Azacitidine Treatment Following Intensive Chemotherapy with Daunorubicin and Cytarabin for Acute Transformation in Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Article信州医学雑誌 62(3):167-172(2014)journal articl

Interaction of Silver Nanoparticles and Chitin Powder with Different Sizes and Surface Structures: The Correlation with Antimicrobial Activities

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were  nm in diameter, and four <5% deacetylated chitins (A, B, C, and D) differing in size of powder and surface structure properties were used in the study. Chitin/Ag NP composites were synthesized by mixing Ag NP suspensions with each chitin powder at room temperature for 30 min. The Ag NPs were homogenously dispersed and stably adsorbed onto the chitins A and B powders. The resulting chitin/Ag NP composites were brown; darker composites were obtained when larger amounts of Ag NPs were reacted with chitin. Approximately, 26 and 22 μg of Ag NPs maximally adsorbed to 1 mg of chitins A and B, respectively, whereas only 2.5 and 1.5 μg of Ag NPs maximally adsorbed to chitins C and D, respectively. As the bactericidal and antifungal activities of the chitin/Ag NP composites increased with increasing amounts of Ag NPs adsorbed to the chitin, the antimicrobial activity of chitins A and B/Ag NP composites was much higher than that of chitins C and D/Ag NP composites. These results suggest that the particle size and surface structure of the chitin powder critically influence both the adsorption and antimicrobial activity of Ag NPs

Fibras reforçadas por resina (FRC) em Ortodontia. Versatilidade clínica: parte 2

As fibras de vidro e de polietileno podem ser utilizadas na prática ortodôntica em diversas situações clínicas, nos casos com ou sem extrações dentárias. Este artigo tem como objetivo mostrar algumas das aplicações clínicas nas quais as fibras contribuíram de forma significativa para a realização dos tratamentos ortodônticos, simplificando-os e aumentando a eficiência clínica. As fibras foram utilizadas principalmente em segmentos de ancoragem e na substituição da banda pela colagem da associação fibra/tubo nos molares.Glass and polyethylene fibers can be used in orthodontic practice on several clinical(s) situations, in cases with or without teeth extraction. The objective of this article is to show some of the clinical applications in which the fibers contributed in a positive way to improve the performance of orthodontic treatments, simplifying and raiseing the clinical efficiency. These fibers were mainly used on anchorage segments, and as a substitute for the band by bonding the fiber/tube association in molars

Miniplates as skeletal anchorage for treating mandibular second molar impactions

Mandibular second molar impactions can be difficult to correct and might require surgery. A young man with an impacted mandibular right second molar was treated with a miniplate, which provided anchorage to upright the tooth. Although other devices are available, this technique appears to be predictable and quick, and has few side effects

Antiviral activity of silver nanoparticle/chitosan composites against H1N1 influenza A virus

Silver nanoparticle (Ag NP)/chitosan (Ch) composites with antiviral activity against H1N1 influenza A virus were prepared. The Ag NP/Ch composites were obtained as yellow or brown floc-like powders following reaction at room temperature in aqueous medium. Ag NPs (3.5, 6.5, and 12.9 nm average diameters) were embedded into the chitosan matrix without aggregation or size alternation. The antiviral activity of the Ag NP/Ch composites was evaluated by comparing the TCID(50) ratio of viral suspensions treated with the composites to untreated suspensions. For all sizes of Ag NPs tested, antiviral activity against H1N1 influenza A virus increased as the concentration of Ag NPs increased; chitosan alone exhibited no antiviral activity. Size dependence of the Ag NPs on antiviral activity was also observed: antiviral activity was generally stronger with smaller Ag NPs in the composites. These results indicate that Ag NP/Ch composites interacting with viruses exhibit antiviral activity

