1,721,024 research outputs found
Assisted evaluation of antibiotic resistance development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from intensive care units.
No full text421 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from patients admitted to intensive care units and tested with automated systems for sensitivity to 21 antimicrobial agents. Data were collected in a database for evaluation and monitoring of resistance development. Results showed that assisted monitoring of antimicrobial resistance gives continuously updated information, with particular attention to the different local therapeutical schedules. It is therefore advisable that clinicians constantly exchange information with the microbiology laboratory through a hospital information system in which data from different laboratories are pooled in real time
Choroid plexus trafficking of immune cells towards the rat cochlear nuclei after noise trauma or cochlear destruction
No full textCochlear nuclei are the first CNS station of auditory pathways, and the sole target of primary auditory fibers from the cochlea, which terminate in a frequency-dependent (tonotopic) pattern. Cochlear nuclei include a ventral nucleus (VCN) involved in binaural comparisons and a dorsal nucleus (DCN) involved in the integration of auditory and nonauditory stimuli. Circuital responses to peripheral damage, such as noise trauma or cochlear destruction, are quite different between VCN and DCN, possibly related to different auditory pathologies (e.g. tinnitus and speech comprehension deficit in noise vs errors in sound localization
in space). Microglial responses would be therefore expected to also display differences. However, most studies have so far concentrated on the VCN. We investigated the changes of DCN-related Iba1+ cells after 10 kHz noise trauma and unilateral cochlear destruction. A week after cochlear destruction, disorganized
clusters of Iba1+ cells appeared at the ipsilateral DCN surface facing the 4th ventricle, especially at contact sites with the choroid plexus and cerebellum, whereas a rod microglia train was observed at the surface of the contralateral DCN. An increase in ring-shaped and dystrophic microglia was also observed in the
ipsilateral DCN. In the choroid plexus, moreover, Iba1+ cells were significantly more numerous on both sides. Three days after noise trauma, Iba1+ cells increased in density and displayed activated morphology in the DCN region corresponding to noise trauma frequencies. At 12 days after trauma, activation had spread through the whole DCN, and superficial clusters of Iba1+ cells and choroid plexus Iba1+ cell increase was observed as for cochlear destruction. Morphological shifts were also observed in the microglial population, with an increase of ring-shaped and amoeboid (but not dystrophic) microglia. Minocycline bolished changes in Iba1+ cell density due to damage, although not morphological activation signs; stereotaxic (LPS) injections in the DCN induced instead a strong local amoeboid microgliosis. On the other hand, neither treatment affected choroid plexus macrophage density. These data suggest that the response of the Iba1+ population after peripheral trauma includes contribution from both local microglia and choroid plexus-derived factors. In order to differentiate Iba1+ populations and assess their relative importance, we labeled them selectively for CCR2 (for inflowing macrophages) and Tmem119 (for resident microglia). Moreover, we labeled other cell types (mast cells, neutrophils) at early stages after damage, counting them in choroid plexus and DCN parenchyma. The present work suggests that the DCN, in addition to integrating nonauditory context nerve signals with auditory stimuli, also integrates immune factors crossing its ventricular surface, possibly in order to differentiate physiological and pathological stimulation patterns
Use of serum markers in the diagnosis and management of laryngeal cancer
No full textMany neoplastic diseases are reported to be accompanied by the presence or associated with an increase in biological substances identified as tumour markers. The most common markers implicated in head and neck cancers are CEA, TPA, LASA, SCC, CA 19-9, and ferritin. These markers (except SCC) were evaluated in 50 patients with a laryngeal carcinoma, in 20 patients with benign lesions, and in 20 healthy subjects. The results show for each marker assayed the following sensitivity values (true positives): CEA, 10%; CA 19-9, 30%; TPA, 30%; LASA, 90%; ferritin, 60%. Specificity (true negatives) was as follows: CEA, 85%; CA 19-9, 99.4%; TPA, 98%; LASA, 99.8%; ferritin, 97%. LASA and ferritin seem to be the most suitable markers for patient monitoring because of their higher sensitivity in all phases of cancer disease
