European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Jiromaru, R;Yasumatsu, R;Yamamoto, H;Kuga, R;Hongo, T;Nakano, T;Manako, T;Hashimoto, K;Wakasaki, T;Matsuo, M;Nakagawa, T;
PMID: 34978590 | DOI: 10.1007/s00405-021-07236-z
We herein report the treatment outcome of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) at Kyushu University Hospital, the total number of OPSCC cases, and changes in the proportion of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related carcinomas over time.We performed a retrospective analysis of 237 cases treated for OPSCC at Kyushu University Hospital between 2013 and 2019. We performed HPV-mRNA in situ hybridization and p16 immunohistochemistry.This study included 197 males (82.1%) and 40 females (17.9%). The disease-specific, progression-free and overall survival (OS) were 69%, 62% and 61%, respectively, over the decade-long study period. p16-Immunohistochemistory and highrisk HPV mRNA in situ hybridization were positive in 114 (48.1%) and 105 (44.3%) cases, respectively. The number of HPV-related OPSCC cases increased according to an annual analysis. HPV+ cases had a significantly better prognosis than HPV- cases. In addition, p16+/HPV- cases had a significantly worse prognosis than p16+/HPV+ cases (OS: p = 0.0484). HPV+ OPSCC cases were associated with a younger age (< 60 years old) (p = 0.0429), non-smoker (p = 0.0001), lateral tumor site (< 0.00001), lymphoid metastasis (< 0.0001) and low clinical stage (< 0.0001).The frequency of HPV-related OPSCC cases is increasing in Japan as well as worldwide, and such cases are characterized by no smoking habit, a young age, and a good prognosis. Even in p16+ OPSCC, HPV- cases had a poor prognosis, suggesting the importance of accurate HPV determination. To determine the intensity of treatment for HPV-related and non-related OPSCC, it is necessary to accumulate cases for the accurate HPV determination and comparison of treatment effects.
Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]
Molossi, FA;de Almeida, BA;de Cecco, BS;da Silva, MS;Mósena, ACS;Brandalise, L;Simão, GMR;Canal, CW;Vanucci, F;Pavarini, SP;Driemeier, D;
PMID: 34988935 | DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00644-7
Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is widely distributed worldwide, and its association with clinical disease in pigs has been studied in recent years. This study describes a novel PCV3-associated clinical disease in piglets from Brazil. Since September 2020, we received 48 piglets with large caudally rotated ears, weakness, and dyspnea. Most piglets were from gilts and died 1-5 days after birth. Two piglets that presented similar clinical signs and survived until 35-60 days had a marked decrease in growth rate. At post-mortem examination, the lungs did not collapse due to marked interlobular edema. Microscopically, the main feature was multisystemic vasculitis characterized by lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltrating and disrupting the wall of vessels, lymphohistiocytic interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis, and encephalitis. Viral replication was confirmed in these lesions through in situ hybridization (ISH-RNA). Seventeen cases were positive for PCV3 in PCR analysis, and all samples tested negative for porcine circovirus (PCV1, and PCV2); porcine parvovirus (PPV1, 2, 5, and 6); atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV); porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV); and ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). Phylogenetic analysis of the ORF2 sequence from five different pig farms showed that the PCV3a clade is circulating among Brazil's swineherds and causing neonatal piglet losses. This is the first report of PCV3a-associated disease in neonatal pigs from farms in Brazil.
