EXPRESSION OF CHEMOKINE (C-C MOTIF) RECEPTOR 7 IN PROSTATE CANCER TISSUE OF YOUNG PATIENTS AND IN METASTATIC CANCER CELLS.

BACKGROUND: Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 (CCR7) is a chemokine receptor involved in the carcinogenesis of several types of tumors due to its promoting action in epithelial-mesenchymal transition events, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. However, its role in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. AIM: To evaluate CCR7 expression by immunohistochemistry in prostate tumors from young patients and to determine the possible relationship with the clinicopathological characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 23 young PCa (≤ 55 years old) patients and evaluated the transcriptomic expression in the TCGA database. RESULTS: Expression of CCR7 was observed in 15 cases (65%). The tissue samples from younger patients (≤ 50 years) were mostly positive in 72.7% (8/11) of cases. High grade GS (≥ 3) tumors were CCR7-positive in 71% cases. The malignant cells present in lymph nodes were CCR7 positive in 100% cases. The bioinformatic analysis showed a high CCR7 expression associated with the presence of metastasis (FC = 2.6, p = 0.03) in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PCa cohort (PRAD). CONCLUSION: We showed that CCR7 expression in tumors from young patients is associated with the early onset of the disease and could also be related to lymph node metastasis.

The shell effect on the room temperature photoluminescence from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires: exciton-phonon coupling and strain.

The room temperature photoluminescence from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires (NWs) grown by a simple two-step vapor transport method was studied for various MgO shell widths (w). Two distinct effects induced by the MgO shell were clearly identified. The first one, related to the ZnO/MgO interface formation, is evidenced by strong enhancements of the zero-phonon and first phonon replica of the excitonic emission, which are accompanied by a total suppression of its second phonon replica. This effect can be explained by the reduction of the band bending within the ZnO NW core that follows the removal of atmospheric adsorbates and associated surface traps during the MgO growth process on one hand, and a reduced exciton-phonon coupling as a result of the mechanical stabilization of the outermost ZnO NW monolayers by the MgO shell on the other hand. The second effect is the gradual increase of the excitonic emission and decrease in the defect related emission by up to two and one orders of magnitude, respectively, when w is increased in the ∼3-17 nm range. Uniaxial strain build-up within the ZnO NW core with increasing w, as detected by x-ray diffraction measurements, and photocarrier tunneling escape from the ZnO core through the MgO shell enabled by defect-states are proposed as possible mechanisms involved in this effect. These findings are expected to be of key significance for the efficient design and fabrication of ZnO/MgO NW heterostructures and devices.

Clinical and color Doppler ultrasound evaluation of polyacrylamide injection in HIV patients with severe facial lipoatrophy secondary to antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Facial lipoatrophy in HIV patients, secondary to antiretroviral therapy (ART) with thymidine analogs, has been related to important psychosocial alterations and poor adherence to treatment. Polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) is a filler that has been used for treating facial lipoatrophy in HIV patients. The aim was to assess the clinical and sonographic anatomical changes after injection of PAAG in HIV patients with facial lipoatrophy secondary to ART. METHODS: HIV patients receiving ART and suffering from severe facial lipoatrophy were recruited and underwent clinical and color Doppler ultrasound evaluation prior to PAAG application (AQUAMID® ) and sonographically monitored at 18 months and clinically followed up for 36 months after the procedure. Adverse effects were recorded based on occurrence and complexity. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were evaluated, 30 men (91%) and 3 women (9%) with an average age of 49.6 years (±8.4). Clinical improvement assessed by a dermatologist had an average score of 5.9 (±0.7) on a scale of 1-7. On color Doppler ultrasound there was a significant increase of the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue (SCT) in both nasofold lines when comparing before and after PAAG injection (P < 0.01) and no signs of inflammation (hypervascularity). User satisfaction was qualified as excellent or good in all cases. Only two patients experienced adverse effects (hematoma and puncture site infection), which was successfully managed without consequences. CONCLUSION: Treatment of facial lipoatrophy with PAAG seems to be effective in HIV patients and no signs of complications were observed in the monitoring at 36 months after injection. Color Doppler ultrasound can identify the filler deposits and the anatomical changes of the SCT non-invasively.

