40 research outputs found
Achieving secure storage and sharing of data in a multi-user system: Advanced per customer encryption
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer ScienceIntelligent SystemsTI380
Bovine pericardium in penile prosthesis reimplantation
We present a case of a patient who underwent a late penile prosthesis implant using bovine pericardium as a complement to the tunica albuginea involved in intense fibrosis that destroyed the corpus cavernosum after an infectious manifestation. The advantages of using bovine pericardium in the substitution of the tunica albuginea are discussed and its first use as a penile prosthesis lining is reported
Etiology of urinary tract infection in scholar children
OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the prevalence of vesicourethral dysfunction in children over 3 years old, comparing it with the occurrence rate for other potential factors that cause urinary infection in this age range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 36 girls and 9 boys were assessed, with mean age of 6.4 years, ranging from 3 to 13.9 years. These children were prospectively assessed regarding the presence of symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction. These data were compared with the retrospective assessment of other potential risk factors for urinary infection. Ultrasonography was performed in 28 children and voiding cystourethrogram was performed in 26 patients. RESULTS: Vesicourethral dysfunction was diagnosed in 39 (87%) of the 45 children with urinary infection. Among these 39 patients, all had voiding urgency, 30 (77%) had urinary incontinence, 12 (31%) pollakiuria and 3 (8%) presented infrequent voiding. Vaginal discharge was evidenced in 8 (22%) girls and phimosis in 2 (22%) boys. Obstipation was diagnosed in 10 (22%) cases. Significant post-voiding residue was detected in 4 (13%) of the 28 cases assessed. Vesicoureteral reflux was evidenced in 5 (19%) of the 26 patients who underwent voiding cystourethrogram. In only 2 (4%) cases there was not an apparent cause for the infection. CONCLUSION: Vesicourethral dysfunction is a major cause of urinary infection in children with ages above 3 years old. In cases where voiding dysfunction in not present, other predisposing factors must be assessed. However, only 4% of the patients did not present an apparent urologic cause for the infection
Etiology of urinary tract infection in scholar children
OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the prevalence of vesicourethral dysfunction in children over 3 years old, comparing it with the occurrence rate for other potential factors that cause urinary infection in this age range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 36 girls and 9 boys were assessed, with mean age of 6.4 years, ranging from 3 to 13.9 years. These children were prospectively assessed regarding the presence of symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction. These data were compared with the retrospective assessment of other potential risk factors for urinary infection. Ultrasonography was performed in 28 children and voiding cystourethrogram was performed in 26 patients. RESULTS: Vesicourethral dysfunction was diagnosed in 39 (87%) of the 45 children with urinary infection. Among these 39 patients, all had voiding urgency, 30 (77%) had urinary incontinence, 12 (31%) pollakiuria and 3 (8%) presented infrequent voiding. Vaginal discharge was evidenced in 8 (22%) girls and phimosis in 2 (22%) boys. Obstipation was diagnosed in 10 (22%) cases. Significant post-voiding residue was detected in 4 (13%) of the 28 cases assessed. Vesicoureteral reflux was evidenced in 5 (19%) of the 26 patients who underwent voiding cystourethrogram. In only 2 (4%) cases there was not an apparent cause for the infection. CONCLUSION: Vesicourethral dysfunction is a major cause of urinary infection in children with ages above 3 years old. In cases where voiding dysfunction in not present, other predisposing factors must be assessed. However, only 4% of the patients did not present an apparent urologic cause for the infection
Reformatting palivizumab and motavizumab from IgG to human IgA impairs their efficacy against RSV infection in vitro and in vivo
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in young children. Protective therapy options are limited. Currently, palivizumab, a monoclonal IgG1 antibody, is the only licensed drug for RSV prophylaxis, although other IgG antibody candidates are being evaluated. However, at the respiratory mucosa, IgA antibodies are most abundant and act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Therefore, it would be logical to explore the potential of recombinant human IgA antibodies to protect against viral respiratory infection, but very little research on the topic has been published. Moreover, it is unknown whether human antibodies of the IgA isotype are better suited than those of the IgG isotype as antiviral drugs to combat respiratory infections. To address this, we generated various human IgA antibody formats of palivizumab and motavizumab, two well-characterized human IgG1 anti-RSV antibodies. We evaluated their efficacy to prevent RSV infection in vitro and in vivo and found similar, but somewhat decreased efficacy for different IgA subclasses and formats. Thus, reformatting palivizumab or motavizumab into IgA reduces the antiviral potency of either antibody. Moreover, our results indicate that the efficacy of intranasal IgA prophylaxis against RSV infection in human FcαRI transgenic mice is independent of Fc receptor expression
