Molecular confirmation of Sarcocystis fayeri in a donkey

Sarcocystis fayeri is a canine protozoan parasite with an equine intermediate host. Historically classified as an incidental pathogen, recent literature has described the toxic effects of Sarcocystis fayeri in human food poisoning, and highlighted potential involvement in equine neuromuscular disease. Until now, horses were believed to be the exclusive intermediate host. This study reports the first molecular confirmation of S. fayeri in a donkey, and gives rise to the consideration of donkeys being a potential reservoir for the parasite. This finding is of particular importance in understanding the epidemiology of this disease

Análise de diversidade genética do gene da osteopontina em bovinos da raça girolando

Objetivou-se obter os índices de diversidade genética para o SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) do íntron 4 do gene da osteopontina (OPN) para 434 animais (87 touros e 347 vacas) participantes do Teste de Progênie da raça girolando no Brasil. Para a amplificação, foram utilizados primers descritos para a raça holandesa, e a diferenciação dos alelos C/T desse SNP foi obtida por meio da técnica de PCR-RFLP. As frequências genotípicas TT (52,53%), CT (38,71%) e CC (8,76%) e as frequências alélicas de T (71,9%) e C (28,1%) indicam que a população encontra-se em Equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg (EHW). Apesar de o loco do gene OPN estar em EHW, a frequência superior do alelo T do SNP nesses animais pode sugerir uma tendência de fixação do alelo T na raça. Não foi observada diferenciação entre o grupo de touros e vacas (F ST = -0,018), corroborando a estimativa de equilíbrio da população. Considerando os valores estimados pelo F IS (0,043), é possível que ocorram altos números de indivíduos homozigotos para o alelo T observados na população, em virtude da provável herança desse alelo vindo da raça zebuína, e não a endogamia. Assim, para melhor caracterização do polimorfismo do gene OPN, devem ser realizadas avaliações em maior número de animais, uma vez que só foram avaliados animais participantes do teste de progênie.The objective was to obtain the indices of genetic diversity for the SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) of the 4 intron osteopontin gene (OPN) for 434 animals (87 bulls and 347 cows) participants in the Teste de Progênie da raça girolando (Girolando Progeny Test) in Brazil. For amplification, primers used were described for the Holstein breed, and differentiation of alleles C/T SNP that was obtained by PCR-RFLP. Genotype frequencies of TT (52.53%), CT (38.71%) and CC (8.76%) and allele frequencies of T (71.9%) and C (28.1%) indicate that the population is in Hardy-Weinberg principle (HWP). Although the OPN gene locus is in HWP, the higher frequency of allele T of SNP in these animals may suggest a setting-trend of allele T in the race. No difference was observed between the group of bulls and cows (F ST = -0.018), supporting the estimate of population balance. Considering the values estimated by the F IS (0.043), it is likely that high numbers of individuals homozygous for the T allele observed in the population occur because of possible inheritance of this allele coming from the zebu breed, rather than inbreeding. Thus, to better characterize the OPN gene polymorphism, assessments in a larger number of animals must be performed, since only animals that participated in the Progeny Test were assessed

Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995-2009: analysis of individual data for 25,676,887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)

BACKGROUND: Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control. METHODS: Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75,000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. FINDINGS: 5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease. INTERPRETATION: International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems

Death after head injury: the 13 year outcome of a case-control study

Background Head injury is common, and the risk of subsequent disability and death is high. Increased risk of death years after injury might be explained by factors associated with, but not a consequence of, the head injury. This unique prospective study investigates mortality over 13 years after injury. Methods A cohort of n=767 with head injury was compared with two case control groups, matched for age, gender and deprivation, and in one control group, matched for duration of hospital admission following (non-head) injury. Results Two-fifths of the head injury cohort had died. The death rate (30.99 per 1000 per year) was much higher than in community controls (13.72 per 1000 per year). More than 1 year after injury, the death rate in younger (15–54 years) adults was much higher than in community controls (17.36 vs 2.36 per 1000 per year) whereas in older adults the difference was more marginal (61.47 vs 42.36). Death rate was elevated after mild and after more severe head injury, including in younger adults after mild head injury (14.82 per 1000 per year mild head injury vs 2.21 community). Female gender and greater deprivation were not associated with increased death rates after head injury. Late after injury, deaths occurred from the same main causes as for the general population. Conclusion Head injury is associated with increased vulnerability to death from a variety of causes for at least 13 years after hospital admission. There is a need to understand how head injury influences mortality, particularly in younger adults and after mild head injury

A study comparing the healthy and diseased equine glandular gastric microbiota sampled with sheathed transendoscopic cytology brushes

Background: The role of the equine gastrointestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is poorly understood. Objectives: To investigate whether the glandular gastric microbiota is altered in horses with EGGD. Study design: Prospective longitudinal study Methods: Five Thoroughbred racehorses from one training centre underwent gastroscopy as part of poor performance investigation. Samples were taken from EGGD lesions and adjacent normal mucosa using sheathed transendoscopic cytology brushes and frozen at -80 °C. DNA was extracted for 16S rRNA sequencing, and sequences compared against a database to generate taxonomic classification of the microbiota. The same horses were sampled six months later. Results: Normal glandular mucosal samples were characterised by a higher proportion of Proteobacteria (46.3 %) than EGGD lesions (18.9 %). Relative abundance of Firmicutes was lower in samples from normal mucosa (20.0 %) than EGGD lesions (41.2 %). Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) confirmed a greater proportion of Firmicutes species was characteristic of samples collected from EGGD lesions due to a very high relative abundance of Sarcina (up to 92.4 %) in two horses with EGGD. We were unable to comment on the stability of the glandular gastric microbiota over time. Main limitations: Small sample population. None of the horses examined had grossly normal gastric mucosa. Conclusions: The gastric microbiota appears altered in EGGD, although we are unable to demonstrate a causative effect. Sarcina was particularly increased in abundance in EGGD and may be a useful biomarker of disease. Sheathed cytology brushes were an effective method for sampling the gastric mucosa