Extracellular Matrix Protein Lumican Promotes Clearance and Resolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis in a Mouse Model

Lumican is an extracellular protein that associates with CD14 on the surface of macrophages and neutrophils, and promotes CD14-TLR4 mediated response to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Lumican-deficient (Lum ^−/−) mice and macrophages are impaired in TLR4 signals; raising the possibility that lumican may regulate host response to live bacterial infections. In a recent study we showed that in vitro Lum ^−/− macrophages are impaired in phagocytosis of gram-negative bacteria and in a lung infection model the Lum ^−/− mice showed poor survival. The cornea is an immune privileged barrier tissue that relies primarily on innate immunity to protect against ocular infections. Lumican is a major component of the cornea, yet its role in counteracting live bacteria in the cornea remains poorly understood. Here we investigated Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of the cornea in Lum ^−/− mice. By flow cytometry we found that 24 hours after infection macrophage and neutrophil counts were lower in the cornea of Lum ^−/− mice compared to wild types. Infected Lum ^−/− corneas showed lower levels of the leukocyte chemoattractant CXCL1 by 24–48 hours of infection, and increased bacterial counts up to 5 days after infection, compared to Lum^+/− mice. The pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α was comparably low 24 hours after infection, but significantly higher in the Lum ^−/− compared to Lum ^+/− infected corneas by 2–5 days after infection. Taken together, the results indicate that lumican facilitates development of an innate immune response at the earlier stages of infection and lumican deficiency leads to poor bacterial clearance and resolution of corneal inflammation at a later stage.     

The WHO Maternal Near Miss Approach: Consequences at Malawian District Level

Introduction

WHO proposes a set of organ-failure based criteria for maternal near miss. Our objective was to evaluate what implementation of these criteria would mean for the analysis of a cohort of 386 women in Thyolo District, Malawi, who sustained severe acute maternal morbidity according to disease-based criteria.

Methods and Findings

A WHO Maternal Near Miss (MNM) Tool, created to compare disease-, intervention- and organ-failure based criteria for maternal near miss, was completed for each woman, based on a review of all available medical records. Using disease-based criteria developed for the local setting, 341 (88%) of the 386 women fulfilled the WHO disease-based criteria provided by the WHO MNM Tool, 179 (46%) fulfilled the intervention-based criteria, and only 85 (22%) the suggested organ-failure based criteria.

Conclusions

In this low-resource setting, application of these organ-failure based criteria that require relatively sophisticated laboratory and clinical monitoring underestimates the occurrence of maternal near miss. Therefore, these criteria and the suggested WHO approach may not be suited to compare maternal near miss across all settings.     

Duration of HIV-1 Viral Suppression on Cessation of Antiretroviral Therapy in Primary Infection Correlates with Time on Therapy

Objective

A minority of HIV-1 positive individuals treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) maintain viral suppression on stopping. Whether this is related to ART duration has not been explored.

Design

And Methods: Using SPARTAC trial data from individuals recruited within 6 months of seroconversion, we present an observational analysis investigating whether duration of ART was associated with post-treatment viraemic control. Kaplan-Meier estimates, logistic regression and Cox models were used.

Results

165 participants reached plasma viral loads (VL) <400 copies/ml at the time of stopping therapy (ART stop). After ART stop, 159 experienced confirmed VL ≥400 copies/ml during median (IQR) follow-up of 167 (108,199) weeks.Most participants experienced VL rebound within 12 weeks from ART stop, however, there was a suggestion of a higher probability of remaining <400 copies/ml for those on ART >12 weeks compared to ≤12 weeks (p=0.061). Cumulative probabilities of remaining <400 copies/ml at 12, 52 and 104 weeks after ART stop were 21% (95%CI=13,30), 4% (1,9), and 4% (1,9) for ≤12 weeks ART, and 32% (22,42), 14% (7,22), and 5% (2,11) for >12 weeks.In multivariable regression, ART for >12 weeks was independently associated with a lower probability of being ≥400 copies/ml within 12 weeks of ART stop (OR=0.11 (95%CI=0.03,0.34), p<0.001)). In Cox models of time to VL ≥400 after 12 weeks, we only found an association with female sex (OR=0.2, p=0.001).

Conclusion

Longer ART duration in PHI was associated with a higher probability of viral control after ART stop.

Trial Registration

Controlled-Trials.com 76742797 http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN76742797.     

Nephroprotective Role of Selenium Nanoparticles Against Glycerol-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Rats

Biological Trace Element Research - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome associated with the incidence of rhabdomyolysis (RM). The current study was carried out to evaluate whether...     

