Nematodes associated with terrestrial gastropod molluscs in Belgium and additional characterisation of Pellioditis californica and P. hermaphrodita.

A survey for slug- and snail-associated nematodes was conducted in forests, parks, botanical gardens, and nature reserves at 13 localities in Belgium to uncover more diversity of gastropod mollusc-associated nematodes and to characterise Pellioditis populations found in the country. A total of 319 slugs and snails belonging to nine species were examined. Arion vulgaris was the most commonly found mollusc species in this study (eight locations), and 19.4% of the examined mollusc specimens were found infected by nematodes. The highest prevalence of nematodes was observed in Cornu aspersum (60%) followed by A. vulgaris (34.8%), Limax maximus (28.6%), and Cepaea sp. (20%). Eleven nematode species belonging to eight families were isolated and identified from the mollusc hosts including Alloionema appendiculatum, Angiostoma dentiferum, A. gandavense, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Cosmocerca longicauda, Panagrolaimus cf. subelongatus, Pellioditis californica, P. hermaphrodita, Rhabditis sp., Tetrameres cf. fissispina, and Troglostrongylus cf. brevior.Pellioditis was the most commonly found nematode genus (at nine localities) and C. longicauda and P. californica were reported in Belgium for the first time. Co-infections of more than one nematode species were observed in eight (2.5%) molluscs specimens. Most co-infections consisted of two nematode species. In one A. vulgaris specimen, a co-infection of three nematode species (A. vasorum, P. hermaphrodita, and Tetrameres cf. fissispina) was observed. Four ex vivo cultures of P. californica and six ex vivo cultures of P. hermaphrodita were established from single hermaphrodites, and both species were described based on light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and morphometric, morphological, and molecular data.

Application of CMO (capacity, motivation, and opportunity) methodology in pharmaceutical care to optimize the pharmacotherapy in older people living with HIV. DISPIMDINAC project.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention, based on the CMO methodology (capacity, motivation and opportunity), to decrease the prevalence of the PIMDINAC concept (potentially inappropriate medication+drug interactions+non-adherence to concomitant medication) in people living with HIV infection. METHODS: Longitudinal prospective multicenter study, conducted between October 2021 and October 2022. Patients living with HIV older than 65 years, on antiretroviral treatment and concomitant drug prescription were included. Demographic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic variables were collected. Pharmaceutical care was provided for6 months according to the CMO model in each patient. The main variable was the percentage of patients who simultaneously fulfilled the PIMDINAC concept, comparing the baseline value with the same value at the end of the study. In addition, the percentage of patient's adherent to concomitant and antiretroviral treatment and the percentage of patients meeting the pharmacotherapeutic targets established for the prescribed medicationat 24 weeks of follow-up were compared. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were included. Seventy-two percent were men, with a median age of 68 years. The median number of concomitant drugs was 7. A 60.6% of the patients had polypharmacy. The prevalence of the presence of the PIMDINAC concept decreased significantly (10.3 vs. 0%). In isolation, each of the aspects also decreased significantly (p<0.031). The percentage of patients who met the objectives improved significantly from 48,5 at baseline to 88.2 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The pharmaceutical intervention based onarmaceutical intervention based on the CMO methodology significantly decreased the prevalence of the PIMDINAC concept and increased the number of patients who achieved the objectives, optimising their pharmacotherapy.

Influence of CMO pharmaceutical care model-based intervention on readmission rate in high risk HIV patients: the INFARDAR study.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have indicated that hospitalization and readmissions occur frequently, especially among people living with HIV. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a programmed and structured pharmaceutical intervention, based on "CMO PC model" to reduce the readmission rate in high-risk HIV patients. METHODS: This was a single-center, prospective study based on a structured health intervention conducted between March-2017 and March-2018 with 12 months of follow-up at outpatient pharmacy services. At discharge, HIV patients included were classified according to the risk of readmission as low or high risk patients, being the latter proposed to participate. The selected patients were randomly assigned to a control group (usual care) or intervention group (including stratification-motivational interview and new technologies: CMO pharmaceutical care). The primary endpoint was readmission rate at one year of follow-up in each group. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients were included. As regards the main variable, in the intervention group, 21,4% (n=3) of patients were readmitted in the first year after discharge vs. 66,7% (n=6) in the control group (p=0,042). CONCLUSIONS: Tailored pharmaceutical care based on risk stratification, motivational interviewing, and new technologies has a positive influence to reduce the percentage of readmission in high risk HIV patients.

