Rapid, sensitive, type specific PCR detection of the E7 region of human papillomavirus type 16 and 18 from paraffin embedded sections of cervical carcinoma

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and in particularly infection with HPVs 16 and 18, is a central carcinogenic factor in the uterine cervix. We established and optimized a PCR assay for the detection and discrimination of HPV types 16 and 18 in archival formaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections of cervical cancer

Novel dual-function CellDetect® staining technology: wedding morphology and tinctorial discrimination to detect cervical neoplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A persistent goal of oncologic histochemistry is to microscopically identify neoplasia tinctorially. Consequently, the newly developed CellDetect^®staining technology, that appears to exhibit this property, warrants clinical evaluation. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic results using CellDetect^®to the outcomes of standard microscopic examination based on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for the recognition of different squamous epithelial phenotypes of the uterine cervix.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Pairs of adjacent sections were made from 60 cervical biopsy cases that were diagnosed originally as either normal or neoplastic (CIN, SCC). One section of the pair was stained for H&E; the second section, with CellDetect^®. Based on the examination of these pairs by two experienced pathologists, we investigated the following issues:(1) diagnostic agreement between the pathologists on each pair; (2) agreement between H&E and CellDetect^®for each pair (3) tinctorial characteristics in micro-regions (n = 130) evaluated as either normal, reactive or neoplastic.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Qualitatively, CellDetect^®-stained preparations displayed cyto-morphological detail comparable to H&E images. Tinctorially, <it>non-neoplastic </it>cells appeared green/blue when stained withCellDetect^®, contrasting with cytologically <it>neoplastic </it>foci, where cells of every grade were red/magenta in color. Due to these tinctorial characteristics, even small foci of neoplasia could be readily distinguished that were inconspicuous on H&E at low magnification. In some instances, this prompted re-examination of the H&E and revision of the diagnosis. Quantitatively, we found that despite diagnostic variation between pathologists, in about 3% of the cases, each pathologist made the same diagnosis regardless of whether CellDetect^®or H&E was used, i.e. there was 100% self-agreement for each pathologist between stains. Particularly noteworthy was the finding of a 0% false negative rate, coupled with a 10-15% false positive rate. Regarding specificity, the performance in <it>reactive </it>squamous processes was similar to that observed for morphologically normal squamous epithelium.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this first order assessment of clinical applicability, CellDetect^®staining technology was at least comparable to results using H&E, and perhaps surperior. CellDetect^®provided a uniquely useful tinctorial clue for the detection of neoplasia, which exhibited an impressive 0% false negative rate. A more extensive, blinded study is needed to confirm these promising findings.</p

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ИННОВАЦИОННЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ХРАНЕНИЯ СВЕЖИХ ФРУКТОВ И ОВОЩЕЙ И ПРОДУКТОВ ИХ ПЕРЕРАБОТКИ (ОБЗОР)

