Bitis arietans Snake Venom and Kn-Ba, a Snake Venom Serine Protease, Induce the Production of Inflammatory Mediators in THP-1 Macrophages.

Bitis arietans is a snake of medical importance found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in savannas and pastures of Morocco and western Arabia. The effects of its venom are characterized by local and systemic alterations, such as inflammation and cardiovascular and hemostatic disturbances, which can lead to victims' death or permanent disability. To better characterize the inflammatory process induced by this snake's venom, the participation of eicosanoids and PAF (platelet- activating factor) in this response were demonstrated in a previous study. In addition, edema and early increased vascular permeability followed by an accumulation of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in the peritoneal cavity were accompanied by the production of the eicosanoids LTB4, LTC4, TXB2, and PGE2, and local and systemic production of IL-6 and MCP-1. In this context, the present study focused on the identification of inflammatory mediators produced by human macrophages derived from THP-1 cells in response to Bitis arietans venom (BaV), and Kn-Ba, a serine protease purified from this venom. Here, we show that Kn-Ba, and even the less intensive BaV, induced the production of the cytokine TNF and the chemokines RANTES and IL-8. Only Kn-Ba was able to induce the production of IL-6, MCP-1, and IP-10, whereas PGE2 was produced only in response to BaV. Finally, the release of IL-1ß in culture supernatants suggests the activation of the inflammasomes by the venom of Bitis arietans and by Kn-Ba, which will be investigated in more detail in future studies.

Bitis arietans snake venom and Kn-Ba, a snake venom serine protease, induce the production of inflammatory mediators in THP-1 macrophages

Bitis arietans is a snake of medical importance found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in savannas and pastures of Morocco and western Arabia. The effects of its venom are characterized by local and systemic alterations, such as inflammation and cardiovascular and hemostatic disturbances, which can lead to victims’ death or permanent disability. To better characterize the inflammatory process induced by this snake’s venom, the participation of eicosanoids and PAF (platelet- activating factor) in this response were demonstrated in a previous study. In addition, edema and early increased vascular permeability followed by an accumulation of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in the peritoneal cavity were accompanied by the production of the eicosanoids LTB4, LTC4, TXB2, and PGE2, and local and systemic production of IL-6 and MCP-1. In this context, the present study focused on the identification of inflammatory mediators produced by human macrophages derived from THP-1 cells in response to Bitis arietans venom (BaV), and Kn-Ba, a serine protease purified from this venom. Here, we show that Kn-Ba, and even the less intensive BaV, induced the production of the cytokine TNF and the chemokines RANTES and IL-8. Only Kn-Ba was able to induce the production of IL-6, MCP-1, and IP-10, whereas PGE2 was produced only in response to BaV. Finally, the release of IL-1β in culture supernatants suggests the activation of the inflammasomes by the venom of Bitis arietans and by Kn-Ba, which will be investigated in more detail in future studies.

Two different geometric orientations for aortic neoroot creation in bicuspid aortic valve repair with root reimplantation.

OBJECTIVE: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) represents 2 cusps oriented along a spectrum of equal (180°/180°) or unequal (150°/210°) leaflet surface area distribution along the aortic annular plane. We have taken the approach of respecting the native geometric orientation of the repaired BAV leaflets when creating the aortic neoroot during valve-sparing root reimplantation (VSRR) procedures. We investigated midterm outcomes with this 2-prong approach for VSRR in BAV syndrome. METHODS: Of 72 patients in a prospectively maintained BAV repair database, 68 met inclusion criteria: 36 patients had 180°/180° neoroot geometry, and 32 patients had 150°/210° orientation. A multivariate ordinal logistic mixed effects model was performed to study parameters associated with recurrent AI greater than 2+. RESULTS: Preoperative parameters were similar between 180°/180° and 150°/210° groups, except for greater incidence of AI 4+ in the latter (50.0% [n = 16] vs 8.3% [n = 3]; P < .001). Postoperatively, stroke, renal failure, reoperation for bleeding, and pacemaker rates were 0 in the entire cohort. In-hospital/30-day mortality in the entire cohort was 1.5% (n = 1). Multivariate ordinal logistic mixed effects model showed that preoperative AI greater than 3+ (odds ratio, 0.4; P = .46) and geometric orientation of the aortic neoroot (odds ratio, 3.8; P = .25) were not significantly associated with recurrence of AI greater than 2+. CONCLUSIONS: Respecting BAV geometry for VSRR neoroot creation yields excellent midterm outcomes and may minimize conjoint cusp leaflet stress that may occur in "forcing" a 150°/210° type I BAV into a 180°/180° neoroot.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement for bicuspid aortic stenosis 13years post heart transplant.

Despite the widespread use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for moderate and high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, it is utilized less frequently in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV). Orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) donors tend to be younger and may have undiagnosed BAV. We present a case of successful TAVR in a patient with BAV thirteen years after OHT.