Rodríguez, JMM;Fonfara, S;Hetzel, U;Kipar, A;
PMID: 34955067 | DOI: 10.1177/03009858211062631
The sequence of pathological events in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM) is still largely unknown, although we know that fHCM is characterized by interstitial remodeling in a macrophage-driven pro-inflammatory environment and that myocardial ischemia might contribute to its progression. This study aimed to gain further insights into the structural changes associated with interstitial remodeling in fHCM with special focus on the myocardial microvasculature and the phenotype of the interstitial cells. Twenty-eight hearts (16 hearts with fHCM and 12 without cardiac disease) were evaluated in the current study, with immunohistochemistry, RNA-in situ hybridization, and transmission electron microscopy. Morphometrical evaluations revealed a statistically significant lower microvascular density in fHCM. This was associated with structural alterations in capillaries that go along with a widening of the interstitium due to the accumulation of edema fluid, collagen fibers, and mononuclear cells that also proliferated locally. The interstitial cells were mainly of fibroblastic or vascular phenotype, with a substantial contribution of predominantly resident macrophages. A large proportion expressed CD34 mRNA, which suggests a progenitor cell potential. Our results indicate that microvascular alterations are key events in the pathogenesis of fHCM and that myocardial interstitial cell populations with CD34+ phenotype play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Robustelli Test, E;Sena, P;Locatelli, AG;Carugno, A;di Mercurio, M;Moggio, E;Gambini, DM;Arosio, MEG;Callegaro, A;Morotti, D;Gianatti, A;Vezzoli, P;
PMID: 34989043 | DOI: 10.1111/pde.14903
Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an increasing number of chilblain-like lesions (ChLL) have been increasingly reported worldwide. To date, the causal link between ChLL and SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been unequivocally established.In this case series, we present demographic, clinical, laboratory, and histopathological information regarding 27 young patients with a clinical diagnosis of ChLL who referred to the Dermatology Unit of Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy, from 1 April 2020 to 1 June 2020.The mean age was 14.2 years, and 21 patients (78%) experienced mild systemic symptoms a median of 28 days before the onset of cutaneous lesions. ChLL mostly involved the feet (20 patients - 74%). Among acral lesions, we identified three different clinical patterns: (i) chilblains in 20 patients (74%); (ii) fixed erythematous macules in 4 children (15%); (iii) erythrocyanosis in 3 female patients (11%). Blood examinations and viral serologies, including parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and coxsackievirus were normal in all. Three patients (11%) underwent nasopharyngeal swab for RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 showing only 1 positive. Histopathological examinations of 7 skin biopsies confirmed the clinical diagnosis of chilblains; vessel thrombi were observed only in 1 case. Our findings failed to demonstrate the direct presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in skin biopsies, both with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH).Limited number of cases, unavailability of laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 in all patients, potential methodological weakness, and latency of skin biopsies in comparison to cutaneous lesions onset.These observations may support the hypothesis of an inflammatory pathogenesis rather than the presence of peripheral viral particles. Although, we could not exclude an early phase of viral endothelial damage followed by an IFN-I or complement-mediated inflammatory phase. Further observations on a large number of patients are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
World journal of clinical cases
Liu, JY;Zhang, JR;Sun, LY;Zhu, ZJ;Wei, L;Qu, W;Zeng, ZG;Liu, Y;Zhao, XY;
PMID: 35047591 | DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i35.10792
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in liver transplant (LT)_ recipients, and biliary complications occur in a large number of patients. It has been reported that CMV-DNA is more detectable in bile than in blood.To investigate the effects of CMV infection on biliary complications by comparing the levels of CMV-DNA in the bile and blood of patients after LT.We conducted a retrospective analysis of 57 patients who underwent LT, 10 of these patients had no biliary complications and 47 patients had biliary complications. We also compared the levels of CMV-DNA in patients' bile and blood, which were sampled concurrently. We used RNAscope technology to identify CMV in paraffin-embedded liver sections.CMV-DNA was not detected in bile samples and was detected in 2 blood samples from patients without biliary complications. In the 47 patients with biliary complications, CMV-DNA was detected in 22 bile samples and 8 blood samples, both bile and blood samples were positive for CMV-DNA in 6 patients. The identification rate of CMV-DNA in blood was 17.0%, and was 46.8% in bile. Moreover, tissue samples from 4 patients with biliary complications tested positive using RNAscope technology but were negative with hematoxylin and eosin staining. During the follow-up period, graft failure occurred in 13 patients with biliary complications, 8 of whom underwent retransplantation, and 3 died. CMV-DNA in bile was detected in 9 of 13 patients with graft failure.In patients with biliary complications, the identification rate of CMV-DNA in bile was higher than that in blood. Blood CMV-DNA negative patients with biliary complications should still be monitored for CMV-related biliary tract diseases. Potential occult CMV infection may also be a contributing etiological factor in the development of graft failure.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Li, Q;Vijaykumar, K;Philips, SE;Hussain, SS;Huynh, VN;Fernandez-Petty, CM;Lever, JEP;Foote, JB;Ren, J;Campos-Gómez, J;Daya, FA;Hubbs, NW;Kim, H;Onuoha, E;Boitet, ER;Fu, L;Leung, HM;Yu, L;Detchemendy, TW;Schaefers, LT;Tipper, JL;Edwards, LJ;Leal, SM;Harrod, KS;Tearney, GJ;Rowe, SM;
PMID: 35075457 | DOI: 10.1101/2022.01.16.476016