The article analyzes modern technologies for storing fruit and vegetable products and presents possible options for their modernization. From this perspective, the improvement of canning technology using non-traditional methods of processing plant raw materials is an urgent task, the solution of which will allow preserving fruit and vegetable products, reduce the amount of waste and reduce the impact of vegetable processing plants on natural water bodies. Fruits and vegetables are perishable products and require special storage conditions from the moment they are available for sale to purchase by consumers. Keeping them fresh for as long as possible is quite a challenge, as some plants are able to continue maturing even after packaging and produce ethylene, which initiates certain changes in texture and color, tissue degradation. The authors pay special attention to the aspects of innovative technologies in the creation of edible films and coatings, which are currently the only type of biodegradable polymer packaging that does not require individual collection and special conditions of disposal. This is their main difference from traditional biodegradable plastics, which were originally proposed as an alternative to synthetic polymeric materials, and all were convinced that their creation once and for all will solve the problem of waste polymer packaging, which today threatens to become a global environmental disaster. At the same time, they are always more expensive than conventional plastics, in many cases can not be subjected to joint recycling; being in the deep layers of the landfill, they emit greenhouse gas methane. In addition, the raw materials for biodegradable plastics are provided by the same soil and water resources on which food is grown today (except for a very small amount of plastics produced from agricultural waste), and therefore their raw material base will always be limited. Recommendations are formulated on the organization of effective conservation of plant raw materials, intended for further processing or sale in retail and wholesale trade networks.Рассмотрены современные технологии хранения продукции из фруктов и овощей и приведены возможные варианты их модернизации. Совершенствование технологии консервирования с использованием нетрадиционных способов обработки растительного сырья является актуальной задачей, решение которой позволит сохранить плодоовощную продукцию, уменьшить количество отходов и снизить воздействие овощеперерабатывающих предприятий на природные водные объекты. Фрукты и овощи являются скоропортящимися продуктами и требуют особых условий хранения с момента их поступления в продажу до покупки потребителями. Сохранение их свежести как можно дольше является достаточно сложной задачей, так как некоторые растения способны продолжать созревание даже после упаковки и вырабатывать этилен, который инициирует определенные изменения текстуры и цвета, деградацию тканей. Уделено внимание инновационным технологиям – созданию съедобных пленок и покрытий, являющихся в настоящее время единственным видом биоразлагаемой полимерной упаковки, которая не нуждается в индивидуальном сборе и особых условиях утилизации. Это их главное отличие от традиционных биоразлагаемых пластиков, которые первоначально были предложены как альтернатива синтетическим полимерным материалам. Преимущества биоразлагаемых пластиков проявляются только при их правильном сборе, т.е. отдельно от других отходов, и утилизации в специально созданных условиях, например, на компостных фабриках; при этом они дороже обычных пластиков, во многих случаях не могут быть подвергнуты совместному рециклингу; находясь в глубоких слоях свалки, выделяют парниковый газ метан. Кроме того, сырье для биоразлагаемых пластиков обеспечивают те же почвенные и водные ресурсы, на которых сегодня выращиваются продукты питания (кроме очень небольшого количества пластиков, производимых из отходов сельскохозяйственной продукции), а значит их сырьевая база всегда будет ограничена. Предложены рекомендации по организации эффективного сохранения растительного сырья, предназначенного для дальнейшей переработки или продажи в сетях розничной и оптовой торговли

РОЛЬ ЭНТЕРОВИРУСА ECHO 30 В ЭТИОЛОГИИ ЭНТЕРОВИРУСНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ НА СЕВЕРО -ЗАПАДЕ РОССИИ В 2013 г

In 2013 after two previous years when the situation had been calm the incidence rates of enterovirus infection significantly increased on certain territories of the North-West of Russia. In Novgorod and Vologda regions and in Saint-Petersburg enterovirus meningitis group cases were registered. The etiology of enterovirus infection was studied by virological and molecular methods. Enterovirus ECHO30 was identified as the principal etiological agent of the cases. Molecular study revealed that enteroviruses ECHO30 isolated in the North-West of Russia belonged to the genotype H and formed two subtypes inside this genotype. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that enteroviruses ECHO30 of both subtypes were closely related to the strains detected in different provinces of China in 2010-2013. Probably enteroviruses ECHO30 of the genotype H which largely circulated in Russia in 2013 and practically had not been detected in the country earlier had been imported on the territory of Russia from South-East Asia. Enteroviruses ECHO30 isolated in  Arkhangelsk and Novgorod regions in 2008-2009 belonged to another genotype Ec2. Enteroviruses of this genotype had circulated at that time in the European countries.В 2013 г. после относительно спокойной ситуации в течение двух предыдущих лет заболеваемость энтеровирусной инфекцией на ряде территорий Северо-Западного федерального округа резко возросла. Были зарегистрированы групповые заболевания энтеровирусным менингитом в Новгородской, Вологодской областях и в Санкт-Петербурге. Проведена расшифровка этиологии заболеваний энтеровирусной инфекцией с использованием вирусологического и молекулярно- генетического методов исследования. В качестве основного этиологического агента был идентифицирован энтеровирус ЕСНО 30. Установлено, что изолированные на Северо-Западе России вирусы ЕСНО 30 относились к генотипу Н и сформировали две филогенетические группы. Филогенетический анализ показал, что энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30 обоих субтипов были наиболее близко родственны штаммам, выделенным в разных провинциях Китая в 2010–2013 гг. Вероятно, энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30 генотипа Н, которые широко циркулировали в России в 2013 г. и ранее практически не выявлялись в стране, были импортированы на территорию России из Юго-Восточной Азии. Энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30, изолированные в 2008–2009 гг. в Архангельской и Новгородской областях, относились к другому генотипу Ес2, энтеровирусы этого генотипа циркулировали в тот период в странах Европы