Role of serum Metadherin mRNA expression in the diagnosis and prediction of survival in patients with colorectal cancer

Molecular Biology Reports - Early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) are important for improving patients’ survival. Metadherin is an oncogene that plays a pivotal role in...     

Correction to: Association of Allergic Symptoms with Dengue Infection and Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Virologica Sinica - The spelling of the fifth author’s name was misspelled. The byline should appear as shown above.     

Effects of Flaxseed Oil on Lead Acetate-Induced Neurotoxicity in Rats

It is well known that chronic exposure to lead (Pb(+2)) alters a variety of behavioral tasks in rats and mice. Here, we investigated the effect of flaxseed oil (1,000?mg/kg) on lead acetate (20?mg/kg)-induced brain oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in rats. The levels of Pb(+2), lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide (NO), and reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined in adult male albino rats. The level of Pb(+2) was markedly elevated in brain and blood of rats. This leads to enhancement of lipid peroxidation and NO production in brain with concomitant reduction in GSH, CAT, SOD, GR, GST, and GPx activities. These findings were associated with DNA fragmentation. In addition, lead acetate induced brain injury as indicated by histopathological changes of the brain. Treatment of rats with flaxseed oil resulted in marked improvement in most of the studied parameters as well as histopathological features. These findings suggest to the conclusion that flaxseed oil significantly decreased the adverse harmful effects of lead acetate exposure on the brain as well as Pb(+2)-induced oxidative stress.     

ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC ACTIVITIES OF ISOLATED QUERCETIN FROM ANABAENA AEQUALIS1

This study aimed to isolate quercetin (for the first time) from Anabaena aequalis Borge, which inhabits soil surface of Wadi El‐Alaqui Protectorate located in Aswan city, Egypt. The isolated compound showed significant antibacterial activity against the gram‐positive bacteria Sarcina maxima and Micrococcus kristinae, the gram‐negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as against the filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus. The isolated compound was identified as quercetin using the structure elucidation based on UV, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS), ¹H and ¹³C NMR, proton–proton correlation spectroscopy (¹H‐¹H COSY), distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), and heteronuclear multiple bond correlations spectrum (HMBC). Medium lethal dose (LD₅₀) of the isolated compound and its side effects against hyperlipidemia induced by ethanol intake in albino rats were carried out. No deaths were reported in rats within 72 h, which suggests that the isolated compound plays a beneficial role as an antihyperlipidemic agent in the treatment of alcohol‐induced hepatic tissue damage, which can be described as one of the therapeutic values.     

Myxidium volitans sp. nov., a parasite of the gallbladder of the fish, Dactylopterus volitans (Teleostei: Triglidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic coast--morphology and pathology

Myxidium volitans sp. nov. (Myxozoa: Myxidiidae) parasitizing the hypertrophied green-brownish gallbladder of the teleost Dactylopterus volitans, collected in the Atlantic coast near Niterói, Brazil was described based on ultrastructural studies. The spores were fusiform, sometimes slightly crescent-shaped on average 21.7 ± 0.3 μm (mean ± standard deviation) (n = 50) long and 5.6 ± 0.4 μm (n = 30) wide. The spore wall was thin and smooth, comprising two equally-sized valves joined by a hardly visible sutural ridge. Spores containing two pyriform polar capsules (PC) (5.0 ± 0.4 × 2.3 ± 0.3 μm) (n = 30) are situated in each extremity of the spore. The PC wall was composed of hyaline layer (0.20-0.29 μm thick) and by a thin external granular layer. Each PC contains a polar filament (PF) with irregular arrangements that was projected from its apical region to the bases of PC and coiled laterally from bases to the tip of PC. Some regular striations and S-like structures in the periphery of the PFs with four-five irregular sections were observed. Based on the spore morphology, ultrastructural differences and the specificity of the host we describe this parasite as a new myxosporidian, named M. volitans sp. nov.     

Chromosomal abnormalities as a cause of recurrent abortions in Egypt

BACKGROUND:

In 4%-8% of couples with recurrent abortion, at least one of the partners has chromosomal abnormality. Most spontaneous miscarriages which happen in the first and second trimesters are caused by chromosomal abnormalities. These chromosomal abnormalities may be either numerical or structural.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Cytogenetic study was done for 73 Egyptian couples who presented with recurrent abortion at Genetic Unit of Children Hospital, Mansoura University.

RESULTS:

We found that the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities was not significantly different from that reported worldwide. Chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 9 (6.1%) of 73 couples. Seven of chromosomal abnormalities were structural and two of them were numerical.

CONCLUSION:

Our results showed that 6.1% of the couples with recurrent abortion had chromosomal abnormalities, with no other abnormalities. We suggest that it is necessary to perform cytogenetic in vestigation for couples who have recurrent abortion.