A novel time-saving multiplex PCR assay for detecting and discriminating the most common canine Babesia species in Europe

In Europe, most cases of canine babesiosis are caused by Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli (large piroplasms) and Babesia vulpes (small piroplasm). Molecular diagnosis is recommended due to its high sensitivity. Species identification after sequencing allows applying a rapid and efficient treatment, leading to a better prognosis; however, it is expensive and time-consuming. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop a time-saving multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneously detecting and discriminating between large and small forms without sequence analysis. A new multiplex PCR was designed and tested using blood samples from 79 dogs showing clinical signs compatible with babesiosis which were previously analysed using blood smears and molecular methods. Multiplex PCR successfully discriminated between both Babesia groups showing bands of 700 and 890 bp for B. canis/B. vogeli and B. vulpes, respectively. No significant differences in the results of both PCR were detected and a substantial agreement between protocols (κ = 0.64) was found. Our multiplex PCR represents a reliable tool for detecting infections by the major Babesia spp. in dogs from Europe. Since no sequence analysis is required for identifying the species involved, this PCR allows the rapid administration of an appropriate treatment, thus improving the survival rate of the infected animals. In addition, it will represent a helpful tool for unravelling the real prevalence and distribution of B. vulpes and its implication in clinical cases.

Profile changes in admissions to a psychiatric hospitalisation unit over 15 years (2006-2021), considering the impact of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2

The objective of this current work was to explore whether modification of the diagnostic criteria upon the publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had influenced the diagnostic and sociodemographic profiles of mental health admissions. For that purpose, we designed an observational, longitudinal, and retrospective study of the data recorded in the discharge reports of the Brief Hospitalization Unit at Castellon (Spain), between January 2006 and December 2021. The sample consisted of 7,037 participants, with a mean age of 42.1 years. The mean age of admissions, number of women, and presentation of affective disorders, addictions, and dementias all increased significantly during the DSM-5 period. Beyond diagnoses, the reduction in readmissions before the pandemic could be attributed to the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics. In contrast, the pandemic did not change the percentage of readmissions or the volume of admissions. Also, during the pandemic period, the significant results obtained indicate that the average stay was reduced, affective disorders decreased, and addictions increased. Therefore, clinicians should consider these diagnostic and sociodemographic fluctuations when adapting clinical care, taking into account gender perspective, ageing of patients and increasing of dual and affective disorders.

The influence of olive tree fertilization on the phenols in virgin olive oils. A review

The total phenols in virgin olive oil are highly dependent on cultivar, but also on ripening stage and other agronomic factors. The focus of most studies on agronomic factors has been irrigation, while fertilization has received less attention. Most of the fertilization works find that nitrogen over-fertilization leads to a decrease in phenol contents in virgin olive oil (VOO) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), under rain-fed or irrigation management. Ortho-diphenols also decrease with high doses of nitrogen, with no effect on secoiridoids. Phosphorous has a minor effect on irrigated trees; while the role of potassium is controversial, with a lack of trials with calcium and micro-nutrients. Due to the great impact of the fertilization on the phenol content and quality of VOO, new research is necessary with focus aimed at different cultivars and agronomic factors.

Influence of irrigation and fertilization on the sterol and triterpene dialcohol compositions of virgin olive oil

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of irrigation and fertilization with nitrogen and potassium on the sterol and triterpene dialcohol contents in two trials of cv. Arbequina in super-intensive orchards in Madrid and Lleida (Spain), using a completely randomized block design. No significant differences in total sterols between deficit and full irrigation treatments were observed. Under very dry conditions, the sterol levels from fully irrigated trees were higher than from rain-fed treatments and the triterpene dialcohol erythrodiol+ uvaol content was lower in the irrigated treatments in Lleida. In the fertilizer trial with full irrigation, total sterols were higher in the two N treatments compared to the unfertilized one; while erythrodiol + uvaol decreased. The application of K fertilizer had no effect on total sterol or triterpene dialcohol contents. A proper fertilization and irrigation are vital to obtain high quality EVOOs that meet the regulatory range in sterol and erythrodiol + uvaol contents.

