Fabrication of a novel nanocomposite based on sol-gel process for hollow fiber-solid phase microextraction of aflatoxins: B1 and B2, in cereals combined with high performane liquid chromatography-diode array detection

The new pre-concentration technique, hollow fiber-solid phase microextraction based on carbon nanotube reinforced sol-gel and liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection was applied to determination of aflatoxins B(1), B(2) (AFB(1), AFB(2)) in rice, peanut and wheat samples. This research provides an overview of trends related to synthesis of solid phase microextraction (SPME) sorbnents that improves the assay of aflatoxins as the semi-polar compounds in several real samples. It mainly includes summary and a list of the results for a simple carbon nanotube reinforced sol-gel in-fiber device. This device was used for extraction, pre-concentration and determination of aflatoxins B1, B2 in real samples. In this technique carbon nanotube reinforced sol was prepared by the sol-gel method via the reaction of phenyl trimethoxysilane (PTMS) with a basic catalyst (tris hydroxymethyl aminomethan). The influences of microextraction parameters such as pH, ageing time, carbon nanotube contents, desorption conditions, desorption solvent and agitation speed were investigated. Optimal HPLC conditions were: C(18) reversed phase column for separation, water-acetonitril-methanol (35:10:55) as the mobile phase and maximum wavelength for detection was 370 nm. The method was evaluated statistically and under optimized conditions, the detection limits for the analytes were 0.074 and 0.061 ng/mL for B1 and B2 respectively. Limit of quantification for B1 and B2 was 0.1 ng/mL too (n=7). The precisions were in the range of 2.829-2.976% (n=3), and linear ranges were within 0.1 and 400 ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of cereals (peanut, wheat, rice) with the relative recoveries from 47.43% to 106.83%.     

HIV/AIDS research conducted in the developing world and sponsored by the developed world: reporting of research ethics committee review in two countries

We explored how often journal articles reporting HIV research sponsored by a developed country, but conducted in a developing country, mention research ethics committee (REC) approval from both countries, and what factors are involved. Of all such 2007 articles on Medline conducted in one of four developing countries (N = 154), only 52% mentioned such dual approval. Mention of dual vs. single approval was more likely among articles with ≥ 50% sponsor country authors, and the United States as the sponsor country. Also, dual approval was more likely among articles that mentioned informed consent and funding, had ≥ 50% sponsor country authors, were biomedical (vs. psychosocial), and appeared in journals adopting International Committee Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines. Dual approval was thus obtained in only half of the articles and was associated with ethical and logistic issues, indicating the need for clearer and more universally accepted guidelines.     

Glut-1 Expression Correlates with Basal-like Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION: Glucose transporter 1 (Glut-1) is a facilitative glucose transporter expressed in many cancers including breast cancer. Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a high-risk disease associated with poor prognosis and lacks the benefit of targeted therapy. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of Glut-1 in patients with BLBC compared with non-BLBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 523 cases of invasive breast carcinoma from our database. The clinicopathologic findings and the biologic markers including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) status were reviewed. IHC stains for cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, and Glut-1 were performed on tissue microarray using standard procedures. BLBC was defined as ER-,PR-, Her2-, and CK5/6+ and/or EGFR+. RESULTS: Of informative cases, 14.7% were categorized as BLBC versus 85.3% as non-BLBC. Glut-1 was expressed in 42 (76.4%) of 55 BLBCs, whereas only 55 (23.8%) of 231 non-BLBCs showed immunostaining for Glut-1 (P < .001). Overall, Glut-1 expression was significantly associated with high histologic grade, ER negativity, PR negativity, CK5/6 positivity, EGFR expression, and high p53 expression (P < .001). However, there was no correlation between Glut-1 immunostaining and patient's outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that Glut-1 is significantly associated with BLBC and might be a potential therapeutic target for this aggressive subgroup of breast cancer, and this warrants further investigations.     

Efficacy and safety of artemether in the treatment of chronic fascioliasis in Egypt: exploratory phase-2 trials

Background

Fascioliasis is an emerging zoonotic disease of considerable veterinary and public health importance. Triclabendazole is the only available drug for treatment. Laboratory studies have documented promising fasciocidal properties of the artemisinins (e.g., artemether).

Methodology

We carried out two exploratory phase-2 trials to assess the efficacy and safety of oral artemether administered at (i) 6×80 mg over 3 consecutive days, and (ii) 3×200 mg within 24 h in 36 Fasciola-infected individuals in Egypt. Efficacy was determined by cure rate (CR) and egg reduction rate (ERR) based on multiple Kato-Katz thick smears before and after drug administration. Patients who remained Fasciola-positive following artemether dosing were treated with single 10 mg/kg oral triclabendazole. In case of treatment failure, triclabendazole was re-administered at 20 mg/kg in two divided doses.

Principal Findings

CRs achieved with 6×80 mg and 3×200 mg artemether were 35% and 6%, respectively. The corresponding ERRs were 63% and nil, respectively. Artemether was well tolerated. A high efficacy was observed with triclabendazole administered at 10 mg/kg (16 patients; CR: 67%, ERR: 94%) and 20 mg/kg (4 patients; CR: 75%, ERR: 96%).

Conclusions/Significance

Artemether, administered at malaria treatment regimens, shows no or only little effect against fascioliasis, and hence does not represent an alternative to triclabendazole. The role of artemether and other artemisinin derivatives as partner drug in combination chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.     

