Penile Length Assessment of Children Treated for Primary Buried Penis: Can Satisfying Penile Growth Always Be Achieved?

Primary buried (BP) penis is describes as a small penis caused by a penile ligaments anomaly; it is unclear if a primary BP could reach a normal length. We selected 49 patients treated at our institution between 2015 and 2020 in order to post-operatively evaluate the SPL after one year. SPL was evaluated according to the PH Tanner staging system for pre-pubertal patients according to age-normalized values.

Exacerbation of autoantibody-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura by infection with mouse viruses.

Antigenic mimicry has been proposed as a major mechanism by which viruses could trigger the development of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). However, because antigenic mimicry implies epitope similarities between viral and self antigens, it is difficult to understand how widely different viruses can be involved by this sole mechanism in the pathogenesis of ITP. Here, we report that in mice treated with antiplatelet antibodies at a dose insufficient to induce clinical disease by themselves, infection with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) was followed by severe thrombocytopenia and by the appearance of petechiae similar to those observed in patients with ITP.

Natural killer cell activation after infection with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus.

Early after infection, lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) alters the immune system by polyclonally activating B lymphocytes, which leads to IgG2a-restricted hypergammaglobulinaemia, and by suppressing the secretion of Th2 cytokines. Considering that these alterations may involve cells of the innate immune system and cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), we analysed the effect of LDV on natural killer (NK) cells. Within a few days of infection, a strong and transient NK cell activation, characterized by enhanced IFN-gamma message expression and cytolysis, was observed.

A MAGE-1 peptide recognized on HLA-DR15 by CD4(+) T cells.

Antigens encoded by MAGE genes and recognized by T cells are of interest for cancer immunotherapy because of their strict tumoral specificity and because they are shared by many tumors. Several MAGE-1 peptide that are recognized by CD8(+) cytolytic T lymphocytes have been used in therapeutic vaccination trials. To obtain anti-tumor immune response, vaccines combining peptides recognized by CD8(+) and peptides recognized by CD4(+) T cells might be optimal.

A MAGE-A3 peptide presented by HLA-DP4 is recognized on tumor cells by CD4+ cytolytic T lymphocytes.

Antigens encoded by MAGE-A3 and recognized by T cells are interesting targets for tumor immunotherapy because they are strictly tumor specific and shared by many tumors of various histological types. A number of MAGE-A3 antigenic peptides presented by HLA class I molecules have been used in clinical trials, and regressions of melanoma metastasis have been observed. We report here the identification of a MAGE-A3 epitope, TQHFVQENYLEY, presented to CD4+ T lymphocytes by HLA-DP4 molecules, which are expressed in approximately 76% of Caucasians.