Evaluation of Flow Cytometry for Cell Count and Detection of Bacteria in Biological Fluids.

The analysis of biological fluids is crucial for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases causing effusions and helps in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. The gold standard method for cell count in biological fluids is the manual method using counting chambers. The microbiological routine procedures consist of Direct Gram staining and culture on solid or liquid media. We evaluate the analytical performance of SYSMEX UF4000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) and Sysmex XN10 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) in comparison with cytological and microbiological routine procedures. A total of 526 biological fluid samples were included in this study (42 ascitic, 31 pleural, 31 peritoneal, 125 cerebrospinal, 281 synovial, and 16 peritoneal dialysis fluids). All samples were analyzed by flow cytometry and subsequently processed following cytological and/or microbiological routine procedures. With regard to cell counts, UF4000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) showed a performance that was at least equivalent to those of the reference methods and superior to those of XN10 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan). Moreover, the bacterial count obtained with UF4000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) was significantly higher among culture or Direct Gram stain positive samples. We established three optimal cutoff points to predict Direct Gram stain positive samples for peritoneal (465.0 bacteria/µL), synovial (1200.0 bacteria/µL), and cerebrospinal fluids (17.2 bacteria/µL) with maximum sensitivity and negative predictive values. Cell count and detection of bacteria by flow cytometry could be used upstream cytological and microbiological routine procedures to improve and accelerate the diagnosis of infection of biological fluid samples. IMPORTANCE The analysis of biological fluids is crucial for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases causing effusions and helps in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. The possibility of carrying out cytological and microbiological analyses of biological fluid samples on the same automated machine would simplify the sample circuit (addressing the sample in a single laboratory, 24/7). It would also minimize the quantity of sample required. The performance of cytological and microbiological analysis by the flow cytometer UF 4000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) has never been evaluated yet. This study has shown that bacterial count by flow cytometry using UF4000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) could be used upstream of microbiological routine procedures to improve and to accelerate the diagnosis of infection of biological fluid samples.

Is practice rate rather than exercise intensity more important in health benefits of moderately obese postmenopausal women?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of brisk walking on physical fitness, body composition and fasting lipid-lipoprotein profile of women 50-65 years-old, once adherence or exercise intensity is considered. METHODS: A sample of 159 healthy, sedentary, obese postmenopausal women (body mass index [BMI]=29-35 kg/m2) was subjected to 3 sessions/week of 45 min-walking, at 60% of heart rate reserve (HRR), during 16 weeks. Body composition, physical fitness and fasting lipid-lipoprotein profile were assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Among the three tertiles of adherence to exercise sessions (<71%, 71-87%,>87%) women displaying the greatest one were characterized by the highest reduction in body weight (-1.9±2.7 kg) (mean±SD), fat mass (-2.0±2.3 kg) and waist girth (-4.4±3.4 cm) and the best improvement in physical fitness (7.3±3.5 mL O2/kg/min), (P<0.0001). A comparable analysis based on tertiles of walking intensity (<56%, 56-63%,>63% HRR) did not show between-group differences in body composition or physical fitness. Also, the fasting lipid-lipoprotein profile was improved by a reduction of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and by an increase in HDL cholesterol, irrespective of the participants' adherence (0.05

Childhood anaplastic large cell lymphoma Ki-1/CD30: clinicopathologic features of 19 cases.

The authors report their cumulative experience of 19 children with what was previously called malignant histiocytosis (MH) but is now considered a true lymphoma and termed anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). The median age at diagnosis was 10 years and 6 months (range 2 y, 11 m, to 15 y). There were 13 males and 6 females. Most cases presented with fever, wasting and enlarged, often tender, lymph nodes. Other features were: fleeting cutaneous rashes in 7 cases; spontaneous regression of lymph nodes and skin lesions were seen in 5 patients. Bone marrow involvement was present in 3 cases, pulmonary infiltrate in 5, kidneys in 2, and central nervous system in none. The morphology of lymph node involvement was consistent with so-called MH, a description originally applied to sinusoïdal infiltration by large "histiocytic" cells. The coexpression of lymphoid activation antigens Ki-1/CD 30 (18/19), epithelial membrane antigen EMA (18/19) and interleukin-2 receptor/CD 25 (10/10) was the unifying immunopathologic feature of the neoplasm. Lineage antigens were not identifiable in 8/19 instances (null phenotype), while 10/19 expressed a T-cell phenotype. None of the tumors expressed histiocytic markers. After variable, but intensive, combination chemotherapy, 15 children out of 18 evaluable achieved complete remission (CR). Among all patients, thirteen are still alive in CR (ten in first CR) with a median follow-up of 5 years. This evaluation in the pediatric age group reinforces that so-called MH is a lymphoid neoplasm, a conceptual change that could lead to improved understanding and therapy.