Stabilizing the Proteomes of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells: Implications for Cancer Proteomics.

Previous work has shown that inhibition of abundant myeloid azurophil granule-associated serine proteases (ELANE [neutrophil elastase], PRTN3 [protease 3], and CTSG [Cathepsin G]) is required to stabilize some proteins in myeloid cells. We therefore hypothesized that effective inhibition of these proteases may be necessary for quantitative proteomic analysis of samples containing myeloid cells. To test this hypothesis, we thawed viably preserved acute myeloid leukemia cells from cryovials in the presence or the absence of diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), a cell-permeable and irreversible serine protease inhibitor.

Proteomic and phosphoproteomic landscapes of acute myeloid leukemia.

We have developed a deep-scale proteome and phosphoproteome database from 44 representative acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients from the LAML TCGA dataset and 6 healthy bone marrow-derived controls. After confirming data quality, we orthogonally validated several previously undescribed features of AML revealed by the proteomic data. We identified examples of posttranscriptionally regulated proteins both globally (ie, in all AML samples) and also in patients with recurrent AML driver mutations.

Mapping functional transcription factor networks from gene expression data.

A critical step in understanding how a genome functions is determining which transcription factors (TFs) regulate each gene. Accordingly, extensive effort has been devoted to mapping TF networks. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, protein-DNA interactions have been identified for most TFs by ChIP-chip, and expression profiling has been done on strains deleted for most TFs.

Communicable diseases prioritized for surveillance and epidemiological research: results of a standardized prioritization procedure in Germany, 2011.

Introduction: To establish strategic priorities for the German national public health institute (RKI) and guide the institute's mid-term strategic decisions, we prioritized infectious pathogens in accordance with their importance for national surveillance and epidemiological research.

Methods: We used the Delphi process with internal (RKI) and external experts and a metric-consensus approach to score pathogens according to ten three-tiered criteria. Additional experts were invited to weight each criterion, leading to the calculation of a median weight by which each score was multiplied.

Strengthening systems for communicable disease surveillance: creating a laboratory network in Rwanda.

Background: The recent emergence of a novel strain of influenza virus with pandemic potential underscores the need for quality surveillance and laboratory services to contribute to the timely detection and confirmation of public health threats. To provide a framework for strengthening disease surveillance and response capacities in African countries, the World Health Organization Regional Headquarters for Africa (AFRO) developed Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) aimed at improving national surveillance and laboratory systems. IDSR emphasizes the linkage of information provided by public health laboratories to the selection of relevant, appropriate and effective public health responses to disease outbreaks.

Prevalence and factors affecting home blood pressure documentation in routine clinical care: a retrospective study.

Background: Home blood pressure (BP) is closely linked to patient outcomes. However, the prevalence of its documentation has not been examined. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and factors affecting documentation of home BP in routine clinical care.

Polyparasite helminth infections and their association to anaemia and undernutrition in Northern Rwanda.

Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections constitute major public health problems in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we examined the functional significance of such polyparasite infections in anemia and undernutrition in Rwandan individuals.

Methods: Three polyparasite infection profiles were defined, in addition to a reference profile that consisted of either no infections or low-intensity infection with only one of the focal parasite species.

Healthcare-associated infections in pediatric cancer patients: results of a prospective surveillance study from university hospitals in Germany and Switzerland.

Background: Pediatric cancer patients face an increased risk of healthcare-associated infection (HAI). To date, no prospective multicenter studies have been published on this topic.

Methods: Prospective multicenter surveillance for HAI and nosocomial fever of unknown origin (nFUO) with specific case definitions and standardized surveillance methods.

SurvNet electronic surveillance system for infectious disease outbreaks, Germany.

In 2001, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) implemented a new electronic surveillance system (SurvNet) for infectious disease outbreaks in Germany. SurvNet has captured 30,578 outbreak reports in 2001-2005. The size of the outbreaks ranged from 2 to 527 cases.

Skeletal self-repair: stress fracture healing by rapid formation and densification of woven bone.

