Regulation of CREB activation by p38 mitogen activated protein kinase during human primary erythroblast differentiation.

Among the molecular events underlying erythroid differentiation, we analyzed the signalling pathway leading to cAMP response element binding (CREB) nuclear transcription factor activation. Normal donor blood light density cells differentiated to pro-erythroblasts during the proliferative phase (10 days) of the human erythroblast massive amplification (HEMA) culture, and to orthochromatic erythroblasts, during the differentiation phase (4 additional days) of the culture. Since erythropoietin was present all over the culture, also pro-erythroblasts left in proliferative medium for 14 days continued their maturation without reaching the final steps of differentiation.

Study of the immunological profile towards Mycobacterium bovis antigens in naturally infected cattle.

A number of studies have determined the contribution of Th1 and Th2 responses to the protective immunity and pathology of Mycobacterium bovis infection. However, much of that information is derived from experimentally infecting cattle with M. bovis and few data from naturally infected animals are available.

Mycobacterium bovis with different genotypes and from different hosts induce dissimilar immunopathological lesions in a mouse model of tuberculosis.

With the hypothesis that genetic variability of Mycobacterium bovis could influence virulence and immunopathology, five M. bovis strains were selected from an epidemiological study in Argentina on the basis of their prevalence in cattle and occurrence in other species. We then determined the virulence and the immunopathology evoked by these strains in a well-characterized mouse model of progressive pulmonary tuberculosis.

Effect of hypoxia and aging on PKC delta-mediated SC-35 phosphorylation in rat myocardial tissue.

Nuclear speckles, which are sites of pre-mRNA splicing and/or assembly components, are diffusely distributed throughout the nucleoplasm. They are composed of splicing factors (SFs), including SC-35, which are nuclear proteins that remove introns (noncoding sequences in the genes) from precursor mRNA molecules, to form mature RNA, which will be transported to the cytoplasm, site of protein synthesis and activation. In light of such evidences, here we report that hypoxia modulates in vivo SC-35 SF phosphorylation via protein kinase C (PKC) delta in young rat heart.

Identification of novel Mycobacterium bovis antigens by dissection of crude protein fractions.

Culture filtrate and cell extracts from Mycobacterium bovis cultures contain molecules which could promote protective immunity to tuberculosis in animals. Different protein fractions of M. bovis cultures were obtained by elution electrophoresis and were tested in experimentally infected cattle.

Characterization of the Apa antigen from M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis: a conserved Mycobacterium antigen that elicits a strong humoral response in cattle.

Johne's disease or paratuberculosis is widespread in almost all countries and remains difficult to eradicate. Nowadays, diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MPTB) infection is one of the main concerns.

Differential transcriptome profiles of attenuated and hypervirulent strains of Mycobacterium bovis.

The identification of factors involved in the interaction of Mycobacterium bovis with the hosts will lead to new strategies to control bovine tuberculosis. In this study we compared the transcriptional profile of an attenuated M. bovis strain and a virulent M.

A case of epigastric pain in the ED: late mechanical complication after vertical banded gastroplasty.

A 50-year-old woman presented to our emergency department complaining of recurrent epigastric stabbing pain on eating of 1 month duration. She had a history of morbid obesity treated 13 years before with laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). Diagnosis was made by radiology, after upper gastrointestinal series and abdominal unenhanced computed tomography.

Mce3R, a TetR-type transcriptional repressor, controls the expression of a regulon involved in lipid metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The mce operons constitute four homologous regions in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, each of which has 8-13 ORFs. Although the function of the Mce protein family has not been clearly established, its members are believed to be membrane lipid transporters. Based on functional experiments, we found that the regulator of the mce3 locus, Mce3R, negatively regulates the expression of the Rv1933c-Rv1935c and Rv1936-Rv1941 transcriptional units.

Acute abdomen as an unusual presentation of hepatic PEComa. A case report.

Perivascular epithelioid cell (PEC) tumors (or PEComas) are myomelanocytic lesions defined by coexpression of melanocytic and muscle markers, suggesting dual differentiation. They are rare mesenchymal tumors and include subtypes with distinct clinical features: angiomyolipoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and clear cell "sugar" tumors of the lung, pancreas and uterus. Consequent upon the World Health Organization's recognition of PEC-derived tumors as a distinct entity, an increasing number of reports has documented PEComas arising at various anatomical locations.

Protein kinase Calpha early activates splicing factor SC-35 during post-natal rat heart development.

Rat myocardial fiber development and formation is a complex event which begins in the early stages of fetal life and continues until the end of the first month of life. In fact, a progressive morphological structure arrangement is observed until the 22nd day of life. These modifications are based on biochemical events which are switched on at plasma membrane level and then transduced into the nucleus.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the lung: three rare cases of intraparenchymal nodules.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pleura usually presents as a peripheral mass, in contact with the surface of the pleura. However, on occasion, it can occur separately from the pleura, in the lung parenchyma. We describe the radiological and imaging features of three SFTs of the lung, diagnosed in our department, with relevant clinical data.

Hepatotoxicity after intravenous amiodarone.

Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic agent with a long half-life which is used to control atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, including atrial flutter and fibrillation. We describe here the case of an elderly woman (77 years of age) who was hospitalized for acute atrial fibrillation, abdominal pain, and dyspnea. In the Emergency Department, treatment with intravenous amiodarone was begun.

