An integrated program using TAKTIC to control mange in swine

An integrated treatment program for sarcoptic mange control using TAKTIC@ (omitral.) 12.5% EC was evaluated at eight., privately owned, farrow to finish swine facilities in a four-state area. At all locations the treatment program consisted of an initial whole-herd treatment. phase followed by scheduled treatments applied in conjunction with routine ffionagement practices. Evaluations of mite scrapings taken at scheduled pretreatment and posttreatment intervals showed a 50· 100% reduction in sacroptic mange infestation levels following implementation of the TAKTIC@ treatment program which consisted of an initial treatment and a maintenllnce schedule. Comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment production records showed 10· 15 d earlier maturity in finishing pig market weight, increases of 0.1 -2.1 weaned pigs/Jitter, and decreases in piglet processing and nursing mortality following implementation of the TAKTIC@ treatment program. A theoretical example of the potential for increase return to profit based on these findings is presented

Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of live toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and toxoplasma antigen on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic potency of live Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites as well as Toxoplasma antigen on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. Cancer cell lines are considered an essential preliminary step towards in-vitro investigation of the potential antineoplastic impact of novel chemotherapeutic agents. Pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites are noticeably under investigation, considering their potential antineoplastic activity. Some have attained a steady position in the clinical field as hepatitis B virus, human papilloma virus and BCG immunization. Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite with promising antineoplastic activity. In this study, live Toxoplasma tachyzoites provoked a direct cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 in a dose dependent manner, while Toxoplasma antigen didn’t induce such impact. Skipping the direct cytotoxic effect of Toxoplasma antigen doesn’t totally divert the possible antineoplastic activity of Toxoplasma antigen. Potential alternative immune mediated mechanisms could be an alternative. Further in-vivo studies in different cancer models are mandatory to investigate the underlying mechanisms of antineoplastic activity of Toxoplasma gondi

Maintenance therapy in NSCLC: why? To whom? Which agent?

Maintenance therapy is emerging as a treatment strategy in the management of advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Initial trials addressing the question of duration of combination chemotherapy failed to show any overall survival benefit for the prolonged administration over a fixed number of cycles with an increased risk for cumulative toxicity. Nowadays several agents with different ways of administration and a different pattern of toxicity have been formally investigated in the maintenance setting. Maintenance strategies include continuing with an agent already present in the induction regimen or switching to a different one. Taking into consideration that no comparative trials of maintenance with different chemotherapy drugs or targeted agents have been conducted, the choice and the duration of maintenance agents is largely empirical. Furthermore, it is still unknown and it remains an open question if this approach needs to be proposed to every patient in the case of partial/complete response or stable disease after the induction therapy. Here, we critically review available data on maintenance treatment, discussing the possibility to tailor the right treatment to the right patient, in an attempt to optimize costs and benefits of an ever-growing panel of different treatment options

PCR-Based Identification of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis, the Agent of Rhinoscleroma

Rhinoscleroma is a chronic granulomatous infection of the upper airways caused by the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis. The disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas, but its diagnosis remains difficult. As a consequence, and despite available antibiotherapy, some patients evolve advanced stages that can lead to disfiguration, severe respiratory impairment and death by anoxia. Because identification of the etiologic agent is crucial for the definitive diagnosis of the disease, the aim of this study was to develop two simple PCR assays. We took advantage of the fact that all Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis isolates are (i) of capsular serotype K3; and (ii) belong to a single clone with diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The complete sequence of the genomic region comprising the capsular polysaccharide synthesis (cps) gene cluster was determined. Putative functions of the 21 genes identified were consistent with the structure of the K3 antigen. The K3-specific sequence of gene Kr11509 (wzy) was exploited to set up a PCR test, which was positive for 40 K3 strains but negative when assayed on the 76 other Klebsiella capsular types. Further, to discriminate Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis from other K3 Klebsiella strains, a specific PCR assay was developed based on diagnostic SNPs in the phosphate porin gene phoE. This work provides rapid and simple molecular tools to confirm the diagnostic of rhinoscleroma, which should improve patient care as well as knowledge on the prevalence and epidemiology of rhinoscleroma

HER1-Targeted 86Y-Panitumumab Possesses Superior Targeting Characteristics than 86Y-Cetuximab for PET Imaging of Human Malignant Mesothelioma Tumors Xenografts