Role of fine needle aspirate mapping and touch imprint preparations in the evaluation of azoospermia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and touch imprint cytology (TIC) in the evaluation of azoospermia. STUDY DESIGN: FNAC, TIC and open testicular biopsy (OTB) were used to evaluate 31 azoospermic men. RESULTS: OTB revealed normal spermatogenesis (10), spermatogenic arrest (12), Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCO) (7) and unsatisfactory cases (2). Cytologic examinations (TIC vs. FNAC) revealed normal spermatogenesis (11 vs. 9), spermatogenic arrest (13 vs. 7), SCO (2 vs. 1) and unsatisfactory cases (5 vs. 5). Sensitivity and specificity of TIC and FNAC were 98% vs. 83% and 100% vs. 93%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Testicular FNAC is a reliable and simple method for the evaluation of azoospermia.     

An interactional network of genes involved in chitin synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background

The identification of disease-associated genes using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been increasingly reported. In particular, the Affymetrix Mapping 10 K SNP microarray platform uses one PCR primer to amplify the DNA samples and determine the genotype of more than 10,000 SNPs in the human genome. This provides the opportunity for large scale, rapid and cost-effective genotyping assays for linkage analysis. However, the analysis of such datasets is nontrivial because of the large number of markers, and visualizing the linkage scores in the context of genome maps remains less automated using the current linkage analysis software packages. For example, the haplotyping results are commonly represented in the text format.

Results

Here we report the development of a novel software tool called CompareLinkage for automated formatting of the Affymetrix Mapping 10 K genotype data into the "Linkage" format and the subsequent analysis with multi-point linkage software programs such as Merlin and Allegro. The new software has the ability to visualize the results for all these programs in dChip in the context of genome annotations and cytoband information. In addition we implemented a variant of the Lander-Green algorithm in the dChipLinkage module of dChip software (V1.3) to perform parametric linkage analysis and haplotyping of SNP array data. These functions are integrated with the existing modules of dChip to visualize SNP genotype data together with LOD score curves. We have analyzed three families with recessive and dominant diseases using the new software programs and the comparison results are presented and discussed.

Conclusions

The CompareLinkage and dChipLinkage software packages are freely available. They provide the visualization tools for high-density oligonucleotide SNP array data, as well as the automated functions for formatting SNP array data for the linkage analysis programs Merlin and Allegro and calling these programs for linkage analysis. The results can be visualized in dChip in the context of genes and cytobands. In addition, a variant of the Lander-Green algorithm is provided that allows parametric linkage analysis and haplotyping.     

L-type Ca2+ channels in Ca2+ channelopathies

Voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) mediate depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry in electrically excitable cells, including muscle cells, neurons, and endocrine and sensory cells. In this review we summarize the role of LTCCs for human diseases caused by genetic Ca2+ channel defects (channelopathies). LTCC dysfunction can result from structural aberrations within pore-forming alpha1 subunits causing incomplete congenital stationary night blindness, malignant hyperthermia sensitivity or hypokalemic periodic paralysis. However, studies in mice revealed that LTCC dysfunction also contributes to neurological symptoms in Ca2+ channelopathies affecting non-LTCCs, such as Ca(v)2.1 alpha1 in tottering mice. Ca2+ channelopathies provide exciting molecular tools to elucidate the contribution of different LTCC isoforms to human diseases.     

Proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-6) in Egyptian patients with SLE: its correlation with disease activity

BACKGROUND: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a wide variety of autoantibodies, some of which are pathogenic. In recent years it has become more evident that the polyclonal B cell activation in SLE is T-cell dependent. The stimulation of the autoantibody producing B cells is likely mediated by the TH2 subtype of T cells producing IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 and IL- 10, whereas the TH1 subtype secreting IL-2 and IFN-gamma predominates in cell-mediated immune response. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha) is both a proinflammatory and an immunoregulatory cytokine. TNF-alpha has differential effects on B cells, on T cells and on dendritic cells as well as on the process of programmed cell death. Understanding how the immune system integrates the pleiotropic properties of TNF-alpha is a challenge, particularly so in diseases like SLE. Meanwhile the role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of SLE is controversial. Objective: To investigate whether serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 is higher in Egyptian patients with SLE than healthy control volunteers and its correlation with the clinical activity in patients with different activity scores as measured by Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus Disease Activity Index (SLEADI). Methods: Sixty individuals (40 patients with Systemic lupus Erythmatosus and 20 healthy control volunteers) were the subject of this study, they were subjected to thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations, their clinical disease activity was scored according to SLEDAI, and serum sampling was obtained for TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels assay. Renal biopsy was carried out and examined by light microscopy by a pathologist blinded with the clinical activity. Results: The mean level of TNF-alpha was (766.95+/-357.82Pg/ml) for patients with active disease while it was (314.01+/-100.87Pg/ml) for those with inactive disease and (172.7+/-39.19Pg/ml) for the healthy control group. The difference was statistically significant (P=.002). The mean level of IL-6 was (135.4+/-54.23Pg/ml) for patients with active disease while it was (47.33+/-18.61Pg/ml) for those with inactive disease and (21.15+/-10.99Pg/ml) for the healthy control group. The difference was statistically significant (P=.002). A significant correlations between TNF-alpha and IL-6 serum levels and the SLEDAI score was observed (r=.743 and .772, respectively). Conclusion: Serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 are sensitive markers of SLE disease activity. They may be useful independent markers for prediction of SLE disease activity and to differentiate normal subjects from those having SLE. Possible therapeutic implications in the treatment of SLE in the future deserve wide scale trials.