Targeted transcript analysis revealed association of suboptimal expression of certain endometrial immunity-related genes with disparate uterine diseases in zebu cows.

The onset of uterine infection during postpartum period compromises uterine health, fertility, and productivity of dairy cattle. Endometrial innate immunity plays a key role in eliminating uterine infection and keeping the uterus healthy. Hence, the present study has been designed with the hypothesis that altered endometrial immune response around calving may compromise uterine health during postpartum period. Expression of interleukins (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α), prostaglandin synthase (PGFS, PGES), and antimicrobial peptides (beta-defensins (BDEF-4, BDEF-5), lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), and calcium-binding proteins (S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12) in endometrial tissues on the day of calving was studied using qRT-PCR, and circulating concentrations of prostaglandin E and F metabolites (PGEM and PGFM) during peripartum period (on days - 7, - 4, - 1 (before calving), 0 (on the day of calving), + 1, + 4, and + 7 (post calving)) of normal (healthy) cows (n = 11) that did not develop postpartum uterine infection and cows that developed puerperal metritis (n = 7) and clinical endometritis (n = 6) were studied. Endometrial expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, BDEF-4, BDEF-5, S100A8, S100A12, and PGFS was higher (P < 0.05), and expression of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and PGES was lower (P < 0.05) in normal (healthy) cows than puerperal metritic and clinical endometritic cows. The PGFM concentration in serum was high (P < 0.05) on days 0, + 1, and + 4 of calving in puerperal metritic cows followed by normal and clinical endometritic cows. However, PGEM concentration in serum was high (P < 0.05) during peripartum period in uterine-infected (puerperal metritic and clinical endometritic) cows compared with normal cows. From the above findings, it is concluded that higher constitutive expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, PGFS, BDEF-4, BDEF-5, S100A8, and S100A12 genes in the endometrium and lower concentration of PGEM during the period immediate to calving might be beneficial for uterine health of cows.

Amelioration in gliadin antigenicity and maintenance of viscoelastic properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars with mixed probiotic fermentation.

Sourdough fermentation of twenty wheat cultivars was carried out using mixed probiotic culture (Lactobacillus acidophilus UNI, Lactobacillus brevis LR/5 and Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014). The gliadin antigenicity was expressed in terms of its content in twenty different wheat cultivars. The gliadin proteins were characterized by SDS-PAGE and structural changes analyzed on FTIR spectrophotometer. Moreover, changes in the viscoelastic character of fermented and non-fermented dough were studied by rheometry. The results showed a remarkable reduction in antigenicity by 60% (average) in all wheat cultivars on sourdough fermentation. This reduction may be due to the synergistic effect of protease secretion by mixed lactobacilli, responsible for gliadin degradation. These changes in gliadins by mixed culture proteolysis were confirmed on SDS-PAGE on observing new gliadin-derived low molecular weight peptides. The results were further validated by FTIR spectroscopy where structural changes of gliadins were analyzed in the fermented dough. The rheological data indicated a higher storage modulus (G') compared to loss modulus (G″) in both control and fermented flour of all wheat cultivars, however, with a lower efficacy in sourdoughs. The present study thus establishes that mixed culture sourdough fermentation decreases the antigenic potential of gliadins without any change in the rheology and thereby maintaining the baking or viscoelastic properties of the wheat flour.

Gliadin protein antigenicity and health benefitting potential of Indian bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties.

Health benefitting potential of twenty leading wheat varieties was assessed for grain nutritional quality status in relation to antigenic reactivity level of gluten protein fractions. Among the nutritional parameters, macronutrients viz. starch, total sugar, total protein and gluten content were observed maximum in the varieties RAJ4120, RAJ4083, RAJ3077, and WH1021 respectively. Micronutrients- zinc and iron and phytochemicals- total phenolics and flavonoids were observed to be maximum in RAJ4083. Among the four protein fraction, albumin and globulin contents were the highest in RAJ3077, whereas gliadin and gluten content was maximum in GW322 and minimum in RAJ4120. The varieties were also characterized by SDS-PAGE and the results revealed significant polymorphism in all of the four protein fractions. The antigenic properties of flour gliadin proteins as evaluated by ELISA revealed that all the varieties possessed antigenicity with highest level in GW322 (0.217 OD). However, all the varieties possessed good baking qualities as studied by rheological measurements.

Influence of feeding Tinospora cordifolia peripartum on lactation parameters in crossbred cows.

