Preliminary data on the neurophysiological evaluation of male sexual dysfunction in patients with pelvic ring fractures: a multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic pelvic ring fractures include several comorbidities due to the close anatomical relationship between the skeletal system, pelvic organs, and neurovascular structures. In this retrospective multicenter study, we evaluated patients complaining of sexual dysfunction following pelvic ring fractures, assessed through different neuro-physiological examinations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were enrolled one year after the injury according to their reported ASEX scores and evaluated on the basis of the Tile's type of pelvic fracture. Lower limb and sacral somatosensory evoked potentials, pelvic floor electromyography, bulbocavernosus reflex and pelvic floor motor evoked potentials were recorded, according to the neurophysiological indications. RESULTS: A total of 14 male patients (mean age 50.4; 8 subjects Tile-type B and 6 Tile-type C) were enrolled. The ages between the Tile B group and the Tile C group of patients were not significantly different (p=0.187), while the ASEX scores were significantly different (p=0.014). In 57% of patients (n=8), no alterations in nerve conduction and/or pelvic floor neuromuscular responses were found. In 6 patients, electromyographic signs of denervation were revealed (2 patients), and alterations of the sacral efferent nerve component were detected in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual dysfunctions after a traumatic pelvic ring fracture are more common in Tile-type B. Our preliminary data did not reveal a significant association with neurogenic aetiology. Other causes could explain the complaining impairments.

Robotic-assisted unicompartimental knee arthroplasty performed with Navio system: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Robotic-assisted arthroplasty is a relatively modern concept, quickly arising in its use. The aim of this systematic review is to assess, according to the existing literature, which are the functional and clinical outcomes and component positioning and implant survivorship of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty surgery performed using an image-free hand-held robotic system. Moreover, we analyzed whether there are significant differences and advantages compared to conventional surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review has been performed on studies published between 2004 and 2021, on the electronic library databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. The inclusion criteria were all studies described as unicompartmental knee arthroplasty performed with the Navio robotic system. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included, and 1,262 unicondylar knee arthroplasties were analyzed. These studies showed a satisfactory recovery of joint function, with a good range of motion (extension <5° and flexion which ranged from 105° to 130.3°) in patients of the NAVIO group. The revision rate was <2% while the infection rate <1%; no postoperative transfusion was needed in all UKA implanted. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a robotic tool for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) could lead to a better implant positioning and joint alignment than conventional surgery. There is still limited evidence to support that the use of this robot in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is a greater survivorship than other systems or conventional techniques; therefore, a long-term follow-up is needed.

Influence of posterior tibial slope on postoperative outcomes after postero-stabilized and condylar-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To compare clinical outcomes and surgical times of two different types of total knee arthroplasty(TKA), postero-stabilized(PS) and condylar-stabilized(CS), in relation to posterior tibial slope(PTS) values and the deviation of these values from the surgical technique. METHODS: 168 patients undergoing TKA surgery between 2016 and 2020 met our inclusion criteria. For each case, gender, age at surgery, operating time, type of implant and preoperative PTS(preop-PTS) and postoperative PTS(postop-PTS) measurements were collected; difference(∆PTS) between preop-PTS and postop-PTS was also calculated. Short Form 12 Mental and Physical scores(SF-12 M and P) and functional Knee Society Score(fKSS) were collected preoperatively and at a minimum of 12 months postoperatively. Four subgroups were thus created in relation to PS or CS system and postop-PTS value(≤ 5°and > 5°). RESULTS: Of the 168 patients, 96 had a PS system and 72 CS system. Performing a CS-TKA took less time than a PS-TKA(p < 0.05). SF-12P showed better results(p < 0.05) in CS-TKA group than PS-TKA, probably because of the younger age of CS-TKA patients(p < 0.05). In the PS > 5° all examined postoperative scores were better(p < 0.05) than PS ≤ 5°, while only fKSS was better(p < 0.05) in CS > 5° than CS ≤ 5°. No significant difference(p > 0.05) in terms of postoperative outcomes between the PS > 5° and CS > 5° was noted, whereas only SF-12P was better in the CS ≤ 5° compared with PS ≤ 5°. Highest values of SF-12 M and fKSS were obtained in the PS ≤ 5°, in which postop-PTS was closer to technique. CONCLUSION: When performing a PS-TKA, the best result was obtained with a postop-PTS > 5°, but comparable outcomes between the two systems were evident with postop-PTS > 5°. It is crucial to come as close as possible to the indications reported in surgical technique regardless ∆PTS.

COVID-19 lockdown and hip arthroplasty rehabilitation changes: mid-term clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Hip arthroplasty is one of the most performed surgeries in orthopedics. Rehabilitation process after surgery allows rapid recovery of joint functions in absence of pain in most patients. During COVID-19 pandemic, rehabilitation clinics have reduced the number of beds available. Thus, an increasing number of patients were forced to home rehabilitation programs. Our study aimed at determining any significant differences in clinical and functional outcomes between those patients who underwent a home rehabilitation program and those others who were granted a place in a Rehabilitation clinic during COVID-19 pandemic, at mid-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational retrospective single-center study was designed. The patients included were 63, divided into two groups: Group A (29 patients) for home rehabilitation, and Group B (34 patients) for clinic rehabilitation. Follow-up was performed at 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Clinical evaluation was assessed through Oxford Hip Score for hip function, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and hip range of motion (ROM) to evaluate joint recovery. RESULTS: ROM was compared at follow-up with significant differences 12 months after surgery (107.93° group A vs. 104.7° group B; p=0.0168). Pain felt by patients according to the VAS scale showed no significant differences at follow-up (1 month 3.27 vs. 3.65 p=0.1489; 6 months 1.89 vs. 2.18 p=0.105; 12 months 0.58 vs. 0.68 p=0.6263). Regarding the Oxford Hip score, significant differences emerged at 1-month follow-up (38.75 group A vs. 37.94 group B; p=0.0498). CONCLUSIONS: At mid-term follow-up, little differences were found between patients who went through home rehabilitation and those who went to a rehabilitation clinic. Therefore, decreasing the number of beds available in rehab clinics during COVID-19 pandemic was not an obstacle for elective surgery for orthopedic surgeons.

Medial gastrocnemius flap for the treatment of infected knee prostheses.

OBJECTIVE: Muscular flaps may represent a valid treatment option for prosthetic infection after knee arthroplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We present the results of 20 consecutive patients treated with the use of medial gastrocnemius flap for the management of different types of injuries or integumentary defects after total knee arthroplasty. Tissue necrosis or dehiscence occurred within 1 and 2 months after arthroplasty. The mean follow-up was 23.4 (12-60) months. Clinical outcome was evaluated according to the infection control rate and post-operative Knee Society Score (KSS). RESULTS: Prosthesis salvage and complete restoration of skin coverage were achieved in all patients. Functional assessment was performed using the KSS score. The final knee KSS score was classified as excellent (score: 80-100) in 0 patients, good (score: 70-79) in 17 patients, fair (score: 60-69) in 2 patients, and poor (score: 60) in 1 patient. Residual Extension Deficit: 0-20°; Very Satisfactory in 17 patients. 30-70° Satisfactory in 2 patients, 80-90° Unsatisfactory in 1 patient. Patients who successfully underwent flap treatment experienced a much greater increase in both components of the KSS score. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the effectiveness of medial gastrocnemius muscular flap for the treatment of prosthetic knee infection, in terms of function, limb salvage, cost-effectiveness and post-surgery quality of life. Further larger studies may consolidate these findings.

Treatment options for proximal periprosthetic femoral fractures in Total Hip Arthroplasty: a single center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Proximal periprosthetic femoral fractures (PPFFs) are gradually increasing and surgical management is often associated with high risk of complications, due to elderly population and associated comorbidities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 39 patients at least at 2-years follow-up. We identified two study groups, similar for demographic data. Group A included patients surgically treated without involving prosthetic implants, whereas Group B included patients in which an implant revision was performed. RESULTS: Data were recorded from January 2017 to February 2020, and 39 patients were included: 30 females (76.9%) and 9 males (23.1%), with a confirmed diagnosis of periprosthetic fracture of the proximal femur. 23 (58.9%) patients were treated with Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF), 12 (30.7%) with revision surgery and 4 (10.3%) were treated by modular megaprosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment options considered in the study, revision arthroplasty and internal fixation had shown no significant differences as a matter of clinical outcomes and postoperative complications.

