Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro- and nanoplastic particles affect the mitochondrial efficiency of human brain vascular pericytes without inducing oxidative stress.

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of micro- and nanoplastic particles composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a significant contributor to plastic pollution, on human brain vascular pericytes. Specifically, we delved into their impact on mitochondrial functionality, oxidative stress, and the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress, ferroptosis and mitochondrial functions. Our findings demonstrate that the exposure of a monoculture of human brain vascular pericytes to PET particles in vitro at a concentration of 50 μg/ml for a duration of 3, 6 and 10 days did not elicit oxidative stress.

Personalized survivorship care: Routine breast cancer risk assessment in the gynecologic oncology clinic.

Introduction: Gynecologic and breast cancers share several risk factors. Breast cancer risk assessment tools can identify those at elevated risk and allow for enhanced breast surveillance and chemoprevention, however such tools are underutilized. We aim to evaluate the use of routine breast cancer risk assessment in a gynecologic oncology clinic.

An N-terminal extension to the hepatitis B virus core protein forms a poorly ordered trimeric spike in assembled virus-like particles.

Virus-like particles composed of the core antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) have been shown to be an effective platform for the display of foreign epitopes in vaccine development. Heterologous sequences have been successfully inserted at both amino and carboxy termini as well as internally at the major immunodominant epitope. We used cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM) and three-dimensional image reconstruction to investigate the structure of VLPs assembled from an N-terminal extended HBcAg that contained a polyhistidine tag.

Take my breath away: a case of lactic acidosis in an asthma exacerbation.

A 36-year-old male with a history of chronic asthma presented to an emergency department with shortness of breath consistent with an asthma exacerbation. He had persistent tachypnea following inhaled bronchodilator treatment; thus, the workup and differential diagnosis were expanded. He was found to have a mixed respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis with elevated serum lactate without an obvious cause and was admitted to hospital.

Detection of African swine fever virus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV). This assay targets the topoisomerase II gene of ASFV and its specificity was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion of the reaction products. The analytical sensitivity of this ASFV LAMP assay was at least 330 genome copies, and the test was able to detect representative isolates of ASFV (n=38) without cross-reacting with classical swine fever virus.

Polycystic kidneys: a cautionary story.

We describe the imaging appearances of a patient with bilateral, synchronous, multiloculated renal cell carcinoma with a predominantly cystic nature. The patient had progressive chronic renal failure. He was initially erroneously diagnosed as having autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) on the basis of the imaging findings.

High-flow nasal cannula as a device to provide continuous positive airway pressure in infants.

Objective: To measure the intrapharyngeal pressure (IPP) generated by high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) at varying flow rates up to 5 l min(-1).

Study Design: We studied 14 infants on HFNC or NCPAP using IPP manometry to measure the IPP generated at flows of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 l min(-1).

Result: On average flow rates of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 l min(-1) generated an IPP (cm of H(2)O) of 1.

Successful rescue of severe hypernatraemia (196 mmol/L) by treatment with hypotonic fluid.

Hypernatraemia over 160 mmol/L is considered to be severe. This case reports a patient who developed extreme hypernatraemia with a serum sodium concentration of 196 mmol/L. The patient was known to have chronic renal impairment and was admitted with acute deterioration of renal function secondary to dehydration.

Bacterial meningitis--complication from a dialysis catheter.

Various infective complications associated with dialysis catheter infection have been reported in the literature previously. We report a case of a hemodialysis patient presented with confusion and dysarthria secondary to Staphylococcus aureus septicemia and meningitis originating from a tunneled catheter used for providing dialysis. Blood cultures from the periphery, central venous catheter and culture of the line tip grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.

A retrospective study of the prognostic impact of cytokine secretion in mixed lymphocyte culture on long-term graft function following allogeneic renal transplantation.

We have previously shown that in vitro measurement of cytokine production prior to renal transplantation can provide predictive information on the risk of acute rejection. Our earlier studies demonstrated that patients who secreted high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in OKT3-stimulated or mixed lymphocyte culture had a significantly increased risk of acute rejection compared with patients who secreted lower levels. In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of the same cohort of patients in order to determine the prognostic value of cytokine profiles and other variables on long-term graft function.

A 5-year audit of haemodialysis access.

This is a review of our experience with vascular access procedures over a 5-year period at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK. The aims of the study were to examine the outcome of vascular access procedures and factors influencing access survival. Between April 1995 and March 2000, 151 patients who underwent 221 vascular access procedures were studied.

Terminal right heart failure due to complex congenital cardiac disease successfully managed by home peritoneal drainage.

A man, aged 32, who had undergone surgical correction of complex congenital cardiac disease, had chronic severe right heart failure. Increasing reliance on diuretics led to deteriorating renal function, and he was rejected as a candidate for cardiac transplantation. By inserting a Tenckhoff catheter, and training him to drain his ascites at home, we achieved a dramatic improvement in both his cardiac and renal function.

A study of cytokine gene polymorphisms and protein secretion in renal transplantation.

Although there is evidence that cytokine gene polymorphisms are associated with varying quantities of cytokine protein production, the exact role of these polymorphisms in allograft rejection remains unclear. In a previous study, we demonstrated a significant association between high IL-10 secretion in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC), together with HLA mismatching for at least 4-6 antigens, with the occurrence of acute rejection following renal transplantation. We, therefore, wished to ascertain whether cytokine gene polymorphisms are associated with varying levels of protein secretion and/or allograft rejection in the same group of patients.

Cytokine secretion in mixed lymphocyte culture: a prognostic indicator of renal allograft rejection in addition to HLA mismatching.

We have previously demonstrated significant inter-individual variations in cytokine protein secretion between normal individuals and patients prior to renal transplantation. In this study, pre-transplant patient vs. donor mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) were set up between 57 renal allograft patient/donor pairs, and secretion of cytokine protein (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-gamma) into the culture supernatant measured by ELISA.

HLA-DR typing for kidney transplants: advantage of polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers in a routine hospital laboratory.

Aims: To determine whether the polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) can assign HLA-DR type more accurately than serology in a routine hospital laboratory.

Methods: The 93 patients currently awaiting kidney transplants have been DR typed by serology over the past 14 years, 82% within the past five years. They have now been retyped using the PCR-SSP method described by Bein et al.

The dialysis debate: acute renal failure in burns patients.

Acute renal failure is an uncommon occurrence in burns patients, although the mortality of this condition remains high. We review briefly the literature on the incidence and management of acute renal failure in burns patients. We discuss the results of a questionnaire sent to all units in the UK examining this problem.

Glomerulonephritis in rheumatoid arthritis.

We present data on 10 patients with RA who developed glomerulonephritis which was not related to gold or penicillamine therapy. Although two of these patients had received gold this had been discontinued 13 and 18 yr before the diagnosis of glomerulonephritis. Seven patients presented with nephrotic syndrome and three with proteinuria and microscopic haematuria.

Prognostic factors in acute renal failure following aortic aneurysm surgery.

This study analyses the prognostic factors associated with survival in 70 patients who developed acute renal failure following surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Forty-nine patients (70 per cent) had surgery for a ruptured aortic aneurysm and 21 patients (30 per cent) had an elective procedure. Fifty-nine patients received haemodialysis.

Chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in patients aged over seventy.

Thirteen patients with end-stage renal disease aged 70 years have been successfully treated by chronic dialysis treatment. Despite many problems associated with the elderly, a good quality of life was achieved.