Spectroscopic evidence for selenium(IV) dimerization in aqueous solution.

The aqueous speciation of selenium(iv) was elucidated by a combined approach applying quantum chemical calculations, infrared (IR), Raman, and (77)Se NMR spectroscopy. The dimerization of hydrogen selenite (HSeO3(-)) was confirmed at concentrations above 10 mmol L(-1) by both IR and NMR spectroscopy. Quantum chemical calculations provided the assignment of vibrational bands observed to specific molecular modes of the (HSeO3)2(2-) ion. The results presented will provide a better understanding of the chemistry of aqueous Se(iv) which is of particular interest for processes occurring at mineral/water interfaces.

The rupture of a single liquid aluminium alloy film.

The present study is based on the idea of understanding the rupture of films in metal foams by studying free standing metallic films as a model system. Liquid dynamics, the velocity of the rupturing material as well as the behaviour of ceramic particles inside the melt were analysed optically ex situ and by synchrotron X-ray radiography in situ. It was found that the resistance of films to rupture is mainly based on the interaction between solid particles and an immobile oxide skin, the formation of which depends on the oxygen content of the surrounding atmosphere and the presence of magnesium.

Probing the surface speciation of uranium (VI) on iron (hydr)oxides by in situ ATR FT-IR spectroscopy.

The surface speciation of uranium(VI) on maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) was elucidated at the spectroscopic level for the first time. By means of in situ ATR FT-IR measurements, the formation of uranium(VI) outer-sphere complexes was revealed under anoxic conditions and in ambient atmosphere at mildly acid conditions. This type of complexation was verified by the frequency of the ν3(UO2) mode observed for the surface species, the impact of the ionic strength of the background electrolyte on U(VI) sorption and by the high reversibility of the sorption process monitored by on line spectroscopy. The impact of carbonate ions from atmospherically derived CO2 on U(VI) sorption on maghemite was investigated. Although the surface speciation of the carbonate ions presumably change from a monodentate coordination on maghemite to a bidentate coordination in the ternary sorption system, the U(VI) speciation is not changed. A contrasting juxtaposition of comparable results obtained from maghemite and ferrihydrite reveals a basically different type of U(VI) complexation, namely outer and inner spheric coordination.

Functional amyloid formation by Streptococcus mutans.

Dental caries is a common infectious disease associated with acidogenic and aciduric bacteria, including Streptococcus mutans. Organisms that cause cavities form recalcitrant biofilms, generate acids from dietary sugars and tolerate acid end products. It has recently been recognized that micro-organisms can produce functional amyloids that are integral to biofilm development. We now show that the S. mutans cell-surface-localized adhesin P1 (antigen I/II, PAc) is an amyloid-forming protein. This conclusion is based on the defining properties of amyloids, including binding by the amyloidophilic dyes Congo red (CR) and Thioflavin T (ThT), visualization of amyloid fibres by transmission electron microscopy and the green birefringent properties of CR-stained protein aggregates when viewed under cross-polarized light. We provide evidence that amyloid is present in human dental plaque and is produced by both laboratory strains and clinical isolates of S. mutans. We provide further evidence that amyloid formation is not limited to P1, since bacterial colonies without this adhesin demonstrate residual green birefringence. However, S. mutans lacking sortase, the transpeptidase enzyme that mediates the covalent linkage of its substrates to the cell-wall peptidoglycan, including P1 and five other proteins, is not birefringent when stained with CR and does not form biofilms. Biofilm formation is inhibited when S. mutans is cultured in the presence of known inhibitors of amyloid fibrillization, including CR, Thioflavin S and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which also inhibited ThT uptake by S. mutans extracellular proteins. Taken together, these results indicate that S. mutans is an amyloid-forming organism and suggest that amyloidogenesis contributes to biofilm formation by this oral microbe.

