Outpatient management of febrile neutropenia in children with cancer

Optimizing the therapeutic strategies based on the results of randomized studies comparing different regimens led to a better prognosis of nearly all pediatric malignancies during the past four decades. Fever and neutropenia (FN) is a common complication in patients undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. There is no consensus on when standard therapy can be safely reduced; this lack of consensus leads to important variations in management of FN between different institutions, usually conducted according to local attitudes. To address this issue, the Infection working group of the Italian association for pediatric hematology oncology (AIEOP) organized a consensus meeting. This paper reports the agreement derived from this meeting

Evans syndrome and antibody deficiency: an atypical presentation of chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

We report a case of an 8-year-old male patient with Evans syndrome and severe hypogammaglobulinemia, subsequently in whom the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) was diagnosed. No other clinical sign of 22q11.2 DS was present with the exception of slight facial dysmorphism. The case is of particular interest because it suggests the need to research chromosome 22q11.2 deletion in patients who present with autoimmune cytopenia and peculiar facial abnormalities, which could be an atypical presentation of an incomplete form of 22q11.2 DS

The role of dalbavancin in the multi-disciplinary management of wound infections in orthopaedic surgery.

Antimicrobial resistance is continuously increasing among bacterial clinical isolates (especially methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), negatively impacting on outcomes of patients with Surgical Site Infections (SSIs). A multi-disciplinary team work is essential for SSIs prevention and for the choice of antibiotic therapy of orthopaedic SSIs. In particular, an Antibiotic Stewardship (AS) approach is recommended for preserving the activity of old and new antimicrobials. Dalbavancin is a novel antimicrobial agent, belonging to the lipoglycopeptides family, recently approved by FDA for the treatment of ABSSSIs (Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections) and can be considered as a candidate for the treatment of orthopaedic superficial SSIs. An antimicrobial activity directed against MRSA and other multi-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, a bactericidal effect and an extremely extended half-life are among key features of this drug. Dalbavancin gives to clinicians the option to provid..

Genes homeobox: uma relação molecular entre o desenvolvimento e o câncer

Homeobox genes are regulatory genes encoding nuclear proteins that act as transcription factors, regulating aspects of morphogenesis and cell differentiation during normal embryonic development of several animals. Vertebrate homeobox genes can be divided in two subfamilies: clustered, or HOX genes, and nonclustered, or divergent, homeobox genes. During the last decades, several homeobox genes, clustered and nonclustered ones, were identified in normal tissue, in malignant cells, and in different diseases and metabolic alterations. Homeobox genes are involved in the normal teeth development and in familial teeth agenesis. Normal development and cancer have a great deal in common, as both processes involve shifts between cell proliferation and differentiation. The literature is accumulating evidences that homeobox genes play an important role in oncogenesis. Many cancers exhibit expression of or alteration in homeobox genes. Those include leukemias, colon, skin, prostate, breast and ovarian cancers, among others. This review is aimed at introducing readers to some of the homeobox family functions in normal tissues and especially in cancer.Os genes homeobox são genes reguladores que codificam proteínas nucleares as quais atuam como fatores de transcrição, regulando vários aspectos da morfogênese e da diferenciação celular durante o desenvolvimento embrionário normal de diversos animais. Os genes homeobox de vertebrados podem ser subdivididos em duas famílias: os agrupados, ou HOX, e os não agrupados, ou divergentes. Durante as últimas décadas, vários genes homeobox, agrupados e não agrupados, foram identificados em tecidos normais, em células malignas e em diferentes doenças e condições metabólicas. Os genes homeobox estão envolvidos, por exemplo, no desenvolvimento normal do dente e em agenesias dentárias de ocorrência familiar. O desenvolvimento normal e o câncer têm muito em comum, já que ambos envolvem proliferação celular e diferenciação. A literatura tem mostrado um número cada vez maior de trabalhos relacionando os genes homeobox à oncogênese. Muitos tipos de câncer exibem expressão ou alteração nos genes homeobox. Eles incluem leucemias, câncer de cólon, pele, próstata, mama e ovário, entre outros. Esta revisão objetiva levar os leitores a conhecer algumas das funções da família homeobox nos tecidos normais e especialmente no câncer

