Thrombospondin-1 and VEGF in inflammatory bowel disease

Background and aim: Angiogenesis is an important process in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation. We aimed to study the angiogeneic balance in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by evaluating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) on colonic epithelial cells, together with the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Methods: Twenty-one ulcerative colitis (UC), 14 Crohn’s disease (CD), 11 colorectal cancer patients, and 11 healthy controls colonic biopsy samples were evaluated immunohistochemically. Results: The expressions of TSP-1, VEGF, and iNOS in UC and CD groups were higher than expression in healthy control group, all with statistical significance. However, in colorectal cancer group, VEGF and iNOS expressions were increased importantly, but TSP-1 expression was not statistically different from healthy control group’s expression. Both TSP-1 and VEGF expressions were correlated with iNOS expression distinctly but did not correlate with each other. Conclusions: Both pro-angiogeneic VEGF and antiangiogeneic TSP-1 expressions were found increased in our IBD groups, but in colorectal cancer group, only VEGF expression was increased. TSP-1 increases in IBD patients as a response to inflammatory condition, but this increase was not enough to suppress pathologic angiogenesis and inflammation in IBD.Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease; thrombospondin-1; VEGF; iNOS; colon cance

Clinical presentation of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV seronegative adults

BACKGROUND: The accurate diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis usually takes a long time and requires a high index of suspicion in clinic practice. Eighty-eight immune-competent patients with abdominal tuberculosis were grouped according to symptoms at presentation and followed prospectively in order to investigate the effect of symptomatic presentation on clinical diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: Based upon the clinical presentation, the patients were divided into groups such as non-specific abdominal pain & less prominent in bowel habit, ascites, alteration in bowel habit, acute abdomen and others. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features, coexistence of pulmonary tuberculosis, diagnostic procedures, definitive diagnostic tests, need for surgical therapy, and response to treatment were assessed in each group. RESULTS: According to clinical presentation, five groups were constituted as non-specific abdominal pain (n = 24), ascites (n = 24), bowel habit alteration (n = 22), acute abdomen (n = 9) and others (n = 9). Patients presenting with acute abdomen had significantly higher white blood cell counts (p = 0.002) and abnormalities in abdominal plain radiographs (p = 0.014). Patients presenting with alteration in bowel habit were younger (p = 0.048). The frequency of colonoscopic abnormalities (7.5%), and need for therapeutic surgery (12.5%) were lower in patients with ascites, (p = 0.04) and (p = 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in gender, disease duration, diagnostic modalities, response to treatment, period to initial response, and mortality between groups (p > 0.05). Gastrointestinal tract alone was the most frequently involved part (38.5%), and this was associated with acid-fast bacteria in the sputum (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal tract involvement is frequent in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although different clinical presentations of patients with abdominal tuberculosis determine diagnostic work up and need for therapeutic surgery, evidence based diagnosis and consequences of the disease does not change

Impaired IL-23-dependent induction of IFN-gamma underlies mycobacterial disease in patients with inherited TYK2 deficiency

Human cells homozygous for rare loss-of-expression (LOE) TYK2 alleles have impaired, but not abolished, cellular responses to IFN-alpha/beta (underlying viral diseases in the patients) and to IL-12 and IL-23 (underlying mycobacterial diseases). Cells homozygous for the common P1104A TYK2 allele have selectively impaired responses to IL-23 (underlying isolated mycobacterial disease). We report three new forms of TYK2 deficiency in six patients from five families homozygous for rare TYK2 alleles (R864C, G996R, G634E, or G1010D) or compound heterozygous for P1104A and a rare allele (A928V). All these missense alleles encode detectable proteins. The R864C and G1010D alleles are hypomorphic and loss-of-function (LOF), respectively, across signaling pathways. By contrast, hypomorphic G996R, G634E, and A928V mutations selectively impair responses to IL-23, like P1104A. Impairment of the IL-23-dependent induction of IFN-gamma is the only mechanism of mycobacterial disease common to patients with complete TYK2 deficiency with or without TYK2 expression, partial TYK2 deficiency across signaling pathways, or rare or common partial TYK2 deficiency specific for IL-23 signaling.ANRS Nord-Sud ; CIBSS ; CODI ; Comité para el Desarrollo de la Investigación ; Fulbright Future Scholarshi

Breaking seed dormancy and micropropagation of perennial vulneraria milkvetch (Astragalus vulnerariae DC.)