For studying the effect of dietary supplementation of guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) peripartum on lactation an investigation was conducted on 15 pregnant Karan Fries crossbred cows which were divided into two groups: treatment group of eight cows which were supplemented with guduchi at 60 g/day for 45 days prepartum and 120 g/day for 45 days postpartum; control group of seven pregnant cows which were not supplemented with guduchi. Jugular blood samples were collected from all cows during the periparturient period for analysis of various blood cell and plasma parameters. A significantly higher total leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was recorded in the guduchi supplemented treatment group in comparison to untreated control cows throughout the experimental period. The increase of milk production over 305 days of lactation due to guduchi supplementation was significant (p < 0.05). A significant (p < 0.05) reduction in somatic cell count was also observed during the experimental period. Milk composition (fat, protein, lactose and SNF) was similar (p > 0.05) for both the groups. Plasma non esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in cows supplemented with guduchi throughout the course of study. Plasma concentration of growth hormone in the treated cows was also significantly higher beginning on the day of parturition up to 3 weeks postpartum (p < 0.05) in comparison to unsupplemented group.

Management of retraction pockets: historic and novel approaches.

BACKGROUND: Retraction pockets are collapsed segments of the tympanic membrane. Their formation is associated with a disruption in middle-ear ventilation pathways, leading to the loss of organised collagen of the tympanic membrane. There are several approaches in treating retraction pockets, which aim either to improve ventilation or repair the retraction pockets themselves. METHODS: A review of the literature regarding the classification and associated management of retraction pockets was conducted, using Medline and Cochrane Library databases, with the addition of our institution's experience in undertaking novel techniques. RESULTS: All the current classification systems fail to guide treatment or prognosticate the disease. Commonly, an initial conservative approach is suggested for early stages, with no clear indication regarding when a surgical solution should be offered. There are conflicting data concerning the effectiveness of these treatments in terms of disease prevention, recurrence and hearing outcomes. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive approaches utilising novel techniques may be key to reducing peri-operative morbidity and improving the overall patient experience.

Telephone clinic outcomes during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: results from an ENT department.

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of telemedicine on patient outcomes during a nationwide lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to examine telemedicine consultations of newly referred patients over 7 days during a national lockdown. Overall outcomes of telephone clinics were recorded, measured as either patient discharged, imaging requested, patient referred to another specialty, further telephone follow up required, patient initiated follow up or face-to-face appointment required. RESULTS: Data were collected from 104 patients. Outcomes showed that 17 patients were discharged, 15 had imaging requested, 11 were referred to another specialty, 11 had further telemedicine appointments, 31 had patient-initiated follow up and 19 received face-to-face appointments. Overall, 57 per cent of patients avoided hospital visits and 17 per cent required face-to-face appointments. Of higher risk patients, 49 per cent were managed remotely. After eight months, no significant morbidity or mortality was reported. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the higher risk patients avoided a hospital visit. The majority of patients were managed remotely, and thus the risk and spread of infection were reduced. Telemedicine has an important role in ENT out-patients.

Human oral cancers have altered expression of Bcl-2 family members and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic splice variant of Mcl-1.

Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in tumours can modulate apoptosis, influencing tumour behaviour and treatment. To investigate their role in oral tumourigenesis, nine Bcl-2 family transcripts were examined in three oral cell lines and 25 oral tumours, using ribonuclease protection assay. Since Mcl-1 mRNA was elevated in these samples, Mcl-1 splice variants were assessed by RT-PCR and Mcl-1 protein was studied in normal, premalignant and malignant oral tissues and cell lines, by immunohistochemistry and/or immunoblotting. The cell lines exhibited significantly higher levels of 7/9 Bcl-2 family transcripts as compared to those in normal tongue, and significantly higher (p=0.030, p=0.004) anti-apoptotic versus pro-apoptotic transcripts. Elevated Mcl-1 mRNA was observed in 11/25 (44%) tumours as compared to normal tissues with a five- to ten-fold higher expression of full-length anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 transcript versus the pro-apoptotic short isoform. Strong cytoplasmic Mcl-1 immunoreactivity was detected predominantly in differentiated epithelia in 27/33 (82%) oral tumours, 18/20 (90%) leukoplakia, 25/30 (83%) submucous fibrosis and 3/3 oral cell lines, with weak staining in 8/15 (53%) normal mucosa samples. Mcl-1 positivity in malignant and premalignant tissues was comparable but significantly higher (p<0.01) than that in normal mucosa. The expression of bcl-2 family genes, including Mcl-1 in tumours, did not correlate significantly with clinicopathological parameters. This is the first report delineating the in vivo expression patterns of Mcl-1 protein and Mcl-1 transcripts in oral cancers and premalignant lesions. The observed imbalance between expression of anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family genes may promote survival in the oral cell lines. Since the majority of oral tumours associated with tobacco-chewing evolve from premalignant lesions, the sustained expression of full-length anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 protein in these tissues suggests an important role for Mcl-1, early in oral cancer pathogenesis in protecting cells from apoptosis via neutralization of pro-apoptotic members and could be a potential therapeutic target for oral cancers.

