Background
Although osteosarcoma remains the most common primary malignant neoplasm in the bone in the pediatric age group, involvement of the foot is extremely rare.
Case presentation
Our case ...demonstrates what appeared to be a bone cyst of the calcaneus at an outside institution after injury to the ankle. The patient was sent to our institution for further workup where a Computed Tomography scan revealed a permeative lytic lesion with faint calcifications. Based on our patient’s radiograph, an aneurysmal bone cyst might be included in the differential diagnosis. A telangiectatic osteosarcoma can also demonstrate a cystic and lytic appearance on radiographs. Interestingly biopsy confirmed our patient had an osteoblastic osteosarcoma.
Conclusions
A high degree of suspicion is often necessary for diagnosis of calcaneal osteosarcoma, especially in the setting of injury, and should not be overlooked.
Highlights • Simple description of the problematic clinical manifestations of toxocariasis. • Comparison of emerging and classical ELISA for immunodiagnosis of toxocariasis. • Description of new ...drugs and drug formulations for toxocariasis treatment. • New interventions for immunomodulation and prevention of toxocariasis.
The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of signal hyperintensity in the proximal fibular collateral ligament (FCL) on coronal proton density (PD) fat-saturated (FS) MRI ...of the knee, a common finding. This study is unique in that it characterizes the FCL of a comprehensive, large cohort of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, which to our knowledge represents the first study with such broad inclusion criteria.
A large case series was performed analyzing MRI of the knee of 250 patients from July 2021 through September 2021 and retrospectively reviewed. All studies were performed on 3-Tesla MRI scanners with a dedicated knee coil and in accordance with standard institutional knee MRI protocol. Signal in the proximal fibular collateral ligament was assessed on coronal PDFS and axial T2-weighted FS images. Increased signal was classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe. A corresponding chart review of clinic notes was performed to determine the presence or absence of lateral knee pain. An FCL sprain or injury was considered present if the medical record described tenderness on palpation of the lateral knee, positive finding against resistance to the leg (varus stress test) or reverse pivot shift, or any clinical suspicion for lateral complex sprain or posterolateral corner injury.
The majority (74%) of knee MRIs demonstrated the presence of increased signal in the proximal fibular collateral ligament on coronal PD FS images. <5% of these patients had associated clinical findings of fibular collateral ligament and/or lateral supporting structure injury.
Although increased signal in the proximal FCL of the knee is a common finding on coronal PDFS images, the majority are not associated with clinical symptoms. Thus, this increased signal is likely not a pathological finding in the absence of clinical findings of fibular collateral ligament sprain/injury. Our study emphasizes the importance of clinical correlation in identifying increased signal in the proximal FCL as pathologic.
•There is a high incidence of increased signal within the proximal FCL.•Despite the increased FCL signal, it is highly unlikely to have an FCL injury.•Symptomatic patients commonly have concomitant injuries or contusions.
Eryngium carlinae F. Delaroche (Apiaceae) is an herb used in folk medicine as a diuretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agent.
Aim of the study: This work assessed the diuretic, antinociceptive, ...and anti-inflammatory actions of an ethanol extract from the leaves and stems of Eryngium carlinae (ECE). These ethnomedicinal properties of ECE were scientifically validated using in vitro and in vivo assays.
The antinociceptive and diuretic actions of ECE (10–200 mg/kg p.o.) were assessed with the acetic acid-induced writhing test and by using metabolic cages to house mice, respectively. The in vitro anti-inflammatory actions of ECE (1–500 μg/ml) were evaluated using LPS-stimulated primary murine macrophages, and the in vivo anti-inflammatory actions were assessed using the TPA-induced ear edema test (2 mg/ear) and carrageenan-induced paw edema test (50–200 mg/kg p.o.). The production of inflammatory mediators was estimated using in vitro and in vivo assays.
ECE lacked antinociceptive and diuretic effects. ECE increased the production of IL-10 in LPS-stimulated macrophages (EC50 = 37.8 pg/ml) and the carrageenan-induced paw edema test (ED50 = 82.6 mg/kg). ECE showed similar in vivo anti-inflammatory actions compared to those observed with indomethacin.
Conclusion: ECE exerts in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects by increasing the release of IL-10.
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•Putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine determined by HPLC–ESI–ITMS/MS.•4-fluoro-3-nitrobenzenotrifluoride used for pre-column derivatization.•DLs/QLs consistent with those reported elsewhere ...for more powerful instrumentation.•Versatility demonstrated by analyzing plant extracts and human urine.
