[The combined endoscopic treatment of the patient presenting with a large orolaryngopharyngeal papilloma]

The present article was designed to illustrate the potential for the combined treatment of a orolaryngopharyngeal papilloma under the conditions of an out-patient setting with the application of the minimally invasive endoscopic surgical intervention, the so-called photodynamic therapy (PDT). The authors describe the clinical case which demonstrate the possibilities for using photodynamic therapy as a component of the combined treatment of papilloma of the hypopharynx including its radical removal. The application of the PDT mdethod in the clinical case reported in the present article was aimed at preventing the recurrence of papillomatosis of the upper respiratory tract. The evaluation of the outcome of the treatment of the patient in the course of the follow-up period is expected to provide the data for the assessment of the clinical effectiveness of the adjuvant PDT technique.

New insights into indole-3-acetic acid metabolism in Azospirillum brasilense

AIMS

The aim of this research was to analyse the global indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) metabolism in three commercially used strains of Azospirillum brasilense.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Azospirillum brasilense Sp245, Az39 and Cd, containing a plasmid with the ipdC-gusA fusion (pFAJ64), were cultured in minimal medium MMAB with or without 10 mg l-1 of l-trp till exponential or stationary growth phase. The cultures were then split into 10 ml tubes and individually treated with 10 mg ml-1 IAA, IBA or NAA (auxin catabolism and homeostasis); IAPhe, IALeu, IAA-ala, IAA-glucose (IAA conjugate hydrolysis); or l-lys, l-leu, l-ileu, l-phe, l-ala, l-val, l-arg, l-glu, l-his, l-met, l-asp, l-cys, l-ser, l-pro, l-thr and l-trp (regulation of IAA biosynthesis and IAA conjugation). Bacterial growth, IAA production and ipdC expression were evaluated. None of the A. brasilense strains were able to hydrolyse IAA conjugates, catabolize auxins, or conjugate IAA with amino acids or glucose. l-amino acids l-met, l-val, l-cys and l-ser inhibited bacterial growth and decreased IAA biosynthesis. The expression of ipdC and IAA biosynthesis but not bacterial growth was affected by l-leu, l-phe, l-ala, l-ile, l-pro. l-arg, l-glu, l-his, l-lys, l-asp and l-thr did not affect any of the measured parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

In this paper, we confirmed that A. brasilense produces IAA only in presence of l-trp is not able to degrade auxins, conjugate IAA with sugars and/or l-amino acids, or hydrolyse such conjugates to release free IAA. Finally, we found that bacterial growth and/or IAA biosynthesis were inhibited by the presence of several l-amino acids probably by diversion of the cellular metabolism.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

We propose a renewed model to explain IAA metabolism in A. brasilense, one of the most studied phytostimulatory bacteria.

Abstract P5-06-07: PTEN immunohistochemistry is a predictor of mismatch repair status in breast cancer

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a potent downregulator of the PI3K-Akt pathway, has been shown to mediate the interaction between poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and the mismatch repair (MMR) complex in endometrial and ovarian cancer. Drugs inhibiting PARPs (iPARPs) are currently considered promising therapeutic tools in a subset of PTEN-defective tumors. Regrettably, the frequency and significance of MMR alterations in breast cancer is debated, and their relationship with PTEN status has not been investigated in the breast. Furthermore, many of the studies on the DNA damage response and its therapeutic implications in breast cancer focus on inherited syndromes (e.g. Lynch syndrome and hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome).

Aims: We sought to explore the interplay between PTEN and the MMR system and to define whether PTEN immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a predictor of MMR proficiency in non-familial breast cancers.

Methods: 373 cases of non-familial breast cancers, including a representative number of no special (n=295) and special types (n=78), carefully characterized from clinical and pathological standpoints, were reviewed and used to construct 14 tissue microarrays (TMAs). For each case, a mean of 4.5 tumor tissue cores (range 3 to 6 cores) was sampled, incorporating distinct topographic areas of the tumor, as well as matched non-neoplastic breast tissue. Taken together, 1876 spots were generated. Each TMA was subjected to IHC for PTEN and the DNA MMR proteins MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. In order to minimize human-related biases, each stained slide was digitalized and two pathologists blindly analyzed each tumor spot using a dedicated software able to segment and randomize TMA cores. The pattern of expression was therefore annotated manually on a digital database using a specific add-on module to reconstruct the original topography.

Results: According to clinicopathologic surrogate definition of intrinsic subtypes, PTEN protein loss or heterogeneous expression was more frequent in estrogen receptor negative cancers. Furthermore, 100% of the MMR-proficient luminal B-like (HER2+) and triple-negative breast cancers displayed strong and diffuse homogeneous PTEN expression, while PTEN-positive status identified MMR-proficient luminal A-like and luminal B (HER2-) like tumors with accuracy rates of 89.3% and 92.7%, respectively (p=0.001, Fisher's exact test).

Conclusions: The present study is the first to investigate PTEN protein loss in a large set of non-familial breast carcinomas based on their DNA MMR status by IHC. Here, we demonstrated that PTEN strong and homogeneous expression by IHC is able to capture the vast majority of MMR-proficient non-familial breast cancers. Our findings broaden the understanding of the biology underpinning these tumors, suggesting that PTEN is likely play a role in the development of MMR alterations. Given that PTEN-defective breast cancers have the propensity to develop additional somatic alterations in the MMR system, our results suggest that IHC for PTEN and MMR proteins may be emplyed as an ancillary study to define new subclasses of sporadic breast cancers potentially eligible for iPARPs therapies.

Citation Format: Fusco N, Gambini D, Runza L, Lopez G, Ercoli G, Despini L, Bosari S. PTEN immunohistochemistry is a predictor of mismatch repair status in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-06-07.

Verticillin A Inhibits Leiomyosarcoma and Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Growth via Induction of Apoptosis

Objective

The heterogeneity of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) represents a major challenge for the development of effective therapeutics. Comprised of over 50 different histology subtypes of various etiologies, STS subsets are further characterized as either karyotypically simple or complex. Due to the number of genetic anomalies associated with genetically complex STS, development of therapies demonstrating potency against this STS cluster is especially challenging and yet greatly needed. Verticillin A is a small molecule natural product with demonstrated anticancer activity; however, the efficacy of this agent has never been evaluated in STS. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore verticillin A as a potential STS therapeutic.

Methods

We performed survival (MTS) and clonogenic analyses to measure the impact of this agent on the viability and colony formation capability of karyotypically complex STS cell lines: malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) and leiomyosarcoma (LMS). The in vitro effects of verticillin A on apoptosis were investigated through annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis and by measuring fluorescently-labeled cleaved caspase 3/7 activity. The impact on cell cycle progression was assessed via cytometric measurement of propidium iodide intercalation. In vivo studies were performed using MPNST xenograft models. Tumors were processed and analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for verticillin A effects on growth (Ki67) and apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3).

Results

Treatment with verticillin A resulted in decreased STS growth and an increase in apoptotic levels after 24 h. 100 nM verticillin A induced significant cellular growth abrogation after 24 h (96.7, 88.7, 72.7, 57, and 39.7% reduction in LMS1, S462, ST88, SKLMS1, and MPNST724, respectively). We observed no arrest in cell cycle, elevated annexin, and a nearly two-fold increase in cleaved caspase 3/7 activity in all MPNST and LMS cell lines. Control normal human Schwann (HSC) and aortic smooth muscle (HASMC) cells displayed higher tolerance to verticillin A treatment compared to sarcoma cell lines, although toxicity was seen in HSC at the highest treatment dose. In vivo studies mirrored the in vitro results: by day 11, tumor size was significantly reduced in MPNST724 xenograft models with treatment of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg verticillin A. Additionally, IHC assessment of tumors demonstrated increased cleaved caspase 3 and decreased proliferation (Ki67) following treatment with verticillin A.

