Helicobacter pylori and its secreted immunomodulator VacA protect against anaphylaxis in experimental models of food allergy.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy is an increasingly common health problem in Western populations. Epidemiological studies have suggested both positive and negative associations between food allergy and infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to investigate whether experimental infection with H. pylori, or prophylactic treatment with H. pylori-derived immunomodulatory molecules, affects the onset and severity of food allergy, either positively or negatively. METHODS: We infected neonatal C57BL/6 or C3H mice with H. pylori or treated animals with H. pylori components (bacterial lysate or the immunomodulator VacA) and subsequently subjected them to four different protocols for food allergy induction, using either ovalbumin or peanut extract as allergens for sensitization and challenge. Readouts included anaphylaxis scoring, quantification of allergen-specific serum IgE and IgG1 and of the mast cell protease MCPT1, as well as splenic T-helper-2 cell-derived cytokine production. Mesenteric lymph node CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were subjected to flow cytometric quantification and sorting followed by qRT-PCR, and to DNA methylation analyses of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) within the FOXP3 locus. RESULTS: Mice that had been infected with H. pylori or treated with H. pylori-derived immunomodulators showed reduced anaphylaxis upon allergen sensitization and challenge, irrespective of the allergen used. Most of the immunologic assays confirmed a protective effect of H. pylori. CD4+ FoxP3+ T cells were more abundant in protected mice and exhibited a stable Treg phenotype characterized by FOXP3 TSDR demethylation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Helicobacter pylori confers protection against the anaphylaxis associated with ovalbumin and peanut allergy and affects the epigenome of T cells, thereby promoting stable Treg differentiation and functionality. Prophylactic treatment with H. pylori-derived immunomodulators appears to be a promising strategy for food allergy prevention.

Illustrations of the anatomical wax model collection in the "La Specola" Zoology Museum, Florence.

Anatomical illustration has evolved through the centuries, first having artistic and educational purposes and later more strictly medical objectives. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, the analytical model (representation of individual parts, organs and systems) gave way to the composite model (description of the human body as a whole). Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there was a reversal of tendency: initially the anatomist requested the help of artists, but later the artist asked anatomists to check the accuracy of his work. In this way, anatomical illustration reached a high level of precision. This period also saw the creation of the "La Specola" Zoology Museum's collection of anatomical wax models. Initiated in the eighteenth century, it also included a series of contemporary colour illustrations executed by various artists. Most of the illustrations concern human anatomy, while a small number deal with comparative anatomy. These illustrations, each accompanied by one or more explanatory sheets, were produced to help explain the corresponding wax models. The anatomical wax model collection has been well preserved through the centuries, maintaining its ancient splendour, and it is the object of continuing research and restoration interventions.

Impaired renal adaptation to stress in the elderly with isolated systolic hypertension.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the renal response in the elderly with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) when an adrenergic activation, as induced by mental stress, is applied. Renal hemodynamics and kidney neurohumoral response to mental stress were studied in 8 elderly patients with ISH (aged 63 to 82 years) along with 8 elderly normotensive subjects. The study encompassed four 30-minute experimental periods (baseline, mental stress, and recovery I and II). In these patients, the mental stress-induced blood pressure rise was associated with a significant increase in both effective renal plasma flow ((131)I-labeled hippurate clearance) and glomerular filtration rate ((125)I-labeled iothalamate clearance) (+42% and +29%, respectively; P<0.01 for both), without variations in filtration fraction, while elderly normotensives reacted to adrenergic stimulation with renal vasoconstriction but with the glomerular filtration rate constant. Variations in renal vasoactive substances, which paralleled hemodynamics of the kidney, differed in the 2 groups. In normotensives, excretion (radioimmunoassay) of endothelin-1, prostaglandin E(2), and cGMP increased during the stimulus (+50%, +54%, and +59%, respectively; P<0.05). In ISH patients the release of these autacoids did not vary in any of the experimental periods. In conclusion, in patients with ISH the renal adaptive capacity to sympathetic activation is impaired, and the data may suggest that the glomerulus passively suffers the blood pressure increase, probably because of the insufficiency of the neurohumoral response, particularly in regard to the increase of endothelin-1. This hemodynamic pattern may predispose ISH patients to a higher risk of renal injury.

Excessive vasoconstriction after stress by the aging kidney: inadequate prostaglandin modulation of increased endothelin activity.

