Medical Sciences Commons^™

Cause Of Fever In A Case With End-Stage Renal Disease: Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma, Ramazan Çeti̇nkaya, İlhami̇ Ki̇ki̇, Abdullah Uyanik, Mustafa Keleş, Bülent Aydinli, Fazli Erdoğan, Nesri̇n Gürsan, Abdul Meci̇t Kantarci

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Splenic marginal zone lymphomas (SMZL) are rare tumors arising from B-cells, accounting for approximately 1% of all lymphomas. An accompanying lymphoma is uncommon in patients who have chronic renal failure and undergo hemodialysis. We present herein a 35-year-old male hemodialysis patient admitted with fever, abdominal pain, and splenomegaly, diagnosed with SMZL. In our investigations in the English literature, we did not observe any SMZL case among hemodialysis patients. Fever may emerge due to different causes in chronic hemodialysis patients, primarily infections. In hemodialysis patients presenting with fever, lymphoma and other malignant diseases should be considered.

Oropharyngeal Anthrax, Abdullah Taş, Recep Yağiz, Şaban Gürcan, Deni̇z Karaoğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aims: To report a rare case of oropharyngeal anthrax. Materials and Methods: A case report of oropharyngeal anthrax is presented together with the related world literature. Results: A 70-year-old female patient with respiratory distress and extensive swelling of neck, soft palate and uvula is presented. There was ecchymosis on the neck circumferentially. Bacillus anthracis grew in the blood culture. The patient died of toxemia and sepsis. Conclusions: Oropharyngeal anthrax is the least common form of anthrax. This acute illness should be added to the differential diagnosis of inflammatory lesion of the oropharynx with extensive neck swelling. Successful diagnosis of anthrax …

An Unusual Cause Of Dysphagia: Hypopharyngeal Inflammatory Pseudotumor, Baran Acar, Mehmet Ali̇ Babademez, Hayri̇ye Karabulut, Selahatti̇n Genç, R. Murat Karaşen

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IP) is a rare pseudoneoplastic and lymphoproliferative disorder. The etiology of IP is still unclear. A 46-year-old male patient presented with a six-month history of dysphagia and diplophonia. Endoscopic examination of the larynx and hypopharynx revealed a 15 x 20 mm smooth-surfaced mass involving the right side of the hypopharynx. Computerized tomography (CT) scans of the neck showed a mass 3 cm in diameter at the level of the hyoid bone. The mass obliterated the pharyngeal lumen. Pathology after incisional biopsy was consistent with pseudotumor. The mass regressed dramatically after corticosteroid treatment and afterwards the patient underwent surgical …

Gap Junction Coupling And Calcium Waves In The Pancreatic Islet, Richard K.P. Benninger, Min Zhang, W. Steven Head, Leslie S. Satin, David W. Piston

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Abstract

The pancreatic islet is a highly coupled, multicellular system that exhibits complex spatiotemporal electrical activity in response to elevated glucose levels. The emergent properties of islets, which differ from those arising in isolated islet cells, are believed to arise in part by gap junctional coupling, but the mechanisms through which this coupling occurs are poorly understood. To uncover these mechanisms, we have used both high-speed imaging and theoretical modeling of the electrical activity in pancreatic islets under a reduction in the gap junction mediated electrical coupling. Utilizing islets from a gap junction protein connexin 36 knockout mouse model together …

Environmental Causes Of Human Congenital Malformations: The Physician's Role In Dealing With These Complex Clinical Problems Caused By Environmental And Genetic Factors., Robert L. Brent

The Selected Works of Robert Brent

No abstract provided.

Bio-Monitoring The Elimination Of Folic Acid-Preventable Spina Bifida And Anencephaly, Robert L. Brent

The Selected Works of Robert Brent

No abstract provided.

