Intracranial Rosai-Dorfman disease in a child mimicking bilateral giant petroclival meningiomas: a case report and review of literature.

Unlabelled: OBJECTIVES AND IMPORTANCE: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare but distinctive entity of unknown etiology; isolated intracranial RDD is uncommon. Of 37 reported intracranial RDD cases, only three were reported in children.

Clinical Presentation: We report an unusual case of a 15-year-old boy presenting with 4 months history of raised intracranial pressure with visual deterioration.

Cancer testis antigens--their importance in immunotherapy and in the early detection of cancer.

The development of successful immunotherapeutic strategies requires the identification and characterisation of immunogenic cancer antigens that will be recognised by the host immune system, leading to tumour rejection. The concept of immunotherapy is based on the assumption that antigenic structures expressed in tumours can be used for therapeutic approaches employing the autologous immune system or by the application of immunotherapeutic reagents. Based on this concept, there is a great need to gain profound knowledge of the actual protein/antigen expression and its distribution pattern within normal tissues and cancerous tissues.

Hem-o-lok clips for vascular control during laparoscopic ablative nephrectomy: a single-center experience.

Background And Purpose: Vascular control is an important step in laparoscopic nephrectomy. The various options are titanium clips, Hem-o-lok clips (Weck Closure Systems, Research Triangle Park, NC), T-knot, and stapling devices. We report our experience with the use of Hem-o-lok clips.

Identification of naturally processed peptides bound to the class I MHC molecule H-2Kd of normal and TAP-deficient cells.

This report details the biochemical features of natural peptides selected by the H-2Kd class I MHC molecule. In normal cell lines, the length of the naturally processed peptides ranged from 8 to 18 amino acids, although the majority were 9-mers (16% were longer than nine residues). The binding motif for the 9-mer peptides was dominated by the presence of a tyrosine at P2 and an isoleucine/leucine at the P9 position.

I-Ep-bound self-peptides: identification, characterization, and role in alloreactivity.

T cell recognition of peptide/allogeneic MHC complexes is a major cause of transplant rejection. Both the presented self-peptides and the MHC molecules are involved; however, the molecular basis for alloreactivity and the contribution of self-peptides are still poorly defined. The murine 2.

Serum ferritin in renal cell carcinoma: effect of tumor size, volume grade, and stage.

Aim: To study the levels of serum ferritin in patients of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Patients And Methods: Serum ferritin levels were measured preoperatively in 32 patients with radiological evidence of RCC using an enzyme immunoassay. The largest diameter of the primary tumor was measured in the pathological specimens in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy while in patients with non-operable tumor maximum tumor dimension was taken from CT scan.

Small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of sperm associated antigen 9 having structural homology with c-Jun N-terminal kinase-interacting protein.

Recently, we reported a novel testis-specific sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) protein, a new member of the JNK-interacting protein family, having a functional role in sperm-egg fusion [N. Jagadish, R. Rana, R.

The wide diversity and complexity of peptides bound to class II MHC molecules.

The identification and quantitation of peptides selected by class II MHC molecules during natural processing of proteins is of key importance in understanding the repertoire and distribution of T cells. The examination of peptides selected by class II MHC molecules has depended greatly on mass spectrometry, a powerful technique that identifies and sequences peptides in complex mixtures with great sensitivity and precision. Such analysis has resulted in the identification of several factors, including the repertoire of peptides selected by MHC molecules during natural processing of proteins, motifs important for selection of processed peptides, conformational isomers of peptide-MHC complexes, and post-translational changes to the peptides.

The murine diabetogenic class II histocompatibility molecule I-Ag7: structural and functional properties and specificity of peptide selection.

The onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is directly linked to the expression of class II MHC molecules. The NOD mouse, which is an excellent animal model for the human disease, expresses the I-Ag7 molecule that shares many features with the human diabetogenic class II MHC alleles. In this review, the structural, biochemical, and biological properties of the I-Ag7 molecules and how they relate to onset of diabetes is discussed.

Mediastinal extension of an intradural teratoma in a patient with split cord malformation: case report and review of literature.

Introduction: It is very rare for split cord malformation to be associated with intraspinal teratoma, and it is even rarer for such tumors in the dorsal spine to extend into the mediastinum.

Case Report: The authors describe a spinal teratoma with mediastinal extension in an 8-year-old boy who presented with 1-year history of backache. Neuroimaging revealed a heterogeneously enhancing intradural lesion from D2 to D7 levels with an extension into the mediastinum at the level of D4 vertebra.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the sphenoid bone with unusual imaging features: a case report.

Ewing's sarcomas (ES) account for approximately 10% of primary malignant bone tumors. Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull is a very rare entity. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma of the sphenoid bone in a 5-year-old boy.

Sperm-based contraceptive vaccines: current status, merits and development.

At the present growth rate, the world population is estimated to reach a phenomenal 8.9 billion people by the year 2050, posing a great risk of overpopulation. Therefore, new strategies of contraception are required.

