Oral vaccination is the most desirable immunization method by which to prevent fish disease occurring at the early larval stage. We developed an Escherichia coli-based oral nervous necrosisvirus (NNV) subunit vaccine and demonstrated its effectiveness in orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) fry. However, the incubation period was determined to be over 2weeks. To enhance the efficacy and shorten the incubation period, a safe and digestible biological adjuvant should be found. Vibrio anguillarum, a common marine bacterium with immune-stimulatory capability was selected as an expression host. An expression vector containing its heat shock protein 60 gene (groE) as an inducible promoter was constructed to express recombinant NNV coat protein as an antigen. The recombinant V. anguilla...
We hypothesize that the mushroom-derived active compound may be a potential strategy for increasing survival in response to influenza virus (H1N1) infection through the stimulation of host innate immune response. The validity of the hypothesis can be tested by immune response to influenza infection as seen through survival percentage, virus clearance, weight loss, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, Tumor Necrosis Factor-? (TNF-?) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-?) levels, lytic efficiency in the spleens of mice and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expressions in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The hypothesis may improve people's quality of life, reduce the medical cost of our healthcare system and eliminate people's fears of influenza outbreak. PMID:21660092
A long-term follow-up of a patient with beta thalassaemia with intra- and extraspinal extramedullary haematopoietic tissue compressing the spinal cord is presented. Extramedullary haematopoietic nodules are a rare cause of spinal cord compression and should be included in the differential diagnosis, especially in patients from Mediterranean countries. Treatment with radiation therapy solely failed, giving rise to the need of surgical intervention. Surgical decompression of the spine and the removal of the culprit lesion compressing the spine were performed. Postinterventional radiation therapy was applied to the spine. A relapse had to be treated again by surgical means combined with postinterventional radiation therapy. A complete relief of the symptoms and control of the lesion could be obtained.
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive form of human brain tumor, which has no effective cure. Previously, we have demonstrated that overexpression of the C-terminal fragment of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERTC27) inhibits the growth and tumorigenicity of human cervical cancer HeLa cells. In this study, the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanisms of hTERTC27-mediated cancer gene therapy were further explored in vivo in established human glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. We showed that intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus carrying hTERTC27 (rAAV-hTERTC27) is highly effective in reducing the growth of the subcutaneously transplanted glioblastoma tumors. Histological analyses showed that rAAV-hTERTC27 treatment leads to profound necrosis, apoptosi...
Abstract In 46 febrile neutropenic patients who had undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the fluorescence in situ hybridisation using peptide nucleic acid probes (PNA FISH), Gram stain/acridine orange leukocyte cytospin (Gram/AOLC), and differential time to positivity (DTP) methods were performed for detection of catheter related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). As compared with the DTP method (which detected 11 patients with CRBSI), the PNA FISH and the Gram/AOLC methods detected ten of 11 CRBSI patients, resulting in a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 91%, 100%, 97% and 100%, respectively, for the PNA FISH method as well as for the Gram/AOLC method.
Total thyroidectomy involving the adjacent structures of the trachea can cause tracheal damage such as early tracheal necrosis. The authors describe the first case of anterior tracheal necrosis following...Full Text Available
Walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN), formerly known as pancreatic abscess is a late complication of acute pancreatitis. It can be lethal, even though it is rare. This critical review provides an overview...Full Text Available
Background:Tobacco smoking is the most important risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development. Inhaled cigarette smoke can induce tumor necrosis factor-α...Full Text Available
Variant alleles of the mannose binding lectin (MBL) gene are associated with increased susceptibility to infection and polymorphisms of tumour necrosis factor and lymphotoxin alpha genes (TNF, LTA)...Full Text Available
Pericardial fat necrosis is an infrequent cause of acute chest pain and this can mimic acute myocardial infarction and acute pericarditis. We describe here a patient with the magnetic resonance imaging...Full Text Available
BackgroundXenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related (XMRV) virus is a recently identified mouse gammaretrovirus that has the ability to infect certain human cells. In this study,...Full Text Available
... 2010-10-01 true Information Technology Virus Security. 2452...Clauses 2452.239-71 Information Technology Virus Security. As prescribed...the following clause: Information Technology Virus Security (FEB...
BACKGROUND: Immune suppressant medications such as thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents are important for maintaining disease control in most patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs); however, their use has been associated with the development of malignant lymphoma. The purpose of this Dutch nationwide study was to estimate the relative risk of malignant lymphoma in IBD patients. METHODS: IBD patients who developed a lymphoma between 1997 and 2004 were identified using the Dutch National Database of PALGA. Data from confirmed cases were collected from individual hospitals, including data on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The age-adjusted 8-year incidence of malignant lymphoma in the Netherlands was retrieved from the Central Bureau of Statistics. RESULTS: Forty-two hospitals were visited and 285 matches evaluated in the total cohort of 17,834 IBD patients. Forty-four lymphomas were observed, resulting in a relative risk of 1.27 ...
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive form of human brain tumor, which has no effective cure. Previously, we have demonstrated that overexpression of the C-terminal fragment of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERTC27) inhibits the growth and tumorigenicity of human cervical cancer HeLa cells. In this study, the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanisms of hTERTC27-mediated cancer gene therapy were further explored in vivo in established human glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. We showed that intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus carrying hTERTC27 (rAAV-hTERTC27) is highly effective in reducing the growth of the subcutaneously transplanted glioblastoma tumors. Histological analyses showed that rAAV-hTERTC27 treatment leads to profound necrosis, apoptosis, infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and reduced microvessel density in the tumor samples. To study the molecular mechanism of ...
The feasibility of performing a multiplex assay for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNAs and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is demonstrated. This...Full Text Available
Radiation necrosis of normal CNS tissue represents one of the main risk factors of brain irradiation, occurring more frequently and earlier at higher total doses and higher doses per fraction. At present, it is believed that the necrosis results due to increasing capillary permeability caused by cytokine release leading to extracellular edema. This process is sustained by endothelial dysfunction, tissue hypoxia, and subsequent necrosis. Consequently, blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at an early stage could be an option to reduce the development of radiation necrosis by decreasing the vascular permeability. This might help to reverse the pathological mechanisms, improve the symptoms and prevent further progression. A patient with radiation-induced necrosis was treated with an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab), in whom neurologic signs and symptoms improved in ...
The virucidal effect of _6_0Co gamma radiation was studied in cell culture medium and in liquid swine manure involving the most important porcine viruses that can be spread by liquid manure. The radiation doses (20 kGy and 30 kGy) were determined in preliminary experiments employing a porcine enterovirus from the serogroup 1 (Teschen group). In the main experiment, the following viruses were employed: swine vesicular disease (SVD) virus, type C foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus, a field strain of Aujeszky's disease (AD) virus, transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus, as well as bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus. The latter strain served as a model for hog cholera virus. The results of the experiments indicate that safe disinfection of the virus infected liquid swine manure by ionizing radiation ...
Previously it was shown that the host-range gene of the Bratislava strain of avain sarcoma virus (B77 virus) spontaneously mutates with a very high rate. The wild-type B77 virus called B77 virus-II,...Full Text Available
These proceedings collect papers on the subject of lymphokines. Topics include: DNA-cloning of mouse and human lymphokine genes, inteferons, interleukins, gene expression, tumor necrosis factors, and recombinant DNA.
BackgroundThe permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes is a decisive event in apoptosis or necrosis culminating in cell death. One fundamental mechanism by which...Full Text Available
Recently, a novel DNA virus designated SEN virus (SEN-V), which is thought to be related to posttransfusion hepatitis, was discovered. The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between...Full Text Available
The hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza virus performs two critical roles during infection: it binds virus to cell surface sialic acids, and under mildly acidic conditions it induces fusion...Full Text Available
Borna disease virus (BDV) uses a unique strategy of replication and transcription which takes place in the nucleus, unlike other known, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses of animal origin....Full Text Available
AbstractGenetic-variant analysis of rabies viruses provides the most sensitive epidemiologic tool for following the spread and persistence of these viruses in their wildlife hosts. Since...Full Text Available
Diseases of man caused by the virus of herpes simplex fall into two broad categories. The primary disease occurs only once in any individual's life and is caused by transmission of virus from an already...Full Text Available
Silver-haired bat rabies virus (SHBRV) infection induces a strong virus-specific immune response in the periphery of the host, but death is common due to the failure to open the blood-brain barrier...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe VP2 outer capsid protein Bluetongue Virus (BTV) is responsible for receptor binding, haemagglutination and eliciting host-specific immunity. However, the assembly of...Full Text Available
Infection with the Ad5-SVR4 virus was used to introduce the large T antigen encoding region of the SV40 virus into bovine and human corneal endothelial cells. Expression of large T antigen occurred...Full Text Available
The identification of the protein targets for dengue virus-specific T lymphocytes may be useful for planning the development of subunit vaccines against dengue. We studied the recognition by murine...Full Text Available
A duplex TaqMan real-time RT-PCR assay was developed for the detection of California (CAL) serogroup viruses and Cache Valley virus (CVV), for use in human surveillance. The targets selected...Full Text Available
Pestiviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses closely related to human hepatitis C virus. Gene expression of these viruses occurs via translation of a polyprotein, which is further processed by cellular...Full Text Available
Viral infections are frequently cited as a major environmental factor involved in subacute thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroid diseases This review examines the data related to the role of viruses in...Full Text Available
For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov. XMRV (Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related Virus) XMRV Home Questions & Answers Updates...
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in activation of first-line defenses of a host against foreign organisms. To determine whether Brucella infection modulated TNF-alpha production,...Full Text Available
Oestrogen has been reported to modulate tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 cytokine levels in human mononuclear cell cultures. In the present study, the effects of exogenous oestrogen...Full Text Available
The present study demonstrates that tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and FMLP, but not IL-1 or IL-8, enhanced the adherence of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) to fibronectin, an extracellular matrix...Full Text Available
A thorough understanding of the immune system, including the role of different cytokines, during inflammatory diseases in ruminants could lead to the development of new diagnostic methods and treatments....Full Text Available
The xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV), a gammaretrovirus, was discovered in prostate cancer tumours by Virochip technology in 2006. It was subsequently detected in chronic fatigue patients in 2009. The association between XMRV and chronic fatigue has proved to be controversial. No study has confirmed these findings and many have refuted them. Here, we present the evidence for our contention that XMRV is not a human pathogen. PMID:21978843
HIX, a recombinant derived from Moloney leukemia virus, has an envelope glycoprotein different from that of the Moloney virus. HIX and Moloney viruses share the majority of the large T1 oligonucleotides...Full Text Available
The Yellow Fever Vaccine 17D (YFV17D) has been used as a vector for the Lassa virus glycoprotein precursor (LASV-GPC) resulting in construction of YFV17D/LASV-GPC recombinant virus. The virus...Full Text Available
Eight different viruses, suspended in drinking water, were examined for their ability to be inactivated by microwaves from a microwave oven. Up to a virus content of 10/sup 5/ TCID/sub 50//ml inactivation was successful within a few minutes of microwave treatment and occurred in parallel to the heat stability of the viruses. Evidence for direct effects of microwaves on viruses could not be detected. 7 of the viruses studied were inactivated rapidly when temperatures of 50 to 65/sup 0/C under microwave treatment were reached in the flowing water, while a bovine parvovirus was only inactivated by temperatures above 90/sup 0/C. The advantages of a thermal virus-decontamination of fluids and material by microwaves are discussed.
It Peripheral blood progenitor enriched CD34+ cells (PBPC) are rather often used as stem cell background in cancer patients following high dose therapy. Keeping in mind that precursor dendritic cells (DCs) originate from haematopoietic progenitor cells, purified CD34+ cells might also serve as starting cells for ex-vivo production of DC. The aim of the present study is to develop a clinical grade procedure for ex-vivo production of DC derived from enriched CD34+ cells. Various concentrations of CD34+ cells were grown in gas-permeable Teflon bags with different serum-free and serum-containing media supplemented with GM-CSF, IL-4, TNF-a, SCF, Flt-3L and INF-a. Serum-free CellGroSCGM medium for 7 days followed by CellGroDC medium in 7 days gave equal results as serum-containing medium. Follow...
The prospective study includes 25 patients without pathology of the femoral head for the evaluation of the normal femoral head perfusion. In addition 34 patients with femoral head necrosis underwent i.a. DSA preoperatively before pedicled pelvic bone grafting. 15 patients after pelvic bone graft operation and 7 patients with medial femoral head fracture were also examined via superselective DSA. In cases with femoral head necrosis a rarefaction or interruption of the rami nutricii proximales, or an occlusion of the medial circumflex femoral artery were observed. Patients with medial femoral neck fracture showed an interruption of the rami nutricii proximales of the femoral head. Postoperative DSA - after pedicled pelvic bone graft - revealed a regular arterial graft perfusion in 82%. (orig.).
The sequential events and the inflammatory mediators that characterize disease onset and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC) are not well known. In this study, we evaluated the early pathologic events...Full Text Available
In vivo short-term effects of recombinant human TNF-alpha on lipolysis, FFA flux, fat oxidation, triglyceride-fatty acid cycling, and glucose kinetics were evaluated with stable isotopic tracers and...Full Text Available
Thiobenzamide (TB) is a potent hepatotoxin in rats, causing dose-dependent hyperbilirubinemia, steatosis, and centrolobular necrosis. These effects arise subsequent to and appear to result from...Full Text Available
BackgroundWe have previously reported that low concentrations of cigarette smoke extract induce DNA damage without leading to apoptosis or necrosis in human bronchial epithelial...Full Text Available
BackgroundMalignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a lethal disease of cattle, characterized by vasculitis, necrosis, and accumulation of activated, dysregulated cytotoxic lymphocytes...Full Text Available
Percutaneous coronary intervention can be associated with distal embolization of thrombotic material causing myocardial necrosis and infarction.We discuss the role of intravascular imaging to...Full Text Available
Exposure of mice to 1000 ppm of vinyl chloride (VC), 6 hr/day, 5 days/week, caused some acute deaths with toxic hepatitis and marked tubular necrosis of the renal cortex. Starting the sixth month,...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of different concomitant disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the persistence with antitumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies in...Full Text Available
Tissue culture conditions and transformation have been established for both aspen and poplar. The use of previously described culture conditions resulted in shoot tip necrosis in the shoot cultures...Full Text Available
BackgroundElevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is frequently observed in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. However, the mechanisms underlying cTnI release in these patients...Full Text Available
Bacterial pathogens use virulence strategies to invade epithelial barriers, but active processes of epithelial cells may also contribute to the endocytosis of microbial particles. To focus on the latter,...Full Text Available
Summary The antigenic relationship between the phocine distemper virus (PDV) strain causing the epidemic in 2002 and the PDV strain of 1988, canine distemper virus from two dogs and one marten, and one measles virus strain was investigated in vivo and in vitro using monospecific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies directed against five different proteins of canine or phocine distemper virus (N, P, M, F, H). Epitopic mapping revealed no difference between the PDV strains causing the epidemics in 1988 or 2002. However, the use of these antibodies allowed discrimination between different morbilliviruses including a vaccine strain of canine distemper virus. The major differences among the investigated morbilliviruses were found in the H protein.
Viral infections are still common causes of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Infections caused by virus such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus are well-known. In addition, several other viruses such as polyomavirus and human herpesvirus 6 have been recently reported to be causes of significant complications. As the delay in recovery of virus-specific cellular immune response after transplant is associated with viral reactivation and viral disease, adoptive immunotherapy to restore virus-specific cellular immunity is an attractive option. Recent clinical trials showed the safety and effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapy against viral diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status o...
The clinical and radiographic features of the intermediate form of osteopetrosis in two sibs are presented in which the disorder appears to have been inherited as a recessive trait. Although this form of osteopetrosis has been poorly delineated, its recognition is practically important in order to give an accurate prognosis. This paper also presents an unusual complication of bilateral avascular necrosis of the femoral head in the younger sib. Radiographic changes of the femoral heads suggest those of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, though the possibility of avascular necrosis following unrecognized femoral neck fracture is not completely excluded. (orig.).
Two patients with femoral neck fractures, one displaced and one undisplaced, are presented. Preoperative intravital staining with tetracycline and Tc-MDP scintimetry both showed intact femoral head circulation while Tc-MDP-scintimetry 1 week after operation showed pronounced circulatory deficiency. Sr/sup 85/-scintimetry performed at the same time was inconclusive. Segmental collapse was observed radiographically, 8 and 12 months postoperatively. The major vascular injury resulting in avascularity most probably occured during the procedure of osteosynthesis, and Tc-MDP-scintimetry was found suitable for early postoperative recognition of avascular necrosis in both fractures.
Two patients with femoral neck fractures, one displaced and one undisplaced, are presented. Preoperative intravital staining with tetracycline and Tc-MDP scintimetry both showed intact femoral head circulation while Tc-MDP-scintimetry 1 week after operation showed pronounced circulatory deficiency. SR"8"5-scintimetry performed at the same time was inconclusive. Segmental collapse was observed radiographically, 8 and 12 months postoperatively. The major vascular injury resulting in avascularity most probably occured during the procedure of osteosynthesis, and Tc-MDP-scintimetry was found suitable for early postoperative recognition of avascular necrosis in both fractures. (author).
The structural phosphoprotein NS of vesicular stomatitis virus, in association with the virion-associated RNA polymerase L protein, transcribes the genome ribonucleoprotein template in vitro. It contains...Full Text Available
The bovine syncytial virus, a member of the retroviral subfamily Spumavirinae, causes a persistent, asymptomatic infection in cattle. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the viral genome revealed two overlapping...Full Text Available
A detailed map of the transcriptional organization of the CELO virus genome was produced. Recent computer analysis of CELO virus has indicated the presence of 38 putative open reading frames (ORFs)....Full Text Available
Recent reports confirm that, due to the presence of long-lived, latently infected cell populations, eradication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from infected patients by using antiretroviral...Full Text Available
Virulent strains of Newcastle disease virus ([NDV] also known as avian paramyxovirus type 1) can be discriminated from low-virulence strains by the presence of multiple basic amino acid residues at...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt remains unclear if certain antiretroviral medications, particularly abacavir, compromise response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy. Such data can inform...Full Text Available
The human immunodeficiency virus Tat protein is essential for virus replication and is a candidate vaccine antigen. Macaques immunized with Tat or chemically modified Tat toxoid having the same clade...Full Text Available
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is clearly a factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but its mechanism of action remains obscure. One possibility is that the HBV integration event alters the...Full Text Available
VACUTAINER PPT plasma preparation tubes were evaluated to determine the effects of various handling and shipping conditions on plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load determinations. Plasmas...Full Text Available
A final step in the influenza virus replication cycle is the assembly of the viral structural proteins and the packaging of the eight segments of viral RNA (vRNA) into a fully infectious virion. The...Full Text Available
By pretreating simian virus 40-infected BSC-1 cells with glucosamine, [3H]uridine labeling of both cellular and viral RNA can be halted instantaneously by addition of cold uridine. We have...Full Text Available
Ross River virus (RRV) is a fascinating, important arbovirus that is endemic and enzootic in Australia and Papua New Guinea and was epidemic in the South Pacific in 1979 and 1980. Infection with RRV...Full Text Available
We have constructed a deletion-mutant rabies virus encoding EGFP and find it to be an excellent tool for studying detailed morphology and physiology of neurons projecting to injection sites...Full Text Available
Reverse genetics technology so far established for measles virus (MeV) is based on the Edmonston strain, which was isolated several decades ago, has been passaged in nonlymphoid cell lines, and is no...Full Text Available
A single radial hemolysis test was developed for quantitation of specific antibody to non-hemagglutinating viruses. With the human coronaviruses as models, this test utilizes the binding properties...Full Text Available
We have studied the functions of the intracellular RNAs of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) by purification and translation in vitro. Two major size classes of MMTV RNA, 35S and 24S RNA, were isolated...Full Text Available
With the advent of subgenomic hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicons, studies of the intracellular steps of the viral replication cycle became possible. These RNAs are capable of self-amplification in cultured...Full Text Available
Previous studies with a limited number of strains have indicated that there are two genotypes of yellow fever (YF) virus in Africa, one in west Africa and the other in east and central Africa. We have...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo identify patient-care practices related to an increased prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among chronic hemodialysis patients.Full Text Available
To delineate the mechanisms of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) pathogenesis, four full-length BLV clones, 1, 8, 9, and 13, derived from the transformed cell line FLK-BLV and a clone construct, pBLV913,...Full Text Available
The retroviral RNA genome is dimeric, consisting of two identical strands of RNA linked near their 5′ ends by a dimer linkage structure. Previously it was shown that human foamy virus (HFV)...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe expression of human virus surface proteins, as well as other mammalian glycoproteins, is much more efficient in cells of higher eukaryotes rather than yeasts. The limitations...Full Text Available
A new strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was isolated from pooled gut suspensions from an epizootic of lethal enteritis in newborn mice. Negative-contrast electron microscopy showed an abundance...Full Text Available
Wild-type viruses from the ViroLogic phenotype-genotype database were evaluated to determine the upper confidence limit of the drug susceptibility distributions, or “biological cutoffs,”...Full Text Available
The genomic viral RNA (vRNA) segments of influenza A virus contain specific packaging signals at their termini that overlap the coding regions. To further characterize cis-acting signals...Full Text Available
The integration sites for viral DNA in cells infected with Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) were studied by restriction endonuclease cleavage of cellular DNA followed by electrophoresis in agarose...Full Text Available
BackgroundHepatitis A virus (HAV) strains detected in environmental and clinical samples were analysed to characterize the genotypes of HAV circulating in Greece. Fifty (50) sewage...Full Text Available
The entire genome of rabies virus vaccine strain Flury-LEP-C, a Chinese variant of the rabies virus vaccine strain Flury-LEP, was sequenced. The overall length of the genome of Flury-LEP-C strain was...Full Text Available
A panel of 16 monoclonal antibodies recognizing M protein (M1) of influenza virus was generated. Competition analyses resulted in localization of 14 monoclonal antibodies to three antigenic sites. Three...Full Text Available
A lentivirus was isolated from 2 goats in Mexico that were seropositive to caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) by the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test. The lentivirus was identified as CAEV...Full Text Available
Sheep choroid plexus cells infected with visna virus produce intracytoplasmic viral ribonucleoprotein complexes with sedimentation values of 120S to 200S and buoyant densities of 1.29 to 1.32 g/cm3....Full Text Available
Understanding the dynamics of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vertical transmission is important to enhance the accuracy of monitoring protocols for endemically infected...Full Text Available
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) packages its genomic RNA as a dimer of homologous RNA molecules that has to be selected among a multitude of cellular and viral RNAs. Interestingly, spliced...Full Text Available
Although integration generally is considered a critical step in the retrovirus life cycle, it has been reported that visna virus, which causes degenerative neurologic disease in sheep, can productively...Full Text Available
A duplication of the polypurine tract (PPT) at the center of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome (the cPPT) has been shown to prime a separate plus-strand initiation and to result...Full Text Available
The Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) belongs to the Retroviridae family of enveloped viruses, which is known to acquire minute amounts of host cellular proteins both on the surface...Full Text Available
SUMMARYDendritic cells (DCs) in mucosal surfaces are early targets for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). DCs mount rapid and robust immune responses upon pathogen encounter....Full Text Available
The identification of host cell factors for virus replication holds great promise for the development of new anti-viral therapies. Recently, high-throughput screening methods have emerged as...Full Text Available
We have developed a new strategy for immunization of wild rabbit populations against myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) that uses recombinant viruses based on a naturally attenuated field...Full Text Available
For many years, epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong link between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). Other hepatocarcinogens...Full Text Available
BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem in the developing countries including Pakistan. Various risk factors are responsible for the spread of this...Full Text Available
BackgroundHepatitis C virus is a major cause of chronic liver diseases which can lead to permanent liver damage, hepatocellular carcinoma and death. The presently available treatment...Full Text Available
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains a viroid-like circular RNA that replicates via a double rolling circle replication mechanism. It is generally assumed that HDV RNA is synthesized and remains exclusively...Full Text Available
DNA from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 17 different individuals infected with human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) was successfully amplified by the polymerase chain reaction...Full Text Available
AIM: To identify a method for efficient large-scale purification of functional hepatitis B virus polymerase (HBV-Pol) without addition of cellular factors.METHODS: Full-length HBV-Pol (843 amino...Full Text Available
Chromosomal translocation, deletion, and inversion/duplication directly linked to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration occur frequently in host DNA of human hepatocellular carcinomas. To test the...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection on production, reproduction and longevity in dairy cattle. The study population was a commercial Holstein...Full Text Available
BackgroundPosttransfusion hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection still occurs although its incidence has been substantially reduced since the introduction of screening of hepatitis B...Full Text Available
A sensitive assay based on the polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Ockelbo virus RNA was developed. Two primer pairs from the gene coding for the E2 glycoprotein were chosen. By use of a...Full Text Available
Definition of the T-lymphocyte responses to dengue viruses should aid in the development of safe and effective vaccines and help to explain the pathophysiology of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue...Full Text Available
Generation of replicative defective viruses is frequently observed during viral infections. We now report that encapsidation and reverse transcription of spliced viral RNA is an additional mechanism...Full Text Available
Splenectomy or pretreatment of adult hamsters with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) increased the lethality of the TC-83 vaccine strain of Venezuelan encephalitis virus (VEE), inoculated subcutaneously, from 12% for normal hamsters to 75 and 76% respectively. A...