Frequent HPV-independent p16/INK4A overexpression in head and neck cancer

Objectives p16INK4A (p16) is the most widely used clinical biomarker for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). HPV is a favourable prognostic marker in HNSCC and is used for patient stratification. While p16 is a relatively accurate marker for HPV within the oropharynx, recent reports suggest it may be unsuitable for use in other HNSCC subsites, where a smaller proportion of tumors are HPV-driven. Materials and methods We integrated reverse phase protein array (RPPA) data for p16 with HPV status based on detection of viral transcripts by RNA-seq in a set of 210 HNSCCs profiled by The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Samples were queried for alterations in CDKN2A, and other pathway genes to investigate possible drivers of p16 expression. Results While p16 levels as measured by RPPA were significantly different by HPV status, there were multiple HPV (?) samples with similar expression levels of p16 to HPV (+) samples, particularly at non-oropharyngeal subsites. In many cases, p16 overexpression in HPV (?) tumors could not be explained by mutation or amplification of CDKN2A or by RB1 mutation. Instead, we observed enrichment for inactivating mutations in the histone H3 lysine 36 methyltransferase, NSD1 in HPV (?)/p16-high tumors. Conclusions RPPA data suggest high p16 protein expression in many HPV (?) non-oropharyngeal HNSCCs, limiting its potential utility as an HPV biomarker outside of the oropharynx. HPV-independent overexpression of wild-type p16 in non-oropharyngeal HNSCC may be linked to global deregulation of chromatin state by inactivating mutations in NSD1

HER-2/neu gene amplification in esophageal adenocarcinoma and its influence on survival

The original publication is available at the Annals website at www.springerlink.com/content/1534-4681.Background: HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2, HER2) gene amplification and protein overexpression have been associated with poor prognosis in several solid tumors, including breast and gastric cancer. Its incidence and significance in esophageal adenocarcinoma is unknown. Materials and Methods: Tissue microarrays were successfully constructed from 89 paraffin-embedded archival specimens of esophageal adenocarcinomas for HER2 gene amplification by silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (SISH). No patients had undergone neoadjuvant therapy. Protein overexpression was tested with immunohistochemistry (IHC) using automated immunostaining (Ventana Benchmark). Incidence of HER2 positivity, correlation to clinicopathological variables in esophageal cancer patients, and concordance between SISH and IHC were determined. Results: True HER2 gene amplification was detected in 14 esophageal cancer specimens (16%), and 92% of those with high-level HER2 amplification showed positive HER2 protein overexpression. No significant associations were found among gene amplification and clinicopathological factors. The 5-year survival rates were 57% for esophageal cancer patients with HER2 amplification compared with 32% without, but the difference in overall survival was not significant (P = .37). The correlation between SISH and IHC was statistically significant (P < .0001). Conclusion: While molecular targeting may be possible for approximately 16% of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients, HER2 oncogene amplification did not influence survival in this study.Sarah K. Thompson, Thomas R. Sullivan, Ruth Davies and Andrew R. Ruszkiewic

The influence of the marine environment on the properties of clothestextile materials for clothing

