The effect of complementary therapy for hospital nurses with high stress

Objective: This study was to examine the effect of complementary therapy (CT) for nurses with high stress levels. It was taken before we employ this technique for cancer survivors because cancer patients are a heterogeneous group that requires substantial resources to investigate. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with five groups was employed for this study. The groups were examined whether there were effects for reducing the stress and the differences in effectiveness among four intervention groups and a nonintervention group. Stress relief was measured using pulse rate and blood pressure measurements and the short form of the profile of mood states (POMS-SF). The participants practiced the therapy for 20 min twice per week for 3 weeks. A two-way factorial analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results: The study enrolled 98 nurses (92 female and 6 male) with a mean age of 37.3 ± 10.5 years (range: 22–60 years). Fifty-nine nurses had 10 or more years of nursing experience. There were significant differences in pulse rate and the POMS-SF scores. All groups were effective for reducing the stress level of high-stress nurses, whereas four intervention CT groups were not more effective than nonintervention group. Conclusions: The complementary therapies were useful for nurses with high stress levels. Thus, they can be used as a self-management tool for such nurses. Afterward, we will use the CT for cancer survivors to determine whether it can improve the quality of life of cancer patients

HTLV-1 bZIP Factor Enhances T-Cell Proliferation by Impeding the Suppressive Signaling of Co-inhibitory Receptors

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) and inflammatory diseases. To enhance cell-to-cell transmission of HTLV-1, the virus increases the number of infected cells in vivo. HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ) is constitutively expressed in HTLV-1 infected cells and ATL cells and promotes T-cell proliferation. However, the detailed mechanism by which it does so remains unknown. Here, we show that HBZ enhances the proliferation of expressing T cells after stimulation via the T-cell receptor. HBZ promotes this proliferation by influencing the expression and function of multiple co-inhibitory receptors. HBZ suppresses the expression of BTLA and LAIR-1 in HBZ expressing T cells and ATL cells. Expression of T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) and Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) was enhanced, but their suppressive effect on T-cell proliferation was functionally impaired. HBZ inhibits the co-localization of SHP-2 and PD-1 in T cells, thereby leading to impaired inhibition of T-cell proliferation and suppressed dephosphorylation of ZAP-70 and CD3ζ. HBZ does this by interacting with THEMIS, which associates with Grb2 and SHP-2. Thus, HBZ interacts with the SHP containing complex, impedes the suppressive signal from PD-1 and TIGIT, and enhances the proliferation of T cells. Although HBZ was present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of T cells, HBZ was localized largely in the nucleus by suppressed expression of THEMIS by shRNA. This indicates that THEMIS is responsible for cytoplasmic localization of HBZ in T cells. Since THEMIS is expressed only in T-lineage cells, HBZ mediated inhibition of the suppressive effects of co-inhibitory receptors accounts for how HTLV-1 induces proliferation only of T cells in vivo. This study reveals that HBZ targets co-inhibitory receptors to cause the proliferation of infected cells

Synergic effects of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and cadmium on pro-inflammatory responses in airway epithelial cells

We investigated the synergic effects of components of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) on airway inflammation. Co-exposure to cadmium (Cd) and 9, 10-phenanthrenequinone (9, 10-PQ) additively/synergistically increased pro-inflammatory responses in airway epithelial cells, whereas co-exposure to Cd and phenanthrene resulted in no acceleration. These results suggest that the combination of metal and a quinone derivative can contribute to the exacerbation of respiratory diseases by PM2.5

The Antimicrobial Resistance Characteristics of Imipenem-Non-Susceptible, Imipenemase-6-Producing Escherichia coli

Imipenemase-6 (IMP-6) type carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is regarded as dangerous due to its unique lack of antimicrobial susceptibility. It is resistant to meropenem (MEPM) but susceptible to imipenem (IPM). In addition to carbapenemase, outer membrane porins and efflux pumps also play roles in carbapenem resistance by reducing the antimicrobial concentration inside cells. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) is transmitted with IMP-6 by the plasmid and broadens the spectrum of antimicrobial resistance. We collected 42 strains of IMP-6-producing Escherichia coli and conducted a molecular analysis of carbapenemase, ESBL, porin, efflux, and epidemiological characteristics using plasmid replicon typing. Among the 42 isolates, 21 strains were susceptible to IPM (50.0%) and 1 (2.4%) to MEPM. Seventeen strains (40.5%) co-produced CTX-M-2 type ESBL. We found that the relative expression of ompC and ompF significantly correlated with the MIC of IPM (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). Sixty-eight% of CTX-M-2-non-producing strains had IncI1, which was significantly different from CTX-M-2-producing strains (p < 0.001). In conclusion, 50.0% of our IMP-6-producing strains were non-susceptible to IPM, which is different from the typical pattern and can be attributed to decreased porin expression. Further studies investigating other types of carbapenemase are warranted

HBZ promotes proliferation of CD4⁺ T cells upon TCR stimulation.

<p>(A, B) Proliferation of CD4⁺ T cells isolated from non-Tg, tax-Tg and HBZ-Tg mice was analyzed by CFSE dilution. CD4⁺ T cells were stimulated with soluble anti-CD3 antibody (30 ng/mL) and cultured with or without dendritic cells for three days. (C) CD4⁺ T cells of non-Tg and HBZ-Tg mice were stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3 antibody (200 ng/mL) and soluble anti-CD28 antibody (0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1 μg/mL). CFSE dilution was analyzed by flow cytometry. (D) Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in non-Tg and HBZ-Tg mice by immunization with MOG/CFA. The percentages of CD4⁺ T cells in spleen were measured in non-Tg and HBZ-Tg mice.</p

Interaction of HBZ with SHP associated factors.

<p>(A) Interaction between HBZ and THEMIS was analyzed by immunoprecipitation. (B) Interaction between THEMIS and, Grb2 or SHP-2, or HBZ was analyzed by immunoprecipitation. (A, B) Vectors expressing THEMIS, Grb2, SHP-2 and HBZ were transfected into 293FT cells (3.5×10⁶ cells, 10 cm dish). After 48 hours, transfected cells were stimulated with H₂O₂ for 5 min and cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with anti-PA antibody or normal rat IgG as a control. (C) THEMIS and Grb2 interaction in the presence or absence of HBZ was also analyzed with a densitometer. Relative protein levels were calculated as the ratio of immunoprecipitated protein to total protein.</p