Investigation of the efficacy of a genetically-stabile live Salmonella typhimurium vaccine for use in swine

Hybrid swine were immunized twice at an interval of 3 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of a liveS. typhimurium vaccine. The animals and a control group were challenged at the age of 8-10 weeks by oral test infection with a labelled S. typhimurium DT l 04 strain. An ELISA was used to establish the presence of antibodies to S. typhimurium in serum samples. The presence of the challenge strain in the ileal and caecal mucosa and in the ileocolic lymph nodes was investigated quantitatively using the Koch plating method. The vaccinated animals had significantly higher antibody titres after the second vaccination than the unvaccinated animals. The vaccinated animals had a significantly lower (p \u3c 0.05) colonization of the ileal and caecal mucosa as well as the ileocolic lymph nodes than the unvaccinated animals

Immunoprophylaxis as a method to help reduce the incidence of Salmonella infection in swine

Swine reared for fattening which were clinically proven to have salmonellosis (S. typhimuriwn) were immunized with a S. typhimurium live vaccine to prevent clinical disease and reduce the level of infection amongst the swine. To assess the outcome of vaccination the ileocaecal lymph nodes of the swine were removed at the time of slaughter and cultures set up to establish the presence of salmonella. In addition, serum samples were taken and assayed for antibodies to S. typhimurium. Use of the vaccine prevented animals from developing clinical disease and resulted in a marked reduction in the isolation of S. typhimurium from the ileocaecal lymph nodes of the swine at slaughter and in the number of animals with high antibody value (≥40 OD%)

The repetitive landscape of the 5100 Mbp barley genome

While transposable elements (TEs) comprise the bulk of plant genomic DNA, how they contribute to genome structure and organization is still poorly understood. Especially in large genomes where TEs make the majority of genomic DNA, it is still unclear whether TEs target specific chromosomal regions or whether they simply accumulate where they are best tolerated.Peer reviewe

Neurocognitive function in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with cognitive dysfunction. However, neurocognitive function in AF patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has not been well studied. The aim of this analysis is to compare neurocognitive function in patients who did or did not undergo PVI. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used data from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort study (Swiss-AF), a prospective, observational, multicenter study in Switzerland. Patients with documented AF were enrolled and data of 1,576 patients without history of PVI and with complete information on PVI status and neurocognitive function were used. Information on PVI was collected at baseline and during 1 year of follow-up. Neurocognitive testing was performed at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up, using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), trail making test (TMT) A and B, digit symbol substitution test (DSST) and semantic fluency test (SFT). To investigate the association of PVI with neurocognitive function, we use propensity score matching (1:3) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). RESULTS The mean age of this population was 74 ± 8 years, 27.1% were women. Overall, 88 (5.5%) patients underwent PVI during 1 year of follow-up. Using ITPW (n = 1576), PVI was weakly associated with the MoCA score after adjusting for time since PVI, baseline MoCA score and other covariates (β (95%CI) 1.19 (0.05; 2.32), p = 0.04). In the propensity matched comparison (n = 352), there was no significant association between PVI and the MoCA score (β (95%CI) 1.04 (-0.19; 2.28), p = 0.1). There were no significant associations between PVI and cognitive function when using the TMT A and B, DSST or SFT independent of the method used. CONCLUSION In this population of AF patients, there was no consistent evidence of an association between PVI and neurocognitive function. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION [https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT02105844]

Neurocognitive function in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with cognitive dysfunction. However, neurocognitive function in AF patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has not been well studied. The aim of this analysis is to compare neurocognitive function in patients who did or did not undergo PVI.Materials and methodsWe used data from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort study (Swiss-AF), a prospective, observational, multicenter study in Switzerland. Patients with documented AF were enrolled and data of 1,576 patients without history of PVI and with complete information on PVI status and neurocognitive function were used. Information on PVI was collected at baseline and during 1 year of follow-up. Neurocognitive testing was performed at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up, using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), trail making test (TMT) A and B, digit symbol substitution test (DSST) and semantic fluency test (SFT). To investigate the association of PVI with neurocognitive function, we use propensity score matching (1:3) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).ResultsThe mean age of this population was 74 ± 8 years, 27.1% were women. Overall, 88 (5.5%) patients underwent PVI during 1 year of follow-up. Using ITPW (n = 1576), PVI was weakly associated with the MoCA score after adjusting for time since PVI, baseline MoCA score and other covariates (β (95%CI) 1.19 (0.05; 2.32), p = 0.04). In the propensity matched comparison (n = 352), there was no significant association between PVI and the MoCA score (β (95%CI) 1.04 (−0.19; 2.28), p = 0.1). There were no significant associations between PVI and cognitive function when using the TMT A and B, DSST or SFT independent of the method used.ConclusionIn this population of AF patients, there was no consistent evidence of an association between PVI and neurocognitive function.Clinical trial registration[https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT02105844]

PD-L1 Expression and Immune Cell Infiltration in Gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) and Non-GEP Neuroendocrine Neoplasms With High Proliferative Activity

