A seafood risk tool for assessing and mitigating chemical and pathogen hazards in the aquaculture supply chain.

Intricate links between aquatic animals and their environment expose them to chemical and pathogenic hazards, which can disrupt seafood supply. Here we outline a risk schema for assessing potential impacts of chemical and microbial hazards on discrete subsectors of aquaculture-and control measures that may protect supply. As national governments develop strategies to achieve volumetric expansion in seafood production from aquaculture to meet increasing demand, we propose an urgent need for simultaneous focus on controlling those hazards that limit its production, harvesting, processing, trade and safe consumption. Policies aligning national and international water quality control measures for minimizing interaction with, and impact of, hazards on seafood supply will be critical as consumers increasingly rely on the aquaculture sector to supply safe, nutritious and healthy diets.

Evaluation of a carp primary hepatocyte culture system for screening chemicals for oestrogenic activity.

The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment has driven the development of screening and testing assays to both identify chemicals with hormonal activity and evaluate their potential to cause adverse effects. As the number of animals used for research and regulatory purposes rises, and set against a desire to reduce animal testing, there is increased emphasis on the development and application of in vitro techniques to evaluate chemical risks to the environment. Induction of vitellogenin (VTG) in isolated fish liver cells has been used successfully to identify a wide range of EDCs, including both natural and synthetic oestrogens and a variety of other xenoestrogens. However, the vitellogenic response reported for hepatocytes in culture has been shown to vary widely, making comparisons between studies difficult. The work presented in this paper explored the variability of the vitellogenic response in primary cultures of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) hepatocytes following exposure to the model oestrogenic compound, 17beta-oestradiol (E2). As expected, variability in the vitellogenic response was observed, both in terms of the sensitivity and magnitude of VTG induction, for hepatocytes isolated from different fish. An apparent difference was observed in the response of isolated hepatocytes based on the sex of the donor fish; maximum levels of E2-stimulated VTG synthesis in hepatocytes derived from females appeared higher (1962 ng mL(-1)+/-487 [n=9] compared with 1194 ng mL(-1)+/-223 for hepatocytes from males [n=9]) and EC(50) values lower (1.61+/-0.4 microM E2 for females and 2.12+/-0.2 microM E2 for males). However, these differences were not statistically significant, likely in part due to the variation observed in the vitellogenic response. In particular, hepatocytes derived from female fish showed more variation than their male counterparts (the co-efficient of variation for females was 77% compared to 28% for males). Despite the variation observed in the vitellogenic response between different cultures, data from the different donor fish could be compared by standardising responses relative to the maximum VTG induction in each culture following exposure to E2. Adopting this approach in the future will allow for data from different hepatocyte cultures and from donor fish of different sexes, age and stage of maturity to be compared with greater consistency. Measurement of vtg mRNA expression was relatively more sensitive to the oestrogenic effects of E2 exposure than measurement of VTG protein (the LOEC at the transcriptome level was 10-fold lower [0.01 microM E2] than at the protein level [0.1 microM E2]) and changes in vtg mRNA expression showed less variation between individual hepatocyte isolations. Measurement of vtg mRNA in the hepatocyte culture system therefore may offer the most sensitive and consistent option for the screening of chemicals with oestrogenic activity in fish primary hepatocyte cultures.

Miliary tuberculosis presenting as skin lesions in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Acute miliary tuberculosis of the skin is an extremely rare infection that occurs in immunocompromised persons. We report an intravenous drug abuser with human immunodeficiency virus infection in whom erythematous papules developed on the trunk and proximal aspect of the extremities. Visceral lesions of unsuspected miliary tuberculosis were discovered at autopsy, and the cutaneous papules were found to contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This is the first reported case of this cutaneous infection in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Skin clues to medical emergencies.

In a medical emergency, when rapid diagnosis is essential, a thorough examination of the skin often provides clues to the underlying illness. Dermatologic lesions may suggest the etiology of common medical emergencies, such as coma, seizure, shock, chest pain, hemorrhage, respiratory distress, acute abdomen and acute psychosis. Since examination of the skin is rapidly and easily performed, it should be included in the evaluation of a patient with a medical emergency.

Treatment of multiple apocrine hidrocystomas with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser.

The apocrine hidrocystoma tends to occur as a solitary facial cystic lesion. We report an unusual patient in whom there were multiple apocrine hidrocystomas scattered over the periorbital region and ears. Although solitary apocrine hidrocystomas are easily treated with excision, we had good results employing carbon dioxide laser vaporization in the treatment of numerous hidrocystomas.

Chronic arsenicism with vitiligo, hyperthyroidism, and cancer.

Chronic arsenicism, which may result from medicinal administration of arsenic, can present typical cutaneous signs, and is associated with an increase in cutaneous and internal malignancies. Recognition of the cutaneous premalignant stigmata of chronic arsenicism can identify a patient at risk, and promote early detection and treatment of life-threatening cancers.

Deficient DNA binding of an apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA endonuclease activity from xeroderma pigmentosum cells.

A chromatin-associated apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) DNA endonuclease activity, pI 9.8, from both normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group A (XPA), lymphoblastoid cells was examined for its ability to bind AP DNA using a filter binding assay. The endonuclease activity from normal cells produced significantly greater binding to AP DNA than to untreated DNA, but this increase in binding was not observed when the XPA endonuclease was incubated with AP DNA versus untreated DNA. These results indicate that the XPA AP endonuclease activity is deficient in its ability to bind to AP DNA.

Fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis: unusual histopathology following intralesional corticosteroid administration.

The fixed cutaneous type of sporotrichosis is difficult to diagnose because clinical lesions are variable in appearance and the cells of Sporothrix schenckii are usually scarce in skin biopsy specimens. We have described two patients with lesions of fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis that resembled other inflammatory skin conditions and were treated with intralesional corticosteroids. Subsequent skin biopsies from these lesions demonstrated an unusually large number of yeast cells.