[CD200 protein, bad prognostic in patients with multiple myeloma]. / Proteína CD200 de mal pronóstico en pacientes con mieloma múltiple.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a monoclonal gammopathy characterized by abnormal proliferation of malignant plasma cells. The median overall survival rate has changed from 2-3 to 5-6 or more years with the introduction of novel agents. Recently CD200 protein has been described as an immunosuppressive protein that confers a poor prognostic factor in several neoplastic diseases, including MM. The purpose of our study was to determine CD200 protein in plasma cells of newly diagnosed patients with MM and in CD3+ lymphocytes of healthy donors. METHODS: 35 newly diagnosed MM patients and 25 healthy donors were studied. For flow cytometry tests, a FacsCalibur device and CellQuestPro software were used. Monoclonal antibodies for CD38 (PeCyC5), CD138 (APC), and CD200 (PE) were used. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 19v. Mann-Whitney U test, Kaplan-Meier survival curves with Log-Rank tests were done when indicated. RESULTS: The frequencies of anemia, hypercalcemia, increased in LDH, serum creatinine and b2-microglobulin were 68%, 34%, 20%, 22% and 45% respectively. The treatment consisted in MPT 20 (57%), Thal-Dex 8 (23%), and VAD 7 (20%). Five patients (14%) achieved complete response, 17 (49%) partial response, and 13 (37%) minor response or failure to treatment. CONCLUSION: CD200 is a poor prognostic factor for overall survival in multiple myeloma patients. Bone marrow CD3 lymphocytes from MM patients express CD200 protein in higher proportion than healthy donors.

Introducción: el mieloma múltiple (MM) es una gammopatía monoclonal caracterizada por la proliferación anormal de células plasmáticas malignas. La proteína CD200 se ha descrito como una proteína con funciones inmunosupresoras y que es un factor de mal pronóstico en algunas enfermedades malignas, incluyendo al MM. El objetivo de este artículo es determinar la cantidad de proteína CD200 en células plasmáticas de pacientes con MM de reciente diagnóstico y en linfocitos CD3+ de donadores sanos. Métodos: se estudiaron 35 pacientes con diagnóstico reciente de MM y 25 individuos sanos. Se usaron los anticuerpos monoclonales para CD38 (PeCyC5), CD138 (APC), y CD200 (PE). El análisis estadístico fue realizado con el programa SPSS 19v. Se utilizaron las pruebas estadísticas U de Mann Whitney, curvas de supervivencia de Kaplan y Meier y la prueba de log-rank. Resultados: las frecuencias de anemia, hipercalcemia, elevación de DHL, creatinina sérica y beta-2 microglobulina fueron de 68%, 34%, 20%, 22% y 45% respectivamente. El tratamiento administrado fue MPT 20, Tal-Dex 8, y VAD 7. Cinco pacientes lograron respuesta completa, 17 respuesta parcial, y 13 respuesta menor o falla al tratamiento. Conclusiones: el CD200 es un factor de mal pronóstico para supervivencia global en pacientes con mieloma múltiple. Los linfocitos CD3+ de medula ósea de pacientes con MM expresan en mayor proporción CD200 en comparación con sujetos sanos.

Discrete perturbation theory for continuous soft-core potential fluids.

In this work, we present an equation of state for an interesting soft-core continuous potential [G. Franzese, J. Mol. Liq. 136, 267 (2007)] which has been successfully used to model the behavior of single component fluids that show some water-type anomalies. This equation has been obtained using discrete perturbation theory. It is an analytical expression given in terms of density, temperature, and the set of parameters that characterize the intermolecular interaction. Theoretical results for the vapor-liquid phase diagram and for supercritical pressures are compared with previous and new simulation data and a good agreement is found. This work also clarifies discrepancies between previous Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation results for this potential.

