Juvenile-onset Parkinsonism as a result of the first mutation in the adenosine triphosphate orientation domain of PINK1.

Background: Mutations in the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) gene at 1p36 have been involved in autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism.

Objective: To describe the clinical and genetic features of the largest kindred reported to date with early-onset parkinsonism associated with the PINK1 gene.

Design: Clinical and genetic study.

The histopathology of Candida albicans invasion in neonatal rat tissues and in the human blood-brain barrier in culture revealed by light, scanning, transmission and immunoelectron microscopy.

The present studies examined the effects of Candida albicans yeast and hyphal morphologies on tissue pathologies and transmigration properties of the fungus in two experimental models: 1) an in vivo, neonatal rat model, and 2) a cell culture model of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) (BMVEC). We inoculated a hyphae-producing strain (CAI4-URA3) and a non-hyphae-producing strain (CAI4) of C. albicans into 4-10 day old rats and BMVEC cultures.

New alkaloids from Phoebe grandis (Nees) Merr.

The alkaloidal extract of the leaves of Phoebe grandis (nees) merr. have provided two new minor alkaloids; phoebegrandine D (1), a proaporphine-tryptamine dimer, and phoebegrandine E (2), an indoloquinolizidine. This is the first report on the occurrence of an indoloquinolizidine in the Phoebe species.

Surgical pearl: tissue forceps as a simple and effective instrument for treating skin tags.

Skin tags are one of the most common, benign, disfiguring tumors on the flexural aspects of the body of advanced aged and obese people, with higher incidences in females. Various treatment modalities have been advocated for the tags. Even a simple, noninvasive and fast cryotechnique requires approximately 1-3 min for a single skin tag.

T-Cells and excitotoxicity: HIV-1 and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Until recently the central nervous system (CNS) was considered an immune-privileged site, however, technological and immunological advances have resulted in the CNS being reclassified as an "immune-specialized site." The immune cells, particularly T-cells, continuously patrol the brain and are involved in neuroimmune responses. As such, any changes in the brain microenvironment could affect the physiological functioning of T-cells.

Exogenous IL-7 induces Fas-mediated human neuronal apoptosis: potential effects during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

The use of exogenous cytokines is part of translational immune-antiretroviral approaches to induce immune reconstitution and possibly eliminate the persistence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in virally suppressed infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Recently, our laboratories demonstrated that interleukin-7 (IL-7) has significant efficiency in stimulating HIV-1 replication from proviral latency in CD4+ T lymphocytes of infected patients. The authors now investigated the possible role of IL-7 in HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD).

Uncommon clinical presentations of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sudan.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sudan is caused by Leishmania major zymodeme LON1. Self-healing usually occurs within 1 year but occasionally its duration is prolonged and treatment is required. The clinical forms are ulcers, nodules and noduloulcerative lesions.

High risk of hookworm infection among wastewater farmers in Pakistan.

The health risks of wastewater use in agriculture were investigated in the city of Faisalabad, Pakistan, by means of a cross-sectional study. The study showed an increased risk of intestinal nematode infection and hookworm infection, in particular, in wastewater farmers (OR = 31.4, 95% CI 4.

Retroviruses and opportunistic infections--eighth annual conference.

The major focus of the Eighth Annual Retrovirus Conference was recent developments in the field of human retrovirology and related opportunistic infections at the forefront of clinical and scientific research. A number of state of the art lectures and symposia were followed by evening poster sessions. Viral reservoirs were particularly highlighted in the meeting with major focus on the brain as a site of HIV-1 persistence.

Molecular interactions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with primary human oral keratinocytes.

Infection of the oral mucosa of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals remains an under-evaluated and somewhat enigmatic process. Nonetheless, it is of profound importance in the ongoing AIDS pandemic, based on its potential as a site of person-to-person transmission of the virus as well as a location of HIV-1 pathogenesis and potential reservoir of disease in the setting of virally suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy. We utilized molecular and virological techniques to analyze HIV-1 infection of primary human mucosal cells and also evaluated the proapoptotic potential of selected HIV-1 proteins in primary isolated human oral keratinocytes.

Congenital malaria among inborn babies at a tertiary centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

Congenital malaria is increasingly reported among babies born to mothers continually residing in endemic areas. Given the high morbidity and mortality associated with malaria it is pertinent to determine its current status among newborns in Lagos, Nigeria. The aim was to determine the incidence of congenital malaria in newborn babies delivered at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and also to determine the frequency of parasitaemia in their mothers and placentae.

The RNA helicase DDX1 is involved in restricted HIV-1 Rev function in human astrocytes.