The adaptive capacity of the aging kidney to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, as induced by a 30-minute mental stress (MS), was assessed in 8 elderly healthy women (68 to 82 years of age) and compared with that of 8 younger women (24 to 40 years of age). The study encompassed 4 consecutive 30-minute periods (baseline, mental stress, recovery 1, and recovery 2). In the elderly subjects, baseline effective renal plasma flow (ERPF)(iodine 131-labeled hippurate clearance) was lower and glomerular filtration rate (GFR)(iodine 125-labeled iothalamate clearance) was proportionally less reduced than in the younger group; the filtration fraction (FF) was higher. The elderly group excreted more endothelin 1 (ET-1) (P < .05), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-keto PGF1alpha)(P < .001 for both)(radioimmunoassay). Mental stress induced similar increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma catecholamines in the 2 age groups, limited to the stimulation period. In the elderly group, mental stress caused a prolonged decrease in ERPF that reached its maximum 60 minutes after mental stress (-33%, P < .05), while GFR remained constant during the whole experiment, so that FF increased. In the younger subjects, renal hemodynamic changes were limited to the mental stress period. ET-1 increased during mental stress and the first recovery period in the elderly group (+50% and +25%, P < .05) as it did in the younger group, but the elderly group differed from the younger in that vasodilating prostaglandins increased only during mental stress. In conclusion, the aging kidney reacts to adrenergic stimulation with more-pronounced and -prolonged vasoconstriction that is probably caused by a defect in prostaglandin modulation of endothelin activity. Autoregulation of GFR is maintained at the expense of increased intraglomerular pressure.

[Strangulated urethral prolapse in a young woman: a rare urological emergency]. / Le prolapsus étranglé de l'urètre chez la femme jeune: une urgence urologique rare.

Total prolapse of the urethral mucosa in women is an uncommon lesion, observed at the two extremes of reproductive life. Strangulation of urethral prolapse is a rare complication whose emergency treatment is essentially surgical. The authors report a case of strangulated urethral prolapse in a 43-year-old woman, for which several pathophysiological mechanisms can be proposed: first delivery by forceps, poorly repaired perineal tear, untreated early menopause at the age of 40 years. Urethral prolapse in elderly women has become much less common since the introduction of hormone replacement therapy for menopause. Other physiopathogenic factors may be responsible for this prolapse, such as thrombosis of the juxtameatal submucosal veins, laxity between the mucosa and submucosa or uretrodetrusor dyssynergia. The diagnosis of strangulated urethral prolapse is based on the discovery of a very painful, violaceous, inflammatory circular mucosal tumour surrounding the urethral meatus. If rapid reduction of the prolapse is not obtained with systemic and topical oestrogen therapy, the strangulated mucosal flap must be resected surgically, followed by apposition of the urethral mucosal and submucosal planes. This suture, in tissues which are always inflamed, must be calibrated and the urine must be drained by bladder catheter for about ten days. Meatal stricture is the principal complication of this surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Scrotal temperature in 258 healthy men, randomly selected from a population of men aged 18 to 23 years old. Statistical analysis, epidemiologic observations, and measurement of the testicular diameters]. / Etude de la température scrotale chez 258 hommes sains, sélectionnés par tirage au sort dans une population d'hommes de 18 à 23 ans. Analyse statistique, observations épidémiologiques et mesure des diamètres testiculaires.

Scrotal hyperthermia can induce certain alterations in spermatogenesis. The basal scrotal temperature used to define hyperthermia is usually 33 degrees C. However, no study, conducted according to a strict methodology has validated this mean measurement. We therefore randomly selected 258 men between the ages of 18 and 23 years from a population of 2,000 young French men seen at the National Service Selection Centre in order to measure the scrotal temperature over each testis and in the median raphe in order to determine the mean and median values for these temperatures. For a mean room temperature of 23 +/- 0.5 degrees C with a range of 18 to 31 degrees C, the mean right and left scrotal temperature was 34.2 +/- 0.1 degree C and the mean medioscrotal temperature was 34.4 +/- 0.1 degree C. Scrotal temperature was very significantly correlated to room temperature and its variations. It was therefore impossible to define a normal value for scrotal temperature. Only measurement of scrotal temperature at neutral room temperature, between 21 and 25 degrees C, is able to provide a reference value for scrotal temperature. In this study, the mean scrotal temperature under these conditions was 34.4 +/- 0.2 degree C, i.e. 2.5 degrees C less than body temperature. In the 12.9% of cases with left varicocele, left scrotal temperature was significantly higher than in the absence of varicocele and was also higher than right Scrotal temperature. The authors also determined the dimensions of the testes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Inguinal lymphatic metastasis of cancer of the testis: staging and therapeutic approach]. / Les métastases ganglionnaires inguinales des cancers du testicule: stadification et attitude thérapeutique.