Sialic acid as a tumour marker in pediatric surgical oncology: experimental clinical evaluation
No full text
The effect of selective low-density lipoprotein apheresis on plasma lipoperoxides and antioxidant vitamins in familial hypercholesterolemic patients
No full textFamilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by a lifelong elevation in the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) bound cholesterol in blood by cholesterol deposits and by early coronary artery disease. The LDL apheresis technique has been introduced with the goal of reducing LDL cholesterol levels, thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis. The literature on LDL apheresis reports 2 different facets, the therapeutic aspect associated with the lessening of LDL concentration and the initiation of a peroxidation process associated with the biocompatibility of the artificial membrane. Lipid and protein peroxidation gives rise to toxic and atherogenic hydroperoxide, mostly lipid hydroperoxides, and derivative compounds, which may offset the benefit of the procedure. In this paper, plasma hydroperoxide levels are determined along with the elevation of the serum and LDL antioxidant status in hypercholesterolemic patients before and following repeated LDL apheresis sessions. Hydroperoxide concentration has been expressed both in terms of plasma volume and LDL concentration. A highly significant increase in LDL lipid hydroperoxides is demonstrated when expressed in terms of LDL concentration and is associated with the LDL apheresis procedure. The usefulness of antioxidant supplementation in LDL apheresis is discussed
DANNO AL DNA IN CELLULE DELL’IPPOCAMPO DI GERBILLO DOPO TRATTAMENTO DI ISCHEMIA/RIPERFUSIONE
No full textLa riperfusione post-ischemica rappresenta una significativa causa di morbilità e di morte in diversi campi della medicina che comprendono, tra gli altri, l'infarto del miocardio, l'ischemia cerebrale, lo shock settico o emorragico e il trapianto d'organo. A livello del microcircolo il danno da ischemia/riperfusione (I/R) è provocato, oltre che dall'accumulo chemiotattico e dall'adesione all'endotelio di leucociti circolanti, dalla generazione di specie reattive dell'ossigeno e dell'azoto quali l'anione superossido e il perossinitrito. Il danno al DNA da parte di queste specie reattive è stato dimostrato sia in modelli sperimentali in vitro che in cellule in cultura. Una procedura sperimentale efficace per mettere in evidenza il danno al DNA sotto forma di rotture a singola elica (SSB) in cellule in cultura è la micro-gel-elettroforesi su singola cellula (Comet test). Una modifica di questa tecnica (Halo-Diffusion Assay - HDA) consente di evidenziare anche la frammentazione cromatinica, strettamente correlata all’apoptosi. Recentemente, l’esecuzione di questi saggi si è resa possibile usando come campione anche frammenti tissutali provenienti da animali da esperimento
An enzymatic-like system for web link repair or deletion
No full textThe World Wide Web is a dynamic and per se volatile entity. Every hour, every second a Web site is refurbished, it born or dies. This characteristic makes the list of suggested links, which is a “must” in every web site, a high mutation risk structure. Every time a user follows a broken link and gets the infamous “404 Error page not found” (or worse, the redirection to a sponsored generic search engine) a small wave of discouragement takes posses of the user, followed by anger about the source and the destination of the broken link.
In biological terms, the above variability can be compared to “spontaneous” or induced DNA mutations. But following the biological paradigm, DNA repair systems do exist and the same concept can be turned back to mutation repair of web site links. Therefore, a software project was set-up using techniques resembling the DNA Excision/Repair system to correct the above disagreeable feature of the Internet
Use of Serum Markers In the Diagnosis and Management of Laryngeal-cancer
No full textMany neoplastic diseases are reported to be accompanied by the presence or associated with an increase in biological substances identified as tumour markers. The most common markers implicated in head and neck cancers are CEA, TPA, LASA, SCC, CA 19-9, and ferritin. These markers (except SCC) were evaluated in 50 patients with a laryngeal carcinoma, in 20 patients with benign lesions, and in 20 healthy subjects. The results show for each marker assayed the following sensitivity values (true positives): CEA, 10%; CA 19-9, 30%; TPA, 30%; LASA, 90%; ferritin, 60%. Specificity (true negatives) was as follows: CEA, 85%; CA 19-9, 99.4%; TPA, 98%; LASA, 99.8%; ferritin, 97%. LASA and ferritin seem to be the most suitable markers for patient monitoring because of their higher sensitivity in all phases of cancer disease
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