In this study, an efficient system to break seed dormancy and plant regeneration was established for perennial vulneraria milkvetch (Astragalus vulnerariae DC.). The seed coat dormancy could be easily released using 40% sulphuric acid treatment for 15 minutes, which made the seed coat permeable without damaging zygotic embryos. The tissue culture studies reported regeneration on 5 explants, which had variable effects on shoot regeneration, using MS medium containing variable concentrations of Kin–NAA and BAP–NAA. Maximum shoot regeneration of 86.67% with 4.47 shoots per explant was noted on MS medium containing 0.5 mg·l–1 Kin – 0.5 mg·l–1 NAA on hypocotyl explants. No shoot regeneration was noted on cotyledon leaf and shoot nodes using MS medium containing any concentration of BAP–NAA. Maximum shoot regeneration of 50% with 3 shoots per explant was also observed on 1 mg·l–1 BAP – 0.5 mg·l–1 NAA on epicotyl explants. MS medium containing Kin–NAA induced hypocotyl explant shoots had rooting percentage of 36.67% on 0.5 mg·l–1 IBA, whereas, MS medium containing BAP–NAA induced hypocotyl shoots had rooting percentage of 46.67%. The in vitro cultured plants had an acclimatization rate of 78%. Aesthetically attractive, economical, easy to maintain and water efficient vulneraria milkvetch is currently not available in landscaping. The system of plant regeneration and adaptation suggested by this paper may help to dissipate it to a broad range of water scarce environments as a sustainable and inexpensive choice

The effects of incremental brightness and contrast adjustments on radiographic data: A quantitative study

PubMed ID: 15709101Objectives: To determine the border level of brightness and contrast changes in order to prevent the loss of originality of the quantitative data on digital dental radiographs. Methods: After measuring the baseline mean grey values (MGVs) of a fixed region of interest on the alveolar bone and an aluminium step wedge, incremental brightness and contrast adjustments were performed on a digital periapical radiograph. The distribution of the data was analysed to investigate the significance of the changes on radiodensitometric data after incremental increase of brightness and contrast. Results: The original MGVs were easily retrieved after brightness adjustments; however, the contrast increase led to more complicated density changes. The originality of the data was saved up to 50 units of contrast increase, but further than this limit, significant radiodensitometric changes occurred. Conclusions: Contrast adjustments should be performed cautiously when making quantitative analyses on the digital radiographs. © 2005 The British Institute of Radiology

In vitro plant regeneration from Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) using cotyledonary node explants

Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is an agriculturally important forage plant that widely grows in an area extending from Central Europe to various parts of Asia. The study reports axillary shootregeneration from cotyledonary node explants obtained from, in vitro raised seeds of 4 - 5 and 14 - 15 days old seedlings on MS medium containing 2 - 6 mg/l kinetin-0.1 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Noshoot regeneration was recorded on 14 - 15 days old cotyledon node explants. Whereas, 4 - 5 days old cotyledon node explants showed high regeneration potential with the highest number of 3.85 shootsper explant, with mean shoot length of 2.11 cm and shoot regeneration frequency of 93.33%. The shoots obtained from all regeneration media could be easily rooted after pulse treatment with 50 mg/l IBA for 7min. All of which were morphologically normal and fertile and easily established under greenhouse conditions

In vitro plant regeneration from Turkish Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L. var. narbonensis L.)

Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is an important forage species among vetches of central Europe, Mediterranean, Near East, Ethiopia, central Asia and India. The study reports in vitro micropropagation of narbon vetch using cotyledon node, shoot tip and zygotic embryo explants on MS medium containing 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 mg/l BAP. The highest number of 4.42 shoots was recorded on cotyledon node explants, which was followed by significantly reduced number of 3.40 and 3.54 shoots per explant on shoot tip and zygotic embryo with two cotyledons, respectively. Zygotic embryo with two cotyledons explant was recalcitrant and slow in regeneration compared to other explants but any concentration of BAP was sufficient for multiple shoot regeneration. Shoot length decreased statistically with increase in each concentration of BAP in the regeneration medium. 65.0% shoots rooted on MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l IBA and newly regenerated plants were acclimatized in the greenhouse

In vitro regeneration of Turkish dwarf chickling (Lathyrus cicera L) using immature zygotic embryo explant

Dwarf chickling (Lathyrus cicera L) is an important forage legume crop. However, due to the presence of neurotoxin amino acid (b-N-oxalyl-L-a,b-diaminopropionic acid) in the dwarf chickling, its cultivationis limited. There is need to carry out studies for the development of varieties with reduced or none ofthis neurotoxin for beneficial and prolong consumption by animals. The study reports tissue cultureapproaches for multiplication of the plant using thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), and #8733-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) from immature zygotic embryos of the plant. The highest number (16.25)of shoots per explant was recorded on MS medium supplemented with 0.45 mg/l TDZ and 0.4 mg/lascorbic acid. Much reduced shoot regeneration was recorded on MS medium containing different combinations BAP+NAA+ascorbic acid. The TDZ-regenerated shoots were rooted by pulse treatmentwith 50 mg/l IBA for 7 min. The plantlets were successfully acclimatized under the greenhouse conditions

pneumonia

Objectives: To present lung ultrasound findings in children assessed with suspected pneumonia in the emergency department and to show the benefit of lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in comparison with chest X-rays.Methods: This observational prospective study was performed in the pediatric emergency department of a single center. Point of care lung ultrasound was performed on each child by an independent sonographer blinded to the patient's clinical and chest X-ray findings. Community acquired pneumonia was established as a final diagnosis by two clinicians based on the recommendations in the British Thoracic Society guideline.Results: One hundred sixty children with a mean age of 3.3 +/- 4 years and a median age of 1.4 years (min-max 0.08-17.5 years) were investigated. Final diagnosis in 149 children was community-acquired pneumonia. Lung ultrasound findings were compatible with pneumonia in 142 (95.3%) of these 149 children, while chest X-ray findings were compatible with pneumonia in 132 (88.5%). Pneumonia was confirmed with lung ultrasound in 15 of the 17 patients (11.4%) not evaluated as compatible with pneumonia at chest X-ray. While pneumonia could not be confirmed with lung ultrasound in seven (4.6%) patients, findings compatible with pneumonia were not determined at chest X-ray in two of these patients. When lung ultrasound and chest X-ray were compared as diagnostic tools, a significant difference was observed between them (p = 0.041).Conclusions: This study shows that lung ultrasound is at least as useful as chest X-ray in diagnosing children with community-acquired pneumonia. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Point-of-care lung ultrasound in children with community acquired pneumonia

PubMedID: 28202294Objectives To present lung ultrasound findings in children assessed with suspected pneumonia in the emergency department and to show the benefit of lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in comparison with chest X-rays. Methods This observational prospective study was performed in the pediatric emergency department of a single center. Point of care lung ultrasound was performed on each child by an independent sonographer blinded to the patient's clinical and chest X-ray findings. Community acquired pneumonia was established as a final diagnosis by two clinicians based on the recommendations in the British Thoracic Society guideline. Results One hundred sixty children with a mean age of 3.3 ± 4 years and a median age of 1.4 years (min–max 0.08–17.5 years) were investigated. Final diagnosis in 149 children was community-acquired pneumonia. Lung ultrasound findings were compatible with pneumonia in 142 (95.3%) of these 149 children, while chest X-ray findings were compatible with pneumonia in 132 (88.5%). Pneumonia was confirmed with lung ultrasound in 15 of the 17 patients (11.4%) not evaluated as compatible with pneumonia at chest X-ray. While pneumonia could not be confirmed with lung ultrasound in seven (4.6%) patients, findings compatible with pneumonia were not determined at chest X-ray in two of these patients. When lung ultrasound and chest X-ray were compared as diagnostic tools, a significant difference was observed between them (p = 0.041). Conclusions This study shows that lung ultrasound is at least as useful as chest X-ray in diagnosing children with community-acquired pneumonia. © 2017 Elsevier Inc