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In This Issue

In This Issue     

Relationship of Human Behavior within Outbuildings to Potential Exposure to Sin Nombre Virus in Western Montana

In This Issue

In This Issue     

In This Issue

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In This Issue     

Complicaciones hospitalarias en una unidad geriátrica de agudos

Introduction:

In-hospital complications frequently occur in hospitalized people over 65 worsening their clinical outcomes. There are, however, few studies on the factors associated with in-hospital complications in elderly patient care.

Objective:

To evaluate factors associated with in-hospital complications in a geriatric acute care unit in Bogotá, Colombia

Materials and methods:

We conducted an analytical, observational, retrospective study in a cohort of 1,657 patients over 65 years of age who received care in the geriatric unit of a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. The dependent variable was in-hospital complications and the independent variables, the degree of functional dependence on admission, dementia, nutritional status, social support, comorbidity, and polypharmacy. We used Poisson’s linear regression model to identify associated variables.

Results:

The bivariate analysis showed that functional dependence (PR=2.092, p≤0.001) and malnutrition (PR=2.850, p≤0.001) were associated with a higher rate of hospital-acquired infection. In the multivariate analysis, functional dependence (PR=1.931, p=0.003) and malnutrition (PR=2.502, p=0.002) remained independent factors for in-hospital complications.

Conclusion:

In acute care centers, integral assessment at admission to identify functional dependence and malnutrition predicts in-hospital complications.     

In memory of Professor Eric Helmer Hultman

Obituary

In memory of Professor Eric Helmer Hultman     

Modulation of thioredoxin reductase-2 expression in EAhy926 cells: Implications for endothelial selenoprotein hierarchy

Background

We examined the expression of the mitochondrial selenoenzyme TrxR2 in the endothelial cell line EAhy926 under conditions known to modify its cytoplasmic counterpart TrxR1.

Methods

Cells were cultured with varying concentrations of selenite, sulforaphane or the Ca²⁺ ionophore A23187 for 72-h, prior to assay of TrxR concentration and activity. Further cultures underwent prolonged (7-day) Se-depletion before selenoprotein measurement.

Results

In Se-deficient cultures, neither Se, A23187 or sulforaphane affected TrxR2 concentration, while these treatments induced TrxR1 concentration (p < 0.05). When co-incubated, optimal concentrations of Se (40 nM) and sulforaphane (4 μM) only modestly increased TrxR2 protein (∼ 1.3-fold), compared with TrxR1 (∼ 4-fold). In Se-deficient cells, TrxR activity was unaffected by sulforaphane or A23187. Prolonged Se-depletion caused a comparatively small reduction in TrxR2 (66% TrxR2 retained) against TrxR1 and glutathione peroxidase-1 activity (38% and 17% retained, respectively).

Conclusions

The relative resistance of TrxR2 to Se-deprivation and induction by sulforaphane and A23187 suggests TrxR2 lies near the top of the selenoprotein hierarchy in EAhy926 cells and exhibits near maximum expression under a range of culture conditions. In Se deficiency an inactive (possibly truncated) TrxR1 is produced in response to stimulus by sulforaphane and A23187.

General significance

These observations underpin a likely critical antioxidant role for TrxR2 and TrxR1 in the endothelium.     

In Memory of Yakov Abramovich Al’tman

Chronicle

In Memory of Yakov Abramovich Al’tman     

Preserved Antigen-Specific Immune Response in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Responding to IFNβ-Therapy

Background

Interferon-beta (IFNβ) regulates the expression of a complex set of pro- as well as anti-inflammatory genes. In cohorts of MS patients unstratified for therapeutic response to IFNβ, normal vaccine-specific immune responses have been observed. Data capturing antigen-specific immune responses in cohorts of subjects defined by response to IFNβ-therapy are not available.

Objective

To assess antigen-specific immune responses in a cohort of MS patients responding clinically and radiologically to IFNβ.

Methods

In 26 MS patients, clinical and MRI disease activity were assessed before and under treatment with IFNβ. Humoral and cellular immune response to influenza vaccine was prospectively characterized in these individuals, and 33 healthy controls by influenza-specific Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Enzyme Linked Immuno Spot Technique (ELISPOT).

Results

Related to pre-treatment disease activity, IFNβ reduced clinical and radiological MS disease-activity. Following influenza vaccination, frequencies of influenza-specific T cells and concentrations of anti-influenza A and B IgM and IgG increased comparably in MS-patients and in healthy controls.

Conclusions

By showing in a cohort of MS-patients responding to IFNβ vaccine-specific immune responses comparable to controls, this study indicates that antigen-specific immune responses can be preserved under successful IFNβ-therapy.     

Carbamoyl-PROXYL-enhanced MRI detects very small disruptions in brain vascular permeability induced by dietary cholesterol

Background

Gd-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a conventional method for non-invasive investigation of blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability in animal models. It allows the visualization of serious injury to the BBB. We developed a novel approach for detecting very small disruptions in BBB permeability induced by dietary cholesterol by using carbamoyl-PROXYL (CMP) as an MRI contrast probe.