Hepatocellular carcinoma treatment: ablation and arterial embolization

Percutaneous and endovascular techniques take an important role in the therapeutic management of patients with hepatocarcinoma. Different techniques of percutaneous ablation, especially indicated in tumors up to 2cm diameter offer, at least, similar results to surgical resection. Taking advantage of double hepatic vascularization and exclusive tumor nutrition by the artery, several endovascular techniques of treating the tumor have been developed. Intra-arterial administration of embolizing particles, alone or charged with drug (chemoembolization), will produce ischemia and consequent necrosis with excellent results in selected patients. Certain types of particles may exclusively be carriers of a therapeutic agent when they incorporate a radioisotope that facilitates the direct intratumoral selective irradiation (radioembolization). This technique has demonstrated its efficacy in lesions not susceptible to be treated with other methods and should be considered, together with ablation and chemoembolization, in the therapeutic algorithms of hepatocarcinoma.

B-Cell-Activating Factor Levels Are Associated With Antibody-Mediated Histological Damage in Kidney Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Along with death engraftment, in recent years, antibody-mediated damage has been identified as the leading cause of loss of kidney transplants. Despite the recognition of the role of the B-lymphocyte subpopulation in the development of both tolerance and rejection, little is known about the trigger mechanisms and effectors of this humoral response.

BACKGROUND

We analyzed the relationship between B lymphocyte subpopulations and levels of B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) with the histological findings in biopsies of renal transplantation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We selected 35 patients whose kidney transplant biopsy was performed between January and November 2015. The biopsy specimens were classified according to Banff criteria. At the moment of the biopsy BAFF levels and B-lymphocyte subpopulations in blood were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and using flow cytometry, respectively.

RESULTS

Mean BAFF levels were 493 ± 245 pg/mL. The median performance of biopsy post-transplantation was 12.9 (11.7-23.9) months. BAFF levels correlated with pretransplantation antibodies (r = 0.523; P = .002) but not with kidney function. In biopsies performed more than 1 year after transplantation BAFF levels correlated with the severity of chronic glomerular (cg) involvement (r = 0.625; P = .003). Histological variables related to antibody-mediated injury selected by principal component analysis (glomerulitis, peritubular capillary, and chronic glomerulopathy) related to BAFF levels (B factor, 116; 95% confidence interval [CI], 12-220; P = .029). Biopsy specimens with transplant glomerulopathy (TG) showed lower levels of circulating naive CD19 + subpopulation, IgD+, and CD27- (32.7 ± 28.1 vs 87.9 ± 79.1; P = .017) compared with biopsy specimens without TG.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated levels of BAFF are associated with increased presence and severity of TG and a set of variables related to antibody-mediated histological damage. TG is associated with changes in circulating B-lymphocyte subpopulations that could contribute to its pathogenesis.

Improved detection of mixed P. falciparum-P. vivax infection at a rural health centre in Ethiopia using PCR

This study aims to this study is to compare the co-infection Plasmodium falciparum + Plasmodium vivax and compare the detection of cases of mixed-species malaria using light microscopy versus semi-nested multiplex PCR (sPCR). Investigators collected 3060 samples at a rural health centre in Ethiopia from December 2010 to October 2011. Two capillary blood specimens were taken from each patient, one for diagnosis of Plasmodium infection by light microscopy and the other for sPCR-based diagnosis. LM detected 627 positive cases; these samples, together with 582 negatives by LM, were also subjected to sPCR testing. Of the 627 positive samples by LM, 68.4% were positive for P. vivax, 30.5% for P. falciparum, and 1.1% for P. falciparum + P. vivax co-infection. Using the sPCR technique, we identified 788 samples positive for Plasmodium: 33.0% for P. vivax, 26.5% for P. falciparum, 3.7% for P. falciparum + P. vivax co-infection, 2.0% for P. ovale and 0.8% for P. vivax + P. ovale co-infection. In the case of P. falciparum + P. vivax co-infection, light microscopy diagnosis showed a sensitivity of 11.1%, a specificity of 99.8%, a positive predictive value of 71.4% and a negative predictive value of 96.6%. The concordance rate for identifying P. falciparum + P. vivax co-infection (kappa statistic) with microscopy and sPCR was 0.184. The LM approach has low sensitivity for the detection of mixed-species infections, while sPCR is more useful.

Synthesis and functionalization of dextran-based single-chain nanoparticles in aqueous media

Water-dispersible dextran-based single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCPNs) were prepared in aqueous media and under mild conditions.