The cellular receptor for murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family of glycoproteins in the immunoglobulin superfamily. We isolated...Full Text Available
The discovery that hepatitis B virus (HBV) integrates into host chromosomes raises the question of whether such viral DNA integration correlates directly with the activation of specific oncogenes or...Full Text Available
Early simian virus 40-specific mRNA was isolated from lytically infected and stably transformed cells and analyzed with respect to the 5'-terminal cap content. An analogous diversity of capped structures...Full Text Available
The genomic termini of RNA viruses contain essential cis-acting signals for such diverse functions as packaging, genome translation, mRNA transcription, and RNA replication, and thus...Full Text Available
Bhanja virus (BHAV) is pathogenic for young domestic ruminants and also for humans, causing fever and affections of the central nervous system. This generally neglected arbovirus of the family Bunyaviridae...Full Text Available
BK virus (BKV) is a polyomavirus that ubiquitously infects the human population. Following a typically subclinical primary infection, BKV establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the kidney...Full Text Available
The complete RNA genome of the avian nephritis virus (ANV) associated with acute nephritis in chickens has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Excluding the poly(A) tail, the genome comprises 6,927...Full Text Available
Tetherin (BST2/CD317) has been recently recognized as a potent interferon-induced antiviral molecule that inhibits the release of diverse mammalian enveloped virus particles from infected cells. By...Full Text Available
We recently reported that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) unintegrated linear DNA displays a discontinuity in its plus strand, precisely defined by a second copy of the polypurine tract...Full Text Available
AIM: To examine the determinants of maternal-neonatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV).METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic...Full Text Available
The global acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic is thought to have arisen by the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)-like viruses from chimpanzees in southeastern...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to correlate histopathological with CT findings in patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) eligible for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), with a special focus on the antitumoral effect of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy. A total of 42 consecutive patients suffering from HCC had been treated prior to OLT by means of TACE. TACE was carried out with a mixture of Lipiodol (10-20 ml) and mitomycin C (max. dosage, 10 mg). TACE was performed at 6- to 8-week intervals. Follow-up investigation included contrast-enhanced multislice CT controls and laboratory control. Liver explants were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically to determine the number and size of the tumor lesions as well as the degree of tumor necrosis. Necrosis was investigated in H and E-stained sections. The degree of necrosis was classified as follows: 0-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 75-99%, and ...
Hepatitis C virus NS3-4A is a membrane-bound enzyme complex that exhibits serine protease, RNA helicase, and RNA-stimulated ATPase activities. This enzyme complex is essential for viral genome replication...Full Text Available
An antibody capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was adapted for the detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to Sindbis (SIN) virus. Sera from humans with a febrile illness characterized by rash and...Full Text Available
Human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus Type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2), together with their simian counterparts (STLV-1, STLV-2), belong to the Primate T lymphotropic viruses group (PTLV). The high percentage...Full Text Available
The endogenous reverse transcriptase reaction of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been studied, and conditions allowing synthesis of full-length minus-strand DNA have been determined. In contrast...Full Text Available
We report that expression of a nearly full-length cDNA clone of the L-A double-stranded RNA virus causes virus loss in a wild-type strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that in this system exclusion...Full Text Available
Viral protein 40 (VP40) of Ebola virus appears equivalent to matrix proteins of other viruses, yet little is known about its role in the viral life cycle. To elucidate the functions of VP40, we investigated...Full Text Available
The major core protein (p28) of MMC-1, an endogenous type C virus of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), was purified and subjected to structural and immunological analyses. The NH2-terminal amino acid...Full Text Available
Expression of brome mosaic virus (BMV) coat protein and internal genes of many other positive-strand RNA viruses requires initiation of subgenomic mRNA synthesis from specific internal sites on minus-strand...Full Text Available
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a retrovirus related to human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2, can induce persistent nonneoplastic expansion of the CD5+ B-cell population, termed...Full Text Available
Cell surface glycosaminoglycans play important roles in cell adhesion and viral entry. Laboratory strains of two alphaviruses, Sindbis and Semliki Forest virus, have been shown to utilize heparan sulfate as an attachment receptor, whereas Ross River virus (RRV) does not significantly interact with it. However, a single amino acid substitution at residue 218 in the RRV E2 glycoprotein adapts the virus to heparan sulfate binding and expands the host range of the virus into chicken embryo fibroblasts. Structures of the RRV mutant, E2 N218R, and its complex with heparin were determined through the use of electron cryo-microscopy and image reconstruction methods. Heparin was found to bind at the distal end of the RRV spikes, in a region of the E2 glycoprotein that has been previously implicated in cell-receptor recognition and antibody binding.
Internal amplification controls (IACs) were constructed for incorporation into real-time nucleic acid amplification assays for bovine polyomavirus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus, human adenovirus, human norovirus genogroup I, human norovirus genogroup II, murine norovirus and porcine adenovirus. The addition of optimised amounts of IAC into the assays did not affect the limits of detection for each specific target virus. A poorly performed extraction of viral nucleic acids was simulated, and the effectiveness of IACs in identifying failed assays was demonstrated. The IACs constructed in this study can be reliably used in their specific assays to provide a robust control that can be routinely applied in the analysis of foods for viruses.
In 10 cases of femoral neck fracture treated with prosthetic replacement, the preoperative sup(99m)Tc-MDP scintigraphs were investigated and then compared with each histological findings of the extracted femoral head. The appearances of the scintigraphs were classified into following 3 patterns; increased activity pattern of sup(99m)Tc-MDP uptake in the overall femoral head (type I) in 4 cases, deficient activity pattern at the lateral side correspond to weight-bearing area (type II) in 2 cases and considerably deficient activity pattern in the whole femoral head (type III) in remaining 4 cases. Histological examination of the extracted femoral heads revealed the narrow part of ischemic necrosis in type I. However type II showed extensive necrosis in the portion of deficient activity by scintigraphs and in type III, the femoral heads except articular cartilage were entirely necrotic. This classification of sup(99m)Tc-MDP scintigraphy is ...
In IO cases of femoral neck fracture treated with prosthetic replacement, the preopera tive sup(99m)Tc-MDP scintigraphs were investigated and then compared with each histological findings of the extracted femoral head. The appearances of the scintigraphs were classified into following 3 patterns; increased activity pattern of sup(99m)Tc-MDP uptake in the overall femoral head (type I) in 4 cases, deficient activity pattern at the lateral side correspond to weight-bearing area (type II) in 2 cases and considerably deficient activity pattern in the whole femoral head (type III) in remaining 4 cases. Histological examination of the extracted femoral heads revealed the narrow part of ischemic necrosis in type I. However type II showed extensive necrosis in the portion of deficient activity by scintigraphs and in type III, the femoral heads except articular cartilage were entirely necrotic. This classification of sup(99m)Tc-MDP scintigraphy is ...
SommarioScopo In questo studio riportiamo i dati relativi all'ablazione percutanea con Radiofrequenza (RF) di HCC e trombosi neoplastica dei vasi portali. Pazienti e metodi Dieci pazienti (pz) cirrotici, 7 maschi e 3 femmine, eta media 68 anni, con 10 noduli di HCC e trombosi neoplastica dei vasi portali sono stati sottoposti ad ablazione percutanea con RF del trombo neoplastico e dell'HCC. La RF veniva ritenuta efficace quando alla TC con mdc si osservava la necrosi completa dell'HCC e al Color Doppler si osservava la ricanalizzazione completa dei vasi portali. Risultati La necrosi completa dell'HCC e la ricanalizzazione completa dei vasi portali si osservava in 7 (70%) dei 10 pazienti. Nei rimanenti 3 (30%) la necrosi dell'HCC e la ricanalizzazione dei vasi portali non risultavano comple...
Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatoma) along with surgical resection is the most appropriate therapeutic modality. For this purpose, there have been many reports concerning the diagnostic value of Lipiodol-CT scan. The authors selected 45 patients with hepatoma during the period of Feb.1986 to Jan. 1988 who received a conventional CT scan, hepatic angiography and a Lipiodol-CT scan. The results were as follows: 1. There was no statistical significant between serum AFP level and mass size, morphology and amount of necrosis. 2. Tumor necrosis was observed in a single massive and multinodular type when the tumor size exceeded 5 cm. 3. Pattern II on Lipiodol-CT, homogenous accumulation of Lipiodol except for the area of inner necrosis, was most frequently demonstrated, which means that a tumor mass with hypervascularity and increased blood flow will attract Lipiodol better. 4. Lipiodol-CT was superior to ...
Introduction The progressive growth of malignancies is accompanied by a decline in the immune response through mechanisms which are poorly understood. Apoptosis and induction of inflammation by tumor released cytokines as tumor escape mechanisms have been proposed to play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods Expression of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) was analyzed in colorectal cancer specimen and the cancer cell line HT-29 by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. TNF-? expression on protein and mRNA level were correlated with clinical characteristics and impact on survival. TNFR-1 was co-labelled with TNF-? and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in immunofluorescence double staining experiments. Results: 94% (n?=?98/104) of the patients with CRC expressed TNF-?. High TNF-? express...
Abstract Recently, a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who developed herpes zoster while taking a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- inhibitor reported a decreased incidence of postherpetic neuralgia. The objective of this study was to investigate whether patients on TNF- inhibitors who developed herpes zoster have a lower incidence of subsequent development of postherpetic neuralgia. A retrospective review of herpes zoster patients on TNF- inhibitors (infliximab, etanercept, or adalimumab) was conducted in 12 dermatology clinics. Medical records of such patients were reviewed thoroughly to confirm herpes zoster and TNF- inhibitors and any subsequent development of postherpetic neuralgia (pain score -3 out of 10 after 90 days of shingles onset) was noted. A total of 206 cases were revi...
Purpose. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma in the right distal femur in a 6-year-old male to demonstrate how dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DEMRI) findings predicted histopathology. Materials and methods. DEMRI was performed at presentation and during and after completion of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Histopathologic studies were done at presentation, at 77 weeks (20 weeks after a pathological fracture), and from the en bloc resection at 104 weeks. Results. DEMRI predicted the early tumor response, absence of tumor recurrence, presence of necrosis and lack of fracture healing, confirmed by histopathology. Conclusion. DEMRI is a clinically useful tool in managing Ewing's sarcoma. (orig.)
A new virus species designated as Grapevine leafroll associated virus-Pr (GLRaV-Pr), which is classified in a distinct phylogenetic group of the genus Ampelovirus (Closteroviridae), was recently characterized from Greek grapevine cultivars. Elimination studies of GLRaV-Pr were carried out in two grapevine cultivars, 'Mantilaria' and 'Prevezaniko', co-infected with Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV, Flexiviridae). Both viruses were detected by nested RT-PCR assays. Virus elimination was achieved by combining in vitro thermotherapy with meristem ( 0.2mm) or shoot tip culture ( 0.5cm). The survival and regeneration rate of meristems was very low. On the other hand, high survival rates were observed in the cultured shoot tips accompanied with high elimination rates for ...
BACKGROUND: Since the identification of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in prostate cancer patients in 2006 and in chronic fatigue syndrome patients in 2009, conflicting findings have been reported regarding its etiologic role in human diseases and prevalence in general populations. In this study, we screened both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) collected in Africa from blood donors and human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals to gain evidence of XMRV infection in this geographic region. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 199 plasma samples, 19 PBMNC samples, and 50 culture supernatants from PBMNCs of blood donors from Cameroon found to be infected with HIV-1 and HIV-1 patients from Uganda were screened for XMRV infecti...
We study suspensions of semi-flexible colloidal rods and biopolymers using an Onsager-type second-virial functional for a segmented-chain model. For suspensions of thin and thick fd virus particles we calculate phase diagrams in quantitative agreement with experimental observations, and we find their effective state-point dependent shape to be much shorter and thicker than the actual shape. We also calculate the stretching of worm-like micelles in a host fd virus solution, again finding agreement with experiments. For both systems, our results show that the fd virus stiffness can play a key role in system behavior.
Dengue, a major public health problem throughout subtropical and tropical regions, is an acute infectious disease characterized by biphasic fever, headache, pain in various parts of the body, prostration,...Full Text Available
... After formation of the monolayer (usually in 48 hours), the growth medium was poured off, and the cells washed twice with a Henkes solution and ...
The infection of cultured human cells with baboon endogenous virus (BEV) frequently leads to an association of viral DNA with a specific genetic locus (termed BEVI, for baboon endogenous virus infection) on chromosome 6. Restriction endonuclease digestion of DNA from BEV-infected human cells and their derived somatic cell clones frequently revealed a common cellular DNA sequence in the proximity of one of the junctions between cellular DNA and the integrated virus. We propose that a short cellular DNA sequence, repeated on chromosome 6 and separated by unique DNA sequences, presents a high-affinity target for the integration of BEV in human cells. PMID:6401843
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have been recognised as one of the serious sources of pollution to the water environment during rain events, although field surveys to investigate the effect of their magnitude and duration on receiving waters have been very limited. The fates of enteric viruses (norovirus G1, G2, enteroviruses) and coliforms were determined in the wastewater treatment plant on a fine day and on a rainy day. Not all microorganisms were reduced in the primary treatment, but were reduced in the secondary treatment. Occurrences of enteric viruses and levels of coliforms were surveyed in the receiving coastal area after a CSO event, with the profiles of the enteric viruses in the coastal seawater being almost at the same positive ratio for 4 d after the CSO event. PMID:15318519
Although hospital-associated spread of vaccinia has been reported in the past, there have been no recent reports. This paper describes hospital-associated spread of vaccinia virus infection, supplies...Full Text Available
During the last 15 years, several different groups of fastidious viruses that are responsible for a large proportion of acute viral gastroenteritis cases have been discovered by the electron microscopic...Full Text Available
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are a significant component of a wider family of retroelements that constitute part of the human genome. These viruses, perhaps representative of previous exogenous...Full Text Available
A 4.1?kbp positive-strand RNA virus known as Diaporthe RNA virus 1 (DRV1) occurs in hypovirulent, non-sporulating isolates of the fungal pathogen Diaporthe perjuncta. A full-length cDNA clone of DRV1 was developed and RNA transcribed from the cDNA clone used to transfect different Diaporthe spp. The transfected species included three D. ambigua isolates and an unidentified Phomopsis asexual state of a Diaporthe sp. Successful transfections were confirmed using RT-PCR. Although the in vitro-transcribed positive sense single-stranded RNA used for transfection included vector sequences at both ends, the genomes of progeny virus from DRV1-transfected isolates were free of the vector sequences. Transfection resulted in morphological changes in these fungal pathogens. However, the presence of DR...
BACKGROUND: Cuba's response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has been to conduct mass testing of the population to ascertain seroprevalence, to enforce mandatory relative quarantine...Full Text Available
BackgroundPoliovirus, the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and a member of the family of Picornaviridae and among the most rapidly evolving viruses known....Full Text Available
Abstract Recent reports showed many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) harbor a retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus (XMRV), in blood; other studies could not replicate this finding. A useful next step would be to examine cerebrospinal fluid, because in some patients CFS is thought to be a brain disorder. Finding a microbe in the central nervous system would have greater significance than in blood because of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. We examined cerebrospinal fluid from 43 CFS patients using polymerase chain reaction techniques, but did not find XMRV or multiple other common viruses, suggesting that exploration of other causes or pathogenetic mechanisms is warranted. Ann Neurol 2011;
The stable introduction of therapeutic transgenes into human cells can be accomplished using viral and nonviral approaches. Transduction with clinical-grade recombinant viruses offers the potential...Full Text Available
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Better Boy) plants were transformed with a tomato leaf wound-inducible polygalacturonase (PG) β-subunit gene in the antisense orientation...Full Text Available
In monocytes, sulfatide, a lipid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, blocked priming for enhanced release of superoxide (O2-) by the macrophage activating factors lipopolysaccharide, gamma interferon,...Full Text Available
Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull is a very rare entity. We report MRI findings in a case of Ewing's sarcoma of the greater wing of sphenoid in a 4-year-old patient. Magnetic resonance imaging showed markedly heterogenous signal intensity with areas of haemorrhage and necrosis. It also demonstrated the exact extent of tumour due to its multiplanar capabilities and was, therefore, helpful in planning surgery. Copyright (2002) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary malignant hepatic neoplasm. We describe two cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma which initially presented as liver abscess both clinically and radiologically. Mucin-hypersecretion from the tumor cells and extensive necrosis or secondary bacterial infection was responsible for the radiologic appearance of a liver abscess.=20
IntroductionThe major risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) is aging, but the mechanisms underlying this risk are only partly understood. Age-related accumulation of advanced glycation...Full Text Available
BackgroundTristetraprolin (TTP/ZFP36) family proteins have anti-inflammatory activity by binding to and destabilizing pro-inflammatory mRNAs such as Tnf mRNA, and represent a potential...Full Text Available
Complications of non-union and avascular necrosis during fracture healing process are the most important problems. Early detection of the evidence of non-union and avascular necrosis and follow-up study of fracture healing process will reduce complications and sequellae in fracture patients. Femoral neck and tibial shaft are the most important fracture sites where non-union and/or avascular necorsis are frequently developed. Osteomedullography was performed in 30 cases of fracture, 21 femoral neck, 8 tibial shafts and 1 talar neck, in the Department of Radiology of national Medical Center during the period form August 1977 to March 1981. The following results were obtained: 1. 16 patients of femoral neck fracture were performed osteomedullography one. Non-union showing no crossing vein through the fracture site was noted in 12 cases from 16 patients. 4 cases from the 12 patients of non-union showed decreased viability but 2 case revealed good ...
The myocardial infarct induced by isoproterenol in spontaneously hypertensive rats accumulates higher activities of /sup 99/sup(m)Tc-PM tetracycline compared with the cardiac infarct in normotensive rats caused by the same method. The isoproterenol model of the myocardial necrosis was induced in intact rats without opening the thorax and is a convenient method for experimental radioisotope studies.