The relationship between alloimmunization and posttransfusion granulocyte survival: experience in a chronic granulomatous disease cohort.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of granulocyte transfusions in patients with HLA alloimmunization is uncertain. A flow cytometric assay using dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR), a marker for cellular NADPH oxidase activity, was used to monitor the differential survival of transfused oxidase-positive granulocytes in alloimmunized patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Ten patients with CGD and serious infections were treated with daily granulocyte transfusions derived from steroid and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-stimulated donors. The proportion of neutrophils with intact oxidase activity was quantitated by DHR fluorescence on samples drawn before and 1 hour after transfusion. The incidence of acute transfusion reactions was correlated with the results of DHR fluorescence and biweekly HLA serologic screening assays. RESULTS: Eight of 10 patients experienced acute adverse reactions in association with granulocyte transfusions. Four had only chills and/or fever, and four experienced respiratory compromise; all eight exhibited HLA alloimmunization. Mean (± SD) oxidase-positive cell recovery was 19.7 ± 17.4% (n = 15 transfusions) versus 0.95 ± 1.59% (n = 16) in the absence and presence of HLA allosensitization, respectively (p < 0.01). Greater than 1% in vivo recovery of DHR-enhancing donor granulocytes was strongly correlated with lack of HLA alloimmunization. CONCLUSION: The ability to detect DHR-positive donor granulocytes by flow cytometry is strongly correlated with absence of HLA alloimmunization and lack of acute reactions to granulocyte transfusions in patients with CGD. If HLA antibodies are present and the survival of donor granulocytes is low by DHR analysis, transfusions should be discontinued, avoiding a therapy associated with high risk and unclear benefit.

Characterization and assessment of dermal and inhalable nickel exposures in nickel production and primary user industries.

The aim of this study was to measure the levels of nickel in the skin contaminant layer of workers involved in specific processes and tasks within the primary nickel production and primary nickel user industries. Dermal exposure samples were collected using moist wipes to recover surface contamination from defined areas of skin. These were analysed for soluble and insoluble nickel species. Personal samples of inhalable dust were also collected to determine the corresponding inhalable nickel exposures. The air samples were analysed for total inhalable dust and then for soluble, sulfidic, metallic, and oxidic nickel species. The workplace surveys were carried out in five different workplaces, including three nickel refineries, a stainless steel plant, and a powder metallurgy plant, all of which were located in Europe. Nickel refinery workers involved with electrolytic nickel recovery processes had soluble dermal nickel exposure of 0.34 microg cm(-2) [geometric mean (GM)] to the hands and forearms. The GM of soluble dermal nickel exposure for workers involved in packing nickel salts (nickel chloride hexahydrate, nickel sulphate hexahydrate, and nickel hydroxycarbonate) was 0.61 microg cm(-2). Refinery workers involved in packing nickel metal powders and end-user powder operatives in magnet production had the highest dermal exposure (GM = 2.59 microg cm(-2) soluble nickel). The hands, forearms, face, and neck of these workers all received greater dermal nickel exposure compared with the other jobs included in this study. The soluble nickel dermal exposures for stainless steel production workers were at or slightly above the limit of detection (0.02 microg cm(-2) soluble nickel). The highest inhalable nickel concentrations were observed for the workers involved in nickel powder packing (GM = 0.77 mg m(-3)), although the soluble component comprised only 2% of the total nickel content. The highest airborne soluble nickel exposures were associated with refineries using electrolytic processes for nickel recovery (GM = 0.04 mg m(-3) total nickel, containing 82% soluble nickel) and those jobs involving contact with soluble nickel compounds (GM = 0.02 mg m(-3) total nickel content, containing 76% soluble nickel). The stainless steel workers were exposed to low concentrations of relatively insoluble airborne nickel species (GM = 0.03 mg m(-3) total nickel, containing 1% soluble nickel). A statistically significant correlation was observed between dermal exposures for all anatomical areas across all tasks. In addition, the dermal and inhalable (total) nickel exposures were similarly associated. Overall, dermal exposures to nickel, nickel compounds, and nickel alloys were relatively low. However, exposures were highly variable, which can be explained by the inconsistent use of personal protective equipment, varying working practices, and different standards of automation and engineering controls within each exposure category.