Is liver biopsy necessary in the evaluation of a living donor for liver transplantation?

BACKGROUND

The role of liver biopsy in the evaluation of a candidate for living liver donation is controversial. Some authors suggest doing it routinely, but others do it only in selected cases. The aim of this work was to evaluate the usefulness of protocol liver biopsy in the evaluation of candidates for living liver donation.

METHODS

Ninety potential candidates for living liver donation were evaluated. In 46 cases donation was contraindicated without the need of liver biopsy. In the remaining 44 candidates, liver biopsy was done on a protocol basis. The usefulness of protocol biopsy was compared with the use of biopsy according to the recommendations of the Vancouver Forum.

RESULTS

Fifteen of the 44 biopsies were indicated according to the recommendations of the Vancouver Forum. Twelve of them were normal, and 3 had liver steatosis or steatohepatitis. Of the 29 biopsies done per protocol, 28 were normal and 1 showed liver steatosis. Donation was contraindicated according to liver biopsy findings in 3 of the 15 patients with liver biopsy done according to the Vancouver Forum recommendations and in none of the 29 patients with biopsy done per protocol (P = .034).

CONCLUSIONS

Protocol liver biopsy has a limited utility in the evaluation of the candidates for living liver donation.

Hostile attributions in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia contribute to poor social functioning

OBJECTIVE

To compare the profile of attributional style of a group of out-patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), and a group of healthy controls - along with other social cognition domains - such as emotion recognition and theory of mind (ToM).

METHOD

A total of 46 out-patients diagnosed with BD, 49 with SZ, and 50 healthy controls were assessed in attributional style (Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire), facial emotion recognition (FEIT, FEDT, ER-40), and ToM (Hinting Task). Symptomatology, clinical variables and global functioning were also collected.

RESULTS

Both groups with SZ and BD showed hostile social cognitive biases, compared with the control group. Patients with BD also showed a capacity for emotional recognition similar to those with SZ and worse than control subjects. In contrast, patients with SZ showed poorer ToM. Subthreshold depressive symptoms and an attributional style toward hostility appeared as the factors with a strongest association to global functioning in BD. In SZ, PANSS score and a tendency to aggressiveness were the most relevant factors.

CONCLUSION

Attributional style (along with other domains of social cognition) is altered in out-patients with BD and SZ. The presence of residual symptoms and a hostile social cognitive bias may contribute to the functional impairment of both groups.

Spatial distribution and cluster analysis of a leishmaniasis outbreak in the south-western Madrid region, Spain, September 2009 to April 2013

Binary file ES_Abstracts_Final_ECDC.txt matches

Totally laparoscopic right-lobe hepatectomy for adult living donor liver transplantation: useful strategies to enhance safety

The overriding concern in living donor liver transplantation is donor safety. A totally laparoscopic right hepatectomy without middle hepatic vein for adult living donor liver transplantation is presented. The surgical procedure is described in detail, focusing on relevant technical aspects to enhance donor safety, specifically the hanging maneuver and dynamic fluoroscopy-controlled bile duct division.

Mini-review: nucleus-targeted ribonucleases as antitumor drugs

Cancer is the leading cause of death in economically developed countries and the second leading cause of death in developing countries. This global burden of cancer continues to increase largely because of the aging and growth of the world population. Although very much progress has been attained in the development of new therapies, there is a clear need of more efficient and selective antitumor drugs for the effective treatment of many types of cancer. Among the different strategies developed to create new antitumor drugs, pleiotropic non-genotoxic effectors have gained interest since this approach is less susceptible to known resistance mechanisms. The cell nucleus is the subcellular compartment where the genetic information and the transcription machinery reside and accordingly where numerous therapeutic agents efficiently work. Hence, nuclear-targeted drugs are expected to kill cancer cells more directly and efficiently. In this review, we discuss the potential of nuclear-targeted drugs as antineoplastic therapeutics and reason the benefits of the strategy to endow ribonucleases with cytotoxic properties based on its targeting into the nucleus.

Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for outpatients with bipolar disorder

INTRODUCTION

Patients with bipolar disorder show social cognition deficits during both symptomatic and euthymic phases of the illness, partially independent of other cognitive dysfunctions and current mood. Previous studies in schizophrenia have revealed that social cognition is a modifiable domain. Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) is an 18-week, manual-based, group treatment designed to improve social functioning by way of social cognition.

