Morphology and histology of vom Rath’s organ in brush-footed butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).
Vom Rath’s organ, located at the distal end of the third segment of the labial palp, is one of the recognized synapomorphies of Lepidoptera (Insecta). Information about the structural and histological morphology of this organ is sparse. The structure of vom Rath’s organ in four species of Nymphalidae, three frugivorous: Fountainea ryphea (Charaxinae: Anaeini), Morpho helenor achillaena (Satyrinae: Morphini) and Hamadryas epinome (Biblidinae: Ageroniini), and the nectarivorous species Aeria olena (Danainae: Ithomiini) is described by means of scanning electron microscopy and histology. The species showed significant differences in the cavity shape, setal morphology and arrangement, opening shape and location, associated with the organization of cell groups, type of axon, and degree of development. These differences do not seem to be related to feeding habit. No cell groups were found in Actinote thalia (Heliconiinae: Acraeini) and Heliconius erato phyllis (Heliconiinae: Heliconiini), and for the first time the absence of vom Rath’s organ is documented in the clade Ditrysia. A terminology is proposed to improve understanding of the organ morphology, with an extensive analysis of the previous descriptions.
Notch Signaling Mediates Differentiation in Barrett’s Esophagus and Promotes Progression to Adenocarcinoma.
Studies are needed to determine the mechanism by which Barrett´s esophagus (BE) progresses to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Notch signaling maintains stem cells in the gastrointestinal tract and is dysregulated during carcinogenesis. We explored the relationship between Notch signaling and goblet cell maturation, a feature of BE, during EAC pathogenesis.We measured goblet cell density and levels of Notch mRNAs in BE tissues from 164 patients, with and without dysplasia or EAC, enrolled in a multicenter study. We analyzed the effects of conditional expression of an activated form of NOTCH2 (pL2.Lgr5.N2IC), conditional deletion of NOTCH2 (pL2.Lgr5.N2fl/fl), or loss of NF-κB (pL2.Lgr5.p65fl/fl), in Lgr5+ (progenitor) cells in L2-IL1B mice (overexpresses interleukin 1 beta in esophagus and squamous forestomach and are used as a model of BE). We collected esophageal and stomach tissues and performed histology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, transcriptome, and real-time PCR analyses. Cardia and forestomach tissues from mice were cultured as organoids and incubated with inhibitors of Notch or NF-kB.Progression of BE to EAC was associated with a significant reduction in goblet cell density, compared to non-dysplastic regions of tissues from patients; there was an inverse correlation between goblet cell density and levels of NOTCH3 and JAG2 mRNA. In mice, expression of the activated intracellular form of NOTCH2 in Lgr5+ cells reduced goblet-like cell maturation, increased crypt fission, and accelerated development of tumors in the squamocolumnar junction. Mice with deletion of NOTCH2 from Lgr5+ cells had increased maturation of goblet-like cells, reduced crypt fission, and developed fewer tumors. Esophageal tissues from in pL2.Lgr5.N2IC mice had increased levels of RelA (encodes the p65 unit of NF-κB) compared to tissues from L2-IL1B mice, and we found evidence of increased NF-κB activity in Lgr5+ cells. Esophageal tissues from pL2.Lgr5.p65fl/fl mice had lower inflammation and metaplasia scores than pL2.Lgr5.N2IC mice. In organoids derived from pL2-IL1B mice, the NF-κB inhibitor JSH-23 reduced cell survival and proliferation.Notch signaling contributes to activation of NF-κB and regulates differentiation of gastric cardia progenitor cells in a mouse model of BE. In human esophageal tissues, progression of BE to EAC associated with reduced goblet cell density and increased levels of Notch expression. Strategies to block this pathway might be developed to prevent EAC in patients with BE.
Construction and expression of recombinant uricase‑expressing genetically engineered bacteria and its application in rat model of hyperuricemia.
