Augmented serum level of major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) protein and reduced NKG2D expression on NK and T cells in patients with cervical cancer and precursor lesions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. NK and cytotoxic T cells play an important role in the elimination of virus-infected and tumor cells through NKG2D activating receptors, which can promote the lysis of target cells by binding to the major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) proteins. Increased serum levels of MICA have been found in patients with epithelial tumors. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of soluble MICA (sMICA) and NKG2D-expressing NK and T cells in blood samples from patients with cervical cancer or precursor lesions with those from healthy donors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Peripheral blood with or without heparin was collected to obtain mononuclear cells or sera, respectively. Serum sMICA levels were measured by ELISA and NKG2D-expressing immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Also, a correlation analysis was performed to associate sMICA levels with either NKG2D expression or with the stage of the lesion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significant amounts of sMICA were detected in sera from nearly all patients. We found a decrease in the number of NKG2D-expressing NK and T cells in both cervical cancer and lesion groups when compared to healthy donors. Pearson analysis showed a negative correlation between sMICA and NKG2D-expressing T cells; however, we did not find a significant correlation when the analysis was applied to sMICA and NKG2D expression on NK cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results show for the first time that high sMICA levels are found in sera from patients with both cervical cancer and precursor lesions when compared with healthy donors. We also observed a diminution in the number of NKG2D-expressing NK and T cells in the patient samples; however, a significant negative correlation between sMICA and NKG2D expression was only seen in T cells.</p

A Comparative Structural Bioinformatics Analysis of the Insulin Receptor Family Ectodomain Based on Phylogenetic Information

The insulin receptor (IR), the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and the insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) are covalently-linked homodimers made up of several structural domains. The molecular mechanism of ligand binding to the ectodomain of these receptors and the resulting activation of their tyrosine kinase domain is still not well understood. We have carried out an amino acid residue conservation analysis in order to reconstruct the phylogeny of the IR Family. We have confirmed the location of ligand binding site 1 of the IGF1R and IR. Importantly, we have also predicted the likely location of the insulin binding site 2 on the surface of the fibronectin type III domains of the IR. An evolutionary conserved surface on the second leucine-rich domain that may interact with the ligand could not be detected. We suggest a possible mechanical trigger of the activation of the IR that involves a slight ‘twist’ rotation of the last two fibronectin type III domains in order to face the likely location of insulin. Finally, a strong selective pressure was found amongst the IRR orthologous sequences, suggesting that this orphan receptor has a yet unknown physiological role which may be conserved from amphibians to mammals

Incidence and management of hydrocele following varicocele surgery in children.

PURPOSE: Hydrocele seems to be the most frequent complication in children who undergo surgery for varicocele and the issue of the optimal management of hydrocele remains controversial. In this retrospective study we evaluated the incidence and management of hydrocele following surgical treatment of varicocele in children treated at 8 European centers of pediatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 5-year period 278 children between 7 and 17 years old underwent surgical treatment for unilateral left varicocele, including 187 using video surgery and 91 via an open inguinal approach. RESULTS: At an average followup of 24 months (range 12 to 60) 34 children (12.2%) had a left hydrocele. Of the 278 children 14 (5%) were lost to followup. The hydrocele appeared between 1 week and 44 months (median 2 months) after surgery. Concerning hydrocele management 16 of 34 children (47%) were treated with scrotal puncture while under local anesthesia, which led to hydrocele regression after a median of 3 punctures (range 1 to 5), 12 (35.3%) underwent clinical observation since the hydrocele reduced spontaneously within a median of 12 months after its appearance and 6 (17.7%) were treated with open surgery. In 4 cases the hydrocele disappeared and in 2 it recurred after surgery and was successfully treated with punctures. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the median incidence of hydrocele after varicocele surgery is about 12% but it seems higher after artery nonsparing vs sparing procedures (17.6% vs 4.3%). On the contrary, no difference was found when the procedure was performed using video surgery or with the open approach. Hydroceles generally develop a few months later but may also appear several years after the surgical repair of varicocele. Noninvasive procedures (scrotal punctures or clinical observation) seem to induce total hydrocele regression in more than 82% of cases. Children who undergo surgery for varicocele should undergo long-term followup to detect a possible hydrocele. In fact, the 5.4% of children lost to followup in our study may potentially have had a hydrocele. Surgery is not always successful for this condition, as shown in the 2 cases of recurrent hydrocele after surgical repair

