152 research outputs found

    Analysis by in Situ Hybridization of Cells Expressing mRNA for Tumor-Necrosis Factor in the Developing Thymus of Mice

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    We have used in situ hybridization to investigate the expression of TNF-α genes by thymic cells during fetal development in mice. In 14-day-old fetal thymuses, very scarce cells produce TNF-α mRNA. A second phase of cytokine gene expression starts on day 16. The density of positive cells progressively increases up to day 20. Thymuses at 15 days of gestation and after birth do not express detectable cytokine mRNA. In an attempt to identify the nature of the TNF-α mRNA-producing cells, acid phosphatase activity, which is characteristic of the macrophage lineage, was studied in the same thymuses. Acid phosphatase-positive cells only appear on day 15. Their frequency increases up to birth. However, no correlation can be established between acid phosphatase—and TNFα mRNA— positive cells. The results indicate that a small subset of thymic cells is responsible for TNF-α mRNA production during ontogeny: These cells are not yet identified. The possible role of TNF-α in thymic ontogeny is discussed

    Erdheim-Chester disease : a case report

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    We report the case of a 47-year-old woman with unexplained inflammatory syndrome and asthenia. Imaging findings show bilateral abnormalities of femurs and tibias, suggesting an Erdheim-Chester disease, which is confirmed by a bone marrow biopsy of the left femur. The BRAF V600E mutation is detected, allowing the administration of targeted therapies such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors that lead to the improvement of symptoms

    Study Protocol: Transition_psy a Multicenter Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study Assessing Risk and Protective Factors to Develop Psychopathology in Transitional Age Youth in Belgium

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    Introduction: Emerging adults are a particularly at-risk population in mental health. The primary aim of the Transition_psy study is to evaluate changes in mental health care need and quality of life during transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). The relationship between these changes and genetic or environmental vulnerabilities and clinical dimensions representing risk and protective factors to the development of psychopathology will be analyzed. We also aim to explore how each factor plays, specifically, a role in developing internalizing and externalizing symptoms, in order to predict the most common paths of psychopathology in transitional age youth (TAY).Methods and Analysis:Transition_psy is a multicenter prospective longitudinal cohort study. The transversal and trans-diagnostic approach consists of a dimensional evaluation: 300 youth at the age of 17 will be included in a cohort of in-patients, out-patients and control group. Participants will be assessed at baseline (T0) and 24 months later (T1). The primary objective to determine changes in self-rated Health Of The Nation Outcome Scales For Children And Adolescents (HONOSCA-SR) and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scores between T0 and T1. Pearson correlation and mediation analysis will be performed. A secondary objective analysis using mediation and moderation models with several dimensional aspects, including self-reported and cognitive measures, will be conducted to disentangle the potential relationships between the two scores.Discussion: Transition from CAMHS to AMHS occurs at a crucial age in terms of the continuum between adolescent and adulthood psychopathology. This collaborative and cohesive protocol between CAMHS and AMHS represents the first national cohort study about Transition Psychiatry in French-speaking Belgium.Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards (IRB) of the three participating sites. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at national and international conferences. This trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04333797) on 3 April 2020

    Myoferlin controls mitochondrial structure and activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and affects tumor aggressiveness

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    Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Therapeutic options remain very limited and are based on classical chemotherapies. Energy metabolism reprogramming appears as an emerging hallmark of cancer and is considered a therapeutic target with considerable potential. Myoferlin, a ferlin family member protein overexpressed in PDAC, is involved in plasma membrane biology and has a tumor-promoting function. In the continuity of our previous studies, we investigated the role of myoferlin in the context of energy metabolism in PDAC. We used selected PDAC tumor samples and PDAC cell lines together with small interfering RNA technology to study the role of myoferlin in energetic metabolism. In PDAC patients, we showed that myoferlin expression is negatively correlated with overall survival and with glycolytic activity evaluated by 18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography. We found out that myoferlin is more abundant in lipogenic pancreatic cancer cell lines and is required to maintain a branched mitochondrial structure and a high oxidative phosphorylation activity. The observed mitochondrial fission induced by myoferlin depletion led to a decrease of cell proliferation, ATP production, and autophagy induction, thus indicating an essential role of myoferlin for PDAC cell fitness. The metabolic phenotype switch generated by myoferlin silencing could open up a new perspective in the development of therapeutic strategies, especially in the context of energy metabolism

    Alibaba, un projet d’avenir pour la Wallonie ?

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    Dans la matinée du mercredi 5 décembre 2018, le gouvernement fédéral vacille. Le Premier ministre doit prendre la parole devant la Chambre, mais ce matin-là, Charles Michel est à l’aéroport de Liège, pour la signature de l’arrivée du géant chinois du commerce en ligne, Alibaba, via sa filiale Cainiao. « Un jour historique », selon lui
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