Screening of extracts of algae from Baja California sur, Mexico as reversers of the antibiotic resistance of some pathogenic bacteria.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sixty ethanol extracts of marine flora of Baja California Sur (Mexico) were screened to evaluate the reversing effect of the bacterial resistance to antibiotics in combination with a sublethal concentration of ampicillin or erythromycin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The activity was assayed by using a modification of the classical agar-diffusion method against 3 resistant, pathogenic bacteria; Escherichia coil (ATCC BAA196), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC BAA42), and Streptococcus pyogenes (ATCC BAA946). RESULTS: From the 60 ethanolic extracts, 12 (20%) of them in combination with ampicillin were able to reverse the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and 8 (13%) with erythromycin yielded the same reversal with Streptococcus pyogenes. An extract from Sargassum horridum was the only one that reversed the resistance to antibiotics against both Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that some algae may be source of compounds with the potential to reverse the antibiotic resistance of some bacteria. In addition, of the assayed extracts, 35 (57%) showed inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, 48 (78%) were active against Streptococcus pyogenes, but none was active against Escherichia coil. The most active extracts were from Laurencia spp., Gelidium robustum, Chnoospora implexa, Padina mexicana, Gracilaria subsecundata, and Dictyopteris undulata.

Discrete perturbation theory for the hard-core attractive and repulsive Yukawa potentials.

In this work we apply the discrete perturbation theory [A. L. Benavides and A. Gil-Villegas, Mol. Phys. 97, 1225 (1999)] to obtain an equation of state for the case of two continuous potentials: the hard-core attractive Yukawa potential and the hard-core repulsive Yukawa potential. The main advantage of the presented equation of state is that it is an explicit analytical expression in the parameters that characterize the intermolecular interactions. With a suitable choice of their inverse screening length parameter one can model the behavior of different systems. This feature allows us to make a systematic study of the effect of the variation in the parameters on the thermodynamic properties of this system. We analyze single phase properties at different conditions of density and temperature, and vapor-liquid phase diagrams for several values of the reduced inverse screening length parameter within the interval kappa( *)=0.1-5.0. The theoretical predictions are compared with available and new Monte Carlo simulation data. Good agreement is found for most of the cases and better predictions are found for the long-range ones. The Yukawa potential is an example of a family of hard-core plus a tail (attractive or repulsive) function that asymptotically goes to zero as the separations between particles increase. We would expect that similar results could be found for other potentials with these characteristics.

Theoretical prediction of multiple fluid-fluid transitions in monocomponent fluids.

The authors use the analytical equation of state obtained by the discrete perturbation theory [A. L. Benavides and A. Gil-Villegas, Mol. Phys. 97, 1225 (1999)] to study the phase diagram of fluids with discrete spherical potentials formed by a repulsive square-shoulder plus an attractive square-well interaction (SS+SW). This interaction is characterized by the usual energy and size parameters plus three dimensionless parameters: two of them measuring the widths of the SS and the SW and the third the relative height of the SS. The matter of interest is that, for certain values of the interaction parameters, the SS+SW systems exhibit more than one first-order fluid-fluid transition. The evidence that several real substances (such as water, phosphorus, carbon, and silica, among others) exhibit an extra liquid-liquid transition has drawn interest into the study of interactions responsible for this behavior. The simple SS+SW fluid is one of the systems that, in spite of being spherically symmetric, shows multiple fluid-fluid transitions. In this work the authors investigate systematically the effect on the phase diagram of varying the interaction parameters. The use of an analytical free-energy equation gives a clear thermodynamic picture of the emergence of different types of critical points, throwing new light on the phase behavior of these fluids and thus clarifying previous results obtained by other techniques. The interplay of attractive and repulsive forces with several scale lengths produces very rich phase diagrams, including cases with three critical points. The region of the interaction-parameter space where multiple critical points appear is mapped for various families of interactions.