[Mycotic aneurysm and renal transplant. A case report]. / Anévrisme mycotique et transplantation rénale. A propos d'un cas.

The arterial aneurysm secondary to Candida is a rare but frightening complication of renal transplant. We report the case of a 58-year-old patient who developed an arterial aneurysm secondary to a Candida infection in 3 weeks of a third renal transplant. Candida albicans was isolated from the preservation solution. The treatment consisted of a transplant nephrectomy, aneurysm excision and an iliac bypass with cryopreserved iliac homograft. All of bacteriologic culture was positive for Candida. The positive bacteriologic culture for Candida in preservation solution requires antifongic treatment. In case of arterial aneurysm, a surgical treatment is necessary but majority of kidney transplant had to be removed.

[Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia by radiofrequency (TUNA): a monocentric study of 28 cases treated in ambulatory surgery]. / Traitement de l'hypertrophie bénigne de prostate par radiofréquence (TUNA) : étude monocentrique à propos de 28 cas traités en chirurgie ambulatoire.

AIM: To assess the feasibility of ambulatory surgery in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia using radio frequency (TUNA) and evaluate its place in terms of efficiency among other minimally invasive surgical techniques. METHOD: Fifty-four patients suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia and for whom medical treatment was ineffective, were treated with radio frequency between September 2004 and June 2007. Among them, 28 patients, whose average age was 65.8 (aged 52-82), were selected for Transurethral Needle Ablation (TUNA) as outpatients. Urine status was assessed before and after TUNA treatment using the International Prostate Score System, the Quality Of Life-score to urinary symptoms, the measures of the maximal flow rate and of the residual urine. The erectile function was assessed using the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). RESULTS: With an average regression of 12.14 months, a significant improvement in urine status was observed with an average IPSS score passing from 22.4 to 9.75 and an average quality of life score passing from 4.9 to 1.9. The maximum flow rate and average flow volume increased significantly from 8.66 to 14.6 ml/s and from 202 to 248.4 ml respectively. Average urine residue was reduced from 177.4 to 112.2 ml (p<0.05). The IIEF-5 score did not increase significantly (14.1 versus 12.8). There were no cases of patients being rehospitalised. One case of prostatitis and six cases of acute urinary retention were observed at the postoperative stage. The rate of retreat was 21.4%. CONCLUSION: TUNA treatment is a minimally invasive technique of benign prostatic hyperplasia which can be carried out in ambulatory surgery and which is effective for urinary symptoms with little risk of morbidity. It is an alternative to medical treatment and does not replace planned surgical treatment.

Allergic fungal sinusitis.

Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is believed to be an allergic reaction of the sinus mucosa to environmental fungi that is finely dispersed into the air. We present a 23 year old man who presented to us with a unilateral nasal mass with foul smelling discharge and headache. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) was performed. Microbiology and histopathological examination of the mass confirmed it to be a case of AFS.

Modelling the water-plant cuticular polymer matrix membrane partitioning of diverse chemicals in multiple plant species using the support vector machine-based QSAR approach.

In this study, a support vector machine (SVM) based multi-species QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationship) model was developed for predicting the water-plant cuticular polymer matrix membrane (MX) partition coefficient, KMXw of diverse chemicals using two simple molecular descriptors derived from the chemical structures and following the OECD guidelines. Accordingly, the Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. data were used to construct the QSAR model that was externally validated using three other plant species data. The diversity in chemical structures and end-points were verified using the Tanimoto similarity index and Kruskal-Wallis statistics. The predictive power of the developed QSAR model was tested through rigorous validation, deriving a wide series of statistical checks. The MLOGP was the most influential descriptor identified by the model. The model yielded a correlation (r2) of 0.966 and 0.965 in the training and test data arrays. The developed QSAR model also performed well in another three plant species (r2 > 0.955). The results suggest the appropriateness of the developed model to reliably predict the plant chemical interactions in multiple plant species and it can be a useful tool in screening the new chemical for environmental risk assessment.

Interferon Regulatory Factor 6 Is Necessary for Salivary Glands and Pancreas Development.