Conclusion

Advancement in the treatment of karyotypically complex STS is confounded by the high level of genetic abnormalities found in these diseases. Consequently, the identification and investigation of novel therapies is greatly needed. Our data suggest that verticillin A selectively inhibits MPNST and LMS growth via induction of apoptosis while exhibiting minimal to moderate effects on normal cells, pointing to verticillin A as a potential treatment for MPNST and LMS, after additional preclinical validation.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): Richardson syndrome and other PSP variants

Phenotypic heterogeneity of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has been increasingly reported in the literature and can be the source of incorrect clinical diagnosis particularly in the early stages of the disease when the classically associated symptoms of early falls and supranuclear gaze palsy may not be apparent. In addition to Richardson syndrome (RS), several atypical clinical phenotypes have been described. Advances in genetic, neuroimaging, and biochemical/molecular technologies contribute to the identification of these clinical subtypes in the context of typical PSP pathological findings. Our goal is to review the phenomenology reported in the literature that is associated with confirmed histopathological changes consistent with a PSP diagnosis and to highlight the clinical spectrum of PSP. A systematic review of the literature in PubMed through July 2015 using MeSH terms and key words related to PSP was conducted. Articles describing PSP classifications, diagnostic criteria, and case reports were reviewed and summarized. Additional PSP phenotypes not seen in recent clinicopathological studies are included. These include primary lateral sclerosis, pallido-nigro-luysian degeneration, axonal dystrophy, and multiple system atrophy in the spectrum of atypical PSP variants beyond the traditionally classified PSP subtypes. This review is intended to help with the diagnostic challenges of atypical PSP variants. We believe that large multicenter clinicopathological studies will help expand our understanding of etiology and specific mechanisms of neurodegeneration and will aid in the appropriate interpretation of outcomes when conducting clinical and basic science research.

Pelvic Varices and Gonadal Veins

A prospective study of 50 cases of pelvic varices is described. Clinical history, symptoms and signs are shown emphasizing the multiple pregnancies that enlarge the gonadal veins where a high pressure escape and retrograde flow explain the vulvar and inner and posterior thigh and leg varicosities. A surgical procedure comprising resection of the gonadal veins and ligation of communicating veins to the uterine veins combined with vulvar and leg varicectomy have given excellent and encouraging early results.

Epidemic Spread of Symbiotic and Non-Symbiotic Bradyrhizobium Genotypes Across California

The patterns and drivers of bacterial strain dominance remain poorly understood in natural populations. Here, we cultured 1292 Bradyrhizobium isolates from symbiotic root nodules and the soil root interface of the host plant Acmispon strigosus across a >840-km transect in California. To investigate epidemiology and the potential role of accessory loci as epidemic drivers, isolates were genotyped at two chromosomal loci and were assayed for presence or absence of accessory "symbiosis island" loci that encode capacity to form nodules on hosts. We found that Bradyrhizobium populations were very diverse but dominated by few haplotypes-with a single "epidemic" haplotype constituting nearly 30 % of collected isolates and spreading nearly statewide. In many Bradyrhizobium lineages, we inferred presence and absence of the symbiosis island suggesting recurrent evolutionary gain and or loss of symbiotic capacity. We did not find statistical phylogenetic evidence that the symbiosis island acquisition promotes strain dominance and both symbiotic and non-symbiotic strains exhibited population dominance and spatial spread. Our dataset reveals that a strikingly few Bradyrhizobium genotypes can rapidly spread to dominate a landscape and suggests that these epidemics are not driven by the acquisition of accessory loci as occurs in key human pathogens.

