Risk factors for systemic Candida infections in pediatric small bowel transplant recipients.

Background: Fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality after small bowel transplantation (SBT). Little information about risk factors for Candida infections in pediatric SBT is available.

Methods: We performed a 1:1 matched retrospective case-control study including 23 Candida culture-positive patients (cases) and 23 culture-negative patients (controls), matched based on age and time of transplantation.

Mammary tumor heterogeneity in the expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

The tumor microenvironment is heterogeneous for the expansion and infiltration by myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) which has been hypothesized to be dependent on tumor burden. We report a relationships between tumor size, MDSCs and T-cells; using four murine mammary tumors to assess tumor growth, infiltration and gene expression. Our analysis of cellular infiltration into tumors and gene expression used collagenase dissociated tumors and density gradient isolation of non-parenchymal cells (NPCs).

Chemoprevention by cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition reduces immature myeloid suppressor cell expansion.

Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme activity have shown chemopreventive activity in carcinogen-induced and transgenic rodent tumor models and clinically for colon cancer. However, the mechanism(s) by which COX-2 inhibitors reduce carcinogenesis remains controversial. We report herein that administration of the selective COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, significantly reduces the number of Gr1(+)CD11b(+) immature myeloid suppressor cells (IMSCs) during chemoprevention of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine diHCl-(1,2-DMH-) induction of large intestinal tumors in Swiss mice.