Beliefs and attitudes about deprescription in older HIV-infected patients: ICARD Project.

OBJECTIVE: HIV population is aging at an earlier age than those uninfected, requiring more non-HIV medications to treat noncommunicable diseases. In the context of chronic HIV infection, the next therapeutic change would be the polymedication control. This paper has the purpose of explore the attitudes of older people living with HIV toward deprescribing. METHODS: This was an observational, prospective and multicenter study conducted from March-April, 2018. People living with HIV (PLWH) on highly active antiretroviral therapy and older than 65 years were included. In addition to demographic and pharmacotherapeutic data, attitudes regarding deprescribing were collected through the "Revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing Questionnaire". RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included in this study. Regarding their attitudes in relation to deprescription, there were three statements with the most consensuses. The first ("I have a good understanding of the reasons I was prescribed each of my medicines") had 91.9% consensus. The second and third questions showed 89.2% consensus in both cases; "Overall, I am satisfied with my current medicines" and "I like to be involved in making decisions about my medicines with my doctors". CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to explore the beliefs and attitudes of older PLWH in relation to deprescription process. There are positive attitudes regarding medication knowledge but there also is a percentage of patients who had a negative opinion regarding deprescription. We must study and go deeper in our knowledge of techniques that could help us to better understand their preferences, in order to establish effective and successful deprescription strategies.

Determination of a cutoff value for medication regimen complexity index to predict polypharmacy in HIV+ older patient.

OBJECTIVE: HIV+ patients have increased their life expectancy with a parallel increase in age-associated co-morbidities and pharmacotherapeutic complexity. The aim of this study was to determine an optimal cutoff value for Medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) to predict polypharmacy in HIV+ older patients. METHODS: A transversal observational single cohort study was conducted at a tertiary Hospital in Spain, between January 1st up to December 31st, 2014. Patients included were HIV patients over 50 years of age on active antiretroviral treatment. Prevalence of polypharmacy and it pattern were analyzed. The pharmacotherapy complexity value was calculated through the MRCI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) for the MRCI value medications to determine the best cutoff value for identifying outcomes including polypharmacy. Sensitivity and specificity were also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 223 patients were included. A 56.1% of patients had polypharmacy, being extreme polypharmacy in 9.4% of cases. Regarding the pattern of polypharmacy, 78.0% had a cardio-metabolic pattern, 12.0% depressive-psychogeriatric, 8.0% mixed and 2.0% mechanical-thyroidal. The ROC curve demonstrated that a value of medication complexity index of 11.25 point was the best cutoff for predict polypharmacy (AUC=0.931; sensitivity= 77.6%; specificity=91.8%). CONCLUSIONS: A cut-off value of 11.25 for MRCI is proposed to determine if a patient reaches the criterion of polypharmacy. In conclusion, the concept of polypharmacy should include not only the number of prescribed drugs but also the complexity of them.

Influence of pharmacist intervention, based on CMO model, to improve activation in HIV patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of study was to evaluate the influence of pharmacist intervention based on "CMO model", to improve activation in HIV-patients. METHODS: Longitudinal, prospective, single-center study. Eligible patients were HIV-infected, taking antiretroviral treatment. The collected data included demographic characteristics, clinical and HIV-related and pharmacotherapeutic variables. The primary outcome was the variation of patient activation measured by Spanish adapted patient activation measure questionnaire. This questionnaire assesses people's knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their own health care. The assessment was performed at the beginning and 6 months after the program start, which consisted of individualized interventions planned in the stratification model, a motivational interview and a specific pharmacotherapeutic follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 140 patients were included. The most common regimens prescribed were based on non-nucleoside plus nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (44.0%) and more than half of the patients had chronic concomitant medication. The patients who achieved the highest activation level increased from 28.1% to 68.3% (p<0.0005). The relationship between this increase in patient activation and the stratification level that occurs in largest increases in patients with a low need level, where it was observed an improvement in the percentage of patients with high activation from 28.3% to 74.3% (p<0.001) after intervention. The percentage of patients with adequate adherence to concomitant treatment increased by 18.4% (p = 0.035). Baseline PAM values showed high activation for 28.6% (40 patients), intermediate for 43.6% (61) and low for 27.9% (39). CONCLUSIONS: CMO model has an important role for patient activation, improving adherence and health outcomes for HIV+ patients.

