Gliomas with intratumoral abscess formation: Description of new cases, review of the literature, and the role of 99mTC-Leukoscan

Abstract Abscess formation within a brain tumor is uncommon. Intrasellar or parasellar tumors are the most common neoplasms that develop such complications. Cerebral gliomas with abscesses are extremely rare. In this paper three rare cases of glioma associated with abscess formation are described. The diagnosis of brain tumor associated with abscess is particularly difficult by conventional neuroradiological studies. 99m Tc-labeled sulesomab can be useful in the diagnosis of brain tumors with intratumoral abscesses. There are no precise guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral gliomas associated with abscesses formation for the low number of cases reported to date. Appropriate treatment, aimed at radical surgery, and a suitable antibiotic-protocol, deferring adjuvant postoperative therapy, is associated with a more favorable outcome. A review of the pertinent literature is also performed

Aβ-Amyloid fibrils are self-triggered by the interfacial lipid environment and low peptide content

We studied the surface properties of Aβ(1-40) amyloid peptides mixed with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) (liquid state) or 1,2-disteraoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) (solid state) phospholipids by using nanostructured lipid/peptide films (Langmuir monolayers). Pure Aβ(1-40) amyloid peptides form insoluble monolayers without forming fibril-like structures. In a lipid environment [phospholipid/Aβ(1-40) peptide mixtures], we observed that both miscibility and stability of the films depend on the peptide content. At low Aβ(1-40) amyloid peptide proportion (from 2.5 to 10% of peptide area proportion), we observed the formation of a fibril-like structure when mixed only with POPC lipids. The stability acquired by these mixed films is within 20-35 mN·m-1 compatible with the equivalent surface pressure postulated for natural biomembranes. Fibrils are clearly evidenced directly from the monolayers by using Brewster angle microscopy. The so-called nanostructured fibrils are thioflavin T positive when observed by fluorescence microscopy. The amyloid fibril network at the surface was also evidenced by atomic force microscopy when the films are transferred onto a mica support. Aβ(1-40) amyloid mixed with the solid DSPC lipid showed an immiscible behavior in all peptide proportions without fibril formation. We postulated that the amyloid fibrillogenesis at the membrane can be dynamically nano-self-triggered at the surface by the quality of the interfacial environment, that is, the physical state of the water-lipid interface and the relative content of amyloid protein present at the interface.Fil: Bolaño Alvarez, Alain. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Caruso, Benjamin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química. Cátedra de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Pablo Eduardo Andres. Provincia de Córdoba. Ministerio de Ciencia y Técnica; ArgentinaFil: Petersen, Steffen B.. Aalborg University; DinamarcaFil: Fidelio, Gerardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; Argentin

Quantum transport in quantum networks and photosynthetic complexes at the steady state

Recently, several works have analysed the efficiency of photosynthetic complexes in a transient scenario and how that efficiency is affected by environmental noise. Here, following a quantum master equation approach, we study the energy and excitation transport in fully connected networks both in general and in the particular case of the Fenna-Matthew-Olson complex. The analysis is carried out for the steady state of the system where the excitation energy is constantly "flowing" through the system. Steady state transport scenarios are particularly relevant if the evolution of the quantum system is not conditioned on the arrival of individual excitations. By adding dephasing to the system, we analyse the possibility of noise-enhancement of the quantum transport.Comment: 10 pages, single column, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Plos On

Psychological symptoms and Quality of Life in adults with Chiari malformation type I: an Assessment by the Italian version of Chiari Symptom Profile

Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) is a rare condition with physical and neurological manifestation changing across people. Being a chronic and debilitating disease, a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach is needed for evaluating patient’s experienced Quality of Life (QoL) and psychological correlates of CM. Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop the Italian adaptation of Chiari Symptom Profile (CSP), a questionnaire assessing the core symptoms of Chiari malformation and their impact on people’s lives. Secondly, the occurrence of anxiety/depression symptoms and associations with patient-reported QoL were explored. Methods: 172 adults with diagnosed CM-I (N=79 with neurosurgery) completed an online questionnaire measuring general QoL (WHOQOL-brief), disease-related QoL (CSP), and symptoms of anxiety/depression (HADS). Participant’s demographic and clinical data were also collected. Results: The Italian version of CSP showed excellent reliability both in total (Cronbach alpha = .97) and factorial scores (alphas from .87 to .95) assessing four domains of Chiari-related QoL (functional, physical, social, and psychological). For construct validity, significant correlations (p .001) resulted among severity of CM symptoms, social and daily limitations assessed by CSP and general QoL. Participants’ age at neurosurgery and condition (with/without neurosurgery treatment) did not significantly impact QoL scores, but perceived QoL worsened with increasing age. Among participants, 32% reported clinical anxiety and 14% depression symptoms (with higher incidence of depression in non-operated participants). Participants with clinical anxiety/depression reported a worse QoL in all domains of CSP (functional, physical, social, and psychological). Conclusion: Findings suggest the need to include in CM treatment a continuous psychological support, identifying the patients most at risk who, in time, they may experience greater psychological suffering

HLA and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIRs) genotyping in patients with acute viral encephalitis

Introduction: The HLA genes, as well as the innate immune KIR genes, are considered relevant determinants of viral outcomes but no study, to our knowledge, has evaluated their role in the clinical setting of acute viral encephalitis. Results: Subjects with acute viral encephalitis in comparison to subjects without acute viral encephalitis showed a significantly higher frequency of 2DL1 KIR gene and AA KIR haplotypes and of HLA-C2 and HLA-A-Bw4 alleles. Subjects without acute viral encephalitis showed a higher frequency of interaction between KIR2DL2 and HLAC1. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed the detrimental effect of HLA-A haplotype and HLA-C1, HLA-A-BW4 HLA-B-BW4T alleles, whereas multiple logistic regression showed a protective effect of AB+BB KIR haplotype and a detrimental effect of interaction between KIR3DL1 and HLA-A-Bw4. Discussion: Our findings of a lower frequency of activating receptors in patients with acute encephalitis compared to controls could result in a less efficient response of NK cells. This finding could represent a possible pathogenetic explanation of susceptibility to acute symptomatic encephalitis in patients with viral infection from potentially responsible viruses such as Herpes virus. Materials and Methods: 30 Consecutive patients with symptomatic acute viral encephalitis and as controls, 36 consecutive subjects without acute encephalitis were analyzed. The following KIR genes were analyzed, KIR2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3, 2DL5, 3DL1, 3DL2, 3DL3, 2DL4, 2DS1, 2DS2, 2DS3, 2DS4, 2DS5, 3DS1, 2 pseudogenes (2DP1 and 3DP1) and the common variants of KIR2DL5 (KIR2DL5A, KIR2DL5B)