Primary hydatid cyst of the thyroid glands: two case reports and a review of the literature

Abstract Introduction Although hydatid cyst remains one of the prevalent parasitic infections in humans, hydatid cyst of the thyroid is extremely rare, even in endemic areas. Here we present two cases of thyroid hydatid cysts. Case presentation A 35 and a 50 year-old Iranian female with a positive history of animal contact were presented with a neck lump without any compressive symptoms. A physical exam revealed neck masses that elevated with swallowing. Thyroid gland ultrasonography showed cystic thyroid lesions, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) suggested a thyroid hydatic cyst. Thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy were done for the first patient, and near-total thyroidectomy was done for the other. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of a hydatid cyst. None of the patients had hydatid cysts in other sites. Patients were discharged without an antiparasitic drug, and no recurrence was detected at the six-month follow-up. Conclusion It is necessary to consider hydatid cysts in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the thyroid gland in endemic areas, especially in people with a positive history of animal contact

Evaluation of oxidative stress, blood parameters, and neurocognitive status in cement factory workers

The current investigation was aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress (OS), blood factors, and neurocognitive state among cement factory workers who are exposed to dust during their work. Totally 41 cement exposed workers and 41 subjects as a control group were selected, and their OS, biochemical parameters, and a neurocognitive questionnaire were assessed. The results indicated that the levels of triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were higher among the exposed workers. The rate of lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity were not significantly differenced among the workers while compared to the control groupsem informaçã

A novel locus for autosomal recessive spastic ataxia on chromosome 17p.

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxias are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases usually characterized by the early onset of cerebellar and pyramidal signs. With the collaboration of the clinical European and Mediterranean SPATAX network, we identified 15 families with 34 affected members presenting with ataxia and pyramidal signs or spasticity that were not linked to the ARSACS locus on chromosome 13. In an informative consanguineous Moroccan family, we mapped a novel locus, SAX2, to chromosome 17p13. The minimal linked interval lies in a region of 6.1 cM flanked by markers D17S1845/1583 and D17S1854 (Z(max) = 3.21). Three of the remaining 14 families were also possibly linked to SAX2. The overall clinical picture in nine patients was cerebellar ataxia with pyramidal signs and/or spasticity. Onset occurred before the age of 15 years in two families and in adulthood in the other two. Interestingly, in the largest SAX2 family, the presenting clinical sign was dysarthria, which is not common in other forms of inherited ataxias or spastic ataxias, whereas gait difficulties appeared later. Most cases also showed fasciculations suggesting that both lower and upper motor neurons are involved in the disease process. No mutations were found in the coding exons of KIF1C, ARRB2 and ANKFY1, three genes in the candidate region

Establishment of a novel triage system for SARS-CoV-2 among trauma victims in trauma centers with limited facilities

Objectives The triage of trauma patients with potential COVID-19 remains a major challenge given that a significant number of patients may be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. This study aimed to compare the specificity and sensitivity of available triage systems for COVID-19 among trauma patients. Furthermore, it aimed to develop a novel triage system for SARS-CoV-2 detection among trauma patients in centers with limited resources.Methods All patients referred to our center from February to May 2020 were enrolled in this prospective study. We evaluated the SARS-CoV-2 triage protocols from the WHO, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) for their effectiveness in finding COVID-19 infected individuals among trauma patients. We then used these data to design a stepwise triage protocol to detect COVID-19 positive patients among trauma patients.Results According to our findings, the WHO protocol showed 100% specificity and 13.3% sensitivity. The MOHME protocol had 99% specificity and 23.3% sensitivity. While the ECDC protocol showed 93.3% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity, it did not prioritize patients based on traumatic injuries and unstable conditions. Our stepwise triage protocol, which prioritizes traumatic injuries, had 93.3% sensitivity and 90.3% specificity.Conclusion Our study shows that the triage protocols from the WHO, MOHME and ECDC are not best equipped to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals among trauma patients. In our proposed stepwise triage system, patients are triaged according to their hemodynamic conditions, COVID-19 related clinical states, and COVID-19 related laboratory findings. Our triage model can lead to more accurate and resource-effective management of trauma patients with potential COVID-19 infection.Level of evidence Level Ⅲ

Molecular and cell biology aspects of plague

A 70-kb virulence plasmid (sometimes called pYV) enables Yersinia spp. to survive and multiply in the lymphoid tissues of their host. It encodes the Yop virulon, a system consisting of secreted proteins called Yops and their dedicated type III secretion apparatus called Ysc. The Ysc apparatus forms a channel composed of 29 proteins. Of these, 10 have counterparts in almost every type III system. Secretion of some Yops requires the assistance, in the bacterial cytosol, of small individual chaperones called the Syc proteins. These chaperones act as bodyguards or secretion pilots for their partner Yop. Yop proteins fall into two categories. Some are intracellular effectors, whereas the others are “translocators” needed to deliver the effectors across the eukaryotic plasma membrane, into eukaryotic cells. The translocators (YopB, YopD, LcrV) form a pore of 16–23 Å in the eukaryotic cell plasma membrane. The effector Yops are YopE, YopH, YpkA/YopO, YopP/YopJ, YopM, and YopT. YopH is a powerful phosphotyrosine phosphatase playing an antiphagocytic role by dephosphorylating several focal adhesion proteins. YopE and YopT contribute to antiphagocytic effects by inactivating GTPases controlling cytoskeleton dynamics. YopP/YopJ plays an anti-inflammatory role by preventing the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. It also induces rapid apoptosis of macrophages. Less is known about the role of the phosphoserine kinase YopO/YpkA and YopM