A Randomized, Controlled Trial Comparing White-Light with Near-Infrared Autofluorescence for Parathyroid Gland Identification during Total Thyroidectomy

Background: Parathyroid glands are difficult to identify during total thyroidectomies and accidental resection can lead to problematic post-operative hypocalcemia. Our main goals were to evaluate the effectiveness of using near-infrared light (NIRL) auto-fluorescence intra-operatively for parathyroid-gland identification; and to measure its impact on postoperative hypocalcemia incidence.Study Design Total thyroidectomies were performed on 170 patients with different thyroid pathologies, block-randomized (1:1) into 2 equal groups. Among controls, traditional overhead white light (WL) was used throughout. In the experimental group, NIRL was used to enhance parathyroid gland recognition before thyroid dissection. The number of parathyroid glands identified was compared after thyroid dissection in controls using WL vs pre-dissection in the experimental using NIRL and with WL vs NIRL before thyroid dissection in the experimental group. Postoperative serum calcium levels and hypocalcemia rates were compared. Results: The mean number of parathyroid glands identified pre-dissection with NIRL was the same identified post-dissection with WL (3.5 vs 3.6). In the experimental group, converting from WL to NIRL increased the number of glands detected from 2.6 to 3.5 (p < 0.001), and revealed at least 1 previously missed gland in 67.1% of patients. Calcium levels ≤7.5 mg/dL were one-tenth as common in the NIRL group (p = 0.005). The adjusted odds of hypocalcemia developing increased by 15% for every 5-g increase in thyroid gland weight (odds ratio 1.15; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.25). All hypocalcemia resolved within 6 months. Conclusions: Using NIRL during thyroidectomy increases intraoperative identification of parathyroid glands, enhances their detection before thyroid dissection, and decreases the incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia.Fil: Dip, Fernando. instituto Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento; ArgentinaFil: Falco, Jorge. Instituto Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento; ArgentinaFil: Verna, Silvina. Instituto Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento; ArgentinaFil: Prunello, Marcos Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Cs.bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas. Departamento de Matematica y Estadistica.; ArgentinaFil: Loccisano, Matias. Instituto Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento; ArgentinaFil: Quadri, Pablo. Instituto Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento; ArgentinaFil: White, Kevin. Scienceright Research Consultations; CanadáFil: Rosenthal, Raul. Cleveland Clinic Florida; Estados Unido

Involvement of toll-like receptors 3 and 7/8 in the neuropathogenesis of bovine herpesvirus types 1 and 5

Bovine herpesvirus types 1 (BoHV-1) and 5 (BoHV-5) are closely related alpha-herpesviruses. BoHV-5 is the causal agent of non-suppurative meningoencephalitis in calves. BoHV-1 causes respiratory disease, abortions, genital disorders and, occasionally, encephalitis in cattle. Both viruses are neurotropic and they share similar biological properties. Nevertheless, they differ in their ability to cause neurological disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in the innate immune response to pathogens. In this study, the variations in the expression levels of TLRs were evaluated in different regions of the bovine central nervous system during the acute infection and reactivation of BoHV-1 and BoHV-5- infected cattle. With the exception of TLR9, significant up-regulation of all TLRs was detected following primary infection of neural tissues by both bovine alpha-herpesviruses. Furthermore, the stages of acute infection and reactivation were characterized by a distinguishable TLR expression pattern. Important differences in TLR expression upon infection of the central nervous system by BoHV-1 or BoHV-5 were not detected. The striking differences in TLR mRNA levels during acute infection and reactivation provide evidence that the innate immune response may be involved in the clinical outcomes observed at each stage. Further research is required to analyze the mechanisms that initiate TLR activation and the signaling cascade mediated by each TLR to elucidate the precise role these receptors play in bovine herpesvirus encephalitis.EEA BalcarceFil: Rensetti, Daniel Ernesto. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Marin, Maia Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Análisis Fares Taie; ArgentinaFil: Morán, Pedro Edgardo. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Verna, Andrea Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Odeón, Anselmo Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentin

A Neospora caninum vaccine using recombinant proteins fails to prevent foetal infection in pregnant cattle after experimental intravenous challenge

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of rNcSAG1, rNcHSP20 and rNcGRA7 recombinant proteins formulated with immune stimulating complexes (ISCOMs) in pregnant heifers against vertical transmission of Neospora caninum. Twelve pregnant heifers were divided into 3 groups of 4 heifers each, receiving different formulations before mating. Immunogens were administered twice subcutaneously: group A animals were inoculated with three recombinant proteins (rNcSAG1, rNcHSP20, rNcGRA7) formulated with ISCOMs; group B animals received ISCOM-MATRIX (without antigen) and group C received sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) only. The recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified nickel resin. All groups were intravenously challenged with the NC-1 strain of N. caninum at Day 70 of gestation and dams slaughtered at week 17 of the experiment. Heifers from group A developed specific antibodies against rNcSAG1, rNcHSP20 and rNcGRA7 prior to the challenge. Following immunization, an statistically significant increase of antibodies against rNcSAG1 and rNcHSP20 in all animals of group A was detected compared to animals in groups B and C at weeks 5, 13 and 16 (P 0.001). There were no differences in IFN-γ production among the experimental groups at any time point (P > 0.05). Transplacental transmission was determined in all foetuses of groups A, B and C by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and nested PCR. This work showed that rNcSAG1, rNcHSP20 and rNcGRA7 proteins while immunogenic in cattle failed to prevent the foetal infection in pregnant cattle challenged at Day 70 of gestation.EEA BalcarceFil: Hecker, Yanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Cóceres, Verónica Mabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Wilkowsky, Silvina Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Jaramillo Ortiz, Jose Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Morrell, Eleonora Lidia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Verna, Andrea Elizabeth. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Ganuza, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Cano, Dora Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Lischinsky, Lilian Haydee. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Ángel, Sergio Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Zamorano, Patricia Ines. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Odeon, Anselmo Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Leunda, Maria Rosa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Campero, Carlos Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Morein, Bror. Uppsala University. Department of Medical Sciences. Infectious Diseases; SueciaFil: Moore, Prando Dadin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentin