The prognostic role of tertiary Gleason pattern 5 in a contemporary grading system for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a new prostate cancer (PC) grading system has been introduced, where Gleason score (GS) 7 (3+4) and GS 7 (4+3) are categorized into two separate groups. However, GS 7 with tertiary Gleason pattern 5 (TGP5) was not incorporated in the new grading system. In the present study, we validated the prognostic role of TGP5 in the new classification. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1396 patients with localized GS 6-8 PC (pT2-3N0M0) who underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution between 2005 and 2014. After excluding patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, or had incomplete pathological or follow-up data, 1229 patients were included in the final analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate and compare the probabilities of biochemical recurrence (BCR). Cox regression models were used to investigate associations between variables and the risk of BCR. RESULTS: Of 732 GS 7 patients, 75 (10.2%) had a TGP5. The BCR-free survival rate for men with TGP5 was significantly worse than for those without TGP5 (P<0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analyses for GS 7 PC, TGP5 was a significant predictor of BCR (hazard ratio 1.750, P=0.027). When the total cohort was stratified into four grade groups according to the new classification, group 2 with TGP5 had a BCR risk comparable to group 3, and group 3 with TGP5 behaved like group 4. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that TGP5 increased the BCR risk after RP in GS 7 PC. Moreover, we demonstrated that the presence of a TGP5 in GS 7 upgraded the BCR risk to one comparable with the next higher category under the new classification. These findings support incorporating TGP5 into GS 7 to aid with future risk assessment and follow-up scheduling for PC.

Interspecies transmission of the canine influenza H3N2 virus to domestic cats in South Korea, 2010.

In the past 4 years, incidences of endemic or epidemic respiratory diseases associated with canine influenza H3N2 virus in Asian dogs have been reported in countries such as South Korea and China. Canine species were considered to be the new natural hosts for this virus. However, at the beginning of 2010, influenza-like respiratory signs, such as dyspnoea, were also observed among cats as well as in dogs in an animal shelter located in Seoul, South Korea. The affected cats showed 100 % morbidity and 40 % mortality. We were able to isolate a virus from a lung specimen of a dead cat, which had suffered from the respiratory disease, in embryonated-chicken eggs. The eight viral genes isolated were almost identical to those of the canine influenza H3N2 virus, suggesting interspecies transmission of canine influenza H3N2 virus to the cat. Moreover, three domestic cats infected with intranasal canine/Korea/GCVP01/07 (H3N2) all showed elevated rectal temperatures, nasal virus shedding and severe pulmonary lesions, such as suppurative bronchopneumonia. Our study shows, for the first time, that cats are susceptible to canine influenza H3N2 infection, suggesting that cats may play an intermediate host role in transmitting the H3N2 virus among feline and canine species, which could lead to the endemic establishment of the virus in companion animals. Such a scenario raises a public health concern, as the possibility of the emergence of new recombinant feline or canine influenza viruses in companion animals with the potential to act as a zoonotic infection cannot be excluded.

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of porcine interleukin-18 in Escherichia coli.

IL-18 is the new name of a novel cytokine that plays an important role in T(H1) response, primarily by its ability to induce IFN-gamma production in T cells and natural killer cells. The porcine IL-18 gene was isolated using RT-PCR from porcine alveolar macrophages. Sequence analysis of the porcine IL-18 gene has demonstrated an open reading frame of 579 base pairs encoding 192 amino acids precursor protein with a predicted molecular mass of 22 kDa. The porcine IL-18 gene shares 84% and 89% similarity to the human and canine equivalents, respectively, at the nucleotide level. The cloned IL-18 was expressed in Escherichia coli and its expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

Clothing selection behavior of the aged women for thermal comfort.

Wearing behavior and thermoregulatory responses of five young women (YG; 20 +/- 1 yr) and five aged women (AG; 65 +/- 3 yr) to indoor cold in summer were investigated in this study. The subjects were exposed to 21.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 55 +/- 5% RH while seated during a 90-minute experiment. The subjects were allowed to select and wear for thermal comfort clothing whenever they needed additional clothing during the experiment. Rectal temperature (Tre) and temperatures of 7 sites (head, chest, forearm, hand, thigh, leg, foot) of the skin of the subjects were measured every 10 minutes. Mean skin temperature (Tsk) of the subject was obtained every 10 minutes. First selection time of additional clothing was monitored and weight of selected total clothing was calculated. The results for this study were as follows: Tre and Tsk gradually decreased in YG and AG, however Tre decreased less than Tsk which decreased greater in AG than YG (p < 0.01). AG's first selection of additional clothing and thermal sensation response were slower than YG's. Furthermore, total clothing weight was less in AG than YG. It was concluded that clothing selection behavior would modify the intrinsic thermoregulatory responses of the aged women to the cold stress in the summer.

