Analysis of antigen retrieval techniques for the immunohistochemical detection of the Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus

In the present work different methods of antigen retrieval were evaluated to allow the immunodetection of the Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (BVDv) in materials fixed with formol. The effect of the application of proteolytic digestion was analyzed (ficin, trypsin, pepsin, proteinase K) and its combination with treatment in a microwave oven using different concentrations and times of incubation for the primary antibody. The most effective treatment was the one carried out with proteinase K, using 1:30 dilution for the primary antibodies, with overnight incubation at room temperature. We conclude that the formol fixation affects the antigenicity of the BVDv but these effects can be reverted by specific proteolytic digestion allowing the use of the immunohistochemical routine technique for the diagnosis of the disease.Fil: Marini, M.R. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Patología Básica. Santa Fe, ArgentinaFil: Canal, A.M. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Patología Básica. Santa Fe, ArgentinaFil: Salvetti, N.R. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Anatomía e Histología Embriología. Santa Fe, ArgentinaFil: Ortega, H.H. CONICET. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Santa Fe, ArgentinaFil: Ortega, H.H. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Anatomía e Histología Embriología. Santa Fe, ArgentinaEn el presente trabajo se evaluaron diferentes métodos de recuperación antigénica para permitir la inmunodetección del virus de la Diarrea Viral Bovina (vDVB) en materiales fijados con formol. Se analizó el efecto de la aplicación de digestión proteolítica (ficina, tripsina, pepsina, proteinasa K) y su combinación con tratamiento en un horno microondas empleando diferentes concentraciones y tiempos de incubación para el anticuerpo primario. El tratamiento más efectivo fue el realizado con proteinasa K, utilizando diluciones de 1:30 para los anticuerpos primarios, con incubación durante toda la noche a temperatura ambiente. Concluimos que la fijación formólica afecta la antigenicidad del vDVB pero estos efectos pueden ser revertidos por digestión proteolítica específica permitiendo la utilización de la inmunohistoquímica como técnica de rutina para el diagnóstico de la enfermedad

Identificação imuno-histoquímica de VEGF e IGF-1 em ovários de cadelas no anestro e estro

Com o objetivo de verificar a presença de VEGF e IGF-1 nos ovários de cadelas, foram realizadas análises imuno-histoquímicas do estroma cortical; teca e granulosa de folículos secundários, terciários e terciários pré-ovulatórios luteinizados; e ovócitos de folículos primários, secundários e terciários de ovários de cinco cadelas em anestro (Anest) e cinco em estro (Est). A identificação das fases do ciclo estral foi realizada por citologia vaginal associada a dosagem plasmática de progesterona. Os ovários foram submetidos a tratamento imuno-histoquímico para identificação de VEGF (anticorpo primário PU 360-UP, Biogenex, USA; diluição 1:30) e IGF-1 (anticorpo primário PabCa, Gro-Pep, Austrália; diluição 1:100). Determinou-se um índice de imunomarcação (IM), para cada tecido avaliado, pela razão entre a área positivamente marcada dividida pela área total analisada. Para os ovócitos, verificou-se imunomarcação positiva ou negativa. As comparações de IM entre tecidos foram realizadas pelo teste de Wilcoxon (diferentes tecidos em mesmo grupo) ou Mann-Whitney (mesmo tecido entre diferentes grupos), todas no nível de 5% de significância. VEGF e IGF-1 foram identificados, de forma semelhante (P>0,05), em todas as estruturas avaliadas em ambos os grupos experimentais. Conclui-se que esses fatores de crescimento estão presentes em cadelas no anestro e estro, no estroma cortical ovariano, folículos em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento e ovócitos

The importance of including uric acid in the definition of metabolic syndrome when assessing the mortality risk

Introduction: Serum uric acid (SUA) has been depicted as a contributory causal factor in metabolic syndrome (MS), which in turn, portends unfavourable prognosis. Aim: We assessed the prognostic role of SUA in patients with and without MS. Methods: We used data from the multicentre Uric Acid Right for Heart Health study and considered cardiovascular mortality (CVM) as death due to fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden cardiac death, or heart failure. Results: A total of 9589 subjects (median age 58.5 years, 45% males) were included in the analysis, and 5100 (53%) patients had a final diagnosis of MS. After a median follow-up of 142 months, we observed 558 events. Using a previously validated cardiovascular SUA cut-off to predict CVM (> 5.1 mg/dL in women and 5.6 mg/dL in men), elevated SUA levels were significantly associated to a worse outcome in patients with and without MS (all p < 0.0001) and provided a significant net reclassification improvement of 7.1% over the diagnosis of MS for CVM (p = 0.004). Cox regression analyses identified an independent association between SUA and CVM (Hazard Ratio: 1.79 [95% CI, 1.15–2.79]; p < 0.0001) after the adjustment for MS, its single components and renal function. Three specific combinations of the MS components were associated with higher CVM when increasing SUA levels were reported, and systemic hypertension was the only individual component ever-present (all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Increasing SUA levels are associated with a higher CVM risk irrespective of the presence of MS: a cardiovascular SUA threshold may improve risk stratification. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, The Author(s)

The Italian multiple sclerosis register

The past decade has seen extraordinary increase in worldwide availability of and access to several large multiple sclerosis (MS) databases and registries. MS registries represent powerful tools to provide meaningful information on the burden, natural history, and long-term safety and effectiveness of treatments. Moreover, patients, physicians, industry, and policy makers have an active interest in real-world observational studies based on register data, as they have the potential to answer the questions that are most relevant to daily treatment decision-making. In 2014, the Italian MS Foundation, in collaboration with the Italian MS clinical centers, promoted and funded the creation of the Italian MS Register, a project in continuity with the existing Italian MS Database Network set up from 2001. Main objective of the Italian MS Register is to create an organized multicenter structure to collect data of all MS patients for better defining the disease epidemiology, improving quality of care, and promoting research projects in high-priority areas. The aim of this article is to present the current framework and network of the Italian MS register, including the methodology used to improve the quality of data collection and to facilitate the exchange of data and the collaboration among national and international groups