Based on light and scanning electron microscopical observations,
Typhlophoros kwenae
n. sp. (Heterocheilidae), a new nematode parasite, is described from the stomach of the Nile crocodile
Crocodylus ...niloticus
Laurenti in South Africa. In having three lips with well-developed posterior prolongations and prominent interlabial longitudinal cuticular ridges, four pairs of precloacal papillae and complex spicules divided into handle and broad alate blade in males, as well as the position of the vulva near mid-body in females, the specimens conform to the generic diagnosis of
Typhlophoros
von Linstow, 1906. They can, however, be distinguished from the two previously described congeners,
T. lamellaris
von Linstow, 1906 and
T. spratti
Sprent, 1999, by the number of complete interlabial ridges, the length of spicules in males and the position of the vulva as well as the length of the tail in females. This is the first record of the genus
Typhlophoros
from the Afrotropical Realm.
The German guidelines on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been developed at highest level of evidence based on systematic literature review. In this paper, we are presenting the current ...recommendations on diagnostics including preoperative imaging and imaging for stage evaluation as well as histopathological classification. The role of tumor biopsy is further discussed. In addition, different prognostic scores and the status of biomarkers in RCC are critically evaluated.
Therapy failure with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sunitinib remains a great challenge in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Growing evidence indicates that the tumour subpopulation can ...enter a transient, non‐mutagenic drug‐tolerant state to endure the treatment underlying the minimal residual disease and tumour relapse. Drug tolerance to sunitinib remains largely unexplored in RCC. Here, we show that sunitinib‐tolerant 786‐O/S and Caki‐2/S cells are induced by prolonged drug treatment showing reduced drug sensitivity, enhanced clonogenicity, and DNA synthesis. Sunitinib‐tolerance developed via dynamic processes, including (i) engagement of c‐MET and AXL pathways, (ii) alteration of stress‐induced p38 kinase and pro‐survival BCL‐2 signalling, (iii) extensive actin remodelling, which was correlated with activation of focal adhesion proteins. Remarkably, the acute drug response in both sensitive and sunitinib‐tolerant cell lines led to dramatic fine‐tuning of the actin‐cytoskeleton and boosted cellular migration and invasion, indicating that the drug‐response might depend on cell state transition rather than pre‐existing mutations. The drug‐tolerant state was transiently acquired, as the cells resumed initial drug sensitivity after >10 passages under drug withdrawal, reinforcing the concept of dynamic regulation and phenotypic heterogeneity. Our study described molecular events contributing to the reversible switch into sunitinib‐tolerance, providing possible novel therapeutic opportunities in RCC.
The endoparasite fauna of Ansell's mole-rat, Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán and Kawalika) (Rodentia, Bathyergidae), was studied for the first time near Lusaka, Zambia. We recovered 7 ...endoparasite taxa including 5 nematodes (Hexametra sp.; Protospirura numidica Seurat, 1914; Protospirura muricola Gedoelst, 1916; Protospirura sp.; and Mammalakis zambiensisJunker, Lutermann and Mutafchiev, 2017); and 2 cestodes (Inermicapsifer sp. and Rodentolepis cf. microstoma Dujardin, 1845) from 272 individuals sampled between February 2009 and February 2010. Species richness (0–2), prevalence (14.7%), and abundance (0.44 ± 0.10) were low, probably as a result of the subterranean lifestyle of the study species. Although effect of host sex on helminth burden was largely absent, helminth burden varied with season and breeding status of the host. This may be a result of seasonal variation in burrow size in response to rainfall, but also the division of labor present in the study species.
To determine whether normal mucosa had already acquired genetic changes, we analyzed the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and chromosomal changes in normal urothelium from patients with bladder cancer ...and those without any history of bladder cancer.
Sixteen patients with bladder cancer and 15 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were included in this study. Tumor tissue, as well as macroscopically normal mucosa, was examined histopathologically. We performed comparative genomic hybridization according to standard protocols to detect chromosomal alterations. Furthermore, we analyzed LOH using four markers on chromosome 9 according to standard protocols for polymerase chain reaction.
In 75% of tumor samples, LOH or shifts were detected at least with one marker on chromosome 9. Comparative genomic hybridization revealed chromosomal alterations in 12 (75%) of 16 tumors. The loss of chromosome 9 was seen frequently (56%). LOH was observed in normal mucosa in 5 of 16 patients with tumor and 1 of 15 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Chromosomal alterations were also seen in the normal mucosa of 1 patient with tumor and 2 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 14, and 17).