Microglia And Astrocyte Activation By Toll-Like Receptor Ligands: Modulation By Ppar-Gamma Agonists., Catherine Gurley, Jessica Nichols, Shuliang Liu, Nirmal K. Phulwani, Nilufer Esen, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Microglia and astrocytes express numerous members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family that are pivotal for recognizing conserved microbial motifs expressed by a wide array of pathogens. Despite the critical role for TLRs in pathogen recognition, when dysregulated these pathways can also exacerbate CNS tissue destruction. Therefore, a critical balance must be achieved to elicit sufficient immunity to combat CNS infectious insults and downregulate these responses to avoid pathological tissue damage. We performed a comprehensive survey on the efficacy of various PPAR-gamma agonists to modulate proinflammatory mediator release from primary microglia and astrocytes in response to numerous TLR ligands relevant …

Forensic Emergency Medicine - Six-Year Experience Of 13823 Cases In A University Emergency Department, Ahmet Demi̇rcan, Ayfer Keleş, Nesli̇han Gürbüz, Fi̇kret Bi̇ldi̇k, Şahender Gülbi̇n Aygencel, Nuretti̇n Özgür Doğan, Okşan Deri̇nöz, Taner Akar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aims: Clinical forensic medicine deals with cases involving both the legal and medical aspects of patient care, such as motor vehicle trauma or poisoning. In this study, we aimed to draw attention to the forensic issues by retrospective investigation of 13823 emergency cases and to share our experiences on this topic. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a university Emergency Department (ED) in Ankara, Turkey. The data were collected from official hospital police sheets. Results: Between 2000 and 2005, 13823 legal cases (3.66% of all ED patients) were examined, and 58.23% of them were male. The mean …

Association Of Epstein-Barr Virus With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma And Current Status Of Development Of Cancer-Derived Cell Lines, Charles A. Gullo Phd, Wong Kein Low, Gerrard Teoh

Biochemistry and Microbiology

It is well known that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contributes directly to tumourigenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), primarily in the undifferentiated form of NPC (WHO type III; UNPC or UC), which is commonly found in South East Asia. Unfortunately, research in NPC has been severely hampered by the lack of authentic EBV-positive (EBV+) human NPC cell lines for study. Since 1975, there have been more than 20 reported NPC cell lines. However, many of these NPC-derived cell lines do not express EBV transcripts in long-term culture, and therefore that finding may dispute the fundamental theory of NPC carcinogenesis. In fact, …

Conformational Changes And Flexibility In T-Cell Receptor Recognition Of Peptide–Mhc Complexes, Kathryn M. Armstrong, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

A necessary feature of the immune system, TCR (T-cell receptor) cross-reactivity has been implicated in numerous autoimmune pathologies and is an underlying cause of transplant rejection. Early studies of the interactions of αβ TCRs (T-cell receptors) with their peptide–MHC ligands suggested that conformational plasticity in the TCR CDR (complementarity determining region) loops is a dominant contributor to T-cell cross-reactivity. Since these initial studies, the database of TCRs whose structures have been solved both bound and free is now large enough to permit general conclusions to be drawn about the extent of TCR plasticity and the types and locations of motion …

A Phylogenomic Profile Of Hemerythrins, The Nonheme Diiron Binding Respiratory Proteins, Xavier Bailly, Stefano Vanin, Christine Chabasse, Kenji Mizuguchi, Serge N. Vinogradov

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Hemerythrins, are the non-heme, diiron binding respiratory proteins of brachiopods, priapulids and sipunculans; they are also found in annelids and bacteria, where their functions have not been fully elucidated.

Results

A search for putative Hrs in the genomes of 43 archaea, 444 bacteria and 135 eukaryotes, revealed their presence in 3 archaea, 118 bacteria, several fungi, one apicomplexan, a heterolobosan, a cnidarian and several annelids. About a fourth of the Hr sequences were identified as N- or C-terminal domains of chimeric, chemotactic gene regulators. The function of the remaining single domain bacterial Hrs remains to be determined. In …

Relation Between Nodule Size And 18F-Fdg-Pet Suv For Malignant And Benign Pulmonary Nodules., Majid Khalaf, Hani Abdel-Nabi, John Baker, Yiping Shao, Dominick Lamonica, Jayakumari Gona

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

The most common semiquantitative method of evaluation of pulmonary lesions using ¹⁸F-FDG PET is FDG standardized uptake value (SUV). An SUV cutoff of 2.5 or greater has been used to differentiate between benign and malignant nodules. The goal of our study was to investigate the correlation between the size of pulmonary nodules and the SUV for benign as well as for malignant nodules.