A common FADS2 promoter polymorphism increases promoter activity and facilitates binding of transcription factor ELK1.

Fatty acid desaturases (FADS) play an important role in the formation of omega-6 and omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs). The composition of HUFAs in the human metabolome is important for membrane fluidity and for the modulation of essential physiological functions such as inflammation processes and brain development. Several recent studies reported significant associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human FADS gene cluster with HUFA levels and composition. The presence of the minor allele correlated with a decrease of desaturase reaction products and an accumulation of substrates. We performed functional studies with two of the associated polymorphisms (rs3834458 and rs968567) and showed an influence of polymorphism rs968567 on FADS2 promoter activity by luciferase reporter gene assays. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays proved allele-dependent DNA-binding ability of at least two protein complexes to the region containing SNP rs968567. One of the proteins binding to this region in an allele-specific manner was shown to be the transcription factor ELK1 (a member of ETS domain transcription factor family). These results indicate that rs968567 influences FADS2 transcription and offer first insights into the modulation of complex regulation mechanisms of FADS2 gene transcription by SNPs.

Spontaneous regression of CIN and delayed-type hypersensitivity to HPV-16 oncoprotein E7.

We investigated delayed-type hypersensitivity to human papillomavirus (HPV) in women with cervical dysplasia or cancer. Women were challenged by skin tests with synthetic HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein peptides. 11 women were regressors (cleared disease without treatment) and 37 were progressors (required surgery). Antibodies to early antigens (markers for progression) were detectable in a higher proportion of cancer patients than all other patients, particularly progressors with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). By contrast, cellular immunity to HPV-16 E7, measured by skin test, was significantly (p=0.0001) associated with clinical and cytological resolution of HPV-induced CIN, indicating that E7-specific T-helper cells have a role in control of HPV.

Specific serum IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies to human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, 18 and 31 virus-like particles in human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive women.

To evaluate the humoral immune response to human papillomavirus (HPV) in women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), serum samples of 83 HIV-positive individuals were analysed by ELISA for specific antibodies of the isotypes IgG, IgA and IgM recognizing HPV-6, -11, -16, -18 and -31 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs). Papillomavirus-related lesions were present in 30 of 83 HIV-positive women. Twenty-one women (25%) presented with high-/intermediate-grade anogenital squamous intraepithelial lesions. PCR analysis and sequencing for HPV typing was done from biopsy specimens of 18 women; PCR-positive results were obtained in 90% of cases. In addition, HPV DNA hybrid capture assays were performed from cervical swabs of 58 HIV-positive women, 53% of whom had a positive result for high-risk HPV. Overall, positive IgG reactivity to HPV-6/-11 and HPV-16/-18/-31 was seen in 19%/31% and 49%/30%/24% of HIV-positive women, respectively. HPV-seropositivity was even higher than in 48 HIV-negative cervical intraepithelial neoplasia/cancer patients with percentages as follows: 8%/2% and 31%/15%/15%. This difference was significant for HPV-16 (P=0.046). IgA responses were comparable to IgG. IgM responses were low. The extraordinarily high rate of antibodies to the capsid protein L1 of high-risk HPVs (HPV-16, -18 and/or -31) in 58% of HIV-positive women compared to 19% (P=0.00001) of 102 healthy HIV-negative control women suggests a high lifetime cumulative exposure to HPV and increased expression of capsid proteins due to cellular immunodeficiency in HIV-infected women.