[Suitability of strontium ranelate in a health care management area after drug surveillance alerts]. / Adecuación de ranelato de estroncio tras alertas de farmacovigilancia en un área de gestión sanitaria.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of a strategy on the suitability of strontium ranelate, and its level of acceptance, after issuing recommendations based on drug surveillance alerts issued by the Spanish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency. DESIGN: A prospective interventional study conducted from April 2012 to November 2014. SETTING: South Seville Health Management Area. PARTICIPANTS: Patients currently prescribed with strontium ranelate. INTERVENTIONS: The study consisted of four phases linked to the issue of drug surveillance alerts on strontium ranelate by the Spanish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, listed by patients and suitability recommendations. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Suitability of strontium ranelate treatment and the level of acceptance by physicians. RESULTS: There was a reduction of 87.9% in prescriptions from the beginning of the study, with 182 patients included, until the review of the suitability of the drug began. The prescribing of strontium ranelate was unsuitable in 16 out of the 22 patients remaining; 11 of which were due not meeting the treatment criteria, 3 for not having had previous treatments with other drugs for the prevention of fractures, and 2 due to contraindications. The level of acceptance of the recommendations was 87.5%, leading to the stopping of strontium ranelate in 10 patients, and the changing to alendronate or alendronate/cholecalciferol in another four patients. CONCLUSIONS: The number of patients prescribed strontium ranelate has decreased considerably. The interventions directed at reviewing the suitability of this treatment, based on the drug surveillance alerts, have been effective.

Initial experience of use of tolvaptan in critically ill patients with fluid overload.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Positive volume balance is related with high mortality in critically ill patients. We describe our experience in the use of tolvaptan in patients with fluid overload. CASE SUMMARY: Six patients in the recovery phase from septic shock were included. All patients achieved an increase in diuresis after the first day, with a median fluid balance variation of -2362 (-485 to -3447) mL. At the end of treatment, median fluid balance variation was -9080 (-26,784 to -4395) mL. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Tolvaptan could be an option in critically ill patients with fluid overload and resistant or not treatable with conventional diuretics.

Oestrus synchronization treatment induces histomorphological changes on the uterine tube epithelium of the gilt.

The aim of this study was to determine the histomorphological changes that occurred in response to two treatments for oestrus synchronization in three different regions of the gilt's uterine tubes epithelium: the ampulla (AMP), ampulla-isthmic junction (AIJ) and isthmus (IST). Nine prepuberal gilts were divided into three groups (n = 3): (1) eCG 400 IU and hCG 200 IU (eCG/hCG), (2) progesterone agonist (P4) and (3) control group. The number of secretory cells (stained with periodic acid-Schiff reaction or PAS-positive cells) decreased in the AMP in the P4 treated group when compared to the control group, whereas, no difference was observed in the number of PAS-negative cells in the AMP of the three groups. A significant decrease in the number of PAS-positive cells was observed in the AIJ and IST of the P4 treated group when compared to the eCG/hCG and control groups. An increase in the number of PAS-negative cells was observed in the AIJ and IST in the P4 treated group. The epithelium height in the AMP and AIJ was increased in the eCG/hCG group when compared to the control and P4 groups. In this last group, we observed a reduced height compared with the other two groups for the AIJ. In the IST, there were no significant changes in the epithelium height of the control or the other two groups (eCG/hCG and P4). The epithelial cells of the P4 treated group had the least amount of cytoplasmic granules and the lowest intensity of PAS staining in the AMP, AIJ and IST. Animals treated with eCG/hCG showed an intermediate number of cytoplasmic granules and intensity in all regions evaluated. These data show that P4 treatment for synchronization induces a significant (P < 0.001) decrease of PAS-positive cells and staining intensity of cytoplasmic granules in the different regions studied and an increased number of PAS-negative cells in the AIJ and IST epithelium. Moreover, eCG/hCG treatment increased the height of the epithelium in the AMP and AIJ, while in this last region, the P4 treatment decreased the epithelium height. These results show that synchronization treatments with P4 and in a smaller proportion with eCG/hCG can modify the amount of PAS-positive and PAS-negative cells, and the epithelium height. This has influence in the secretory activity of the epithelium and possibly alters the fluid microenvironment of the gilt's uterine tube. The biological impact of regional variations in the epithelial cells of the gilt's uterine tube needs further investigation to understand the implications that the reproductive processes can have in the uterine tube.

