Low SMC1A protein expression predicts poor survival in acute myeloid leukemia.

Age is a strong adverse prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia. Little is known about the biology of acute myeloid leukemia in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to identify genes with age-dependent changes of expression in leukemic blasts and their relevance for the patient prognosis.

Investigating the impact of rank and ovarian activity on the social behavior of captive female African elephants.

Over a third of captive female African elephants in North America fail to exhibit normal estrous cycles based on long-term serum progestagen analyses. Why acyclicity occurs is unknown; however, the majority of noncycling females are ranked by keepers as the dominant individual within the group. To investigate the relationship between ovarian cyclicity status and keeper-determined social rank, observations were conducted on 33 female African elephants (18 cycling, 15 noncycling).

Cross-talk between human dendritic cell subsets influences expression of RNA sensors and inhibits picornavirus infection.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that provide a link between innate and adaptive immunity. Multiple DC subsets exist and their activation by microorganisms occurs through binding of conserved pathogen-derived structures to so-called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). In this study we analyzed the expression of PRRs responding to viral RNA in human monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) under steady-state or pro-inflammatory conditions.

Chronic reduction of endocochlear potential reduces auditory nerve activity: further confirmation of an animal model of metabolic presbyacusis.

Gerbils aged in quiet show a decline of the endocochlear potential (EP) and elevated auditory nerve compound action potential (CAP) thresholds. However, establishing a direct relationship between an age-related reduction in the EP and changes in the activities of primary auditory neurons is difficult owing to the complexity of age-related histological changes in the cochlea. To address this issue, we developed a young gerbil model of "metabolic" presbyacusis that uses an osmotic pump to deliver furosemide into the round window niche for 7 days, resulting in a chronically reduced EP.

Successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in severely opioid-dependent patients under heroin maintenance.

Background: Severely opioid-dependent patients are at high risk of both acquiring and spreading the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is uncertain, however, whether these patients are possible candidates for HCV treatment. We therefore explored treatment retention and adherence as well as sustained viral response in co-morbid severely opioid-dependent subjects under heroin maintenance, who previously failed in conventional substitution treatment or were not in any drug treatment.

Detection of enterovirus RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of type 1 diabetic patients beyond the stage of acute infection.

Previous studies have shown that enteroviral RNA can be detected in blood at the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The infection may play a role in triggering T1D and genetic host factors may contribute to this process. We investigated (1) whether enterovirus is present at the onset of T1D in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), plasma, throat, or stool, and (2) whether enteroviral presence is linked with HLA-DR type and/or polymorphisms in melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) and 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), factors of antiviral immunity.

[Prison health is public health! Problems in adapting and implementing health services for prisoners in Germany. A review].

On the basis of international standards, health care in German prisons has been oriented along the principle of equivalence (equity of health care delivery for inmates compared with the health care delivery in the community). Against this background, selected health problems demonstrate not only isolated problems in adaptation and implementation of health care delivery, but also structural problems resulting from the parallel system of prison health care, which is separated from the general German health care insurance system. This review serves as a basis to present suggestions to rethink and reorganize prison-based health care services.

Phagocytosis of enterovirus-infected pancreatic beta-cells triggers innate immune responses in human dendritic cells.

Objective: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic endocrine disorder in which enteroviruses, such as coxsackie B viruses and echoviruses, are possible environmental factors that can trigger or accelerate disease. The development or acceleration of type 1 diabetes depends on the balance between autoreactive effector T-cells and regulatory T-cells. This balance is particularly influenced by dendritic cells (DCs).

Hematopoietic stem cell origin of adipocytes.

Objective: It has generally been believed that adipocytes are derived from mesenchymal stem cells via fibroblasts. We recently reported that fibroblasts/myofibroblasts in a number of tissues and organs are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that HSCs also give rise to adipocytes.

Using behavioral observations and keeper questionnaires to assess social relationships among captive female African elephants.

Free-ranging African elephants are highly social animals that live in a society where age, size, kinship, and disposition all contribute to social rank. Although captive elephant herds are small and largely comprises of unrelated females, dominance hierarchies are common. The goal of this study was to delineate how the behavior of captive female African elephants varies with respect to age and social rank based on a combination of keeper questionnaires and behavioral observations.

