A rare case report of an ilio-psoas abscess due to entero-retroperitoneal fistula from gallstones post cholecystectomy

Introduction and importance: This is a novel case of a 50-year-old female presenting with several months of left iliac fossa pain, on a background of a cholecystectomy 5 years prior. The aetiology of her pain was an ilio-psoas abscess secondary to an entero-retroperitoneal gallstone fistula, a condition not previously reported in the literature. Case presentation: CT imaging revealed an abscess superior to the left psoas muscle, with a clear fistula to the small bowel and two calcified stones at the site of the fistula. The patient was managed operatively, with the fistula disconnected and a 5 cm section of small bowel disconnected. Clinical discussion: This is a novel case whereby a left sided iliopsoas abscess occurred due to entero-retroperitoneal fistulation of gallstones several years after the patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Gallstone fistulation from within the small bowel does not appear to have previously been documented and the exact pathogenesis is unknown. Conclusion: Gallstones should remain an important, albeit rare, differential diagnosis of small bowel fistulation and abscess formation following cholecystectomy

Predictive value of hematological and phenotypical parameters on postchemotherapy leukocyte recovery

Background: Grade IV chemotherapy toxicity is defined as absolute neutrophil count <500/μL. The nadir is considered as the lowest neutrophil number following chemotherapy, and generally is not expected before the 7th day from the start of chemotherapy. The usual prophylactic dose of rHu-G-CSF (Filgrastim) is 300 μg/day, starting 24-48 h after chemotherapy until hematological recovery. However, individual patient response is largely variable, so that rHu-G-CSF doses can be different. The aim of this study was to verify if peripheral blood automated flow cytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis may be helpful in predicting the individual response and saving rHu-G-CSF. Methods: During Grade IV neutropenia, blood counts from 30 cancer patients were analyzed daily by ADVIA 120 automated flow cytochemistry analyzer and by Facscalibur flow cytometer till the nadir. "Large unstained cells" (LUCs), myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), blasts, and various cell subpopulations in the peripheral blood were studied. At nadir rHu-G-CSF was started and 81 chemotherapy cycles were analyzed. Cycles were stratified according to their number and to two dose-levels of rHuG-CSF needed to recovery (300-600 vs. 900-1200 μg) and analyzed in relation to mean values of MPXI and mean absolute number of LUCs in the nadir phase. The linear regressions of LUCs % over time in relation to two dose-levels of rHu-G-CSF and uni-multivariate analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations, CD34+ cells, MPXI, and blasts were also performed. Results: In the nadir phase, the increase of MPXI above the upper limit of normality (>10; median 27.7), characterized a slow hematological recovery. MPXI levels were directly related to the cycle number and inversely related to the absolute number of LUCs and CD34 +/CD45+ cells. A faster hematological recovery was associated with a higher LUC increase per day (0.56% vs. 0.25%), higher blast (median 36.7/μL vs. 19.5/μL) and CD34+/CD45+ cell (median 2.2/μL vs. 0.82/μL) counts. Conclusions: Our study showed that some biological indicators such as MPXI, LUCs, blasts, and CD34 +/CD45+ cells may be of clinical relevance in predicting individual hematological response to rHu-G-CSF. Special attention should be paid when nadir MPXI exceeds the upper limit of normality because the hematological recovery may be delayed. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society

Year-round variation in the isotopic niche of Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) breeding in contrasting sea regions of the Mediterranean Sea