Incidence and management of hydrocele following varicocele surgery in children

PURPOSE: Hydrocele seems to be the most frequent complication in children who undergo surgery for varicocele and the issue of the optimal management of hydrocele remains controversial. In this retrospective study we evaluated the incidence and management of hydrocele following surgical treatment of varicocele in children treated at 8 European centers of pediatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 5-year period 278 children between 7 and 17 years old underwent surgical treatment for unilateral left varicocele, including 187 using video surgery and 91 via an open inguinal approach. RESULTS: At an average followup of 24 months (range 12 to 60) 34 children (12.2%) had a left hydrocele. Of the 278 children 14 (5%) were lost to followup. The hydrocele appeared between 1 week and 44 months (median 2 months) after surgery. Concerning hydrocele management 16 of 34 children (47%) were treated with scrotal puncture while under local anesthesia, which led to hydrocele regression after a median of 3 punctures (range 1 to 5), 12 (35.3%) underwent clinical observation since the hydrocele reduced spontaneously within a median of 12 months after its appearance and 6 (17.7%) were treated with open surgery. In 4 cases the hydrocele disappeared and in 2 it recurred after surgery and was successfully treated with punctures. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the median incidence of hydrocele after varicocele surgery is about 12% but it seems higher after artery nonsparing vs sparing procedures (17.6% vs 4.3%). On the contrary, no difference was found when the procedure was performed using video surgery or with the open approach. Hydroceles generally develop a few months later but may also appear several years after the surgical repair of varicocele. Noninvasive procedures (scrotal punctures or clinical observation) seem to induce total hydrocele regression in more than 82% of cases. Children who undergo surgery for varicocele should undergo long-term followup to detect a possible hydrocele. In fact, the 5.4% of children lost to followup in our study may potentially have had a hydrocele. Surgery is not always successful for this condition, as shown in the 2 cases of recurrent hydrocele after surgical repair

Improving Safe Consumer Transfers in a Day Treatment Setting Using Training and Feedback

An intervention package that included employee training, supervisory feedback, and graphic feedback was developed to increase employees' safe patient-transfers at a day treatment center for adults with disabilities. The intervention was developed based on the center's results from a Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC), which focused on antecedents, equipment and processes, knowledge and skills, and consequences related to patient-transfers. A multiple baseline (MBL) across two lifts (pivot and trunk), with one lift (side) remaining in baseline was used to evaluate the effects of the treatment package on three lifts commonly used by three health-care workers. The results indicated a substantial increase in the overall safe performance of the three lifts. The mean increase for group safety performance following intervention was 34% and 29% over baseline measures for the two target transfers, and 28% over baseline measures for the nontargeted transfer. The implications of these findings suggest that in settings where patient transfers are frequent and injuries are likely to occur (e.g., hospitals, day treatment centers), safe lifting and transferring behaviors can improve with an efficient and cost-effective intervention

An evaluation study of youth participation in youth work: a case study in Southern Italy

In this paper an evaluation study of a public programme that financed a regional network of 157 youth centres in the South of Italy was presented. A theory-based evaluation model was adopted to explore the causal links between different kind of participation experiences. Evaluation questions focused on three main issues: the empowerment perception of the team during the management of the centres; the empowering effect of participation in the organization of the youth centre; and the decision making abilities of the young people involved. After an exploratory study, an on-line structured questionnaire has been administered to all the centres. New youth centres appear as striving to become sustainable enterprises. However, there is a common difficulty to integrate day to day management and sustainability strategies. This difficulty is lower when project leaders participated in the design of the centres together with other young people. Thus, results confirmed that participation in the design was an empowering experience. However, this study warns against some unwanted effects of the participation. For instance, participation processes was a form of decorative consultation for half of the cases. Therefore, empirical evidence suggests further research to focus on the creation of stable participation structures inside the centres to avoid the risk of participation processes without a real effect on decisions