At present, the treatment of hyperuricemia is designed primarily to decrease the production of uric acid using xanthine oxidase inhibitors; however, the therapeutic effect is not satisfactory. Therefore, the key to the successful treatment of hyperuricemia is to increase the excretion of uric acid. The aim of present study was to construct uricase‑expressing genetically engineered bacteria and analyze the effects of these engineered bacteria on the lowering of uric acid levels in a rat model of hyperuricemia. The uricase expression vector was constructed by gene recombination technology and transfected into Escherichia coli. The expression and activity of uricase were analyzed by SDS‑PAGE analysis and Bradford assay. The water consumption, food intake, body weight, eosinophil count and intestinal histology, in addition to the levels of serum uric acid (SUA) and allantoin in the feces of the rats, were assessed. The intestinal contents of the rats were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing technology. The results demonstrated that uricase‑expressing genetically engineered bacteria secreted active uricase. All rats exhibited a natural growth trend during the entire experiment, and the SUA of hyperuricemic rats treated with uricase‑expressing engineered bacteria was significantly decreased. In conclusion, these results indicate that uricase secreted by recombinant uricase‑expressing genetically engineered bacteria served an important role in decreasing SUA levels in a rat model of hyperuricemia.
BRAF and TERT promoter mutations: clinical application in thyroid cancer.
Given the long-term survival of most patients with thyroid cancer, it is very important to distinguish patients who need aggressive treatment from those who do not. Conventional clinicopathological prognostic parameters could not completely predict the final outcome of each patient. Recently, molecular marker-based risk stratification of thyroid cancer has been proposed to better estimate the cancer risk. Although BRAF mutation has drawn much attention based on its high prevalence, its association with recurrence or mortality is not clear. Recently, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutation has been identified in thyroid cancer. It increases telomerase activity, which allows cancer cells to immortalize. It was found in 10 to 20% of differentiated thyroid carcinoma and 40% of dedifferentiated thyroid carcinoma. It is highly prevalent in old age, large tumor, aggressive histology, advanced stages, and distant metastasis. It is associated with increased recurrence and mortality. Concomitant BRAF and TERT promoter mutations worsen the survival rate. Inclusion of TERT promoter mutation analysis with conventional clinicopathological evaluation can lead to better prognostication and management for individual patients.
Schizophyllum commune sphenoidal sinusitis as presentation of a non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Schizophyllum commune is a basidiomycetes worldwide distributed that has emerged as cause of invasive infections in immunosuppressed patients. We present a case of a man who was simultaneously diagnosed with a small cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a sphenoid sinusitis by S. commune. Intraoperative observation and histology description were crucial to consider an alternative diagnosis to mucormycosis suggested by the MRI. The diagnosis was made based on PCR identification and sequencing.
Glymphatic clearance of simulated silicon dispersion in mouse brain analyzed by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Silicon-based devices, such as neural probes, are increasingly used as electrodes for receiving electrical signals from neural tissue. Neural probes used chronically have been known to induce inflammation and elicit an immune response. The current study detects and evaluates silicon dispersion from a concentrated source in the mouse brain using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Element lines for Si (I) were found at the injection site at approximately 288 nm at 3hr post-implantation, even with tissue perfusion, indicating possible infusion into neural tissue. At 24hr and 1-week post-implantation, no silicon lines were found, indicating clearance. An isolated immune response was found by CD68 macrophage response at 24hr post injection. Future studies should measure chronic silicon exposure to determine if the inflammatory response is proportional to silicon administration. The present type of protocol, coupling laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, neuroimaging, histology, immunohistochemistry, and determination of clearance could be used to investigate the glymphatic system and different tissue states such as in disease (e.g. Alzheimer’s).
Risk factors to differentiate between benign proximal biliary strictures and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.
The aim of this study was to evaluate potential risk factors associated with benign lesions and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) in patients presenting with proximal biliary strictures (PBS).Patients with PBS who were referred to a specialist HPB centre between 2008 and 2016 were identified. Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, metastatic PHC or hilar obstruction by a peripheral tumour were excluded. The final diagnosis was determined either by (1) resection histology or (2) combination of biopsy and clinical course. Multivariable analysis of clinical, laboratory and radiological data was undertaken to identify independent predictors of benign and malignant lesions.155 consecutive patients were identified, including 25 patients (16%) with benign PBS. Abdominal pain (odds ratio [OR] 3.36; p = 0.027), serum CA19.9 < 100 U/ml (OR 10.35; p = 0.001), and absence of mass on imaging (OR 4.66; p = 0.004) were all associated with the presence of benign lesions on multivariable analysis.This study has identified several independent variables that may differentiate between benign and malignant proximal biliary strictures. A larger multi-institutional study would be warranted to validate these findings, and to develop a risk score to stratify patients with suspected PHC.
