The patient, already surgically intervened, is a 27-year-old male with increasing abdominal and back pain, upper motor neuron signs, and constitutional signs and symptoms. OUTCOME MEASURES: At 33 months follow-up, there is complete resolution of the signs and symptoms, and the patient is back to his previous vocation. METHODS: The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and contrast computed tomography. Endoaneurysmorrhaphy of the pseudoaneurysm along with a complete course of antitubercular treatment was given to the patient, and he has presently been followed up for 33 months. RESULTS: The patient's signs and symptoms have been completely resolved without any recurrence. CONCLUSION: Despite the use of modern chemotherapy and imaging techniques, this disastrous complication still occurs and reinforces the need for early suspicion, diagnosis, surgical resection, and antitubercular therapy along with close postoperative follow-up to prevent recurrence. With the resurgence of HIV (and other immunocompromised states) associated and resistant tuberculosis, we should be more alert than ever to this life-threatening complication.     

Increased Ventricular Vulnerability in a Chronic Ethanol Model Despite Reduced Electrophysiologic Responses to Catecholamines

An increased incidence of sudden death has been reported in chronic alcoholism. To assess electrical vulnerability of the heart, action potential responses, and the role of the sympathetic system, a well-nourished canine model has been studied intact under chloralose anesthesia after 1 year of ethanol consumption at 36% of caloric intake. Two alcoholic groups were compared with controls (Group 1). In Group 2 myocardial vulnerability was assessed after chronic EtOH and superimposed acute administration. In Group 3 basal vulnerability was related to circulating norepinephrine and release of neurohormone from the myocardium. Subsequently the responsiveness to catecholamine infusion was determined. To assess vulnerability an electrode catheter was placed in the right ventricular apex. The basal ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) was reduced to 27 +/- 3 ma in Group 2 versus 43 +/- 1.0 in Group 1. Acute infusion of ethanol in Group 2 further reduced the threshold. Group 3 had a reduced basal VFT. Baseline arterial plasma levels of norepinephrine were 8-fold higher and coronary venous levels 13 times higher in the alcoholic group than in Group 1. However, VFT was not responsive to infused epinephrine, compared with Group 1 controls. In vitro study of superfused ventricular tissue from Group 3 revealed that basal action potential amplitude, overshoot, and resting potential were comparable with normals. Basal repolarization time (90%) was 198 +/- 12 msec in Group 3 versus 215 +/- 6 msec in Group 1 (p less than 0.05). After acute EtOH, repolarization time was shortened to 170 +/- 8.6 in Group 1 at 90 mg% ethanol (p less than 0.002), with minimal further change up to 280 mg%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Influence of sugars on the activity of cellulase system from two basidiomycetes cultures

Influence of some sugars was studied on activity of purified cellulase enzymes produced by two white-rot basidiomycetes cultures in submerged fermentation. Exo- and endo-glucanases were found to be stimulated by glucose, sucrose and xylose, but β-glucosidase was inhibited by all sugars tested except sucrose being neutral. Cellobiose severely inhibited all three cellulase activities at all three concentrations taken in reaction mixture.     

Immune dysregulation and autoreactivity correlate with disease severity in SARS-CoV-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

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Mutations in VMK1, a mitogen-activated protein kinase gene, affect microsclerotia formation and pathogenicity in Verticillium dahliae

Verticillium dahliae is an important soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilt diseases in a large variety of important crop plants. Due to its persistence in the soil, control of Verticillium wilt relies heavily on soil fumigation. The global ban on methyl bromide, a highly effective soil fumigant, poses an urgent need to develop alternative control measures against Verticillium wilt; and these might be more forthcoming with a better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the pathogenicity of V. dahliae. In this study, we assessed the role in growth, development, and pathogenicity of VMK1, a gene encoding a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (hence, Verticillium MAP Kinase 1). Disruption of VMK1 via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, in two V. dahliae isolates, one from lettuce and the other from tomato, resulted in severely reduced virulence in diverse host plants, suggesting that VMK1 is essential for pathogenicity and that the MAP kinase-mediated signaling pathway has a conserved role in fungal pathogenicity. The vmk1 mutants also exhibited reduced conidiation and microsclerotia formation, suggesting that the gene is important for multiple cellular processes. P.R. and R.G.B. equally contributed to the work     

A critical function for type I interferons in cancer immunoediting

'Cancer immunoediting' is a process wherein the immune system protects hosts against tumor development and facilitates outgrowth of tumors with reduced immunogenicity. Although interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is known to be involved in this process, the involvement of type I interferons (IFN-alpha/beta) has not been elucidated. We now show that, like IFN-gamma, endogenously produced IFN-alpha/beta was required for the prevention of the growth of primary carcinogen-induced and transplantable tumors. Although tumor cells are important IFN-gamma targets, they are not functionally relevant sites of the actions of the type I interferons. Instead, host hematopoietic cells are critical IFN-alpha/beta targets during development of protective antitumor responses. Therefore, type I interferons are important components of the cancer immunoediting process and function in a way that does not completely overlap the functions of IFN-gamma.