ZnO nanowire co-growth on SiO2 and C by carbothermal reduction and vapour advection.

Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on Au-nanocluster-seeded amorphous SiO(2) films by the advective transport and deposition of Zn vapours obtained from the carbothermal reaction of graphite and ZnO powders. Both the NW volume and visible-to-UV photoluminescence ratio were found to be strong functions of, and hence could be tailored by, the (ZnO+C) source-SiO(2) substrate distance. We observe C flakes on the ZnO NWs/SiO(2) substrates which exhibit short NWs that developed on both sides. The SiO(2) and C substrates/NW interfaces were studied in detail to determine growth mechanisms. NWs on Au-seeded SiO(2) were promoted by a rough ZnO seed layer whose formation was catalysed by the Au clusters. In contrast, NWs grew without any seed on C. A correlation comprising three orders of magnitude between the visible-to-UV photoluminescence intensity ratio and the NW volume is found, which results from a characteristic Zn partial pressure profile that fixes both O deficiency defect concentration and growth rate.

Anti-CD43 and anti-galectin-1 autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the production of multiple autoantibodies and also by T-cell dysfunction. CD43 is expressed by most immune cells, is involved in lymphocyte adhesion and activation, and interacts with galectin-1 (Gal-1). The aim of this work was to evaluate the plasma levels of autoantibodies against CD43 and Gal-1 as well as the levels of soluble Gal-1 in SLE Mexican mestizo patients, with the aim of establishing a correlation between these parameters and the clinical profile. METHODS: Serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G autoantibodies against CD43 and Gal-1 and levels of soluble Gal-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 55 patients with SLE and 71 healthy controls. RESULTS: We found significantly enhanced titres of anti-CD43 and anti-Gal-1 antibodies in sera from SLE patients compared to controls. In addition, the serum levels of Gal-1 were significantly higher in SLE patients than in healthy individuals. However, we could detect no correlation of these parameters with disease activity [using the Mexican Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (MEX-SLEDAI)], age, or a variety of different clinical or laboratory features. Similarly, no significant correlation with immunosuppressive or glucocorticoid therapy was observed. By contrast, a significant association was found between anti-CD43 titres and time of disease evolution, complement levels, and the presence of anti-Gal-1 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: As CD43 and Gal-1 participate in modulating the immune system, we suggest that the presence of autoantibodies against these molecules may contribute to the immune deregulation observed in SLE.

Evaluación de un programa integral de tratamiento de obesidad y sobrepeso en niños escolares y adolescentes en Santiago de Chile (1999-2006) / Assessment of a multidisciplinary program for the treatment of obesity in children

Background: Medical treatment of obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach including dietary, exercise and behavioral interventions. Aim: To report the results of a multidisciplinary program for the treatment of obesity in children. Patients and Methods: Three hundred twenty four children (155 males), aged between 5 and 18 year, were treated with diet, exercise and behavioral modification, between 1999 and 2006. At baseline and at the end of follow up, weight, height, z score for body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and features of the metabolic syndrome were assessed. Results: z scores for IMC decreased by 0.28 points (95 percent confidence intervals: -0.31 to -0.25). Sixty percent of patients achieved a weight reduction of 5 percent of more of their initial weight. In a multiple linear regression model, weight loss was directly associated with the follow up time and inversely associated with the initial waist circumference. Patients had a reduction of 0.05 z score points of BMI per month (95 percent confidence intervals –0.07 to –0.025; p < 0.001), while adhering to the program. The overall compliance with the three months treatment period was 59 percent. Conclusions: In children and teenagers, a multidisciplinary management of obesity achieves a sustained weight loss, that ifs proportional to the lapse of adherence to the program.