Imaging and clinical features of breast tuberculosis: a review series of 62 cases.
To outline the disease burden of breast tuberculosis (TB) as a quantitative analysis amongst three tertiary hospitals in South Africa, with correlation to their clinical, demographic, and imaging features.A retrospective analysis was undertaken over an 18-month period (01/01/2017-30/06/2018) of all patients undergoing laboratory investigations for breast disease at the mammography departments of these three tertiary centres.The prevalence of breast TB was 2.5% (n=62) of 2,516 patients. The median age of presentation was 38.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] 33-45). HIV status was known in 45 patients, of whom 36 were HIV infected (80%, 95% CI: 0.65-0.90, p<0.0001). Based on the ultrasound and/or mammogram findings, the patients were classified into five categories: TB breast abscess (40.3%), inflammatory/disseminated (24.2%), isolated TB lymphadenitis (22.6%), nodular (11.3%), and sclerosing form (1.6%). Histology demonstrated necrotising granulomatous inflammation in 57 cases (92%). Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were positive in 8.1% (n=5) of the cytology and 16.1% (n=10) of the histology specimens. Culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was positive in 27% (17 cases), and in 12.9% (n=8). AFB were detected histologically using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.Knowledge of the varied clinical and radiological features is necessary to maintain a high degree of suspicion to prevent misdiagnoses, inappropriate management, and complications. Ultrasound-guided core biopsy rather than fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is advocated as the first-line intervention in diagnosing or excluding this disease, as it yields a better tissue sample and more often a positive diagnosis.
Maturity-dependent cartilage cell plasticity and sensitivity to external perturbation.
Articular cartilage undergoes biological and morphological changes throughout maturation. The prevalence of osteoarthritis in the aged population suggests that maturation predisposes cartilage to degradation and/or impaired regeneration, but this process is not fully understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the cellular and genetic profile of cartilage, as well as biological plasticity in response to mechanical and culture time stimuli, as a function of animal maturity.Porcine articular cartilage explants were harvested from stifle joints of immature (2-4 weeks), adolescent (5-6 months), and mature (1-5 years) animals. Half of all samples were subjected to a single compressive mechanical load. Loaded samples were paired with unloaded controls for downstream analyses. Expression of cartilage progenitor cell markers CD105, CD44, and CD29 were determined via flow cytometry. Expression of matrix synthesis genes Col1, Col2, Col10, ACAN, and SOX9 were determined via qPCR. Tissue morphology and matrix content were examined histologically. Post-loading assays were performed immediately and following 7 days in culture.CD105 and CD29 expression decreased with maturity, while CD44 expression was upregulated in cartilage from mature animals. Expression of matrix synthesis genes were generally upregulated in cartilage from mature animals, and adolescent animals showed the lowest expression of several matrix synthesizing genes. Culture time and mechanical loading analyses revealed greater plasticity to mechanical loading and culture time in cartilage from younger animals. Histology confirmed distinct structural and biochemical profiles across maturity.This study demonstrates differential, nonlinear expression of chondroprogenitor markers and matrix synthesis genes as a function of cartilage maturity, as well as loss of biological plasticity in aged tissue. These findings have likely implications for age-related loss of regeneration and osteoarthritis progression.
Inverted urothelial papilloma of the upper urinary tract: description of two cases with systematic literature review.