Proximal humerus fractures treatment in adult patients with bone metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: The humerus is the second long bone most affected by pathological fractures. According to Capanna and Campanacci criteria, surgical choice is based on bone metastasis location, on the patient's status and on the residual functional capacity. Metadiaphysis is an area of conflict in the choice between megaprosthesis implant and intramedullary nail osteosynthesis. This study compares these two surgical procedures in terms of reacquired functionality and local control of metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients (17 males and 21 females; mean age: 66 years old) treated in our institution between January 2010 and December 2020 for pathological humeral metadiaphyseal fractures caused by metastasis, were included in this study. We choose the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society rating system (MSTS) and the Quick Disability of Arm-Shoulder-Hand (QuickDASH) scores for the evaluation of the upper limb function after surgery. RESULTS: Eighteen (47%) pathological fractures were treated by resection and megaprosthesis implantation, twenty (53%) were treated by medullary nail osteosynthesis. A reduction in pain and greater mechanical stability in the immediate post-operative period was found in all patients. Twenty-two patients died (58%) and sixteen survived (42%). Long-term functional recovery of patients undergoing osteosynthesis is greater than megaprothesis group. CONCLUSIONS: Both medullary nail osteosynthesis and resection and megaprosthesis implantation guarantee excellent recovery at 72 months after surgery, improvement in quality of life and pain relief.  Patients treated with osteosynthesis showed a great short-term functional recovery since the joint portion of the limb is not involved, whereas patients treated with megaprosthesis showed better local oncologic control. It is therefore possible to define the type of treatment not only on the localization of the fracture (diaphysis or epiphysis) but above all on the conditions and characteristics of the patient.

Effects of environmental concentrations of the fragrance amyl salicylate on the mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Amyl salicylate (AS) is a fragrance massively used as a personal care product and following the discharged in wastewaters may end up in the aquatic environment representing a potential threat for the ecosystem and living organisms. AS was recently detected in water of the Venice Lagoon, a vulnerable area continuously subjected to the income of anthropogenic chemicals. The lagoon is a relevant area for mollusc farming, including the Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) having an important economic and ecological role. Despite high levels of AS occurred in water of the Lagoon of Venice, no studies investigated the possible consequences of AS exposures on species inhabiting this ecosystem to date. For the first time, we applied a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the potential effects of the fragrance AS on Mediterranean mussels. To reach such a goal, bioaccumulation, cellular, biochemical, and molecular analyses (RNA-seq and microbiota characterization) were measured in mussels treated for 7 and 14 days with different AS Venice lagoon environmental levels (0.1 and 0.5 µg L-1). Despite chemical investigations suggested low AS bioaccumulation capability, cellular and molecular analyses highlighted the disruption of several key cellular processes after the prolonged exposures to the high AS concentration. Among them, potential immunotoxicity and changes in transcriptional regulation of pathways involved in energy metabolism, stress response, apoptosis and cell death regulations have been observed. Conversely, exposure to the low AS concentration demonstrated weak transcriptional changes and transient increased representation of opportunistic pathogens, as Arcobacter genus and Vibrio aestuarianus. Summarizing, this study provides the first overview on the effects of AS on one of the most widely farmed mollusk species.

Prediction of fatty acid composition using milk spectral data and its associations with various mid-infrared spectral regions in Michigan Holsteins.

Fatty acid composition in milk is not only reflective of nutritional quality but also potentially predictive of other attributes (e. g. including the cow's energy balance and its relative output of methane emissions). Furthermore, a higher ratio of long-chain to short-chain fatty acids or mean carbon number has been associated with negative energy balance in dairy cows, whereas enhanced nutritional properties have been generally associated with higher levels of unsaturation. We set out to directly compare Bayesian regression strategies with partial least squares for the prediction of various milk fatty acids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrum data on 777 milk samples taken from 579 cows on 4 Michigan dairy herds between 5 and 90 d in milk. We also set out to identify those spectral regions that might be associated with fatty acids and whether carbon number or level of unsaturation might contribute to the strength of these associations. These associations were based on adaptively clustered windows of wavenumbers to mitigate the distorting effects of severe multicollinearity on marginal associations involving individual wavenumbers. In general, Bayesian regression methods, particularly the variable selection method BayesB, outperformed partial least squares regression for cross-validation prediction accuracy for both individual fatty acids and fatty acid groups. Strong signals for wavenumber associations using BayesB were well distributed throughout the mid-infrared spectrum, particularly between 910 and 3,998 cm-1. Carbon number appeared to be linearly related to strength of wavenumber associations for 38 moderately to highly predicted fatty acids within the spectral regions of 2,286 to 2,376 and 2,984 to 3,100 cm-1, whereas nonlinear associations were determined within 1,141 to 1,205; 1,570 to 1,630; and 1,727 to 1,768 cm-1. However, no such associations were detected with level of unsaturation. Spectral regions where there were significant relationships between strength of association and carbon number may be useful targets for inferring the relative proportion of long-chain to short-chain fatty acids, and hence energy balance.