Methods

Retrospectively, 173 patients were selected from 420 referrals for evaluation of pulmonary lesions. All patients selected had a positive CT and PET scans and histopathology biopsy. A linear regression equation was fitted to a …

Gene Targeting In Adult Rhesus Macaque Fibroblasts, Daniel T. Meehan, Mary Ann Zink, Melissa Mahlen, Marilu Nelson, Warren G. Sanger, Shoukhrat M. Mitalipov, Don P. Wolf, Michel M. Ouellette, Robert B. Norgren

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

BACKGROUND: Gene targeting in nonhuman primates has the potential to produce critical animal models for translational studies related to human diseases. Successful gene targeting in fibroblasts followed by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been achieved in several species of large mammals but not yet in primates. Our goal was to establish the protocols necessary to achieve gene targeting in primary culture of adult rhesus macaque fibroblasts as a first step in creating nonhuman primate models of genetic disease using nuclear transfer technology.

RESULTS: A primary culture of adult male fibroblasts was transfected with hTERT to overcome senescence and allow …

Guest Perspective - Dr. Robert L. Brent, Robert L. Brent

The Selected Works of Robert Brent

No abstract provided.

A Novel And Generalizable Organotypic Slice Platform To Evaluate Stem Cell Potential For Targeting Pediatric Brain Tumors., Shengwen Calvin Li, William Gunter Loudon

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children under age 15. Malignant gliomas are, for all practical purposes, incurable and new therapeutic approaches are desperately needed. One emerging strategy is to use the tumor tracking capacity inherent in many stem cell populations to deliver therapeutic agents to the brain cancer cells. Current limitations of the stem cell therapy strategy include that stem cells are treated as a single entity and lack of uniform technology is adopted for selection of clinically relevant sub-populations of stem cells. Specifically, therapeutic success relies on the selection of a clinically competent …

Development Of An Immunofluorescence Assay Using Recombinant Proteins Expressed In Insect Cells To Screen And Confirm Presence Of Human Herpesvirus 8-Specific Antibodies, Veenu Minhas, Lynsey N. Crosby, Kay L. Crabtree, Saul Phiri, Tendai J. M'Soka, Chipepo Kankasa, William J. Harrington, Charles D. Mitchell, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), or Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus, has been linked to all forms of KS. The results of most current serological assays for the detection of HHV-8-specific antibodies have low levels of concordance among themselves. To establish a sensitive and specific testing strategy that can be used to screen for HHV-8-specific antibodies, three HHV-8 proteins, ORF65, ORF73, and K8.1A, were expressed by using baculoviral vectors in insect cells and incorporated into a monoclonal antibodyenhanced immunofluorescence assay (mIFA) termed the Sf9 three-antigen mIFA. The results obtained by this mIFA were compared to those obtained by a standard mIFA with …

Small-Molecule Cd4 Mimics Interact With A Highly Conserved Pocket On Hiv-1 Gp120, Navid Madani, Arne Schön, Amy M. Princiotto, Judith M. Lalonde, Joel R. Cpurter, Takahiro Soeta, Danny Ng, Liping Wang, Evan T. Brower, Shi-Hua Xiang, Young Do Kwon, Chih-Chin Huang, Richard Wyatt, Peter D. Kwong, Ernesto Freire, Amos B. Smith Iii, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) interaction with the primary receptor, CD4, induces conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoproteins that allow binding to the CCR5 second receptor and virus entry into the host cell. The small molecule NBD-556 mimics CD4 by binding the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein, moderately inhibiting virus entry into CD4-expressing target cells, and enhancing CCR5 binding and virus entry into CCR5-expressing cells lacking CD4. Studies of NBD-556 analogues and gp120 mutants suggest that: 1) NBD-556 binds within the Phe 43 cavity, a highly conserved, functionally important pocket formed as gp120 assumes the CD4- bound conformation; 2) the NBD-556 …

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Confers Higher Rates Of Replicative Fitness To Perinatally Transmitted Viruses Than To Nontransmitted Viruses, Xiaohong Kong, John T. West, Hong Zhang, Danielle M. Shea, Tendai J. M’Soka, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Selection of a minor viral genotype during perinatal transmission of human Immunodeficiency virus type 1

