Experimental axonopathy induced by immunization with campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharide from a patient with guillain‐barré syndrome

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejunj) infection is the most common antecedent in the axonal variant of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS). Antibodies against nerve gangliosides found in GBS patients recognize cross‐reactive epitopes in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of C. jejuni. This led to the molecular mimicry hypothesis of GBS. We immunized eleven rabbits with a LPS extracted from HS:19 C. jejuni strain isolated from a patient with GBS and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)(group I). In a second experiment we immunized seven rabbits with LPS, CFA and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)(group II). All group I rabbits developed high titers of anti‐LPS, anti‐GM1, anti‐GD1b antibodies and lower titers of anti‐GD1a. One rabbit, 50 days after initial inoculation, showed tremor and weakness. All rabbits of group II developed high titres of antiganglioside antibodies and six animals showed weakness 59–113 days after initial inoculation. Two rabbits died. Pathology showed mild to moderate, tendentially grouped, axonal degeneration in sciatic nerves of four out of five animals. Control rabbits of group I (immunized with CFA only) did not develop antibodies, controls of group II (immunized with CFA + KLH) developed low titers of IgG anti‐GM1. None developed neurological signs or showed axonal degeneration. C. jejuni LPS is a potent B‐cell stimulator capable to induce a strong antiganglioside response in rabbits. However, to induce the neuropathy is crucial to employ KLH, a glycoprotein known to stimulate both humoral and cellular responses. This animal model reproduces the pathogenetic process hypothesized in axonal GBS with antiganglioside antibodies post C. jejuni infection.     

Disorders of perfusion of the anterior segment of the eye

Background: We have investigated the vascular perfusion of a wide variety of conditions of the anterior segment using fluorescein angiography.
Methods: The conditions were classified and findings reported according to the system set out below. Patients underwent full ocular examination. Fluorescein angiography of the anterior segment was carried out when indicated to investigate iris atrophy and neovascularisation. Specular microscopy of the corneal endothelium was used to detect changes in this tissue.
Results: The hypoperfusion was variable in degree and accompanied by varying degrees of iris hypoplasia and atrophy with neovascularisation. The degree of neovascularisation depended upon its rapidity of development, the pre-existing state of vascular perfusion and the underlying pathological condition.
Conclusions: Hypoperfusion with resultant ischaemia and neovascularisation is common in conditions of the anterior segment. An understanding of the changes is valuable in treating many conditions affecting the anterior segment. The changes observed may also occur elsewhere in the physical system and may be a significant part of the ageing process, either as scattered, disparate processes or as part of a general disease process.     

Postoperative radiation therapy in the management of lung cancer

Postoperative radiation therapy for lung cancer is still controversial. In a 9-year period, 69 patients with non-oat-cell carcinoma of the lung (16% stage I, 26% stage II, and 58% stage III) received such therapy. The radiation dose was less than 5,000 cGy in 42 patients, 5,000-5,900 cGy in 16, and 6,000 cGy or more in 11; follow-up ranged from 24 to 64 months. Actuarial survival at 2 and 4 years was 50% and 16%, respectively, for squamous cell carcinoma, and 40% and 26% for adenocarcinoma. The 5-year survival for stages I, II, and III cancer was 29%, 17%, and 19%, respectively. Histologic findings and type of surgery did not affect survival, but the radiation dose apparently did. The 3-year survival for patients who received less than 6,000 cGy was 35%, compared with 73% for patients who received higher doses. In eight patients, treatment failed within the irradiated volume: all had received doses of less than 6,000 cGy, and the volume in three was judged to be inadequate.     

Bee moth (Galleria mellonella) allergic reactions are caused by several thermolabile antigens

