Abstract
Objective. Aberrant expression of immunoglobulin (Ig) by cancer cells has been documented in a number of malignant tumors but its biological significance is unclear. Cancer cells overexpress ...anti-apoptotic molecules such as Bcl-xL. The present study aimed to examine the role of expression of Ig light-chain Ig and Igλ in maintaining the high levels of Bcl-xL in colorectal cancer cells. Material and methods. Thirty patients with colorectal cancer were recruited to this study. Expression of Ig , Igλ and Bcl-xL in surgically removed cancer tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry. Using the HT29 cell line as a study platform, RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to knock out the genes of Ig and Igλ in the cancer cell line; the expression of Bcl-xL in HT29 cells was subsequently analyzed. Results. Human colorectal cancer cells, but not normal colorectal tissue, expressed both Ig and Igλ in the cytoplasm. High levels of Bcl-xL were detected in cancer cells. Using RNAi to knock out the genes of Ig and/or Igλ, Bcl-xL expression in HT29 cells was significantly suppressed and the cells became apoptotic. Conclusion. The results suggest that expression of Ig and Igλ is required to stabilize Bcl-xL expression in cancer cells.
The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is about 0.05% in industrialized countries. The pathogenesis of IBD remains to be further understood. The present study aims to elucidate the ...expression of integrin αvβ6 in the intestinal mucosa of patients with IBD.
Colonic biopsy was obtained from a group of IBD patients. The expression of αvβ6 in the intestinal mucosa was detected by Western blotting. Human colonic epithelial cell line T84 cells were stimulated by microbial antigen flagellin. The expression of αvβ6 in T84 cells was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting.
The levels of αvβ6 in the intestinal mucosa were much lower than it in normal control subjects. The serum levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) were higher in IBD patients that were negatively correlated with the levels of αvβ6 in the intestinal mucosa. The expression of αvβ6 was detectable in T84 cells at naοve status that could be upregulated by exposure to microbial antigen flagellin. Pretreatment with MPO dramatically suppressed the expression of αvβ6 in T84 cells.
We conclude that the expression of αvβ6 was suppressed in IBD intestinal mucosa, which could be resulted from the high levels of MPO.
The main aim of this study was to evaluate different facile and cost-effective physicochemical methods in enhancing the adsorption capacity of natural zeolite and subsequently demonstrate the removal ...of methylene blue (MB). Four different physicochemical methods, namely: acid treatment (AT), base treatment (BT), combined acid-thermal (ATT) and base-thermal treatments (BTT) were investigated. This was followed by understanding the impact of the physicochemical methods on the surface characteristics and properties of modified zeolite through advanced characterisations using field emission-scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area and porosity measurements. Batch adsorption studies were carried out using the modified zeolite adsorbents, in order to evaluate the highest removal efficiency of MB under varying adsorption conditions of: pH, initial MB concentration and modified zeolite loading. Results showed that both the physicochemical methods of AT (using 0.4 M HCl) and BT (using 4.0 M NaOH) are able to enhance the adsorption capacity of natural zeolite from 41% to 98.8% and 52.2%, respectively. Surprisingly, the combined physicochemical methods of ATT and BTT showed a reduction in adsorption performance when benchmarked to AT and BT alone. The adsorption data were analysed and modelled using Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Koble-Corrigan isotherm models, also the adsorption kinetics were evaluated using pseudo-first and pseudo-second order models. It was found that the adsorption data and kinetics were best represented using the Koble-Corrigan and pseudo-second order models. The improvements yielded through both the AT and BT modified zeolites were found to be promising and have the potential to be used as low-cost adsorbents for wastewater treatment.
•This study evaluated physicochemical methods for enhanced adsorption in zeolite.•Impact of methods used on physicochemical properties of zeolite was investigated.•Acid treatment of 0.4 M HCl resulted in the highest adsorption capacity for zeolite.•Combined treatments showed lower adsorption capacities than acid–base treatments.•Data were best fitted to Koble-Corrigan isotherm and pseudo-second order models.
Babesia is a protozoal, tick-borne parasite that can cause life-threatening disease in humans, wildlife and domestic animals worldwide. However, in Southeast Asia, little is known about the ...prevalence and diversity of Babesia species present in wildlife and the tick vectors responsible for its transmission. Recently, a novel Babesia species was reported in confiscated Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) in Thailand. To investigate the presence of this parasite in Singapore, we conducted a molecular survey of Babesia spp. in free-roaming Sunda pangolins and their main ectoparasite, the Amblyomma javanense tick. Ticks and tissue samples were opportunistically collected from live and dead Sunda pangolins and screened using a PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia spp. DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene was used to confirm the species of ticks that were Babesia positive. A total of 296 ticks and 40 tissue samples were obtained from 21 Sunda pangolins throughout the 1-year study period. Babesia DNA was detected in five A. javanense ticks (minimum infection rate = 1.7%) and in nine different pangolins (52.9%) located across the country. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Babesia 18S sequences obtained from these samples grouped into a single monophyletic clade together with those derived from Sunda pangolins in Thailand and that this evolutionarily distinct species is basal to the Babesia sensu stricto clade, which encompasses a range of Babesia species that infect both domestic and wildlife vertebrate hosts. This is the first report documenting the detection of a Babesia species in A. javanense ticks, the main ectoparasite of Sunda pangolins. While our results showed that A. javanense can carry this novel Babesia sp., additional confirmatory studies are required to demonstrate vector competency. Further studies are also necessary to investigate the role of other transmission pathways given the low infection rate of ticks in relation to the high infection rate of Sunda pangolins. Although it appears that this novel Babesia sp. is of little to no pathogenicity to Sunda pangolins, its potential to cause disease in other animals or humans cannot be ruled out.
