Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain dysfunction with neurological and psychiatric changes associated with liver insufficiency or portal-systemic shunting. The severity ranges from minor symptoms to coma. A Cochrane systematic review including 11 randomised clinical trials on branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy.

Folate Receptor-Beta Has Limited Value for Fluorescent Imaging in Ovarian, Breast and Colorectal Cancer.

Aims: Tumor-specific targeted imaging is rapidly evolving in cancer diagnosis. The folate receptor alpha (FR-α) has already been identified as a suitable target for cancer therapy and imaging. FR-α is present on ~40% of human cancers.

Muscle metabolism and whole blood amino acid profile in patients with liver disease.

Objective: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are used in liver cirrhosis to promote protein synthesis, support ammonia detoxification, and treat hepatic encephalopathy. Cirrhosis leads to subnormal BCAA plasma concentrations and studies indicate that levels are decreased due to their role in muscle ammonia removal. Muscle contribution has not been fully elucidated.

Evidence That Rhesus Macaques Self-Cure from a Schistosoma japonicum Infection by Disrupting Worm Esophageal Function: A New Route to an Effective Vaccine?

Background: Rhesus macaques are unusual among schistosome hosts, self-curing from an established infection and thereafter manifesting solid immunity against a challenge, an ideal model for vaccine development. Previously, the immunological basis of self-cure was confirmed; surviving worms had ceased feeding but how immunological pressure achieved this was unclear. The schistosome esophagus is not simply a conduit for blood but plays a central role in its processing.

Correlation of serum and dried blood spot results for quantitation of Schistosoma circulating anodic antigen: a proof of principle.

Circulating anodic antigen (CAA) testing is a powerful, increasingly-used tool for diagnosis of active schistosome infection. We sought to determine the feasibility and reliability of measuring CAA in blood spots collected on Whatman 903 protein saver cards, which are the predominant filter papers used worldwide for dried blood spot (DBS) research and clinical care. CAA was eluted from blood spots collected from 19 individuals onto Whatman 903 cards in Mwanza, Tanzania, and the assay was optimized to achieve CAA ratios comparable to those obtained from the spots' corresponding serum samples.

In Vivo Fluorescence Immunohistochemistry: Localization of Fluorescently Labeled Cetuximab in Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) antibody based treatment strategies have been successfully implemented in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Unfortunately, predicting an accurate and reliable therapeutic response remains a challenge on a per-patient basis. Although significant efforts have been invested in understanding EGFR-mediated changes in cell signaling related to treatment efficacy, the delivery and histological localization in (peri-)tumoral compartments of antibody-based therapeutics in human tumors is poorly understood nor ever made visible.

Targeted imaging of bacterial infections: advances, hurdles and hopes.

Bacterial infections represent an increasing problem in modern health care, in particular due to ageing populations and accumulating bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Diagnosis is rarely straightforward and consequently treatment is often delayed or indefinite. Therefore, novel tools that can be clinically implemented are urgently needed to accurately and swiftly diagnose infections.

Sensitivity and Specificity of a Urine Circulating Anodic Antigen Test for the Diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium in Low Endemic Settings.

Background: Elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem and interruption of transmission in selected areas are key goals of the World Health Organization for 2025. Conventional parasitological methods are insensitive for the detection of light-intensity infections. Techniques with high sensitivity and specificity are required for an accurate diagnosis in low-transmission settings and verification of elimination.

Schistosoma mansoni and HIV acquisition in fishing communities of Lake Victoria, Uganda: a nested case-control study.

Objective: It has been suggested that Schistosoma mansoni, which is endemic in African fishing communities, might increase susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. If confirmed, this would be of great public health importance in these high HIV-risk communities. This study was undertaken to determine whether S.

On the horizon: Optical imaging for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Surgical resection with negative margins remains the standard of care for high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, surgical management is often limited by poor intraoperative tumor visualization and inability to detect occult nodal metastasis. The inability to intraoperatively detect microscopic disease can lead to additional surgery, tumor recurrence, and decreased survival.

Improved sensitivity of the urine CAA lateral-flow assay for diagnosing active Schistosoma infections by using larger sample volumes.

Background: Accurate determination of Schistosoma infection rates in low endemic regions to examine progress towards interruption of transmission and elimination requires highly sensitive diagnostic tools. An existing lateral flow (LF) based test demonstrating ongoing infections through detection of worm circulating anodic antigen (CAA), was improved for sensitivity through implementation of a protocol allowing increased sample input. Urine is the preferred sample as collection is non-invasive and sample volume is generally not a restriction.