Top marine predators are key components of marine food webs. Among them, long-distance migratory seabirds, which travel across different marine ecosystems over the year, may experience important year-round changes in terms of oceanographic conditions and availability of trophic resources. We tested whether this was the case in the Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), a trans-equatorial migrant and top predator, by sampling birds breeding in three environmentally different regions of the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis of positional data and stable isotopes (δ1³C and δ15N) of target feathers revealed that birds from the three regions were spatially segregated during the breeding period while they shared non-breeding areas in the Atlantic Ocean. Isotopic baseline levels of N and C (meso-zooplankton) were significantly different among marine regions during breeding. Such variation was reflected at the higher trophic levels of pelagic and demersal fish muscles as well as in shearwater feathers grown in the Mediterranean. δ15N- and δ13C-adjusted values of shearwaters were significantly different among populations suggesting that birds from different breeding areas relied on prey species from different trophic levels. Conversely, the non-breeding spatial and isotopic niches overlapped greatly among the three populations. Shearwater trophic niches during breeding were narrower and segregated compared to the non-breeding period, revealing a high plasticity in trophic resource use. Overall, this study highlights seasonal and region-specific use of trophic resources by Scopoli's shearwater, suggesting a broad trophic plasticity and possibly a high adaptability to environmental changes

Individual quality assessment of autografting by probability estimation for clinical endpoints: a prospective validation study from the European group for blood and marrow transplantation.

The aim of supportive autografting is to reduce the side effects from stem cell transplantation and avoid procedure-related health disadvantages for patients at the lowest possible cost and resource expenditure. Economic evaluation of health care is becoming increasingly important. We report clinical and laboratory data collected from 397 consecutive adult patients (173 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 30 Hodgkin lymphoma, 160 multiple myeloma, 7 autoimmune diseases, and 28 acute leukemia) who underwent their first autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). We considered primary endpoints evaluating health economic efficacy (eg, antibiotic administration, transfusion of blood components, and time in hospital), secondary endpoints evaluating toxicity (in accordance with Common Toxicity Criteria), and tertiary endpoints evaluating safety (ie, the risk of regimen-related death or disease progression within the first year after PBSCT). A time-dependent grading of efficacy is proposed with day 21 for multiple myeloma and day 25 for the other disease categories (depending on the length of the conditioning regimen) as the acceptable maximum time in hospital, which together with antibiotics, antifungal, or transfusion therapy delineates four groups: favorable (≤7 days on antibiotics and no transfusions; ≤21 [25] days in hospital), intermediate (from 7 to 10 days on antibiotics and 7 days on antibiotics, >3 but 30/34 days in hospital after transplantation), and very unfavorable (>10 days on antibiotics, >6 transfusions; >30 to 34 days in hospital). The multivariate analysis showed that (1) PBSC harvests of ≥4 × 106/kg CD34 + cells in 1 apheresis procedure were associated with a favorable outcome in all patient categories except acute myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (P = .001), (2) ≥5 × 106/kg CD34 + cells infused predicted better transplantation outcome in all patient categories (P 500 mL) (P = .002), and (5) patients with a central venous catheter during both collection and infusion of PBSC had a more favorable outcome post-PBSCT than peripheral access (P = .007). The type of mobilization regimen did not affect the outcome of auto-PBSCT. The present study identified predictive variables, which may be useful in future individual pretransplantation probability evaluations with the goal to improve supportive care

Habitat preferences, foraging behaviour and bycatch risk among breeding sooty shearwaters Ardenna grisea in the Southwest Atlantic.

Pelagic seabirds are important components of many marine ecosystems. The most abundant species are medium/small sized petrels (<1100 g), yet the sub-mesoscale (<10 km) distribution, habitat use and foraging behaviour of this group are not well understood. Sooty shearwaters Ardenna grisea are among the world’s most numerous pelagic seabirds. The majority inhabit the Pacific, where they have declined, partly due to bycatch and other anthropogenic impacts, but they are increasing in the Atlantic. To evaluate the sub-mesoscale habitat preferences (i.e. the disproportionality between habitat use and availability), diving behaviour and bycatch risk of Atlantic breeders, we tracked sooty shearwaters from the Falkland Islands during late incubation and early chick-rearing with GPS loggers (n = 20), geolocators (n = 10) and time-depth recorders (n = 10). These birds foraged exclusively in neritic and shelf-break waters, principally over the Burdwood Bank, ~350 km from their colony. Like New Zealand breeders, they dived mostly during daylight, especially at dawn and dusk, consistent with the exploitation of vertically migrating prey. However, Falkland birds made shorter foraging trips, shallower dives, and did not forage in oceanic waters. Their overlap with fisheries was low, and they foraged at shallower depths than those targeted by trawlers, the most frequent fishing vessels encountered, indicating that bycatch risk was low during late incubation/early chick-rearing. Although our results should be treated with caution, they indicate that Atlantic and Pacific sooty shearwaters may experience markedly differing pressures at sea. Comparative study between these populations, e.g. combining biologging and demography, is therefore warranted

Assessment of distribution of CD34 epitope classes in fresh and cryopreserved peripheral blood progenitor cells and acute myeloid leukemic blasts.

