A genetic selection for mutants tolerant to killing by sodium citrate defines a combined role for cation homeostasis and osmotic stress in cell death.

Mycobacteria can colonize environments where the availability of metal ions is limited. Biological or inorganic chelators play an important role in limiting metal availability, and we developed a model to examine survival in the presence of the chelator sodium citrate. We observed that instead of restricting growth, concentrated sodium citrate killed .

A Genome-Wide Screen in Macrophages Defines Host Genes Regulating the Uptake of Mycobacterium abscessus.

The interactions between a host cell and a pathogen can dictate disease outcomes and are important targets for host-directed therapies. Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a highly antibiotic resistant, rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium that infects patients with chronic lung diseases. Mab can infect host immune cells, such as macrophages, which contribute to its pathogenesis.

GarD-ing the pathogen-containing vacuole from destruction.

The human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis evades killing by IFNγ-activated mechanisms, yet how this occurs remains unclear. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Walsh et al. identify an IFNγ-dependent antimicrobial mechanism mediated by the host ubiquitin ligase RNF213 that is evaded by the Chlamydia effector GarD.

Agglutinins and cardiac surgery: a web based survey of cardiac anaesthetic practice; questions raised and possible solutions.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery involves cardiopulmonary bypass during which the core temperature is generally lowered to hypothermic levels. Patients presenting for cardiac surgery are sometimes reported to have cold or warm autoantibodies at the time of blood screening. It is known that cold agglutinins may cause potentially life-threatening haemolysis, intracoronary haemagglutination leading to inadequate cardioplegia distribution, thrombosis, embolism, ischaemia or infarction.

Cytokine phenotype, genotype, and renal outcomes at cardiac surgery.

Background: Cardiac surgery modulates pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance involving plasma tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) together with urinary transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1ra) and tumour necrosis factor soluble receptor-2 (TNFsr2). Effects on post-operative renal function are unclear. We investigated if following cardiac surgery there is a relationship between cytokine (a) phenotype and renal outcome; (b) genotype and phenotype and (c) genotype and renal outcome.

A case report and brief review of the literature on bilateral retinal infarction following cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Postoperative visual loss is a devastating perioperative complication. The commonest aetiologies are anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION), posterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (PION), and central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). These appear to be related to certain types of operation, most commonly spinal and cardiac bypass procedures; with the rest divided between: major trauma causing excessive blood loss; head/neck and nasal or sinus surgery; major vascular procedures (aortic aneurysm repair, aorto-bifemoral bypass); general surgery; urology; gynaecology; liposuction; liver transplantation and duration of surgery.

The effect of aprotinin on interleukin-8 concentration and leukocyte adhesion molecule expression in an isolated cardiopulmonary bypass system.

We examined the effect of aprotinin on the production of interleukin-8 and the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules in an isolated cardiopulmonary bypass circuit. Five healthy volunteers each donated 500 ml blood which was divided into equal portions (A) and (B). Portion A was treated with aprotinin 250000 kallikrein inactivator units and added to a circuit primed with a further 250000 kallikrein inactivator units.

The choice of anesthetic maintenance technique influences the antiinflammatory cytokine response to abdominal surgery.

Unlabelled: Outcome in some diseases is determined by the relationship between pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines. Surgery may also provoke a cytokine response, which has both pro- and antiinflammatory components. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether anesthetic technique can modify the balance of cytokines associated with abdominal surgery.

The balance of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at paediatric cardiac surgery.

During adult cardiac surgery the plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine response is balanced by a phased anti-inflammatory cytokine response. Whether a similar balanced plasma pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine response occurred in paediatric cardiac surgery was investigated. Changes in intra-pulmonary cytokine balance by measuring bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytokine content were also estimated.

An investigation of the potential morphine sparing effect of midazolam.

The effect of a bolus and continuous infusion of midazolam on postoperative morphine consumption was assessed in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomly allocated trial of 50 patients undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy. Patients in the trial group received a bolus dose of midazolam 5 mg.70 kg-1 at induction followed by an infusion at a rate of 1 mg.

Pain relief for thoracotomy. Comparison of morphine requirements using an extrapleural infusion of bupivacaine.

Background And Objectives: The effectiveness of a continuous infusion of extrapleural bupivacaine for relief of postoperative pain was assessed in patients undergoing posterolateral thoracotomy under general anesthesia by comparing morphine requirements.

Methods: Bupivacaine 0.25% was infused at a rate of 5 mL/h through an unkinkable extrapleural catheter that was sited under direct vision at operation.