Staphylococcus aureus intra-mammary infection affects the expression pattern of IL-R8 in goat.

IL-1R8 is a member of Interleukin-1 receptor family acting as a negative regulator of inflammation reliant on ILRs and TLRs activation. IL-1R8 role has never been evaluated in acute bacterial mastitis. We first investigated IL-1R8 sequence conservation among different species and its pattern of expression in a wide panel of organs from healthy goats. Then, modulation of IL-1R8 during natural and experimental mammary infection was evaluated and compared in blood, milk and mammary tissues from healthy and Staphylococcus aureus infected goats. IL-1R8 has a highly conserved sequence among vertebrates. Goat IL-1R8 was ubiquitously expressed in epithelial and lymphoid tissues with highest levels in pancreas. IL-1R8 was down-regulated in epithelial mammary cells following S. aureus infection. Interestingly it was up-regulated in leukocytes infiltrating the infected mammary tissues suggesting that it could represent a target of S. aureus immune evasion.

Clostridium innocuum bacteremia secondary to infected hematoma with gas formation in a kidney transplant recipient.

Clostridium innocuum is a relatively antimicrobial resistant, frequently misidentified anaerobe that has only rarely been associated with bacteremia. A 38-year-old female with chronic hepatitis C underwent a second kidney transplant operation. Two weeks after surgery a computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a heterogeneous hematoma with pockets of gas adjacent to the allograft, which extended into the pelvis and left abdominal wall, associated with low-grade fever. An anaerobic blood culture grew a Clostridium initially identified as C. subterminale and later re-identified as C. innocuum. At abdominal exploration liquefied blood was evacuated, and the patient completed a course of antibiotics and recovered. C. innocuum should be considered as a cause of gas-producing anaerobic infection in transplant patients. Because C. innocuum is frequently misidentified by the use of commercial anaerobic identification kits, its true incidence in serious infections is likely underestimated.

Isolation and molecular characterization of rasfadin, a novel gene in the vicinity of the bovine prion gene.

A novel gene, rasfadin (RASSF2) was identified close to the bovine prion gene, and its genomic structure was derived with a combination of exon trapping and RACE. The gene covers at least 28 kb and maps to the same chromosomal region as the prion gene in cattle, sheep, and human. The RASSF2 ORF is composed of 987 base pairs divided into nine exons and shows a high nucleotide (88%) and amino acid similarity (95%) with a previously described human cDNA, KIAA0168. The bovine 3'UTR region is significantly shorter than the human counterpart, but shares with it two highly conserved nucleotide blocks. The expression of the gene was investigated in brain, liver, and spleen. Alternative splicing yields a shorter product in the liver composed of only four exons. Computer analysis showed a highly significant similarity of the rasfadin protein with the Ras association (Ral-GDS/AF-6) domain family 2 and with the afadin family, respectively, for the longer brain/spleen and the shorter liver variants.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy for malignant pericardial tamponade.

Recurrent pericardial effusion or tamponade can complicate malignant disease. The medical approach with pharmacologic agents has a high recurrence rate. Balloon pericardiotomy (BP) may provide a less invasive alternative to surgery. We performed BP in ten high-risk patients with malignant pericardial tamponade (MPT). BP was performed with aseptic technique under fluoroscopic and echocardiographic guidance. We used a percutaneous subxiphoid approach. A 20- to 25-mm-wide and 4-cm-long balloon was introduced over a stiff guide wire, positioned across the parietal pericardium, and manually inflated until the waisting disappeared. Echocardiographic study and chest radiograph were taken before, immediately after the procedure, and during follow-up. The procedure was successful and well tolerated in all patients. There were no immediate or late complications. No patients developed recurrence of pericardial effusion at up to 10 months' follow-up. In conclusion, BP can be performed in patients with MPT with high rate of procedural success. It may become the preferred treatment to avoid a more invasive procedure in these critically ill patients.