Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Inflammation and Immune Activation Profile of Antiretroviral Therapy-Experienced Children Living With HIV.

AIM: To compare the markers of inflammation and immune activation in virally suppressed HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy, who practiced regular structured exercise comprising running and yoga to those who did not over a 2-year period. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 72 children aged 8 to 16 years divided into 2 groups, exercisers (n = 36) and the nonexercisers (n = 36) based on their intentional physical activity. The analyses were carried out at baseline and after 2 years (Y2) for the soluble biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interferon gamma, sCD14, and sCD163). In addition, cell-associated biomarker (CD38), lipopolysaccharides, and the gene expression of interleukin-2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were also measured at Y2. RESULTS: Reduction in levels of sCD14 (effect size [ES], -0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.08 to -0.14), tumor necrosis factor alpha (ES, -0.7; 95% CI, -1.18 to -0.23), interferon gamma (ES, -0.7; 95% CI, -1.17 to -0.22), and interleukin-10 (ES, -0.6; 95% CI, -1.08 to -0.14) was observed among exercisers as compared with nonexercisers at Y2. In addition, CD38+ expressing CD4+ T cells were found to be lower among exercisers (P = .01) at Y2. However, the differences in levels of interleukin-6, sCD163, lipopolysaccharides, interleukin-2, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were not significantly different among the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The study result suggests that regular structured physical activity improves the inflammatory profile of antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV-infected children.

Could dysbiosis of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gut bacteria have an implications in the development of type 2 diabetes? A pilot investigation.

OBJECTIVE: Differential alterations in gut microbiota and chronic low-grade inflammation play a critical role in the development of Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here we aimed to investigate if dysbiosis of inflammation and anti-inflammation-associated gut bacterial communities in fecal samples of individuals had any influence on T2D using a 16S rRNA gene of V3 region sequencing at Illumina MiSeq platform. RESULTS: Our findings showed that a higher abundance of inflammatory bacteria such as Lactobacillus ruminis, Ruminococcus gnavus, Bacteroides caccae, Butyricimonas, and Collinsella aerofaciens, and lower abundance of anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Butyrivibrio that likely play a role in the development of T2D. Our findings hint the potential of indigenous microbiota in developing diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in T2D.

Complete Permittivity Tensor in Sputtered CuFe2O4 Thin Films at Photon Energies between 2 and 5 eV.

This work is devoted to the systematic study of the optical and magneto-optical properties of sputter deposited CuFe2O4 thin films in the photon energy region between 2 and 5 eV using spectroscopic ellipsometry and magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy. The spectral dependence of both the diagonal and off-diagonal elements of the permittivity tensor is determined. A complete picture about the electron transitions in CuFe2O4 is suggested in the frame of intervalence charge transfer and intersublattice charge transfer transitions. The effect of deposition conditions and post-deposition treatment in CuFe2O4 films upon the optical and magneto-optical properties is discussed.

Double fetus-in-fetu: CT scan diagnosis in an adult.

A fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is an uncommon developmental abnormality characterized by a reasonably well-formed but aborted fetus that is seen in the form of an encapsulated, pedunculated vertebrate tumor in the patient's abdomen. We report an interesting case of a double FIF in a 20-year-old man, who presented with acute abdominal pain and a lump. CT scan of the abdomen revealed two ill-formed fetuses-in-fetu, which were seen as a 15-cm complex, encapsulated mass in the lower retroperitoneum; there was also free fluid in the abdomen. The diagnosis of a ruptured twin FIF was made. Complete surgical excision of the lesion was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically. To the best of our knowledge, the CT scan findings of a ruptured double FIF in an adult have not been previously documented.