Multiple blue nevi of the vagina. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Melanotic lesions of the vagina are very rare; clinically, most are suspected to be malignant melanomas. Occasional benign cases, however, require differential diagnostic consideration. We report a case of multiple (benign) blue nevi of the vagina. CASE: A 51-year-old woman presented with bluish black macules irregularly distributed throughout the vagina. Biopsies revealed pigmented cells in the dermis that proved to be melanocytes. The patient received no therapy. The lesions remained unchanged in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Multiple blue nevi could be a differential diagnosis for malignant melanoma of the vagina. Our patient showed no malignant transformation over a 29-year period. Therapy for blue nevi in the vagina does not require complete excision.

Neopterin is an independent prognostic variable in females with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neopterin, produced by human monocytes/macrophages upon stimulation by interferon-gamma, is a sensitive marker for monitoring Th1-cell immune response in humans. In malignant diseases, the frequency of increases in neopterin in the serum and urine of patients depends on tumor stage and type. METHODS: In a retrospective study comprising 129 females with breast cancer, urinary neopterin/creatinine ratios were measured at the time of diagnosis. Tumor characteristics were determined concomitantly. RESULTS: Urinary neopterin was increased in 18% of the patients. It did not correlate with tumor size or lymph node status, but it was influenced by the presence of distant metastases (P <0.05) and by tumor differentiation (P = 0.01). When product-limit estimates were calculated after follow-up for up to 13 years (median follow-up, 56 months), the presence of distant metastases (P <0.001), neopterin (P <0.001), tumor size (P = 0.001), and lymph node status (P <0.01) were significant predictors of survival. By multivariate analysis, a combination of the variables presence of distant metastases (P <0. 001), neopterin (P <0.01), and lymph node status (P <0.05) was found to jointly predict survival. In lymph node-negative patients without distant metastases, the relative risk of death associated with increased neopterin concentrations was 2.5 compared with patients with neopterin concentrations within the reference interval. CONCLUSION: Urinary neopterin provides additional prognostic information in patients with breast cancer.

Early postnatal depressive mood: associations with obstetric and psychosocial factors.

The central purpose of this investigation was to detect incidence and influencing factors on early postnatal depressive mood in a large hospital sample. By means of an interview we acquired information on sociodemographic data, physical and psychiatric anamnesis, and obstetric and psychologic variables. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) served to determine the depressive mood of our patients. The interview was carried out on 1250 women at two postnatal wards 5 days after delivery. According to the results of the German validation of the EPDS, where a cutoff of 9/10 indicates at least mild depressive disorder, the whole sample was divided into group A (EPDS score < or = 9; n = 996, 79.7%) and group B (EPDS score > or = 10; n = 254, 20.3%). Early postnatal depressive mood, as assessed by the EPDS, appeared with 20% of all women taking part in our investigation on the fifth postnatal day. Subjective measurements such as high childbirth burden, elevated trait anxiety, low life satisfaction and lower social class, and low birth weight of the infant seem to be of predominant relevance for early postnatal depressive mood.

Vulval and vaginal adenosis.

Vaginal adenosis is defined by the presence of metaplastic cervical or endometrial epithelium within the vaginal wall, thought to be derived from persistent Müllerian (synonymous with paramesonephric) epithelium islets in postembryonic life. Spontaneous vaginal adenosis appears to be a fairly common (present in about 10% of adult women) but mostly insignificant coincidental finding. In women prenatally exposed to diethylstilboestrol (DES), vaginal adenosis may arise in up to 90% and is associated with a high risk of vaginal carcinoma. Since the withdrawal of DES from the market, vaginal adenosis has virtually disappeared from the medical literature. A case of vaginal adenosis is presented in a middle-aged woman who had not been prenatally exposed to DES. The lesions differed from the spontaneous type by their sudden appearance, their extent and their pronounced subjective symptoms. It is speculated that protracted oral contraceptive intake may have played a causative role.

[Coping with anger and the premenstrual syndrome]. / Argerbewältigung und prämenstruelles Syndrom.

