Seroma formation after surgery for breast cancer

Background  

Seroma formation is the most frequent postoperative complication after breast cancer surgery. We carried out a study to investigate the effect of various demographic, clinical and therapeutic variables on seroma formation.     

Blueberry prevents bone loss in ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis

The objective of the present study was to explore the bone protective role of blueberry in an ovariectomized rat model. Thirty 6-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were either sham-operated (Sham) or ovariectomized (Ovx) and divided into three groups: Sham, Ovx (control), Ovx+blueberry (5% blueberry w/w). After 100 days of treatment, rats were euthanized, and blood and tissues were collected. Bone mineral density (BMD) and content of whole body, right tibia, right femur and fourth lumbar vertebra were assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. As expected, Ovx resulted in loss of whole-body, tibial, femoral, and 4th lumbar BMD by approximately 6%. Blueberry treatment was able to prevent the loss of whole-body BMD and had an intermediary effect on prevention of tibial and femoral BMD when compared to either Sham or Ovx controls. The bone-protective effects of blueberry may be due to suppression of Ovx-induced increase in bone turnover, as evident by lowered femoral mRNA levels of alkaline phosphatase, collagen type I and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase to the Sham levels. Similarly, serum osteocalcein levels were also lower in the blueberry group when compared to the Ovx control group, albeit not significantly. In summary, our findings indicate that blueberry can prevent bone loss as seen by the increases in BMD and favorable changes in biomarkers of bone metabolism.     

Predicted complementarity determining regions of the T cell antigen receptor determine antigen specificity.

The antigen receptor on T cells (TCR) has been predicted to have a structure similar to a membrane-anchored form of an immunoglobulin F(ab) fragment. Virtually all of the conserved amino acids that are important for inter- and intramolecular interactions in the VH-VL pair are also conserved in the TCR V alpha and V beta chains. A molecular model of the TCR has been constructed by homology and we have used the information from this, as well as the earlier structural predictions of others, to study the basis for specificity. Specifically, regions of a TCR cloned from an antigen-specific T cell were stitched into the corresponding framework of a second TCR. Results indicate that the substitution of amino acid sequences corresponding to the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of immunoglobulin can convey the specificity for antigen and major histocompatibility complex molecules. These data are consistent with a role, but not an exclusive role, for CDR3 in antigen peptide recognition.     

Localized Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy as a Life-saving Treatment Paradigm for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Plasmonics - Lung failure is the main reason for mortality in COVID-19 patients, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To date, no drug has been clinically...     

Genistein reduces the production of proinflammatory molecules in human chondrocytes

Previously, we reported that cartilage is an estrogen receptor (ER) positive tissue and that mRNA levels of ERbeta increase in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis. Based on our findings and those of other investigators, we hypothesized that local rather than circulating estrogen levels negatively affect chondrocyte metabolism and that selective ER modulators (SERM) augment cartilage health. To test the latter part of our hypothesis, we explored the role of genistein, a naturally occurring SERM with high affinity to bind ERbeta, in inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in chondrocytes. Primary cultures of normal human chondrocytes were treated with three levels of genistein (0, 50, and 100 microM). After 1 h, the genistein-treated cells were stimulated by 1 microg/ml LPS for 24 h. Cells were then harvested, and the cytosolic fraction was isolated for assessment of COX-1 and COX-2 protein levels using Western analysis. Nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-I beta (IL-1beta), and human cartilage glycoprotein 39 (YKL-40) production was also measured in cell supernatants. NO and IL-1beta were measured as markers of inflammation, and YKL-40 was assessed as a marker of cartilage catabolism. Genistein had no significant effect on either YKL-40 or IL-1beta levels. Our data indicate that the LPS-stimulated increases in COX-2 protein level and NO in supernatant are reduced by pretreatment of genistein, whereas COX-1 protein level is not affected by genistein. The ability of genistein to suppress COX-2 but not COX-1 is advantageous because suppressing COX-2 can lead to suppression of proinflammatory molecules. Although genistein suppresses COX-2 production, it does not affect the production of COX-1 enzyme, which is responsible for releasing prostaglandins involved in cellular house-keeping functions such as the maintenance of gastrointestinal integrity and vascular homeostasis.     

The determination of chromosomes involved in controlling epicuticular wax,water statues and stomatal characteristics using selected wheat substitution lines under water-stress conditions

Some selected chromosomal substitution lines were used to determine the role of their relevant chromosomes in affecting variation of epicuticular wax, water statues and stomatal characteristics under water-deficit conditions. Recipient and donor parents of the substitution lines were Chinese spring (CS) and Timstein, respectively. Analyses of variance revealed highly significant variations among the candidate substitution lines for leaf relative water content (LRWC), excised leaf water lost and grain weight. However, no significant variation was found for epicuticular wax (ECW). In the case of stomatal characteristics, analyses of variance indicated significant variation for stomatal frequency only and no significant variation was found for other stomatal characteristics. Comparison between the substitution lines and their recipient parent (CS) revealed that none of the substitution lines was significantly different with the recipient parent (CS) for ECW, thus indicating none of the candidate chromosomes involved in controlling this character. However, the results indicated the effects of chromosomes 1A, 3D and 7D from donor parent (Tim) in controlling LRWC. Chromosomes 7D of Timstein also had a significant effect in enhancing LRWC when substituted into CS background. In addition, it was observed that none of the characters correlated with grain yield in water-stressed experiments.     

EBV seroepidemiology in married and unmarried women and men in Iran

Background:

Among the eight known human herpes viruses, Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) is considered to be sexually transmissible. This study was conducted to evaluate the seroepidemiology of this infection in married and unmarried Iranian couples.

Methods:

In this comparative observational and cross-sectional study, 160 men and women were divided into married and unmarried groups. Serum IgG and IgM antibodies to the EBV viral capsid antigen were analyzed by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs).

Results:

In this study 78 men and 82 women were enrolled. Ninety percent of the married and 76.2% of the unmarried women were anti-EBV IgG positive (P = 0.08), while 80% of the married and 94% of the unmarried men were antiEBV IgG positive (P = 0.052).

Conclusion:

Seroepidemiology of EBV is not significantly different in married vs. unmarried women and men in Iran; therefore, sexual contact may not be the primary mechanism of EBV transmission in Iran and other developing countries. Attention to other possible routes of transmission is recommended. Key Words: Epstein Barr Virus, Sexual contact, Anti-VCA