Regulation of the tolerogenic function of steady-state DCs.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are master regulators of T-cell responses. After sensing pathogen-derived molecular patterns (PAMPs), or signals of inflammation and cellular stress, DCs differentiate into potent activators of naïve CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells through a process that is termed DC maturation. By contrast, DCs induce and maintain peripheral T-cell tolerance in the steady state, that is in the absence of overt infection or inflammation.

Donor and host B cell-derived IL-10 contributes to suppression of graft-versus-host disease.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a frequent life-threatening complication following allogeneic HSC transplantation (HSCT). IL-10 is a regulatory cytokine with important roles during GvHD, yet its relevant sources, and mode of action, remain incompletely defined in this disease. Using IL-10-deficient donor or host mice (BALB/c or C57BL/6, respectively) in a MHC-mismatched model for acute GvHD, we found a strongly aggravated course of the disease with increased mortality when either donor or host cells could not produce this cytokine.

Intraindividual quantitative and qualitative comparison of gadopentetate dimeglumine and gadobutrol in time-resolved contrast-enhanced 4-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography in minipigs.

Objectives: The concentration and relaxivities of contrast agents affect quantitative and qualitative image quality in contrast-enhanced time-resolved 4-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (4D-MRA). Gadobutrol has a high relaxivity and is the only gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agent approved for clinical use at a 1 M concentration. This promises to confer superior bolus characteristics by generating a steeper and shorter bolus with a higher peak Gd concentration.

In vitro evaluation of the occlusive properties of latex-covered amplatzer vascular plugs for transrenal ureteral occlusion.

Purpose: To evaluate the occlusive properties of latex-covered Amplatzer Vascular Plugs (AVPs) for transrenal ureteral occlusion in vitro.

Materials And Methods: Latex-covered AVPs type I and II (diameter 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mm) were used as occlusive devices. Radial force of an AVP was measured using simulated ureteral diameters of 4 to 12 mm.

Feasibility of vascular access closure in arteries other than the common femoral artery using the ExoSeal vascular closure device.

Purpose: To describe the feasibility of vascular access closure in arteries other than the common femoral artery (CFA) using the ExoSeal vascular closure device (VCD).

Materials And Methods: Between December 2011 and August 2013, 8 patients (4 males, 4 females, mean age 64 years [range 42-81]) underwent 13 extrafemoral access site closure using the ExoSeal VCD (brachial artery n = 7, venous femoropopliteal bypass n = 3, femoropopliteal segment n = 2, proximal superficial femoral artery n = 1). Patient history, procedural characteristics, and complications were recorded.

Low-molecular-weight metabolites secreted by Paenibacillus larvae as potential virulence factors of American foulbrood.

The spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae causes a severe and highly infective bee disease, American foulbrood (AFB). Despite the large economic losses induced by AFB, the virulence factors produced by P. larvae are as yet unknown.

Effects of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors on breast tissue enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MR imaging: a longitudinal intraindividual cohort study.

Purpose: To prospectively investigate the effects of two antihormonal medications, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor (AI), on the degree of background enhancement in breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: This institutional review board-approved study was performed in 40 postmenopausal women (mean age, 63 years; range, 49-78 years) with unilateral breast cancer between January 2005 and December 2010. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Survival after 131I-labeled lipiodol therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. A single-center study based on a long-term follow-up.

Unlabelled: This study investigated the efficacy of 131iodine-labeled lipiodol (131I-lipiodol) as a palliative therapy, evaluated overall survival (OS) across Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages, and determined the main prognostic factors influencing OS in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients, Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 57 (44 men; mean age, 65.7 years; mean activity per session, 1.

A CD40/CD40L feedback loop drives the breakdown of CD8(+) T-cell tolerance following depletion of suppressive CD4(+) T cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the key APCs not only for the priming of naïve T cells, but also for the induction and maintenance of peripheral T-cell tolerance. We have recently shown that cognate interactions between Foxp3(+) Tregs and steady-state DCs are crucial to maintain the tolerogenic potential of DCs. Using DIETER mice, which allow the induction of antigen presentation selectively on DCs without altering their maturation status, we show here that breakdown of CD8(+) T-cell tolerance, which ensues after depletion of suppressive CD4(+) T cells, is driven by a positive feedback loop in which autoreactive CD8(+) T cells activate DCs via CD40.

Assessment of peripheral skeletal muscle microperfusion in a porcine model of peripheral arterial stenosis by steady-state contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Doppler flow measurement.

Objective: Noninvasive measurement of peripheral muscle microperfusion could potentially improve diagnosis, management, and treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and thus improve patient care. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a noninvasive diagnostic tool allows quantification of muscle perfusion. Increasing data on bolus technique CEUS reflecting microperfusion are becoming available, but only limited data on steady-state CEUS for assessment of muscle microperfusion are available.

A trifunctional dextran-based nanovaccine targets and activates murine dendritic cells, and induces potent cellular and humoral immune responses in vivo.

Dendritic cells (DCs) constitute an attractive target for specific delivery of nanovaccines for immunotherapeutic applications. Here we tested nano-sized dextran (DEX) particles to serve as a DC-addressing nanocarrier platform. Non-functionalized DEX particles had no immunomodulatory effect on bone marrow (BM)-derived murine DCs in vitro.