Following infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, C57BL/6 mice develop a small lesion that heals spontaneously. Resistance to infection is associated with the development...Full Text Available
To analyze the proposed growth-inhibitory function of wild-type p53, we compared simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in primary rhesus monkey kidney (PRK) cells, which express wild-type p53, and...Full Text Available
Elite suppressors or controllers (ES) are HIV-1 infected patients who maintain undetectable viral loads without treatment. While HLA-B*57-positive ES are usually infected with virus that is unmutated...Full Text Available
The titers of several preparations of kuru. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, and scrapie viruses were reduced by only 1/10th or less by high doses of gamma radiation of 50 kGy and by only 1/10th-1/1000th...Full Text Available
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that infects the central nervous system of humans and other animals. In this study, we found that C3H/HeN (C3H) mice exhibited a higher morbidity...Full Text Available
We used epidemiologic data for human West Nile virus (WNV) disease in Colorado from 2003 and 2007 to determine 1) the degree to which estimates of vector-borne disease occurrence is influenced by spatial...Full Text Available
The ERA strain of rabies virus was propagated in a baby hamster kidney cell line (BHK-21/C13). The viral titer was 10(1.8) tissue culture infective doses (TCID) higher than that of commercial ERA vaccine....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe pre-fusion form of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) fusion protein gB undergoes pH-triggered conformational change in vitro and during viral entry (Dollery...Full Text Available
A new semi-empirical algorithm for the radial distribution of dose is compared with available data. The algorithm is used to calculate the inactivation cross section for dry enzymes and viruses using an extended target model of a 1-hit detector. Agreement with data is at about the 15% level, approximating the precision of the data itself. (author).
Simian virus 40 transcriptional complexes could be extracted from CV1 cells late in infection and separated from the bulk of inactive viral chromatin. Sucrose gradient sedimentation, cesium sulfate...Full Text Available
The IgG response to gp41 (envelope glycoprotein of Mr 41,000) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was studied with eight synthetic peptides derived from three different regions of the protein....Full Text Available
BackgroundSelection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by host immunity has been suggested to give rise to variants with amino acid substitutions at or around the 'a' determinant...Full Text Available
The properties of a nonviable, aqueous ether-extracted Brucela abortus preparation, Bru-Pel, are described. In addition to inducing a "virus-type" interferon response and protecting mice against challenge with otherwise lethal doses of Semliki Forest virus, Bru-Pel is demonstrated to have potent antitumor properties in mice. These antitumor effects appear to be mediated by an increase in nonspecific resistance similar to that seen with other experimental antitumor agents. PMID:728911
To study the role in AIDS pathogenesis of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein, a transactivator of viral and cellular genes, we generated transgenic mice with a recombinant DNA...Full Text Available
We studied the effect of booster injections and the long-term immune response after injections of an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) lipopeptide vaccine. This vaccine was injected alone...Full Text Available
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) were used to measure antibody responses...Full Text Available
Type I interferon is important in anti-viral responses and in coordinating the innate immune response. Here we explore the use of interferon-β to adjuvant the response to a rabies virus...Full Text Available
BackgroundAfrican horse sickness virus (AHSV) causes a non-contagious, infectious disease in equids, with mortality rates that can exceed 90% in susceptible horse populations....Full Text Available
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B), the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), is a tail-anchored protein with a highly conserved C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) that...Full Text Available
Two integrated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA molecules were cloned from two primary hepatocellular carcinomas each containing only a single integration. One integration (C3) contained a single linear...Full Text Available
Although human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), the role of viral gene expression in the progression to and maintenance of the...Full Text Available
BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis which progresses to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) afflicting > 170 million people worldwide....Full Text Available
Since April 2010, a severe outbreak of duck viral infection, with egg drop, feed uptake decline and ovary-oviduct disease, has spread around the major duck-producing regions in China. A new virus, named...Full Text Available
Sugarcane yellow leaf caused by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV) does not produce visual symptoms in most susceptible plants until late in the growing season. An experiment was conducted to determine if leaf reflectance and pigment analysis could be used to determine ScYLV infection prior to sym...
Dengue virus (DENV) infection is a worsening global health problem. The plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) is currently considered to be the “gold standard” to characterize...Full Text Available
Radioimmunoassays for detecting cell-associated or released virus are described using either 125I- or [3H]acetate-labeled antibodies. In the first assay system, antigen-antibody...Full Text Available
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and other diseases....Full Text Available
Surveys of the antigenic properties of a wide range of variants of the H3N2 (Hong Kong) influenza virus subtype have revealed complex patterns of variants cocirculating during each of the main epidemic...Full Text Available
The Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA I) present in latently infected cells is encoded in a 2-kilobase exon contained in the BamHI K viral genomic fragment. This exon is, however, found within...Full Text Available
The structure of unintegrated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA from acutely infected human lymphoid cells was analyzed by nuclease S1 cleavage. We observed a unique, discrete single-stranded...Full Text Available
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a complex B-lymphotrophic retrovirus of cattle and the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis. Serum antibody in infected animals does not correlate with protection...Full Text Available
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was discovered in human prostate tumors and later in some chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. However, subsequent studies have identified various sources of potential contamination with XMRV and other murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related sequences in test samples. Biological and nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that XMRV is distinct from known xenotropic MLVs and has a broad host range and cell tropism including human cells. Therefore, it is prudent to minimize the risk of human exposure to infection by evaluating XMRV contamination in cell lines handled in laboratory research and particularly those used in the manufacture of biological products. Nested DNA PCR assays were optimized for investigating XMRV gag and env sequences in various cell lines, which included MRC-5, Vero, HEK-293, MDCK, HeLa, and A549, that may be used in the development of some vaccines ...
Begomoviruses are phytopathogens that threaten food security [18]. Sida spp. are ubiquitous weed species found in Jamaica. Sida samples were collected island-wide, DNA was extracted via a modified Dellaporta method, and the viral genome was amplified using degenerate and sequence-specific primers [2, 11]. The amplicons were cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed that a DNA-A molecule isolated from a plant in Liguanea, St. Andrew, was 90.9% similar to Sida golden yellow vein virus-[United States of America:Homestead:A11], making it a strain of SiGYVV. It was named Sida golden yellow vein virus-[Jamaica:Liguanea 2:2008] (SiGYVV-[JM:Lig2:08]). The cognate DNA-B, previously unreported, was successfully cloned and was most similar to that of Malvastrum yellow mosaic Jamaica virus (MaYMJV). Phylogenetic analysis suggested that this virus was most closely related to begomoviruses that infect ...
A comprehensive dataset of NDV genome sequences was evaluated using bioinformatics to characterize the evolutionary forces affecting NDV genomes. Despite evidence of recombination in most genes, only one event in the fusion gene of genotype V viruses produced evolutionarily viable progenies. The codon-associated rate of change for the six NDV proteins revealed that the highest rate of change occurred at the fusion protein. All proteins were under strong purifying (negative) selection; the fusion protein displayed the highest number of amino acids under positive selection. Regardless of the phylogenetic grouping or the level of virulence, the cleavage site motif was highly conserved implying that mutations at this site that result in changes of virulence may not be favored. The coding sequence of the fusion gene and the genomes of viruses from wild birds displayed higher yearly rates of change in virulent viruses than in ...
The detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus from various kinds of field samples (tissue extract and cell culture isolate) was studied using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The gene selected for diagnosis was the polymerase gene and an amplification target product of 454 bp in length was produced using AP5/AP6 primer sets. The PCR product was further examined by NcoI endonuclease digestion. The presence of the internal restriction site was confirmed by demonstration of two small fragments of 330 bp and 124 bp in length. Forty-nine samples that gave positive and negative results by ELISA typing and were positive by the PCR test were tested by NcoI digestion to confirm the results. About 10% of PCR products could not be confirmed by the method. Furthermore the FMD RNA polymerase gene could be detected by the PCR method in samples negative in both ELISA typing and the virus isolation test. A total of 23 samples were examined ...
Secondary ischemic necrosis of femoral head due to loss of blood supply following to femoral neck fracture is well known. The regional distribution of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuricals in the skeleton can depend on a number of factors, but bone blood flow is a major physiological determinant of regional skeletal uptake of Tc-99m polyphosphate and bone imaging may thus be used for the evaluation of vascularity of the femoral head. The authors made a comparative study of scintigraphic findings and operative findings of 28 cases of femoral neck fracture treated at Kyung Hee University Hospital from April 1980 to May 1984. The results were as follows: 1. In 16 cases of proven avascular necorsis of femoral head, scintigraphy showed absent or decreased activity in 14 cases (87.5%), while radiography showed increased density in 10 cases (62.5%). 2. In 12 cases of proven vital femoral head, scintigraphy showed increased activity in 9 cases (75%) and radiography showed ...
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) have been shown to stimulate bone resorption in vitro. We have now investigated whether these cytokines also cause a similar action when administered in vivo. This was made possible by the adaptation of a newly developed technique that enables the continual assessment of bone resorption in vivo in mice by measuring urinary excretion of {sup 3}H from ({sup 3}H)tetracycline-prelabeled animals. Experiments using maneuvers known to influence bone resorption, such as a change in dietary calcium or administration of parathyroid hormone or dichloromethylenebisphosphonate, indicate that the technique is reliable and sensitive in mice. Daily intravenous administration of either recombinant human or recombinant murine TNF-alpha, as well as subcutaneous administration of recombinant human IL-1 alpha, were found to stimulate bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. The effect was maximal within 2 days. Thus, ...
Quantitative assessment of bone scintigraphy was performed in fifty-six patients with hip joint disease including femoral neck fracture, aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, traumatic dislocation of the hip, Perthes disease, and transient synovitis of the hip. In the static study, bone scintigraphy was obtained 3 hours after injection of sup(99m)Tc-MDP by gamma camera equipped with a computer and uptake ratios were calculated. In the dynamic study, bone scintigraphy was performed in one, 3 and 5 hours after injection of radionuclide. Femoral head uptake ratio was markedly decreased in osteonecrosis following femoral neck fracture and characteristically increased in aseptic necrosis of the femoral head but prolonged retention of sup(99m)Tc-MDP could be observed. Uptake ratios of epiphysis were decreased in Perthes disease but normal in transient synovitis of the hip. Static and dynamic study of bone scintigraphy may be useful for early ...
To establish the phylogeographic relationships in rabies viruses in Brazil, we studied a dataset retrieved from GenBank consisting of 71 genetic sequences from the coding region of the N gene of rabies viruses isolated in dogs over a period of 22?years. The Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method available in the BEAST package was used with the GTR+G+?4 evolutionary model in conjunction with the relaxed uncorrelated lognormal molecular clock model and an exponential growth tree prior. A discrete phylogeographic diffusion model was also analyzed using a standard continuous-time Markov chain viewed with Google Earth to provide a spatial projection of the diffusion of genetic lineages based on their phylogeographic relationships. The topology of the time and substitution phylogenetic trees a...
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), family Nanaviridae, genus Babuvirus, is a single stranded DNA virus (ssDNA) that causes banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) in banana plants. It is the most common and most destructive of all viruses in these plants and is widespread throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In this study we isolated, cloned and sequenced a BBTV sample from Hainan Island, China. The results from sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate this isolate represents a satellite DNA component with 12 DNA sequences motifs. We also predicted the physical and chemical properties, structure, signal peptide, phosphorylation, secondary structure, tertiary structure and functional domains of its encoding protein, and compare them with the corresponding quantities in the replication initiatio...
Forty-three patients with basal and squamous cell carcinomata arising on the pinna were treated radically using a 10 MeV electron beam. The technique and dosage are described and discussed. Primary cancer control with retention of the pinna was achieved in 34 patients. Salvage pinnectomy was performed in four patients for recurrence and one patient for radiation necrosis. Two patients with large primary tumours failed to resolve and died of their disease. The advantages for the patient of the policy of primary radical electron beam therapy are discussed.
Variation of CT units, in organs, before and after using contrast enhancing medium was reviewed and personal experience was presented. In the normal brain CT units was little changed by contrast enhancement (CE), whereas remarkable change was observed at lesions. No difference of CT units was observed between the normal liver and hepatomas. The normal kidney had higher CE effect than hypernephromas suggesting an increase of the sensitivity. CE was not found in cysts or necrosis. The changes of CT units in the cases of cerebral diseases are tabled with various contrast medium and scanners.
We present a case of cerebral aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient. The MRI signal characteristics were compared with the histologic findings. Irregular low-signal zones were demonstrated between the wall of the abscess and the central necrosis on T2-weighted images; the pathology specimen revealed concentrated iron in these transitional zones but no hemosiderin. Iron is an essential element for the growth of fungal hyphae. The low-signal zones may represent the areas where there was active proliferation of aspergillus, and the unique location of the low signal may be a helpful imaging characteristic for the diagnosis of an aspergillus abscess. (orig.)
A new simple multi-well plate-based assay to determine monocyte differentiation-inducing activity was developed. It is based on the increase of macrophage adherence after the induction of monocyte differentiation. The assay was conducted using a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, treated with either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate or cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma. This method is sensitive and easy to perform, especially in case of analyzing a large number of samples. PMID:17920620
A new simple multi-well plate-based assay to determine monocyte differentiation-inducing activity was developed. It is based on the increase of macrophage adherence after the induction of monocyte differentiation. The assay was conducted using a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, treated with either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate or cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-? and interferon-?. This method is sensitive and easy to perform, especially in case of analyzing a large number of samples.
Autophagy is a ubiquitous catabolic process that ensures organism’s well-being by sequestering a wide array of undesired intracellular constituents into double-membrane vesicles termed...Full Text Available
The genome sequence of the Mamavirus, a new Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus strain, is reported. With 1,191,693 nt in length and 1,023 predicted protein-coding genes, the Mamavirus...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe epidemiology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in gulls is only partially known. The role of the world's most numerous gull species, the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa...Full Text Available
The diagnosis of viral causes of many infectious diseases is difficult due to the inherent sequence diversity of viruses as well as the ongoing emergence of novel viral pathogens, such as SARS coronavirus...Full Text Available
Select members of the Reoviridae are the only nonenveloped viruses known to induce syncytium formation. The fusogenic orthoreoviruses accomplish cell-cell fusion through a distinct...Full Text Available
Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on host factors that are recruited into viral replicase complexes. Previous studies showed that eukaryotic translation elongation factor (eEF1A) is one...Full Text Available
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by the JC virus (JCV), a human papovavirus. PML is a relatively rare disease seen predominantly in immunocompromised individuals and is a frequent complication observed in AIDS patients. The significantly higher incidence of PML in AIDS patients than in other immunosuppressive disorders has suggested that the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the brain may directly or indirectly contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study the authors have examined the expression of the JCV genome in both glial and non-glial cells in the presence of HIV-1 regulatory proteins. They find that the HIV-1-encoded trans-regulatory protein tat increases the basal activity of the JCV late promoter, JCV{sub L}, in glial cells. They conclude that the presence of the HIV-1-encoded tat protein may positively ...
In the late 1980's, the traditional threat of anonymous break-ins to networked computers was joined by viruses and worms, multiplicative surrogates that carry out the bidding of their authors. Technologies for authentication and secrecy, supplemented by good management practices, are the principal countermeasures. Four articles on these subjects are presented.
The fusogenic orthoreoviruses express nonstructural fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins that induce cell-cell fusion and syncytium formation. It has been speculated that the FAST proteins...Full Text Available
BackgroundMarburg virus (MARV), a zoonotic pathogen causing severe hemorrhagic fever in man, has emerged in Angola resulting in the largest outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever...Full Text Available
Summary: To date, most Leishmania and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection cases reported to WHO come from Southern Europe. Up to the year 2001, nearly 2,000 cases of coinfection were identified,...Full Text Available
An outbreak of acute respiratory disease in Hendra, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, in September 1994 resulted in the deaths of 14 racing horses and a horse trainer. The causative agent was a new member...Full Text Available
The C-C chemokine receptor 5, 32 base-pair deletion (CCR5-Δ32) allele confers strong resistance to infection by the AIDS virus HIV. Previous studies have suggested...Full Text Available
9-[[2-Hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]guanine (BIOLF-62) is highly synergistic with either phosphonoformate or phosphonoacetate when used in combination against herpes simplex virus types 1 and...Full Text Available
In the absence of a vaccine, there is an urgent need for the development of safe and effective topical microbicides to prevent the sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)....Full Text Available
Previous studies have revealed marked differences in the incidence of leukemia between rats and mice exposed to 1,3-butadiene that do not appear to be readily explained on the basis of pharmacokinetics...Full Text Available
The accepted model of retroviral reverse transcription includes a circular DNA intermediate which requires strand displacement synthesis for linearization and creation of an integration-competent, long...Full Text Available
BackgroundA legacy of colonial rule coupled with a devastating 16-year civil war through 1992 left Mozambique economically impoverished just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)...Full Text Available
Amorphous silicates having small particles with a large surface area were found to have high nonspecific adsorption capacity. Investigations with Escherichia coli T4 bacteriophage have...Full Text Available
Ninety percent of foxes fed commercial ERA vaccine in a specially designed bait developed rabies serum neutralizing antibodies. The vaccine bait did not cause clinical signs of rabies when consumed...Full Text Available
Although major inroads into making antiretroviral therapy available in resource-poor countries have been made, there is an urgent need for an effective vaccine administered shortly after birth, which...Full Text Available
BackgroundRifampin is a key drug in antituberculosis chemotherapy because it rapidly kills the majority of bacilli in tuberculosis lesions, prevents relapse and thus enables 6-month...Full Text Available
On the current conception of the epidemiology of epidemic influenza, as caused by a mechanism of direct spread of the virus from the sick, epidemics must have travelled much more slowly in former times...Full Text Available
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. We have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly...Full Text Available
Antibodies against feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and the feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) were transferred from pregnant cats to their suckling kittens. All of these kittens...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeasonal influenza A infection affects a significant cohort of the global population annually, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies...Full Text Available
'Trojan horses', 'logic bombs', 'armoured viruses' and 'cryptovirology' are terms recalling war gears. In fact, concepts of attack and defence drive the world of computer virology, which looks like a war universe in an information society. This war has several shapes, from invasions of a network by worms, to military and industrial espionage ...
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of retroviruses plays a major role in genomic RNA packaging, and some evidence has implicated the matrix protein (MA) of certain retroviruses in viral RNA binding. To further...Full Text Available
SummaryBecause increasing numbers of HIV vaccine candidates are being tested globally, it is essential to differentiate vaccine-from virus-induced antibodies. Most of the currently...Full Text Available
This article is about the network security defence method and technique at IHEP. Including: the experience, research result and application in network outlet security, server security, local network security, network security monitoring and collecting evidence, anti-virus etc
Male transgenic mice expressing the polyomavirus middle T (PyV-MT) gene exhibited growth and developmental abnormalities in prostatic and other urogenital epithelium. Expression of PyV-MT was directed...Full Text Available
A highly purified preparation of double-stranded RNA, obtained from virus-like particles in Penicillium cultures, was found to affert humoral immune responses in mice differentially depending on its...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcium signaling plays an important role in B lymphocyte survival and activation, and is critically dependent on the inositol-1,4,5-tris-phosphate-induced...Full Text Available
Out of nearly 900 women in a research study of human immunodeficiency virus infection in pregnancy, 8 were subsequently found not to be infected. Misdiagnoses could have resulted from (a) laboratory...Full Text Available
We describe an Ebolavirus minigenome-based system that is suitable for high-throughput screening of compounds able to impair Ebolavirus virus replication and/or transcription....Full Text Available
Friends and colleagues remember John N. Brady, Ph.D., Chief of the Virus Tumor Biology Section of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, who died much too young at the age of 57 on April 27, 2009 of colon...Full Text Available
In 1871, the observation of yellowish nodules in the enlarged spleen of a cow was considered to be the first reported case of bovine leukemia. The etiological agent of this lymphoproliferative disease,...Full Text Available
The mechanism of influenza virus (INFV)-induced immunosuppression and the mode of inosiplex action against INFV infection were studied. INFV suppressed both anti-lipopolysaccharide and anti-sheep erythrocyte...Full Text Available
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus (HSV) suppressive therapy reduces genital and plasma HIV-1 RNA over periods up to three months but the longer-term effect is unknown.Full Text Available
In addition to its role in megakaryocyte production, signaling initiated by thrombopoietin (TPO) activation of its receptor, myeloproliferative leukemia virus protooncogene (c-Mpl, or Mpl), controls...Full Text Available
Summary: The small DNA tumor viruses have provided a very long-lived source of insights into many aspects of the life cycle of eukaryotic cells. In recent years, the emphasis has been on cancer-related...Full Text Available
BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection frequently causes neurologic disease, which is the result of viral replication and activation of macrophages and microglia...Full Text Available
The RNA packaging process for retroviruses involves a recognition event of the genome-length viral RNA by the viral Gag polyprotein precursor (PrGag), an important step in particle morphogenesis. The...Full Text Available
Treatment of poliovirus Type I with 10−3m 2-thiouracil (2-TU) resulted in the inactivation of greater than 90% of the virus infectivity and stabilization of approximately...Full Text Available
The gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), replicates to high titers in some human cell lines and is able to infect non-human primates. To determine whether APOBEC3 (A3) proteins restrict XMRV infections in a non-human primate model, we sequenced proviral DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of XMRV-infected rhesus macaques. Hypermutation characteristic of A3DE, A3F and A3G activities was observed in the XMRV proviral sequences in vivo. Furthermore, expression of rhesus A3DE, A3F, or A3G in human cells inhibited XMRV infection and caused hypermutation of XMRV DNA. These studies show that some rhesus A3 isoforms are highly effective against XMRV in the blood of a non-human primate model of infection and in cultured human cells. PMID:21982221
Viruses, and more particularly retroviruses, have been postulated to play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In a search for spumaretrovirus infection markers, we screened a group of...Full Text Available
BackgroundHIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is a heterodimer composed of p66 and p51 subunits and is responsible for reverse transcription of the viral RNA genome into DNA. RT can...Full Text Available
To analyse the binding of sugar chains to proteins, viruses and cells, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique is very convenient and effective because it is a real-time, non-destructive detection...Full Text Available
Objectives:The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic is in its third decade and has reached to alarming proportions worldwide....Full Text Available
High rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among jail and prison inmates suggest that HIV prevention efforts should focus on incarcerated populations. Overcrowding, the high prevalence...Full Text Available
Increasing numbers of human cowpox virus infections that are being observed and that particularly affect young non-vaccinated persons have renewed interest in this zoonotic disease. Usually causing...Full Text Available
Serum specimens obtained from a nationwide sample of parenteral drug abusers (PDAs) during the period 1971-72 had previously been screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. Some specimens...Full Text Available
Avian paramyxoviruses (APMV) are divided into nine serotypes. Newcastle disease virus (APMV-1) is the most extensively characterized, while relatively little information is available for the other APMV...Full Text Available
AIM: To analyze the antiviral mechanism of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication.METHODS: In this research, the HBV-replicating cell line HepG2.117 was used...Full Text Available
This is the second of two papers which critically examine the relationship between the 1918/19 influenza pandemic and encephalitis lethargica (EL). The role of influenza in the etiology of EL...Full Text Available
BackgroundAntigen sparing and cross-protective immunity are regarded as crucial in pandemic influenza vaccine development. Both targets can be achieved by adjuvantation strategy...Full Text Available
Drugs used for the inhibition of DNA viruses, such as iododeoxyuridine, adenine arabinoside, or trifluorothymidine, are not biochemically selective in their action and also interfere with normal cellular...Full Text Available
We modified an existing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to be able to use new spectrophotometers which can measure the rate of color development in microtiter wells. This new kinetic-based...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:In view of increasing therapeutic efficacy, the delivery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral treatment is expected to increase. Yet practical experience reveals...Full Text Available
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs....Full Text Available
The worldwide decline in honeybee colonies during the past 50 years has often been linked to the spread of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and its interaction with certain honeybee...Full Text Available
Most published estimates of the costs of the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been developed from the societal perspective,...Full Text Available
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) bound to immunoglobulin M (IgM) was detected in sera of HBsAg carriers by a radioimmunoassay based on selective absorption of the immunoglobulin on a solid phase...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhite spot syndrome (WSS) is a viral disease that affects most of the commercially important shrimps and causes serious economic losses to the shrimp farming industry worldwide....Full Text Available
Computer-assisted analysis revealed a striking sequence similarity between the putative 24-kDa protein (p24) encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 5 of beet yellows closterovirus and the coat protein...Full Text Available
BackgroundMimivirus, a giant dsDNA virus infecting Acanthamoeba, is the prototype of the mimiviridae family, the latest addition to the family of the nucleocytoplasmic...Full Text Available
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus causes severe encephalitis with serious sequelae in humans. The disease is characterized by fever and debilitating encephalitis that can progress to chronic illness...Full Text Available
Low bone mineral density (BMD) is prevalent in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected subjects. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy is associated with a 2%–6% decrease...Full Text Available
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a relatively novel anti-cancer modality. Like other new cancer treatments, effective OV therapy will likely require combination with conventional treatments. In order...Full Text Available
A technique for delivering genes carried by recombinant retroviruses into specific cell types could have numerous applications in oncology, developmental biology, and gene therapy. As a first step toward this remote goal the authors designed a procedure allowing in vitro cell targeting by retroviruses. Biotinylated antibodies against the viral envelope protein on one side, and against specific cell membrane markers on the other side, were bridged by streptavidin and used to link the virus to the host. The method was successfully used to infect human cells with ecotropic murine retroviruses by means of major histocompatibility complex class I and class II antigens and appears easily adaptable to other cell, membrane markers. Moreover, the sequential protocol they design, although allowing infection of human cells, requires less stringent safety constraints than would handling of amphotropic virus stocks.