(HIV-1) has been observed, but there is a lack of information on the correlation of the restrictive transmission

with biological properties of the virus, such as replicative fitness. Recombinant viruses expressing the enhanced

green fluorescent protein or the Discosoma sp. red fluorescent (DsRed2) protein carrying the V1 to V5

regions of env from seven mother-infant pairs (MIPs) infected by subtype C HIV-1 were constructed, and

competition assays were carried out to compare the fitness between the transmitted and nontransmitted

viruses. Flow cytometry was used to …

Varying Efficiency Of Long-Term Replication Of Papillomaviruses In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Adam J. Rogers, Malte Loggen, Karen Lee, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) replicate in mitotically active basal keratinocytes. Two virally encoded proteins, E1, a helicase, and E2, a transcription factor, are important players in replication and maintenance of HPV episomes. We previously showed that HPV16 could replicate stably in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [Angeletti, P.C., Kim, K., Fernandes, F.J., and Lambert, P.F. (2002)] and we identified cis-elements that mediate replication and maintenance [J. Virol. 76(7), 3350-3358.; Kim, K., Angeletti, P.C., Hassebroek, E.C., and Lambert, P.F. (2005)]. Here, we demonstrate that although multiple HPV genomes replicate stably in yeast, they do so with differing long-term efficiency; HPV6-Ura3 is replicated at the …

A Versatile Assay For The Identification Of Rna Silencing Suppressors Based On Complementation Of Viral Movement, Jason G. Powers, Tim L. Sit, Feng Qu, T. Jack Morris, Kook-Hyung Kim, Steven A. Lommel

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The cell-to-cell movement of Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) in Nicotiana benthamiana requires the presence of its coat protein (CP), a known suppressor of RNA silencing. RNA transcripts of a TCV construct containing a reporter gene (green fluorescent protein) (TCV-sGFP) in place of the CP open reading frame generated foci of three to five cells. TCV CP delivered in trans by Agrobacterium tumefaciens infiltration potentiated movement of TCV-sGFP and increased foci diameter, on average, by a factor of four. Deletion of the TCV movement proteins in TCV-sGFP (construct TCVΔ92-sGFP) abolished the movement complementation ability of TCV CP. Other known suppressors of …

Effects Of Shielding Adenoviral Vectors With Polyethylene Glycol On Vector-Specific And Vaccine-Mediated Immune Responses, Eric A. Weaver, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many individuals have been previously exposed to human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). This prior immunity has long been known to hinder its use for gene therapy and as a gene-based vaccine. Given these immunogenicity problems, we have tested whether polyethylene glycol (PEG) can blunt immune effects against Ad5 during systemic and mucosal vaccination. Ad5 vectors were covalently modified with 5-, 20-, and 35-kDa linear PEG polymers and evaluated for their ability to produce immune responses against transgene antigen prod- ucts and the vector itself. We show that shielding Ad5 with different-sized PEGs generally reduces transduction and primary antibody responses by …

Enzymatic Processing Of Amelogenin During Continuous Crystallization Of Apatite, Vuk Uskoković, M.-K. Kim, W. Li, S. Habelitz

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Dental enamel forms through a protein-controlled mineralization and enzymatic degradation with a nanoscale precision that new engineering technologies may be able to mimic. Recombinant fulllength human amelogenin (rH174) and a matrix-metalloprotease (MMP-20) were employed in a pHstat titration system that enabled a continuous supply of calcium and phosphate ions over several days, mimicking the initial stages of matrix processing and crystallization in enamel in-vitro. Effects on the self-assembly and crystal growth from a saturated aqueous solution containing 0.4 mg/ml rH174 and MMP-20 with the weight ratio of 1:1000 with respect to rH174 were investigated. A transition from nanospheres to fibrous …

Analytical Approaches To Detect Maternal/Fetal Genotype Incompatibilities That Increase Risk Of Pre-Eclampsia, Neeta Parimi, Gerard Tromp, Helena Kuivaniemi, Jyh Nien, Ricardo Gomez, Roberto Romero, Katrina Ab Goddard

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

In utero interactions between incompatible maternal and fetal genotypes are a potential mechanism for the onset or progression of pregnancy related diseases such as pre-eclampsia (PE). However, the optimal analytical approach and study design for evaluating incompatible maternal/offspring genotype combinations is unclear.