BACKGROUND: Exposure and contact with bee moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae (Gm) can cause an allergic reaction both in anglers and breeders. We described the case of an amateur fisherman who experienced an allergic reaction using Gm but not using heat-treated Gm (h-Gm) (mummies). The aim of this study was to demonstrate by immunoblotting and radioallergosorbent test (RAST)-inhibition experiments the loss of allergenic epitopes in h-Gm extracts. METHODS: Galleria mellonella larvae and h-Gm were homogenized and extracted at 10% (w/v) in 0.5 M phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4 containing 0.5% NaN(3) for 16 h at 4 degrees C. Gm and h-Gm extracts were electrophoresed in a 10% polyacrylamide precast Nupage Bis-Tris gel at 180 mA for 1 h and the resolved proteins stained with 0.1% Coomassie brilliant blue and the molecular weight calculated. For the immunoblotting detection of allergenic components the resolved extracts were transferred onto a nitrocellulose membrane and incubated with the patient's serum. Bound specific-IgE was detected by peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgE. RAST inhibition experiments were performed according to the Ceska method. RESULTS: The protein profile of Gm and h-Gm extracts resulted markedly different in number, intensity and the position of bands, indicating that heat-treatment modifies the chemical-physical characteristics of the protein contents. The Gm extract showed a strong-coloured band at 73 kDa and more than 20 components ranging from 12 to 133 kDa; h-Gm showed two main band at 77 and 38 kDa and about 15 faint bands between 20 and 133 kDa apparently without any correspondence to the bands present in the Gm extract. Immunoblotting with the patient's serum demonstrated several bands of reactivity with the Gm extract ranging from 20 to 100 kDa and no recognizable bands, but only a diffuse smear with h-Gm. When used in a RAST inhibition experiment the h-Gm extract demonstrated an inability to compete with the Gm one for the binding to patient's IgE serum. CONCLUSIONS: The h-Gm seems to lose the allergenic epitopes and has two advantages for anglers: to avoid new possible sensitizations as well as allergic symptoms in sensitized people, without interfering with their skills and satisfaction in their fishing performance.     

Nucleotide sequence and polymorphism of the caprine major histocompatibility complex class II DQA1 (Cahi-DQA1) gene

The major histocompatibility class II DQ molecules are dimeric glycoproteins involved in antigen presentation to CD4(+) T cells. In the current work, we have performed the molecular analysis of the goat Cahi-DQA1 gene. Sequencing of the Cahi-DQA1 cDNA revealed a single 768bp open reading frame. The alignment of this sequence with its bovine and ovine DQA1 counterparts revealed a remarkable degree of nucleotide identity (92-93% for the most similar bovine and ovine sequences). Moreover, we amplified a region including the 3'-end of intron 1, exon 2 and the 5'-end of intron 2. We identified seven Cahi-DQA1 alleles that likely correspond to four different allelic lineages. The alignment of these seven Cahi-DQA1 alleles revealed the existence of 23 amino acid polymorphic sites, seven of which (alpha(10), alpha(55), alpha(56), alpha(68), alpha(69), alpha(71) and alpha(76)) are highly polymorphic with at least three amino acid substitutions. Ten of the 23 polymorphic amino acid sites were included in the peptide binding region and consequently they might play a crucial role in immunological processes modulating disease pathogenesis.     

Combining different assays and chemical analysis to characterize the genotoxicity of waters impacted by textile discharges

Waters receiving textile discharges can exhibit genotoxic and mutagenic activity, which has been related to the presence of dyes and aromatic amines as synthesis precursors or byproducts. The aim of this study was to identify dyes and aromatic amines in water samples impacted by textile discharges, and to evaluate the genotoxic responses of these samples using the Salmonella/microsome assay in strains TA98 and YG1041, and the Fpg‐modified comet assay in the RTL‐W1 fish cell line. The genotoxicity of river samples downstream of the discharge was greater than the upstream samples in both of the Ames tests. The Fpg‐modified comet assay detected similar levels of DNA damage in the upstream and downstream samples. Mutagenicity was not detected with TA98, except for the Quilombo River samples, but when YG1041 was used as the tester strain mutagenicity was detected for all sites with a very different profile in upstream sites relative to the other sites. The mutagenic response strongly indicated that aromatic amines or dyes were contributing to the mutagenic activity downstream. The impact of textile discharges was also confirmed by chemical analysis, because the highest concentrations of azo dyes and aromatic amines were detected in the river downstream. This study shows the value of combining assays measuring complementary endpoints to better characterize the mutagenicity of environmental samples, with the advantage that this approach provides an indication of what classes of compounds are responsible for the effect. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:559–571, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Acceptability and Perceived Usefulness of a Weekly Clinical SMS Program to Promote HIV Antiretroviral Medication Adherence in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Short message service (SMS) text messages have been used to remind and encourage patients to take ART in research studies. However, few studies have assessed the feasibility and acceptability of SMS in routine clinical practice. We report patient perspectives on a weekly SMS adherence support program after implementation into clinical care at an HIV clinic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We conducted structured interviews with a cross-sectional convenience sample of 100 adult patients who were invited to join the program, 88 of whom had received a program SMS. Of these respondents, 81 (92 %) would recommend the program to a friend. Sixty-eight (77 %) felt the program helped them remember clinic appointments, a response associated with male gender [odds ratio (OR) 5.88, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.52–23.26, P = 0.011] and HIV disclosure outside the home [OR 3.40, 95 %CI 1.00–11.60, P = 0.050]. This clinical SMS adherence program was found to have high patient-perceived usefulness.