Apmis最新文献

The SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 whose evolutionary path with geographical context forms the focus of present study. The first reported sequence from each of the 161 countries was downloaded from the GISAID database. Multiple sequence alignment was performed using MAFFT v.7, and a TCS-based network was constructed using PopART v.1.7. A total of 27 proteins were analyzed including structural and non-structural proteins. NSP3 and NSP12, responsible for viral replication and RNA synthesis, respectively, had the highest mutation incidence and frequency among non-structural proteins. The spike (S) protein, critical for viral attachment and entry, had the highest prevalence and frequency of mutations. ORF3a had the highest mutation incidence and frequency among accessory proteins. The phylogeogenomic network identified six haplogroups containing 35 sequences, while the remaining sequences belonged to different haplotypes. The virus's genetic distinctiveness was higher in European genomes, with four haplogroups dominated by Europe-linked sequences. The triangular-shaped pattern observed in the virus's evolutionary path suggests that it spread to different continents from Asia. Multiple transmission pathways connecting different countries affirm the virus's ability to emerge in multiple countries by early 2020. The possibility of new species emergence through "saltation" due to the pandemic is also discussed.

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease, which is the result of a complex interplay between the diet, the host, the saliva, and dental biofilms. Although the prevalence of dental caries has decreased dramatically since 1950 in many countries, it continues to be one of the most common health conditions globally. The aim of the present review is to summarize the investigations on dental caries performed by the late Noble prize winner Henrik Dam and his colleagues in the middle of the 20th century, and to relate the knowledge and state of the art at the time to current concepts on dental caries. Henrik Dam is mostly known for his discovery of Vitamin K, but he also conducted experimental studies on dental caries that focused on the role of Vitamin K, the diet, and saliva in the development of dental caries. The discoveries of Henrik Dam contributed to our understanding of the role of saliva and different dietary components, such as fat and proteins, in caries development and prevention.

Resveratrol, which is thought to have a preventive effect on the formation of different types of cancer, is abundant in grapes and other foods. Resveratrol has been shown to have anti-cancer effects by in vitro andin vivo studies, however this is the first time its effect on atypical acinar cell foci (AACF), known as precursor forms of pancreatic carcinoma, has been experimentally investigated. Male Sprague Dawley rats, each consisting of 5 experimental groups (Cont, AzCont, AzRes10, AzRes15, and AzRes20), 10 of which were 14 days old, were used in the study. In the azaserine groups (AzCont, AzRes10, AzRes15, and AzRes20), it was investigated how the development of Atypical Cell Foci (AACF) resulting from intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of azaserine (30 mg/kg bw) in 14-day-old rats was affected by dietary restoration. Male rats in the resveratrol group (AzRes10, AzRes15, and AzRes20) were fed diets containing 10%, 15%, or 20% mmol resveratrol for an 8-month experimental period 1 week after the last azaserine injection. Pancreas preparations prepared from histological sections were examined for AACF burden and analyzed via a video image analyzer. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to test whether there was a difference between the averages of the experimental and control groups. The AACF load in the azaserine group (AzCont) compared to the control group (Cont) was found to be statistically significant in all categories (p < 0.05). The calculated estimated mean AACF volume (mm³) values and the AACF ratio as a percentage of the calculated organ volume were statistically significantly lower in all resveratrol groups (AzRes10, AzRes15, and AzRes20) compared to the azaserine control group (AzCont). The calculated estimated mean AACF volume (mm³) values and the AACF ratio as a percentage of the calculated organ volume were statistically significantly lower in all resveratrol groups (AzRes10, AzRes15, and AzRes20) compared to the azaserine control group (AzCont) (p < 0.05). In addition, the calculated estimated mean AACF diameter (mm) in the AzRes10 and AzRes15 groups, in the AzRes15 group the calculated estimated mean AACF number in the whole organ and the calculated average AACF number per unit area were found to be statistically significant compared to the azaserine control group (AzCont) (p < 0.05). According to the results of our study, it has been shown that atypical acinar cell foci (AACF) formed in the exocrine pancreas of rats with azaserine can be reduced by a diet containing resveratrol. It was determined that the tumor burden decreased statistically significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in resveratrol-treated rats. Accordingly, it is thought that the inhibitory effects of resveratrol may contribute to studies that reduce the occurrence of pancreatic cancer.

This study aimed to identify laboratory factors predicting leprosy relapse (LR) after multi-drug therapy (MDT). A case-control study included 80 patients treated with MDT at a national reference center over 12 years. The Relapse Group had 40 patients who relapsed after an average of 89.2 months post-MDT, while the Control Group had 40 patients who remained asymptomatic for an average of 113.1 months. Significant predictors of LR included neural/perineural lymphocytic infiltrate (OR = 4.67; p = 0.0076) and foamy granulomas (OR = 15.55; p = 0.0005), increasing odds by 4.7 and 15.6 times, respectively. The Relapse Group had a mean histological bacillary index (hBI) of 3.23+ compared to 1.8 in the Control Group (p = 0.004). An hBI ≥3+ had 72% sensitivity and 65% specificity for detecting LR (AUC = 0.72; p = 0.0002). Elevated anti-phenolic glycolipid I (anti-PGL-I) IgM antibody levels (ELISA index, EI ≥1) were also associated with LR (OR = 4.67; p = 0.0031). An EI ≥3.6 had 71% sensitivity and 62% specificity (AUC = 0.70; p = 0.0012). Multivariate analysis indicated that neural/perineural infiltrate, foamy granulomas, hBI ≥ 1+, and EI ≥ 1 significantly predicted LR, with up to 94.32% probability. Conclusively, these factors can identify individuals at high probability of LR after MDT.

