Peripheral Retinal Haemorrhages in a Patient with MOG-Associated Optic Neuritis.

A 15-year-old female presented with headaches and bilateral vision loss. Fundoscopic examination revealed bilateral optic nerve oedema as well as peripheral retinal haemorrhages. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed findings consistent with bilateral optic neuritis.

Microbiota-produced indole metabolites disrupt mitochondrial function and inhibit Cryptosporidium parvum growth.

Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of life-threatening diarrhea in young children in resource-poor settings. To explore microbial influences on susceptibility, we screened 85 microbiota-associated metabolites for their effects on Cryptosporidium parvum growth in vitro. We identify eight inhibitory metabolites in three main classes: secondary bile salts/acids, a vitamin B precursor, and indoles.

Microbiota produced indole metabolites disrupt host cell mitochondrial energy production and inhibit growth.

Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of life-threatening diarrhea in young children in resource-poor settings. Susceptibility rapidly declines with age, associated with changes in the microbiota. To explore microbial influences on susceptibility, we screened 85 microbiota- associated metabolites enriched in the adult gut for their effects on growth in vitro.

Commensal Cryptosporidium colonization elicits a cDC1-dependent Th1 response that promotes intestinal homeostasis and limits other infections.

Cryptosporidium can cause severe diarrhea and morbidity, but many infections are asymptomatic. Here, we studied the immune response to a commensal strain of Cryptosporidium tyzzeri (Ct-STL) serendipitously discovered when conventional type 1 dendritic cell (cDC1)-deficient mice developed cryptosporidiosis. Ct-STL was vertically transmitted without negative health effects in wild-type mice.

In Vitro Culture of Cryptosporidium parvum Using Stem Cell-Derived Intestinal Epithelial Monolayers.

Cryptosporidium parvum has a complex life cycle consisting of asexual and sexual phases that culminate in oocyst formation in vivo. The most widely used cell culture platforms to study C. parvum only support a few days of growth and do not allow the parasite to proceed past the sexual stages to complete oocyst formation.

Correction to: Two-year outcome after recurrent implantation failure: prognostic factors and additional interventions.

The article Two-year outcome after recurrent implantation failure: prognostic factors and additional interventions.

Monoclonal Antibodies to Intracellular Stages of Cryptosporidium parvum Define Life Cycle Progression .

Among the obstacles hindering research is the lack of an culture system that supports complete life development and propagation. This major barrier has led to a shortage of widely available anti- antibodies and a lack of markers for staging developmental progression. Previously developed antibodies against were raised against extracellular stages or recombinant proteins, leading to antibodies with limited reactivity across the parasite life cycle.

MEK inhibitors enhance therapeutic response towards ATRA in NF1 associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) in-vitro.

Objective: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a hereditary tumor syndrome characterized by an increased risk of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). Chemotherapy of MPNST is still insufficient. In this study, we investigated whether human tumor Schwann cells derived from NF1 associated MPNST respond to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA).

Persistent reversal of enhanced amphetamine intake by transient CaMKII inhibition.

Amphetamine exposure transiently increases Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) α expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) shell and this persistently increases local GluA1 S831 phosphorylation and enhances behavioral responding to the drug. Here we assessed whether transiently interfering with CaMKII signaling using a dominant-negative CaMKIIα mutant delivered to the NAcc shell with herpes simplex viral vectors could reverse these long-lasting biochemical and behavioral effects observed following exposure to amphetamine. As expected, transient expression of CaMKIIα K42M in the NAcc shell produced a corresponding transient increase in CaMKIIα and decrease in pCaMKIIα (T286) protein levels in this site.

A Staphylococcus aureus pore-forming toxin subverts the activity of ADAM10 to cause lethal infection in mice.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of human disease, responsible for half a million infections and approximately 20,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. This pathogen secretes α-hemolysin, a pore-forming cytotoxin that contributes to the pathogenesis of pneumonia. α-hemolysin injures epithelial cells in vitro by interacting with its receptor, the zinc-dependent metalloprotease ADAM10 (ref.

Role of a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 in Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin-mediated cellular injury.