Transcriptome analysis reveals a complex response to the RGNNV/SJNNV reassortant Nervous Necrosis Virus strain in sea bream larvae.

The gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) is a marine fish of great importance for Mediterranean aquaculture. This species has long been considered resistant to Nervous Necrosis Virus (NNV), an RNA virus that causes massive mortalities in several farmed fish animals. However, the recent appearance of RGNNV/SJNNV reassortant strains started to pose a serious threat to sea bream hatcheries, as it is able to infect larvae and juveniles of this species. While host response to NNV has been extensively studied in adult fish, little attention has been devoted to early life history stages, which are generally the most sensitive ones. Here we report for the first time a time-course RNA-seq analysis on 21-day old fish gilthead sea bream larvae experimentally infected with a RGNNV/SJNNV strain. NNV-infected and mock-infected samples were collected at four time points (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h post infection). Four biological replicates, each consisting of five pooled larvae, were analysed for each time point and group. A large set of genes were found to be significantly regulated, especially at early time points (6 h and 12 h), with several heat shock protein encoding transcripts being up-regulated (e.g. hspa5, dnaj4, hspa9, hsc70), while many immune genes were down-regulated (e.g. myd88 and irf5 at T06, pik3r1, stat3, jak1, il12b and il6st at T12). A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified several altered pathways/processes. For instance, the formation of peroxisomes, which are important anti-viral components as well as essential for nervous system homeostasis, and the autophagy pathway were down-regulated at 6 h and 24 h post infection (hpi). Finally, two custom "reactomes" (i.e. significant gene sets observed in other studies) were defined and used. The first reactome integrated the transcriptomic response to NNV in different fish species, while the second one included all genes found to be stimulated either by interferon (IFN) or by IFN and Chikungunya virus in zebrafish. Genes in both reactomes showed predominant up-regulation at 6hpi and 12hpi and a general down-regulation at 24hpi. Such evidence suggest a certain degree of similarity between the response of sea bream and that of other fish species to NNV, while the observed down-regulation of IFN- and viral-stimulated pathways argues for a possible interference of NNV against the host response.

The effects of glyphosate and AMPA on the mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and its microbiota.

Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide worldwide, targets the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme in the shikimate pathway found in plants and some microorganisms. While the potential for glyphosate to induce a broad range of biological effects in exposed organisms has been demonstrated, the global molecular mechanisms of toxicity and potential effects in bacterial symbionts remain unclear, in particular for ecologically important marine species such as bivalve molluscs. Here, the effects of glyphosate (GLY), its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and a mixture of both (MIX) on the mussel M. galloprovincialis were assessed in a controlled experiment. For the first time, next generation sequencing (RNA-seq and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) was used to evaluate such effects at the molecular level in both the host and its respective microbiota. The results suggest that the variable capacity of bacterial species to proliferate in the presence of these compounds and the impairment of host physiological homeostasis due to AMPA and GLY toxicity may cause significant perturbations to the digestive gland microbiota, as well as elicit the spread of potential opportunistic pathogens such as Vibrio spp.. The consequent host-immune system activation identified at the molecular and cellular level could be aimed at controlling changes occurring in the composition of symbiotic microbial communities. Overall, our data raise further concerns about the potential adverse effects of glyphosate and AMPA in marine species, suggesting that both the effects of direct toxicity and the ensuing changes occurring in the host-microbial community must be taken into consideration to determine the overall ecotoxicological hazard of these compounds.

A landscape of the heritability of Fourier-transform infrared spectral wavelengths of milk samples by parity and lactation stage in Holstein cows.