METHOD

37 outpatients with DSM-IV-TR bipolar and schizoaffective disorders were randomly assigned to treatment as usual (TAU)+SCIT (n=21) or TAU (n=16). Independent, blind evaluators assessed subjects before and after the intervention on Face Emotion Identification Task (FEIT), Face Emotion Discrimination (FEDT), Emotion Recognition (ER40), Theory of Mind (Hinting Task) and Hostility Bias (AIHQ).

RESULTS

Analysis of covariance revealed significant group effects for emotion perception, theory of mind, and depressive symptoms. The SCIT group showed a small within-group decrease on the AIHQ Blame subscale, a moderate decrease in AIHQ Hostility Bias, a small increase in scores on the Hinting Task, a moderate increase on the ER40, and large increases on the FEDT and FEIT. There was no evidence of effects on aggressive attributional biases or on global functioning.

LIMITATION

No follow up assessment was conducted, so it is unknown whether the effects of SCIT persist over time.

CONCLUSION

This trial provides preliminary evidence that SCIT is feasible and may improve social cognition for bipolar and schizoaffective outpatients.

[US-guided transhepatic drainage of a mediastinal abscess]

Anastomoses often leak after esophageal surgery; if they are not detected in time, leaks can give rise to complications like fluid collections, superinfections, and mediastinitis. Although these complications usually require surgical treatment, different series of patients successfully treated with conservative or minimally invasive approaches have been reported. We present the case of a patient who developed a mediastinal abscess after epiphrenic diverticulectomy. We treated the abscess with US-guided percutaneous transhepatic drainage to avoid surgical reintervention. Although other cases of a transhepatic approach to thoracic lesions have been reported, to our knowledge this is the first report of this technique in mediastinal abscesses. We recommend that transhepatic drainage be considered a therapeutic option in the management of these complications.

The distribution of immune cells in the lungs of classical and atypical ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a contagious tumour caused by infection of sheep with Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus. Two forms of OPA have been identified, classical and atypical, which can be distinguished clinically and pathologically. Most notably classical OPA is progressive until death, while atypical OPA remains subclinical. In the present study the local immune responses in the lungs of cases of atypical OPA were compared with those from classical cases by immunohistochemistry using a panel of mouse anti-sheep mAbs. Distinct differences in the distribution of immune cell subsets in the two forms of OPA were observed. In particular there was an intratumoural influx of T cell subsets and MHC Class II expression on the tumour cells in atypical OPA, neither of which was seen in classical OPA. It is possible that these differences may contribute, at least in part, to determining the progressive course of classical OPA compared with the subclinical nature of atypical OPA.

Genetic diversity of wild grapevine populations in Spain and their genetic relationships with cultivated grapevines

The wild grapevine, Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi, considered as the ancestor of the cultivated grapevine, is native from Eurasia. In Spain, natural populations of V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris can still be found along river banks. In this work, we have performed a wide search of wild grapevine populations in Spain and characterized the amount and distribution of their genetic diversity using 25 nuclear SSR loci. We have also analysed the possible coexistence in the natural habitat of wild grapevines with naturalized grapevine cultivars and rootstocks. In this way, phenotypic and genetic analyses identified 19% of the collected samples as derived from cultivated genotypes, being either naturalized cultivars or hybrid genotypes derived from spontaneous crosses between wild and cultivated grapevines. The genetic diversity of wild grapevine populations was similar than that observed in the cultivated group. The molecular analysis showed that cultivated germplasm and wild germplasm are genetically divergent with low level of introgression. Using a model-based approach implemented in the software structure, we identified four genetic groups, with two of them fundamentally represented among cultivated genotypes and two among wild accessions. The analyses of genetic relationships between wild and cultivated grapevines could suggest a genetic contribution of wild accessions from Spain to current Western cultivars.

[Permanent tunneled drainage for malignant ascites: initial experience with the PleurX® catheter]

OBJECTIVE

The most common treatment in recurrent malignant ascites is generally temporary peritoneal drainage. We present our experience in placing permanent tunneled catheters in a series of patients and analyze the safety and efficacy of the treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We used total aseptic measures in the interventional ultrasonography suite to place permanent tunneled catheters in 10 patients under ultrasonographic guidance and local anesthesia.