The goal of this work was to establish a simple HPLC–ESI–ITMS/MS procedure, suitable for the determination of four common aliphatic polyamines in two different types of biological matrices. To this end, 1,6-diaminohexane was used as the internal standard (IS) and 4-fluoro-3-nitrobenzenotrifluoride (FNBT) as the derivatizing agent. Formation of fully derivatized compounds was confirmed by high resolution ESI–QTOFMS and MS/MS analysis. Reversed phase chromatographic separation was carried out by gradient elution with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid and methanol. In a positive ESI mode, the following pairs of precursor/quantifier ions were used for multiple reaction monitoring: 467.4/261.0 for PUT, 481.2/461.1 for CAD, 713.7/261.0 for SPD, 959.8/507.2 for SPM and 495.3/475.2 for IS. On-column instrumental detection limits of four polyamines were in the range 0.62–2.14fmol (0.039–0.215ng/ml). Versatility was demonstrated by analyzing plant extracts and human urine; prior to derivatization, all samples were cleaned-up by dichloromethane extraction. The evaluated signal suppression/enhancement was in the range 82.3–115.4% and the percentage recoveries obtained in the method of standard addition were in the range 83.7–114.4%. Statistically significant differences in polyamines concentrations were found in garden cress exposed to Cd(II) versus control seedlings (t-test, p<0.05); results obtained for urine from healthy volunteers and diabetic patients at different clinical conditions suggested possible utility of free polyamines as biomarkers of progressive diabetes.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a devastating impact across the planet. Millions of lives lost and economic structures are struggling to remain afloat. Clinical effects of SARS CoV-2 virus ...include tiredness, fatigue, headache, cough, loss of appetite, fever, loss of sensations of taste, and smell as well as other respiratory difficulties. Pulmonary complications of coronavirus infections result in severe pneumonia with the final sequelae being sepsis, and end-stage respiratory failure. Further cardiovascular, neurological, hematological, and gastrointestinal complications build up to cause the demise of the immune system ultimately leading to death of the affected individual. The attack of the virus and the resultant reaction of the epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract have been in the limelight of most studies pertaining to the pandemic. However, a lesser number of studies have detailed the muscular and osseous pathologies that appear post-coronavirus infection. Inflammation post-infection, across the organ systems, may appear as a link to bone and joint pathology. Myalgia is a typical COVID-19 infection symptom. On the contrary, other musculoskeletal signs have very seldom been reported. Multimodality imaging techniques stand a chance at showing the diagnosis and the degree of follow-up after evaluation. Apart from myalgia, there are cases of arthralgia, myopathies, and neuropathies. According to numerous reports, there is the possibility of a link between the current drug regimen used to treat the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the musculoskeletal manifestations observed. In this study, we aim to shed light on the coronavirus pandemic and its association to various musculoskeletal manifestations, provide a different perspective of the infected patients, and address the major points that a clinician must take care while administering care to the patient. We will also address the present treatment in line with the various musculoskeletal symptoms observed.
Purpose: The expression of CD56, a natural killer cell–associated molecule, on αβ T lymphocytes correlates with their increased antitumor
effector function. CD56 is also expressed on a subset of γδ T ...cells. However, antitumor effector functions of CD56 + γδ T cells are poorly characterized.
Experimental Design: To investigate the potential effector role of CD56 + γδ T cells in tumor killing, we used isopentenyl pyrophosphate and interleukin-2–expanded γδ T cells from peripheral blood
mononuclear cells of healthy donors.
Results: Thirty to 70% of expanded γδ T cells express CD56 on their surface. Interestingly, although both CD56 + and CD56 − γδ T cells express comparable levels of receptors involved in the regulation of γδ T-cell cytotoxicity (e.g., NKG2D and CD94),
only CD56 + γδ T lymphocytes are capable of killing squamous cell carcinoma and other solid tumor cell lines. This effect is likely mediated
by the enhanced release of cytolytic granules because CD56 + γδ T lymphocytes expressed higher levels of CD107a compared with CD56 − controls following exposure to tumor cell lines. Lysis of tumor cell lines is blocked by concanamycin A and a combination
of anti-γδ T-cell receptor + anti-NKG2D monoclonal antibody, suggesting that the lytic activity of CD56 + γδ T cells involves the perforin-granzyme pathway and is mainly γδ T-cell receptor/NKG2D dependent. Importantly, CD56-expressing
γδ T lymphocytes are resistant to Fas ligand and chemically induced apoptosis.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that CD56 + γδ T cells are potent antitumor effectors capable of killing squamous cell carcinoma and may play an important therapeutic
role in patients with head and neck cancer and other malignancies.