BackgroundA panel of 37 rabies virus isolates were collected and studied, originating mainly from the northern and central regions of Namibia, between 1980 and 2003.ResultsThese...Full Text Available
The effect of UV radiation in the wavelength region 230 nm to 302 nm on the ability of an irradiated mammalian cell to reactivate UV-irradiated mammalian virus was tested. An action spectrum for radiation enhanced reactivation (RER) is presented. The shape of the action spectrum points to a combined nucleic acid-protein target for UV radiation effects on this cellular parameter. An analysis of the results of others involving the biochemical and photobiological events involved in RER does not allow us to distinguish which macromolecule is the major contributor to this effect. Studies involving an analogous phenomenon in bacteris (Weigle reactivation) imply that RER and WR amy involve similar mechanisms. (author).
Nucleic acid extraction and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genotyping using the NucliSens miniMAG platform and the TruGene HIV-1 genotyping kit gave HIV-1 sequence data from HIV-1-negative plasma spiked with 100 copies/ml reference HIV-1 RNA and from low-viremia clinical samples (<500 copies/ml) without the need for ultracentrifugation or nested second-round PCR. PMID:17122019
With the advent of subgenomic hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicons, studies of the intracellular steps of the viral replication cycle became possible. These RNAs are capable of self-amplification in cultured human hepatoma cells, but save for the genotype 2a isolate JFH-1, efficient replication of these HCV RNAs requires replication enhancing mutations (REMs), previously also called cell culture adaptive mutations. These mutations cluster primarily in the central region of non-structural protein 5A (NS5A), but may also reside in the NS3 helicase domain or at a distinct position in NS4B. Most efficient replication has been achieved by combining REMs residing in NS3 with distinct REMs located in NS4B or NS5A. However, in spite of efficient replication of HCV genomes containing such mutations, they do not support production of infectious virus particles. By using the genotype 1b isolate Con1, in this study we show that REMs interfere with HCV ...
Twenty autopsy cases with 2009 pandemic influenza A (2009 H1N1) virus infection, performed between August 2009 and February 2010, were histopathologically analyzed. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemistry for type A influenza nucleoprotein antigen, and real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay for viral RNA were performed on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens. In addition, the D222G amino acid substitution in influenza virus hemagglutinin, which binds to specific cell receptors, was analyzed in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded trachea and lung sections by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified products. There were several histopathological patterns in the lung according to the most remarkable findings in each case: acute diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with a hyaline membrane (four cases), organized DAD (one case), acute massive intra-alveolar edema with variable degrees of hemorrhage (three cases), neutrophilic ...
Influenza virus infection during pregnancy has been implicated as one of cause of premature delivery, abortion and stillbirth. We have reported that cultured human fetal membrane chorion cells undergoing apoptosis by influenza virus infection secrete unidentified heat-stable monocyte differentiation-inducing (MDI) factors. In this study, cellular, biological and immunochemical characteristics of MDI factors were investigated using human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and cell adhesion assays. The treatment of THP-1 cells with culture supernatants from the influenza virus-infected chorion cells induced the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction ability, which was inhibited by the addition of superoxide dismutase and diphenyleneiodonium chloride, an inhibitor for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase. The phenomenon was also observed in human peripheral blood monocytes and ...
Abstract Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor-a agent that is approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease. It has a good safety profile, injection site reactions being the most common adverse effect. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with a 30-year history of Crohn's disease who developed achromic patches on the trunk and upper extremities after initiating treatment with adalimumab. Cutaneous biopsy confirmed diagnosis of vitiligo and laboratory testing ruled out thyroid disease. Concomitant occurrence of vitiligo and inflammatory bowel disease, although rare, has been described. A common autoimmune basis could explain this fact. Moreover, multiple cutaneous adverse effects have been described in the literature secondary to biologic treatments, includin...
Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) antagonist drugs have been associated with increased risk of tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculin skin test (TST) is the most frequently used tool for identification of latent TB infection. We herein aimed to analyse the effect of TNF-? antagonists on the TST responses in a prospective study. The study group consisted of 182 patients (99 female, 83 male) who received TNF-? antagonists for various rheumatic disorders. All patients were evaluated with TST along with other parameters on the day of referral and on the 12th month visit. For those patients with a response of <5?mm induration at the initial evaluation, the TST was repeated to observe the booster effect. Out of 182 patients, 87 patients (48%) had a negative (0?4?mm) and 95 (52%) had a positive (?5?mm)...
Femoral head replacement was performed for femoral neck fracture or femoral head necrosis on 36 hips of 34 patients on whom Tc-99m MDP scintigraphy was done for analysis of radioisotope uptake around the prosthesis. In the cases with satisfactory clinical course after replacement surgery the uptake was high in the area between the prosthesis and the trochanter, in the area of the stem tip of the prosthesis and in the acetabular area. The high uptake decreased gradually and reached a normal level by 8 months after surgery. The cases with no decrease of high uptake by 8 months after surgery were considered to have had an eventful postoperative course associated with some complication such as infection, fracture, loosening etc. Tc-99m MDP scintigraphy was useful for early detection of complications and to evaluate progress of the operated patients. (author)
ObjectiveTo study a method of chemical sterilization and its efficacy in adult male stray dogs.MethodsSterilization was performed 45 days after a single bilateral intratesticular injection of calcium chloride (CaCl2) at the doses of 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg per testis per kg body weight.ResultsHistomorphological measures of testes showed total necrosis of testicular tissue at 45 days after an injection of either 10 or 15 or 20 mg CaCl2 along with fibrosis and hyalinization in seminiferous tubules and interstitial spaces. Infiltration of leucocytes was also observed with the 10- or 15-mg dose. Disintegration of germ cell arrangement in seminiferous tubules and washing out of germ cells from the tubules were noted with the 5-mg dose. Relative organ weight, epididymal sperm count, plasma and intrat...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of feeding the oils of Calophyllum inophyllum, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Terminalia catappa to rats. The effects on physical appearance, feed intake, weight gain, plasma and tissue cholesterol and triacyglycerol levels in rats with 5% of the oils in normal rat feed were determined. Weekly monitoring of the rats showed good physical appearance and steady weight gain, with no mortality recorded for the period of the study. Haematological analysis of the rats indicated that they were not anaemic. Histopathotogical examination of the sections of the heart, liver, kidney and spleen revealed moderate (T. catappa oil) to severe fatty change and necrosis in the liver. Glomerulonephrotic changes in the kidneys of rats fed with T...
Abstract Capillary permeability is a tightly regulated feature of microcirculation in all organ beds. In sepsis, this feature is fundamentally altered. We have previously reported elevated levels of angiopoietin-2 in patients with septic shock, and have investigated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related and weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), which mediates both angiogenesis and inflammation, in those patients. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to measure serum TWEAK levels in 20 patients with septic shock, all of whom were treated by direct hemoperfusion with a polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (DHP-PMX), and in 20 non-septic controls. The TWEAK levels were higher in patients with septic shock (192.8--230.5-pg/mL) than in controls (84.1--28.7-pg/mL, P-=-0.043). Between 11 survivors and 1...
Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- is a pro-inflammatory cytokine associated with psoriasis pathogenesis. Anti-TNF- therapies are effective in psoriasis. A significant weight gain has been reported in patients treated with anti-TNF- agents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the body composition changes in psoriatic patients receiving anti-TNF- therapies according with disease phenotype. Forty patients affected with psoriasis were followed up for 24 weeks and divided into two groups: psoriasis vulgaris (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Anthropometric, blood biochemical, body composition parameters, resting metabolic rate, and disease activity indexes were measured at baseline and at week 24. After 24 weeks of anti-TNF- administration, the disease activity indexes and concen...
Objective: A growing body of data from genetic, immunological and clinical studies indicates an involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and suggests that the modulation of the cytokine system by antipsychotics may be one cause for the improvement of psychotic symptoms. However, the influence of the typical antipsychotics chlorpromazine and haloperidol, and the effect of typical and atypical antipsychotics on the TSST-1-stimulated blood cell secretion of cytokines, and specifically the interleukin (IL)-17 production have not been studied so far, although IL-17 is a leading pro-inflammatory cytokine. Method: We measured levels of IL-1@b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor-@a (TNF-@a) in stimulated blood of 10 healthy female subjects in a whole ...
In 15 patients (16 hip joints) we found the clinical and radiological signs of BMOS. On T1-weighted MRI images areas of low signal intensity could be observed in the head, neck and the intertrochanteric region of the femur in various extensions. These areas showed a significant increase in signal intensity on the T2-weighted images. Because pain was resistant to conservative therapy all these patients were treated by core decompression of the femoral head in a prospective study. Bone cores were evaluated histologically using undecalcified sections and quantitative microradiography. The existence of intramedullary oedema in exactly the regions exhibiting the MRI pattern of bone marrow oedema was verified histologically; however, bone and marrow changes similar to those of early avascular necrosis (AVN) were also visible. (orig.)
Replication-defective vectors derived from reticuloendotheliosis virus were used to transduce exogenous genes into early somatic stem cells of the chicken embryo. One of these vectors transduced and expressed the chicken growth hormone coding sequence. The helper cell line, C3, was used to generate stocks of vector containing about 10/sup 4/ transducing units per ml. Injection of 5- to 20-..mu..l volumes of vector directly beneath the blastoderm of unincubated chicken embryos led to infection of somatic stem cells. Infected embryos and adults contained unrearranged integrated proviral DNAs. Embryos expressed the transduced chicken growth hormone gene and contained high levels of serum growth hormone. Blood, brain, muscle, testis, and semen contained from individuals injected as embryos contained vector DNA. Replication-defective vectors of the reticuloendotheliosis virus transduced exogenous genes into chicken embryonic stem cells in vivo.
Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are subject to a spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Recent evidence implicates the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) in the pathogenesis of some of these illnesses, although the cells infected by the virus have yet to be identified. Using in situ hybridization, the authors examined brain tissue from two patients with AIDS encephalopathy for the presence of HTLV-III RNA. In both cases, viral RNA was detected and concentrated in, though not limited to, the white matter. The CNS cells most frequently infected included macrophages, pleomorphic microglia, and multinucleated giant cells. Less frequently, cells morphologically consistent with astrocytes, oligodendroglia, and rarely neurons were also infected. The findings strengthen the association of HTLV-III with the pathogenesis of AIDS encephalopathy. In situ hybridization can be applied to routinely ...
Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 170 million people worldwide. Acute HCV infection is often asymptomatic, but many infected individuals develop persistent infections that may lead to development of end-stage liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, an HCV vaccine that could significantly lower the chronicity rate would have a major impact on the disease burden. Unfortunately, HCV is a highly mutable virus, and escape mutations can undermine vaccine-induced virus-specific immunity. Also, HCV exists as multiple genotypes, and so genotype-specific vaccines might be required to achieve broad protection. Finally, vaccine development has been hampered by the lack of a small animal model and cell culture systems, but these are currently being established. Despite these obstacles, several vaccine candidates tested in the chimpanzee HCV model have shown some encouraging ...
We analyzed the clinical features of inpatients at a Japanese pediatric department who were infected with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Study participants included 46 children hospitalized from July 2009 to January 2010. Infection with the virus was confirmed using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The epidemic month was October 2009; 34 patients were boys, and median age was 7?years. Pandemic influenza-associated respiratory diseases included pneumonia (n?=?42), bronchitis (n?=?3), and pharyngitis (n?=?1). The median time from onset to admission was 3?days. Children were divided into those with severe (n?=?32) versus nonsevere illnesses (n?=?14) according to Japanese guidelines. Significant features in the severe group were younger age, previous asthmatic a...
It is currently unclear if the potential for West Nile virus transmission by mosquito vectors in the eastern United States is related to landscape or climate factors or both. We compared abundance of vector species between urban and suburban neighborhoods of Henrico County, VA, in relation to the following factors: temperature, precipitation, canopy cover, building footprint, and proximity to drainage infrastructure. Mosquitoes were collected throughout the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons and tested for West Nile virus (WNV) in pools of 10-50. Test results of mosquito pools were compared to average site abundance from 37 sites in Henrico County, VA; abundance was then examined in relation to ecological variables. Urban infrastructure was positively correlated with the abundance of Culex pipiens L./Cx. restuans, and our findings implicate combined sewer overflow systems as large contributors to Culex vector populations. No measure of urbanization ...
Background The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infected over 8000 people and killed 774. Transmission of SARS occurred through direct and indirect contact and large droplet nuclei. The World Health Organization recommended the use of household disinfectants, which have not been previously tested against SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), to disinfect potentially contaminated environmental surfaces. There is a need for a surrogate test system given the limited availability of the SARS-CoV for testing and biosafety requirements necessary to safely handle it. In this study, the antiviral activity of standard household products was assayed against murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a potential surrogate for SARS-CoV. Methods A surface test method, which involves drying an amo...
The involvement of dorsal root ganglia was studied in an in vivo model of experimental rabies virus infection using the challenge virus standard (CVS-11) strain. Dorsal root ganglia neurons infected with CVS in vitro show prolonged survival and few morphological changes, and are commonly used to study the infection. It has been established that after peripheral inoculation of mice with CVS the brain and spinal cord show relatively few neurodegenerative changes, but detailed studies of pathological changes in dorsal root ganglia have not previously been performed in this in vivo experimental model. In this study, adult ICR mice were inoculated in the right hindlimb footpad with CVS. Spinal cords and dorsal root ganglia were evaluated at serial time points for histopathological and ultrastru...
Summary Reference to an ancient Hindu picture of a snarling dog may be a convincing enough proof to consider the fact that rabies has been known in the world for the past 50 centuries. Prior to the monumental observation about rabies of Fracastoro in the 16th century, facts and fantasies were intermingled in the study of rabies. In the realm of fantasy, consider the statement of Aristotle (otherwise a great philosopher) that only animals and not humans die of rabies. It took 19 centuries before Fracastoro finally established that infection with rabies is lethal for all warm-blooded beings including humans. The new era of rabies dates from the time of Galtier who isolated the virus and Pasteur who was able to create a somewhat attenuated strain of virus fixe which became the tool of laborat...
The Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, is the most important shrimp species in volume in world aquaculture. However, in recent decades, outbreaks of diseases, especially viral diseases, have led to significant economic losses, threatening the sustainability of shrimp farming worldwide. In 2004, Brazilian shrimp farming was seriously affected by a new disease caused by the Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV). Thus, disease control based on rapid and sensitive pathogen detection methods has become a priority. In this study, a specific quantitation method for IMNV was developed using real-time PCR with SYBR Green chemistry and viral load of the principal target tissues of chronically infected animals was quantified. The quantitative analysis revealed that mean viral load ranged from ...
The molecular environment of the key subdomain IIId of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the binary complex with the human 40S ribosomal subunit was studied. To this end, HCV IRES derivatives bearing perfluorophenylazido groups activatable by mild UV at nucleotides G263 or A275 in the subdomain IIId stem were used. They were prepared by the complementary addressed modification of the corresponding RNA transcript with alkylating oligodeoxyribonucleotide derivatives. None of the RNA derivatives were shown to be crosslinked to the 18S rRNA. It was found that the photoreactive groups of the IRES G263 and A275 nucleotides are crosslinked to ribosomal proteins S3a, S14, and S16. For the IRES derivative with the photoreactive group in nucleotide G26...
The potential association between xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) and prostate cancer (PCa) has been documented since 2006. It is important for furthering our understanding of the biological mechanisms of PCa to ascertain whether this association is causal. To summarize the available information on the epidemiological and laboratory findings of the association, we conducted a literature search of the PubMed electronic database (from March 2006 to February 2011) to identify relevant published studies that examined the association between XMRV and PCa. Although several studies showed the positive association between XMRV and PCa, more recent studies did not support this conclusion. The positive findings might be due to contamination of human samples. Further ...
The effect of ?/?-carrageenan from red alda Tichocarpus crinitus on the development of a potato virus X (PVX) infection in the leaves of Datura stramonium L. has been studied. The treatment of leaves with carrageenan stimulates a protein synthesis in the cells, causing an increase in the size of nucleoli and in the number of mitochondria and membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. At the same time, such treatment slightly stimulates lytic processes, causing an increase in the number of smooth endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, dictyosomes, and cytoplasmic vacuoles and the formation of cytoplasmic electron-transparent zones. The carrageenan-induced stimulation of lytic processes results in the destruction of viral particles and can be considered as one of the defense mechanisms, prevent...
Normal human foreskin keratinocytes cotransfected with the neomycin resistance gene and recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) DNAs (types 16, 18, 31, and 33) that have a high or moderate association with cervical malignancy acquired immortality and contained integrated and transcriptionally active viral genomes. Only transcripts from the intact E6 and E7 genes were detected in at least one cell line, suggesting that one or both of these genes are responsible for immortalization. Recombinant HPV DNAs with low or no oncogenic potential for cervical cancer (HPV1a, -5, -6b, and -11) induced small G418-resistant colonies that senesced as did the nontransfected cells. These colonies contained only episomal virus DNA; therefore, integration of HPV sequences is important for immortalization of keratinocytes. This study suggests that the virus-encoded immortalization function contributes to the pathogenesis of cervical carcinoma.
Increasing evidence has been accumulated indicating the important role of epigenetic regulation in tumor genesis. Previously, we observed that the transfection of hepatitis C virus core (HCVc) protein led to malignant transformation in normal biliary cells, and that tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A was downregulated in many hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients by hypermethylation in the promoter region. In the present study, we found SET and MYND domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3), a novel histone methyltransferase, was overexpressed in cholangiocarcinoma patients especially in those with HCV infection. Transfection of HCVc into hilar cholangiocarcinoma cell lines QBC939 and FRH0201 could upregulate the expression of SMYD3 and promote cell growth, which was consistent with the results of our cl...
The evaluation of hepatic histology and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV-coinfected patients is rapidly changing. HCV has become an important cause of mortality in HIV-infected patients. Consequently, assessment of liver histology in all coinfected patients is particularly important. The evaluation of hepatic histology is shifting from reliance on the liver biopsy toward noninvasive modalities. Additionally, the importance of HCV-associated morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients has prompted increasing numbers of these patients to be HCV treatment candidates. Prospective trials in coinfected patients have reported lower sustained virologic responses compared to HCV-monoinfected patients. Consequently, the numbers of coinfected nonresponders to pegylated interferon/ribavir...
Abstract Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which infects not only B cells, but also T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, is associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies. Recently, the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib was reported to induce apoptosis of EBV-transformed B cells. We evaluated the killing effect of this proteasome inhibitor on EBV-associated T lymphoma cells and NK lymphoma cells. First, we found that bortezomib treatment decreased the viability of multiple T and NK cell lines. No significant difference was observed between EBV-positive and EBV-negative cell lines. The decreased viability in response to bortezomib treatment was abrogated by a pan-caspase inhibitor. The induction of apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometric assessment of annexin V staining. Additionally, cleavage o...