Estrous state influences on investigative, aggressive, and tail flicking behavior in captive female Asian elephants.

Females of species that live in matrilineal hierarchies may compete for temporally limited resources, yet maintain social harmony to facilitate cohesion. The relative degree of aggressive and nonaggressive interactions may depend on the reproductive condition of sender and receiver. Individuals can benefit by clearly signaling and detecting reproductive condition.

Diversity of prophages in dominant Staphylococcus aureus clonal lineages.

Temperate bacteriophages play an important role in the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus, for instance, by mediating the horizontal gene transfer of virulence factors. Here we established a classification scheme for staphylococcal prophages of the major Siphoviridae family based on integrase gene polymorphism. Seventy-one published genome sequences of staphylococcal phages were clustered into distinct integrase groups which were related to the chromosomal integration site and to the encoded virulence gene content.

Substitution treatment and HCV/HIV-infection in a sample of 31 German prisons for sentenced inmates.

Injection drug use (IDU) and IDU-related infectious diseases such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are highly prevalent among prisoners worldwide. However, little is known about the prevalence of IDUs, HCV/HIV and the availability of respective treatment options in German prisons. Data provided by prison physicians of 31 prisons, representing 14,537 inmates, were included in this analysis.

Increased number of Clostridium difficile infections and prevalence of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 001 in southern Germany.

In recent years, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has emerged as an increasing problem, both in in- and outpatients. In a rural region of southern Germany, the annual number of C. difficile toxin (Tcd)-positive patients has increased from 95 to 796 in the period from 2000 to 2007.

Activation of Wnt signalling in acute myeloid leukemia by induction of Frizzled-4.

Wnt signalling regulates proliferation, self renewal and cell fate. Aberrant Wnt signalling is thought to contribute to AML pathogenesis by enhancing self renewal. Herein, we provide evidence for increased expression of Frizzled-4, a receptor for Wnt ligands, in primary AML blasts compared to normal bone marrow on the protein level.

[Prevention of hepatitis C virus infection in drug users].

The high prevalence and incidence rates of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in drug users demonstrate the urgent necessity for a coordinated national prevention strategy. In the shadow of HIV/AIDS the necessary attention to the rapid spreading of the hepatitis C in drug users was started late, without being able to reach the public attention level of HIV/AIDS. The present efforts in the primary and secondary prevention of the hepatitis C in drug users are obviously not sufficient to reduce the prevalence with long-lasting results.

Segmental resection of the duodenum for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most frequent mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The biological appearance of these tumors reaches from small lesions with benign appearance to aggressive sarcomas. Only 3-5% of GISTs are localized in the duodenum.

Acquisition of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains during long-term hospitalization and fast adaptation of enterococcal flora to antibiotic treatment: a case report.

Recently, it has been suspected that long durations of hospitalization might be a possible risk factor to get colonized by multiple VRE strains. Here we present the case of a patient who underwent stem cell transplantation and subsequently stayed at the hospital for about 4 months until death. At least four different Enterococcus faecium strains were identified from routinely taken microbiological specimens as demonstrated by pulsed-field gel-electrophoresis.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci outbreak, Germany, and calculation of outbreak start.

On the basis of a large outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a German university hospital, we estimated costs ( approximately 1 million Euros) that could have been avoided by early detection of the imminent outbreak. For this purpose, we demonstrate an easy-to-use statistical method.

Phagocytosis of picornavirus-infected cells induces an RNA-dependent antiviral state in human dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in instructing antiviral immune responses. DCs, however, can become targeted by different viruses themselves. We recently demonstrated that human DCs can be productively infected with echoviruses (EVs), but not coxsackie B viruses (CVBs), both of which are RNA viruses belonging to the Enterovirus genus of the Picornaviridae family.

The mengovirus leader protein blocks interferon-alpha/beta gene transcription and inhibits activation of interferon regulatory factor 3.

Viral infection of mammalian cells triggers the synthesis and secretion of type I interferons (i.e. IFN-alpha/beta), which induce the transcription of genes that cause cells to adopt an antiviral state.