RESULTS

The catheters remained patent for a median of 52 days in the nine patients who died. In one of these, the catheter was withdrawn while still patent due to generalized sepsis. At the end of the study, one patient still had a permeable catheter 124 days after placement.

CONCLUSION

Although the low number of patients in our series precludes generalizations, tunneled peritoneal catheters seem to be a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for malignant ascites in terminal oncologic patients. This approach facilitates the draining of the ascites at home, obviating the need for repeated hospital visits and punctures and the risks involved therein. Nevertheless, further experience and prospective randomized trials are necessary.

Canine gastric carcinoma: immunohistochemical expression of cell cycle proteins (p53, p21, and p16) and heat shock proteins (Hsp27 and Hsp70)

Immunohistochemical staining for cell cycle proteins and heat shock proteins was performed on 17 canine gastric carcinomas. The immunoexpression of p53, p21, p16, Hsp27, and Hsp70 was investigated. A study was conducted to determine the histological type and parameters related to tumor malignancy. Possible associations and trends were assessed between the immunoexpression of each protein and tumor type as well as specific parameters of malignancy. High intratumor frequency of cellular p53 immunostaining was observed (61.96% average), but lower frequencies of p21 and p16 expression were present (34.65% and 10.41%, respectively). The p53 overexpression was associated with tumor infiltration (P = .0258). Expression of p21 was lower in undifferentiated carcinomas, and the loss of expression was associated with histopathological parameters characteristic of a poor prognosis such as lymphatic vessel invasion (P = .0258). The lack of p16 immunoreactivity was related to histopathological characteristics of malignancy such as the presence of evident and multiple nucleoli (P = .0475). In contrast, deep tumor infiltration was observed in those carcinomas with a high p16 index (P = .0475). Hsp70 appeared to be overexpressed in all gastric neoplasms included in this study. This is in contrast to Hsp27, because a group of tumors showed complete lack of Hsp27 immunoexpression, whereas the others displayed extensive Hsp27 immunostaining. The differences in Hsp27 did not correlate with any of the histopathological parameters, but Hsp27 immunoexpression was higher in the undifferentiated carcinoma. No significant differences in the expression of the proteins were found in canine gastric carcinomas according to their histological type. These findings may be useful for establishing a prognosis for canine gastric carcinoma.

Crystalline transformations in nylon-6/single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Nylon-6/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanocomposites with different SWNTs loadings were prepared by melt-blending. An efficient dispersion of SWNTs into the nylon-6 matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. DSC and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction were used to provide detailed information on the effect of SWNTs on the crystalline phase transition of nylon-6 in the nanocomposites. The incorporation of SWNTs accelerated the crystallization rate of nylon-6 due to a nucleating effect. The variable-temperature WAXS experiments, in both neat nylon-6 and nylon-6 nanocomposites, showed that the crystallization from the melt occured through the formation of the pseudo-hexagonal crystal form (gamma) and its transformation to the monoclinic form (alpha) on cooling. Additionally, this crystalline transition was reversible as observed upon heating. The alpha-gamma crystalline transformation temperature of nylon-6 was dependent on heating rate and, more importantly, on the SWNT content.

Evidence for a discrete evolutionary lineage within Equatorial Guinea suggests that the tsetse fly Glossina palpalis palpalis exists as a species complex

Tsetse flies of the palpalis group are major vectors of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Africa. Accurate knowledge of species identity is essential for vector control. Here, we combine ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (COI) and microsatellites to determine the population structure and phylogenetic relations of Glossina p. palpalis in Equatorial Guinea. CO1 sequence data suggest that G. p. palpalis in Equatorial Guinea is a distinct subspecies from previously described G. p. palpalis in West Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo. Glossina p. palpalis in Equatorial Guinea and DRC share a common ancestor which diverged from West African G. p. palpalis around 1.9 Ma. Previous ITS1 length polymorphism data suggested the possible presence of hybrids in Equatorial Guinea. However, ITS1 showed incomplete lineage sorting compared with clearly defined COI groups, and data from 12 unlinked microsatellites provided no evidence of hybridization. Microsatellite data indicated moderate but significant differentiation between the populations analysed (Rio Campo, Mbini and Kogo). Moreover, unlike previous studies of G. p. palpalis, there was no evidence for heterozygote deficiency, presence of migrants or cryptic population structure. Variance effective population size at Rio Campo was estimated at 501-731 assuming eight generations per year. This study of the population genetics of G. p. palpalis in central Africa provides the first estimate of genetic differentiation between geographically separated G. p. palpalis populations.