Inguinal lymph node metastases from testicular tumors are reported in 2% of cases. Between 1980 and 1990, two patients in a series of 54 testicular tumors, presented with inguinal node metastases. In there two cases and in the cases in the literature, it is well known, that testicular tumors in patients who have had the lymphatics disrupted by prior scrotal or inguinal surgery, or tumor-contaminated scrotum, can metastasize primarily to the ipsilateral inguinal nodes. Even in the absence of other retroperitoneal metastases, these testicular tumors must be considered to be stage IIA. Owing to the efficacy of primary or secondary chemotherapy, ipsilateral inguinal node dissection is not necessary in nonseminomatous testicular tumors. For testicular seminoma, an additional inguinoscrotal radiotherapy is necessary. Survival rate for testicular tumors with isolated metastatic inguinal nodes, particularly in tumor-contaminated scrotum, is not significantly different, compared to a group of patient without inguinal nodes.

[Supernumerary testis and homolateral varicocele. Apropos of a case, study of spermatogenesis and review of the literature]. / Testicule surnuméraire et varicocèle homolatéral. A propos d'une observation, étude de la spermatogénèse et revue de la littérature.

Polyorchidism is a rare abnormality. A case is reported of a small scrotal supernumerary testis associated with a large varicocele. A torsion of this testis probably occurred and the vascular pedicle seemed atrophic. Despite abnormal fertility with oligozoospermy the accessary testis was removed. A review of relevant literature is made giving details of embryology of this anomaly.

[Epidemiology of epilepsy in the U.S.L. 34, Copparo, Emilia-Romagna]. / Epidemiologia dell'epilessia nella popolazione infantile dell'U.S.L. 34, Copparo, Emilia-Romagna.

Incidence and prevalence investigations on childhood epilepsy, throughout the world, have suggested wide variations in the frequency of convulsive disorders. Also the few studies presently available from Italy mirror such a disagreement. However, these studies cannot be completely comparable owing to a marked methodological dishomogeneity in definition of epilepsy, classification of seizures, and ascertainment, collection, and selection of the cases. Therefore, to verify the true frequency of childhood epilepsy in our country, we performed an epidemiologic study of convulsive disorders in 0-14 age children of the U.S.L. 34 (Copparo, Northern Italy). The prevalence per 1.000 children on October 24, 1981 was 6.14 (6.4 if standardized to the Italian population). The average annual incidence for the period 1964 through 1980 was 95.1 per 100,000 (98.9 if standardized). These results, similar to those found in other Western countries, support the view that the frequency of childhood epilepsy in Italy as a whole is higher than that indicated by previously published Italian studies and furthermore suggest that epilepsy is evenly distributed in Europe and the United States. Antecedents which could be considered potential causes of seizures were found in 40.2% and 43.6% of the incidence and prevalence cases, respectively; for both groups, perinatal brain injuries were the most frequent event. These results point out the urgency of planning precautionary measures in Italy to improve prenatal and perinatal medical care.

[Medium molecular weight uremic toxins and endogenous polyamines. Behavior of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis with respect to chromatographic peaks of dialysate and standard polyamines]. / Tossine uremiche mediomolecolari e poliamine endogene. Comportamento della chemiotassi dei polimorfonucleati rispetto ai picchi cromatografici di dialisato e poliamine standard.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the eventual activity of the total dialysate of two uremic nephrectomized patients in recirculating dialysis and the chromatographic peak of the dialysate fractionated by Sephadex column G 15 on PMN chemotaxis. Only the total dialysate and the chromatographic peak B showed inhibition of chemotaxis. On the contrary the commercial polyamines in the same concentration range, and the other chromatographic peaks, containing polyamines too, did not revealed inhibition. Our data show, therefore, that the chemotaxis inhibition could be due to the middle-molecules present in the peak B, rather than the polyamines itself. Polyamines were determined by dansylation method, separated by thin layer chromatography and quantified by spectrofluorimeter. Chemotaxis was evaluated using the modified Boyden chamber.