Fc-Mediated Antibody Effector Functions During Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Disease.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalization in infants under 1 year of age and there is currently no market-approved vaccine available. For protection against infection, young children mainly depend on their innate immune system and maternal antibodies. Traditionally, antibody-mediated protection against viral infections is thought to be mediated by direct binding of antibodies to viral particles, resulting in virus neutralization.

Viral Infection of Human Natural Killer Cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells are essential in the early immune response against viral infections, in particular through clearance of virus-infected cells. In return, viruses have evolved multiple mechanisms to evade NK cell-mediated viral clearance. Several unrelated viruses, including influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, can directly interfere with NK cell functioning through infection of these cells.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infects Primary Neonatal and Adult Natural Killer Cells and Affects Their Antiviral Effector Function.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants. Natural killer (NK) cells are important antiviral effector cells that likely encounter RSV in the presence of virus-specific (maternal) antibodies. As NK cells potentially contribute to immunopathology, we investigated whether RSV affects their antiviral effector functions.

Diversity of aging of the immune system classified in the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) model of human infectious diseases.

Susceptibility and declined resistance to human pathogens like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at old age is well represented in the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Despite providing a preferred model of human infectious diseases, little is known about aging of its adaptive immune system. We aimed to define aging-related changes of the immune system of this species.

Enhancement of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection by Maternal Antibodies Does Not Explain Disease Severity in Infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe respiratory illness in infants. At this young age, infants typically depend on maternally transferred antibodies (matAbs) and their innate immune system for protection against infections. RSV-specific matAbs are thought to protect from severe illness, yet severe RSV disease occurs mainly below 6 months of age, when neutralizing matAb levels are present.

Risk of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia and invasive cancer of the cervix in DES daughters.

Objective: Women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero (DES) have an increased risk of clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the vagina and cervix, while their risk of non-CCA invasive cervical cancer is still unclear.

Methods: We studied the risk of pre-cancerous (CIN) lesions and non-CCA invasive cervical cancer in a prospective cohort of 12,182 women with self-reported DES exposure followed from 2000 till 2008. We took screening behavior carefully into account.

Retargeted oncolytic adenovirus displaying a single variable domain of camelid heavy-chain-only antibody in a fiber protein.

Conditionally replicative adenoviruses are promising agents for oncolytic virotherapy. Various approaches have been attempted to retarget adenoviruses to tumor-specific antigens to circumvent deficiency of receptor for adenoviral binding and to provide an additional level of tumor specificity. Functional incorporation of highly specific targeting molecules into the viral capsid can potentially retarget adenoviral infection.

Noncommutative topology and the world's simplest index theorem.

In this article we outline an approach to index theory on the basis of methods of noncommutative topology. We start with an explicit index theorem for second-order differential operators on 3-manifolds that are Fredholm but not elliptic. This low-brow index formula is expressed in terms of winding numbers.

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus facilitates coordination of hand preshaping in Parkinson's disease.

Several studies have found that Parkinson's disease (PD) disrupts the organization of complex motor sequences regardless of the influence of parkinsonian medications. A clear candidate for the neural bases of such deficits, which we term "coordinative," is the failure to integrate propioceptive and visual information by cortico-striatal circuits in a timed fashion. Recent reports, however, have indicated that deep-brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) may result in an improvement in coordinative deficits beyond the amelioration of "intensive deficits" such as bradykinesia and scaling errors.

[Settlement effected for damages for victims of diethylstilbestrol (DES)].

In 2007 the Dutch DESFonds (DES Fund) starts payment to victims of exposure to diethylstilbestrol in a collective settlement. This is unique in the world because the arrangement covers the entire range of DES-related disorders and individual persons do not have to start an expensive and emotionally taxing legal procedure with uncertain outcome, which would last several years. Individuals can now be compensated based on medical evidence of DES exposure and the presence of a DES-related disorder covered by the settlement.

Luteal phase dosing with paroxetine controlled release (CR) in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Objective: This clinical trial evaluated luteal phase dosing with paroxetine controlled release (CR) (12.5 mg and 25 mg) in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Study Design: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-arm, fixed-dose study of luteal phase dosing with paroxetine CR in the treatment of PMDD.

Modelling applicability of fractal analysis to efficiency of soil exploration by roots.

Background And Aims: Fractal analysis allows calculation of fractal dimension, fractal abundance and lacunarity. Fractal analysis of plant roots has revealed correlations of fractal dimension with age, topology or genotypic variation, while fractal abundance has been associated with root length. Lacunarity is associated with heterogeneity of distribution, and has yet to be utilized in analysis of roots.

Use of misoprostol in first and second trimester abortion: a review.

The use of misoprostol in medical termination of first and second term pregnancies and cervical priming in surgically induced termination of pregnancies has been studied extensively. A survey is given on the available literature (MEDLINE to May 1998) on the usage as a single medication or in combination with mifepristone or methotrexate. A review is given on literature concerning side effects and complications.

Salmonella enteritidis in an endometriotic ovarian cyst.

Isolated Salmonella infections are rare. In view of the rarity, we present a case of a 16-year-old patient with an endometriotic ovarian cyst where Salmonella enteritidis was isolated from aspirated material from the cyst. We include a review of the world literature on ovarian Salmonella infection from 1966 to June 1996.

A comparison of pefloxacin/metronidazole and doxycycline/metronidazole in the treatment of laparoscopically confirmed acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

A double-blind, randomised study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination of pefloxacin and metronidazole versus doxycycline and metronidazole in patients with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The clinical diagnosis had to be confirmed by laparoscopy before patients were included. Of the 74 patients who fulfilled the clinical criteria for PID, laparoscopy confirmed the diagnosis in only 40 patients (54%).

A prospective randomized study comparing amoxycillin/clavulanate with cefuroxime plus metronidazole for perioperative prophylaxis in gynaecological surgery.

A prospective, randomized, open study was performed in 199 patients at the Leyenburg Hospital comparing amoxycillin/clavulanate (AMX/CL) with cefuroxime plus metronidazole (CR/MN) in the prophylaxis of infection following gynaecological surgery. AMX/CL was given as a single dose of 2200 mg i.v.

[Acute fatty degeneration of the liver in pregnancy].

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is considered an uncommon disorder that may complicate the third trimester of pregnancy, with high fetal and maternal mortality rates. However, in recent years it has become clear that the course of the disorder can be less fulminant than previously believed. The diagnosis is also made more frequently.

Should the Cytobrush be used in routine screening for cervical pathology?

In 632 women visiting a family planning clinic, paired cervical smears were taken using a wooden spatula and a Cytobrush. Of the spatula smears 7.8% were unreliable with too little or scanty material to allow a cytologic diagnosis (class 0); 17.

Immunohistologic evidence for the malignant potential of congenital melanocytic nevi.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against six well-defined progression-associated melanoma antigens (PAMAs) and a MoAb against the nuclear proliferation-associated antigen Ki67 were used for an immunoperoxidase study on 44 biopsies from 36 congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN). Twenty-nine common acquired nevi and 16 metastasizing primary melanomas were studied as controls. Two CMN of the series were giant CMN (greater than 20 cm), one of which later progressed to metastasizing melanoma.