A selected series of 24 patients with displaced medial femoral neck fracture, treated with closed reduction and osteosynthesis with cancellous bone screws (ASIF), were investigated. During an observation period of 6 to 26 months, serial hip joint scintigraphies were performed and compared with serial X-ray examinations. At the first scintigraphic examination performed on average 5-6 weeks after the fracture, two separate investigators found a decreased amount of activity or no activity in the femoral head of 10 and 8 patients, respectively. At the second scintigraphic examination performed on average 11.1 weeks after the fracture both investigators found no activity or a decreased amount of activity in 8 patients. This figure declined to 7 during the following period, because one patient with decreased activity was recorded as having normal activity 15 months after the fracture. These 7 patients all developed radiological signs of femoral head collapse on average 16.3 months after the ...
Hepatitis B subviral particles, purified from plasma of asymptomatic carriers seropositive for hepatitis B e antigen, were treated with various conditions reported for the processing of vaccines. Thereafter,...Full Text Available
Chronic HTLV-I (human T cell lymphotropic virus type I) infection may cause adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a disease with dismal long-term prognosis. The HTLV-I transactivator, Tax, initiates...Full Text Available
The presence of a high number of activated T cells in the bloodstream and spontaneous proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro are striking characteristics of human T-cell leukemia...Full Text Available
The Epstein-Barr virus protein, LMP1, is a functional mimic of the cellular receptor CD40, but signals to B lymphocytes in an amplified and sustained manner compared to CD40. LMP1 contributes...Full Text Available
The declaration of the human influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (H1N1/09) raised important questions, including origin and host range [1],...Full Text Available
BackgroundSouth Africa has a high tuberculosis (TB)-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection rate of 73%, yet only 46% of TB patients are tested for HIV. To date, relatively...Full Text Available
New ELISA assays were developed to measure immunoreactivity for XMRV. Antibody titers were measured in a cohort of prostate cancer cases and cancer free controls from the central United States. No statistically significant differences were observed in immunoreactivity between cases and controls for either the XMRV-env or the XMRV-gag antigen.
Short-term (15-min-duration) and long-term (5- to 6-day-duration) test procedures have been developed for determining the efficiency of the removal of bacteriophage phi X174 by air-sterilizing filters....Full Text Available
We have used triparental matings to demonstrate transfer (mobilization) of the nonconjugative genetically engineered plasmid pHSV106, which contains the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus...Full Text Available
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infections can cause a number of diseases ranging from simple cold sores to dangerous keratitis and lethal encephalitis. The interaction...Full Text Available
BackgroundAs EBV-associated gastric cancer has unique features that are different from EBV (-) gastric cancer, EBV is considered to have a key role in gastric carcinogenesis. It...Full Text Available
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of disclosure to network members of being hepatitis C virus (HCV)- or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected among injecting dyads of infected injection drug users (IDUs) in Budapest, Hungary and Vilnius, Lithuania,. Multivariate generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to assess associations. Very strong infection disclosure norms exist in Hungary, and HCV disclosure was associated with using drugs and having sex within the dyad. Non-ethnic Russian IDUs in Lithuania were more likely to disclose HCV infection to non-Roma, emotionally close and HCV-infected network members, and to those with whom they shared cookers, filters, drug solutions or rinse water or got used syringes from, and if they had fewer non-IDU or IDU network members. Ethnic Russian Lithuanian IDUs were more likely to disclose HCV if they had higher disclosure attitude and knowledge scores, 'trusted' ...
Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and play a central role in the induction of antiviral immune responses. Recently, we have shown that monocyte-derived DC (MoDC) from...Full Text Available
Most algorithms for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from electron micrographs assume that images correspond to projections of the 3D structure. This approximation limits the attainable resolution of the reconstruction when the dimensions of the structure exceed the depth of field of the microscope. We have developed two methods to calculate a reconstruction that corrects for the depth of field. Either method applied to synthetic data representing a large virus yields a higher resolution reconstruction than a method lacking this correction.
Mutations in full-length HBV isolates obtained from a chronic HBV-infected patient were evaluated at three time points: 1 day, 6 months, and 31 months. While 5 nucleotides variation, and an 18 bp...Full Text Available
Daily oral treatment with the cyclopentyl 2′-deoxyguanosine nucleoside BMS-200475 at doses ranging from 0.02 to 0.5 mg/kg of body weight for 1 to 3 months effectively reduced the level of woodchuck...Full Text Available
The efficacy of a heat inactivated hepatitis B virus vaccine, containing 3 micrograms hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), was studied in a high risk group of 800 susceptible homosexual men by a randomised...Full Text Available
Toxin-secreting “killer” yeasts were initially identified >40 years ago in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains infected with a double-stranded RNA “killer”...Full Text Available
Using an anti-receptor mAb that blocks the attachment of echovirus 7 and related viruses (echoviruses 13, 21, 29 and 33), we have isolated a complementary DNA clone that encodes the human decay-accelerating...Full Text Available
The NucliSens easyMAG and BioRot 9604 automated nucleic acid extraction systems were evaluated and compared with the manual QIAamp (Qiagen) extraction method for their abilities to extract nucleic acid...Full Text Available
Two cellular DNA regions representing common domains for proviral DNA integration ( Mlvi -1 and Mlvi -2) have been identified in Moloney murine leukemia virus-induced rat thymic lymphomas. Cellular...Full Text Available
The CNS is a unique organ due to its limited capacity for immune surveillance. As macrophages of the CNS, microglia represent a population originally known for the ability to assist neuronal stability,...Full Text Available
APOBEC3G exerts its antiviral activity by targeting to retroviral particles and inducing viral DNA hypermutations in the absence of Vif. However, the mechanism by which APOBEC3G is packaged into virions...Full Text Available
Cholestatic liver injury induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) is provoked by injury to intrahepatic bile ducts and the progression of hepatic necrosis requires the procoagulant protein tissue factor (TF) and extrahepatic cells including neutrophils. Recent studies have shown that myeloid cell TF contributes to neutrophil activation. We tested the hypothesis that myeloid cell TF contributes to neutrophil activation in ANIT-treated mice. TF activity in liver homogenates increased significantly in TF^f^l^o^x^/^f^l^o^x mice treated with ANIT, but not in TF^f^l^o^x^/^f^l^o^x/LysMCre mice (TFD^M^y^e^l^o^i^d mice), which have reduced TF expression in monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils. Myeloid cell-specific TF deficiency did not alter expression of the chemokines KC or MIP-2 but redu...
Six species having characteristics of plants with the C(4) dicarboxylic photosynthetic pathway, Echinochloa utilis L. Ohwi et Yabuno (Japanese millet), Cynodon dactylon L. (Bermuda grass), Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb., Amaranthus tricolor L. cv. Early splendour, Kochia childsii Hort., and Portulaca grandiflora Hook (rose moss), responded decisively to 0.1 milliequivalent per liter NaCl supplied to their culture solutions initially containing less than 0.08 microequivalent per liter Na. Chlorosis and necrosis occurred in leaves of plants not receiving sodium. Portulaca failed to set flower in the sodium-deficient cultures. Under similar conditions Poa pratensis L. (Kentucky blue grass) having characteristics of the C(3) photosynthetic pathway made normal growth and did not respond to the addition of sodium. It is concluded from these results and previously reported work that sodium is generally essential for species having the C(4) pathway but not for species with the ...
Six species having characteristics of plants with the C4 dicarboxylic photosynthetic pathway, Echinochloa utilis L. Ohwi et Yabuno (Japanese millet), Cynodon dactylon L. (Bermuda grass), Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb., Amaranthus tricolor L. cv. Early splendour, Kochia childsii Hort., and Portulaca grandiflora Hook (rose moss), responded decisively to 0.1 milliequivalent per liter NaCl supplied to their culture solutions initially containing less than 0.08 microequivalent per liter Na. Chlorosis and necrosis occurred in leaves of plants not receiving sodium. Portulaca failed to set flower in the sodium-deficient cultures. Under similar conditions Poa pratensis L. (Kentucky blue grass) having characteristics of the C3 photosynthetic pathway made normal growth and did not respond to the addition of sodium. It is concluded from these results and previously reported work that sodium is generally essential for species having the C4 pathway but not for species with the C3 ...
A 52-year-old woman had a history of left hearing loss for 5 years. An acoustic neurinoma with 3.2 cm in diameter was diagnosed and treated with gamma-knife radiosurgery (19 Gy of marginal dose) 1 year and 4 months ago. She developed headache, nausea, and visual disturbance 1 month prior to admission. Slight left facial palsy appeared after radiosurgery. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the tumor with central necrosis in the left cerebellopontine angle cistern, increasing in size to 3.5 cm in diameter, and hydrocephalus. Tumor removal was performed incompletely, because of the fibrous appearance of the tumor and severe adherence with the surrounding cerebellar tissue. Facial palsy did not worsen after surgery. Since the hydrocephalus was not resolved, a right ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was inserted. The clinical course in this case suggests that tumor removal followed by radiosurgery was an approximately effective treatment for large acoustic neurinoma. ...
We performed histological examination of 69 samples of Acropora sp. manifesting different types of tissue loss (Acropora White Syndrome-AWS) from Hawaii, Johnston Atoll and American Samoa between 2002 and 2006. Gross lesions of tissue loss were observed and classified as diffuse acute, diffuse subacute, and focal to multifocal acute to subacute. Corals with acute tissue loss manifested microscopic evidence of necrosis sometimes associated with ciliates, helminths, fungi, algae, sponges, or cyanobacteria whereas those with subacute tissue loss manifested mainly wound repair. Gross lesions of AWS have multiple different changes at the microscopic level some of which involve various microorganisms and metazoa. Elucidating this disease will require, among other things, monitoring lesions over time to determine the pathogenesis of AWS and the potential role of tissue-associated microorganisms in the genesis of tissue loss. Attempts to experimentally induce AWS should ...
Fourteen patients with cervical hip fractures were treated with internal fixation using titanium screws. The femoral head vitality was evaluated with "9"9Tc"m-MDP scintigraphy and scintimetry within 2 weeks postoperatively and by serial low field magnetic resonance imaging (MR). Two patients with reduced radionuclide uptake (femoral head ratio =# 1.0), MR revealed a focal decrease of the signal intensity in the femoral head or neck at 2, 3 and 7 months after fracture, respectively. The radiographs in one of these patients were normal at 7 months after fracture. The second one showed signs of necrosis at 16 months and the last one developed delayed/non-union. With a non-ferromagnetic osteosynthesis the healing course after femoral neck fracture can be studied with low field MR equipment without disturbing artifacts. The time period between ischaemia and definite abnormalities on MR may embrace several months. (orig.).
Our purpose was to investigate the usefulness of Lipiodol-CT for detection of residual viable neoplastic tissue in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions treated by means of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI). An emulsion of 5 to 20 ml iodized oil and 50 to 70 mg doxorubicin hydrochloride was intraarterially injected in 18 patients with 25 HCC lesions treated by means of PEI one to 24 months before. At CT performed 3 to 5 weeks after injection, retention of Lipiodol was observed in 9 of 13 tumors that still contained viable neoplastic tissue and in 2 of 12 tumors proven to have undergone complete necrosis after PEI. The sensitivity and specificity of Lipiodol-CT were 69.2% and 83.3%, respectively. Thus, Lipiodol-CT seems to have limited diagnostic value after PEI, probably as a consequence of the alcohol-induced vascular damage, accounting for both false-negative and false-positive results. (orig.).
The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal technique for delivering postoperative radiotherapy for vulvar cancer and other tumors requiring treatment of the inguinal nodes. This project compared tumor coverage and normal tissue sparing for the 5 main radiotherapy techniques that are used to treat vulvar cancer. The intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plan was undesirable because it resulted in an excessive dose to portions of the central pelvic structures. The photon thunderbird with skin match was unacceptable because it underdosed a portion of the groin region. The electron thunderbird was ideal for thin patients but was not applicable for most patients because of excessive dose to the skin and subcutaneous tissues. The photon through-and-through and the photon thunderbird with deep match were acceptable in most situations. In thin patients, where the depth of the inguinal vessels is less than 3 cm, the electron thunderbird is the technique of choice. In the ...
Abstract in english Cell death is preceded by severe disruption of inorganic ion homeostasis. Seconds to minutes after an injury, calcium, protons, sodium, potassium and chloride are exchanged between the cell and its environment. Simultaneously, ions are shifted between membrane compartments inside the cell, whereby mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum play a crucial role. Depending of the type and severity of injury, two mutually exclusive metastable states can be reached, which predict (more) the final outcome. Cells characterized by large increases in cytosolic [Ca2+], [Na+]; and [Mg2+] swell and die by necrosis; alternatively, cells characterized by high [H+]and low [K+], with normal [Na+] and normal to moderate [Ca2+] increases die by apoptosis. The levels of these ions represent central determinants in signaling events leading to cell death. Their movements are explained mechanistically by specific modulation of membrane transport proteins including ...
The product of the human GRO gene is a cytokine with inflammatory and growth-regulatory properties; GRO is also called MGSA for melanoma growth-stimulatory activity. The authors have identified two additional genes, GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma#, that share 90% and 86% identity at the deduced amino acid level with the original GRO#alpha# isolate. One amino acid substitution of proline in GRO#alpha# by leucine in GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma# leads to a large predicted change in protein conformation. Significant differences also exist in the 3' untranslated region, including different numbers of ATTTA repeats associated with mRNA instability. A 122-base-pair region in the 3' region is conserved among the three GRO genes, and a part of it is also conserved in the Chinese hamster genome, suggesting a role in regulation. DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes and partial sequence analysis of the genomic clones confirm that the three forms are derived from related but different genes. Only one ...
Small bowel obstructions can be distinguished into more simple and closed loop obstructions. The latter is a more severe condition which is often complicated by strangulation with vascular impairment, edema and intramural and mesenteric hemorrhage. Consequent arterial insufficiency rapidly leads to ischemia, infarction and necrosis. The radiologist plays a role in the early recognition of the closed loop obstruction and of any sign of strangulation. The role of CT in the diagnosis and workup of patients with suspected intestinal occlusion has been analyzed in the literature with reported 63% sensitivity, 78% specificity and 66% accuracy. CT is also capable of revealing the causes of occlusion in 73-95% of cases. The above CT signs allow to identify closed loop obstruction and also small bowel strangulation, thus supplying a valuable contribution to diagnosis and accurate preoperative evaluation. The conclusion is that CT can accurately demonstrate the presence of ...
Purpose: To evaluate contrast-enhanced CT scan in the diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by correlating the CT appearance with pathologic specimens. Materials and methods: Twenty-eight patients with pathologically proven intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were examined. Unenhanced abdominal CT study were performed in 28 patients; conventional contrast-enhanced CT in 27 patients. Enhanced CT scan including fast injection, fast scan and delayed scan at the largest section of the lesion was done in 7 patients. Contiguous 10 mm CT scans of the surgical specimens were also obtained in 8 patients. The preoperative and specimen CT scans in these 8 patients were compared with the corresponding pathological sections. A total of 103 areas of the pathological sections was compared with the CT appearances. Results: All lesions contained areas of delayed contrast enhancement and/or no enhancement on CT examinations. The areas of delayed contrast enhancement corresponded to areas of extensive ...
OBJECTIVE:- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors can be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but may lead to anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity and lupus-like reactions. Because of its unique structure, certolizumab has lower rates of these complications. We sought to investigate whether patients who have had lupus-like reactions to infliximab or adalimumab would be able to tolerate certolizumab. METHODS:- We performed a retrospective analysis on the 23 patients at the Roberts Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center who received certolizumab for the treatment of Crohn's disease from March 2008 to June 2009. We identified 6 patients who were switched to this drug because of lupus-like reactions from prior anti-TNF therapy and had documented ANA after the reaction and prior to cert...
As reported previously (Namba et al., 1985), normal human fibroblasts were transformed by 60Co gamma-ray irradiation into immortal cells with abnormal karyotypes. These transformed cells (KMST-6), however, showed a low cloning efficiency in soft agar and no transplantability. However, upon treatment with Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MSV), the cells acquired elevated clonability in soft agar and transplantability in nude mice. Ha-MSV alone, however, did not convert normal human fibroblasts into either immortal or tumorigenic cells. The Ha-MSV-transformed KMST-6 cells showed an enhanced expression of the ras oncogene, but normal and 60Co gamma-ray-transformed cells did not. Our current data suggest that gamma rays worked against normal human cells as an initiator, giving rise to chromosome aberrations and immortality, and that Ha-MSV, probably through its ras oncogene, played a role in the progression of the malignant cell population to a more malignant one ...
Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement, whether primary by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus - HIV - itself, or secondary (toxoplasmosis or lymphoma) is remarkably frequent in AIDS, in 40 to 70% of cases, depending upon the author. In order to study the natural history of this illness, a cohort of 25 asymptomatic seropositive patients have been established. Every 6 months these patients undergo biological and clinical examinations, as well as Magnetic Resonance brain scans. After two examinations at a 6 month's interval, the first results are reported. Out of these 25 cases, 9 present anomalies: One patient with diffuse cerebral atrophy and 8 others with high signal intensity areas on T2 weighted sequences, like those of the Multiple Sclerosis. No relationship could be demonstrated between the existence of these lesions and various criteria such as age, sex, risk factors and T4 cells count. The nature of these lesions is not lear. They certainly indicate early ...
Abstract Background & aims: Hepatitis B or C virus infection is considered to be the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogen associated with HCC in regions with high exposure. Mutations in codon 249, exon 7 are a hallmark of AFB1 exposure. Therefore, to clarify the role of AFB1 in hepatocarcinogenesis, we examined AFB1-DNA in liver tissue and sequenced TP53 in Japanese patients with HCC. Methods: Hepatocyte AFB1-DNA adducts were determined immunohistochemically and direct sequencing of TP53 was done to determine mutations in 188 of 279 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC. We assessed hepatitis C virus antibodies (HCV Ab) and HBSAg expression; patients without either were defined as having non-B non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (...
We report here a study of the mechanisms leading to loss of growth control in chicken embryo fibroblasts transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). We have been particularly concerned with the role of the src gene in this process, and have used RSV mutants temperature sensitive (ts) for transformation to investigate the nature of the growth regulatory lesion. The two principal findings were (1) the stationary phase of the cell cycle (G{sub 1}) in chick embryo fibroblasts seems to have two distinct regulatory compartments (using the terminology of Brooks et al. we refer to these as 'Q' and 'A' states). When rendered stationary at 41.5 C by serum deprivation, normal cells enter a Q state, but cells infected with the ts-mutant occupy an A state. (2) Whereas normal cells can occupy either state depending on culture conditions, the ts-infected cells, at 41.5 C, do not seem to enter Q even though a known src gene product, a kinase, is ...
The preS2 antigens of hepatitis B virus (HBV), which causes a serious health problem in the world, have been implicated in hepatocyte cell binding and viral penetration. Therefore, the importance of antibody production against preS2 antigen for early diagnosis of HBV has been well established. In this study, the recombinant HBV preS2 single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody was successfully expressed in E. coli with the novel cold shock vector (pCold) under the cspA promoter, and its expression level was compared with the pET vector under the T7 promoter. Additionally, a host with an oxidizing cytoplasm, E. coli trxB/gor double mutant, was used to improve the soluble expression. The anti-HBV preS2 scFv using pCold vector was successfully expressed in a soluble and functional form in ...
The effectiveness of Noveko's antimicrobial filter was evaluated after 16 months of exposure to commercial swine production. The experiment involved the use of a scaled model of a commercial swine facility consisting of 2 small chambers connected by a duct containing the filters. A 5 kg naive pig was placed in the reception chamber for a period of 6 hours after aerosolization with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Blood samples from pigs were collected before and after aerosolization to test for the presence of PRRSV RNA. Only blood samples were tested for PRRSV antibodies by IDEXX 2XR ELISA. None of the 9 pigs tested were found to be infected. The study showed that the technology used to integrate the antimicrobial agent into the filter fibers allows the filter combination to withstand extreme weather and endure commercial swine production for at least 16 months, and can maintain its effectiveness to avoid airborne transmission ...
The low in vivo transduction efficiency of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and the undesirably strong immunogenicity of adenovirus (rAdv) have limited their clinical utilization in cancer gene therapy. We have previously demonstrated that intratumoral injection of rAAV expressing a C-terminal polypeptide of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (rAAV-hTERTC27) effectively inhibits the growth of glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. To further improve its efficacy, we combined rAAV-hTERTC27 with rAdv and investigated the efficiency of the cocktail vectors in vivo. At a nontherapeutic dose (1 x 108 plaque-forming units (PFUs)), rAdv-null and rAdv-hTERTC27 were equipotent in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of rAAV-hTERTC27 (1.5 x 1011?v.g.), and complete tumor regression w...
Multiplex PCR is practically a reasonable choice for molecular marker-assisted selection in potato breeding. We had developed and were using a multiplex PCR method for selection of resistance genes to cyst nematode (H1), Potato virus X (Rx1) and late blight (R1 and R2). Since then, more reliable and tightly linked markers for H1 and R2, and a new marker for resistance to Potato virus Y (Ry chc ) were developed. In this article, all these superior markers, including a positive marker to eliminate PCR-failed samples, were incorporated into one multiplex PCR assay. Using the newly developed multiplex PCR technique, five plants potentially harboring all five resistance genes were selected from 96 hybrid plants approximately 5?h after DNA extraction, which is a third of the operation time compa...
This is a review of recently published literature on surgery in tropical Africa. It presents the current state of surgical need and surgical practice on the continent. We discuss the enormous burden of surgical pathology (as far as it is known) and the access to and acceptability of surgery. We also describe the available facilities in terms of equipment and manpower. The study looked at the effects of the human immunodeficiency virus, the role of traditional healers, anesthesia, and the economics of surgery. Medical training and research are discussed, as are medical migration out of Africa and the concept of task shifting, where surgical procedures are performed by others when surgeons are not available. It closes with recommendations for involvement and action in this area of great glob...