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

Seroprevalence of bovine adenovirus and enterovirus antibodies reveals different infection dynamics in cattle herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, West, Southeast, Midwest and Metropolitan regions; and were classified according to the origin, gender and age. The serum samples were tested against 100 TCID50/mL of (tissue cellular infection dose 50/mL) of previously characterized BEV and BAV-3 isolates. Serial dilution of the serum was performed in duplicate, starting at 1:5 up to > 1:640 for BEV and at 1:2 to > 1:256 for BAV in 96 wells plates. The serum and virus mixture was incubated in 37ºC for 4-6 h and then a suspension of CRIB cells was added to each well. [...] (AU)

Seroprevalence of bovine adenovirus and enterovirus antibodies reveals different infection dynamics in cattle herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, West, Southeast, Midwest and Metropolitan regions; and were classified according to the origin, gender and age. The serum samples were tested against 100 TCID50/mL of (tissue cellular infection dose 50/mL) of previously characterized BEV and BAV-3 isolates. Serial dilution of the serum was performed in duplicate, starting at 1:5 up to > 1:640 for BEV and at 1:2 to > 1:256 for BAV in 96 wells plates. The serum and virus mixture was incubated in 37ºC for 4-6 h and then a suspension of CRIB cells was added to each well. [...]

Seroprevalence of Bovine Adenovirus and Enterovirus Antibodies Reveals Different Infection Dynamics in Cattle Herds

Background: Bovine enterovirus (BEV) and bovine adenovirus (BAV) are widely distributed in cattle population, and are among possible causes of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease, respectively, although the infection is more often subclinical. BAV infection may be also related to conjunctivitis, and may lead to severe infections and death in immunosuppressive calves. BEV infections have been associated with disorders of respiratory and reproductive tracts, and diarrhea. There is little available information about BAV and BEV in Brazil; however the main of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against these viruses in cattle from some counties of the Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.Material, Methods & Results: A total of 415 bovine serum samples collected in 2015 year to detect neutralizing antibodies against BEV and BAV by Virus neutralization (VN) assay were performed. The serum samples were gently provided from Setor de Virologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (SV-UFSM). The samples came from bovine with a history or report of clinical cases of diarrhea, respiratory and reproducible disorders and/or abortion suggestive of Leucosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and/or Bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and 5) infections. The samples are originated as from dairy and beef herd cattle in the following regions from RS State: Sout

The prevalence of turner syndrome in girls presenting with coarctation of the aorta.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of Turner syndrome in girls presenting with coarctation of the aorta (CoA). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 132 girls with known structural CoA was identified. Those girls who had no previous karyotype analysis performed were asked to participate in a research study in which a banded karyotype with 50-cell count was performed. RESULTS: Of 132 girls with CoA, 55 (41.7%) had karyotype analysis within 6 months of cardiac diagnosis. Three girls underwent karyotyping later because of clinical concerns. Of the 74 girls with CoA who had not had a karyotype, 38 (51.4%) consented to the study. Results were available for 37 girls. All were 46,XX. Five patients with Turner syndrome were identified in the 95 girls with CoA who had karyotype analysis (4 from early karyotype and 1 diagnosed later), which translated into a minimum prevalence of 5.3% of Turner syndrome in this group of girls with CoA. In addition, one infant with a 20-cell 46,XX karyotype had features of Turner syndrome. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated for the first time in a large cohort that 5.3% of girls presenting with CoA are found to have Turner syndrome when karyotyping is performed. Given the spectrum of preventable and treatable health problems after the diagnosis of Turner syndrome, we believe that all girls with CoA should have a karyotype analysis, ideally with at least 50-cell count, at the time of diagnosis of CoA.

Estudo do comportamento autonômico dos ritmos de escape no bloqueio atrioventricular congênito / Study of the Autonomic Behavior of the Escape Rhythms in Complete Congenital Heart Block

PURPOSE--To study the autonomic behavior of the escape rhythm in congenital complete heart block (CCHB), using heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS--A group of 10 asymptomatic patients with CCHB and narrow QRS was studied, 7 females; mean age = 14 +/- 9 years. The following time domain indexes were analyzed from a 24 hour Holter monitoring. The mean of all RR intervals (NN); the standard deviation of the mean (CLV5); the mean of all standard deviations (SDNN); the percent of successive differences longer than 50 ms (pNN50); the shortest cycle (CC) and the longest cycle (CL). The results were compared with a control group, using the Wilcox test for statistical analysis. RESULTS--The results were: NN = 1016 +/- 276 ms in CHB and 725 +/- 121 ms in control (p < 0.01); CLV5 = 184 +/- 97 ms in CHB and 125 +/- 38 ms in control (p = NS); SDNN = 102 +/- 32 ms in CHB and 88 +/- 29 ms in control (p = NS); rMSSD = 113 +/- 69 ms in CHB and 78 +/- 28 ms in control (p = NS); pNN50 = 43 +/- 26 per cent in CHB and 33 +/- 12 per cent in control (p = NS); CC = 582 +/- 129 ms in CHB and 333 +/- 49 ms in control (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION--No statistical difference was noted by comparing HRV indexes in CHB with control subjects, showing that the autonomic behavior of the escape rhythm in CCHB is similar to the sinus node in asymptomatic patients. The differences in NN, CC and CL are probably related to intrinsic properties of each command