The potential of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) to respond to checkpoint inhibitors is largely unknown and full of great expectations. Immunohistochemical (IHC) studies of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in the tumor microenvironment and its implications in predicting the response to checkpoint inhibition is a very active subject. Currently, the combined analysis of PD-L1 expression and tumor-associated immune cell (TAIC) infiltration is considered the best predictive marker of therapeutic response. Here we investigated the expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells (TC) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC) by IHC in 68 NEN samples with a high proliferation rate (Ki-67 >20%) from 57 patients and in 22 samples we correlated it with TAIC density by assessing intratumoral infiltration of CD3+, CD8+, and CD68+ cells. Furthermore, the tumor microenvironment was evaluated according to the classification of Teng et al. We detected PD-L1 expression in 31.6% of NEN G3. Its expression usually was weak and more IC than TC expressed PD-L1. The proportion of tumors positive for PD-L1 was comparable in NEN from different sites of origin but varied depending on tumor differentiation and disease extension. No positive IHC staining was found in 3 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) with a proliferation rate above 20% (NET G3). When analyzing TAIC, we rarely (18.2%) detected intratumoral CD8+ cells, whereas infiltration by CD3+ and CD68+ cells was more common (45.5 and 59.1%, respectively). By combining CD3+ cells and PD-L1 status, we identified the immune ignorant phenotype of tumor microenvironment as being the most common phenotype, supporting the concept of a preferably combined immunotherapeutic approach in neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC)

Intra-articular temperatures of the knee in sports – An in-vivo study of jogging and alpine skiing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Up to date, no information exists about the intra-articular temperature changes of the knee related to activity and ambient temperature.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 6 healthy males, a probe for intra-articular measurement was inserted into the notch of the right knee. Each subject was jogging on a treadmill in a closed room at 19°C room temperature and skiing in a ski resort at -3°C outside temperature for 60 minutes. In both conditions, temperatures were measured every fifteen minutes intra-articulary and at the skin surface of the knee. A possible influence on joint function and laxity was evaluated before and after activity. Statistical analysis of intra-articular and skin temperatures was done using nonparametric Wilcoxon's sign rank sum test and Mann-Whitney's-U-Test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median intra-articular temperatures increased from 31.4°C before activity by 2.1°C, 4°C, 5.8°C and 6.1°C after 15, 30, 45 and 60 min of jogging (all p ≤ 0.05). Median intra-articular temperatures dropped from 32.2°C before activity by 0.5°C, 1.9°C, 3.6°C and 1.1°C after 15, 30, 45 and 60 min of skiing (all n.s.). After 60 minutes of skiing (jogging), the median intra-articular temperature was 19.6% (8.7%) higher than the skin surface temperature at the knee. Joint function and laxity appeared not to be different before and after activity within both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates different changes of intra-articular and skin temperatures during sports in jogging and alpine skiing and suggests that changes are related to activity and ambient temperature.</p

Demonstration of the efficacy of a Salmonella Enteritidis live vaccine for chickens according to the current European Pharmacopoeia Monograph

Since 2013 the efficacy of new live Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) vaccines for chickens needs to be demonstrated according to European Pharmacopoeia Monograph 04/2013:2520 to receive approval in the EU. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a vaccine licensed since 1999 could also fulfil the required tests of the current guideline. For this, Salmonella-free chickens (n = 50) were vaccinated on their 2nd, 46th and 84th day of life with the live attenuated S. Enteritidis strain IDT No. 441/014. Non-vaccinated control animals (n = 50) were kept accordingly. To demonstrate the duration of immunity 20 animals of each group were challenge infected 65 weeks after the last vaccination with a virulent SE (PT 4) strain. According to the monograph, cloacal swabs were taken 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days post challenge (dpc). Tissue samples of liver, spleen, caeca, ovaries and oviduct were collected during necropsy of 10 animals per group on 7 and 14 dpc, respectively. All samples were analysed bacteriologically regarding the presence of the challenge strain. The number of challenge strain positive tissue samples and cloacal swabs was significantly reduced in vaccinated animals (p < 0.05). Therefore, the vaccine strain complied with the EP guideline. This study is the first that demonstrates the efficacy of this vaccine according to the current regulations. However, efficacy could also be shown during the development of the vaccine but by use of another animal model that comprised fewer animals per group. The use of this model is no longer accepted by EU regulatory authorities. The results need discussion in context with the 3R principle

Immunoprophylaxis as a method to help reduce the incidence of Salmonella infection in swine

Swine reared for fattening which were clinically proven to have salmonellosis (S. typhimuriwn) were immunized with a S. typhimurium live vaccine to prevent clinical disease and reduce the level of infection amongst the swine. To assess the outcome of vaccination the ileocaecal lymph nodes of the swine were removed at the time of slaughter and cultures set up to establish the presence of salmonella. In addition, serum samples were taken and assayed for antibodies to S. typhimurium. Use of the vaccine prevented animals from developing clinical disease and resulted in a marked reduction in the isolation of S. typhimurium from the ileocaecal lymph nodes of the swine at slaughter and in the number of animals with high antibody value (≥40 OD%).</p

Investigation of the efficacy of a genetically-stabile live Salmonella typhimurium vaccine for use in swine

Hybrid swine were immunized twice at an interval of 3 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of a liveS. typhimurium vaccine. The animals and a control group were challenged at the age of 8-10 weeks by oral test infection with a labelled S. typhimurium DT l 04 strain. An ELISA was used to establish the presence of antibodies to S. typhimurium in serum samples. The presence of the challenge strain in the ileal and caecal mucosa and in the ileocolic lymph nodes was investigated quantitatively using the Koch plating method. The vaccinated animals had significantly higher antibody titres after the second vaccination than the unvaccinated animals. The vaccinated animals had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) colonization of the ileal and caecal mucosa as well as the ileocolic lymph nodes than the unvaccinated animals.</p