Marburg virus belongs to the genus Marburgvirus in the family Filoviridae and causes a severe hemorrhagic fever, known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF), in both humans and nonhuman primates. Similar to the more widely known Ebola hemorrhagic fever, MHF is characterized by systemic viral replication, immunosuppression and abnormal inflammatory responses. These pathological features of the disease contribute to a number of systemic dysfunctions including hemorrhages, edema, coagulation abnormalities and, ultimately, multiorgan failure and shock, often resulting in death. A detailed understanding of the pathological processes that lead to this devastating disease remains elusive, a fact that contributes to the lack of licensed vaccines or effective therapeutics. This article will review the...
The first candidate rotavirus vaccine was a live attenuated oral vaccine made by the classical empirical method of serial passage of virus in tissue culture cells. Current tetravalent vaccine candidates that are in the final stages of efficacy testing in the United States were made by genetic reassortment. This article briefly highlights how advances in the basic understanding of the molecular biology of rotaviruses have facilitated vaccine development. New approaches for second-generation vaccines and improvements in vaccine efficacy based on further exploitation of the tools and knowledge of rotavirus molecular biology and pathogenesis are discussed. PMID:8752289
Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) entry into target cell is initiated by the ionic interactions between positively charged viral envelop glycoproteins and a negatively charged cell surface heparan sulfate (HS). This first step involves the induction of HS-rich filopodia-like structures on the cell surface that facilitate viral transport during cell entry. Targeting this initial first step in HSV-1 pathogenesis, we generated different zinc oxide (ZnO) micro-nano structures (MNSs) that were capped with multiple nanoscopic spikes mimicking cell induced filopodia. These MNSs were predicted to target the virus to compete for its binding to cellular HS through their partially negatively charged oxygen vacancies on their nanoscopic spikes, to affect viral entry and subsequent spread. Our results demonstrate that the partially negatively charged ZnO-MNSs efficiently trap the virions via a novel virostatic mechanism rendering them unable to enter into ...
We developed prototype chemistry for nucleic acid hybridization on our bead-based diagnostics platform and we established an automatable bead handling protocol capable of 50 part-per-billion (ppb) sensitivity. We are working towards a platform capable of parallel, rapid (10 minute), raw sample testing for orthogonal (in this case nucleic acid and immunoassays) identification of biological (and other) threats in a single sensor microsystem. In this LDRD we developed the nucleic acid chemistry required for nucleic acid hybridization. Our goal is to place a non-cell associated RNA virus (Bovine Viral Diarrhea, BVD) on the beads for raw sample testing. This key pre-requisite to showing orthogonality (nucleic acid measurements can be performed in parallel with immunoassay measurements). Orthogonal detection dramatically reduces false positives. We chose BVD because our collaborators (UC-Davis) can supply samples from persistently infected animals; and because ...
Bombyx mandarina nucleopolyhedrovirus (BomaNPV) is a variant of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). BomaNPV S1 strain has been reported to be significantly less virulent than the BmNPV T3 strain via the oral infection route in B. mori larvae, but other features of S1 including budded virus (BV) infectivity and virus propagation in cultured cells are still unknown. In this study, we compared BV infectivity of S1 and T3 in B. mori larvae and cultured cells. Larval bioassays by intrahemocoelic BV injection revealed that the median lethal dose of S1's BV was approximately three times lower than that of T3. In addition, S1 produced more BVs and occlusion bodies (OBs) in the hemolymph of B. mori larvae compared with T3. Furthermore, we observed that the locomotion was enhanced earlier and the median lethal time was shorter in S1-infected larvae compared with those in T3-infected larvae. Western blot analysis of S1- and T3-infected BmN cells ...
We have previously shown that budded viruses of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) enter the cell cytoplasm but do not migrate into the nuclei of non-permissive Sf9 cells that support a high titer of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) multiplication. Here we show, using the syncytium formation assay, that low-pH-triggered membrane fusion of BmNPV GP64 protein (Bm-GP64) is significantly lower than that of AcMNPV GP64 protein (Ac-GP64). Mutational analyses of GP64 proteins revealed that a single amino acid substitution between Ac-GP64 H155 and Bm-GP64 Y153 can have significant positive or negative effects on membrane fusion activity. Studies using bacmid-based GP64 recombinant AcMNPV harboring point-mutated ac-gp64 and bm-gp64 genes showed that Ac-GP64 H155Y and Bm-GP64 Y153H substitutions decreased and increased, respectively, the multiplication and cell-to-cell spread of progeny viruses. These results ...
Purpose: Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults. The purpose of the study was to correlate MR imaging features with the four ICD subclasses. Methods: 28 patients with liposarcoma were examined preoperatively on a 1.0 T MRI system, using spin echo sequences, gradient echo imaging and STIR sequences. In all patients, classification of the liposarcomas was made by histologic diagnosis (ICD-10-M-classification). Results: Well differentiated liposarcomas (9 patients) showed a number of MRI features consistent with lipoma (well defined mass high signal intensity (SI) on T{sub 1} images, low signal on T{sub 2} images, no or only little signal increase of tumour tissue after contrast material application, no necrosis). Not well differentiated liposarcomas (myxoid 14 patients, pleomorphic three patients, round cell two patients) revealed the largest part of the mass to be of low SI on T{sub 1}-weighted images. Only scattered fatty islands and septa (9 ...
The most advanced frontier of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is represented by the use of an HLA-partially matched relative as donor. In this type of transplantation, donor-derived natural killer (NK) cells, which are alloreactive towardtoward recipient cells, significantly contribute to the eradication of leukemia blasts. Alloreactive NK cells may also kill host dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, thus preventing graft-versus-host disease and graft rejection, respectively. Sophisticated strategies of adoptive infusion of T-cell lines/clones specific for the most life-threatening pathogens (namely cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Aspergillus and Adenovirus) have been envisaged, and successfully tested in a few pilot trials, to protect the recipient in the...
SummaryPrimary visual cortex recombines inputs from magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) streams to create functionally specialized outputs. Understanding these input-output relationships is complicated by the fact that layer 4B, which provides outputs to dorsal visual areas, contains multiple cell types. Using a modified rabies virus that expresses green fluorescent protein, we show that layer 4B neurons projecting to MT are a majority spiny stellate, whereas those projecting to V2 are overwhelmingly pyramidal. Regardless of cell type, MT-projecting neurons have larger cell bodies, more dendritic length, and are deeper within layer 4B. Furthermore, MT-projecting pyramidal neurons are located preferentially underneath cytochrome oxidase blobs, indicating that MT-projecting neurons of bo...
In order to investigate the potential role of arctic geese in the epidemiology, the spatial and temporal spread of selected avian diseases, in autumn 2002, a virological and serological survey designed as capture-mark-resighting study was conducted in one of the most important coastal resting sites for migratory waterfowl in Germany. Oropharyngeal, cloacal swabs and blood samples were collected from a total of 147 birds comprising of three different arctic geese species including White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), Tundra Bean Goose (Anser fabalis rossicus), Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) as well as from 29 non-migratory Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). Altogether, six adeno-like viruses (ALV; 95% CI, 1.74?9.92%) and two avian paramyxoviruses (APMV-4; 95% CI, 0.19?5.53%) were...
European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is a marine species of great economic importance, particularly in Mediterranean aquaculture. However, numerous pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites affect the species, causing various infectious diseases and thereby leading to the most heavy losses in aquaculture production of sea bass. In this respect, knowledge on molecular and genetic mechanisms of resistance to pathogens and specific features of immune response against various infectious agents should greatly benefit the development of effective vaccines and proper vaccination strategies in marker-assisted selection of fish resistant to a range of infections. To date, genetic knowledge on sea bass immune regulatory genes responsible for resistance to pathogens is relatively poor ...
Ten children receiving maintenance dialysis were immunized with the standard dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine between 15 and 33 months of age. Immune responses to vaccination were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for measles, mumps, and rubella viruses. Eight children responded to measles vaccine, 5 to mumps vaccine, 8 to rubella vaccine, and only 3 children to all three vaccines, compared with a seroconversion rate of over 90% to all three vaccines in healthy children (P less than 0.0001). We contend that the relatively poor immunocompetence of our dialysis patients explains their less than optimal vaccine response and suggest that children vaccinated while undergoing dialysis be tested to confirm serological evidence of immunity. PMID:1571219
A better understanding of the immune processes in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer (CaP) may point the way towards improved treatment modalities. The challenge is to amplify immune responses to combat tumour escape mechanisms. Infection and inflammation may have a role in prostate carcinogenesis, including the newly discovered xenotropic murine leukaemia virus (XMRV). These inflammatory states damage defence mechanisms and induce a high proliferative state favouring further mutation and impaired immune surveillance. With this knowledge we are able to explore the use of immunotherapy to rejuvenate the immune system in combating CaP. Recently Sipuleucel-T, an immunotherapeutic agent for metastatic androgen independent CaP, has resulted in improved survival and might be the...
Understanding of probiotic-induced regulatory gene expression and networking is critical to further explore their roles in controlling infection. Transcriptional profile of selected innate immune genes in primary bovine intestinal epithelial cells was assessed over a time course of incubation with the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. Based on gene expression results, a time point was chosen to prime epithelial cells with the probiotic prior to infection with rotavirus. Plaque assays and genomic analysis provided the basis for establishing the efficacy of probiotics in preventing a rotaviral infection. Plaque assays revealed that the probiotic is capable of decreasing (at least by 100-fold) the levels of live virus when the cells were primed with the probiotic. Results from gene expr...
Mimivirus is the prototype of a new family (the Mimiviridae) of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs), which already include the Poxviridae, Iridoviridae, Phycodnaviridae and Asfarviridae. Mimivirus specifically replicates in cells from the genus Acanthamoeba. Proteomic analysis of purified mimivirus particles revealed the presence of many subunits of the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II complex. A fully functional pre-transcriptional complex appears to be loaded in the virions, allowing mimivirus to initiate transcription within the host cytoplasm immediately upon infection independently of the host nuclear apparatus. To fully understand this process, a systematic study of mimivirus proteins that are predicted (by bioinformatics) or suspected (by proteomic analysis) to be involved in...
Between 1983 and 1986, 35 of 90 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had double-contrast esophagograms to rule out opportunistic esophagitis. The radiographs were reviewed without knowledge of the clinical or endoscopic findings. Candida esophagitis was diagnosed radiographically in 17 patients who had varying degrees of plaque formation and viral esophagitis in three who had discrete ulcers without plaques. All three patients with viral esophagitis (herpes in 2 and cytomegalo virus in one) and 15 of 17 with Candida esophagitis had endoscopic and/or clinical corroboration of the radiographic diagnosis. Thus, the authors' experience suggests that fungal and viral esophagitis can often be differentiated on double-contrast esophagography, so that appropriate antifungal or antiviral therapy can be instituted without need for endoscopic intervention.
We investigated the presence of XMRV in a cohort of Quebec patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). DNA was purified from activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PCR was used to detect XMRV gag and env in 72 patients. Anti-XMRV antibodies were searched in sera of 62 patients by Western blot analysis. Attempts to detect XMRV antigens was made, using immunofluorescence with Gag anti-p30 antiserum on activated PBMC from 50 patients. Plasma viremia was measured by RT-PCR on 9 subjects. Finally, detection of infectious virus in 113 CFS subjects was made by co-culture of PHA+IL-2 activated PBMC with human LNCaP carcinoma cells, and by infecting the same susceptible cells with plasma, using a reverse transcriptase (RT) assay as a readout in both experiments. No detection of ...
We report for the first time a relationship between the Tpl-2/cot oncogene and Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) associated transformation of mammary gland cells. A sub-genomic library generated from a primary mammary gland tumor yielded a novel MMTV integration site which disrupted the Tpl-2/cot proto-oncogene between exons 7 and 8. Comparison of a cell line derived from normal mammary gland (comma-D) and a cell line established from an MMTV induced mammary tumor (GR) demonstrated similar rearrangements within Tpl-2/cot for the GR cells but not in the comma-D cells. These rearrangements in the cell line were accompanied by an increase in the level of Tpl-2/cot specific mRNA. This data suggests that Tpl-2/cot expression may be important in epithelial cell transformation or tumor progression. PMID:8934549
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered to be one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and the most common one in Africa and Asia. Over the last decade, a rising incidence of up to 10-15/100,000 per population has been seen in the Western world, with an estimate of 250,000 deaths and more than a million worldwide per year. By the year 2010, the World Health Organization expects that HCC will be the leading cause of cancer mortality surpassing lung cancer. This increasing incidence is most likely related to an increasing prevalence of chronic hepatitis C (HC) and B (HB) virus infections and other diseases inducing chronic inflammation (Befeler and Di Bisceglie 2002; Llovet et al. 2003).
Abstract Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are the most important infections transmitted by the parenteral route in patients receiving maintenance dialysis. The prevalence varies markedly from country to country. The aim of this study is to review the efficacy of the strategies to reduce the incidence of these infections and the trend of results in Iran. As a routine, all hemodialysis patients in Iran have biannual blood samples for assessment of serum HBSAg, HBS Abs, and HCV Abs. The data are collected in the Ministry of Health. For statistical analysis, prevalence, and incidence were calculated. There is an increasing prevalence/incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Iran, from 238/49.9 pmp in 2000 to 357/63.8 pmp in 2006. The prevalence of positive HBSAg and HCV Abs decrease...
The purpose of this study was to validate through natural exposure a cut-off level of varicella zoster IgG as protective against infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). Laboratory testing to determine VZV immune status of pregnant women exposed to varicella is recommended. Quantitative assays are now available which are sensitive and specific. More than 200 consecutive requests for screening in pregnant patients with recent varicella contacts were followed-up by questionnaire. DiaSorin LIAISON and VZV time resolved fluorescence immuno assay (VZV TRFIA) were used to measure VZV antibody level. One hundred fifty out of 209 (72%) questionnaires were returned; 14 patients developed varicella, 129 did not and seven were not known. Patients who had been given VZIG and developed varicella on...
The role of adaptation in the divergence of lineages has long been a central question in evolutionary biology, and as multilocus sequence data sets have become available for a wide range of taxa, empirical estimates of levels of adaptive molecular evolution are increasingly common. Estimates vary widely among taxa, with high levels of adaptive evolution in Drosophila, bacteria, and viruses but very little evidence of widespread adaptive evolution in hominids. Although estimates in plants are more limited, some recent work has suggested that rates of adaptive evolution in a range of plant taxa are surprisingly low and that there is little association between adaptive evolution and effective population size in contrast to patterns seen in other taxa. Here, we analyze data from 35 loci for si...
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs. Shyh-Ching Lo and Harvey Alter discovered the presence of sequences closely related to XMRV in the blood of 86.5% of patients with CFS [1]. These findings are important because since the initial discovery of XMRV in CFS, several studies have failed to find XMRV in specimens collected from CFS patients. While the current study also did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al. did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV), which share considerable similarity with XMRV. Criteria for future studies that will help bring greater clarity to the issue of retroviral sequences in CFS are proposed below. PMID:21994623
To test the hypothesis that transduction of the channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) gene, a microbial-type rhodopsin gene, into retinal ganglion cells of genetically blind rats will restore functional vision, we recorded visually evoked potentials and tested the experimental rats for the presence of optomotor responses. The N-terminal fragment of the ChR2 gene was fused to the fluorescent protein Venus and inserted into an adeno-associated virus to make AAV2-ChR2V. AAV2-ChR2V was injected intravitreally into the eyes of 6-month-old dystrophic RCS (rdy/rdy) rats. Visual function was evaluated six weeks after the injection by recording visually evoked potentials (VEPs) and testing optomotor responses. The expression of ChR2V in the retina was investigated histologically. We found that VEPs could not b...
Contrast agent-enhanced CT scans in nine male patients with histologically proved benign lymphoepithelial lesions of the perotid gland were reviewed. All scans showed cystic-appearing masses with peripheral rim enhancement corresponding to the macroscopic appearance of the lesion. Five patients were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or had infections seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Three patients were members of high-risk groups. Only one patient had symptoms of the SICCA syndrome. Once a rare cause of parotid gland enlargement, benign lymphoepithelial lesions have recently been seen with increasing frequency in patients with HIV infection. Although the CT appearance is not pathognomic, correlation results of aspiration cytology and with clinical history can lead to a preoperative diagnosis of a benign lymphoepithelial lesion.
To assess the feasibility of transluminal radiofrequency thermal ablation using a stent-type electrode and to determine, by means of in-vivo and in-vivo animal studies, the appropriate parameters. In-vivo: the radiofrequency electrode used was a self-expandable nitinol stent with 1cm insulated ends. A stent was placed in the portal vein of bovine liver, and ablations at target temperatures of 70, 80, 90, and 100 .deg. C were performed. Ablated sizes were measured longitudinally. In vivo: four mongrel dogs were anesthetized, and a stent was inserted in the common bile duct under fluoroscopic guidance through an ultrasound-guided gall bladder puncture site. The ablation temperature was set at 80 .deg. C, and each dog underwent proximal and distal esophageal ablations lasting 12 minutes. They were sacrificed immediately. In-vivo: ablated sizes showed significant correlation with target temperatures (r>0.04; p<0.05). Although most lesions were fusiform, dumbbell-shaped ...
The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75"N"T"R) is a death receptor which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family of membrane proteins. This study shows that p75"N"T"R retarded cell cycle progression by induced accumulation of cells in G0/G1 and a reduction in the S phase of the cell cycle. The rescue of tumor cells from cell cycle progression by a death domain deleted (#DELTA#DD) dominant-negative antagonist of p75"N"T"R showed that the death domain transduced anti-proliferative activity in a ligand-independent manner. Conversely, addition of NGF ligand rescued retardation of cell cycle progression with commensurate changes in components of the cyclin/cdk holoenzyme complex. In the absence of ligand, p75"N"T"R-dependent cell cycle arrest facilitated an increase in apoptotic nuclear fragmentation of the prostate cancer cells. Apoptosis of p75"N"T"R expressing cells occurred via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway leading to a sequential caspase-9 and ...
Authors obtained T1-weighted MRI images of the femoral head after fracture of the femoral neck and classified the signals into four patterns to investigate the sequential changes of the femoral head. The T1-weighted MRI images obtained initially after femoral neck fracture showed a normal pattern in 10 of the 15 hip joints studied. MRI images obtained subsequently still showed the normal signal pattern in eight of the 10 hip joints which had shown the normal pattern in the first MRI, while two of the 10 joints subsequently showed a band pattern. The joint with the homogeneous pattern in the first MRI subsequently showed a band pattern. Of the three joints with an inhomogeneous pattern in the first MRI, two joints showed a subsequent band pattern, and the other a normal pattern. The joints which showed a band pattern continued to show a similar band pattern. Eventually, all hip joints studied showed a normal or band pattern within six months after intracapsular fracture of the femoral ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) in a small, nonrandomized series. From February 2004 to July 2008, six patients (four men and two women; mean age 69.8 years [range 48 to 83]) with ICCA underwent percutaneous US-guided RFA. Preintervetional transarterial embolization was performed in two cases to decrease heat dispersion during RFA in order to increase the area of ablation. The efficacy of RFA was evaluated using contrast-enhanced dynamic computed tomography (CT) 1 month after treatment and then every 3 months thereafter. Nine RFA sessions were performed for six solid hepatic tumors in six patients. The duration of follow-up ranged from 13 to 21 months (mean 17.5). Posttreatment CT showed total necrosis in four of six tumors after one or two RFA sessions. Residual tumor was observed in two patients with larger ...
Abstract in english BACKGROUND: Severe pathogenic infection triggers excessive release of cytokines as part of the massive inflammatory response associated with septic shock. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the protective effect of caffeic acid phenethye ester (CAPE) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced endotoxemia, hepatic and neuronal damage and the associated systemic inflammatory response (SIR). METHODS: Fifty male Wister rats were divided into: control, LPS, and CAPE+LPS groups. Plasma c (more) oncentrations of various cytokines, including TNF-?, IL-1?, IL-1?, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, and sICAM-1 were evaluated. In addition, the histopathological changes in the hepatic and neural cells were assessed. RESULTS: The LPS group showed high inflammatory cytokines and sICAM-1 levels reflecting the presence of SIR. Hepatocyte necrosis, apoptosis, extensive hemorrhage and inflammatory cellular infiltration together with brain astrocytes swelling, early neuron injury and ...
The vascular status of femoral heads in the post-traumatic period of intracapsular femoral neck fracture (ICFNF) remains uncertain until the patient actually develops avascular necrosis (AVN). Several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, that are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications, and technical difficulties. The present study involved the use of Dynamic MRI (DMRI) in assessing femoral head vascularity to predict AVN. The role of DMRI was studied prospectively in 30 patients with 31 ICFNF. Fractures were divided in to three types (Type A, B, or C) based on the femoral head vascularity shown by dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation. Type A was preserved vascularity, Type B was some decrease in vascularity but still viable while Type C was significantly reduced vascularity. These were followed-up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome in terms of union, non-union, or AVN. ...
Osteonecrosis (ON) of the hip joint remains an unsolved therapeutical problem. Diagnosis of ON of the hip has been improved by the technical progress of imaging modalities and better understanding pathomorphology. Over a long period only plain radiographs have been available. Scintigraphy and computed tomography contributed to differential diagnosis and early detection of bone necrosis. Diagnosis in an early reversible stage is of importance. Understanding of pathophysiology, early diagnosis and therapeutical approach has been significantly improved by MR imaging. Using the ARCO system all imaging modalities and their diagnostic viability are described in the five ARCO stages. At the end a diagnostic algorithm will be proposed. (orig.) [German] Die Osteonekrose des Hueftgelenks (ON) stellt noch immer ein nicht geloestes therapeutisches Problem dar. Die diagnostischen Moeglichkeiten bei der ON wurden in den letzten Jahren durch technische Fortschritte bei den ...
The treatment of bony, osteochondral, and ligamentous injuries of the tibio-talar requires precise preoperative planning by radiological investigation. This is essential to a correct understanding of the underlying pathology and will allow a proper classification of the injury, which is the basis of treatment. Conventional radiography using anteroposterior and lateral X-rays with comparative views of the noninjured side and, if necessary, rotated spot views and tomography are of high value especially in osteochondral fractures of the talus. Intraoperative control images in both planes after osteosynthesis are mandatory. For evaluation of the postoperative course and severity of arthrosis formation, the classification system of Bargon has proved its worth. In addition, tomography of the tibio-talar joint in two planes is useful especially in tibial pilon fractures, some malleolar fractures, and peripheral talar fractures. In talar fracture dislocations with concomitant compartment ...