Immunogenicity and contraceptive potential of recombinant human sperm associated antigen (SPAG9).

Human sperm-associated antigen 9 (hSPAG9) is a potential target for sperm-based contraceptive vaccine in lieu of its location on the sperm acrosomal compartment and its implication in sperm-egg interaction. SPAG9 is an acrosomal molecule which is not only restricted to a specific region (domain) of the acrosome but also undergoes relocation to the equatorial region in a stage-specific manner during acrosome reaction, demonstrating its potential role in sperm-egg binding. Human SPAG9 nucleotide sequence revealed 94% identity with macaque SPAG9 and 96.

Intraventricular glioneuronal hamartoma: histopathological correlation with magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Intraventricular hamartomas are extremely uncommon lesions outside of a setting of tuberous sclerosis. The second case of its kind in medical literature is presented and its possible aetiopathogenesis, imaging characteristics, pathognomonic magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and histopathology are discussed. An 11-year-old male presented with a seizure disorder for one year, with headache and vomiting for 15 days.

Intraventricular rhabdoid tumor.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) most commonly occurs in kidney. In the central nervous system, cerebellum is the most common site of occurrence. CNS rhabdoid tumors typically occur in small children, do not respond favorably to treatment and are usually fatal within 1-year.

Antigen presentation: lysoyme, autoimmune diabetes, and Listeria--what do they have in common?

We discuss three areas of antigen presentation and macrophage biology being investigated in the laboratory. Using hen egg-white lysozyme as a protein antigen, all the segments of the molecules selected by the class II histocompatibility molecule I-A(k) were identified and characterized. The display of each family of peptides was explained biochemically and quantitated.

Primary neurocytoma of the spinal cord: a case report and review of literature.

Most central neurocytomas (CN) and spinal neurocytomas (SN) have a bland well-differentiated histologic picture and uneventful clinical course. However, rare examples showing histologic atypia, recurrence and even CSF dissemination have been reported. Herein we report a case of recurrent spinal neurocytoma in a 24-year-old male who presented with a 2-month history of weakness and numbness of the left upper and lower limbs, and was previously operated at the same site 10 months ago.

Sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9): a new member of c-Jun NH2 -terminal kinase (JNK) interacting protein exclusively expressed in testis.

Previously, we cloned and sequenced a novel human sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9). Northern blot analysis and RNA in situ hybridization experiments revealed testis- and stage-specific expression of SPAG9 mRNA, mainly confined to round spermatid suggesting haploid germ cell expression Studies on the human and non-human primates (macaque and baboon) have shown a homology of 84.9% and 90.

Inferior vena cava in urology: importance of developmental abnormalities in clinical practice.

Anomalies of the inferior vena cava (IVC) have been known since 1793, when Abernethy first described a congenital, mesocaval shunt and azygous continuation of the IVC in a 10-month-old infant with polysplenia and dextrocardia. The IVC is formed by a complex process of embryogenesis during the sixth to tenth week of gestation. It forms from continuous appearance and regression of the three paired veins: posterior cardinal, subcardinal, and supracardinal.

Natural peptides selected by diabetogenic DQ8 and murine I-A(g7) molecules show common sequence specificity.

In this study, a large number of naturally processed peptides was isolated and identified from the human diabetes-susceptible class II MHC molecules HLA-DQ8 (DQA1*0301,DQB1*0302) and from murine I-A species, both of which are expressed in genetically identical APC lines. The peptides presented during the processing of autologous proteins were highly selective in showing sequence specificity, mainly consisting of 1 or more acidic residues at their C terminus. Testing for binding to the MHC molecules revealed that the position 9 (P9) acidic residues of the peptides contributed decisively to binding.

Characterization of immune response in mice to plasmid DNA encoding human sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9).

To examine the immunogenicity of the plasmid DNA encoding human sperm associated antigen 9 (hSPAG9), the cDNA corresponding to hSPAG9 was cloned in mammalian expression vector pcDNA 3.1 down stream of cytomegalovirus promoter. Immunization of female BALB/cJ mice with pcDNA-hSPAG9 plasmid DNA in saline by intramuscular (i.

Endoscopic assisted excision of a retroclival arachnoid cyst presenting as hysterical breathlessness.

Background: Arachnoid cysts are benign developmental cysts occurring most commonly in the middle fossa. Posterior fossa arachnoid cysts are less common, with retroclival arachnoid cysts especially in the pediatric age group being rare.

Patients And Methods: We present a case of a retroclival interpeduncular farachnoid cyst in a 10-year-old boy who presented with left-sided ptosis and episodes of hysterical breathlessness.

Endoscopic incision for functional bladder neck obstruction in men: long-term outcome.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of endoscopic bladder neck incision (BNI) for functional bladder neck obstruction. Functional and/or mechanical obstruction of the bladder neck in men causes lower urinary tract symptoms. Although alpha-blockers are the initial treatment, they often fail to alleviate the symptoms.