Clinical and molecular practice of European thoracic pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. The past and the near future

Background: This study evaluated the consequences in Europe of the COVID-19 outbreak on pathology laboratories orientated toward the diagnosis of thoracic diseases. Materials and methods: A survey was sent to 71 pathology laboratories from 21 European countries. The questionnaire requested information concerning the organization of biosafety, the clinical and molecular pathology, the biobanking, the workload, the associated research into COVID-19, and the organization of education and training during the COVID- 19 crisis, from 15 March to 31 May 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. Results: Questionnaires were returned from 53/71 (75%) laboratories from 18 European countries. The biosafety procedures were heterogeneous. The workload in clinical and molecular pathology decreased dramatically by 31% (range, 3%-55%) and 26% (range, 7%-62%), respectively. According to the professional category, between 28% and 41% of the staff members were not present in the laboratories but did teleworking. A total of 70% of the laboratories developed virtual meetings for the training of residents and junior pathologists. During the period of study, none of the staff members with confirmed COVID-19 became infected as a result of handling samples. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on most of the European pathology laboratories included in this study. Urgent implementation of several changes to the organization of most of these laboratories, notably to better harmonize biosafety procedures, was noted at the onset of the pandemic and maintained in the event of a new wave of infection occurring in Europe

Liposarcoma of the pleural cavity. An exceptional tumour

Primitive liposarcomas of the pleura are exceptional tumours.We report a new case of primitive liposarcoma of the pleura revealed by chest pains in a 50 year old man. Computed tomography showed a large fat density mass in the left pleural cavity. Surgical resection was performed, completed with adjuvant radiotherapy. Few reports are available in the literary world. We present our case, review previously reported cases and discuss treatment

Clinical and molecular practice of European thoracic pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. The past and the near future

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the consequences in Europe of the COVID-19 outbreak on pathology laboratories orientated toward the diagnosis of thoracic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was sent to 71 pathology laboratories from 21 European countries. The questionnaire requested information concerning the organization of biosafety, the clinical and molecular pathology, the biobanking, the workload, the associated research into COVID-19, and the organization of education and training during the COVID-19 crisis, from 15 March to 31 May 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned from 53/71 (75%) laboratories from 18 European countries. The biosafety procedures were heterogeneous. The workload in clinical and molecular pathology decreased dramatically by 31% (range, 3%-55%) and 26% (range, 7%-62%), respectively. According to the professional category, between 28% and 41% of the staff members were not present in the laboratories but did teleworking. A total of 70% of the laboratories developed virtual meetings for the training of residents and junior pathologists. During the period of study, none of the staff members with confirmed COVID-19 became infected as a result of handling samples. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on most of the European pathology laboratories included in this study. Urgent implementation of several changes to the organization of most of these laboratories, notably to better harmonize biosafety procedures, was noted at the onset of the pandemic and maintained in the event of a new wave of infection occurring in Europe

Genesis of a Fungal Non-Self Recognition Repertoire

Conspecific allorecognition, the ability for an organism to discriminate its own cells from those of another individual of the same species, has been developed by many organisms. Allorecognition specificities are determined by highly polymorphic genes. The processes by which this extreme polymorphism is generated remain largely unknown. Fungi are able to form heterokaryons by fusion of somatic cells, and somatic non self-recognition is controlled by heterokaryon incompatibility loci (het loci). Herein, we have analyzed the evolutionary features of the het-d and het-e fungal allorecognition genes. In these het genes, allorecognition specificity is determined by a polymorphic WD-repeat domain. We found that het-d and het-e belong to a large gene family with 10 members that all share the WD-repeat domain and show that repeats of all members of the family undergo concerted evolution. It follows that repeat units are constantly exchanged both within and between members of the gene family. As a consequence, high mutation supply in the repeat domain is ensured due to the high total copy number of repeats. We then show that in each repeat four residues located at the protein/protein interaction surface of the WD-repeat domain are under positive diversifying selection. Diversification of het-d and het-e is thus ensured by high mutation supply, followed by reshuffling of the repeats and positive selection for favourable variants. We also propose that RIP, a fungal specific hypermutation process acting specifically on repeated sequences might further enhance mutation supply. The combination of these evolutionary mechanisms constitutes an original process for generating extensive polymorphism at loci that require rapid diversification

Clinical and molecular practice of European thoracic pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. The past and the near future.

This study evaluated the consequences in Europe of the COVID-19 outbreak on pathology laboratories orientated toward the diagnosis of thoracic diseases. A survey was sent to 71 pathology laboratories from 21 European countries. The questionnaire requested information concerning the organization of biosafety, the clinical and molecular pathology, the biobanking, the workload, the associated research into COVID-19, and the organization of education and training during the COVID-19 crisis, from 15 March to 31 May 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. Questionnaires were returned from 53/71 (75%) laboratories from 18 European countries. The biosafety procedures were heterogeneous. The workload in clinical and molecular pathology decreased dramatically by 31% (range, 3%-55%) and 26% (range, 7%-62%), respectively. According to the professional category, between 28% and 41% of the staff members were not present in the laboratories but did teleworking. A total of 70% of the laboratories developed virtual meetings for the training of residents and junior pathologists. During the period of study, none of the staff members with confirmed COVID-19 became infected as a result of handling samples. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on most of the European pathology laboratories included in this study. Urgent implementation of several changes to the organization of most of these laboratories, notably to better harmonize biosafety procedures, was noted at the onset of the pandemic and maintained in the event of a new wave of infection occurring in Europe

Clinical and molecular practice of European thoracic pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic The past and the near future

BackgroundThis study evaluated the consequences in Europe of the COVID-19 outbreak on pathology laboratories orientated toward the diagnosis of thoracic diseases.Materials and methodsA survey was sent to 71 pathology laboratories from 21 European countries. The questionnaire requested information concerning the organization of biosafety, the clinical and molecular pathology, the biobanking, the workload, the associated research into COVID-19, and the organization of education and training during the COVID-19 crisis, from 15 March to 31 May 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.ResultsQuestionnaires were returned from 53/71 (75%) laboratories from 18 European countries. The biosafety procedures were heterogeneous. The workload in clinical and molecular pathology decreased dramatically by 31% (range, 3%-55%) and 26% (range, 7%-62%), respectively. According to the professional category, between 28% and 41% of the staff members were not present in the laboratories but did teleworking. A total of 70% of the laboratories developed virtual meetings for the training of residents and junior pathologists. During the period of study, none of the staff members with confirmed COVID-19 became infected as a result of handling samples.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on most of the European pathology laboratories included in this study. Urgent implementation of several changes to the organization of most of these laboratories, notably to better harmonize biosafety procedures, was noted at the onset of the pandemic and maintained in the event of a new wave of infection occurring in Europe

c-erb-A mRNA content and triiodothyronine nuclear receptor binding capacity in rat liver according to vitamin A status

AbstractVitamin A is required for normal growth and development and synergistically acts with thyroid hormones in these processes. Effects of retinol dietary intake (0, 5, 50 U retinol/g food) on the triiodothyronine (T3) nuclear receptor were examined in rat liver. Properties of this receptor have been investigated by an in vitro binding method. The amount of c-erb-A mRNA has been deduced by reverse transcription and amplification methods (PCR). Results show that both retinol deficiency and excess leads to a reduced amount of c-erb-A mRNA and to a decreased T3 binding capacity, suggesting that retinol, or retinoic acid which is its natural metabolite, contributes to the regulation of the T3 nuclear receptor properties