Ube2l3 gene expression is modulated by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor: implications for p53 ubiquitination.

Exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon and environmental contaminant, results in several deleterious effects, including fetal malformation and cancer. These effects are mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated receptor that regulates the expression of genes encoding xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Several reports suggest that AhR function is beyond the adaptive chemical response. In the present study, we analyzed and compared gene expression profiles of C57BL/6N wild-type (WT) and Ahr-null mice. DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed changes in the expression of genes involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). UPS has an important role in cellular homeostasis control and dysfunction of this pathway has been implicated in the development of several human pathologies. Protein ubiquitination is a multi-step enzymatic process that regulates the stability, function, and/or localization of the modified proteins. This system is highly regulated post-translationally by covalent modifications. However, little information regarding the transcriptional regulation of the genes encoding ubiquitin (Ub) proteins is available. Therefore, we investigated the role of the AhR in modulation of the UPS and regulation of Ube2l3 transcription, an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, as well as the effects on p53 degradation. Our results indicate that AhR inactivation decreases on liver proteasome activity, probably due to a down-regulation on the expression of several proteasome subunits. On the other hand, AhR activation increases Ube2l3 mRNA and protein levels by controlling Ube2l3 gene expression, resulting in increased p53 ubiquitination and degradation. In agreement with this, induction of apoptosis was attenuated by the AhR activation.

Knockdown of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 inhibits G1/S progression in prostate cancer cells through the regulation of components of the cell-cycle machinery.

SHP-1, a haematopoietic cell-specific tyrosine phosphatase, is also expressed in human prostate. In this study, we report that SHP-1 depletion in PC-3 cells induced by small interfering RNAs causes G1 phase cell-cycle arrest accompanied by changes in some components of the cell-cycle machinery. SHP-1 knockdown increases p27(Kip1) (p27) protein stability, its nuclear localization and p27 gene transcription. These effects could be mediated by PI3K-AKT pathway as SHP-1 interacts with PI3K regulating its activity and p110 catalytic subunit phosphorylation. The increase in p27 protein stability could also because of reduced cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK2) activity. SHP-1 knockdown decreases the CDK6 levels, inducing retinoblastoma protein hypophosphorylation, downregulation of cyclin E and thereby a decrease in the CDK2 activity. However, the codepletion of SHP-1 and p27 does not produce re-entry into the cycle, implying that p27 is not required to maintain cell-cycle arrest induced by SHP-1 depletion. The maintenance of the PC-3 cell anti-proliferative response after p27 loss could be because of mislocalization of CDK2 induced by SHP-1 knockdown. This study shows that SHP-1 depletion promotes cell-cycle arrest by modulating the activity of cell-cycle regulators and suggests that SHP-1 may be required for the proper functioning of events governing cell-cycle progression.

Autoimmune hepatitis and agranulocytosis.

UNLABELLED: Autoimmune hepatitis is a generally progressive, chronic hepatitis of unknown cause but with an autoimmune background. In fact, one clue to diagnosis autoimmune hepatitis is the presence of other diseases with autoimmune features like thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis or type 1 diabetes. Although non-specific hematologic abnormalities have been described during the course of autoimmune hepatitis we have not found agranulocytosis in association in a review of the literature. We describe a case of agranulocytosis which appeared simultaneously associated with a flare of autoimmune hepatitis. A possible autoimmune origin of the neutropenia could be extrapolated to explain the association on the basis of the nature of the underlying liver disease, temporal association, sex, positive anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, and the successful and dose-dependent effect of corticoids on both processes. CONCLUSION: We report on for the first time a case of concurrent severe autoimmune hepatitis and agranulocytosis. An autoimmune common mechanism could explain both processes.

Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts associated with thrombocytosis: comparative analysis of marked with non-marked thrombocytosis, and relationship with JAK2 V617F mutational status.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (2001) defined a provisional entity named refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts associated to marked thrombocytosis (RARS-MT). Diagnosis of RARS-MT requires more than 15% of ringed sideroblasts in bone marrow aspirate and the existence of a thrombocytosis in blood, with a platelet count above 600 x 10(9)/L. Nevertheless, controversy exists regarding this platelet count "cut-off" value and, when RARS-MT was defined, the JAK2 mutation and its importance in the study of myeloproliferative disorders was unknown. We present the results of a Spanish retrospective multicentric study, which includes 76 cases of RARS with associated thrombocytosis (platelet count above 400 x 10(9)/L) at diagnosis (RARS-T), 36 of them with a platelet count above 600 x 10(9)/L. Our aim was to analyze their clinical, analytical and morphological characteristics, and to establish correlations with the JAK2 mutational status.

A study of the process of apoptosis in animals infected with the contagious ecthyma virus.

Contagious ecthyma virus (CEV) is a disease caused by a parapoxvirus, also is a potent genetic carrier with the capacity for regulating apoptosis in the cells of infected skin, a mechanism that serves for evading the immune response of the host. It has been suggested that the virus may remain in the skin and be able to cause repeated infections in the same flock. The effect of infection as well as the presence of contagious ecthyma virus was evaluated in terms of lesions and apoptosis in the skin of animals, infected both naturally and experimentally. Samples used were obtained from a naturally infected sheep, 5 goats inoculated with CEV and a negative control. Samples obtained were longitudinally sectioned and processed using photon and electron microscopy, and embedded in paraffin and araldite. Samples embedded in paraffin were sectioned in 5 microm of thickness and dyed with orange eosin-hematoxilin G and Gomori's trichrom stain, apoptosis was demonstrated by the TUNEL assay, the viral antigen was revealed using polyclonal antibodies, and the presence of lymphocytes CD4+ and CD8+, with monoclonal antibodies. The samples processed in resin were cut to obtain semi-fine sections and dyed with toluidine blue-borax, and the ultra-fine sections were impregnated with lead citrate and uranyl acetate. Observations were similar in both, the natural infected animal and the experimental group. Infiltration was observed as well as images suggestive of a process of apoptosis. The TUNEL assay demonstrated that the number of epithelial cells undergoing apoptosis diminished during the process and increased among defense cells, until they almost disappeared at the beginning of healing. Cells undergoing apoptosis were located near the sebaceous glands and pilose follicles. The infiltrated lymphocytes gradually diminished. The viral antigen was observed in cells with morphology suggestive of apoptosis, located in sebaceous glands and pilose follicles. Using electron microscopy, cells with morphology compatible with that of lymphocytes were observed to be undergoing apoptosis, but there was little evidence of viral particles.

Multiresidue pesticide analysis of fruits by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS-MS) has been used for screening and quantification of 32 pesticides and metabolites in two fruit matrices. The compounds investigated belonged to different chemical families of insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, and herbicides; several metabolites were also included. Quantification was conducted using matrix-matched standards calibration; response was a linear function of concentration in the range tested (10-500 ng mL(-1)). The method was validated with blank samples of lemon and raisin spiked at 0.01 and 0.1 mg kg(-1), and recoveries were satisfactory, between 70 and 110%, for most of the pesticides tested and relative standard deviations were below 15% (n = 5 at each spiking level). Excellent sensitivity resulted in limits of detection for all compounds well below 0.01 mg kg(-1), with the limit of quantification being validated at 0.01 mg kg(-1). The UPLC system generates narrow peaks (approx. 5 s), thus increasing peak height and improving sensitivity. This improved separation efficiency facilitates adequate resolution not only of the analytes but also of matrix interferences compared with conventional HPLC. The method developed could also resolve some geometric isomers. The main advantage of this approach is the high sample throughput achieved because of the short analysis time, which enables satisfactory separation of all the compounds in less than 5 min per sample.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of heterocyclic amines in food.

A new ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed to perform the determination of 16 mutagenic heterocyclic amines (HAs) in complex food samples in less than 2 min. The UPLC separation was carried out using an Acquity BEH C18 column (50 mm x 2.1 mm i.d., 1.7 microm particle size) that provided high efficiency and resolution in combination with high linear velocities. The UPLC system was coupled to the triple quadrupole Waters Micromass Quattro Premier. This system permits high-speed data acquisition without peak intensity degradation which is required to monitor the narrow chromatographic peaks (1-2 s) of HAs. The determination was performed in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The quality parameters of the developed method were established, obtaining instrumental LODs lower than 0.23 pg injected and a repeatability at low concentration level lower than 9.1% CV (n = 6). To evaluate the performance of the method in high throughput analysis of complex samples, the UPLC-MS/MS method was applied to the analysis of HAs in two meat extracts.