Identification of two proteins that interact with the Erp virulence factor from Mycobacterium tuberculosis by using the bacterial two-hybrid system.

Background: The exported repetitive protein (erp) gene encodes a secreted 36-kDa protein with a central domain containing several proline-glycine-leucine-threonine-serine (PGLTS) repeats. It has been demonstrated that erp is a virulence-associated factor since the disruption of this gene impairs the growth of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice.

Results: In order to elucidate the function of Erp we searched for Erp-binding proteins from M.

Mce2R from Mycobacterium tuberculosis represses the expression of the mce2 operon.

The mce2 operon is one of the four mce operons present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that encode exported proteins with a probable role in the virulence mechanisms of this bacterium. In the present study we demonstrated that Rv0586, which encodes a putative GntR-like regulator, is part of the mce2 operon. By using a promoter-lacZ fusion approach and bioinformatics tools, we found that Rv0586 represses the expression of Mce2 proteins and of a putative endonuclease IV, encoded by end (Rv0670) gene.

Dual role of HIF-1alpha in delivering a survival or death signal in hypoxia exposed human K562 erythroleukemia cells.

Hypoxia (reduced oxygen tension) is a critical stimulus which switches on a cell rapid response, determining damage and death in some cells, and adaptation and survival in others. Here we report that K562 erythroleukemia cells exposed to hypoxia, proliferated more slowly and the percentage of dead cells increased after 22 h. In parallel HIF (Hypoxia Inducible Factor)-1alpha and Bax level increased, as well as the PKC (Protein Kinase C) delta/Erk (Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase) pathways being activated.

Efficient immune responses against Intimin and EspB of enterohaemorragic Escherichia coli after intranasal vaccination using the TLR2/6 agonist MALP-2 as adjuvant.

Mucosal vaccine formulations based on purified recombinant C280 gamma-Intimin and EspB (Escherichia coli secreted protein B) from enterohaemorragic E. coli co-administered with a pegylated derivative of the TLR2/6 agonist MALP-2 (macrophage-activating lipopeptide) as adjuvant were evaluated in BALB/c mice. After intranasal vaccination, strong humoral and cellular immune responses were observed against C280 gamma-Intimin and EspB.

A fragment of 21 ORFs around the direct repeat (DR) region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is absent from the other sequenced mycobacterial genomes: implications for the evolution of the DR region.

The direct repeat (DR) region is a singular locus of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex genome. This region consists of 36 bp repetitive sequences separated by non-repetitive unique spacer sequences. Around this region there are several genes coding for proteins of unknown function.

Bovine colostrum contains immunoglobulin G antibodies against intimin, EspA, and EspB and inhibits hemolytic activity mediated by the type three secretion system of attaching and effacing Escherichia coli.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is the main cause of hemolytic-uremic syndrome, an endemic disease in Argentina which had an incidence in 2005 of 13.9 cases per 100,000 children younger than 5 years old. Cattle appear to be a major reservoir of EHEC, and a serological response to EHEC antigens has been demonstrated in natural and experimental infections.

Bronchogenic cysts in the adult: diagnostic criteria derived from the correct use of standard radiography and computed tomography.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to identify the radiographic and computed tomography patterns allowing a diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed chest radiographs and CT scans of 21 adults (ten men and 11 women, age range 18-74 years) with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst.

Results: Sixteen cysts were located in the mediastinum and five in the lungs.

Deciphering the genetic bases of the structural diversity of phenolic glycolipids in strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Phenolic glycolipids (PGL) play a major role in the virulence of mycobacteria, notably in strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and in Mycobacterium leprae. The structure of the carbohydrate domain of these compounds is highly variable, and the genetic bases for these variations remain unknown. We demonstrated that the monoglycosylated PGL formed by Mycobacterium bovis differs from the triglycosylated PGL synthesized by M.

CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic biopsy in the diagnosis of mediastinal masses: evaluation of 73 procedures.

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the factors affecting the diagnostic accuracy and rate of complications of CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of mediastinal masses.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 73 consecutive mediastinal biopsies in 70 patients. Final diagnoses were based on a retrospective analysis of surgical outcomes, results of repeat biopsies or findings of imaging and clinical follow-up lasting at least 4 months.

Study of the role of Mce3R on the transcription of mce genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background: mce3 is one of the four virulence-related mce operons of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In a previous work we showed that the overexpression of Mce3R in Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. tuberculosis abolishes the expression of lacZ fused to the mce3 promoter, indicating that Mce3R represses mce3 transcription.

Proteome analysis of X-ray irradiated human erythroleukemia cells.

In order to discover molecular biomarkers in radiation response we investigated the effects of X-radiation on radioresistant K562 cells by using a comparative proteomic analysis. In treated cells 29 up-regulated and 10 down-regulated proteins were detected by image analysis and identified by mass spectrometry. Elongation factor 1 alpha 1 and stress-70 protein showed a 6.

Accuracy of CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of lung lesions: factors affecting diagnostic yield.

Purpose: This study was performed to analyse the variables affecting the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of pulmonary lesions.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study of 612 consecutive procedures with confirmed final diagnoses was undertaken. Benign and malignant needle biopsy results were compared with final outcomes to determine diagnostic accuracy.