The article presents data on the influence of the marine environment on textile materials. Aggressive components of the marine environment that contact the surface of clothing (sea salt and oil) are justified. Sea salt is an integral part of seawater. It accumulates in the clothing structure. Oil is included in the components of seawater in emergency situations at offshore oil and petroleum products and sea transport facilities. This leads to a change in the properties of textile materials, which depend on the concentration of aggressive components in the structure of textile materials. The active concentration of aggressive components in textiles is determined by its ability to absorb liquid. Specific features of changing the volume of various textile fibers during interaction with liquids are established. Structure of sea salt and the chemical composition of oil. This determines the change in the properties of the textile in contact with them. The structure of sea salt and the chemical composition of oil is justified. This determines the change in the properties of textiles. As a result of the systematization of modern data on clothing materials that are used in marine technology, the information base of the leading modern fibrous materials for protective clothing was formed. The reference materials for research are allocated. It was found that the presence of sea salt in a moist contact medium with a surface of a special fabric on a cotton basis for all samples of materials led to a decrease in their capillarity. It has been established that packages of materials based on mixed-fiber fabrics have permeability parameters with respect to crude oil below the cotton garment surfaces. The application in combination with such materials of holofiber insulation reduces the level of saturation of clothing with the liquids examined. The article presents experimental data on the permeability of sea water and oil in special materials for clothing. The work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia in the Don State Technical University within the framework of the State task 2017-2019 under the project No. 11.9194.2017/БЧ

MODERN INNOVATIVE STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PROCESSED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS (REVIEW)

The article analyzes modern technologies for storing fruit and vegetable products and presents possible options for their modernization. From this perspective, the improvement of canning technology using non-traditional methods of processing plant raw materials is an urgent task, the solution of which will allow preserving fruit and vegetable products, reduce the amount of waste and reduce the impact of vegetable processing plants on natural water bodies. Fruits and vegetables are perishable products and require special storage conditions from the moment they are available for sale to purchase by consumers. Keeping them fresh for as long as possible is quite a challenge, as some plants are able to continue maturing even after packaging and produce ethylene, which initiates certain changes in texture and color, tissue degradation. The authors pay special attention to the aspects of innovative technologies in the creation of edible films and coatings, which are currently the only type of biodegradable polymer packaging that does not require individual collection and special conditions of disposal. This is their main difference from traditional biodegradable plastics, which were originally proposed as an alternative to synthetic polymeric materials, and all were convinced that their creation once and for all will solve the problem of waste polymer packaging, which today threatens to become a global environmental disaster. At the same time, they are always more expensive than conventional plastics, in many cases can not be subjected to joint recycling; being in the deep layers of the landfill, they emit greenhouse gas methane. In addition, the raw materials for biodegradable plastics are provided by the same soil and water resources on which food is grown today (except for a very small amount of plastics produced from agricultural waste), and therefore their raw material base will always be limited. Recommendations are formulated on the organization of effective conservation of plant raw materials, intended for further processing or sale in retail and wholesale trade networks

alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT)-modified donor cells suppress GVHD but enhance the GVL effect: a role for mitochondrial bioenergetics

Item does not contain fulltextHematopoietic cell transplantation is curative in many patients. However, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), triggered by alloreactive donor cells, has remained a major complication. Here, we show an inverse correlation between plasma alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) levels in human donors and the development of acute GVHD in the recipients (n = 111; P = .0006). In murine models, treatment of transplant donors with human AAT resulted in an increase in interleukin-10 messenger RNA and CD8(+)CD11c(+)CD205(+) major histocompatibility complex class II(+) dendritic cells (DCs), and the prevention or attenuation of acute GVHD in the recipients. Ablation of DCs (in AAT-treated CD11c-DTR donors) decreased CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells to one-third and abrogated the anti-GVHD effect. The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect of donor cells (against A20 tumor cells) was maintained or even enhanced with AAT treatment of the donor, mediated by an expanded population of NK1.1(+), CD49B(+), CD122(+), CD335(+) NKG2D-expressing natural killer (NK) cells. Blockade of NKG2D significantly suppressed the GVL effect. Metabolic analysis showed a high glycolysis-high oxidative phosphorylation profile for NK1.1(+) cells, CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) T cells, and CD11c(+) DCs but not for effector T cells, suggesting a cell type-specific effect of AAT. Thus, via altered metabolism, AAT exerts effective GVHD protection while enhancing GVL effects