Productive infection by human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) in the central nervous system (CNS) involves mainly macrophages and microglial cells. A frequency of less than 10% of human astrocytes is estimated to be infectable with HIV-1. Nonetheless, this relatively low percentage of infected astrocytes, but associated with a large total number of astrocytic cells in the CNS, makes human astrocytes a critical part in the analyses of potential HIV-1 reservoirs in vivo.

Down-modulation of the CXCR4 co-receptor by intracellular expression of a single chain variable fragment (SFv) inhibits HIV-1 entry into primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells and post-mitotic neurons.

Our laboratories previously demonstrated that expression of a single chain variable antibody fragment (SFv), anti-CXCR4 SFv, in human lymphoid cells suppresses surface display of the chemokine co-receptor CXCR4 and inhibits infectious entry of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1). We now sought to extend these results to two types of central nervous system (CNS) cells, primary isolated human brain microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs), and post-mitotic differentiated human neurons, both of which normally express significant levels of CXCR4. The anti-CXCR4 SFv expression construct was delivered using an HIV-1-based vector, and control cells received LacZ-expressing viral particles.

Dichotomy of protective cellular immune responses to human visceral leishmaniasis.

Healing/protective responses in human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are associated with stimulation/production of Th1 cytokines, such as interferon IFN-gamma, and conversion in the leishmanin skin test (LST). Such responses were studied for 90 days in 44 adult healthy volunteers from VL non-endemic areas, with no past history of VL/cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and LST non-reactivity following injection with one of four doses of Alum-precipitated autoclaved Leishmania major (Alum/ALM) +/- bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a VL candidate vaccine. The vaccine was well tolerated with minimal localized side-effects and without an increase in antileishmanial antibodies or interleukin (IL)-5.

Human Immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef potently induces apoptosis in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells via the activation of caspases.

The lentiviral protein Nef plays a major role in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) infection. Although the exact mechanisms of its actions are not fully understood, Nef has been shown to be essential for the maintenance of high-titer viral replication and disease pathogenesis in in vivo models of simian immunodeficiency virus infection of monkeys. Nef has also been suggested to play a pivotal role in the depletion of T cells by promoting apoptosis in bystander cells.

Ethanol potentiates HIV-1 gp120-induced apoptosis in human neurons via both the death receptor and NMDA receptor pathways.

Neuronal loss is a hallmark of AIDS dementia syndromes. Human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1)-specific proteins may induce neuronal apoptosis, but the signal transduction of HIV-1 gp120-induced, direct neuronal apoptosis remains unclear. Ethanol (EtOH) is considered to be an environmental co-factor in AIDS development.

Antimony-resistant Leishmania donovaniin eastern Sudan: incidence and in vitro correlation.

A longitudinal study was done in a leishmaniasis -endemic region in eastern Sudan during the period November 2001-February 2003 to determine the incidence of failure of sodium stibogluconate treatment. We studied 820 confirmed visceral leishmaniasis patients. All were treated with sodium stibogluconate, 20 mg/kg body weight for at least 28 days.

Spleen necrosis virus-based vector delivery of anti-HIV-1 genes potently protects human hematopoietic cells from HIV-1 infection.

In this study, we report on the efficacy of using a spleen necrosis virus (SNV)-based vector delivery system to block human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) replication in human hematopoietic cells. These efforts were directed towards the development of human immune system cell resistance to HIV-1 infection, based on the strategy of "intracellular immunization" via generation of a series of anti-HIV-1 therapeutic constructs carrying scFvs, single-chain variable fragments, against HIV-1 integrase and reverse transcriptase in combination with the trans-dominant mutant of HIV-1 Rev, RevM10. The efficiency of the anti-HIV-1 constructs were tested in viral challenge assays with different doses of HIV-1 NL4-3, Bal, 89.

Parasite diversity in adult patients with cerebral malaria: a hospital-based, case-control study.

Thirty adult patients with cerebral malaria (CM) were recruited for this study. Two clinical groups were used as controls: those with mild malaria (n = 20) and asymptomatic volunteers (n = 20). Thick and thin blood smears were examined for detection of Plasmodium falciparum and estimating infection intensity.

Prognostic factors in the management of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Kuwait.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical presentation and the factors of prognostic importance in the management of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Subjects And Methods: One hundred and four patients who were hospitalized because of exacerbation of COPD between 1996 and 2000 were selected for further evaluation. Only patients who fulfilled the American Thoracic Society criteria for diagnosis of COPD were included.

Surgical pearl: the safety pin as a better alternative to the versatile paper clip comedo extractor.

Acne vulgaris is a very common, chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous apparatus. The comedo extractor is the instrument primarily used for comedo extraction. There are many types of more costly instruments available, but extraction can be achieved with the help of a modified versatile paper clip and disposable syringes.