Viral cardiac diseases have a significant impact on global health, and RNA viruses play a crucial role in their pathogenesis. This literature review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between RNA viruses and cardiac diseases, focusing on the molecular processes and clinical implications of these interactions. The paper begins by discussing the various RNA viruses that have been linked to cardiac infections. Subsequently, the study explores the mechanisms through which RNA viruses can cause cardiac injury, including direct viral invasion, immune-mediated responses, and molecular mimicry. The review extensively examines the intricate interplay between the host immune system and RNA viruses, shedding light on both protective and harmful immune responses. Additionally, it investigates the role of viral persistence and chronic inflammation in the long-term effects on cardiac health. The thorough analysis presented not only enhances our scientific understanding of how RNA viruses contribute to the development of cardiac diseases but also highlights potential avenues for future research and breakthroughs in this field. Given the significant global health threat posed by viral cardiac disorders, unraveling the molecular foundations of these diseases is essential for advancing diagnostic capabilities and therapeutic interventions.

This review aimed to summarize the current literature on antibiotic distribution in orthopedically relevant tissues and settings where dynamic sampling methods have been used. PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched. English-published studies between 2004 and 2024 involving systemic antibiotic administration in orthopedically relevant tissues and settings based on dynamic measurements were included. In total, 5385 titles were identified. After title and abstract screening, 97 eligible studies (43 different antibiotic drugs) were included. The studies covered both preclinical (42%) and clinical studies including healthy and infected tissues (21%) and prophylactic and steady-state situations (35%). Microdialysis emerged as the predominant sampling method in 98% of the studies. Most of the presented antibiotics (80%) were only assessed once or twice. Among the most extensively studied antibiotics were cefuroxime (18 studies), linezolid (9 studies) and vancomycin (9 studies). This review presents valuable insights into the microenvironmental distribution of antibiotics in orthopedically relevant target tissues and settings and seeks to provide a basis for improving dosing recommendations and treatment outcomes. However, it is important to acknowledge that our findings are limited to the specific drug, dosing regimens, administration method and target tissue, and are crucially linked to the selected PK/PD target.

Keratin 17 (K17) is frequently overexpressed, associated with poor prognosis in various cancers, and contributes to p27 degradation during cancer progression. Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated K17 and p27 expression and assessed their biological behavior and prognostic significance in 326 colorectal cancers. High K17 expression was associated with poorly differentiated tumors, high pT classification, and lymph node metastases. Low p27 expression was associated with large tumors, high pT classification, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastases. The overall survival of patients with high K17 expression was significantly worse than that of patients with low K17 expression [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.805, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.169-2.787; p = 0.007]. Patients with low p27 expression showed significantly worse overall survival than those with high p27 expression (HR = 3.082, 95% CI 1.722-5.517; p < 0.001). When combining the results of K17 and p27 expression, the K17^highp27^low expression group showed the worst overall survival. On the contrary, the K17^high/lowp27^high group showed the best overall survival (p < 0.001). Therefore, K17^highp27^low expression is an independent poor prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Thus, high K17 and low p27 expression correlate with aggressive clinicopathologic behavior and can be used as poor prognostic markers in colorectal cancer.

The 2016 Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group Consensus Statement recommends sampling a block of the placenta close to the umbilical cord insertion site (UCIB) for histopathological evaluation. This piece of placenta at the umbilical cord insertion is presumed to give a better yield of inflammation (if present). We aimed to investigate the utility of the UCIB in the detection of maternal and/or fetal inflammatory responses (MIR and/or FIR), in comparison with the other sections of the placental parenchyma. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study including all placentas with histologic chorioamnionitis. The histopathological slides of placentas were reviewed as per Amsterdam consensus guidelines. Diagnostic performance of UCIB in identifying MIR and/or FIR, relative to the other placental sections, was assessed. UCIB revealed diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of 79.2% (95% CI: 74.2-83.6%), 100.0% (95% CI: 95.6-100.0%), and 83.6% (95% CI: 79.5-87.2%), respectively, in the detection of FIR, while showing a low sensitivity of 52.6% (95% CI: 47.5-57.6%) in detecting MIR. In 59 (24.6%) cases, FIR was not seen in the corresponding placental parenchymal sections but was detected in the UCIBs. This study is the first study to confirm that a section from the UCIB is essential for the detection of FIR, which affirms the Amsterdam consensus sampling recommendations.

Antibodies and avidity maturation contribute to long-lasting immunity, and previous COVID-19 seems to enhance the immune response after vaccination. The aim of this study was to compare the immune response after vaccination between COVID-19 convalescents and naïve patients. Blood samples from COVID-19 convalescents and naïve patients, taken 1, 3 and 6 months after the second dose of vaccine (mRNA-vaccine BNT162b2), were analysed for anti-spike IgG and avidity. Questionnaires concerning side effects were used. Thirty-one patients in the COVID-19 cohort and 30 patients in the naïve cohort were included. High levels of anti-spike IgG and avidity index were seen. Anti-spike IgG were significantly higher in the COVID-19 cohort and declining (median 1250, 566, 282 RU/ml vs 565, 187, 65 RU/ml). Avidity did not change over time (median at 6 months 78% vs 65%). The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, malaise and headache. In conclusion, high levels of anti-spike IgG after vaccination were seen and most patients developed high-avidity antibodies, although antibody levels and avidity were higher in the COVID-19 cohort. Over time, the levels of anti-spike IgG declined, yet avidity remained high. Side effects did not differ between groups and were of short duration.