Fourier-transform near- and mid-infrared (FTIR) milk spectral data are routinely collected in many countries worldwide. Establishing an optimal strategy to use spectral data in genetic evaluations requires knowledge of the heritabilities of individual FTIR wavelength absorbances. Previous FTIR heritability estimates have been based on relatively small sample sizes and have not considered the possibility that heritability may vary across parities and stages of the lactation. We used data from ∼370,000 test-day records of Canadian Holstein cows to produce a landscape of the heritability of FTIR spectra, 1,060 wavelengths in the near- and mid-infrared spectrum (5,011-925 cm-1), by parity and month of the lactation (mo 1 to 3 and mo 1 to 6, respectively). The 2 regions of the spectrum associated with absorption of electromagnetic energy by water molecules were estimated to have very high phenotypic variances, very low heritabilities, and very low proportion of variance explained by herd-year-season (HYS) subclasses. The near- or short-wavelength infrared (SWIR: 5,066-3,672 cm-1) region was also characterized by low heritability estimates, whereas the estimated proportion of the variance explained by HYS was high. The mid-wavelength infrared region (MWIR: 3,000-2,500 cm-1) and the transition between mid and long-wavelength infrared region (MWIR-LWIR: 1,500-925 cm-1) harbor several waves characterized by moderately high (≥0.4) heritabilities. Most of the high-heritability regions contained wavelengths that are reported to be associated with important milk metabolites and components. Interestingly, these 2 same regions tended to show more variability in heritabilities between parity and lactation stage. Second parity showed heritability patterns that were distinctly different from those of the first and third parities, whereas the first 2 mo of the lactation had clearly distinct heritability patterns compared with mo 3 to 6.

Highly dense linkage maps from 31 full-sibling families of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) provide insights into recombination patterns and chromosome rearrangements throughout a newly refined genome assembly.

Highly dense linkage maps enable positioning thousands of landmarks useful for anchoring the whole genome and for analysing genome properties. Turbot is the most important cultured flatfish worldwide and breeding programs in the fifth generation of selection are targeted to improve growth rate, obtain disease resistant broodstock and understand sex determination to control sex ratio. Using a Restriction-site Associated DNA approach, we genotyped 18,214 single nucleotide polymorphism in 1,268 turbot individuals from 31 full-sibling families. Individual linkage maps were combined to obtain a male, female and species consensus maps. The turbot consensus map contained 11,845 markers distributed across 22 linkage groups representing a total normalised length of 3,753.9 cM. The turbot genome was anchored to this map, and scaffolds representing 96% of the assembly were ordered and oriented to obtain the expected 22 megascaffolds according to its karyotype. Recombination rate was lower in males, especially around centromeres, and pairwise comparison of 44 individual maps suggested chromosome polymorphism at specific genomic regions. Genome comparison across flatfish provided new evidence on karyotype reorganisations occurring across the evolution of this fish group.

Genetic parameter estimation for long endurance trials in the Uruguayan Criollo horse.

The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of performance in a 750-km, 15-day ride in Criollo horses. Heritability (h2 ) and maternal lineage effects (mt2 ) were obtained for rank, a relative placing measure of performance. Additive genetic and maternal lineage (rmt) correlations among five medium-to-high intensity phase ranks (pRK) and final rank (RK) were also estimated. Individual records from 1,236 Criollo horses from 1979 to 2012 were used. A multivariate threshold animal model was applied to the pRK and RK. Heritability was moderate to low (0.156-0.275). Estimates of mt2 were consistently low (0.04-0.06). Additive genetic correlations between individual pRK and RK were high (0.801-0.924), and the genetic correlations between individual pRKs ranged from 0.763 to 0.847. The pRK heritabilities revealed that some phases were explained by a greater additive component, whereas others showed stronger genetic relationships with RK. Thus, not all pRK may be considered as similar measures of performance in competition.