A Simple and Rapid Identification Method for Mycobacterium bovis BCG with Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is widely used as a live attenuated vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is an agent for standard prophylaxis against the recurrence of bladder cancer. Unfortunately, it can cause severe infectious diseases, especially in immunocompromised patients, and the ability to immediately distinguish BCG from other M. tuberculosis complexes is therefore important. In this study, we developed a simple and easy-to-perform identification procedure using loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) to detect deletions within the region of difference, which is deleted specifically in all M. bovis BCG strains. Reactions were performed at 64 °C for 30 min and successful targeted gene amplifications were detected by real-time turbidity using a turbidimeter and visual inspection of color change. The assay had an equivalent detection limit of 1.0 pg of genomic DNA using a turbidimeter whereas it was 10 pg with visual inspection, and it showed specificity against 49 strains of 44 pathogens, including M. tuberculosis complex. The expected LAMP products were confirmed through identical melting curves in real-time LAMP procedures. We employed the Procedure for Ultra Rapid Extraction (PURE) kit to isolate mycobacterial DNA and found that the highest sensitivity limit with a minimum total cell count of mycobacterium (including DNA purification with PURE) was up to 1 × 10(3) cells/reaction, based on color changes under natural light with FDA reagents. The detection limit of this procedure when applied to artificial serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples was also about 1 × 10(3) cells/reaction. Therefore, this substitute method using conventional culture or clinical specimens followed by LAMP combined with PURE could be a powerful tool to enable the rapid identification of M. bovis BCG as point-of-care testing. It is suitable for practical use not only in resource-limited situations, but also in any clinical situation involving immunocompromised patients because of its convenience, rapidity, and cost effectiveness

Critical Contribution of CD28-CD80/CD86 Costimulatory Pathway to Protection from Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

The CD28-CD80/CD86-mediated T-cell costimulatory pathway has been variably implicated in infectious immunity. In this study, we investigated the role of this costimulatory pathway in resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection by using CD28-deficient mice and blocking antibodies against CD80 and CD86. CD28-deficient mice exhibited markedly exacerbated T. cruzi infection, as evidenced by unrelenting parasitemia and 100% mortality after infection with doses that are nonlethal in wild-type mice. The blockade of both CD80 and CD86 by administering specific monoclonal antibodies also exacerbated T. cruzi infection in wild-type mice. Splenocytes from T. cruzi-infected, CD28-deficient mice exhibited greatly impaired gamma interferon production in response to T. cruzi antigen stimulation in vitro compared to those from infected wild-type mice. The induction of T. cruzi antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells was also impaired in T. cruzi-infected, CD28-deficient mice. In addition to these defects in natural protection against T. cruzi infection, CD28-deficient mice were also defective in the induction of CD8(+)-T-cell-mediated protective immunity against T. cruzi infection by DNA vaccination. These results demonstrate, for the first time, a critical contribution of the CD28-CD80/CD86 costimulatory pathway not only to natural protection against primary T. cruzi infection but also to DNA vaccine-induced protective immunity to Chagas' disease

Activation of Natural Killer T Cells by α-Galactosylceramide Impairs DNA Vaccine-Induced Protective Immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi

Innate immunity as a first defense is indispensable for host survival against infectious agents. We examined the roles of natural killer (NK) T cells in defense against Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The T. cruzi parasitemia and survival of CD1d-deficient mice exhibited no differences compared to wild-type littermates. NK T-cell activation induced by administering α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) to T. cruzi-infected mice significantly changed the parasitemia only in the late phase of infection and slightly improved survival when mice were infected intraperitoneally. The combined usage of α-GalCer and benznidazole, a commercially available drug for Chagas' disease, did not enhance the therapeutic efficacy of benznidazole. These results suggest that NK T cells do not play a pivotal role in resistance to T. cruzi infection. In addition, we found that the coadministration of α-GalCer with DNA vaccine impaired the induction of epitope-specific CD8(+) T cells and undermined the DNA vaccine-induced protective immunity against T. cruzi. Our results, in contrast to previous reports demonstrating the protective roles of NK T cells against other infectious agents, suggest that these cells might even exhibit adverse effects on vaccine-mediated protective immunity