HOXB5 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Human HOX genes encode transcription factors that act as master regulators of embryonic development. They are important in several processes such as cellular morphogenesis and differentiation. The HOXB5 gene in particular has been reported in some types of neoplasm, but not in oral cancer. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the expression of HOXB5 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and in non-tumoral adjacent tissues, focusing on verifying its possible role as a broad tumor-associated gene and its association with histopathological and clinical (TNM) characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: RT-PCR was performed to amplify HOXB5 mRNA in 15 OSCCs and adjacent non-tumoral epithelium. A possible association with TNM and histopathologic data was verifed by the chi-square and post-hoc t-test. RESULTS: HOXB5 was amplifed in 60% non-tumoral epithelium and in 93.3% carcinomas. No statistically signifcant differences were found regarding the HOXB5 mRNA expression and TNM or histological grade. CONCLUSION: HOXB5 is expressed in OSCCs and its role in cancer progression should be further investigated.FAPESPCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Rapid and reliable MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification of Candida non-albicans isolates from bloodstream infections

n/

Pro-neurogenesis therapy rescues hippocampal-mediated learning and memory deficits in the ts65dn mouse model of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent cause of mental retardation in adults and children. It has been proposed that cognitive disabilities associated with DS may be ascribed to neurogenesis impairment during both development and adulthood. This view is supported by findings in relevant genetic animal models of DS. Specifically, it has been shown that the Ts65Dn mouse model recapitulates key cognitive deficits of DS and presents significant impairment of neurogenesis. Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of rodents has been associated to memory formation and hippocampus-dependent learning. Thus, the poor performance of Ts65Dn mice in learning and memory tasks may be due to impaired DG adult neurogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that lithium administration restores neurogenesis in the subventricular zone of Ts65Dn mice. We postulated that lithium administration could also restore DG neurogenesis enhancing hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions. To elucidate the effects of lithium-induced neurogenesis on cognition, we thus administrated lithium carbonate (2.4 g/kg of chow) to Ts65Dn mice for 1 month and evaluated its effects on learning and memory tasks, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the DG. Neuronal precursor proliferation and neurogenesis were assessed by BrdU labeling of dividing cells and immunohistochemistry analysis with specific markers of newborn neurons (i.e., doublecortin and calretinin). Long term potentiation was evaluated by field recordings in the DG of hippocampal slices from lithium-treated and untreated mice. Functional effects of lithium on learning and memory have been evaluated using the novel object recognition task and the contextual fear conditioning test. We found that chronic lithium administration effectively promoted neurogenesis in the DG of Ts65Dn mice, restoring synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions. This indicates that lithium may be of potential benefit for DS therapy. Further analyses are ongoing to unravel molecular mechanisms underlying lithium effects on neurogenesis and cognition

Neurogenesis as therapeutic target to rescue hippocampal-mediated learning and memory deficits in a mouse model of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent cause of cognitive disability in children and adults. It has been reported that defects in neurogenesis occur both during development and adulthood and possibly underlie cognitive dysfunction associated with DS. Recent studies have taken advantage of mouse models reproducing essential genetic and cognitive features of the disease to highlight key pathological mechanisms. Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of rodents has been associated to memory formation and hippocampus-dependent learning. It has been proposed that the impaired performance in learning and memory tasks of adult DS mouse models is due to decreased DG neurogenesis. Lithium is an extensively used mood stabilizer that also stimulates neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. In view of identifying an effective pharmacological treatment to alleviate DS cognitive impairment, we assessed whether lithium treatment could enhance neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and cognitive performance in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. Lithium was administered to mice in the food (2.4 g/kg of chow) for 1 month. BrdU was administered at the end of the treatment to quantify neuronal precursor proliferation by immunohistochemistry. Long term potentation (LTP) was evaluated by field recordings in the DG of hippocampal slices from treated and untreated mice. Functional effects of lithium treatment on learning and memory have been evaluated using the novel object recognition test. Initial results showed that chronic lithium treatment effectively promoted neurogenesis in the DG of Ts65Dn mice and restored both synaptic plasticity and memory functions. Further analyses are ongoing to unravel molecular mechanisms underlying lithium effects on neurogenesis and cognition