Ecotoxicological effects of the herbicide glyphosate in non-target aquatic species: Transcriptional responses in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Glyphosate has been the most widely used herbicide worldwide over the last three decades, raising increasing concerns for its potential impacts on environmental and human health. Recent studies revealed that glyphosate occurs in soil, surface water, and groundwater, and residues are found at all levels of the food chain, such as drinking water, plants, animals, and even in humans. While research has demonstrated that glyphosate can induce a broad range of biological effects in exposed organisms, the global molecular mechanisms of action still need to be elucidated, in particular for marine species. In this study, we characterized for the first time the molecular mechanisms of action of glyphosate in a marine bivalve species after exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations. To reach such a goal, Mediterranean mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis, an ecologically and economically relevant species, were exposed for 21 days to 10, 100, and 1000 µg/L and digestive gland transcriptional profiles were investigated through RNA-seq. Differential expression analysis identified a total of 111, 124, and 211 differentially regulated transcripts at glyphosate concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 µg/L, respectively. Five genes were found consistently differentially expressed at all investigated concentrations, including SERP2, which plays a role in the protection of unfolded target proteins against degradation, the antiapoptotic protein GIMAP5, and MTMR14, which is involved in macroautophagy. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes reveals the disruption of several key biological processes, such as energy metabolism and Ca2+ homeostasis, cell signalling, and endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Together, the results obtained suggest that the presence of glyphosate in the marine ecosystem should raise particular concern because of its significant effects even at the lowest concentration.

Development of a real-time PCR assay for rapid detection and quantification of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida in fish tissues.

The availability of a rapid and accurate method for the diagnosis of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (Phdp), able to discriminate its strictly correlated subsp. damselae (Phdd), formally known as Vibrio damsela, is essential for managing fish pasteurellosis outbreaks in farmed fish. A single-step, high-sensitivity real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection and quantification of P. damselae was designed targeting partial of the sequence of the bamB gene and tested for specificity and sensitivity on laboratory-generated samples as well as on experimentally infected seabream tissue samples. With a limit of detection (LOD) of one copy in pure bacterial DNA, the sensitivity was higher than all methods previously reported. Validation in target and non-target bacterial species proved the assay was able to discriminate Phdd-Phdp subspecies from diverse hosts/geographical origins and between non-target species. In addition, two SNPs in the target amplicon region determine two distinctive qPCR dissociation curves distinguishing between Phdp-Phdd. This is the first time that a molecular method for P. damselae diagnosis combines detection, quantification and subspecies identification in one step. The assay holds the potential to improve the knowledge of infection dynamics and the development of better strategies to control an important fish disease.

Loss of CD45 cell surface expression in canine T-zone lymphoma results from reduced gene expression.

Canine T-zone lymphoma (TZL) is a peculiar lymphoma subtype characterized by an indolent clinical course and aberrant CD45-negative phenotype, commonly recognized by flow cytometry (FC). Recent studies have described clinical presentation and behavior, but to date the mechanisms behind the loss of CD45 protein expression have never been investigated. The aims of this study were: 1) to confirm the absence of CD45 in canine TZL via the concomitant use of FC and immunohistochemistry with two different sources of antibody; and 2) to investigate the amount of CD45 transcript and the presence of CD45 gene in the neoplastic cells of dogs affected by TZL. 57 lymph node aspirates were included in the present study: 40 (70.2%) TZLs, 7 (12.3%) high grade T-cell lymphomas and 10 (17.5%) reactive lymph nodes. Neoplastic cells and normal T-cells were isolated from TZL and reactive lymph nodes, respectively, via cell sorting. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 2 TZL, 2 reactive lymph nodes and 2 Peripheral T-cell Lymphomas. Total RNA and genomic DNA were extracted from lymph-nodes aspirates. Two different quantitative real-time PCR experiments were designed, to determine the amount of the CD45 transcript and of the corresponding gene fragment. All TZL cases were negative for CD45 at immunohistochemistry. CD45 transcript amount was significantly lower in TZL compared to controls (p<0.001). This difference was not significant (p=0.584) for CD45 DNA load, that was similar between TZL and controls. Moreover, CD45 transcript amount was inversely correlated with the percentage of neoplastic cells in each TZL sample (p=0.010). These results confirm that CD45 protein is lacking on cell surface irrespective of the technique and antibody source adopted. This phenotypic aberrancy is apparently due to the absence of gene transcription, as CD45 DNA was present, whereas CD45 transcript was virtually absent in the neoplastic cells. The data here reported support further studies investigating possible factors impairing CD45 gene transcription.

Genetic correlations between dressage, show jumping and studbook-entry inspection traits in a process of specialization in Dutch Warmblood horses.