Substantial clinical evidence supports the notion that ciliary function in the airways plays an important role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Although ciliary damage has been observed in both in vitro and in vivo models, consequent impaired mucociliary transport (MCT) remains unknown for the intact MCT apparatus from an in vivo model of disease. Using golden Syrian hamsters, a common animal model that recapitulates human COVID-19, we quantitatively followed the time course of physiological, virological, and pathological changes upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the deficiency of the MCT apparatus using micro-optical coherence tomography, a novel method to visualize and simultaneously quantitate multiple aspects of the functional microanatomy of intact airways. Corresponding to progressive weight loss up to 7 days post-infection (dpi), viral detection and histopathological analysis in both the trachea and lung revealed steadily descending infection from the upper airways, as the main target of viral invasion, to lower airways and parenchymal lung, which are likely injured through indirect mechanisms. SARS-CoV-2 infection caused a 67% decrease in MCT rate as early as 2 dpi, largely due to diminished motile ciliation coverage, but not airway surface liquid depth, periciliary liquid depth, or cilia beat frequency of residual motile cilia. Further analysis indicated that the fewer motile cilia combined with abnormal ciliary motion of residual cilia contributed to the delayed MCT. The time course of physiological, virological, and pathological progression suggest that functional deficits of the MCT apparatus predispose to COVID-19 pathogenesis by extending viral retention and may be a risk factor for secondary infection. As a consequence, therapies directed towards the MCT apparatus deserve further investigation as a treatment modality.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
Szabó, K;Kemény, Á;Balázs, N;Khanfar, E;Sándor, Z;Boldizsár, F;Gyulai, R;Najbauer, J;Pintér, E;Berki, T;
PMID: 35056114 | DOI: 10.3390/ph15010057
Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) has been reported to influence neuroinflammation and lymphocyte function. We analysed the immune phenotype and activation characteristics of TRPA1-deficient mice (knockout-KO) generated by targeted deletion of the pore-loop domain of the ion channel. We compared TRPA1 mRNA and protein expression in monocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations isolated from primary and secondary lymphatic organs of wild type (WT) and KO mice. qRT-PCR and flow cytometric studies indicated a higher level of TRPA1 in monocytes than in lymphocytes, but both were orders of magnitude lower than in sensory neurons. We found lower CD4+/CD8+ thymocyte ratios, diminished CD4/CD8 rates, and B cell numbers in the KO mice. Early activation marker CD69 was lower in CD4+ T cells of KO, while the level of CD8+/CD25+ cells was higher. In vitro TcR-mediated activation did not result in significant differences in CD69 level between WT and KO splenocytes, but lower cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-22, and RANTES) secretion was observed in KO splenocytes. Basal intracellular Ca2+ level and TcR-induced Ca2+ signal in T lymphocytes did not differ significantly, but interestingly, imiquimod-induced Ca2+ level in KO thymocytes was higher. Our results support the role of TRPA1 in the regulation of activation, cytokine production, and T and B lymphocytes composition in mice.
Gregor, KM;Becker, SC;Hellhammer, F;Baumgärtner, W;Puff, C;
PMID: 35053056 | DOI: 10.3390/biology11010057
Arthropod-borne diseases represent one of the greatest infection-related threats as a result of climate change and globalization. Repeatedly, arbovirus-infected mosquitoes show behavioral changes whose underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown, but might help to develop control strategies. However, in contrast to well-characterized insects such as fruit flies, little is known about neuroanatomy and neurotransmission in mosquitoes. To overcome this limitation, the study focuses on the immunohistochemical characterization of the nervous system of Culex pipiens biotype molestus in comparison to Drosophila melanogaster using 13 antibodies labeling nervous tissue, neurotransmitters or neurotransmitter-related enzymes. Antibodies directed against γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, tyrosine-hydroxylase and glutamine synthetase were suitable for investigations in Culex pipiens and Drosophila melanogaster, albeit species-specific spatial differences were observed. Likewise, similar staining results were achieved for neuronal glycoproteins, axons, dendrites and synaptic zones in both species. Interestingly, anti-phosphosynapsin and anti-gephyrin appear to represent novel markers for synapses and glial cells, respectively. In contrast, antibodies directed against acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase, elav and repo failed to produce a signal in Culex pipiens comparable to that in Drosophila melanogaster. In summary, present results enable a detailed investigation of the nervous system of mosquitoes, facilitating further studies of behavioral mechanisms associated with arboviruses in the course of vector research.
Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
de Sousa, DRT;da Silva Neto, JR;da Silva, RM;Cruz, KS;Poppert, S;Frickmann, H;Souza, JVB;
PMID: 35049953 | DOI: 10.3390/jof8010013
In resource-limited settings, where pneumocystosis in immunocompromised patients is infrequently observed, cost-efficient, reliable, and sensitive approaches for the diagnostic identification of Pneumocystis jirovecii in human tissue samples are desirable. Here, an in-house fluorescence in situ hybridization assay was comparatively evaluated against Grocott's staining as a reference standard with 30 paraffin-embedded tissue samples as well as against in-house real-time PCR with 30 respiratory secretions from immunocompromised patients with clinical suspicion of pneumocystosis. All pneumocystosis patients included in the study suffered from HIV/AIDS. Compared with Grocott's staining as the reference standard, sensitivity of the FISH assay was 100% (13/13), specificity was 41% (7/17), and the overall concordance was 66.7% with tissue samples. With respiratory specimens, sensitivity was 83.3% (10/12), specificity was 100% (18/18), and the overall concordance was 93.3% as compared with real-time PCR. It remained unresolved to which proportions sensitivity limitations of Grocott's staining or autofluorescence phenomena affecting the FISH assay accounted for the recorded reduced specificity with the tissue samples. The assessment confirmed Pneumocystis FISH in lung tissue as a highly sensitive screening approach; however, dissatisfying specificity in paraffin-embedded biopsies calls for confirmatory testing with other techniques in case of positive FISH screening results. In respiratory secretions, acceptable sensitivity and excellent specificity were demonstrated for the diagnostic application of the P. jirovecii-specific FISH assay.