Cigarette smoking is the major environmental risk factor for bladder cancer in humans. Aromatic amines, potent DNA-reactive bladder carcinogens present in cigarette smoke, contribute significantly. However, increased cell proliferation, caused by direct mitogenesis or in response to cytotoxicity, may also play a role since urothelial hyperplasia has been observed in human cigarette smokers. We examined the urothelial effects of cigarette smoke (whole body inhalation exposure (Teague) system) in female C57BL/6 mice at various times in two studies, including reversibility evaluations. In both studies, no urothelial hyperplasia was observed by light microscopy in any group. However, in study 1, the Ki-67 labeling index (LI) of the urothelium was significantly increased in the smoke exposed group compared to controls through 3 months, but was not present at 6, 9 or 12 months even with continued exposures. In the groups that discontinued smoke exposure, it returned to the same levels as ...
The relative sensitivity and combined value of myocardial technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate imaging and determinations of serum MB creatine phosphokinase (the ''myocardial'' CPK isoenzyme) in detecting acute myocardial infarction were evaluated in 41 patients with suspected infarction and 23 patients recovering from cardiac surgery. In the patients with suspected infarction, myocardial infarction was confirmed in 25 and was consistently associated with increased serum MB CPK. Abnormal radionuclide images were obtained in 23 of 25 patients (92%)) with definite myocardial infarction and in 2 of 16 patients without confirmed infarction. Although the localization of infarction by imaging correlated well with the localization by electrocardiogram, infarct size estimated by imaging did not correlate well with estimates based on peak total serum CPK activity or serial changes in CPK activity. Serum MB CPK activity increased after cardiac surgery in 6 patients undergoing valve replacement ...
Purpose: The aim of this study was to create, perfect and test a hyperthermia balloon catheter for local treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. The device should induce hyperthermia in tumor tissue by acting locally in the bile duct lumen in contact with the tumor-infiltrated duct wall. In addition, it should exert tissue compression to cause an appreciable reduction in tumor microvasculature flow, thus improving thermal performance. Methods: According to the design specifications, the working temperature range should allow the device to be used for hyperthermia therapy either in combination with radiation and/or chemotherapy(radio/chemo-sensitizing effect at 42-45 deg. C) or alone (induction of coagulation necrosis above 65 deg. C). The balloon serves as an anchoring system during treatment and as a functional element to induce tissue compression. In vitro mechanical evaluation of the pressure/volume relationship, with the balloon inside rigid walled conduits, was ...
Lipiodol Ultra-Fluid (Lipiodol) is widely applied in the transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). We studied signal intensity, the T1 relaxation time and the T2 relaxation time of Lipiodol itself using Siemens Magnetom H15-2 T (1.5 Tesla) and Magnetom M10 (1.0 Tesla). Lipiodol showed higher signal intensity than saline solution on the T1-weighted images (short TR, short TE technique in spin echo method). On the T2-weighted images (long TR, long TE technique in spin echo method), Lipiodol showed lower signal intensity than saline solution. The T1 relaxation time of Lipiodol, measured at 1.0 T, was 201 msec and 218 msec at 1.5 T. The T2 relaxation time of Lipiodol, measured at 1.0 T, was 127 msec; and 167 msec at 1.5 T. The signal intensity of Lipiodol at 1.0 T was higher than the intensity at 1.5 T. Shorter T1 relaxation time of Lipiodol at 1.0 T is probably responsible for the higher intensity at 1.0 T. When MRI is performed after TAE with Lipiodol, the signal intensity of Lipiodol ...
Polymethlylmethacrylate (PMMA) is the most frequently used cement for percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. To aid visualisation during surgery cements are doped with radiopacifying agents such as Barium sulphate (Ba(2)SO(4)) or Zirconium Dioxide (ZiO(2)). Mounting research suggests that these agents may impair the biocompatibility of the cements. However, incorporating an alternative radiopacifier agent with excellent biocompatibility would be a significant step forward. Bioactive radiopaque glasses incorporating elements such as strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn), known to have beneficial and therapeutic effects on bone, are of great interest in this respect. In this study, the Ba(2)SO(4) of the commercially available Spineplex was incrementally replaced with a radiopaque therapeutic glass composition. The resulting effects on cement setting time, peak isotherm, ultimate compressive strength, Young's modulus (up to 30 days cement maturation) and radiopacity were evaluated. The ...
Abstract in english Type II reaction in leprosy, or erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), is often characterized by severe clinical symptoms together with nerve function impairment leading to permanent disabilities. Thalidomide has been shown to be a highly effective drug for the treatment of ENL. It is, however, contraindicated for women of childbearing age due to its teratogenicity. On the other hand, pentoxifylline, used to treat hypercoagulable states, is not teratogenic and, like thalidomide (more) , can inhibit the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor-a and other cytokines. In the present randomized double-blind clinical study we compared the effectiveness of orally administered pentoxifylline vs thalidomide in treating type II reaction in 44 patients. Daily doses of 300 mg thalidomide or 1.2 g pentoxifylline were administered for 30 days to multibacillary leprosy patients undergoing type II reaction. Randomly chosen patients were included in the study before, ...
The hepatic artery chemoembolization with Lipiodol, doxorublicin. Gelfoam was performed in 14 mongrel dogs to evaluate embolic effect of these materials to normal liver parenchyma. Fourteen dogs were divided into four experimental groups according to the kinds of embolic materials. 3 dogs with 0.1ml/kg of Lipiodol (Group 1), 4 dogs with 0.1ml/kg of Lipiodol and 0.5mg/kg of doxorubicin (Group 2). 4 dogs with Lipiodol, doxorubicin and 150-300 pieces of 0.5 x 0.5cm sized Gelfoam (Group 3), 3 dogs with Gelfoam alone (Group 4). Follow-up liver function tests and liver CT were performed 1 day, 3 day, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after embolization. Pathologic examination was performed 3 weeks after embolization. Lipiodol densities in group 1 were cleared 2 weeks after embolization, and in group 2, patch and nodular Lipiodol densities were changed to mottled and streaky densities 3 weeks after chemoembolization. In group 3, patch and nodular Lipiodol densities were still remained 3 weeks after ...
Three cDNAs, designated IIA3, IIA3v, and IIA4, coding for P450s in the CYP2A gene subfamily were isolated from a {lambda}gt11 library prepared from human hepatic mRNA. Only three nucleotide differences and a single amino acid difference, Leu{sup 160}{yields}His, were found between IIA3 and IIA3v, indicating that they are probably allelic variants. IIA4 displayed 94% amino acid similarity with IIA3 and IIA3v. The three cDNAs were inserted into vaccinia virus, and recombinant viruses were used to infect human hepatoma Hep G2 cells. Only IIA3 was able to produce an enzyme that had a reduced CO-bound spectrum with a {lambda}{sub max} at 450 nm. This expressed enzyme was able to carry out coumarin 7-hydroxylation and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation. cDNA-expressed IIA3v and IIA4 failed to incorporate heme and were enzymatically inactive. Analysis of IIA proteins in human liver microsomes, using antibody against rat IIA2, revealed two proteins of 49 ...
Three cDNAs, designated IIA3, IIA3v, and IIA4, coding for P450s in the CYP2A gene subfamily were isolated from a #lambda#gt11 library prepared from human hepatic mRNA. Only three nucleotide differences and a single amino acid difference, Leu"1"6"0#->#His, were found between IIA3 and IIA3v, indicating that they are probably allelic variants. IIA4 displayed 94% amino acid similarity with IIA3 and IIA3v. The three cDNAs were inserted into vaccinia virus, and recombinant viruses were used to infect human hepatoma Hep G2 cells. Only IIA3 was able to produce an enzyme that had a reduced CO-bound spectrum with a #lambda#_m_a_x at 450 nm. This expressed enzyme was able to carry out coumarin 7-hydroxylation and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation. cDNA-expressed IIA3v and IIA4 failed to incorporate heme and were enzymatically inactive. Analysis of IIA proteins in human liver microsomes, using antibody against rat IIA2, revealed two proteins of 49 and 50 ...
BackgroundXMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) is the first known example of an exogenous gammaretrovirus that can infect humans. A limited number of reports suggest that XMRV is intrinsically resistant to many of the antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV-1 infection, but is sensitive to a small subset of these inhibitors. In the present study, we used a novel marker transfer assay to directly compare the antiviral drug sensitivities of XMRV and HIV-1 under identical conditions in the same host cell type.ResultsWe extend the findings of previous studies by showing that, in addition to AZT and tenofovir, XMRV and HIV-1 are equally sensitive to AZddA (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyadenosine), AZddG (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyguanosine) and adefovir. These results indicate that specific 3'-azido or acyclic nucleoside analog inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) also block XMRV infection with comparable efficacy in vitro. Our data ...
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the causative agent of the white spot disease of shrimp. Penaeus monodon were captured from Muttukadu Estuary in Chennai, India, transported to the laboratory and maintained in an aerated system with continuous water circulation-biofiltration. WSSV-free P. monodon were challenged by feeding them only once with WSSV-infected tissues of P. monodon. Cumulative mortality (100%) of the infected individuals was determined. Tissues from infected and uninfected shrimp such as muscles, hepatopancreas, heart, gills and eye tissues (100mg of each) and haemolymph (50 microl) were subjected to SDS-PAGE. In infected muscle tissue, six newly expressed proteins were detected. In infected haemolymph, four new proteins and three intensely expressed high molecular weight proteins were observed. Three intensely expressed high molecular weight proteins were detected in infected heart tissue and two new proteins in infected hepatopancreatic tissues. ...
Retroviruses are well known pathogens of mammals, birds and fish. Their potential to induce cancer in chickens was already described almost 100 years ago and murine retroviruses have been a subject of study for 50 years. The first human retroviruses, HTLV and HIV, were discovered more than 30 years ago, surprising researchers and physicians by the profound differences in the diseases they cause. HTLV-1 is able to induce, after decades of infection, lymphomas/leukemia or neuroimmune disorders whereas untreated HIV infection leads almost inevitably to AIDS. The recently described XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) appeared to possess many of the features known for HTLV and was regarded by some to be the third human retrovirus. However, recent publications by Knox et al. [1] and Paprotka et al. [2] have shed new light on this gammaretrovirus. Knox and colleagues clearly demonstrate that XMRV is absent in patients belonging to a ...
HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES IN HUMANS TYPICALLY INVOLVE TWO TYPES OF GENETIC CHANGES: those that promote hematopoietic cell proliferation and survival (often the result of activation of tyrosine kinases) and those that impair hematopoietic cell differentiation (often the result of changes in transcription factors). The multi-stage erythroleukemia induced in mice by Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) is an excellent animal model for studying the molecular basis for both of these changes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis for the multi-stage erythroleukemia induced by Friend SFFV. In the first stage of leukemia, the envelope protein encoded by SFFV interacts with and activates the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor and the receptor tyrosine kinase sf-Stk in erythroid cells, causing their Epo-independent proliferation, differentiation and survival. In the second stage, SFFV integration into the Sfpi1 locus activates the myeloid ...
This study presents the data of an evaluation of the automated Nuclisens easyMAG and EasyQ systems versus the Roche AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR combination for testing of high-volume human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load. This represents a follow-up of a previous study investigating the performance of the real-time Nuclisens assay using the semiautomated NucliSENS miniMAG extraction procedure. Three hundred eighteen patient samples were analyzed using both methods. The easyMAG-EasyQ HIV type 1 system has a higher sensitivity and broader dynamic range than the Cobas AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR system when the standard Roche assay is used alone, 25 to 3,000,000 IU/ml versus 400 to 750,000 HIV RNA copies/ml, respectively. There was significant correlation between the assays (0.93; P < 0.0001), with good accuracy (percent similarity mean ? = 96%), good precision (percent similarity standard deviation = 4.97%), and overall good agreement with a low percent similarity coefficient of ...
The safety of tissue allografts has come under increased scrutiny due to recent reports of allograft-associated bacterial and viral infections in tissue recipients. We report that 50 kGy of gamma irradiation, nearly three times the dose currently used, is an effective pathogen inactivation method when used under optimized conditions that minimize damage to the tissue. Cancellous bone dowels treated with a radioprotectant solution and 50 kGy of optimized irradiation had an ultimate compressive strength and modulus of elasticity equal to conventionally irradiated (18 kGy) and non-irradiated control bone grafts. We subjected bone dowels treated with this pathogen inactivation method to an in vitro cytotoxicity test using three different mammalian cell lines and concluded that the treated grafts were not cytotoxic. The log reduction of nine pathogens spiked into radioprotectant-treated bone irradiated to 50 kGy was also tested. We achieved 4.9 logs of inactivation of a model ...
The low in vivo transduction efficiency of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and the undesirably strong immunogenicity of adenovirus (rAdv) have limited their clinical utilization in cancer gene therapy. We have previously demonstrated that intratumoral injection of rAAV expressing a C-terminal polypeptide of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (rAAV-hTERTC27) effectively inhibits the growth of glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. To further improve its efficacy, we combined rAAV-hTERTC27 with rAdv and investigated the efficiency of the cocktail vectors in vivo. At a nontherapeutic dose (1 x 10(8) plaque-forming units (PFUs)), rAdv-null and rAdv-hTERTC27 were equipotent in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of rAAV-hTERTC27 (1.5 x 10(11) v.g.), and complete tumor regression was achieved in 25% of the treated animals. Importantly, the combination of rAAV-hTERTC27 and a therapeutic dose (2.5 x 10(9) PFU) of rAdv-hTERTC27 significantly augmented the ...
Studies by the University of Lowell Radiation Laboratory and the US National Marine Fisheries Service N.E. Laboratory in Gloucester, MA on softshelled clams (Mya arenaria) demonstrated the effectiveness of low to medium doses of Cobalt 60 source gamma irradiation in the inactivation of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis. Post-irradiation survival and organoleptic studies when extended to hardshelled clams (Mercinaria mercenaria) and American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) showed no significant decline in consumer qualities or 6 day post irradiation survival in oysters at doses of up to 3.0 kGy. The capacities of the American oyster to sustain relatively high doses of gamma irradiation were demonstrated by 6 day post-exposure survivorship values of greater than 90% for samples receiving 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0 kGy. Initial studies of inactivation of Polio I virus and a simian rotavirus (SA-11) was conducted in both ...
A hyaluronic acid binding fraction was purified from the supernatant media of both 3T3 and murine sarcoma virus (MSV) transformed 3T3 cultures by hyaluronate and immunoaffinity chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resolved the hyaluronate affinity-purified fraction into three major protein bands of estimated molecular weight (M/sub r,e/) 70K, 66K, and 56K which contained hyaluronate binding activity and which were termed hyaluronate binding proteins (HABP). Hyaluronate affinity chromatography combined with immunoaffinity chromatography, using antibody directed against the larger HABP, allowed a 20-fold purification of HABP. Fractions isolated from 3T3 supernatant medium also contained additional binding molecules in the molecular weight range of 20K. This material was present in vanishingly small amounts and was not detected with a silver stain or with (/sup 35/S)methionine label. The three protein species isolated by ...
The regional concentrations of nine radiochemicals were measured in rat brain after induction of cerebral ischemia to identify tracers concentrated by brain undergoing selective neuronal necrosis. Transient (30 minute) forebrain ischemia was produced in the rat; 24 hours after cerebral recirculation the radiochemicals were injected intravenously and allowed to circulate for 5 hours. The brain concentrations of the radiochemicals in dissected regions were determined by scintillation counting. Forebrain ischemia of this nature will produce extensive injury to striatal neurons but will spare the great majority of neocortical neurons at 24 hours. The regional concentrations of these radiochemicals varied considerably in both control and ischemic animals. In postischemic animals, 4 radionuclides (/sup 63/Ni, /sup 99/TcO/sub 4/, /sup 22/Na, and (/sup 3/H)tetracycline) were concentrated in the irreversibly damaged striatum in amounts ranging from 1.4 to 2.4 times greater ...
Intracapsular femoral neck fractures remain unsolved fractures even after improvement in techniques of diagnosis and internal fixation. Individuals who sustain displaced femoral neck fractures are at high risk of developing avascular necrosis and non-union. Although several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, they are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications and technical difficulties. Dynamic MRI was introduced in the recent past as a simple, non-invasive technique to predict the femoral head viability after the femoral neck fractures. In this study role of dynamic MRI was studied in 30 patients with 31 intracapsular femoral neck fractures. Fractures were divided in to three types according to dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation and were followed up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome. Sensitivity, Specificity and the Accuracy of dynamic MRI in predicting vascularity ...
Intracapsular femoral neck fractures remain unsolved fractures even after improvement in techniques of diagnosis and internal fixation. Individuals who sustain displaced femoral neck fractures are at high risk of developing avascular necrosis and non-union. Although several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, they are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications and technical difficulties. Dynamic MRI was introduced in the recent past as a simple, non-invasive technique to predict the femoral head viability after the femoral neck fractures. In this study role of dynamic MRI was studied in 30 patients with 31 intracapsular femoral neck fractures. Fractures were divided in to three types according to dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation and were followed up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome. Sensitivity, Specificity and the Accuracy of dynamic MRI in predicting vascularity ...
Minimally invasive thermotherapies for focal tissue destruction on the basis of laser-, microwave-, focused ultrasound-, or cryogeninduced changes of tissue temperature represent an alternative to surgical tissue ablation, particularly in the treatment of tumors. The thermotherapy modalities listed necessitate indirect guidance and monitoring, since they often do not lend themselves to immediate visual control. In the brain, in head and neck tumors, in the liver, and in the prostate, MRI reliably and accurately delineates both the positions of interstitial thermotherapy applicators and - in contrast-enhanced, T1-weighted images - the perfusion defects in tissue necrosis induced by thermotherapy. The transfer of results of in-vitro and in-vivo model studies to assess interstitial temperature and lesion development during thermotherapy to the actual treatment of patients, however, is still in an initial phase. Further development of both rapid MRI sequences and MRI ...
In acute liver failure following hepatitis, toxic insults, or after major liver surgery, there is an increased bacterial translocation from the gut. This may explain some of the infectious complications seen in these conditions. To elucidate mechanisms and find possible preventive measures, we investigated the effect of rectal administration of arginine and probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus spp.) on bacterial translocation and the extent of liver failure. Sprague-Dawley rats were used and five different Lactobacillus strains (Lb. reuteri R2LC, Lb. rhamnosus DSM 6594 (= strain 271), Lb. plantarum DSM 9843 (= strain 299v), Lb. fermentum 8704:3 (= strain 245), and Lb. reuteri (= strain 108) were administered rectally once daily for 8 days with and without 2% arginine. Acute liver injury (ALI) was induced on the eighth day by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (1.1 g/kg body weight), and samples were collected after 24 and 48 hours. Bacterial translocation was evaluated by ...
Authors retrospectively analyzed the CT findings of mediastinal lesions in surgically or clinically confirmed 37 cases at Kosin Medical College during recent 4 years from September 1979 to August 1983. 1. Among 37 caes, malignant lymphoma were 7 cases, thymoma and vascular lesion or anomaly were 5 cases respectively, benign teratoma and tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenitis and neurogenic tumor were 4 cases respectively, pericardial cyst were 2 cases, bronchogenic cyst, non-specific cyst, pancreatic pseudocyst, mesothelioma, Bochdalek hernia was 1 case respectively. 2. The sex ratio between male and female was about 1 : 1 and the majority of the patients with malignant lymphoma and teratoma was under 20 years old. 3. CT findings of the each mediastinal lesion. 1) Primary mediastinal malignant lymphoma. (1) A large, matted, continuous and midline-crossing mass was observed in the superior and the anterior mediastinums in all cases. (2) In 3 cases, irregular lower densities were seen in ...
The most striking feature of quantum mechanics is the existence of superposition states, where an object appears to be in different situations at the same time. Up to now, the existence of such states has been tested with small objects, like atoms, ions, electrons and photons, and even with molecules. Recently, it has been even possible to create superpositions of collections of photons, atoms, or Cooper pairs. Current progress in optomechanical systems may soon allow us to create superpositions of even larger objects, like micro-sized mirrors or cantilevers, and thus to test quantum mechanical phenomena at larger scales. Here we propose a method to cool down and create quantum superpositions of the motion of sub-wavelength, arbitrarily shaped dielectric objects trapped inside a high--finesse cavity at a very low pressure. Our method is ideally suited for the smallest living organisms, such as viruses, which survive under low vacuum pressures, and optically behave ...
Irradiation of live bivalve molluscs is a promising new technique to reduce the public health threats of viral and bacterial pathogens in the consumption of raw shellfish. In studies conducted within the past year, live hardshelled clams and oysters were innoculated with Simian Rotavirus SA-11, Poliovirus I, and Hepatitis-A virus and treated with gamma ray ionizing radiation from University of Lowell/DOE 800,000 Curie "6"0Co source over a dose range of 0.5--10 kiloGray (50--1000 kilorad) to determine the effectiveness of the process in eliminating viral activity and thus easing the potential viral health threats associated with uncooked bivalves. Two viral strains, SA-11 and Poliovirus I, were employed as models to perfect laboratory technique and to estimate the most appropriate range of dose exposures necessary for optimal inactivation of the infectious pathogen, Hepatitis A. Post-irradiation survivorship of the oysters and quahogs was assessed over a range of ...
We have used a cell-free polymerase I transcription system derived from HeLa cells to study the regulation of human rRNA synthesis. Analysis of deletion mutants spanning the start site of transcription at nucleotide +1 indicates that the control region affecting initiation of human rRNA synthesis is contained within sequences from nucleotides -158 to +18. This promoter region can be subdivided into (i) a central segment of approximately 40 base pair that is required for transcription and (ii) flanking sequences that influence the efficiency of transcription in vitro. We have examined the in vitro transcriptional activity of the human extract under various conditions that are thought to modulate rRNA synthesis in vivo. Cell-free extracts prepared from HeLa cells infected with adenovirus 2 synthesize human rRNA at levels greatly decreased relative to uninfected cell extracts. By contrast, in vitro transcription of human rRNA is stimulated 2- to 3-fold by the addition of purified simian ...
