Immunoautoradiographic determination of beta-1 gamma globulin in the blood serum of patients with trophoblastic tumors]

The authors determined beta1-G-globulin (beta1GG) in the sera of patients with different malignant tumours and of normal donors by means of the immunodiffusion method (ID) and immunoautoradiography (IAR). In the ID-negative sera beta1GG was revealed by means of IAR in 7 out of 8 patients with chorionepithelioma of the uterus and in 1 out of 7 patients with teratomblastoma of the testis before the treatment. After the treatment the beta1GG was determined in 7 out of 21 patients with chorionepithelioma of the uterus. At the early stage of trophoblastic tumours of the uterus beta1GG could be found in 77.7% of cases by means of IAR and in 16.8% of cases by means of the ID method.     

HERITABILITY OF AEROBIC POWER OF INDIVIDUALS IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic and environmental contribution to variation in aerobic power in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. The sample consisted of 20 MZ individuals (12 females and 8 males) and 16 DZ individuals (12 females and 4 males), aged from 8 to 26 years, residents in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The twins were assessed by a multistage fitness test. The rate of heritability found for aerobic power was 77%. Based on the results, the estimated heritability was largely responsible for the differences in aerobic power. This implies that such measures are under strong genetic influence.     

Nailfold videocapillaroscopy micro-haemorrhage and giant capillary counting as an accurate approach for a steady state definition of disease activity in systemic sclerosis

Introduction

Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a procedure commonly used for patient classification and subsetting, but not to define disease activity (DA). This study aimed to evaluate whether the number of micro-haemorrhages (MHE), micro-thrombosis (MT), giant capillaries (GC), and normal/dilated capillaries (Cs) in NVC could predict DA in SSc.

Methods

Eight-finger NVC was performed in 107 patients with SSc, and the total number of MHE/MT, GC, and the mean number of Cs were counted and defined as number of micro-haemorrhages (NEMO), GC and Cs scores, respectively. The European Scleroderma Study Group (ESSG) index constituted the gold standard for DA assessment, and scores ≥3.5 and =3 were considered indicative of high and moderate activity, respectively.

Results

NEMO and GC scores were positively correlated with ESSG index (R = 0.65, P <0.0001, and R = 0.47, P <0.0001, respectively), whilst Cs score showed a negative correlation with that DA index (R = −0.30, P <0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic plots, obtained by NEMO score sensitivity and specificity values in classifying patients with ESSG index ≥3.5, was significantly higher than the corresponding AUC derived from either GC or Cs scores (P <0.03 and P <0.0006, respectively). A modified score, defined by the presence of a given number of MHE/MT and GC, had a good performance in classifying active patients (ESSG index ≥3, sensitivity 95.1%, specificity 84.8%, accuracy 88.7%).

Conclusions

MHE/MT and GC appear to be good indicators of DA in SSc, and enhances the role of NVC as an easy technique to identify active patients.     

Physicochemical properties of malate dehydrogenase from the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain f8pt

Electrophoretically homogenous isoforms of malate dehydrogenase with different quaternary structure were prepared from Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain f8pt cultured photolithoheterotrophically on malate and acetate. By selective inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid cycle or glyoxylate cycle, it was shown that the dimeric isoform of the enzyme is responsible for Krebs cycle functioning and the tetrameric isoform is involved in functioning of the glyoxylate cycle.     

Outcome of Tuberculosis Treatment in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Treated in the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in Malappuram District,Kerala, India

Settings

Kerala State, India has reported the greatest dual burden of Tuberculosis (TB) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Malappuram district in Kerala has monitored and recorded DM status and its control from 2010 under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).

Objectives

To assess, under programme conditions, comprehensiveness of recording DM status among TB cases and the TB treatment outcomes among DM patients (disaggregated by glycemic control) and compare with-non DM patients.

Design

This retrospective record review included 3,116TB patients from April 2010 to September 2011.DM was defined as per international guidelines and TB treatment outcomes were categorized as favourable(cured and treatment completed) and unfavourable(death, default, failure and transfer out). Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) were calculated to assess the risk of unfavourable outcomes.