Unlabelled: Stress fractures of varying severity were created using a rat model of skeletal fatigue loading. Periosteal woven bone formed in proportion to the level of bone damage, resulting in the rapid recovery of whole bone strength independent of stress fracture severity.

Introduction: A hard periosteal callus is a hallmark of stress fracture healing.

Outbreak of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a Japanese nursing home, 1999-2000.

Objective: To identify risk factors for infection and severe illness due to Chlamydia pneumoniae.

Methods: To identify risk factors for infection, we conducted a case-control study among nursing home residents who had onset of symptoms during December 1, 1999, to February 20, 2000. To identify risk factors for severe illness among nursing home residents, we conducted a retrospective cohort study.

Restricted use of glycopeptides in paediatric cancer patients with fever and neutropenia.

Until now, studies confirming the safety of glycopeptide restriction in the empirical treatment of prolonged fever and neutropenia included only nine children. In an open-label observational study, the use of teicoplanin in paediatric oncology patients was investigated. A period of unrestricted use (2001-2003) was compared with a second period (2004) following implementation of a restrictive treatment guideline.

Severe cutaneous reactions to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in Blantyre District, Malawi.

We estimated the frequency of clinically diagnosed Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (CTX) in Blantyre District, Malawi. Cases were detected by passive surveillance at 22 health centers from March 2001 through September 2002. Denominators were estimated from the Malawi national census for Blantyre District and the frequency of SP and CTX use reported in five household surveys.

Understanding recent increases in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections in men having sex with men: changes in risk behavior from risk avoidance to risk reduction.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore risk behavior and routes of transmission in men having sex with men (MSM) with newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Methods: A questionnaire on clinical diagnosis and manifestation site for acute STIs was completed by physicians participating in a sentinel study. Patients contributed information on sexual risk behavior and the likely route of STI transmission.

International outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg due to German chocolate.

Background: This report describes a large international chocolate-associated Salmonella outbreak originating from Germany.

Methods: We conducted epidemiologic investigations including a case-control study, and food safety investigations. Salmonella (S.

Nosocomial Serratia marcescens outbreak in Osaka, Japan, from 1999 to 2000.

Objectives: To investigate and control an outbreak of bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by Serratia marcescens and to identify risk factors for respiratory colonization or infection with S. marcescens.

Design: Epidemiologic investigation, including review of medical and laboratory records, procedural investigations, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing of environmental and patient isolates, statistical study, and recommendation of control measures.

Cost of illness in the 1993 waterborne Cryptosporidium outbreak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To assess the total medical costs and productivity losses associated with the 1993 waterborne outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including the average cost per person with mild, moderate, and severe illness, we conducted a retrospective cost-of-illness analysis using data from 11 hospitals in the greater Milwaukee area and epidemiologic data collected during the outbreak. The total cost of outbreak-associated illness was 96.2 million US dollars: 31.

Evaluation of National Tsutsugamushi Disease Surveillance--Japan, 2000.

In Japan, Tsutsugamushi disease, which is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is re-emerging with newly recognized strains and is now endemic in all prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa. We analyzed recent surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of Tsutsugamushi disease and to evaluate the newly implemented national surveillance system according to the CDC guidelines for evaluating surveillance systems. In 2000, 756 cases of Tsutsugamushi disease were reported from 37 of 47 prefectures; two of these cases were fatal.

Risk of hepatitis C after immunoadsorption.

An episode of acute hepatitis in a patient with hemophilia during immunoadsorption therapy initially was misinterpreted as a reactivated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but ultimately was shown to be an exogenous reinfection during cohort treatment with another HCV-positive patient. This incident illustrates that policies for the prevention of nosocomial transmission of blood-borne pathogens, especially in cohort treatment units, may need to be reassessed.

Surveillance for nosocomial infections and fever of unknown origin among adult hematology-oncology patients.

Objective: To determine the incidence of nosocomial infections (NIs) and fever of unknown origin among adult hematology-oncology patients.

Design: Prospective surveillance study.

Setting: The 18-bed hematology-oncology unit at the University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.