Infectious endocarditis caused by Bartonella henselae associated with infected pets: two case reports.

Background: Blood culture-negative infective endocarditis is a potentially severe disease that can be associated with infectious agents such as Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetti, Tropheryma whipplei, and some fungi.

Case Presentation: Reported here are two cases of blood culture-negative infective endocarditis in patients with severe aortic and mitral regurgitation in Brazil; the first case is a 47-year-old white man and the second is a 62-year-old white woman.

Fecal calprotectin as a noninvasive test to predict deep remission in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Mucosal healing (MH) has become a major target in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). Because repeat endoscopy is expensive and invasive, we aimed to evaluate fecal calprotectin (FC) as an alternative marker to predict MH in UC.Eighty patients with UC in clinical remission were consecutively included in a prospective observational study.

Protective effect of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in an experimental model of high-risk colonic anastomosis.

Background: Dehiscence of intestinal anastomosis results in high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of locally administered adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in a model of high-risk colonic anastomosis in rats.

Methods: Seven days after induction of colitis with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, Wistar rats were submitted to a transection of the descending colon followed by end-to-end anastomosis and were then treated with 2×10 adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (from the preperitoneal fat) or an acellular culture solution instilled onto the surface of the anastomosis.

In Vivo Endoluminal Ultrasound Biomicroscopy and Endoscopy of Inflamed Rat Esophagus.

The development of high-frequency endoscopic ultrasound for the investigation of models of esophageal disease may offer insights for future translation to human imaging. With respect to small animal models of esophageal diseases, ultrasound imaging instrumentation must employ frequencies scaled up to maintain the compromise between image resolution and inspected region. In this sense, a 40-MHz endoluminal ultrasound biomicroscopy (eUBM) system and an endoscope were tested as diagnostic methods of imaging rat esophageal lesions in the acute and chronic phases caused by sodium hydroxide.

Ischemia-reperfusion rat model of acute pancreatitis: protein carbonyl as a putative early biomarker of pancreatic injury.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder that can affect adjacent and/or remote organs. Some evidence indicates that the production of reactive oxygen species is able to induce AP. Protein carbonyl (PC) derivatives, which can also be generated through oxidative cleavage mechanisms, have been implicated in several diseases, but there is little or no information on this biomarker in AP.

Heparanase expression and localization in different types of human lung cancer.

Background: Heparanase is the only known mammalian glycosidase capable of cleaving heparan sulfate chains. The expression of this enzyme has been associated with tumor development because of its ability to degrade extracellular matrix and promote cell invasion.

Methods: We analyzed heparanase expression in lung cancer samples to understand lung tumor progression and malignancy.

Ascidian (chordate-tunicate) and mammalian heparin enemas attenuate experimental diversion colitis.

Aim: We sought to investigate whether mammalian or ascidian Styela plicata heparin enemas could diminish inflammation in experimental diversion colitis.

Methods: Wistar-specific pathogen-free rats were submitted to a Hartmann's end colostomy and treated with enemas containing mammalian or Styela plicata heparin, or saline. Enemas were administered 3 times a week in the excluded colon segment from 4 to 8 weeks after operation.

Endoluminal ultrasound biomicroscopy as a reliable tool for in vivo assessment of colonic inflammation in rats.

Purpose: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) imaging of the colon is an important diagnostic tool for early neoplasia, although usually restricted to the rectum in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to evaluate the ability of an endoluminal ultrasound biomicroscopic (eUBM) system to detect and characterize lesions simulating Crohn's disease in the colon of rats in vivo.

Methods: Colitis was induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid instillated in the distal colon.

Does active Crohn's disease have decreased intestinal antioxidant capacity?

Background And Aims: Oxidative stress is presumed to play an important role in Crohn's disease (CD) pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the intestinal antioxidant capacity through the analysis of glutathione peroxidase activity in CD remains to be determined.

Methods: 20 CD outpatients and 16 volunteers going through colonic cancer screening were enrolled.

Pseudomelanosis duodeni associated with chronic renal failure.

Pseudomelanosis duodeni (PD) is a rare dark speckled appearance of the duodenum associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension, chronic heart failure, chronic renal failure and consumption of different drugs. We report four cases of PD associated with chronic renal failure admitted to the gastroenterology outpatient unit due to epigastric pain, nausea, melena and progressive reduction of hemoglobin index. Gastroduodenal endoscopy revealed erosions in the esophagus and stomach, with no active bleeding at the moment.

Intraperitoneal but not intravenous cryopreserved mesenchymal stromal cells home to the inflamed colon and ameliorate experimental colitis.

Background And Aims: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were shown to have immunomodulatory activity and have been applied for treating immune-mediated disorders. We compared the homing and therapeutic action of cryopreserved subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) in rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis.

Methods: After colonoscopic detection of inflammation AT-MSCs or BM-MSCs were injected intraperitoneally.

MIF participates in Toxoplasma gondii-induced pathology following oral infection.

Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is essential for controlling parasite burden and survival in a model of systemic Toxoplasma gondii infection. Peroral T. gondii infection induces small intestine necrosis and death in susceptible hosts, and in many aspects resembles inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Genital schistosomiasis mansoni concomitant to genital tumor in areas of low endemicity: challenging diagnosis.