Zheng, S;Magliocca, KR;Reid, MD;Kaka, AS;Lubin, D;
PMID: 35015191 | DOI: 10.1007/s12105-021-01407-4
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-mediated squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx are common, however only rare cases of HPV-mediated oropharyngeal adenocarcinoma have been reported to date. In this report, we describe a 50 year old nonsmoking male who originally presented with an enlarging neck mass. Fine needle aspiration cytology confirmed an HPV-mediated adenocarcinoma. Subsequent surgery identified a 0.7 cm base of tongue primary HPV-mediated carcinoma with focal glandular differentiation and a 4.0 cm cystic lymph node metastasis demonstrating entirely glandular differentiation. Next generation sequencing of the metastasis detected a pathogenic NOTCH1 mutation.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
Busman-Sahay, K;Nekorchuk, MD;Starke, CE;Chan, CN;Estes, JD;
PMID: 34985671 | DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1871-4_19
Modern combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens provide abiding viral suppression for most individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the persistence of viral reservoirs ensures that eradication of HIV-1 (i.e., cure) or sustained ART-free remission (i.e., functional cure) remains elusive, necessitating continual, strict ART adherence and contributing to HIV-1-related comorbidities. Eradication of these viral reservoirs, which persist primarily within lymphoid tissue, will require a deeper understanding of the cellular neighborhoods in which latent and active HIV-1-infected cells reside. By pairing highly sensitive in situ hybridization (ISH) with an exceptionally flexible immunofluorescence (IF) approach, we describe a simple, yet highly adaptable multiplex protocol for investigating the quantity, distribution, and characteristics of HIV-1 viral reservoirs.
Diamond, M;Halfmann, P;Maemura, T;Iwatsuki-Horimoto, K;Iida, S;Kiso, M;Scheaffer, S;Darling, T;Joshi, A;Loeber, S;Foster, S;Ying, B;Whitener, B;Floyd, K;Ujie, M;Nakajima, N;Ito, M;Wright, R;Uraki, R;Li, R;Sakai, Y;Liu, Y;Larson, D;Osorio, J;Hernandez-Ortiz, J;ÄŒiuoderis, K;Florek, K;Patel, M;Bateman, A;Odle, A;Wong, LY;Wang, Z;Edara, VV;Chong, Z;Thackray, L;Ueki, H;Yamayoshi, S;Imai, M;Perlman, S;Webby, R;Seder, R;Suthar, M;Garcia-Sastre, A;Schotsaert, M;Suzuki, T;Boon, A;Kawaoka, Y;Douek, D;Moliva, J;Sullivan, N;Gagne, M;Ransier, A;Case, J;Jeevan, T;Franks, J;Fabrizio, T;DeBeauchamp, J;Kercher, L;Seiler, P;Singh, G;Warang, P;Gonzalez-Reiche, AS;Sordillo, E;van Bakel, H;Simon, V;
PMID: 34981044 | DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1211792/v1
Despite the development and deployment of antibody and vaccine countermeasures, rapidly-spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations at key antigenic sites in the spike protein jeopardize their efficacy. The recent emergence of B.1.1.529, the Omicron variant1,2, which has more than 30 mutations in the spike protein, has raised concerns for escape from protection by vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. A key test for potential countermeasures against B.1.1.529 is their activity in pre-clinical rodent models of respiratory tract disease. Here, using the collaborative network of the SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), we evaluated the ability of multiple B.1.1.529 Omicron isolates to cause infection and disease in immunocompetent and human ACE2 (hACE2) expressing mice and hamsters. Despite modeling and binding data suggesting that B.1.1.529 spike can bind more avidly to murine ACE2, we observed attenuation of infection in 129, C57BL/6, and BALB/c mice as compared with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, with limited weight loss and lower viral burden in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Although K18-hACE2 transgenic mice sustained infection in the lungs, these animals did not lose weight. In wild-type and hACE2 transgenic hamsters, lung infection, clinical disease, and pathology with B.1.1.529 also were milder compared to historical isolates or other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Overall, experiments from multiple independent laboratories of the SAVE/NIAID network with several different B.1.1.529 isolates demonstrate attenuated lung disease in rodents, which parallels preliminary human clinical data.