Methods

Mice were separated into two groups: normal diet (ND-mice) and high cholesterol diet (CD-mice). MRI-signal dynamics, plasma cholesterol, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9, MMP-2), and the white blood cell profile were analyzed. For the MRI analysis, two regions-of-interest (ROI) were selected: brain (ROI-1) and surrounding area (ROI-2).

Results

In the ROI-2 of ND-mice, CMP- or Gd-enhanced MRI-signal followed typical kinetics with a half-life of signal decay (τ_1/2) ~ 8 or ~ 15 min, respectively. In CD-mice, the MRI-signal increased continuously without decay.In the ROI-1 of ND- and CD-mice, MRI-signal enhancement was not detected by Gd-DTPA. In the ROI-1 of ND-mice, CMP-induced MRI-signal enhancement was negligible, while in CD-mice, it was significant (τ_1/2 > 15 min).Hypercholesterolemia increased the plasma levels of MMP-9 and neutrophils.

Conclusions

Hypercholesterolemia increases vascular permeability, which is mediated by MMP-9 and neutrophils.

General significance

Even very small disruptions in brain vascular permeability could be detected by CMP-enhanced MRI but not by Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRI.     

In memory of Gabtulazhan Galimovich Isaev

Chronicle

In memory of Gabtulazhan Galimovich Isaev     

In Memory of Elena Aleksandrovna Zhirmunskaya

Obituary

In Memory of Elena Aleksandrovna Zhirmunskaya     

In Memory of Anatolii Vladimirovich Tkachev

Obituary

In Memory of Anatolii Vladimirovich Tkachev     

In memory of Igor’ Petrovich Ashmarin

Chronicle

In memory of Igor’ Petrovich Ashmarin     

Maladie de La Peyronie: Bilan IRM chez 28 patients

Purpose

to determine diagnosis and prognosis value of MRI in Peyronie’s disease.

Material and Methods

thirty one penile MR examinations have been performed in 28 patients aged between 21 and 73. (1 tesla; surface coil; sagittal SET1, axial SET2 weighted, T1 before and after Gadolinium)

- In all cases but one, fibrous plaques were clinically palpable.

- Images were compared with clinical examination and evolution under anti-inflammatory drugs.

Results

- In 3 cases, MRI misdiagnosed one unique plague.

- In 2 additional cases, one of the 2 clinical plaques was not detected.

- In 5 cases, MRI depicted more lesions than palpation.

- Gadolinium Enhancement was always correlated with a good response to anti-inflamatory drugs but this treatment was also useful in one case who showed no enhancement.

Conclusion

MRI can be helpfull in the pretreatment assessment and int he follow-up of Peyronie’s disease.     

In memory of Vitalii Ivanovich Romanenko (1930–1989)

Memorable Dates

In memory of Vitalii Ivanovich Romanenko (1930–1989)     

In memoriam Jan J. Barkman (1922–1990)

Obituary

In memoriam Jan J. Barkman (1922–1990)     

Airway epithelial cells initiate the allergen response through transglutaminase 2 by inducing IL-33 expression and a subsequent Th2 response

Background

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is a post-translational protein-modifying enzyme that catalyzes the transamidation reaction, producing crosslinked or polyaminated proteins. Increased TG2 expression and activity have been reported in various inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation-associated pulmonary fibrosis, and autoimmune encephalitis. In particular, TG2 from epithelial cells is important during the initial inflammatory response in the lung. In this study, we evaluated the role of TG2 in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, particularly whether TG2 affects initial activation signaling leading to Th2 differentiation against antigens.

Methods

We induced allergic asthma by ovalbumin sensitization and intranasal challenge in wild-type (WT) BALB/c and TG2-deficient mice. Broncheoalveolar lavage fluid cells and intracellular cytokine production were analyzed by flow cytometry. Interleukin (IL)-33 and TG2 expression in lung epithelial cells was detected by confocal microscopy.

Results

Airway responsiveness was attenuated in TG2-deficient mice compared to that in the WT control. In addition, recruitment of eosinophils and Th2 and Th17 differentiation decreased in TG2-deficient mice. Treatment with cysteamine, a transglutaminase inhibitor, also reduced airway hypersensitivity, inflammatory cell recruitment, and T helper cell differentiation. TG2-deficient mice showed reduced IL-33 expression following induction of allergic asthma compared to those in the WT control.

Conclusions

We found that pulmonary epithelial cells damaged by allergens triggered TG2-mediated IL-33 expression leading to type 2 responses by recruiting both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system.     

In Memory of the Editor

Memory

In Memory of the Editor Editorial Board of The Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie     

In memory of Aleksandr Borisovich Devin (1944–2007)

Chronicle

In memory of Aleksandr Borisovich Devin (1944–2007)     

Donald S. Farner (1915–1988)

In Memoriam

Donald S. Farner (1915–1988)