Rat embryo quality and production efficiency are dependent on gonadotrophin dose in superovulatory treatments.

The present study was performed to optimize a superovulation protocol in rats in order to produce a large number of good-quality embryos suitable to develop rat embryonic stem (rES) cells. We first evaluated the ovulation kinetics of three rat strains: Wistar, Fisher and ACI/N. Animals (n=30 per strain) were treated with 50 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG), and ovulation was induced with 50 IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) 50 h apart. Next, we evaluated the dose-response curves of PMSG and hCG in Wistar rats in order to obtain the highest number of embryos. The parameters evaluated for superovulation efficiency were: percentage of mated females, percentage of pregnant females and the average number of embryos collected per female. The results of these experiments suggested that the best dose combination was 50 IU for each hormone. Subsequent experiments, again with Wistar rats, were designed to test which of four hormonal combination treatments (30/30, 30/50, 50/30, and 50/50 IU of PMSG/hCG) will produce the largest numbers of good-quality embryos. Embryo quality was evaluated by embryo development uniformity, embryo morphology, embryo survival in an in vitro culture and embryo ability to generate rES-like cells. Results from these experiments showed that 30/50 IU of PMSG/hCG was the treatment that induced the best embryo quality. In conclusion, our results indicated that, in Wistar rats, the most appropriate hormonal combination dose for superovulation protocols with high number of good-quality embryos was 30 IU of PMSG and 50 IU of hCG given 50 h apart. We are performing further studies with rES-like cells produced with the present methodology to evaluate if they are able to participate in the production of germ-line chimeras.

CD16+ and CD16- human blood monocyte subsets differentiate in vitro to dendritic cells with different abilities to stimulate CD4+ T cells.

Experimental protocols for cancer immunotherapy include the utilization of autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) pulsed with tumor antigens. However, disease can alter the characteristics of monocyte precursors and some patients have increased numbers (up to 40%) of the minor CD16(+) monocyte subpopulation, which in healthy individuals represent 10% of blood monocytes. At the present, the capacity of CD16(+) monocytes to differentiate into DC has not been evaluated. Here, we investigated the ability of CD16(+) monocytes cultured with granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha to generate DC in vitro, and we compared them to DC derived from regular CD16(-) monocytes. Both monocyte subsets gave rise to cells with DC characteristics. They internalized soluble and particulate antigens similarly, and both were able to stimulate T cell proliferation in autologous and allogeneic cultures. Nevertheless, CD16(+) moDC expressed higher levels of CD86, CD11a and CD11c, and showed lower expression of CD1a and CD32 compared to CD16(-) moDC. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated CD16(-) moDC expressed increased levels of IL-12 p40 mRNA and secreted greater amounts of IL-12 p70 than CD16(+) moDC, whereas levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA were higher on CD16(+) moDC. Moreover, CD4(+) T cells stimulated with CD16(+) moDC secreted increased amounts of IL-4 compared to those stimulated by CD16(-) moDC. These data demonstrate that both moDC are not equivalent, suggesting either that they reach different stages of maturation during the culture or that the starting monocytes belong to cell lineages with distinct differentiation capabilities.

[Identification of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus using histopathological, immunohistochemica, and ultrastructural examination of tissues from seropositive goats in Mexico]. / Identificación del virus de la artritis encefalitis caprina mediante el estudio histopatológico, inmunohistoquímico y ultraestructural, en tejidos de cabras seropositivas en México.

This study demonstrated the presence of viral particles suggestive of arthritis-encephalitis virus through the clinic, serologic, pathologic, immunohistochemic and ultrastructural studies in dairy goats. In the postmortem studies the tissues used were: synovial membrane, lungs and mammary gland from goats with clinical signs characteristic of the disease and positive for serum antibodies to the virus.

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in a patient with previous invasive middle ear mucormycosis.

A 52-year-old male diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) developed an invasive middle-ear mucormycosis during the neutropenic period after consolidation chemotherapy which resolved successfully with surgery and antifungal therapy. The patient underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in first complete remission with antifungal prophylaxis with liposomal amphotericin B (AmB). There was no clinical, radiological or microbiological data of mycotic reactivation. This is the first reported stem cell transplantation (SCT) in a patient with prior invasive mucormycosis.