Interferon regulatory factor 6 ( IRF6) acts as a tumor suppressor and controls cell differentiation in ectodermal and craniofacial tissues by regulating expression of target genes. Haploinsufficiency of IRF6 causes Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndrome, 2 syndromic forms of cleft lip and palate. Around 85% of patients with Van der Woude express pits on the lower lip that continuously or intermittently drain saliva, and patients with the common cleft lip and palate have a higher prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis. This study aims to identify the role of IRF6 in development of exocrine glands, specifically the major salivary glands. Our transgenic mouse model that expresses LacZ reporter under the control of the human IRF6 enhancer element showed high expression of IRF6 in major and minor salivary glands and ducts. Immunostaining data also confirmed the endogenous expression of IRF6 in the developing ductal, serous, and mucous acinar cells of salivary glands. As such, we hypothesized that Irf6 is important for proper development of salivary glands and potentially other exocrine glands. Loss of Irf6 in mice causes an increase in the proliferation level of salivary cells, disorganized branching morphogenesis, and a lack of differentiated mucous acinar cells in submandibular and sublingual glands. Expression and localization of the acinar differentiation marker MIST1 were altered in Irf6-null salivary gland and pancreas. The RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that 168 genes are differentially expressed and confer functions associated with transmembrane transporter activity, spliceosome, and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, expression of genes involved in the EGF pathway-that is, Ereg, Ltbp4, Matn1, Matn3, and Tpo-was decreased at embryonic day 14.5, while levels of apoptotic proteins were elevated at postnatal day 0. In conclusion, our data report a novel role of Irf6 in exocrine gland development and support a rationale for performing exocrine functional tests for patients with IRF6-damaging mutations.

A multimodality approach to sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma: a single institute experience.

BACKGROUND: Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma is a rare aggressive tumour arising from the Schneiderian epithelium lining the sinonasal tract. Although considered the cornerstone of therapy, surgical resection can only be performed in a limited number of patients. This report describes the experience of treating sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma with a multimodality approach. METHOD: The treatment charts of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma patients treated at a tertiary care centre from 2004 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 16 sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma patients with a median age at diagnosis of 47.5 years (range 8-65 years) were included: 19 per cent had neck nodal metastasis at presentation. Four patients (25 per cent) underwent surgery: of these, two had post-operative radiotherapy, one had pre-operative radiotherapy and one had adjuvant chemotherapy alone. Six patients (38 per cent) received definitive radiotherapy: five had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to reduce tumour size and help in radiotherapy planning, while four (25 per cent) received palliative radiotherapy. The median follow up was 10.4 months (range 1-42.5 months). The estimated median progression-free survival time was 29.3 months. One- and three-year progression-free survival rates were 77 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively. CONCLUSION: Surgery is the best treatment option for sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, although most patients require post-operative radiotherapy for advanced disease and close tumour margins. Definitive radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy may be suitable for patients with inoperable locally advanced disease. Elective nodal irradiation to address the high nodal involvement rates should be considered to improve the survival rate.

[Ureteral obstruction from endometriosis: a case report and review of the literature]. / Obstruction urétérale d'origine endométriosique: à propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

Endometriosis frequently affects women with genital activity and exceptionally involves the urinary tract, and the ureter in particular. From a case report of a female consulting for renal colic pain related to an intrinsic-type pelvic ureteral endometriosis, we report the difficulty in diagnosing this pseudotumoral obstruction and finding therapeutic options with a review of the literature. Ureteral endometriosis is marked by non-specific symptoms liable to delay preoperative diagnosis with a risk of deterioration of renal function due to the obstruction. Regarding the therapeutic approach, the surgical treatment associated or not with GNRH agonists seems best.

Ectopic canine tooth: a rare cause for maxillary antral mucocoele.

A 40-year-old female presented with a 10 year history of left sided facial pain and occasional purulent nasal discharge, refractory to antibiotics. Dental examination showed 3 missing teeth in left maxilla one of which had no history of extraction. X-ray paranasal sinus showed a bony opacity in the maxillary sinus but nasal endoscopy was normal. C.T. scan revealed a radio-opaque shadow arising from medial wall of left maxillary sinus with a large maxillary mucocoele. Caldwell-Luc procedure was done and an ectopic canine tooth was seen arising from the medial antral wall. Extraction of the tooth with excision of mucocoele resulted in relieving of the symptoms.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus as a first sign of metastatic retroperitoneal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: (18)F-FDG PET/CT findings.

A 30-year-old female presented with a 3-month history of erosive stomatitis and bullous lesions, along with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain. She was found to have a retroperitoneal lump in left lumbar region. Skin biopsy revealed bullous disorder. CT guided biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass was suggestive of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT). She was started on oral steroids and supportive care, and surgery was being planned when she developed respiratory failure. CT chest revealed vertebral metastases. PET/CT for whole body work up revealed a left para-aortic mass along with multiple skeletal metastases. The patient was kept on conservative management. After 3 months, the patient has shown clinical improvement, and an exploratory laparotomy is now being planned for the excision of the tumor, followed by chemotherapy. This case of retroperitoneal IMT is rare in terms of skeletal metastases with paraneoplastic pemphigus.