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin (Hla), a potent cytotoxin, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal diseases, including those caused by methicillin-resistant epidemic strains. Hla is secreted as a water-soluble monomer that undergoes a series of conformational changes to generate a heptameric, beta-barrel structure in host membranes. Structural maturation of Hla depends on its interaction with a previously unknown proteinaceous receptor in the context of the cell membrane.

In silico subtraction approach reveals a close lineage relationship between follicular dendritic cells and BP3(hi) stromal cells isolated from SCID mice.

Organization of the stromal compartments in secondary lymphoid tissue is a prerequisite for an efficient immune reaction. In particular, follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are pivotal for the activation and differentiation of B cells. To investigate the development of FDC, FDC together with tightly associated B cells (FDC networks) were micro-dissected from frozen tissue sections and follicular B cells were sorted by FACS.

Transient overexpression of alpha-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the nucleus accumbens shell enhances behavioral responding to amphetamine.

Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is known to contribute to the expression of psychostimulant sensitization by regulating dopamine (DA) overflow from DA neuron terminals in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). The present experiments explored the contribution of CaMKII in NAcc neurons postsynaptic to these terminals where it is known to participate in a number of signaling pathways that regulate responding to psychostimulant drugs. Exposure to amphetamine transiently increased alphaCaMKII levels in the shell but not the core of the NAcc.

Two-year outcome after recurrent implantation failure: prognostic factors and additional interventions.

Objectives: After recurrent implantation failure (RIF), empirical figures on further prospects are essential for counselling but difficult to estimate within single IVF centres due to high drop-out rates. Alternatively, couples referred to a tertiary unit for RIF were evaluated.

Materials And Methods: Multi-centre 2-year observational trial of 1,174 eligible couples treated consecutively with adjuvant lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) in a university immunological department from 1999 to 2002 after three or more unsuccessful fresh embryo transfers.

Anti-Chlamydophila immunoglobulin prevalence in sarcoidosis and usual interstitial pneumoniae.

Sarcoidosis and usual interstitial pneumoniae (UIP) are diseases of unknown aetiology affecting the lower respiratory tract. Although there are a number of studies investigating the causal role of these disorders, no micro-organism could be identified as the causal agent. The high incidence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae infections associated with lung injury encouraged the present investigations to screen patients with sarcoidosis and with UIP for their Chlamydophila-specific immune response.

AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated damage to NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons is Ca2+ dependent.

While exposure times of several hours or more are needed for AMPA or kainate to induce widespread cortical neurodegeneration, the small subset of cortical neurons that contain high concentrations of the enzyme, NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d(+) neurons) were destroyed by brief (15-30 min) exposures. AMPA or kainate-induced degeneration of NADPH-d(+) neurons was decreased by removal of extracellular Ca2+ and increased by augmentation of extracellular Ca2+. More than 90% of NADPH-d(+) neurons exhibited kainate-activated Co2+ uptake, suggesting that they possess Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA/kainate receptor-gated channels.

Prognostic value of an automated sperm analysis in IVF or insemination therapy.

During the course of sterility treatment semenograms of 271 IVF and 316 insemination patients were carried out by two automated semen analysers. The parameters of these analyses were correlated to pregnancies resulting from the treatment. Semen samples were analysed in the ejaculate and after swim-up preparation.

[Laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy with the Endo GIA 30].

The improvements in laparoscopic techniques have led to the development of laparoscopic assisted hysterectomy. We report on our experience since 1991 with this method on 30 patients using a Multifire Endo GIA 30. After cutting the upper ligaments and the uterine vessels, the uterus was removed through the vagina.

Analysis of meiotic chromosomes in ejaculates of infertile patients with an increased number of immature germ cells in semen samples.

Seventy-one semen samples of 60 infertile patients with a suggested high number of immature germ cells were assigned for chromosomal analysis. The sperm probes of nine patients did not contain immature germ cell stages apart from spermatids. In 22 probands we could only find early prophase stages or not readable metaphase structures.

Haptoglobin as a sensitive marker of hemolysis in HELLP-syndrome.

In a prospective study we measured laboratory variables of hemolysis in 25 patients with HELLP-syndrome. Reduced haptoglobin levels were observed in all 25 patients at diagnosis. Elevated bilirubin and plasma hemoglobin levels were observed in 5/25 patients while an abnormal peripheral blood smear was found in 11/25 patients.