Levels of (1→3)-β-D-glucan, Candida mannan and Candida DNA in serum samples of pediatric cancer patients colonized with Candida species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Surveillance cultures may be helpful in identifying patients at increased risk of developing invasive candidiasis. However, only scant information exists on the effect of <it>Candida </it>colonization on serum levels of diagnostic biomarkers. This prospective surveillance study determined the extent of <it>Candida </it>colonization among pediatric cancer patients and its possible impact on serum levels of (1-3)-β-D-glucan (BDG), <it>Candida </it>mannan and <it>Candida </it>DNA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 1075 swabs originating from oropharynx (n = 294), nostrils (n = 600), rectum (n = 28), groin (n = 50), ear (n = 54), and axilla (n = 49) of 63 pediatric cancer patients were cultured for the isolation of <it>Candida </it>spp. Patients yielding <it>Candida </it>spp. from any sites were considered as colonized. Serum samples were collected from patients at the time of first surveillance culture for detection of BDG by Fungitell kit and <it>Candida </it>mannan by Platelia <it>Candida </it>Ag. <it>Candida </it>DNA was detected by using panfungal primers and identification was carried out by using species-specific primers and DNA sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-five (7.6%) swab cultures from 35 (55.5%) patients yielded <it>Candida </it>spp. These isolates included <it>C. albicans </it>(n = 62), <it>C. dubliniensis </it>(n = 8), <it>C. glabrata </it>and <it>C. tropicalis </it>(n = 2 each) and <it>C. krusei </it>(n = 1). Eleven patients were colonized at three or more sites. Eight of 36 serum samples from 6 colonized patients yielded BDG values higher than the currently recommended cut-off value of ≥80 pg/ml. However, none of the serum samples yielded <it>Candida </it>mannan levels ≥0.5 ng/ml and PCR test for <it>Candida </it>DNA was also negative in all the serum samples of colonized patients. During the study period, only two colonized patients subsequently developed candidemia due to <it>C. tropicalis</it>. Besides positive blood cultures, <it>C. tropicalis </it>DNA, BDG and <it>Candida </it>mannan were also detected in serum samples of both the patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates that while mucosal colonization with <it>Candida </it>species in pediatric cancer patients is common, it does not give rise to diagnostically significant levels of <it>Candida </it>mannan or <it>Candida </it>DNA in serum specimens. However, BDG values may be higher than the cut-off value in some pediatric patients without clinical evidence of invasive <it>Candida </it>infection. The study suggests the utility of <it>Candida </it>mannan or <it>Candida </it>DNA in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis, however, the BDG levels in pediatric cancer subjects should be interpreted with caution.</p

In vivo effects of chicken interferon-gamma during infection with Eimeria

Newly hatched chickens are highly susceptible to infection by opportunistic pathogens during the first 1 or 2 weeks of life, The use of cytokines as therapeutic agents has been studied in animal models as well as in immunosuppressed patients, This approach has become more feasible in livestock animals, in particular poultry, with the recent cloning of cytokine genes and the development of new technologies, such as live delivery vectors, We have recently cloned the gene for chicken interferon-gamma (Ch-IFN-gamma), Poly-HIS-tagged recombinant Ch-IFN-gamma was expressed in Escherichia coil, was purified by Ni chromatography, and was found to be stable at 4 degrees C and an ambient temperature for at least several months and Several weeks, respectively, Ch-IFN-gamma was capable of protecting chick fibroblasts from undergoing virus-mediated lysis, induced nitrite secretion from chicken macrophages in vitro, and enhanced MHC class II expression on macrophages, Administration of recombinant Ch-IFN-gamma to chickens resulted in enhanced weight gain over a 12-day period, Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of Ch-IFN-gamma was assessed using a coccidial challenge model, Birds were treated with Ch-IFN-gamma or a diluent control and then infected with Eimeria acervulina. Infected birds treated with Ch-IFN-gamma showed improved weight gain relative to noninfected birds, The ability of Ch-IFN-gamma to enhance weight gain in the face of coccidial infection makes it an excellent candidate as a therapeutic agent

Efetividade do Forward Guidance no mercado de juros dos EUA no período 2009-2016

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo principal investigar se a ferramenta de política monetária não convencional, conhecida como forward guidance, teve o poder de afetar o mercado de juros de títulos públicos dos EUA no período entre 2009 e 2016. Para tal, será feita a comparação entre a variação de preços do mercado de títulos públicos emitidos pelo Tesouro dos EUA após o uso dessa ferramenta contra o restante dos pontos observados. Esse trabalho procura também explicar o funcionamento de ferramentas de política monetária utilizadas por bancos centrais, assim como detalhar cada categoria de forward guidance existente. Concluiu-se que a ferramenta forward guidance afetou o nível de preços do mercado de juros dos EUA, em intensidades diferentes dependendo da categoria utilizada.The main goal of this paper is to investigate if the unconventional monetary policy tool, known as forward guidance, had the power to affect the US treasury securities’ market prices in the years between 2009 and 2016. With that objective in mind, the comparison between fluctuations of the daily treasury yield curve rates after usages of such tool and the remainder of the observed data points will be made. This paper also seeks to explain how conventional monetary policy tools work, as well as to detail each category of forward guidance in existence. It concludes that the forward guidance tool did affect the rates of the treasury yield curve, with varying intensities depending on the category utilized

Under the shadow of maternity : birth, death and puerperal insanity in Victorian Britain

Death and fear of death in cases of puerperal insanity can be linked to a much broader set of anxieties surrounding childbirth in Victorian Britain. Compared with other forms of mental affliction, puerperal insanity was known for its good prognosis, with many women recovering over the course of several months. Even so, a significant number of deaths were associated with the disorder, and a large proportion of sufferers struggled with urges to destroy their infants and themselves. The disorder evoked powerful delusions concerning death, with patients expressing intimations of mortality and longing for death