Inverted urothelial papilloma (IUP) of the upper urinary tract is an uncommon benign tumour that occasionally presents as a polypoid mass causing urinary obstruction. Histologically, IUP is characterised by a proliferating urothelium arranged in cords and trabeculae, in continuity with overlying intact epithelium, and extending into the lamina propria in a non-invasive, endophytic manner. Cytological atypia is minimal or absent. Top differential diagnoses include urothelial carcinoma with inverted growth pattern and florid ureteritis cystica. Although urothelial carcinomas of the upper urinary tract with prominent inverted growth pattern commonly harbour microsatellite instability, the role of the mutator phenotype pathway in IUP development is still unclear. The aim of this study was to describe two additional cases of IUP of the upper urinary tract, along with an extensive literature review.We observed two polypoid tumours originating in the renal pelvis and the distal ureter, respectively. Both patients, a 76-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man, underwent surgery because of the increased likelihood of malignancy. Histology was consistent with IUP and patients are alive and asymptomatic after long-term follow-up (6 years for the renal pelvis lesion and 5 years for the ureter lesion). The tumours retained the expression of the mismatch-repair protein MLH1, MSH2, and PMS2 whereas loss of MSH6 was found in both cases.When completely resected, IUP does not require rigorous surveillance protocols, such as those for urothelial carcinoma and exophytic urothelial papilloma. It is therefore important for the surgical pathologist to be aware of this rare entity in order to ensure correct patient management.
Design and rationale of a randomized control trial testing the effectiveness of combined therapy with STAtin plus FENOfibrate and statin alone in non-diabetic, combined dyslipidemia patients with non-intervened intermediate coronary artery disease – STAFENO study.
Despite the chronicled success of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc)-lowering statin therapy, substantial residual cardiovascular (CV) disease risk remains a problem worldwide, highlighting the need to for combination therapies targeting non-LDLc factors, such as with fenofibrate.The STAFENO trial is a prospective, randomized, open-label, multi-center trial to compare the effect of statin plus fenofibrate with statin alone on the reduction and stabilization of plaque in non-diabetic, combined dyslipidemia patients with non-intervened, intermediate coronary artery disease (CAD) using virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound at 12 months. A total of 106 eligible patients are planned to be randomized to receive either a combination therapy (rosuvastatin 10 mg plus fenofibrate 160 mg/day) or monotherapy (rosuvastatin 10 mg/day) for 12 months. The primary endpoint of this study is the percentage change in the necrotic core volume. Secondary endpoints include changes in tissue characteristics and 1-year major CV events, including all-cause mortality, CV mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and revascularization of the intervened and non-intervened lesions.
The STAFENO trial will address whether combination treatment of statin and fenofibrate has an additive beneficial effect compared to statin alone on the reduction and stabilization of plaque and CV events in non-diabetic, combined dyslipidemia patients with non-intervened intermediate CAD.
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02232360. Registered 9 February 2014. .
Anti-Glycan Autoantibodies Induced by Helicobacter pylori as a Potential Risk Factor for Myocardial Infarction.
A number of epidemiological studies have evaluated the potential association between H. pylori and cardiovascular disease, but with contrasting results. We have previously shown that Helicobacter pylori infection is able to induce in mice and humans autoantibodies cross-reacting with histo-blood group Lewis antigens, expressed in different organs and in plasma glycoproteins and glycolipids. The aim of this study was to assess whether immunization of animals with H. pylori might induce myocardial histopathological changes. We have retrospectively examined, in detail, the histology of archived organs from mice and rabbits immunized with H. pylori in our previous studies. Human sera and cross-reacting monoclonal antibodies were also tested against bacterial preparations and tissue sections. Areas of myocardial necrosis, associated with coronary thrombotic occlusion, were found in 5 of 20 mice and 2 of 5 rabbits previously immunized with suspensions of H. pylori. No similar lesions were found in control animals, suggesting a causal link with H. pylori immunization. The animals bearing myocardial lesions had not been infected but only immunized months earlier with parenteral injections of dead H. pylori cells. This strongly suggests that immunization, by itself, might play a causative role. We propose that the cross-reactive autoimmune response induced by H. pylori could promote thrombotic occlusion through direct endothelial damage or by perturbing the coagulation process.
Lymph Node Metastases of Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Role of Calcitonin in the Washout Fluid of Fine-Needle Aspiration.
The diagnostic value of calcitonin (CT) measurement in fine-needle aspirate washout (FNA-CT) for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) lymph node (LN) metastases remains to be determined. It may increase the diagnostic sensitivity, but data on this subject is sparse.Our study aimed to evaluate the utility of FNA-CT in the diagnosis of LN metastases of MTC.We retrospectively investigated, in our institutional database, 69 consecutive FNA LN cytology from 42 patients who underwent FNA cytology and CT measurement in needle washout.