Variant Arterial Supply of the Descending Colon by the Coeliac Trunk: A Case Report

Background and Objectives: Knowledge of arterial variations of the intestines is of great importance in visceral surgery and interventional radiology. Materials and Methods: An unusual variation in the blood supply of the descending colon was observed in a Caucasian female body donor. Results: In this case, the left colic artery that regularly derives from the inferior mesenteric artery supplying the descending colon was instead a branch of the common hepatic artery. Conclusions: Here, we describe the very rare case of an aberrant left colic artery arising from the common hepatic artery in a dissection study

Nucleic Acid-Sensing Toll-like Receptors Are Essential for the Control of Endogenous Retrovirus Viremia and ERV-Induced Tumors

SummaryThe genome of vertebrates contains endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that are largely nonfunctional relicts of ancestral germline infection by exogenous retroviruses. However, in some mouse strains ERVs are actively involved in disease. Here we report that nucleic acid-recognizing Toll-like receptors 3, 7, and 9 (TLR 3, TLR7, and TLR9) are essential for the control of ERVs. Loss of TLR7 function caused spontaneous retroviral viremia that coincided with the absence of ERV-specific antibodies. Importantly, additional TLR3 and TLR9 deficiency led to acute T cell lymphoblastic leukemia, underscoring a prominent role for TLR3 and TLR9 in surveillance of ERV-induced tumors. Experimental ERV infection induced a TLR3-, TLR7-, and TLR9-dependent group of “acute-phase” genes previously described in HIV and SIV infections. Our study suggests that in addition to their role in innate immunity against exogenous pathogens, nucleic acid-recognizing TLRs contribute to the immune control of activated ERVs and ERV-induced tumors