Hydrogen production from biomass by continuous fast pyrolysis and in-line steam reforming

The continuous fast pyrolysis of pine wood sawdust has been studied in a conical spouted bed reactor (CSBR) followed by in-line steam reforming of the pyrolysis vapours in a fluidised bed reactor on a Ni commercial catalyst.

EMDR : une technique de prise en charge dans un cadre psychothérapeutique et victimologique précis

Six millions de français ont subi l’inceste selon un sondage réalisé par la Sofres pour l’Association internationale des victimes de l’inceste en 2006. Dix pour cent des enfants sont maltraités dans les pays à hauts revenus. Les troubles que génèrent ces maltraitances, dont l’inceste est la forme la plus sévère, sont l’objet d’un puissant déni qui pourrait être levé en posant systémiquement la question de sa survenue, ce qui nécessite une connaissance minimum de la psychotraumatologie et de la victimologie. L’adulte jeune victime d’inceste présente dans la forme typique un trouble de la personnalité qui se manifeste par : des difficultés à gérer les émotions avec des troubles dissociatifs ; un manque totale de confiance en soi et en toute forme d’aide possible, thérapeutique notamment ; des symptômes comorbides écrans ; une tendance à la répétition littérale du scénario traumatique, notamment dans la relation qui s’instaure avec le thérapeute (transfert et contre-transfert traumatique). Le thérapeute doit mettre en place un cadre thérapeutique qui permet la réécriture de scénario traumatique : recherche systématique de maltraitances infantiles ; rappel de la loi et incitation à porter plainte ; travail en réseau en non pas colloque singulier ; négociation « démocratique » du cadre thérapeutique ; critique du système agresseur qui entretient le déni ; contrôle des contre attitudes de rejet qui affectent les thérapies ; absence de passage. Dans ce contexte relationnel, l’EMDR est une technique qui permet de traiter certains symptômes et, notamment, les intrusions psychotraumatiques caractéristiques de la plupart des troubles psychotraumatiques.

Search for dinucleon decay into kaons in Super-Kamiokande

A search for the dinucleon decay pp → K+ K+ has been performed using 91.6  kton·yr data from Super-Kamiokande-I. This decay provides a sensitive probe of the R-parity-violating parameter λ112''. A boosted decision tree analysis found no signal candidates in the data. The expected background was 0.28±0.19 atmospheric neutrino induced events and the estimated signal detection efficiency was 12.6%±3.2%. A lower limit of 1.7×10(32)  years has been placed on the partial lifetime of the decay O16 → C14K+ K+ at 90% C.L. A corresponding upper limit of 7.8×10(-9) has been placed on the parameter λ112''.

Optimization of a Trap for Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Trials to Determine the Effectiveness of Mass Trapping

Management of the South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick, with insecticides has led to the widespread development of insect resistance. Mass trapping using traps baited with the female-produced sex pheromone is an attractive alternative for the management of this pest. The current study evaluated several commercial trap designs for capture of T. absoluta. Based on its small size and ease of handling, the most effective trap is a small plastic container with entry windows cut on the sides filled with motor oil over water. These traps are most effective when placed near ground level. Tests of septa containing 0.1 or 0.2 mg of the pheromone (95:5) E4, Z8-14Ac/E4,Z8,Z11-14Ac were slightly more attractive than septa loaded with 0.5, 1.0, or 2 mg during the first week of use, but the latter three loadings were slightly more attractive than the first two loadings after 9 weeks. Ideal trap baits were loaded with 0.5 mg of pheromone. Higher numbers of T. absoluta were captured near upwind borders of tomato fields suggesting that treatments against T. absoluta should be concentrated near upwind parts of fields. Comparisons of conventional insecticide treatment versus mass trapping to manage T. absoluta damage in three different test sites showed that even when initial captures in monitoring traps were high (>35 males trap(-1) day(-1)), mass trapping at 48 traps/ha reduced leaf damage more efficiently than conventional insecticide treatment. Based on the typical insecticide recommendations against T. absoluta, mass trapping is an economically viable alternative.