Detection of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) and turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV) from archival ornamental fish samples

Although infections caused by megalocytiviruses have been reported from a wide range of finfish species for several decades, molecular characterisation of the viruses involved has been undertaken only on more recent cases. Sequence analysis of the major capsid protein and adenosine triphosphatase genes is reported here from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material from 2 archival ornamental fish cases from 1986 and 1988 in conjunction with data for a range of genes from fresh frozen tissues from 5 cases obtained from 1991 through to 2010. Turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV) genotype megalocytiviruses, previously not documented in ornamental fish, were detected in samples from 1986, 1988 and 1991. In contrast, megalocytiviruses from 1996 onwards, including those characterised from 2002, 2006 and 2010 in this study, were almost indistinguishable from infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV). Three of the species infected with TRBIV-like megalocytiviruses from 1986 to 1991, viz. dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius (formerly Colisa lalia), freshwater angelfish Pterophyllum scalare and oscar Astronotus ocellatus, were infected with ISKNV genotype megalocytiviruses from 2002 to 2010. The detection of a TRBIV genotype isolate in ornamental fish from 1986 represents the index case, confirmed by molecular sequence data, for the genus Megalocytivirus.

Characterization of liver metastases: the efficacy of biphasic magnetic resonance imaging with ferucarbotran-enhancement

AIM

To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of biphasic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver with ferucarbotran-enhancement for the characterization of hepatic metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-six patients underwent MRI of the liver with separate acquisition of double-contrast enhancement consisting of gadolinium and ferucarbotran. A total of 106 focal hepatic lesions (51 metastases, 31 cysts, 23 haemangiomas, and one eosinophilic abscess) were included. Two sets of MRI were analysed: (1) ferucarbotran set: ferucarbotran-enhanced T1-weighted (T1W) dynamic imaging combined with ferucarbotran-enhanced T2*-weighted (T2*W) delayed imaging and (2) double set: gadolinium-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging combined with ferucarbotran-enhanced T2*W delayed imaging. The diagnostic accuracy of the two sets was evaluated using alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were compared using the McNemar test. The enhancement pattern of focal hepatic lesions was analysed on gadolinium and ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the accuracy of characterizing hepatic metastases between the two sets. Sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between the sets (p>0.05). Peripheral rim enhancement was exhibited in 57% of metastatic lesions on ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging. The majority (96%) of hepatic haemangiomas demonstrated typical peripheral nodular enhancement with progression on ferucarbotran-enhanced T1W dynamic imaging and were easily differentiated from metastases.

CONCLUSION

Biphasic MRI of the liver with ferucarbotran-enhancement alone provided comparable diagnostic efficacy to double-contrast MRI for the characterization of hepatic metastases.

Comparison of six-month angiographic and three-year outcomes after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation versus brachytherapy for bare metal in-stent restenosis

To evaluate long-term effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation for diffuse bare metal in-stent restenosis (ISR), we compared 6-month angiographic and long-term (3-year) clinical outcomes of SES implantation and intracoronary brachytherapy (ICBT). SES implantation for diffuse ISR was performed in 120 consecutive patients and their results were compared with those from 240 patients treated with beta-radiation with balloons filled with rhenium-188 and mercaptoacetyltriglycine. The radiation dose was 15 or 18 Gy at a depth of 1.0 mm into the vessel wall. The primary end point was 3-year major adverse cardiac events including myocardial infarction, cardiac death, and target lesion revascularization. The 2 groups were similar in baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics. Lesion lengths were 25.1 +/- 14.2 mm in the SES group and 24.5 +/- 10.4 mm in the ICBT group (p = 0.15). In-stent acute gain was greater in the SES group than in the ICBT group (2.23 +/- 0.62 vs 1.91 +/- 0.54 mm, p <0.001). We obtained 6-month angiographic follow-up in 287 patients (79.7%). In-segment angiographic restenoses were 7.4% (7 of 94) in the SES group and 26.4% (51 of 193) in the ICBT group (p <0.05). Two myocardial infarctions (1 in each group) and 5 deaths (4 in SES group, 1 in ICBT group) occurred during 3-year follow-up. At 3 years, survival rates without target lesion revascularization (94.1 +/- 2.2% vs 84.6 +/- 2.3%, p = 0.011) and major adverse cardiac events (92.5 +/- 2.4% vs 84.2 +/- 2.4%, respectively, p = 0.03) were higher in the SES than in the ICBT group. In conclusion, compared with ICBT, SES implantation for diffuse ISR is more effective in decreasing recurrent restenosis and improving long-term outcomes.

Simulation of 1-year-old Populus tremuloides response to ozone stress at Ithaca, USA, and Suwon, Republic of Korea

The growth of 1-year-old aspen was simulated using TREGRO, a computer simulation model of individual tree growth, to assess potential effects of ozone (O3). TREGRO was parameterized using information from a field experiment conducted at Ithaca, NY, USA; the model was then applied using environmental information from Suwon, Korea, where O3 exposures of aspen had not been conducted. In the parameterization at Ithaca, the simulated and measured total biomass differed by about 3% and the differences between measured and simulated biomass gain of leaf, shoot, and root were 15.4, 8.3, and 4.4%, respectively. Simulating growth at Suwon required adjustment in growth rates to match measured growth due to the different weather conditions at the two cities. The assimilated carbon was evenly distributed to each tissue (foliage, branch, stem, coarse, fine roots) in Suwon, whereas it was mainly allocated to vigorous stem growth in Ithaca. The vigorous growth under Suwon conditions resulted in less total non-structural carbon and perhaps trees more vulnerable to O3 stress. Although the ambient O3 in Suwon (1.2 ppm.h of sum of the hourly concentrations greater than 0.06 ppm [SUM06]) was lower than that in Ithaca (2.1 ppm.h of SUM06), a reduction of 8% of total assimilated carbon was found compared to simulation without O3. Severe effects on root growth at elevated O3 (1.7 times ambient) were predicted; however, the effects on leaf growth would not be as severe.