Metabolically active neutrophils represent a permissive niche for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected neutrophils are often found in the airways of patients with active tuberculosis (TB), and excessive recruitment of neutrophils to the lung is linked to increased bacterial burden and aggravated pathology in TB. The basis for the permissiveness of neutrophils for Mtb and the ability to be pathogenic in TB has been elusive. Here, we identified metabolic and functional features of neutrophils that contribute to their permissiveness in Mtb infection.

NIH Consensus Statement on Breast Cancer Screening for Women in Their 40s: How Will It Affect Patient Care?

It is generally accepted that breast cancer screening mammograms in women 50 years of age and older has saved lives. It also is generally accepted that the incidence of breast cancer in women younger than 40 is too small to warrant subjecting young women to the risks associated with mammograms. But whether women in the transition years from 40 to 49 should have routine screening mammograms has been debated for 2 decades.

Evidence that smoking alters prostacyclin formation and platelet aggregation in women who use oral contraceptives.

Smoking markedly intensifies the risk of cardiovascular disease in women who use oral contraceptives. The mechanism of this effect is not known, but evidence in vitro and in male smokers suggests that nicotine and cigarette smoke can alter prostaglandin formation and platelet function. However, these effects had not been studied with regard to women.