Cancer biomarkers detection using microstructured protein chip: implementation of customized multiplex immunoassay

Protein chips have demonstrated to be a sensitive and low cost solution to identify and detect tumor markers. However, efficient multiparametric analysis remains a challenge due to protein variability. Crucial parameters are the design of stable and reproducible surfaces which maintain biological activity of immobilized proteins, and immobilization conditions (buffer, pH, concentration). We have developed and characterized various surface chemistries for the immobilization of anti-tumor antigen antibodies onto microstructured glass slides. The effect of surface properties and antibody immobilization conditions was evaluated on the detection of tumor antigens involved in colorectal cancer. Experimental results demonstrated that each antibody displays variable biological activities depending on the surface chemistry and on the immobilization procedure. Under optimized conditions, we can reach a limit of detection in tumor antigen as low as 10 pM. Our microstructured chip offers the possibility to implement a customized multiplex immunoassay combining optimal immobilization condition for each antibody on the same chip

Identification and verification of heat shock protein 60 as a potential serum marker for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health issue worldwide, and novel tumor markers may contribute to its efficient management by helping in early detection, prognosis or surveillance of disease. The aim of our study was to identify new serum biomarkers for CRC, and we followed a phased biomarker discovery and validation process to obtain an accurate preliminary assessment of potential clinical utility. We compared colonic tumors and matched normal tissue from 15 CRC patients, using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), and identified 17 proteins that had significant differential expression. These results were further confirmed by western blotting for heat shock protein (HSP) 60, glutathione-S-transferase Pi, α-enolase, T-complex protein 1 subunit β, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor, and by immunohistochemistry for HSP60. Using mAbs raised against HSP60, we developed a reliable (precision of 5–15%) and sensitive (0.3 ng·mL−1) immunoassay for the detection of HSP60 in serum. Elevated levels of HSP60 were found in serum from CRC patients in two independent cohorts; the receiver-operating characteristic curve obtained in 112 patients with CRC and 90 healthy controls had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70, which was identical to the AUC of carcinoembryonic antigen. Combination of serum markers improved clinical performance: the AUC of a three-marker logistic regression model combining HSP60, carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 reached 0.77. Serum HSP60 appeared to be more specific for late-stage CRC; therefore, future studies should evaluate its utility for determining prognosis or monitoring therapy rather than early detection

Differential lung ventilation via tracheostomy using two endotracheal tubes in an infant: a case report

Abstract Background This case report presents differential lung ventilation in an infant. The aim is to define an alternative technique for performing differential lung ventilation in children. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this kind. Case presentation A 4.2-kg, 2.5-month-old Asian boy was referred to our facility with refractory hypoxemia and hypercarbia due to asymmetric lung disease with atelectasis of the left lung and hyperinflation of the right lung. He was unresponsive to conventional ventilator strategies; different ventilator settings were required. To perform differential lung ventilation, two separate single-lumen endotracheal tubes were inserted into the main bronchus of each lung by tracheotomy; the tracheal tubes were attached to discrete ventilators. The left lung was ventilated with a lung salvage strategy using high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and the right lung was ventilated with a lung-protective strategy using pressure-regulated volume control mode. Differential lung ventilation was performed successfully with this technique without complications. Conclusions Differential lung ventilation may be a lifesaving procedure in select patients who have asymmetric lung disease. Inserting two single-lumen endotracheal tubes via tracheotomy for differential lung ventilation can be an effective and safe alternative method

HYPERSPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION USING STACKED AUTOENCODERS WITH DEEP LEARNING

In this study, stacked autoencoders which are widely utilized in deep learning research are applied to remote sensing domain for hyperspectral classification. High dimensional hyperspectral data is an excellent candidate for deep learning methods. However, there are no works in literature that focuses on such deep learning approaches for hyperspectral imagery. This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing stacked autoencoders. Experiments are conducted on the Pavia University scene. Using stacked autoencoders, intrinsic representations of the data are learned in an unsupervised way. Using labeled data, these representations are fine tuned. Then, using a soft-max activation function, hyperspectral classification is done. Parameter optimization of Stacked Autoencoders (SAE) is done with extensive experiments. Results are competitive with the state-of-the-art techniques

A Case of Kawasaki Disease with Initial Presentation of Arthritis and Icterus

Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis that generally affects infants and children. Its diagnosis depends on clinical findings. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for the prevention of coronary dilatations. Late diagnosis due to different presentations can result in diagnostic difficulties and increased mortality. In this case report, we present the case of a 3-year-old boy who was admitted to our clinic with arthritis and icterus and who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease

A Case of Kawasaki Disease with Initial Presentation of Arthritis and Icterus

Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis that generally affects infants and children. Its diagnosis depends on clinical findings. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for the prevention of coronary dilatations. Late diagnosis due to different presentations can result in diagnostic difficulties and increased mortality. In this case report, we present the case of a 3-year-old boy who was admitted to our clinic with arthritis and icterus and who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease

Evolutionary Dynamics of the Glycan Shield of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope during Natural Infection and Implications for Exposure of the 2G12 Epitope

Elucidation of the kinetics of exposure of neutralizing epitopes on the envelope of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) during the course of infection may provide key information about how HIV escapes the immune system or why its envelope is such a poor immunogen to induce broadly efficient neutralizing antibodies. We analyzed the kinetics of exposure of the epitopes corresponding to the broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies immunoglobulin G1b12 (IgG1b12), 2G12, and 2F5 at the quasispecies level during infection. We studied the antigenicity and sequences of 94 full-length envelope clones present during primary infection and at least 4 years later in four HIV-1 clade B-infected patients. No or only minor exposure differences were observed for the 2F5 and IgG1b12 epitopes between the early and late clones. Conversely, the envelope glycoproteins of the HIV-1 quasispecies present during primary infection did not expose the 2G12 neutralizing epitope, unlike those present after several years in three of the four patients. Sequence analysis revealed major differences at potential N-linked glycosylation sites between early and late clones, particularly at positions known to be important for 2G12 binding. Our study, in natural mutants, confirms that the glycosylation sites N295, N332, and N392 are essential for 2G12 binding. This study demonstrates the relationship between the evolving “glycan shield ” of HIV and the kinetics of exposure of the 2G12 epitope during the course of natural infection

Normotensive Postpartum Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) as a Rare Cause of Seizures: Two Case Reports

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a syndrome characterized by various neurological findings such as headache, visual disturbances, seizures and altered consciousness, and imaging findings of edema in the posterior cerebral regions. Clinical and radiological findings are often reversible. Etiology may include hypertension, cytotoxic drugs, and autoimmune diseases. It often develops on the background of eclampsia and high blood pressure in the postpartum period. In this article, two cases of PRES, which developed under normal blood pressure values during pregnancy and postpartum period and characterized by seizure, are presented