T(H)17 versus Treg cells in renal transplant candidates: effect of a previous transplant

INTRODUCTION

The T(H)1 and T(H)2 cells were described several years ago. However, this dichotomy has been disrupted by the description of other CD4(+) T cell subsets: the proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-17-producing T cells (T(H)17) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). The latter group inhibits the immune responses driven by T(H)1, T(H)2, and T(H)17 cells. IL-6 is involved in T(H)17 development, down-regulating Treg differentiation. Our hypothesis suggested that an imbalance between T(H)17 and Tregs enhances immune responses among renal transplant patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied 26 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) subjects and 10 patients awaiting a second renal transplant after previous graft dysfunction. We assessed the number of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) cells and serum levels of IL-17, the prototypic interleukin of T(H)17 cells.

RESULTS

We observed a lower number of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells among patients with previous graft dysfunction than those with ESRD (median 3.37 vs 8.63 cells/mm(3), P = .008). In contrast, IL-17 serum levels were augmented in graft dysfunction (median 4.45 pg/mL) compared with ESRD patients (1.39 pg/mL, P = .036), suggesting a proinflammatory state in patients awaiting a second renal transplant.

CONCLUSION

The emerging alloresponse from a previous transplant favors the generation of T(H)17 instead of Treg cells. The enhanced activity of T(H)17 cells in retransplanted patients may down-regulate Treg cells, producing a proinflammatory environment that favors rejection of the next transplant.

Association between serum soluble CD30 and serum creatinine before and after renal transplantation

OBJECTIVE

There is increasing evidence that circulating levels of soluble CD30 (sCD30) may represent a biomarker for outcome in kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to measure the pre- and posttransplantation serum levels of sCD30 in cadaveric kidney transplant recipients and correlate them with serum creatinine.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Serum sCD30 was measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from prospective samples of 38 kidney allograft recipients serially transplanted at our center. Samples were collected at day 0 pretransplantation and at months 6, 12, 18, and 24 posttransplantation. We also studied sera from 29 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at different stages of the K/DOQI guidelines, as a control group.

RESULTS

Serum levels of sCD30 decreased significantly in samples posttransplantation compared with pretransplantation. The significant decrease after transplantation may be related to the improvement in renal function since we observed a significant correlation between serum levels of sCD30 and creatinine (sCr) at all times of the study. In addition, the patients with chronic renal failure showed a significant association between serum sCD30 and sCr (r = .454; P = .013).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results did not suggest that the measurement of sCD30 may be used as a valuable biomarker in renal transplantation. Increased levels may be related to a decrease in its renal elimination.

The structural determinants that lead to the formation of particular oligomeric structures in the pancreatic-type ribonuclease family

Pancreatic-type ribonucleases are a family of RNA degrading enzymes that share different degrees of sequence identity but a very similar 3D-structure. The prototype of this family is bovine pancreatic ribonuclease or ribonuclease A. This enzyme has been the object of landmark work on the folding, stability, protein chemistry, catalysis, enzyme-substrate interaction and molecular evolution. In the recent years, the interest in the study of pancreatic-type ribonucleases has increased due to the involvement of some members of this family in special biological functions. In addition, dimeric and also higher oligomeric structures can be attained by the members of this family. The oligomers described structurally to date are mainly formed by 3D-domain swapping, a process which consists of the exchange of identical domains (i.e. identical structural elements, usually the N- and C-termini) between the subunits and is considered to be a mechanism for amyloid-type aggregate formation. This review compares the dimeric and oligomeric structures of different members of the pancreatic-type ribonuclease family which are able to acquire these structures, namely, bovine seminal ribonuclease, ribonuclease A and its human counterpart, human pancreatic ribonuclease. A specific focus is placed on what is known about the structural determinants that lead to the acquisition of a particular oligomeric structure and on the proposed mechanism of 3D-swapping.