Differentiation of solid and friable tumour thrombus in patients with renal cell carcinoma: The role of MRI apparent diffusion coefficient.

Purpose: Inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a higher disease stage and is considered a risk factor for poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of MRI 3D texture analysis in the differentiation of solid and friable tumour thrombus in patients with RCC.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 27 patients with RCC with tumour thrombus in the renal vein or IVC, surgically treated with nephrectomy and thrombectomy and in whom preoperatively abdominal MRI including the DWI sequence was conducted.

The Clinical Significance of Urinary Retinol-Binding Protein 4: A Review.

Effective biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring in renal diseases (in general) comprise an unmet need. Urinary retinol-binding protein 4, which is the most sensitive indicator of renal tubular damage, holds great promise as a universal biomarker for renal pathologies, in which tubular injury is the driving force. Here, we summarize the most important existing data on the associations between urinary retinol-binding protein 4 and renal diseases and highlight the untapped potential of retinol-binding protein 4 in clinical use.

Induction of Phage-Specific Antibodies by Two Therapeutic Staphylococcal Bacteriophages Administered .

In therapeutic phage applications oral administration is a common and well-accepted delivery route. Phages applied may elicit a specific humoral response, which may in turn affect phage activity. We present specific anti-phage antibody induction in mice receiving therapeutic staphylococcal bacteriophage A3R or 676Z in drinking water.

Isobaric duplex based on a combination of O/O enzymatic exchange and labeling with pyrylium salts.

Enzymatic O exchange, the well-established approach in comparative proteomics, has some disadvantages such as back exchange of labeled oxygen and overlapping the peak of a labeled peptide with isotopic peaks of an unlabeled one. Herein we demonstrated a simple procedure in which samples digested with a trypsin (with and without HO) were reacted with unlabeled and quadrupled C-labeled pyrylium salt respectively which results in formation of pyridinium cations. Thus, each isobarically labeled peptide containing zero or four C atoms in the mass reporter group, during tandem MS/MS forms an unique reporter ion useful for a relative quantitation.

Safety Studies of Pneumococcal Endolysins Cpl-1 and Pal.

Bacteriophage-derived endolysins have gained increasing attention as potent antimicrobial agents and numerous publications document the in vivo efficacy of these enzymes in various rodent models. However, little has been documented about their safety and toxicity profiles. Here, we present preclinical safety and toxicity data for two pneumococcal endolysins, Pal and Cpl-1.

Candidate Urine Peptide Biomarkers for IgA Nephropathy: Where Are We Now?

Early detection, prognosis, and management of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) remain a challenge. Histological examination of renal tissue still comprises the only way to confirm an IgAN diagnosis. It is of great importance to establish noninvasive diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers that would improve the clinical care and outcome of patients suffering from IgAN.

Assessment of caspase mediated degradation of linker for activation of T cells (LAT) at a single cell level.

Caspase/Granzyme B mediated protein degradation is involved in elimination of activated T cell receptor (TCR) signaling molecules during processes of thymocyte selection and maintenance of peripheral homeostasis of T cells. Key components of TCR signaling cassette including LAT undergo biological inactivation in response to pro-apoptotic or anergy inducing environmental stimuli. Although available Western immunoblotting-based techniques are appropriate for detection of protein degradation in bulk populations of target cells, quantitative assessment of this process at a single cell level requires a different approach.