Involvement of Aureobasidium pullulans and Rhodotorula glutinis in Russet of d'Anjou Pear Fruit.

d'Anjou pear, the main cultivar grown in the Mid-Columbia Region of Oregon, is subject to russeting of the fruit surface, resulting in reduced quality and value. The role of Aureobasidium pullulans and Rhodotorula glutinis in russet of pear fruit was studied. Inoculations were done at full bloom in 1998 and 1999 and petal fall in 1999 with a log range of concentrations up to 108CFU/ml. Populations of A. pullulans on floral and fruit tissue were monitored during spring 1999 and 2000 in six orchards with a history of russet. Russet of fruit in both studies was evaluated at harvest. In 1998 neither fungus increased russet. In 1999, inoculation with two strains of each fungus at 108 CFU/ml increased russet. Inoculation with 104 or 106 CFU/ml did not increase russet in either year. In commercial orchards, there was no correlation between fruit russet and the populations of A. pullulans on floral and fruit tissue. Populations were less than 103 CFU/g of tissue. We conclude that A. pullulans and R. glutinis are not major contributors to russet of d'Anjou pear fruit in the Mid-Columbia Region.

Variability in Postharvest Decay Among Apple Cultivars.

The level of resistance to decay caused by four fungal pathogens, the force required to break the epidermis, and the extent of open sinuses as measures of potential decay resistance were determined for the fruit of several apple cultivars. No single cultivar was the most resistant to each of the four pathogens in this study. In addition, each cultivar that was the most resistant to one pathogen also was the most susceptible to one of the other pathogens. However, Royal Gala was the most resistant to the wound pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, and Mucor piriformis. Fuji and Oregon Spur II were more resistant than other cultivars to Pezicula malicorticis. The epidermis (skin) of Fuji and Granny Smith were the most resistant to puncture, requiring an average of 81.5 and 87.0 Newtons, respectively, to break the epidermal layer. Fuji had the highest percentage of fruits with open sinuses, with a mean of 38%, whereas Braeburn had 0% of fruit with open sinuses. The cultivar information presented herein may be a valuable measure of decay resistance and may be of use to the apple industry.

Control of Brown Rot and Blue Mold of Sweet Cherry with Preharvest Iprodione, Postharvest Cryptococcus infirmo-miniatus, and Modified Atmosphere Packaging.

The effectiveness of preharvest iprodione and postharvest Cryptococcus infirmo-miniatus treatments alone and in combination for control of decay of sweet cherry fruit was studied. Also, the effect of a modified atmosphere on brown rot control was evaluated as a part of the iprodione-C. infirmo-miniatus combinations. A single preharvest application of iprodione at 1.13 kg a.i./ha reduced brown rot in stored sweet cherry fruit in both years of this study. Significantly better control of brown rot was obtained when cherry fruit that received a preharvest iprodione application also were treated with a postharvest dip in a suspension of C. infirmo-miniatus containing 0.5 to 1.5 × 108 CFU/ml. Brown rot was reduced by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) alone and further reduced as a result of a C. infirmo-miniatus-MAP synergism. Incidence of brown rot was reduced from 41.5% in the control to 0.4% by combining preharvest iprodione and postharvest C. infirmo-miniatus treatments with MAP.

Effect of Dolomitic Lime on Production of Asci and Pseudothecia of Venturia inaequalis and V. pirina.

An autumn application of dolomitic lime to infected leaves on the orchard floor resulted in a decrease in the percentage of apple and pear leaves with pseudothecia, the number of pseudothecia per leaf, and the number of asci per pseudothecium of Venturia inaequalis and V. pirina. A dolomitic lime application of 5.08 metric tons per hectare reduced the ascospore dose the following spring up to 88% for pear and 92% for apple.

Concurrent delayed temporal and posterior fossa epidural hematomas. Case report.

A case of delayed epidural hematoma presenting in two different intracranial compartments is described. The presumptive mechanism of the lesion is discussed and the value of early reevaluation by computerized tomography is stressed.