Phenotypic analysis of IL-10-treated, monocyte-derived dendritic cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Dendritic cells (DC) play a dual role in the immune response, participating in its induction, and the maintenance of immune tolerance. The aim of this work was to perform a quantitative and phenotypic analysis of DC generated in vitro in the presence of IL-10 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Blood samples were obtained from 10 active and untreated patients with SLE and six controls. Monocyte-derived DC were generated in vitro in the presence or absence of IL-10, and a quantitative and phenotypic analysis was performed. We found that freshly isolated monocytes from SLE patients had an increased expression of CD11b. On the other hand, the efficiency of in vitro DC generation was diminished in blood samples from SLE patients for conventional DC, but not for IL-10-treated DC. A diminished expression of HLA-DR, CD9 and CD86 was observed in conventional DC from SLE patients compared with controls. In contrast, enhanced levels of HLA-DR, CD80, CD9 and CD151 tetraspanins, FN1 (a class II MHC-tetraspanin epitope), CD85j/ILT2 and CD69 were detected in IL-10-treated DC from SLE patients. Accordingly, the phenotypic profile of IL-10-treated DC was very different in SLE and controls. However, the synthesis of IL-10 and IL-12 was similar in IL-10-treated and conventional cells in both SLE patients and controls. Our findings on the aberrant phenotype of IL-10-treated DC in SLE and their normal efficiency of in vitro generation may be important for the design of future therapies of this condition based on the administration of DC to induce immune tolerance.

Los copépodos y sus potencialidades biorreguladoras en el control de zancudos

Los copépodos que nadan libremente en las aguas dulces constituyen un grupo de microcrustáceos que pueden encontrarse en casi todos los tipos de hábitat, auque no son tan abundantes como los copépodos marinos, las especies de agua dulce constituyen no obstante, un eslabón muy importante en la trama alimentaría acuática.

Se debe indicar la cirugía en la rotura traumática de la aorta torácica? / Is surgery indicated in traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta?

Objetivo: El momento ideal para indicar la cirugía en un paciente con rotura traumática de aorta torácica sigue siendo controvertido. Parece, a tenor de las últimas publicaciones, que existe una opinión favorable a demorar en lo posible dicha indicación. Revisamos con este objetivo nuestra experiencia. Material y métodos: Nuestra casuística es de 13 pacientes. Once fueron operados, 8 de ellos con carácter emergente y 3 programados a los 4, 15 y 120 días. Dos pacientes recibieron sólo tratamiento médico. Resultados: Cinco pacientes fallecieron (mortalidad operatoria del 38 por ciento). Tres de estos fallecidos fueron por fracaso multiorgánico a los 3, 10 y 40 días respectivamente. Estos tres pacientes fueron dos de ellos los que siguieron tratamiento médico y el tercero uno de los operados emergentemente. Los otros dos exitus fueron por shock hemorrágico. La mortalidad de los pacientes operados programadamente fue del 0 por ciento y la de los operados emergentemente del 37 por ciento. Conclusiones: Aunque en la mortalidad hospitalaria intervienen diversos factores, como grado e importancia de las lesiones asociadas, técnica quirúrgica, etc., consideramos que el tiempo ideal de indicación quirúrgica debe ser lo más precoz posible si no existen lesiones cerebrales o abdominales graves y el paciente está estabilizado metabólica y hemodinámicamente. Aunque existen diversas posibilidades de corrección, nos inclinamos por usar by pass parcial izquierdo lo que permite mejor protección medular y desarrollo de la técnica quirúrgica. Generalmente hemos usado la interposición de un injerto protésico

Se debe indicar la cirugía en la rotura traumática de la aorta torácica? / Is surgery indicated in traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta?

Objetivo: El momento ideal para indicar la cirugía en un paciente con rotura traumática de aorta torácica sigue siendo controvertido. Parece, a tenor de las últimas publicaciones, que existe una opinión favorable a demorar en lo posible dicha indicación. Revisamos con este objetivo nuestra experiencia. Material y métodos: Nuestra casuística es de 13 pacientes. Once fueron operados, 8 de ellos con carácter emergente y 3 programados a los 4, 15 y 120 días. Dos pacientes recibieron sólo tratamiento médico. Resultados: Cinco pacientes fallecieron (mortalidad operatoria del 38 por ciento). Tres de estos fallecidos fueron por fracaso multiorgánico a los 3, 10 y 40 días respectivamente. Estos tres pacientes fueron dos de ellos los que siguieron tratamiento médico y el tercero uno de los operados emergentemente. Los otros dos exitus fueron por shock hemorrágico. La mortalidad de los pacientes operados programadamente fue del 0 por ciento y la de los operados emergentemente del 37 por ciento. Conclusiones: Aunque en la mortalidad hospitalaria intervienen diversos factores, como grado e importancia de las lesiones asociadas, técnica quirúrgica, etc., consideramos que el tiempo ideal de indicación quirúrgica debe ser lo más precoz posible si no existen lesiones cerebrales o abdominales graves y el paciente está estabilizado metabólica y hemodinámicamente. Aunque existen diversas posibilidades de corrección, nos inclinamos por usar by pass parcial izquierdo lo que permite mejor protección medular y desarrollo de la técnica quirúrgica. Generalmente hemos usado la interposición de un injerto protésico (AU)

