Outbreak of Mortality in Psittacine Birds in a Mixed-Species Aviary Associated With Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Infection

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae septicemia, associated with an increased mortality of captive psittacines in a mixed-species aviary, was diagnosed by histopathology, Gram staining, bacterial culture and sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Over a period of 23 days with no premonitory signs, 2 rainbow lorikeets and an eclectus parrot died. Of these birds, one lorikeet and the eclectus were submitted for necropsy. The main pathologic findings were thrombosis (2/2), bacterial embolism/thromboembolism (2/2), necrotizing hepatitis (2/2), necrohemorrhagic myocarditis (1/2), fibrinohemorrhagic and heterophilic visceral coelomitis (1/2), submandibular necrosuppurative dermatitis with necrotizing vasculitis and bacterial and fungal thromboembolism (1/2), and locally extensive rhabdomyonecrosis with bacterial embolism (1/2). Intralesional bacteria were positive by Gram staining and immunohistochemistry in both cases. E. rhusiopathiae was isolated by routine bacterial culture from the liver of the lorikeet, which was also positive by real-time PCR. This report is one of the rare descriptions of erysipelas in psittacines, and to the authors’ knowledge, it appears to be the first in the described species using immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR on avian paraffin-embedded tissues for the diagnosis.

Measuring porosity at the nanoscale by quantitative electron tomography

Quantitative electron tomography is proposed to characterize porous materials at a nanoscale. To achieve reliable three-dimensional (3D) quantitative information, the influence of missing wedge artifacts and segmentation methods is investigated. We are presenting the "Discrete Algebraic Reconstruction Algorithm" as the most adequate tomography method to measure porosity at the nanoscale. It provides accurate 3D quantitative information, regardless the presence of a missing wedge. As an example, we applied our approach to nanovoids in La2Zr2O7 thin films.

Paraneoplastic Acute Diffuse Encephalitis Revealing Hodgkin's Disease

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are associated with various cancers. Cerebellar and limbic paraneoplastic manifestations are known to be associated with Hodgkin's disease (HD), but reports of diffuse encephalitis associated with HD are very rare. We report a case of acute severe diffuse encephalitis revealing a HD. Clinical presentation, cerebro-spinal fluid modifications and magnetic resonance imagery data are described. The treatment associated specific chemotherapy and plasma exchange. The neurological status improved dramatically within the first days of treatment, with parallel neoplasm regression. This case stresses the fact that encephalopathy can be the first sign of an undiagnosed extra-cerebral neoplasm.

Insights from the genome of the biotrophic fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

Ustilago maydis is a ubiquitous pathogen of maize and a well-established model organism for the study of plant-microbe interactions. This basidiomycete fungus does not use aggressive virulence strategies to kill its host. U. maydis belongs to the group of biotrophic parasites (the smuts) that depend on living tissue for proliferation and development. Here we report the genome sequence for a member of this economically important group of biotrophic fungi. The 20.5-million-base U. maydis genome assembly contains 6,902 predicted protein-encoding genes and lacks pathogenicity signatures found in the genomes of aggressive pathogenic fungi, for example a battery of cell-wall-degrading enzymes. However, we detected unexpected genomic features responsible for the pathogenicity of this organism. Specifically, we found 12 clusters of genes encoding small secreted proteins with unknown function. A significant fraction of these genes exists in small gene families. Expression analysis showed that most of the genes contained in these clusters are regulated together and induced in infected tissue. Deletion of individual clusters altered the virulence of U. maydis in five cases, ranging from a complete lack of symptoms to hypervirulence. Despite years of research into the mechanism of pathogenicity in U. maydis, no 'true' virulence factors had been previously identified. Thus, the discovery of the secreted protein gene clusters and the functional demonstration of their decisive role in the infection process illuminate previously unknown mechanisms of pathogenicity operating in biotrophic fungi. Genomic analysis is, similarly, likely to open up new avenues for the discovery of virulence determinants in other pathogens.

Amount and Intensity of Physical Activity, Fitness, and Serum Lipids in Pre-Menopausal Women

The aim of the study was to determine the association between the amount and the intensity of physical activity (PA) and lipid profile and fitness in pre-menopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted, sampling was stratified according to two age groups and two levels of PA, as assessed by the Minnesota Leisure Time PA Questionnaire. Serum lipid profile and sex hormones were measured. The study included 403 women. Total energy expenditure on PA was directly associated with HDL-cholesterol and inversely with atherogenic index. When intensity was analyzed, only moderate PA was associated with a desirable lipid profile. A decrease of 1.59 mg/dL (standard error [SE] = 0.77) and 0.07 units (SE = 0.02) in LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index, respectively, and an increase of 1.02 mg/dL (SE = 0.34) in HDL-cholesterol were observed per each 100 MET . min/day spent in moderate PA. After adjusting for body fat mass, the association between moderate PA and LDL-cholesterol was no longer statistically significant (regression coefficient = - 1.21; SE = 0.81) whereas the association between moderate PA and atherogenic index (regression coefficient = - 0.05; SE = 0.02) and HDL-cholesterol (regression coefficient = 0.98; SE = 0.35) remained statistically significant. Only vigorous PA was associated with VO2max. VO2max increased 2.35 mL/kg (SE = 0.39) per each 100 MET . min/day spent in vigorous PA. Only moderate PA is associated with a lower LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index, and higher HDL-cholesterol. The association between PA and LDL is dependent on body fat mass, but the association between PA and HDL is independent of it. Only vigorous intensity PA is associated with fitness.