New diagnostic tools in schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is a water-based parasitic disease that affects over 250 million people. Control efforts have long been in vain, which is one reason why schistosomiasis is considered a neglected tropical disease. However, since the new millennium, interventions against schistosomiasis are escalating.

Mesoscopic and macroscopic optoacoustic imaging of cancer.

Optoacoustic imaging combines the rich contrast of optical methods with the resolution of ultrasound imaging. It can therefore deliver optical visualization of cancer far deeper in tissue than optical microscopy and other conventional optical imaging methods. Technological progress and novel contrast media have resulted in optoacoustic imaging being propagated to basic cancer research and in clinical translation projects.

The current status of 5-ALA fluorescence-guided resection of intracranial meningiomas-a critical review.

Meningiomas are the second most common primary tumors affecting the central nervous system. Surgical treatment can be curative in case of complete resection. 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been established as an intraoperative tool in malignant glioma surgery.

Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain dysfunction with neurological and psychiatric changes associated with liver insufficiency or portal-systemic shunting. The severity ranges from minor symptoms to coma. A Cochrane systematic review including 11 randomised clinical trials on branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy.

Optical innovations in surgery.

Background: In the past decade, there has been a major drive towards clinical translation of optical and, in particular, fluorescence imaging in surgery. In surgical oncology, radical surgery is characterized by the absence of positive resection margins, a critical factor in improving prognosis. Fluorescence imaging provides the surgeon with reliable and real-time intraoperative feedback to identify surgical targets, including positive tumour margins.

HIV and schistosomiasis in rural Zimbabwe: the association of retinol-binding protein with disease progression, inflammation and mortality.

Background: Vitamin A has widespread effects on immune function and is therefore interesting in HIV-infection. Retinol-binding protein (RBP or RBP4) is a negative acute-phase protein and a marker of vitamin A status. Our aim was to investigate the association of RBP with HIV progression, infection with schistosomiasis, inflammatory cytokines, and mortality.

Accumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls in livers of young sheep.

A major part of sheep livers contains levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) above the former but to some extent also the new maximum levels (MLs) in the EU. In order to investigate the relationship between the intake of these contaminants and their accumulation in livers, kidney fat and meat, young blackhead sheep were fed with grass pellets containing PCDD/Fs at 2.5 times the maximum level.

Refeeding encephalopathy in a patient with severe hypophosphataemia and hyperammonaemia.

The refeeding syndrome is a potentially fatal condition that affects multiple organ systems. It is the consequence of fluid and electrolyte shifts that may occur in a malnourished patient following the introduction of nutrition therapy. The most prominent characteristic is hypophosphataemia.

Folate receptor-β imaging using 99mTc-folate to explore distribution of polarized macrophage populations in human atherosclerotic plaque.

Unlabelled: In atherosclerotic plaques, the risk of rupture is increased at sites of macrophage accumulation. Activated macrophages express folate receptor-β (FR-β), which can be targeted by folate coupled to radioactive ligands to visualize vulnerability. The aim of this study was to explore the presence of activated macrophages in human atherosclerotic plaques by (99m)Tc-folate imaging and to evaluate whether this technique can discriminate between an M1-like and M2-like macrophage phenotype.

A standardized light-emitting diode device for photoimmunotherapy.

Unlabelled: Antibody-based photodynamic therapy-photoimmunotherapy (PIT)-is an ideal modality to improve cancer treatment because of its selective and tumor-specific mode of therapy. Because the use of PIT for cancer treatment is continuing to be described, there is great need to characterize a standardized light source for PIT application. In this work, we designed and manufactured a light-emitting diode (LED)/PIT device and validated the technical feasibility, applicability, safety, and consistency of the system for cancer treatment.

Tissue-simulating phantoms for assessing potential near-infrared fluorescence imaging applications in breast cancer surgery.

Inaccuracies in intraoperative tumor localization and evaluation of surgical margin status result in suboptimal outcome of breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Optical imaging, in particular near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, might reduce the frequency of positive surgical margins following BCS by providing the surgeon with a tool for pre- and intraoperative tumor localization in real-time. In the current study, the potential of NIRF-guided BCS is evaluated using tissue-simulating breast phantoms for reasons of standardization and training purposes.