Anr and its activation by PlcH activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa host colonization and virulence.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa hemolytic phospholipase C (PlcH) degrades phosphatidylcholine (PC), an abundant lipid in cell membranes and lung surfactant. A ΔplcHR mutant, known to be defective in virulence in animal models, was less able to colonize epithelial cell monolayers and was defective in biofilm formation on plastic when grown in lung surfactant. Microarray analyses found that strains defective in PlcH production had lower levels of Anr-regulated transcripts than the wild type.

Lack of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 in mice results in gait abnormalities.

The role of peripheral serotonin in nervous system development is poorly understood. Tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) is expressed by non-neuronal cells including enterochromaffin cells of the gut, mast cells and the pineal gland and is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of peripheral serotonin. Serotonin released into circulation is taken up by platelets via the serotonin transporter and stored in dense granules.

Black bone disease of the foot: a case study and review of literature demonstrating a correlation of long-term minocycline therapy and bone hyperpigmentation.

The chronic use of minocycline and tetracycline has been widely reported in published studies to cause discoloration of skin and teeth. There are very few case reports with regard to discoloration of bone. Those cases reported have been termed black bone disease or blue bone disease because the resulting change to the bone is a blue, green, or brown discoloration that resembles necrotic bone.

Gene expression profile of peripheral blood lymphocytes from renal cell carcinoma patients treated with IL-2, interferon-α and dendritic cell vaccine.

Lymphocytes are a key component of the immune system and their differentiation and function are directly influenced by cancer. We examined peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) gene expression as a biomarker of illness and treatment effect using the Affymetrix Human Gene ST1 platform in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) who received combined treatment with IL-2, interferon-?-2a and dendritic cell vaccine. We examined gene expression, cytokine levels in patient serum and lymphocyte subsets as determined by flow cytometry (FCM).

Regulatory T-cells and associated pathways in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients undergoing DC-vaccination and cytokine-therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) T regulatory cells (T(REG)) and associated immune-regulatory pathways in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients and healthy volunteers. We subsequently investigated the effects of immunotherapy on circulating T(REG) combining an extensive phenotype examination, DNA methylation analysis and global transcriptome analysis.

Design: Eighteen patients with mRCC and twelve volunteers (controls) were available for analysis.

Serial analysis of the gut and respiratory microbiome in cystic fibrosis in infancy: interaction between intestinal and respiratory tracts and impact of nutritional exposures.

Unlabelled: Pulmonary damage caused by chronic colonization of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung by microbial communities is the proximal cause of respiratory failure. While there has been an effort to document the microbiome of the CF lung in pediatric and adult patients, little is known regarding the developing microflora in infants. We examined the respiratory and intestinal microbiota development in infants with CF from birth to 21 months.

Does the F508-CFTR mutation induce a proinflammatory response in human airway epithelial cells?

In the clinical setting, mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene enhance the inflammatory response in the lung to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) infection. However, studies on human airway epithelial cells in vitro have produced conflicting results regarding the effect of mutations in CFTR on the inflammatory response to P.

Prevalence of recurrence and retreatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with endovascular coil occlusion.

Object: Endovascular coiling is a common treatment for ruptured intracranial aneurysms. However, concerns have been raised over the durability of this treatment. The aim of this study was to establish the rate of recurrence and retreatment of coiled aneurysms treated in our unit.

Prevalence of streptococci and increased polymicrobial diversity associated with cystic fibrosis patient stability.

Diverse microbial communities chronically colonize the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Pyrosequencing of amplicons for hypervariable regions in the 16S rRNA gene generated taxonomic profiles of bacterial communities for sputum genomic DNA samples from 22 patients during a state of clinical stability (outpatients) and 13 patients during acute exacerbation (inpatients). We employed quantitative PCR (qPCR) to confirm the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus by the pyrosequencing data and human oral microbe identification microarray (HOMIM) analysis to determine the species of the streptococci identified by pyrosequencing.

Astrocyte decrease in the subgenual cingulate and callosal genu in schizophrenia.

Decreases in glial cell density and in GFAP mRNA in the anterior cingulate cortex have been reported in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Our study examines astrocyte and oligodendrocyte density in the white and grey matter of the subgenual cingulate cortex, and at the midline of the genu of the corpus callosum, in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and normal control cases. Serial coronal sections were stained with H and E for anatomical guidance, cresyl haematoxylin for oligodendrocyte identification and GFAP immunohistochemistry for astrocyte identification.

Developmental Changes in the ECG of a Hamster Model of Muscular Dystrophy and Heart Failure.

Aberrant autonomic signaling is being increasingly recognized as an important symptom in neuromuscular disorders. The δ-sarcoglycan-deficient BIO TO-2 hamster is recognized as a good model for studying mechanistic pathways and sequelae in muscular dystrophy and heart failure, including autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. Recent studies using the TO-2 hamster model have provided promising preclinical results demonstrating the efficacy of gene therapy to treat skeletal muscle weakness and heart failure.

Temozolomide in the management of dopamine agonist-resistant prolactinomas.

Background: The majority of prolactinomas respond to dopamine agonist therapy, but a proportion are resistant, requiring other treatments including surgery and/or radiotherapy. Temozolomide is an oral chemotherapy agent, which has been used as a salvage therapy to treat aggressive pituitary adenomas and carcinomas, including prolactinomas, unresponsive to all conventional treatment.

Case Series: We report three patients where temozolomide was used in the treatment of refractory prolactinomas.