Specific haplotypes of the CALPAIN-5 gene are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of CALPAIN-5 (CAPN5) gene in PCOS susceptibility.

METHODS

We analysed four intronic polymorphisms of the CAPN5 gene in 148 well-characterized women with PCOS and 606 unrelated controls. We performed a case-control study and an intracohort analysis of clinical characteristics associated with PCOS.

RESULTS

Analysis of haplotypes distribution between PCOS population compared to controls showed a strong deviation (P = 0.00029). The haplotypes GGCA and GGTG were overrepresented in PCOS patients (P = 0.009 and P = 0.001, respectively). In addition, we identified several CAPN5 haplotypes associated with phenotypic differences observed between PCOS patients, such as the presence of obesity (P = 0.02), cardiovascular complications (P = 0.02), familial antecedents of obesity (P = 0.003) and of hypertension (P = 0.007) and type 2 diabetes mellitus aggregation (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest a role of CAPN5 gene in PCOS susceptibility in humans. Moreover, novel candidate risk alleles have been identified, within CAPN5 gene, which could be associated with important phenotypic and prognosis differences observed in PCOS patients.

Determination of the tissue distribution and excretion by accelerator mass spectrometry of the nonadecapeptide 14C-Moli1901 in beagle dogs after intratracheal instillation

Moli1901 is a 19 residue polycyclic peptide antibiotic which increases chloride transport and water mobilization in airway epithelium. These properties suggest that it may be a useful treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF). In this study, we used accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to quantify Moli1901 following administration of only 0.045 microCi of 14C-Moli1901 per dog. Limits of quantitation of AMS were 0.03 (urine) to 0.3 (feces) ng equiv. Moli1901/g. Administration of 14C-Moli1901 by intratracheal instillation (approximately 100 microg) into the left cranial lobe of the lung of beagle dogs resulted in retention of 64% of the dose in the left cranial lobe for up to 28 days. Whole blood and plasma concentrations of 14C were <5 ng/ml at all times after the dose. Concentrations of 14C in whole blood and plasma declined over the first day after the dose and rose thereafter, with the rise in plasma concentrations lagging behind those in whole blood. During the first 3 days after the dose, plasma accounted for the majority of 14C in whole blood, but after that time, plasma accounted for only 25-30% of the 14C in whole blood. Tissue (left and right caudal lung lobe, liver, kidney, spleen, brain) and bile concentrations were low, always less than 0.25% the concentrations found in the left cranial lung lobe. Approximately 13% of the dose was eliminated in urine and feces in 28 days, with fecal elimination accounting for about 10% of the dose. The data presented here are consistent with that obtained in other species. Moli1901 is slowly absorbed and excreted from the lung, and it does not accumulate in other tissues. Moli1901 is currently in the clinic and has proven to be safe in single dose studies in human volunteers and cystic fibrosis patients by the inhalation route. No information on the disposition of the compound in humans is available. This study in dogs demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining that information using 14C-Moli1901 and AMS.

[Aspergillus flavus endocarditis on a native valve]

A 33 year old female had febrile aplasia following a first chemotherapy treatment for acute T lymphoid leukaemia. She was transferred to intensive care for acute respiratory distress due to bilateral pneumonia with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia septicaemic shock. After an initial improvement with antibiotic treatment, she developed multiple necrotic cutaneous lesions. A skin biopsy showed the presence of Aspergillus flavus in large quantities in the vascular lumina. Echocardiography revealed a voluminous vegetation on the mitral valve supporting aspergillus endocarditis. Despite antifungal treatment, shock and coma developed rapidly. Cerebral CT scan suggested multiple septic emboli. Within several hours, the scenario progressed towards multiorgan failure leading the death of the patient. Aspergillus endocarditis is exceptional and usually only occurs in immunosuppressed patients. The diagnosis is difficult, and the prognosis is appalling with a mortality greater than 90% despite treatment.