OBJECTIVE: Investigations in recent years confirm the importance of "anger coping-behaviour" for women suffering from different diseases such as migraine, high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. The hypothesis for this investigation was that "anger-in" coping (anger-suppression) is a possible causal factor in the premenstrual syndrome. METHODS: Data analysis was undertaken on 38 patients (average age 32 years) fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was used for measuring the intensity of premenstrual symptoms. As a result of a cluster analysis of MDQ scores, the 38 patients were divided into 3 subgroups (group 1: mild symptoms, n = 16; group 2: moderate symptoms, n = 10; groups 3: severe symptoms, n = 12). The 3 groups were compared by using different questionnaires regarding the variables anger, attitudes to menarche and menstrual bleeding, anxiety and depression. Additionally, sociodemographic data were obtained and a daily record taken for 2 days premenstrually and 5 day postmenstrually of subjective replies to a standardized protocol. RESULTS: Contrary to our expectations the results showed no significant differences for "anger coping" between the 3 subgroups. Increased daily stress (professional and familial double load) statistically significantly influenced the intensity of premenstrual symptoms. Additional significant factors were a general tendency towards somatization disorder, a negative attitude toward menarche and menstrual bleeding, as well as a tendency to depressive mood in patients with severe premenstrual symptoms. CONCLUSION: Emotional disorders (anger, anxiety) showed less influence on the premenstrual syndrome in the investigated women than daily stress and medical anamnesis.

Childbirth as a biological model for stress? Associations with endocrine and obstetric factors.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this investigation were to measure corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), corticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol before, during and after delivery searching for an endocrine intercorrelation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and to correlate these findings with obstetrical variables. METHODS: Blood was sampled from 50 women with singleton pregnancies at term without uterine contractions, during delivery (after full cervical dilatation) and on the 4th postnatal day. Hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The correlation between obstetric variables, sociodemographic and endocrine data were evaluated using the Spearman rank coefficient. Group comparisons for continuous variables were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Maternal plasma ACTH and cortisol increased significantly during labor, declining toward the 4th postnatal day (p < 0.001) and showing a significant intercorrelation (p < 0.01). Compared to women without uterine contractions CRH rose during labor (p < 0.05) and decreased rapidly to the 4th postnatal day (p < 0.001). No correlations between CRH and ACTH or cortisol were observed. None of the obstetrical variables (parity, newborn's weight, duration of delivery) revealed any significant correlation with ACTH. Analgetic medication (pethidine hydrochloride) was not able to influence the endocrine response to labor stress. CONCLUSIONS: Stressful experience during childbirth has an impact on endocrine response. However, this is not fully evident along the HPA axis in a simple biological model with monocausal dependencies. This 'biological stress model' is not sensitive enough to detect different childbirth conditions and the hormones in the maternal compartment have partially fetal (placental) origin.

[German language version and validation of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale]. / Deutschsprachige Fassung und Validierung der "Edinburgh postnatal depression scale".

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is no valid method in the German literature for assessing postpartum depressive disorders. This study was undertaken to translate into German, validate and test the reliability of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Randomly selected women after childbirth (n = 110) underwent (on the fourth postpartum day) a semistructured interview after first having answered the translated EPDS questionnaire. The diagnosis of depressive disorder was made according to the the criteria for psychological disorders in the ICD-10. For validation the results of the EPDS were compared with the clinical diagnosis of depression. The calculation of sensitivity, specificity and positive prognostic value was related to the respective EPDS results. In addition the EPDS data were analyses as to their reliability. RESULTS: The average age of the tested women was 28.6 years; 72% were married and 45% were primiparae. For an EPDS total score threshold value of 9.5 the sensitivity was 0.96, the specificity 1.0, and a positive prognostic value of 1.0. In the reliability analysis for EPDS the Guttmann split-half reliability was 0.82 and the alpha-coefficient 0.81. CONCLUSIONS: The German version of the EPDS with ten questions is an "application friendly" as well as proven to be a valid and reliable method for supporting the diagnosis of postpartum depressive disorder. It is suitable for both clinical and research use.