Bovine IgG Prevents Experimental Infection With RSV and Facilitates Human T Cell Responses to RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections represent a major burden of disease in infants and are the second most prevalent cause of death worldwide. Human milk immunoglobulins provide protection against RSV. However, many infants depend on processed bovine milk-based nutrition, which lacks intact immunoglobulins. We investigated the potential of bovine antibodies to neutralize human RSV and facilitate-cell immune activation. We show cow's milk IgG (bIgG) and Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) have a similar RSV neutralization capacity, even though bIgG has a lower pre-F to post-F binding ratio compared to human IVIG, with the majority of bIgG binding to pre-F. RSV is better neutralized with human IVIG. Consequently, we enriched RSV specific T cells by culturing human PBMC with a mixture of RSV peptides, and used these T cells to study the effect of bIgG and IVIG on the activation of pre-F-pecific T cells. bIgG facilitated in vitro T cell activation in a similar manner as IVIG. Moreover, bIgG was able to mediate T cell activation and internalization of pathogens, which are prerequisites for inducing an adaptive viral response. Using in vivo mouse experiments, we showed that bIgG is able to bind the murine activating IgG Fc Receptors (FcγR), but not the inhibiting FcγRII. Intranasal administration of the monoclonal antibody palivizumab, but also of bIgG and IVIG prevented RSV infection in mice. The concentration of bIgG needed to prevent infection was ~5-fold higher compared to IVIG. In conclusion, the data presented here indicate that functionally active bIgG facilitates adaptive antiviral T cell responses and prevents RSV infection in vitro and in vivo
Reformatting palivizumab and motavizumab from IgG to human IgA impairs their efficacy against RSV infection in vitro and in vivo
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in young children. Protective therapy options are limited. Currently, palivizumab, a monoclonal IgG1 antibody, is the only licensed drug for RSV prophylaxis, although other IgG antibody candidates are being evaluated. However, at the respiratory mucosa, IgA antibodies are most abundant and act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Therefore, it would be logical to explore the potential of recombinant human IgA antibodies to protect against viral respiratory infection, but very little research on the topic has been published. Moreover, it is unknown whether human antibodies of the IgA isotype are better suited than those of the IgG isotype as antiviral drugs to combat respiratory infections. To address this, we generated various human IgA antibody formats of palivizumab and motavizumab, two well-characterized human IgG1 anti-RSV antibodies. We evaluated their efficacy to prevent RSV infection in vitro and in vivo and found similar, but somewhat decreased efficacy for different IgA subclasses and formats. Thus, reformatting palivizumab or motavizumab into IgA reduces the antiviral potency of either antibody. Moreover, our results indicate that the efficacy of intranasal IgA prophylaxis against RSV infection in human FcαRI transgenic mice is independent of Fc receptor expression
bIg-mediated binding and phagocytosis of <i>S. epidermidis</i> by IFN-γ-stimulated monocytes and GM-CSF-differentiated moDCs.
<p>FITC-labelled bacteria were opsonised or not with human (IVIg) or bovine (bIgG) IgG. Subsequently cells were allowed to bind to opsonised bacteria and incubated at 4°C (negative control) or 37°C degrees and stained with APC-conjugated antibodies recognizing FITC. Extracellular bacteria were defined as FITC+APC+ and intracellular bacteria as FITC+APC−. Extracellular bacteria can be observed at both 4°C and 37°C incubated cells, whereas intracellular bacteria are only present in cells incubated at 37°C. A) Example of FACS dot plot and gating strategy. B and C) Percentage of IFN-γ conditioned monocytes (B) and moDCs (C) with extracellular (left) and intracellular (right) bacteria of IVIg (top) and bIgG (bottom) incubated at 4°C or 37°C (indicated at x-axes). Black bars indicate medium (–) or bacteria alone without Ig (0). X-axes show µg/ml Ig used for opsonisation of bacteria. Mean and S.E.M. of triplicate measurements are shown of one out of three donors tested.</p