Response of oxidative stress biomarkers to a 16-week aerobic physical activity program, and to acute physical activity, in healthy young men and women

Physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, and may favorably modify the antioxidant-prooxidant balance. This study assessed the effects of aerobic PA training on antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidized LDL concentration, and LDL resistance to oxidation, as well as the effect of acute PA on antioxidant enzyme activity before and after the training period. Seventeen sedentary healthy young men and women were recruited for 16 weeks of training. The activity of superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes (E-SOD), glutathione peroxidase in whole blood (GSH-Px), and glutathione reductase in plasma (P-GR), and the oxidized LDL concentration and LDL composition, diameter, and resistance to oxidation were determined before and after training. Shortly before and after this training period they also performed a bout of aerobic PA for 30 min. The antioxidant enzyme activity was also determined at 0 min, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, and 24 h after both bouts of PA. Training induces an increase in GSH-Px (27.7%), P-GR (17.6%), and LDL resistance to oxidation, and a decrease in oxidized LDL (-15.9%). After the bout of PA, an increase in E-SOD and GSH-Px was observed at 0 min, with a posterior decrease in enzyme activity until 30-60 min, and a tendency to recover the basal values at 120 min and 24 h. Training did not modify this global response pattern. Regular PA increases endogenous antioxidant activity and LDL resistance to oxidation, and decreases oxidized LDL concentration; 30 min of aerobic PA decreases P-GR and B-GSH-Px activity in the first 30-60 min with a posterior recovery.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of the nonadecapeptide Moli1901 in rats and mice

1. Administration of aerosolized, radiolabelled Moli1901 (duramycin, 2622U90), a 19 amino acid polycyclic peptide, to rats resulted in the deposition of high amounts of radiolabel in the respiratory tract, with deposited radiolabel persisting almost unchanged through 7 days after dosing. Little to no radiolabel was present in the bloodstream of these rats. 2. Rats absorbed little radiolabel after p.o. administration, with nearly all of the dose excreted in the faeces by 2 days after dosing. 3. At 7 days following an intravenous dose, rats excreted 54% of the radiolabel in faeces and 5.4% in the urine, with 44% remaining in the carcass, primarily in the liver (33%). 4. Following an intratracheal instillation dose to rats, radiolabel was eliminated from the pulmonary system with a half-life of 64 days. Excretion was almost exclusively via faeces, with an elimination half-life of 52 days. Plasma and blood concentrations in these animals were uniformly <1 ng eq. ml(-1) at all sampling times. 5. Results in mice given intravenous and oral doses were consistent with those observed in rats. 6. Prolonged retention of Moli1901 in pulmonary tissue supports its use in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Broad-spectrum determination of pesticides in groundwater by gas chromatography with electron capture detection, nitrogen-phosphorus detection, and tandem mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography with electron capture detector (ECD), nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used to identify 36 pesticides, widely used to control various pest and diseases in vegetables, in water after a preconcentration step on C18 cartridges. The recoveries obtained ranged from 70 to 135% at a fortification level of 100 ng/L with relative standard deviations of <36.2%. The limits of detection and quantitation were < or =48 and < or =160 ng/L, respectively. Important advantages of MS/MS over ECD and NPD in the determination of pesticides are also presented. The proposed analytical methodology was applied to the determination of pesticides in groundwater samples from an agricultural area, the Campo de Dalías (Almería, Spain). The most frequently encountered pesticides were endosulfan sulfate and metalaxyl, whereas the pesticide found at the highest concentration was fenamiphos.

Specificity in ligand binding and intracellular signalling by insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors

The physiological roles of insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are distinct, with insulin acting to regulate cellular uptake and metabolism of fuels, whereas IGFs promote cell growth, survival and differentiation. The only components of signalling pathways known to be unique to insulin and IGFs are their respective receptors, and even these display substantial structural and functional similarity. Specificity of action in vivo must in part reflect relative levels of receptor expression in different tissues. The extent to which the receptors differ in intrinsic signalling capacity remains unclear, but specificity might in principle arise from differences in ligand-binding mechanism or properties of intracellular domains. To identify ligand binding determinants we expressed receptor fragments as soluble proteins. Both N-terminal domains and a C-terminal peptide sequence from the alpha-subunit are essential for ligand binding with moderate affinity. However, binding of ligand with high affinity and specificity requires higher-order structure. To compare signalling capacities, we constructed chimaeras containing intracellular domains of insulin or IGF receptors fused to the extracellular portion of TrkC. Expression and activation of these chimaeras in cell lines reveals subtle differences in signalling and end-point responses, which may depend on cell background.