Genital infection by Schistosoma mansoni is usually misdiagnosed in individuals who reside in, or travel to endemic areas. We describe two cases of genital tumor associated with S. mansoni infection manifested by methrorragy.

Whole-slide imaging digital pathology as a platform for teleconsultation: a pilot study using paired subspecialist correlations.

Context: -Whole-slide imaging technology offers promise for rapid, Internet-based telepathology consultations between institutions. Before implementation, technical issues, pathologist adaptability, and morphologic pitfalls must be well characterized.

Objective: -To determine whether interpretation of whole-slide images differed from glass-slide interpretation in difficult surgical pathology cases.

In vitro ultrasound biomicroscopic imaging of colitis in rats.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to show the feasibility of 50-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) to image the rat colon.

Methods: B-mode images were obtained from ex vivo colon samples (n = 4) collected from Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) rats, with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in 3 of them. Left colon rectangular fragments (5 x 5 mm) were obtained after necropsy, and UBM images were acquired with the samples immersed in saline at 37 degrees C.

Unfractionated heparin and new heparin analogues from ascidians (chordate-tunicate) ameliorate colitis in rats.

The anti-inflammatory effect of mammalian heparin analogues, named dermatan sulfate and heparin, isolated from the ascidian Styela plicata was accessed in a TNBS-induced colitis model in rats. Subcutaneous administration of the invertebrate compounds during a 7-day period drastically reduced inflammation as observed by the normalization of the macroscopic and histological characteristics of the colon. At the molecular level, a decrease in the production of TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and VEGF was observed, as well as a reduction of NF-kappaB and MAPK kinase activation.

Utility of [(18)F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose positron emission tomography in the localization of ectopic ACTH-secreting tumors.

Ectopically ACTH producing tumors may be difficult to localize by conventional radiology and functional imaging may be helpful. Case 1: 31-year-old man was diagnosed with ectopic ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome (ECS). Thorax CT revealed a 1.

[Accelerated form of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in the native lung after single lung transplantation].

We report the case of a 56-year-old patient who underwent left single lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Despite the high level of immunosuppression after the surgery, there was rapid progression to IPF in the native (right) lung as demonstrated by thoracoscopic lung biopsy. After 104 days on mechanical ventilation (MV), the patient underwent right lung transplant and was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 26.

Hepatobiliary effects of cholic and lithocholic acids: experimental study in hamsters.

Etiopathogenesis of biliary atresia remains unknown. Among several theories, one proposes that the disorder may be caused by the toxic effect of monohydroxy bile acids on fetal and neonatal hepatobiliary system. In this paper we evaluated toxic effects produced by ingestion of cholic acid, a trihydroxy bile acid, and lithocholic acid, a monohydroxy bile acid in the hepatobiliary system of a hamster during gestational and perinatal periods.

Induced sputum and peripheral blood cell profile in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To determine cell profiles, as well as to identify CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte subgroups, in induced sputum (IS) and peripheral venous blood (PVB) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Total cell counts and counts of individual cell types, including CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, were determined in the IS and PVB of 85 subjects (38 with COPD without exacerbation, 29 smokers without obstruction and 18 nonsmokers). Mann-Whitney and Spearman non-parametric tests were used in the statistical analysis, and values of p < 0.

Quantitative assessment of elastic fibers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To quantify elastic fibers (EFs) and smooth muscle (SM) cells, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from 15 COPD patients, 18 smokers without airflow limitation, and 14 nonsmokers. Histological and immunohistochemical methods were employed in order to quantify EFs, SM cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells.

Therapeutic and prophylactic thalidomide in TNBS-induced colitis: synergistic effects on TNF-alpha, IL-12 and VEGF production.

Aim: To evaluated the therapeutic and prophylactic effect of thalidomide on 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Thalidomide has been reported to downregulate the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-12, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hallmarks of intestinal inflammation in Crohnos disease (CD).

Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided in five groups of ten animals each.

Analysis of 39 cases of idiopathic chronic interstitial pneumonia.

Objective: To make a retrospective analysis of lung biopsy samples obtained from patients diagnosed with chronic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, as defined in the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification system made public in 2000.

Methods: Samples from 252 open-lung biopsies of patients with interstitial lung disease, all performed between 1977 and 1999, were reviewed, and 39 cases of idiopathic interstitial lung disease were selected and re-evaluated by two pathologists in accordance with the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification system.

Results: Among those 39 cases, the diagnoses were maintained in 28 (71.

Distinct patterns of mucosal apoptosis in H pylori-associated gastric ulcer are associated with altered FasL and perforin cytotoxic pathways.

Aim: To analyze the level of apoptosis in different mucosal compartments and the differential expression of Fas/Fas-ligand and perforin in H pylori-associated gastric ulcer.

Methods: Antral specimens from patients with H pylori-related active gastric ulcer (GU), H pylori-related gastritis, and non-infected controls were analysed for densities and distribution of apoptotic cells determined by the TdT-mediated dUDP-biotin nick-end-labelling method. GU patients were submitted to eradication therapy with follow-up biopsy after 60 d.

Oxidized tissue proteins after intestinal reperfusion injury in rats.

Purpose: To analyse if the carbonyl proteins measurement could be validated as a method that allows the identification of an intestinal oxidative stress after ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Methods: Twenty-five male Wistar rats (n = 21) weighting 200 to 250 g were divided into three groups. Group I--control (n = 10).