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. The authors have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly by HBV integration, in human primary liver tumors. Unique cellular DNA sequences adjacent to an HBV integration site were isolated from a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. These probes detected rearrangement of this cellular region of chromosomal DNA in 3 of 50 additional primary liver tumors studied. Of these three tumor samples, two contained HBV DNA, without an apparent link between the viral DNA and the rearranged allele; HBV DNA sequences were not detected in the third tumor sample. By use of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, these unique cellular DNA sequences were shown to be located on chromosome 4. Therefore, this region of chromosomal DNA might be implicated in the formation of different tumors at one step of ...
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. The authors have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly by HBV integration, in human primary liver tumors. Unique cellular DNA sequences adjacent to an HBV integration site were isolated from a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. These probes detected rearrangement of this cellular region of chromosomal DNA in 3 of 50 additional primary liver tumors studied. Of these three tumor samples, two contained HBV DNA, without an apparent link between the viral DNA and the rearranged allele; HBV DNA sequences were not detected in the third tumor sample. By use of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, these unique cellular DNA sequences were shown to be located on chromosome 4. Therefore, this region of chromosomal DNA might be implicated in the formation of different tumors at one step of ...
Current bioartificial extra-corporeal systems are bioreactors where cells are separated from the surrounding media by porous polymeric membranes. The present work focuses on the design of membranes that allow the differential diffusion of plasma metabolites and proteins such as immunoglobulin (IgG). This design will improve catabolites removal and reduce possible immune response and virus infection. We demonstrate the feasibility to synthesize the hydrogels confined to the macroporous structure of membranes by radiation-induced in situ polymerization. The hollow-fiber membranes were soaked in aqueous monomeric solution, rinsed and irradiated while submerged in oil. This procedure confined the hydrogel to the void internal volume of the pores of the membrane. Hydrogels of polyacrylamide and polyHEMA were synthesized this way by irradiation at 10 kGy. Hydraulic permeability and diffusion of glucose, albumin and IgG were measured in these hydrogel-filled membranes. ...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a common feature of AIDS. Approximately 30-40% of these tumors exhibit clinical features suggestive of endemic Burkitt lymphoma: they are aggressive malignancies that occur in association with Epstein-Barr virus infection, they arise in the setting of immunosuppression, and they carry t(8;14) translocations without detectable rearrangement of the MYC oncogene. To understand the molecular basis of these parallels, the authors analyzed a case of Epstein-Barr-positive AIDS-associated undifferentiated lymphoma. Southern blots show that the tumor exhibits immunoglobulin joining segment rearrangement but no rearrangement of the MYC oncogene. Cloning of the rearranged joining segment allowed the isolation of recombinant clones encompassing the translocation breakpoint, and sequencing of the translocation junction disclosed that the breakpoint is situated 7 base pairs from the chromosome 14 site involved in a previously described endemic Burkitt ...
Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients are an early and common feature. The spectrum of AIDS-related CNS diseases are encephalitis caused by the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) itself, opportunistic infection, infarct and malignancy. We experienced two cases of CNS involvement in AIDS and they were serologically diagnosed as HIV encephalitis and CNS toxoplasmosis, respectively. In the case of the HIV encephalitis patient, brain MRI showed a non-enhancing lesion with high signal intensity on T2WI and low signal on T1WI and there was no mass effect on the right frontal lobe, periventricular white matter, splenium of the corpus callosum or bilateral basal ganglia. In the other case of CNS toxoplasmosis, MR showed multiple nodular and rim enhanced mass lesions in the right basal ganglia, thalamus and periventricular white matter, which were of low signal intensity on T1WI and of high intensity on T2WI. We ...
The expression of three c-onc genes (c-erb, c-myc, c-myb) was investigated in five cell lines established from fibrosarcomas induced with 20-methylcholanthrene (MCA) of Japanese quails. These cell lines showed low levels of the three c-onc genes, with the exception of two cell lines that accumulated moderate (MCAQ 1-4) and large amounts (MCAQ 3-5) of c-myc RNA. Molecular cloning and restriction endonuclease analyses indicated that expression of c-myc in these two cell lines were not associated with detectable rearrangements in the c-myc locus, that the size of the c-myc transcript (2.7 kb) in MCAQ 3-5 was similar to that of the normal c-myc messenger RNAs (mRNA) and that the transcriptional activatin observed in MCAQ 3-5 was not mediated by the LTR (long terminal repeat) of a proximate ALV (avian leukosis virus) provirus. Finally, when analyzed with the restriction enzymes Msp I and Hpa II, the c-myc locus of MCAQ 3-5 and MCAQ 1-4 was found hypomethylated as ...
This Spanish-language master's thesis presents a study which measured special education teachers' knowledge of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus transmission and their attitudes toward children with AIDS in schools. Attitudes were then related to social variables such as sex, teacher's age, and knowing someone with AIDS. A survey of 101 Oswego County, New York, special education teachers found that 52 percent had a moderate knowledge about AIDS transmission, and 48 percent of respondents had a positive perception of children with AIDS. Findings also indicated that teachers had received effective training and information about AIDS; teachers seemed to feel insecure about applying that knowledge to particular situations of possible risk; knowing people with AIDS provoked negative or inadequate perceptions of that population; and age, sex, and teaching experience were not related to teachers' perceptions or AIDS knowledge. Several recommendations are ...
This paper provides a snapshot of the computer network security industry and addresses specific issues related to network security in public education. The following topics are covered: (1) security policy, including reasons for establishing a policy, risk assessment, areas to consider, audit tools; (2) workstations, including physical security, protecting workstation components, and computer viruses; (3) the local network, including the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model, protocols, network segmentation, network management, network sniffing, and data encryption; (4) servers, including UNIX and other server operating systems; (5) remote access, including technologies, remote access servers, protocols, and authentication/authorization; (6) crackers and hackers, including threats and hacking tools/techniques; (7) Internet firewalls, including functions, issues and problems, types, rules, logs, firewall accessories, buying a firewall, and firewall ...
Spam messes up user's inbox, consumes network resources and spread worms and viruses. Spam is flooding of unsolicited, unwanted e mail. Spam in blogs is called blog spam or comment spam.It is done by posting comments or flooding spams to the services such as blogs, forums,news,email archives and guestbooks. Blog spams generally appears on guestbooks or comment pages where spammers fill a comment box with spam words. In addition to wasting user's time with unwanted comments, spam also consumes a lot of bandwidth. In this paper, we propose a software tool to prevent such blog spams by using Bayesian Algorithm based technique. It is derived from Bayes' Theorem. It gives an output which has a probability that any comment is spam, given that it has certain words in it. With using our past entries and a comment entry, this value is obtained and compared with a threshold value to find if it exceeds the threshold value or not. By using this concept, we developed a software ...
The provincial ministry of health has taken over a dialysis center in La Plata, Argentina, following the discovery that at least 20 of the clinic's 34 regular patients have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Catheters of the clinic's dialysis machines were found to be contaminated with HIV. The 5 physicians associated with the Centro Modelo de Dialisis have been discharged for negligence. 20 of the regular patients also contracted hepatitis C. Argentinian law stipulates that filters for the same patient must be changed after 4 times and prohibits the use of the same vessel to administer medication to more than 1 patient. Testimony from nurses at the La Plata clinic revealed that filters were reused for several patients and basic sanitary procedures were not followed. In 1990, 33 kidney disease patients at a dialysis center in Cordoba became infected with HIV and it was discovered that filters had been used up to 8 times for different ...
The authors have previously identified a small-cell lung cancer cell line (NCI-H209) that expresses an aberrant, underphosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma protein RB1. Molecular analysis of RB1 mRNA from this cell line revealed a single point mutation within exon 21 that resulted in a nonconservative amino acid substitution (cysteine to phenylalanine) at codon 706. Stable expression of this mutant RB1 cDNA in a human cell line lacking endogenous RB1 demonstrated that this amino acid change was sufficient to inhibit phosphorylation. In addition, this cysteine-to-phenylalanine substitution also resulted in loss of RB1 binding to the simian virus 40 large tumor and adenovirus E1A transforming proteins. These results confirm the importance of exon 21 coding sequences and suggest that the cysteine residue at codon 706 may play a role in achieving a specific protein conformation essential for protein-protein interactions.
The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) reporter system is being used to directly and indirectly monitor therapeutic gene expression, immune cell trafficking and protein-protein interactions in various living animals. However, the issues of HSV1-TK enzyme stability in living cells and whether this reporter system is optimal for dynamic studies of gene expression events in genetic imaging have not be addressed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the application of this reporter system in dynamic studies of transcriptional gene regulation. To achieve this purpose, we established two tetracycline-inducible murine sarcoma cell lines, tetracycline-turn-off HSV1-tk-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-HSV1-tk) and tetracycline-turn-off Luc-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-Luc), to create an artificially regulated gene expression model in vitro. The dynamic transcriptional events mediating a series of doxycycline (Dox) inductions were ...
Purpose: To report on the nephron-sparing, percutaneous ablation of a large renal cell carcinoma by combined superselective embolization and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. Materials and Methods: A 5 cm renal cell carcinoma of a 43-year-old drug abusing male with serologically proven HIV, hepatitis B and C infection, who refused surgery, was superselectively embolized using microspheres (size: 500 - 700 {mu}m) and a platinum coil under local anesthesia. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation using a 7F LeVeen probe (size of expanded probe tip: 40 mm) and a 200 Watt generator was performed one day after transcatheter embolization under general anesthesia. Results: The combined treatment resulted in complete destruction of the tumor without relevant damage of the surrounding healthy renal tissue. The patient was discharged 24 hours after RF ablation. No complications like urinary leaks or fistulas were observed and follow up CT one day and 4 weeks after the radiofrequency ...
Exposure to crystalline silica dust causes multiple diseases, but silicosis and silica dust-associated tuberculosis (TB), in particular, are the two diseases that remain high on the list of occupational health priorities in low-income countries and that still occur in some high-income countries. The prevalence of silica-related TB is exacerbated by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in low-income countries. This review describes the morphology of silica and the variable potency of the different forms. Sources of crystalline silica are discussed, with emphasis on less commonly recognised sources, such as small-scale mining operations and agriculture. Trends in the prevalence of silicosis are also presented. Although efforts have been made for many years in most countries to reduce silica dust levels, silicosis continues to occur even in young people. The clinical and pathological features and diagnosis of silicosis, with emphasis on chest radiography, ...
The objective of this research is to determine the role of DNA repair in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis in mammalian cells. Use of the host-cell reactivation viral suicide enrichment procedure was initiated in the isolation of repair-deficient mutants. Lightly mutagenized BHK cells were infected with irradiated Herpes simplex virus (HSV); several radiation-sensitive strains were isolated among the survivors of the infection. The characterization of these strains is progressing and the enrichments are continuing. That alterations in the frequency of mutation of C3H/10T 1/2 cells, occurring as a result of holding the cells in a confluent state following treatment with ethylmethane sulfonate, parallel the alterations in the frequency of neoplastic transformation was found. The repair capabilities of BHK cells were found to be intermediate in comparison to repair-proficient and -deficient human cells with regard to the reactivation of HSV treated with various ...
In 2004, the Southeastern France regional council asked the regional health observatory to conduct an environmental health inventory to i) identify environmental health problems in this area; ii) examine the relations between environmental exposure to pollutants and human health; and iii) help public officials to identify priorities in this area. We collected and validated data from national, regional and local institutions, constructed environmental (levels of emissions and pollutants), health (mortality, incidence, prevalence) and behavioral indicators (e.g., complaints about odors), and compared these over time and between places when possible. For each topic, we summarized current knowledge about the links between environment and health. In southeastern France, as in other French areas, indoor air pollution, home and leisure injuries and other home-related risks are public health issues. Other topics are more significant or particular to southeastern France: transportation (air ...
Purpose: To assess the benefit and the effect of intraarterial lipiodol application on histological analysis of patients suspected of having HCC. To determine whether lipiodol marking leads to a better biopsy result and how lipiodol or a transarterial chemoembolization influences the histological diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Two groups of patients were examined. Group A included 14 patients highly suspected of having an HCC which had previously been unsuccessfully biopsied. A transarterial embolization with lipiodol was performed in these patients to mark intrahepatic tumors which could not otherwise be defined in unenhanced CT. A biopsy was then repeated. Group B included 22 patients undergoing therapy using transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). A biopsy was performed to support the diagnosis of a multifocal HCC before changing the therapy. Results: The transversal diameters of the biopsied tumors were similar in both groups (A: 22 mm; B: 21 mm). The length of percutaneous ...
The steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, also known as NR5A1) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Whereas most of the members of this family have been extensively characterized, the therapeutic potential and pharmacology of SF-1 still remains elusive. Described here is the identification and characterization of selective inhibitory chemical probes of SF-1 by a rational ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) strategy. A set of 64,908 compounds from the National Institute of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened in a transactivation cell-based assay employing a chimeric SF-1 construct. Two analogous isoquinolinones, ethyl 2-[2-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-7-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate (SID7969543) and ethyl 2-[2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate and (SID7970631), were identified as potent submicromolar inhibitors, yielding IC(50) values of 760 and ...
We describe the cloning and characterization of a mutated thermostable DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus (Taq) that exhibits an increased reverse transcriptase activity and is therefore designated for one-step PCR pathogen detection using established real-time detection methods. We demonstrate that this Taq polymerase mutant (Taq M1) has similar PCR sensitivity and nuclease activity as the respective Taq wild-type DNA polymerase. In addition, and in marked contrast to the wild-type, Taq M1 exhibits a significantly increased reverse transcriptase activity especially at high temperatures (>60 degrees C). RNA generally hosts highly stable secondary structure motifs, such as hairpins and G-quadruplexes, which complicate, or in the worst case obviate, reverse transcription (RT). Thus, RT at high temperatures is desired to weaken or melt secondary structure motifs. To demonstrate the ability of Taq M1 for RNA detection of pathogens, we performed TaqMan probe-based diagnostics of ...
We carried out a feeding study in rats aimed at extending our aboservations of contaminant-induced immunosuppression in harbour seals. Two herring batches were freeze-dried, supplemented and fed to female adult PVG rats for a period of 4 1/2 months. Daily contaminant intakes of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalents (TEQ) were estimated to be 0.3 ng/kg body weight and 1.6 ng/kg in the Atlantic and Baltic groups, respectively. At the end of the feeding experiment, no contaminant-related changes in spleen CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} cellularity, natural killer cell activity, or mitogen-induced proliferative responses of thymus or spleen cells could be detected. However, total thymocyte numbers and thymus CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} ratios were reduced in the Baltic group. A novel model was established to assess the specific T-cell response to rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV). When applied to the feeding study, no differences between the Atlantic and Baltic ...
Data communication in a computer network environment is facing serious security threats from numerous sources such as viruses, worms, Zombies etc. These threats can be broadly characterized as internal or external security threats. Internal threats are mainly attributed to sneaker-nets, utility modems and unauthorized users, which can be minimized by skillful network administration, password management and optimum usage policy definition. The external threats need more serious attention as these attacks are mostly coming from public networks such as Internet. Frequency and complexity of such attacks is much higher as compared to internal attacks. This paper presents a host based network layer screening of external and internal IP packets for logging, analyzing and real-time detection of possible IP spoofing and Denial of Service attacks. This work can also be used in tuning security rules definition for gateway firewalls. Software has been developed which ...
Crenarchaea are ubiquitous and abundant microbial constituents of soils, sediments, lakes and ocean waters, yet relatively little is known about their fundamental evolutionary, ecological, and physiological properties. To better describe the ubiquitous nonthermophilic Crenarchaea, we analyzed the genome sequence of one representative, the uncultivated sponge symbiont, Cenarchaeum symbiosum. C. symbiosum genotypes coinhabiting the same host partitioned into two dominant populations, corresponding to previously described a- and b-type ribosomal RNA variants. Although synthetic, overlapping a- and b-type ribotypes harbored significant genetic variability. A single tiling path comprising the dominant a-type genotype was assembled, and used to explore the biological properties of C. symbiosum and its planktonic relatives. Out of a total of 2,066 predicted open reading frames, 36% were more highly conserved with other Archaea. The remainder partitioned between bacteria (18%), eukaryotes ...
Data from 52 litters farrowed in two seasons of a cross-fostering experiment were analyzed to estimate variances and covariances for additive direct and maternal genetic effects on immune response to pseudorabies virus and B. bronchiseptica vaccine. Twenty purebred boars and 44 sows of the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds were used. Immune response was measured after vaccine challenge. A modified-live pseudorabies (PR) vaccine was administered to piglets at 28 d of age; response was measured by log2 serum neutralization titers at 56 d. An inactivated B. bronchiseptica bacterin was administered at 28, 42 and 112 d. Antibody levels were measured relative to positive and negative controls at 28, 56 and 119 d by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results from this study for heritability were .18 +/- .09 for PR titer and .15 +/- .07 and .52 +/- .15 for 56- and 119-d ELISA values, respectively. The variability due to nurse environment (maternal ...
Culex mosquitoes introduce the pathogens responsible for filariasis, West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and other diseases into humans. Currently, traps baited with oviposition semiochemicals play an important role in detection efforts and could provide an environmentally friendly approach to controlling their populations. The odorant binding proteins (OBPs) in the female's antenna play a crucial, if yet imperfectly understood, role in sensing oviposition cues. Here, we report the X-ray crystallography and NMR 3D structures of OBP1 for Culex quinquefasciatus (CquiOBP1) bound to an oviposition pheromone (5R,6S)-6-acetoxy-5-hexadecanolide (MOP). In both studies, CquiOBP1 had the same overall six-helix structure seen in other insect OBPs, but a detailed analysis revealed an important previously undescribed feature. There are two models for OBP-mediated signal transduction: (i) direct release of the pheromone from an internal binding pocket in a ...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the recent literature on the prognostic value of biomarkers of liver fibrosis and impaired liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis C with or without HIV coinfection. RECENT FINDINGS: A combination of standard blood tests seems to be useful in identifying patients at risk of liver-related complications. Findings from studies investigating the validity of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in HIV-infected liver transplant candidates are conflicting. Two large studies of HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfected patients have shown that plasma levels of the fibrosis marker hyaluronic acid are a strong predictor of clinical complications. A smaller study found hyaluronic acid and two other fibrosis tests, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fib-4, to be independent predictors of mortality when included in models with the MELD or the Child-Pugh-Turcotte scores. SUMMARY: Although the data are ...
Abstract in english Extracts of nine species of plants traditionally used in Colombia for the treatment of a variety of diseases were tested in vitro for their potential antitumor (cytotoxicity) and antiherpetic activity. MTT (Tetrazolium blue) and Neutral Red colorimetric assays were used to evaluate the reduction of viability of cell cultures in presence and absence of the extracts. MTT was also used to evaluate the effects of the extracts on the lytic activity of herpes simplex virus type (more) 2 (HSV-2). The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and the 50% inhibitory concentration of the viral effect (EC50) for each extract were calculated by linear regression analysis. Extracts from Annona muricata, A. cherimolia and Rollinia membranacea, known for their cytotoxicity were used as positive controls. Likewise, acyclovir and heparin were used as positive controls of antiherpetic activity. Methanolic extract from Annona sp. on HEp-2 cells presented a CC50 value at ...
The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has two major functions: interacting with the receptor to mediate virus entry and inducing protective immunity. Coincidently, the receptor-binding domain (RBD, residues 318-510) of SAR-CoV S protein is a major antigenic site to induce neutralizing antibodies. Here, we used RBD-Fc, a fusion protein containing the RBD and human IgG1 Fc, as a model in the studies and found that a single amino acid substitution in the RBD (R441A) could abolish the immunogenicity of RBD to induce neutralizing antibodies in immunized mice and rabbits. With a panel of anti-RBD mAbs as probes, we observed that R441A substitution was able to disrupt the majority of neutralizing epitopes in the RBD, suggesting that this residue is critical for the antigenic structure responsible for inducing protective immune responses. We also demonstrated that the RBD-Fc bearing R441A mutation could not bind to soluble and ...
Gastric stromal tumors are an ill-defined group of lesions arising from muscle wall cells and characterized by extremely variable biological patterns. Thanks to modern immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques, four main classes of these lesions have been identified, namely: (1) tumors with differentiation toward smooth muscle cells; (2) tumors with differentiation toward neural elements; (3) tumors with differentiation toward neural elements; (3) tumors with dual differentiation toward either cell type. It was investigated the yield of CT in diagnosing and characterizing gastric stromal tumors. It was retrospectively reviewed the CT findings of 38 patients (15 men and 23 women; mean age 51 years) with pathologically proven gastric stromal tumors, namely 31 of myoid origin, 4 of neural origin, 2 with both muscle and neural differentiation, 1 lacking differentiation with either cell type. The myoid tumors involved gastric fundus in 9/13 and 5/7 benign lesions and lesions with ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two cell lines. The ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two cell lines. The ...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of replication-competent adenovirus-mediated double suicide gene therapy in an adjuvant setting with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in an experimental prostate cancer model in preparation for a Phase I clinical study in humans. Methods: For efficacy studies, i.m. DU145 and intraprostatic LNCaP C4-2 tumors were established in immune-deficient mice. Tumors were injected with the lytic, replication-competent Ad5-CD/TKrep adenovirus containing a cytosine deaminase (CD)/herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-1 TK) fusion gene. Two days later, mice were administered 1 week of 5-fluorocytosine + ganciclovir (GCV) prodrug therapy and fractionated doses of EBRT (trimodal therapy). Tumor control rate of trimodal therapy was compared to that of EBRT alone. For toxicology studies, immune-competent male mice received a single intraprostatic injection (10"1"0 vp) of the replication-competent ...