Pseudomixoma peritoneal de origen apendicular: informe de 1 caso y revisión de la literatura / Peritoneal pseudomixoma of appendicular origin, one case presentation and literature review

El pseudomixoma peritoneal es una entidad clinica poco frecuente y que se origina en tumores de bajo grado de malignidad provenientes de las celulas espumosas del colon, del apendice o de los carcinomas mucoproductores del ovario. Se presenta 1 caso de pseudomixoma peritoneal de origen apendicular y se hace enfasis en la etiologia, la presentacion, el manejo y el tratamiento complementario.

[Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Nicaraguan students. Isle of Youth Special Municipality. February, 1987]. / Prevalencia de infeccion por Trypanosoma cruzi en estudiantes Nicaragüenses. Municipio Especial Isla de la Juventud. Febrero de 1987.

A seroepidemiologic study on American trypanosomiasis was performed to a group of Nicaraguan students in Isle of the Youth Special Municipality, during February 1987, using indirect hemagglutination and indirect immunoflorescence techniques. The prevalence obtained with both tests and the percentage of the most frequent titer of indirect immunofluorescence are pointed out. The youth living in rural zones presented higher risk of acquiring the infection than those living in urban zones. The students coming from the Atlantic Coast, Rio San Juan and Masaya, presented the highest positive rates. Of those who were interviewed, 59% identified the Triatoma, and 13% of them manifested to have seen it inside homes. The background of being bitten by the Tritoma was present in 16.2% of those with positive results.

Hiperplasia suprarrenal de expresión tardía: optimización de la terapia midiendo la variación circadiana de la 17-OH-progesterona sérica / Late onset adrenal hyperplasia: optimization of treatment by assesment of the circadian variation in serum 17-OH-progesterone

A 19 yr-old female patient with the diagnosis of late onset adrenal hyperplasia was treated since age 15 with different glucocorticoid preparations and dosage schedules plus spsironulactone. In spite of a very tgood response in terms of amelioration of ther hursutism she experienced cushingoid manifestations associated with, adrenal suppression. To overcome these side effects the patient was placed ons hydrocortisone 20 mg at 8 AM plus spironallactone 50 mg q.i.d. Cushingoid features vanished and response to cosyntropin (ACTH 250 ug i.m.) was reestablished. To better ascertain the effects of this administered at 8 AM and compared it with curcadian variations under basal conditions or after late-evening (11 PM) adminsitration of hydrocortisosne, 20 mg. The early morning adminstration of hydro cortisone was unable to prevent the nocturnal elevation of 17-OH-progesterone in spite of normal levels from 9.30 AM to 3 AM. This nocturnal peak was associated with a slightly blunted nocturnal elevation of serum cortisol. In contrast, the late evening adminsitration of hidrocortisone was able to supress 17-OH-progesterone to within normal levels during all day. Serum cortisol during late evening therapy was not different from that observed during early morning adminstration (12.2 ñ 13.1 vs 9.9 ñ 11.3 ug/dl,p = 0.53), yet the corresponding 17-OH-progesterone levels were much lower (0.8 ñ 0.6 vs 5.9 ñ 6.9 ng/ml. We conclude that individualization of therapy is essential in patients with lateosnt adrenal

[A case of intestinal trichobezoar]. / Un caso de tricobezoar intestinal

Report is made of a case of an unusual localization of a trichobezoar in a 12 year-old girl, who presented vomiting and abdominal pain as chief complaints. She was found to have an 18 X 5 cm palpable abdominal mass, which upon surgery was localized in terminal ileum and in the pathology report was found to be a trichobezoar. The interest of this case is the unusual localization of a single bezoar and the fact that a resection of 25 cm. of small bowel had to be done, as it was found necrotic at the time of surgery.