So far several reports have described changes in the expression of surface antigens in progenitor cells and blasts following cryopreservation. However, there are no data on the effects of cryopreservation on the expression of the three CD34 epitope classes, and on their relationship with the clonogenic capacity of PBPC collected by leukapheresis. DESIGN AND METHODS: In order to analyze the effects of freezing/thawing procedures (Eth 80C storage for 3 months) and use of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on the immunophenotype profile and colony production of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) in apheresis products derived from 20 patients with stage 0-III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (nHL), a flow cytometry study was undertaken using different CD34 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) capable of recognizing the 3 epitope classes of CD34 molecule (class III: HPCA-2/FITC, HPCA-2/PE, 581/FITC, 581/PE; class II: Q-Bend 10/PE; class I: ICH3/PE, BI3C5-PE, Immu-133-PE). CD34 epitope expression was also analyzed in thawed CD34+ blasts obtained from 14 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), who were analyzed using a larger number (#17) of CD34 epitope class I, II, and III reactive MoAbs. RESULTS: Under our experimental conditions it was found that class III and class II CD34 epitopes (differentially resistant to enzymatic cleavage with neuraminidase, chymopapain and glycoprotease) are better preserved than class I epitope Eth sensitive to degradation Eth after cell exposure to cryoprotectant DMSO and the freezing- thawing procedures. Results further showed a concomitant decrease in class I CD34+ counts and in BFU-E colony production. A significant increase in CD34 antigen expression levels (i.e. antibody binding capacity, ABC) by cryopreserved cells stained with CD34 epitope class III, and class II reactive MoAbs was also documented, while no changes after cryopreservation were noted using class I-reactive MoAbs. The slight increase in the percentage of CD34+ cells detected after frozen storage was correlated to a concomitant decrease in the number of more mature myeloid cells (CD15+, CD13+, CD33+). Compared to pre-cryopreservation values, a slight reduction in class I CD34 epitope expression was also found in thawed CD34+ AML blasts. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: As far as the reduction of class I CD34 epitope is concerned, it may be hypothesized that the freezing procedure, use of DMSO, and/or lysis methodology may either damage a CD34 subset, or induce distinct alterations of the CD34 glycoprotein, possibly determining a reduction in their immunoreactivity with some CD34 MoAbs. In conclusion, this study has shown that exposure to the cryoprotectant DMSO and the freezing/thawing procedures modifies the distribution of CD34 epitopes as well as the clonogenic capacity of PBPCs from nHL patients, and CD34+ blasts from AML. These findings need to considered when selecting CD34 MoAbs for enumeration and positive selection of stem/progenitor cells for research and clinical purposes

Secretome profiling of oral squamous cell carcinoma-associated fibroblasts reveals organization and disassembly of extracellular matrix and collagen metabolic process signatures