Our results indicated that no general genetic instability is present in the bladder urothelium. Therefore, in most patients with bladder cancer, it seems that multifocality and recurrence are not caused by genetic instability of normal urothelial cells but develop owing to cell migration or intraluminal spread.
In order to accommodate a new species of pentastomid parasite, Pelonia africana Junker & Boomker, 2002 (Sebekidae), Junker & Boomker (2002) described the new genus Pelonia. This genus name is, ...however, preoccupied by Pelonia Grube, 1859 (Acari). Grube (1859) did not designate a type species, but Oudemans (1900: 141) recorded Pelonia as a possible synonym of Cepheus Koch, 1835 and listed P. foliosa as its type species, allegedly designated by Grube. Subías et al. (2012), accepted the synonymy of Pelonia with Cepheus Koch, 1835 (Acari: Compactozetidae). Norton & Ermilov (2014) provided a brief summary of the nomenclatural history of the mite genus Pelonia and proposed P. foliosa as being the nymph of Cepheus cepheiformis (Nicolet, 1855).
Sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rare in young adults. In the present retrospective study we reviewed clinicopathological features and disease specific survival rates in young patients (<= 45 ...years) with RCC and compared them to old patients (>= 75 years) with RCC.
Between 1992 and 2005 a total of 1042 patients were treated for RCC at our institution. We found 70 patients 45 years or younger (YP) and 150 patients 75 years or older (OP) at time of diagnosis. There were no differences in therapeutical approaches between both groups. Clinical and biologic parameters at diagnosis were compared and subjected to uni- and multivariate analysis to study cancer specific survival and progression rate. Mean postoperative follow-up in both groups was 50.1 months.
Mean age was 39 years in YP and 80 years in OP, respectively. YP demonstrated significantly lower stage (pT1-pT2 N0 M0, p = 0.03), lower tumor grade (p = 0.01) and higher male-to-female ratio (p < 0.001). The rate of lymph node metastases or distant metastatic disease at presentation did not differ significantly between both groups. In multivariate analysis young age was independently associated with a higher 5-year cancer specific survival (95.2% vs. 72.3%, p = 0.009) and a lower 5-year progression rate (11.3% vs. 42.5%, p = 0.002).
Sporadic RCC in young patients have lower tumor stages and grades and a better outcome compared to elderly. Age <= 45 years was an independent prognostic factor for survival and progression.
In recent years, numerous studies have examined the effect of host sex and age on the structure of parasite communities in several host taxa under various environmental conditions and in different ...geographic regions. However, the influence of such factors on the structure of host-parasite networks has received less attention, and remarkably few studies have been carried out on large terrestrial mammals. In this study, we investigated the effects of host age and sex on the parasite infra- and component communities of nyalas (
Tragelaphus angasii
) and on the structure of individual-based nyala-endoparasite networks. We also aimed to evaluate to what extent these effects vary spatially and if they are mediated by conservation management. Based on a data set of internal macroparasites of 74 nyalas from three game reserves in KwaZulu-Natal province, we found that host age strongly influenced parasite community structure as well as the structure of parasite-nyala networks, whereas host sex played a minor role. However, the effects of both host sex and age were mediated by environmental conditions and thus led to different patterns at the three localities. Our findings highlight that host-parasite communities from different localities should not be pooled when conducting host-parasite network and community studies as this may bias results and mask patterns that are typical for a given locality.
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a heterogeneous disease with widely different outcomes. We performed a comprehensive transcriptional analysis of 460 early-stage urothelial carcinomas ...and showed that NMIBC can be subgrouped into three major classes with basal- and luminal-like characteristics and different clinical outcomes. Large differences in biological processes such as the cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and differentiation were observed. Analysis of transcript variants revealed frequent mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in chromatin organization and cytoskeletal functions. Furthermore, mutations in well-known cancer driver genes (e.g., TP53 and ERBB2) were primarily found in high-risk tumors, together with APOBEC-related mutational signatures. The identification of subclasses in NMIBC may offer better prognostication and treatment selection based on subclass assignment.
•Discovery of biological subclasses in 460 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers (NMIBC)•Identification of NMIBC subclasses with basal- and luminal-like characteristics•Basal-like early-stage tumors show pronounced expression of lncRNAs•APOBEC-related mutations may drive disease progression in NMIBC
Hedegaard et al. perform a comprehensive analysis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and show that NMIBC can be subgrouped into three major classes with different clinical outcomes and biological processes.
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