Protocol for the TRANSLATE prospective, multicentre, randomised clinical trial of prostate biopsy technique.

Objectives: Primary objectives: to determine whether local anaesthetic transperineal prostate (LATP) biopsy improves the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), defined as International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group ≥2 disease (i.e., any Gleason pattern 4 disease), compared to transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) prostate biopsy, in biopsy-naïve men undergoing biopsy based on suspicion of csPCa.

The Trem2 R47H variant confers loss-of-function-like phenotypes in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The R47H variant of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) confers greatly increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), reflective of a central role for myeloid cells in neurodegeneration. Understanding how this variant confers AD risk promises to provide important insights into how myeloid cells contribute to AD pathogenesis and progression.

Methods: In order to investigate this mechanism, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate a mouse model of AD harboring one copy of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) encoding the R47H variant in murine Trem2.

Hepatitis E as a cause of acute jaundice syndrome in northern Uganda, 2010-2012.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis in developing countries; however, its contribution to acute jaundice syndrome is not well-described. A large outbreak of hepatitis E occurred in northern Uganda from 2007 to 2009. In response to this outbreak, acute jaundice syndrome surveillance was established in 10 district healthcare facilities to determine the proportion of cases attributable to hepatitis E.

Seroprevalence of measles, mumps and rubella among children in American Samoa, 2011, and progress towards West Pacific Region goals of elimination.

Introduction: In line with the global goals for measles elimination, countries in the West Pacific Region (WPR) have set a goal to eliminate measles by 2012. Due to its contagiousness, high population immunity is needed for achieving and documenting measles elimination. We assessed population immunity to measles, mumps and rubella among first grade children in American Samoa (AS) through a seroprevalance study.

Acute hepatitis B outbreaks in 2 skilled nursing facilities and possible sources of transmission: North Carolina, 2009-2010.

Objective: Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections have been reported in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), primarily associated with infection control breaks during assisted blood glucose monitoring. We investigated HBV outbreaks that occurred in separate skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to determine factors associated with transmission.

Design: Outbreak investigation with case-control studies.

Immunity to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection two decades after implementation of universal infant HBV vaccination: association of detectable residual antibodies and response to a single HBV challenge dose.

Most persons who receive hepatitis B vaccine during infancy will have a level of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBsAg) of <10 IU/liter 10 to 15 years later; however, most will demonstrate immune memory by an anamnestic response to a vaccine challenge dose. To determine whether there was a difference in anamnestic response among college students vaccinated during infancy, we compared anti-HBsAg levels after a 20-μg dose of Engerix-B in those with a residual anti-HBsAg level of 0 IU/liter and those with levels of 1 to 9 IU/liter. Anti-HBsAg was measured before (baseline) and 2 weeks after a challenge dose; a response was defined as a level of ≥10 IU/liter after the dose among those with <10 IU/liter at the baseline.

Identification and characterization of gene-based SSR markers in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.).

Background: Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important tree in the Middle East and North Africa due to the nutritional value of its fruit. Molecular Breeding would accelerate genetic improvement of fruit tree through marker assisted selection.

Serologic testing for protection against hepatitis B virus infection among students at a health sciences university in the United States.

Objective: To evaluate hepatitis B vaccination coverage and documentation of vaccine-induced immunity.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Graduate school in the United States with programs in osteopathic medicine, dentistry, and allied health.

Hepatitis B vaccination of susceptible elderly residents of long term care facilities during a hepatitis B outbreak.

Protection of older persons, particularly those with diabetes, against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is of growing concern because of increased reports of outbreaks among long-term care facility residents receiving assisted blood glucose monitoring. We evaluated hepatitis B vaccine immunogenicity among residents immunized in response to two such outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities during June 2009-July 2010. One hundred forty-eight (71%) of 209 residents were found to be susceptible to HBV infection.

Lysozyme-modified probiotic components protect rats against polymicrobial sepsis: role of macrophages and cathelicidin-related innate immunity.

Severe sepsis is associated with dysfunction of the macrophage/monocyte, an important cellular effector of the innate immune system. Previous investigations suggested that probiotic components effectively enhance effector cell functions of the immune system in vivo. In this study, we produced bacteria-free, lysozyme-modified probiotic components (LzMPC) by treating the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus sp.

Generation of CMV-specific T lymphocytes using protein-spanning pools of pp65-derived overlapping pentadecapeptides for adoptive immunotherapy.

Cell-mediated immunity is essential for control of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. We used a pool of 138 synthetic overlapping pentadecapeptides overspanning the entire pp65 protein to generate polyclonal CMV-specific T-cell lines from 12 CMV-seropositive donors inheriting different HLA genotypes. Autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with this complete pool consistently induced highly specific T cells that selectively recognized 1-3 pentadecapeptides identified by secondary responses to a mapping grid of pentadecapeptide subpools with single overlaps.

Quantitation, selection, and functional characterization of Epstein-Barr virus-specific and alloreactive T cells detected by intracellular interferon-gamma production and growth of cytotoxic precursors.

Techniques for the quantitation of virus-specific and alloantigen-reactive T cells vary in their measurement of clinically relevant T-cell effector populations, their sensitivity and quantitative accuracy, and the time required to obtain measurable results. We compared frequencies of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific and major alloantigen-reactive T cells as measured by flow cytometric analysis of responding T cells producing intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and by limiting-dilution analysis (LDA) of cytotoxic T-cell precursors (CTLp) at sequential time points during the generation of EBV-specific T-cell lines. The expansion of EBV-specific T lymphocytes and the depletion of alloreactive T cells in cultures of T cells sensitized with autologous EBV-transformed targets followed similar kinetics when measured by either method.