Malignant mesothelioma (MM), a rare form of cancer is often associated with previous exposure to fibrous minerals, such as asbestos. Asbestos exposure increases HER1-activity and expression in pre-clinical models. Additionally, HER1 over-expression is observed in the majority of MM cases. In this study, the utility of HER1-targeted chimeric IgG(1), cetuximab, and a human IgG(2), panitumumab, radiolabeled with (86)Y, were evaluated for PET imaging to detect MM non-invasively in vivo, and to select an antibody candidate for radioimmunotherapy (RIT).Radioimmunoconjugates (RICs) of cetuximab and panitumumab were prepared by conjugation with CHX-A''-DTPA followed by radiolabeling with (86)Y. The HER1 expression of NCI-H226, NCI-H2052, NCI-H2452 and MSTO-211H human mesothelioma cells was characterized by flow cytometry. In vivo biodistribution, pharmacokinetic analysis, and PET imaging were performed in tumor bearing athymic mice.In vivo studies demonstrated high HER1 tumor uptake of both RICs. Significant reduction in tumor uptake was observed in mice co-injected with excess mAb (0.1 mg), demonstrating that uptake in the tumor was receptor specific. Significant differences were observed in the in vivo characteristics of the RICs. The blood clearance T(½)α of (86)Y-cetuximab (0.9-1.1 h) was faster than (86)Y-panitumumab (2.6-3.1 h). Also, the tumor area under the curve (AUC) to liver AUC ratios of (86)Y-panitumumab were 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than (86)Y-cetuximab as observed by the differences in PET tumor to background ratios, which could be critical when imaging orthotopic tumors and concerns regarding radiation doses to normal organs such as the liver.This study demonstrates the more favorable HER1-targeting characteristics of (86)Y-panitumumab than (86)Y-cetuximab for non-invasive assessment of the HER1 status of MM by PET imaging. Due to lower liver uptake, panitumumab based immunoconjugates may fare better in therapy than corresponding cetuximab based immunoconjugates

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Soluble egg antigen of Schistosoma Haematobium induces HCV replication in PBMC from patients with chronic HCV infection

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to examine, in vitro , the effect of soluble egg antigen (SEA) of S. haematobium on intracellular HCV RNA load in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) as well as on cell proliferation in patients with chronic HCV infection. METHODS: PBMC from 26 patients with chronic HCV infection were cultured for 72 hours in presence and absence of 50 μg SEA/ml medium. Intracellular HCV RNA quantification of plus and minus strands was assessed before and after stimulation. PBMC from five healthy subjects were cultured for 7 days, flow cytometric analysis of DNA content was used to assess the mitogenic effect of SEA on PBMC proliferation compared to phytoheamaglutinine (PHA). RESULTS: Quantification of the intracellular viral load showed increased copy number/cell of both or either viral strands after induction with SEA in 18 of 26 patients (69.2%) thus indicating stimulation of viral replication. Flow cytometric analysis showed that mean ± S.D. of percent values of cell proliferation was induced from 3.2 ± 1.5% in un-stimulated cells to 16.7 ± 2.5 % and 16.84 ± 1.7 % in cells stimulated with PHA and SEA respectively. CONCLUSION: the present study supports earlier reports on SEA proliferative activity on PBMC and provides a strong evidence that the higher morbidity observed in patients co-infected with schistosomiasis and HCV is related, at least in part, to direct stimulation of viral replication by SEA

Imaging of hydrothermal altered zones in Wadi Al-Bana, in southern Yemen, using remote sensing techniques and very low frequency–electromagnetic data

© 2019, Saudi Society for Geosciences. Economic mineralization and hydrothermally altered zones are areas of great economic interests. This study focusses on hydrothermal altered zones of high mineralization potentials in Wadi Al-Bana, in southern Yemen. An azimuthal very low frequency–electromagnetic (AVLF-EM) data acquisition was conducted in search for mineralization in the study area. The study integrated observations from geophysical field data with others extracted from object-oriented principal component analysis (PCA) to better map and understand mineralization in the investigated area. This technique was applied to two data sets, ASTER and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery. The results of PCA revealed high accuracy in detecting alteration minerals and for mapping zones of high concentration of these minerals. The PCA-based distribution of selected alteration zones correlated spatially with high conductivity anomalies in the subsurface that were detected by VLF measurements. Finally, a GIS model was built and successfully utilized to categorize the resulted altered zones, into three levels. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

CD8+ T Cells as a Source of IFN-γ Production in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is usually a self-healing skin lesion caused by different species of Leishmania parasite. Resistance and susceptibility of mice to Leishmania major infection is associated with two types of CD4+ T lymphocytes development: Th1 type response with production of cytokine IFN-γ is associated with resistance, whereas Th2 type response with production of cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 is associated with susceptibility. A clear Th1/Th2 dichotomy similar to murine model is not defined in human leishmaniasis and we need as much information as possible to define marker(s) of protection. We purified CD4+/CD8+ T cells, stimulated them with Leishmania antigens and analysed gene and protein expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines in volunteers with a history of self-healing CL who are presumed to be protected against further Leishmania infection. We have seen significant upregulation of IFN-γ gene expression and high IFN-γ production in the Leishmania stimulated CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. We concluded that both antigen-specific IFN-γ producing CD4+ Th1 cells and IFN-γ producing CD8+ T cells contribute to the long term protection in individuals with a history of CL. This proves the importance of CD8+ T cells as a source of IFN-γ in Th1-like immune responses