Results

DM status was recorded in 90% of TB cases and 667 (24%) had DM. 17% of DM patients and 23% of patients with unknown DM status had unfavourable outcomes but this difference was not statistically significant. Unadjusted RR for poor glycemic control or unknown control status for unfavourable outcome were (2.00; 95% CI 0.97–4.13) and (2.14; 95% CI 1.11–4.13).

Conclusion

This study could not confirm an adverse association between DM or its control during treatment and the course of response to TB treatment.DM screening in TB cases and recording of DM care needs to be improved to enable more conclusive evidence.     

An integrated Bayesian analysis of LOH and copy number data

Background  

Cancer and other disorders are due to genomic lesions. SNP-microarrays are able to measure simultaneously both genotype and copy number (CN) at several Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) along the genome. CN is defined as the number of DNA copies, and the normal is two, since we have two copies of each chromosome. The genotype of a SNP is the status given by the nucleotides (alleles) which are present on the two copies of DNA. It is defined homozygous or heterozygous if the two alleles are the same or if they differ, respectively. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is the loss of the heterozygous status due to genomic events.     

The kinome of Phytophthora infestans reveals oomycete-specific innovations and links to other taxonomic groups

Background

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Eukaryota, Fungi, Ascomycota) is a thermodimorphic fungus, the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, the most important systemic mycoses in Latin America. Three isolates corresponding to distinct phylogenetic lineages of the Paracoccidioides species complex had their genomes sequenced. In this study the identification and characterization of class II transposable elements in the genomes of these fungi was carried out.

Results

A genomic survey for DNA transposons in the sequence assemblies of Paracoccidioides, a genus recently proposed to encompass species P. brasiliensis (harboring phylogenetic lineages S1, PS2, PS3) and P. lutzii (Pb01-like isolates), has been completed. Eight new Tc1/mariner families, referred to as Trem (Tr ansposable e lement m ariner), labeled A through H were identified. Elements from each family have 65-80% sequence similarity with other Tc1/mariner elements. They are flanked by 2-bp TA target site duplications and different termini. Encoded DDD-transposases, some of which have complete ORFs, indicated that they could be functionally active. The distribution of Trem elements varied between the genomic sequences characterized as belonging to P. brasiliensis (S1 and PS2) and P. lutzii. TremC and H elements would have been present in a hypothetical ancestor common to P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii, while TremA, B and F elements were either acquired by P. brasiliensis or lost by P. lutzii after speciation. Although TremD and TremE share about 70% similarity, they are specific to P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii, respectively. This suggests that these elements could either have been present in a hypothetical common ancestor and have evolved divergently after the split between P. brasiliensis and P. Lutzii, or have been independently acquired by horizontal transfer.

Conclusions

New families of Tc1/mariner DNA transposons in the genomic assemblies of the Paracoccidioides species complex are described. Families were distinguished based on significant BLAST identities between transposases and/or TIRs. The expansion of Trem in a putative ancestor common to the species P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii would have given origin to TremC and TremH, while other elements could have been acquired or lost after speciation had occurred. The results may contribute to our understanding of the organization and architecture of genomes in the genus Paracoccidioides.     

Isolation and properties of malate dehydrogenase from meso- and thermophilic bacteria

A scheme of purification of malate dehydrogenase from Macromonas bipunctata strain D-405 and Vulcanithermus medioatlanticus DSM 14978T was developed. This scheme was used to obtain electrophoretically homogeneous enzyme preparations of the mesophilic bacterium M. bipunctata (specific activity, 26.9 +/- 0.8 U/mg protein; yield, 10.9%) and the thermophilic bacterium V. medioatlanticus (specific activity, 5.0 +/- 0.2 U/mg protein; yield, 19.2%). Using these high-purity enzymatic preparations, the physicochemical and regulatory properties of malate dehydrogenase were studied and the differences in kinetic characteristics and thermal stability of the preparations were determined.