spp. are diderm (two membranes) bacteria that infect mammals causing leptospirosis, a public health problem with global implications. Thousands of people die every year due to leptospirosis, ...especially in developing countries with tropical climates. Prophylaxis is difficult due to multiple factors, including the large number of asymptomatic hosts that transmit the bacteria, poor sanitation, increasing numbers of slum dwellers, and the lack of an effective vaccine. Several leptospiral recombinant antigens were evaluated as a replacement for the inactivated (bacterin) vaccine; however, success has been limited. A prospective vaccine candidate is likely to be a surface-related protein that can stimulate the host immune response to clear leptospires from blood and organs. In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics approach based on reverse and structural vaccinology was applied toward the discovery of novel leptospiral vaccine candidates. The
serovar Copenhageni strain L1-130 genome was mined
for the enhanced identification of conserved β-barrel (βb) transmembrane proteins and outer membrane (OM) lipoproteins. Orthologs of the prospective vaccine candidates were screened in the genomes of 20 additional
spp. Three-dimensional structural models, with a high degree of confidence, were created for each of the surface-exposed proteins. Major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) epitopes were identified, and their locations were mapped on the structural models. A total of 18 βb transmembrane proteins and 8 OM lipoproteins were identified. These proteins were conserved among the pathogenic
spp. and were predicted to have epitopes for several variants of MHC-II receptors. A structural and functional analysis of the sequence of these surface proteins demonstrated that most βb transmembrane proteins seem to be TonB-dependent receptors associated with transportation. Other proteins identified included, e.g., TolC efflux pump proteins, a BamA-like OM component of the βb transmembrane protein assembly machinery, and the LptD-like LPS assembly protein. The structural mapping of the immunodominant epitopes identified the location of conserved, surface-exposed, immunogenic regions for each vaccine candidate. The proteins identified in this study are currently being evaluated for experimental evidence for their involvement in virulence, disease pathogenesis, and physiology, in addition to vaccine development.
Abstract Children with obsessive compulsive disorder or tic disorders that are associated with streptococcal infections (Group A beta-hemolytic) in the oro-pharyngeal region are given the diagnosis ...of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). Tonsillectomy has been reported to resolve the neuro-psychiatric symptoms in these children. We have a case of a 9-year-old boy who was seen in our clinic with multiple recurrent streptococcal infections of the oro-pharyngeal cavity. He also exhibited neuro-psychiatric symptoms including agitation, hyperactivity, and tics. These symptoms followed his recurrent infections. Tonsillectomy was performed and in one year follow-up the patient did not have any recurrent streptococcal infections, and his neuro-psychiatric symptoms resolved completely. Guidelines for medical and surgical management of recurrent strep infections in the face of PANDAS are reviewed.
The impact of Cr(VI) in sunflower roots has been studied, focusing on the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Plants were grown hydroponically in the presence of 0, 1.0, 5.0 and 25 mgCr L−1. ...Methanolic root extracts were analyzed by capillary liquid chromatography coupled through negative electrospray ionization to a quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (capHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). Using partial least squares algorithm, eighteen features strongly affected by Cr(VI) were detected and annotated as linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and sixteen oxidation products containing hydroperoxy-, epoxy-, keto-, epoxyketo- or hydroxy-functionalities, all of them classified as oxylipins. Inspection of the MS/MS spectra acquired for features eluting at different retention times but assigned as a sole compound, confirmed isomers formation: three hydroperoxy-octadecadienoic acids (HpODE), two oxo-octadecadienoic acids (OxoODE) and four epoxyketo-octadecenoic acids (EKODE). Around 70% of metabolites in sunflower LA metabolic pathway were affected by Cr(VI) stress and additionally, four EKODE isomers not included in this pathway were found in the exposed roots. Among ALA-derived oxylipins, 13-epi-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) is of relevance, because of its participation in the activation of secondary metabolism. The abundances of all oxylipins were directly dependent on the Cr(VI) concentration in medium; furthermore, autooxidation of LA to HpODE isomers was observed after incubation with Cr(VI). These results point to the direct involvement of Cr(VI) in non-enzymatic oxidation of fatty acids; since oxylipins are signaling molecules important in plant defensive response, their synthesis under Cr(VI) exposure sustains the ability of sunflower to grow in Cr(VI)-contaminated environments.
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•Cr(VI) impact in sunflower roots was studied by LC-MS-based metabolomic approach.•Statistical PLS method was used to find compounds mostly affected by Cr(VI).•Eighteen compounds were annotated as linoleic, linoleic acids and related oxylipins.•Direct involvement of Cr(VI) in non-enzymatic oxidation of fatty acids is proposed.•Oxylipins as signaling molecules participate in sunflower defense against Cr(VI).
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