[Rapid detection of Theileria sergenti by polymerase chain reaction].

Four separate pairs of oligonucleotide primers within the coding region in a T. sergenti 33-kDa surface protein gene were selected to detect T. sergenti by PCR. The specificity of PCR-amplified DNA was examined by digestion with restriction enzyme and Southern blot hybridization using T. sergenti p33 DNA probe. PCR appears to be specific for T. sergenti, without detectable signals from uninfected erythrocytes, uninfected bovine leukocytes and other hemoparasites, including A. marginale and B. ovata. Although 46 of 71 specimens (64.8%) from grazing cattle were microscopically positive, PCR in this study showed that 64 specimens (88.7%) were positive. Therefore, PCR proves a useful diagnostic tool for detecting T. sergenti-infected cattle. In addition, it is also revealed that PCR was significantly more sensitive than traditional microscopic examination using Giemsa's stain.

Different thermal conditions of the extremities affect thermoregulation in clothed man.

The effects of different types of clothing on human deep body temperature were studied with six healthy male subjects in a supine posture. Two clothing ensembles were employed for the present study: A covered the whole body area with garments except the face (1.97 clo) and B covered only the trunk and the upper half of the extremities with garments (1.53 clo). The experiment was carried out in a climatic chamber at 55% +/- 5% relative humidity under cooling and warming temperatures: the temperature was changed from 22 degrees C to 10 degrees C (cooling) and returned to 22 degrees C again (warming). The major findings were: rectal temperature (T(re)) continued to decrease gradually in A throughout the experiment, whereas in B it increased during cooling, and returned to previous levels during warming. As a result, T(re) and chest skin temperature were maintained at a higher level in B than in A. Internal tissue conductances were greater in A than in B both during cooling and during warming. Thermal comfort appeared to have been influenced more by the rate of skin temperature change than by the level of skin temperature per se. It was concluded that peripheral vasoconstriction in B induced less heat flow from core to shell, and, thus, the core temperature was maintained at a higher level in B than in A.

Circadian rhythm of rectal temperature in man with two different types of clothing.

We compared the circadian rhythm of human rectal temperature with two different types of clothing at an ambient temperature of 27.5 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees C and a relative humidity of 40 +/- 10%. One clothing covered the whole body area except for the head, hands and feet (Type A, weight 475 g, 0.98 clo), the other covered the trunk, upper arms and thighs (Type B, weight 366 g, 0.93 clo). Major findings are summarized as follows: (1) Late evening fall after retiring and a morning rise after rising in the rectal temperature rhythm were significantly quicker in Type B than in Type A. (2) Late evening rise after retiring and a morning fall after rising in the skin temperatures of the extremities were quicker in Type B than in Type A. (3) A range of oscillation in the circadian rectal temperature rhythm was significantly larger in Type B than in Type A. It was suggested that the quicker late evening rise and morning fall of the skin temperatures in the extremities after retiring and rising, respectively, might be responsible for the quicker late evening fall and morning rise of the circadian rectal temperature.

Effects of wearing two different types of clothing on body temperatures during and after exercise.

The experiment was conducted to investigate the human thermoregulatory responses during rest, exercise and recovery at Ta 20 degrees C and 60% R.H. under the conditions of wearing two different types of clothing. Six healthy men wore two types of clothing: one covering the whole body area except the head (Type A, weight 1656 g), and the other covering only the trunk, upper arms and thighs (Type B, weight 996 g). The level of rectal temperature was kept significantly higher in Type B than in Type A during rest and recovery. The increased and decreased rates of rectal temperature during exercise and recovery were significantly greater in Type A than in Type B, respectively. These findings are discussed from the viewpoint of the differences of skin temperatures of the extremities between Type A and Type B.

Effects of wearing two different forms of garment on thermoregulation in men resting at 10 degrees C.

We have compared the human thermoregulatory responses and clothing microclimate temperature when the body core-shell ratio was changed by wearing two different forms of garment. Each was worn for 160 min at an ambient temperature of 10 degrees C and a relative humidity of 50% by six healthy males in the supine posture. One garment covered the whole body area except for the face (long-sleeves: L-S), the other covered the central body area alone (half-sleeves: H-S). Major findings are summarized as follows: 1) Rectal temperature was kept higher by H-S than L-S even though L-S showed higher thermal resistance values. 2) The standard deviation of rectal temperature was smaller in H-S. 3) Trunk skin and clothing microclimate temperatures were also kept higher by H-S. We suggest that the reduced level of rectal temperature in L-S might be ascribed to a different pattern of venous return originating in the mechanisms of the counter-current heat exchange system: the venous return from the periphery into the thoracic and abdominal areas being cooler in L-S than in H-S.