Drift time-specific collision energies enable deep-coverage data-independent acquisition proteomics.

We present a data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry method, ultradefinition (UD) MS(E). This approach utilizes ion mobility drift time-specific collision-energy profiles to enhance precursor fragmentation efficiency over current MS(E) and high-definition (HD) MS(E) data-independent acquisition techniques. UDMS(E) provided high reproducibility and substantially improved proteome coverage of the HeLa cell proteome compared to previous implementations of MS(E), and it also outperformed a state-of-the-art data-dependent acquisition workflow.

Treatment options in patients with chylothorax.

Background: Chylothorax arises when lymphatic fluid (chyle) accumulates in the pleural cavity because of leakage from lymphatic vessels. It is most commonly seen after thoracic surgery (in 0.5% to 1% of cases) and in association with tumors.

Quality of patient positioning during cerebral tomotherapy irradiation using different mask systems.

Background And Purpose: Patient immobilization during brain tumor radiotherapy is achieved by employing different mask systems. Two innovative mask systems were developed to minimize the problems of claustrophobic patients. Our aim was to evaluate whether the quality of patient immobilization using the new mask systems was equivalent to the standard mask system currently in use.

Distinct signaling cascades of TREM-1, TLR and NLR in neutrophils and monocytic cells.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is an important mediator of innate inflammatory responses in microbial infections and sepsis. TREM-1 ligation on neutrophils (PMN) or monocytes results in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Engagement of TREM-1 induces the activation of MAP kinases as well as rapid Ca(2+) mobilization.

'Suspect molecular signature' in blood as the indicator of undiagnosed breast cancer, cancer risk and targeted prevention.

Background: Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease with the highest incidence rates amongst all cancer types. Further, high levels of circulating tumour cells are a characteristic of breast cancer patients demonstrating a particular predisposition to the development of breast cancer metastatic disease. Actual diagnostic approaches are frequently unable to recognise early stages of tumour development which impairs individual outcomes.

Abnormal movement preparation in task-specific focal hand dystonia.

Electrophysiological and behavioral studies in primary dystonia suggest abnormalities during movement preparation, but this crucial phase preceding movement onset has not yet been studied specifically with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To identify abnormalities in brain activation during movement preparation, we used event-related fMRI to analyze behaviorally unimpaired sequential finger movements in 18 patients with task-specific focal hand dystonia (FHD) and 18 healthy subjects. Patients and controls executed self-initiated or externally cued prelearnt four-digit sequential movements using either right or left hands.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the pancreas: diagnostic benefit from an intravoxel incoherent motion model-based 3 b-value analysis.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic benefit of an intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model-based characterization of pancreatic masses from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with 3 b values.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study had an approval from the institutional review board, and informed patient consent was waived. The 1.

Diffusion-weighted imaging with acquisition of three b-values for response evaluation of neuroendocrine liver metastases undergoing selective internal radiotherapy.

Objectives: To evaluate diffusion-weighted MRI with acquisition of three b-values and calculation of fractioned ADCs for response evaluation of neuroendocrine liver metastases undergoing selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT).

Methods: Ten consecutive patients with neuroendocrine liver metastases underwent MRI before and following SIRT. Diffusion-weighted imaging included acquisition of the b-values 0, 50 and 800 s/mm(2) and calculation of ADC(50,800), ADC(0,50) and ADC(0,800) maps.

Rapid formation of plasma protein corona critically affects nanoparticle pathophysiology.

In biological fluids, proteins bind to the surface of nanoparticles to form a coating known as the protein corona, which can critically affect the interaction of the nanoparticles with living systems. As physiological systems are highly dynamic, it is important to obtain a time-resolved knowledge of protein-corona formation, development and biological relevancy. Here we show that label-free snapshot proteomics can be used to obtain quantitative time-resolved profiles of human plasma coronas formed on silica and polystyrene nanoparticles of various size and surface functionalization.

Oxidative burst and neutrophil elastase contribute to clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia in mice.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are important for the control of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a major threat to immunocompromised individuals. For clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus infections, PMN employ their potent oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms. To clarify the relative contribution of these mechanisms, we analyzed p47(phox-/-), gp91(phox-/-) and elastase (ELA) deficient mice (ELANE) after intratracheal infection with A.

Feasibility of temporary protective embolization of normal liver tissue using degradable starch microspheres during radioembolization of liver tumours.

Purpose: To describe a new approach to protect nontarget healthy liver tissue using degradable starch microspheres (DSM) as a short-term embolizate during radioembolization of liver tumours with (90)Y microspheres.

Methods: Between December 2011 and July 2012 radioembolization was performed in 54 patients. Five of these patients (three women, two men; mean age 67 years) underwent protective temporary embolization using DSM (EmboCept® S) of normal liver tissue that could not be excluded from the area treated by radioembolization through catheter repositioning.

Whole-body SPECT/CT for bone scintigraphy: diagnostic value and effect on patient management in oncological patients.

Purpose: This study was designed to assess the additional value of SPECT/CT of the trunk used in conjunction with conventional nuclear imaging and its effects on patient management in a large patient series.

Methods: In 353 patients, whole-body scintigraphy (WBS), SPECT, and SPECT/CT were prospectively performed for staging and restaging. SPECT/CT of the trunk was performed in all patients.