To document the intraocular pressure (IOP) profiles during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.
Refractive cataract surgery center.
Prospective case series.
Intraocular pressure was measured ...using a handheld portable applanation tonometer (Tono-Pen Avia) during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery using the Victus platform.
Forty-one eyes of 35 patients were recruited. The mean age of the patients was 70.5 years ± 8.2 (SD) (range 51 to 85 years). The mean IOP before, during, and after suction was 17.2 ± 3.2 mm Hg (range 10 to 23 mm Hg), 42.1 ± 10.8 mm Hg (range 20 to 55 mm Hg), and 13.8 ± 3.4 mm Hg (range 9 to 25 mm Hg), respectively. The mean difference between IOP before and during suction was 25.0 ± 11.3 mm Hg (range 5 to 43 mm Hg) (P<.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The mean difference between IOP during and after suction was -28.7 ± 10.8 mm Hg (range -45 to -10 mm Hg) (P<.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The mean suction duration was 216 ± 15 seconds (range 180 to 245 seconds).
The increase in IOP during the suction phase of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery was statistically significant compared with the baseline IOP. Caution should be taken in patients with ocular conditions that are vulnerable to IOP fluctuation.
No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Abstract
Objective
To describe differences between patients with chronic, non-cancer pain (CNCP) who were successfully able to cease full mu agonist chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT), and those ...who exhibited refractory COAT reliance, among those who participated in a multidisciplinary program designed for COAT cessation.
Design
A retrospective review of electronic medical records (EMR) data was organized for preliminary analysis.
Setting
A multicenter private practice specializing in CNCP, which received patient referrals from the surrounding geographical area of primary and specialty care offices in Northern California.
Subjects
Data from 109 patients with CNCP who participated in a multidisciplinary program to cease COAT between the dates of October 2017 to December 2019 were examined.
Methods
EMR data, pre-COAT cessation, of oral morphine milligram equivalence (MME) and validated questionnaire responses assessing anxiety and fear-based beliefs and behavior, as well as opioid misuse, were extracted and compared between those who successfully ceased COAT and those who did not.
Results
Patients who were unsuccessful at COAT cessation reported significantly higher Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FAB) scores. No significant differences were found based on incoming MME amounts, Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) or Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) scores. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) scores showed a split pattern with unclear significance.
Conclusions
Results suggest that fear avoidance beliefs and behavior, as measured by the FAB, play a significant role in refractory COAT reliance for patients with CNCP.
Mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has recently re-emerged globally. The epidemic East/Central/South African (ECSA) strains have spread for the first time to Asia, which previously only had ...endemic Asian strains. In Malaysia, the ECSA strain caused an extensive nationwide outbreak in 2008, while the Asian strains only caused limited outbreaks prior to this. To gain insight into these observed epidemiological differences, we compared genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of CHIKV of Asian and ECSA genotypes isolated in Malaysia.
CHIKV of Asian and ECSA genotypes were isolated from patients during outbreaks in Bagan Panchor in 2006, and Johor in 2008. Sequencing of the CHIKV strains revealed 96.8% amino acid similarity, including an unusual 7 residue deletion in the nsP3 protein of the Asian strain. CHIKV replication in cells and Aedes mosquitoes was measured by virus titration. There were no differences in mammalian cell lines. The ECSA strain reached significantly higher titres in Ae. albopictus cells (C6/36). Both CHIKV strains infected Ae. albopictus mosquitoes at a higher rate than Ae. aegypti, but when compared to each other, the ECSA strain had much higher midgut infection and replication, and salivary gland dissemination, while the Asian strain infected Ae. aegypti at higher rates.
The greater ability of the ECSA strain to replicate in Ae. albopictus may explain why it spread far more quickly and extensively in humans in Malaysia than the Asian strain ever did, particularly in rural areas where Ae. albopictus predominates. Intergenotypic genetic differences were found at E1, E2, and nsP3 sites previously reported to be determinants of host adaptability in alphaviruses. Transmission of CHIKV in humans is influenced by virus strain and vector species, which has implications for regions with more than one circulating CHIKV genotype and Aedes species.
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