Detection of serologic neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11 in patients with condyloma acuminata and cervical dysplasia using an in vitro assay.

This study was designed to investigate if neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11 are detectable in the serum of patients with condyloma acuminata (CA) or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) using an in vitro infectivity assay for HPV-11. Purified HPV-11 virions were extracted from xenografted condyloma tissues implanted into athymic mice and used to infect cultured neonatal human foreskin keratinocytes (HFK) and an immortalized adult skin cell line (HaCaT). The presence of HPV-11-specific E1--E4 mRNA as detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was indicative of early infection. Sera previously characterized for reactivity to HPV-11 and HPV-11 VLP (virus-like particles) by ELISA were tested for the ability to prevent HPV-11 in vitro infectivity. Neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11 were demonstrated when monoclonal antibodies or patient serum preincubated with HPV-11 virions prevented the infection of either of the two cell cultures, as shown by the absence of the E1--E4 mRNA transcript. Eleven (of 20) patients with CA were strongly ELISA reactive against HPV-11 virus-like particles. Five of these 11 patients also had detectable levels of neutralizing antibodies in their serum. It was also demonstrated that the neutralizing properties of the serum were titratable by endpoint dilution. None of 15 patients with CIN had detectable neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11. Neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11 can be detected in some patients with CA and the neutralizing effects of the patient sera can be titrated by endpoint dilution. The in vitro assay for the detection of neutralizing antibodies against HPV-11 may have utility for investigating the natural history of HPV infection and resolution, as well as assessing the efficacy of any putative HPV vaccine.

Modulation of CA-125 release by inflammatory cytokines in human peritoneal mesothelial and ovarian cancer cells.

In the present study the modulatory effects of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), on CA-125 release in established ovarian cancer cell lines and in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) both grown as monolayers, were investigated. The purity of mesothelial cell cultures were confirmed by the positivity of the cells for vimentin and cytokeratins 8 and 18, and their negativity for markers CD34 and CD68, thus excluding contamination by endothelial cells and macrophages. The preliminary results of CA-125 measurements in the culture medium clearly indicated differences in the pattern of CA-125 expression and release between normal and malignant cells under the influence of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, it seems that normal mesothelial cells play a crucial role as a source of CA-125 found in ascitic fluid or in pleural effusions and possibly even in the serum since secretion of this tumor marker into the culture medium was found to be significantly higher in HPMC than in ovarian cancer cells.

Spontaneous abortion and psychosomatics. A prospective study on the impact of psychological factors as a cause for recurrent spontaneous abortion.

A group of 36 patients who had had at least two consecutive spontaneous abortions and who desired to have children was subjected to a psychosomatic investigation before a biomedical diagnostic screening programme was started. A semi-structured interview regarding sociodemographic data, current relationship, social support, education, occupation and medical anamnesis was carried out. In addition, all women completed four standardized questionnaires on the topics of anxiety, somatization disorder, life satisfaction and depression. A control group of 36 women, matched for age and occupation, was subjected to the same psychosomatic investigation. The findings of the diagnostic screening programme showed that 16 women had abortions because of physical abnormality, and 15 women had no physically confirmed cause (in five women, the investigations were not completed). Following recurrent spontaneous abortion, 18 women had a successful pregnancy within 2 years, and 18 women were still childless. The comparison between patients and the control group revealed that patients with recurrent abortion were significantly more satisfied with their life quality regarding leisure time, financial situation and occupation. No significant differences were observed in any other variables. Patients who suffered spontaneous abortions due to a physical disorder showed partner relationship of longer duration, and more frequent miscarriages. Women with successful pregnancy within 2 years after recurrent miscarriage were significantly younger and had fewer physically related abortions compared with women who remained childless. In summary, psychological factors seem to be of subordinate importance as a cause for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Moreover, physical abnormalities in the reproductive system have a predominant impact on the prediction of a future successful pregnancy.