An important role has been attributed to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumorigenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common tumor of the oral cavity. Previous studies demonstrated that CAF-secreted molecules promote the proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells, inducing a more aggressive phenotype. In this study, we searched for differences in the secretome of CAFs and normal oral fibroblasts (NOF) using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and biological network analysis. Comparison of the secretome profiles revealed that upregulated proteins involved mainly in extracellular matrix organization and disassembly and collagen metabolism. Among the upregulated proteins were fibronectin type III domain-containing 1 (FNDC1), serpin peptidase inhibitor type 1 (SERPINE1), and stanniocalcin 2 (STC2), the upregulation of which was validated by quantitative PCR and ELISA in an independent set of CAF cell lines. The transition of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1)-mediating NOFs into CAFs was accompanied by significant upregulation of FNDC1, SERPINE1, and STC2, confirming the participation of these proteins in the CAF-derived secretome. Type I collagen, the main constituent of the connective tissue, was also associated with several upregulated biological processes. The immunoexpression of type I collagen N-terminal propeptide (PINP) was significantly correlated in vivo with CAFs in the tumor front and was associated with significantly shortened survival of OSCC patients. Presence of CAFs in the tumor stroma was also an independent prognostic factor for OSCC disease-free survival. These results demonstrate the value of secretome profiling for evaluating the role of CAFs in the tumor microenvironment and identify potential novel therapeutic targets such as FNDC1, SERPINE1, and STC2. Furthermore, type I collagen expression by CAFs, represented by PINP levels, may be a prognostic marker of OSCC outcome.Peer reviewe

A Major Role for Side-Chain Polyglutamine Hydrogen Bonding in Irreversible Ataxin-3 Aggregation

The protein ataxin-3 consists of an N-terminal globular Josephin domain (JD) and an unstructured C-terminal region containing a stretch of consecutive glutamines that triggers the neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, when it is expanded beyond a critical threshold. The disease results from misfolding and aggregation, although the pathway and structure of the aggregation intermediates are not fully understood. In order to provide insight into the mechanism of the process, we monitored the aggregation of a normal (AT3Q24) ataxin-3, an expanded (AT3Q55) ataxin-3, and the JD in isolation. We observed that all of them aggregated, although the latter did so at a much slower rate. Furthermore, the expanded AT3Q55 displayed a substantially different behavior with respect to the two other variants in that at the latest stages of the process it was the only one that did the following: i) lost its reactivity towards an anti-oligomer antibody, ii) generated SDS-insoluble aggregates, iii) gave rise to bundles of elongated fibrils, and iv) displayed two additional bands at 1604 and 1656 cm−1 in FTIR spectroscopy. Although these were previously observed in other aggregated polyglutamine proteins, no one has assigned them unambiguously, yet. By H/D exchange experiments we show for the first time that they can be ascribed to glutamine side-chain hydrogen bonding, which is therefore the hallmark of irreversibly SDS-insoluble aggregated protein. FTIR spectra also showed that main-chain intermolecular hydrogen bonding preceded that of glutamine side-chains, which suggests that the former favors the latter by reorganizing backbone geometry

Endothelial Cells Obtained from Patients Affected by Chronic Venous Disease Exhibit a Pro-Inflammatory Phenotype

The inflammatory properties of vein endothelium in relation to chronic venous disease (CVD) have been poorly investigated. Therefore, new insights on the characteristics of large vein endothelium would increase our knowledge of large vessel physiopathology. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Surgical specimens of veins were obtained from the tertiary venous network (R3) and/or saphenous vein (SF) of patients affected by CVD and from control individuals. Highly purified venous endothelial cell (VEC) cultures obtained from CVD patients were characterized for morphological, phenotypic and functional properties compared to control VEC. An increase of CD31/PECAM-1, CD146 and ICAM-1 surface levels was documented at flow cytometry in pathological VEC with respect to normal controls. Of note, the strongest expression of these pro-inflammatory markers was observed in VEC obtained from patients with more advanced disease. Similarly, spontaneous cell proliferation and resistance to starvation was higher in pathological than in normal VEC, while the migratory response of VEC showed an opposite trend, being significantly lower in VEC obtained from pathological specimens. In addition, in keeping with a higher baseline transcriptional activity of NF-kB, the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines osteoprotegerin (OPG) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was higher in pathological VEC cultures with respect to control VEC. Interestingly, there was a systemic correlation to these in vitro data, as demonstrated by higher serum OPG and VEGF levels in CVD patients with respect to normal healthy controls. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, these data indicate that large vein endothelial cells obtained from CVD patients exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype, which might significantly contribute to systemic inflammation in CVD patients