The Case of the Infection that Wasn't !

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an under-recognized inflammatory disorder of the esophagus. It has been frequently diagnosed in pediatric patients; however, over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of cases recognized in adults as well. Despite this fact, eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is often a delayed diagnosis in the primary care setting due to the overlapping symptoms it shares with other esophageal and gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastroenteritis, as well as a lack of awareness among physicians who see adult patients. We performed an exhaustive search of the literature, which revealed over 400 articles on EE; however, most were reported in gastroenterology or autoimmune specialty journals. We report a case of eosinophilic esophagitis in a 39-year-old man who presented with persistent epigastric abdominal pain and who was diagnosed via endoscopy and biopsy

Characterization Of A Prl Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase From Plasmodium Falciparum

Isoprenylated proteins have important functions in cell growth and differentiation of eukaryotic cells. Inhibitors of protein prenylation in malaria have recently shown strong promise as effective antimalarials. In studying protein prenylation in the malaria protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, we have shown earlier that the incubation of P. falciparum cells with 3H-prenol precursors resulted in various size classes of labeled proteins. To understand the physiological function of prenylated proteins of malaria parasites, that are targets of prenyltransferase inhibitors, we searched the PlasmoDB database for proteins containing the C-terminus prenylation motif. We have identified, among other potentially prenylated proteins, an orthologue of a PRL (protein of regenerating liver) subgroup protein tyrosine phosphatases, termed PfPRL. Here, we show that PfPRL is expressed in the parasite\u27s intraerythrocytic stages, where it partially associates with endoplasmic reticulum and within a subcompartment of the food vacuole. Additionally, PfPRL targeting parallels that of apical membrane antigen-1 in developing merozoites. Recombinant PfPRL shows phosphatase activity that is preferentially inhibited by a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor suggesting that PfPRL functions as a tyrosine phosphatase. Recombinant PfPRL can also be farnesylated in vitro. Inhibition of malarial farnesyltransferase activity can be achieved with the heptapetide RKCHFM, which corresponds to the C-terminus of PfPRL. This study provides the first evidence for expression of enzymatically active PRL-related protein tyrosine phosphatases in malarial parasites, and demonstrates the potential of peptides derived from Plasmodium prenylated proteins as malarial farnesyltransferase inhibitors. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Selective Application of Routine Preoperative Axillary Ultrasonography Reduces Costs for Invasive Breast Cancers

Costs associated with the use of highly sensitive axillary ultrasonography in patients with stage ≥T2 invasive breast cancer are evaluated