Low-density lipoprotein particle size, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and glucose tolerance in non-diabetic men with essential hypertension

The aim of the study is to investigate serum lipoproteins abnormalities including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, and their relationship with other cardiovascular risk factors in men with essential hypertension. Plasma glucose and serum insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. apo B. cholesterol and triglycerides in serum and in lipoproteins, and LDL particle diameter were measured in thirty-eight consecutive newly-diagnosed non-diabetic untreated hypertensive men and 38 healthy male controls. Plasma glucose at baseline, 60 and 120 min during OGTT was significantly higher in patients than controls whereas serum insulin levels did not differ between patients and controls. Serum apo B and triglycerides were significantly raised in patients compared with controls (1.08 +/- 0.17 g/L [mean +/- SD] vs 0.97 +/- 0.22 g/L. p < 0.05, and 1.56 +/- 0.90 mmol/L vs 1.15 +/- 0.57 mmol/L, p < 0.05, respectively). Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol were increased in patients compared with controls (0.89 +/- 0.79 mmol/L and 0.54 +/- 0.35 mmol/L, p < 0.05, and 4.08 +/- 0.85 mmol/L and 3.60 +/- 0.92 mmol/L, p < 0.05, respectively) whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was lower in patients compared with controls 0.95 +/- 0.22 mmol/L and 1.07 +/- 0.20 mmol/L, p < 0.05). Adjustment for body mass index, abdominal/hip perimeter ratio and area under the glucose curve did not attenuate the relationship between hypertension and VLDL-triglycerides. Six patients and two controls had a mean LDL diameter < or = 25.5 nm and in the former serum triglycerides ranged from 1.86 mmol/L to 2.37 mmol/L. Mean LDL particle diameter in both patients and controls showed an inverse relationship with log-transformed serum triglycerides (r = - 0.51, p < 0.001 and r = - 0.47, p < 0.005, respectively). Among patients, those with serum triglycerides > or = [corrected] 1.58 mmol/L had a lesser mean LDL diameter than those with triglycerides above this threshold (25.78 +/- 0.47 nm vs 26.30 +/- 0.35 nm, p < 0.001). Higher plasma glucose, serum apo B and LDL-cholesterol as well as the decrease in serum HDL-cholesterol in patients with hypertension are consistent with high coronary heart disease risk. Not only mild hypertriglyceridemia but also high-normal serum triglycerides in themselves or as a surrogate of a predominance of small dense LDL particles in plasma convey an additional risk for cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients even though routine plasma lipids are within or near normal range.

A randomized prospective multicentre trial of cefpirome versus piperacillin-tazobactam in febrile neutropenia

Fever is frequently the only clinical sign of infection in patients with chemo-induced neutropenia. In this setting, empirical administration of broad spectrum antibiotics must be rapid. The aim of this work was to compare, for the first time, cefpirome (CPO) and piperacillin-tazobactam (PT) in a large randomized trial. Two hundred-eight febrile neutropenic episodes (FNE) (> or = 38.5 degrees C and ANC < or = 0.5 giga/l) were treated by randomization, as first line therapy, using either CPO 2 g x 2/day (105 cases) or PT 4 g x 3/day (103 cases), alone (CPO: 15/PT: 15), or plus aminoglycoside (165 cases, CPO: 82/PT: 83) or quinolone (CPO: 2/PT: 2). There were 131 men and 77 women aged between 17 and 83 years (median: 49) who received chemotherapy (n = 160) or allogeneic (n = 10) or autologous (n = 38) stem cell transplantations. Underlying diseases were: acute leukemia (n = 131), lymphoma (n = 33), myeloma (n = 16), solid tumor (n = 8), myeloproliferative disorder (n = 9), chronic lymphoid leukemia (n = 5), aplastic anemia (n = 3), myelodysplasia (n = 3). Distribution of age, neutropenia duration (median: 17 days), underlying disease, and protocol therapy duration (median: 11 days) was comparable in both arms. A microbiologically documented infection (MDI) was evidenced in 57 cases (27%). Bacteria were isolated from blood cultures in 54 cases (Gram positive: 32 cases). Their in vitro susceptibility rates to CPO and PT were not different. Two days after antibiotics initiation, clinical (fever disappearance) and microbiological (culture negativation) success rates (SR) were 62% for CPO versus 61% for PT and 50% versus 55% respectively in case of MDI (p = 0.89). Two deaths and 77 failures were registered. At the end of protocol, SR (no antibiotic change/absence of superinfection) was 59% with CPO versus 50% with PT (p = 0.27) and 53% versus 40% respectively in the 151 cases with neutropenia > or = 10 days (p = 0.17). The occurrence of side effects was similar in both arms. In our hands, the efficacy of CPO and PT was comparable for treating FNE.

Hydatid disease of the interventricular septum causing pericardial effusion

Echinococcal infestation of the heart is uncommon. We report a case of a 35-year-old man with an hydatid cyst located in distal interventricular septum. Clinical presentation was chest pain and urticaria. Diagnosis was made by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Surgical resection was performed; the cyst was punctured and its content was drained, hypertonic glucose solution was instilled for sterilization, and it was removed. The patient did well and remains asymptomatic. Diagnosis and ultimate surgical treatment of this disease prevented potentially lethal complications such as cyst rupture with embolic phenomena and anaphylactic shock.