Sport performance in dressage and show jumping are two important traits in the breeding goals of many studbooks. To determine the optimum selection scheme for jumping and dressage, knowledge is needed on the genetic correlation between both disciplines and between traits measured early in life and performance in competition in each discipline. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters to support decision-making on specialization of breeding horses for dressage and show jumping in Dutch warmblood horses. Genetic correlations between performance of horses in dressage and show jumping were estimated as well as the genetic correlation between traits recorded during studbook-entry inspections and performance in dressage and show jumping competitions. The information on competition comprised the performance of 82 694 horses in dressage and 62 072 horses in show jumping, recorded in the period 1993-2012. For 26 056 horses, information was available for both disciplines. The information on traits recorded at studbook-entry inspections comprised 62 628 horses, recorded in the period 1992-2013. Genetic parameters were estimated from the whole dataset and from a subset without horses recorded in both disciplines. Additionally, the genetic parameters were estimated in three different time periods defined by horses' birth year. The genetic correlation between dressage and show jumping in the whole dataset was -0.23, and it was -0.03 when it was estimated from horses recorded in only one discipline. The genetic correlation between dressage and show jumping was more negative in the most recent time period in all the cases. The more negative correlation between disciplines in more recent time periods was not reflected in changes in the correlations between competitions traits and the traits recorded in the studbook-first inspection. These results suggest that a breeding programme under specialization might be most effective defining two separate aggregate breeding goals for each of the disciplines.

Analysis of competition performance in dressage and show jumping of Dutch Warmblood horses.

Most Warmblood horse studbooks aim to improve the performance in dressage and show jumping. The Dutch Royal Warmblood Studbook (KWPN) includes the highest score achieved in competition by a horse to evaluate its genetic ability of performance. However, the records collected during competition are associated with some aspects that might affect the quality of the genetic evaluation based on these records. These aspects include the influence of rider, censoring and preselection of the data. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of rider effect, censoring and preselection on the genetic analysis of competition data of dressage and show jumping of KWPN. Different models including rider effect were evaluated. To assess the impact of censoring, genetic parameters were estimated in data sets that differed in the degree of censoring. The effect of preselection on variance components was analysed by defining a binary trait (sport-status) depending on whether the horse has a competition record or not. This trait was included in a bivariate model with the competition trait and used all horses registered by KWPN since 1984. Results showed that performance in competition for dressage and show jumping is a heritable trait (h2 ~ 0.11-0.13) and that it is important to account for the effect of rider in the genetic analysis. Censoring had a small effect on the genetic parameter for highest performance achieved by the horse. A moderate heritability obtained for sport-status indicates that preselection has a genetic basis, but the effect on genetic parameters was relatively small.

Long term results of treatment of breast cancer without axillary surgery - Predicting a SOUND approach?

BACKGROUND: Traditionally axillary surgery has been used to provide staging information and until recently was thought to improve loco-regional control. However, a more minimal approach to the axilla is now being adopted. The aim of this study was to assess long term outcomes of patients with 'low-risk' breast cancers who did not undergo any axillary surgery. 'Low-risk' criteria were: postmenopausal, <20 mm grade 1 or <15 mm grade 2, LVI-ve, ER +ve. METHODS: Women with invasive breast cancer that did not undergo any axillary surgery were identified. Patients were censored when an event or death occurred or at last follow-up at breast clinic or with their General Practitioner. RESULTS: Between 05/01/1995-20/11/2006, 194 patients (199 tumours) were operated upon without axillary surgery. Median follow-up was 10.4 years. 128 patients met low-risk criteria and 71 did not (patient choice = 42, medical fitness = 29). In the 'low risk' cohort there were two axillary recurrences, with a cumulative incidence of 0.8% and 1.9% at 5 and 10 years respectively. DDFS was 99.2% (94.1-99.9%), and 97% (90.0-99%) at 5 and 10 years respectively and DFS was 96.6% (91.1-98.7%) and 91.2% (82.6-95.6%). OS was 90.3% (95% CI: 83.6-94.4) and 75.5% (95% CI: 65.9-82.8) at 5 and 10 years respectively. CONCLUSION: Axillary recurrence and DDFS in this low-risk cohort is favourable. In the modern era of breast cancer management it is possible to define a group of women in whom axillary surgery can be omitted.