Predisposition to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome involves the concurrence of different susceptibility alleles in the regulators of complement activation gene cluster in 1q32

Some MCP SNP and aHUS-associated MCP mutation     

Pilomatrixoma of the eyelid. Apropos of a case]

Primary adnexal tumors of the eyelids are quite uncommon. This diagnosis should be considered in the case of a sub-epidermal tumor. We report the case of a 25-year-old female patient presenting with a left eyelid nodular tumor, which appeared clinically as a whitish swelling of the lateral part of the eyelid, covered by normal epidermis. Ultrasonography showed a heterogeneous structure probably containing calcified areas. Complete surgical removal was performed under local anesthesia. Macroscopically, the tumor was encapsulated, with an irregular surface, and it appeared stony under section. Microscopically, it was characteristic of a pilomatrixoma, with sheets of mummified cells devoid of nuclei, either clear or basophilic, and partially calcified. Neither granulomatous reaction nor ossification were observed. This clinicopathological report recalls that pilomatrixoma may appear as a single nodular tumor of the eyelid.     

Enolase 1 of Candida albicans binds human CD4+ T cells and modulates naïve and memory responses

To obtain a better understanding of the biology behind life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida albicans, we recently conducted an in silico screening for fungal and host protein interaction partners. We report here that the extracellular domain of human CD4 binds to the moonlighting protein enolase 1 (Eno1) of C. albicans as predicted bioinformatically. By using different anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies, we determined that C. albicans Eno1 (CaEno1) primarily binds to the extracellular domain 3 of CD4. Functionally, we observed that CaEno1 binding to CD4 activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK), which was also the case for anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies tested in parallel. CaEno1 binding to naïve human CD4⁺ T cells skewed cytokine secretion toward a Th2 profile indicative of poor fungal control. Moreover, CaEno1 inhibited human memory CD4⁺ T-cell recall responses. Therapeutically, CD4⁺ T cells transduced with a p41/Crf1-specific T-cell receptor developed for adoptive T-cell therapy were not inhibited by CaEno1 in vitro. Together, the interaction of human CD4⁺ T cells with CaEno1 modulated host CD4⁺ T-cell responses in favor of the fungus. Thus, CaEno1 mediates not only immune evasion through its interference with complement regulators but also through the direct modulation of CD4⁺ T-cell responses.     

161. Postoperative Syndrome nach Gastrektomie und unterschiedlichen Verfahren des Magenersatzes

Zusammenfassung 60 gastrektomierte Patienten mit 5 Verfahren des Magenersatzes wurden nachuntersucht. Beschwerden durch einen jejuno-oesophagealen Reflux werden nur von der Patienten mit einer Jejunuminterposition geklagt. Bei der Jejunoplicatio und der Interposition findet sich endoskopisch-histologisch die Oesophagitis qualitativ und quantitativ geringer ausgeprägt. Manometrisch kann nur bei 5 von 16 Gastrektomierten ein funktionstüchtiger unterer Oesophagussphincter nachgewiesen werden. Der Sphincterverlust muß als Mitursache des Refluxes angesehen werden.     

Androgen regulation of programmed death of normal and malignant prostatic cells.

Androgen-dependent normal prostatic glandular cells and androgen-dependent prostatic cancer cells can be induced to undergo cell death after androgen ablation. This death does not require the cells to proliferate and occurs as an energy-dependent process collectively referred to as "programmed cell death" in which the cells actively commit "suicide." Associated with this programmed cell death pathway is the enhanced expression of a series of genes and the fragmentation of the genomic DNA into nucleosomal oligomers. This genomic DNA fragmentation is the irreversible commitment step in the death of the cell and results from activation of Ca2+/Mg(2+)-dependent endonuclease activity within the cell nucleus. This activation is due to sustained elevation of intracellular free Ca2+ (Cai) induced after androgen ablation. Metastatic prostatic cancer within an individual patient is heterogeneous, including both androgen-dependent and -independent cancer cells. Thus, androgen ablation is rarely curative since it only induces the programmed death of the androgen-dependent cancer cells without activating this pathway in the androgen-independent cancer cells within the patient. Androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells do not activate this death process after androgen ablation, since this does not induce a sustained increase in Cai. A new approach to treat androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells has focused on the use of chemotherapeutic agents to induce a sustained increase in Cai. These studies demonstrate that if such a sustained elevation in Cai is maintained, even androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells undergo programmed cell death.     

Influence of dietary soy isoflavones on the accessory sex organs of the Wistar rat.

We evaluated the effects of three rodent diets differing in soybean meal content on the response of the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbocavernosus/levator ani (BC/LA) muscle to androgens and anti-androgenic compounds in the Hershberger assay. The diets tested were (1) L5, a semi-synthetic phytoestrogen-free diet, (2) DO4, 8.5% (w/w) vegetable protein and (3) DO3, 22.5% (w/w) vegetable protein. We determined the effects of dietary soy isoflavones after ten days of exposure and in animals fed L5 and DO3 diets throughout their lifetime (including the period of treatment with androgenic or anti-androgenic compounds). After ten days of exposure, we observed no effect of diet on the accessory sex organs of male Wistar rats. In contrast, diet affected the androgenic response to testosterone propionate in seminal vesicles and prostate. Seminal vesicles were the most sensitive organs. Vinclozolin caused a dose-dependent decrease in the relative weights of seminal vesicles, prostate and BC/LA regardless of diet. As vegetable proteins may contain high proportions of genistein and daidzein, two well-known oestrogenic endocrine disrupters that may alter the results of reproductive studies, we recommend the use of a standardised open-formula diet without soy isoflavones, such as L5, if the Hershberger assay is to be performed.     

Dokumentation der Dachverbands Prostatazentren (DVPZ)

For certification of a prostate center according to the guidelines of the Governing Body of Prostate Centers (DVPZ) an amalgamation of at least five practicing urologists with a main urology department of a hospital and further cooperation partners for the interdisciplinary approach to prostate cancer is necessary. The DVPZ certificate incorporates benign prostatic syndrome and prostatitis in addition to prostate cancer and is therefore a real organ certificate in the urological sense. The aim of the DVPZ certificate is the integrated, interdisciplinary and interinstitutional treatment of patients with diseases of the prostate.