Methods

Using simulation, we estimated the type I error and power of incompatible maternal/offspring genotype models for two analytical approaches: logistic regression used with case-control mother/offspring pairs and the log-linear regression used with case-parent triads. We evaluated a real dataset consisting of maternal/offspring pairs with and without PE for incompatibility effects using the optimal analysis based …

Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Usage For Early Detection Of Prostate Cancer In Men With Serum Prostate Specific Antigen Level Between 2.5 And 4.0 Ng/Ml: A Pilot Study, Yilmaz Aslan, Ümi̇t Tekdoğan, Altuğ Tuncel, Meti̇n Burçi̇n Uzun, Erdem Karabulut, Ali̇ Atan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aims: We prospectively evaluated the diagnostic value of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA)-based diagnostic parameters and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) level for early detection of prostate cancer in patients with serum PSA level between 2.5 and 4 ng/ml. Materials and Methods: This study included 83 consecutive men with serum PSA levels between 2.5 and 4.0 ng/ml. All patients underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy. Total PSA level, free/total PSA ratio, PSA density of the total volume (PSAD-TV), PSA density of the transition zone (PSAD-TZ), and serum DHEAS values were determined. Results: Seventy-four patients (89.2%) had histopathologically confirmed benign prostatic hyperplasia …

Assessment Of Mental Health Of University Students With Ghq-12, Sarp Üner, Hi̇lal Özcebe, T. Gökhan Telatar, Sabahat Tezcan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the mental health status of university students and the factors affecting their mental health. Materials and Methods: The universe of the study consisted of a total of 8407 students enrolled as first- or third-year students of a university. The study sample was determined by using the ``sampling size where the population in universe is known´´ formula. The study questionnaire was designed to include questions regarding some sociodemographic characteristics and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12. Data were analyzed by SPSS 15.0, and binary logistic regression forward selection method was used to determine …

The Anesthetic Approach In A Patient With Type I Neurofibromatosis With Multiple Deformities, Nurten İnan, Hülya Başar, Müge Türkoğlu, Handan Güleç, Esma Tezer, Bülent Baltaci

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

von Recklinghausen disease is a type I neurofibromatosis originating from the nervous system. In this syndrome, there is abnormal deposition of neural tissue in the nervous system, endocrine system, visceral structures, and skin. We report the anesthetic management of a 31-year-old female patient with multiple thorax deformities who was diagnosed as von Recklinghausen disease. The patient was admitted to the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department because of a huge subcutaneous neurofibroma on her right upper extremity. General anesthesia was considered a high risk for this patient on the basis of her laboratory results and physical findings. We planned brachial plexus …

Coexistence Of Tuberculosis Verrucosa Cutis With Scrofuloderma, Müzeyyen Gönül, Ülker Gül, Arzu Kiliç, Seçi̇l Soylu, Murat Demi̇ri̇z, Ayhan Kubar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Although cutaneous tuberculosis is rarely seen in developed countries, it is still commonly seen in developing countries. Tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (TVC) is a form of cutaneous tuberculosis that is caused by direct inoculation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the skin through open wounds or abrasions in sensitized individuals and is rarely seen in our country. Scrofuloderma is a form of cutaneous tuberculosis that occurs by direct spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a contiguous structure. Coexistence of TVC and scrofuloderma is extremely rare. A 35-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a lesion on the dorsum of her left hand. Dermatological examination …

Large Scale Variation In Enterococcus Faecalis Illustrated By The Genome Analysis Of Strain Og1rf, Agathe Bourgogne, Danielle A Garsin, Xiang Qin, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpaa, Shailaja Yerrapragada, Yan Ding, Shannon Dugan-Rocha, Christian Buhay, Hua Shen, Guan Chen, Gabrielle Williams, Donna Muzny, Arash Maadani, Kristina A Fox, Jason Gioia, Lei Chen, Yue Shang, Cesar A Arias, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Meng Zhao, Vittal P Prakash, Shahreen Chowdhury, Huaiyang Jiang, Richard A Gibbs, Barbara E Murray, Sarah K Highlander, George M Weinstock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecalis has emerged as a major hospital pathogen. To explore its diversity, we sequenced E. faecalis strain OG1RF, which is commonly used for molecular manipulation and virulence studies.

RESULTS: The 2,739,625 base pair chromosome of OG1RF was found to contain approximately 232 kilobases unique to this strain compared to V583, the only publicly available sequenced strain. Almost no mobile genetic elements were found in OG1RF. The 64 areas of divergence were classified into three categories. First, OG1RF carries 39 unique regions, including 2 CRISPR loci and a new WxL locus. Second, we found nine replacements where a sequence …

Dominance Of The Proximal Coordinate Frame In Determining The Locations Of Hippocampal Place Cell Activity During Navigation, Jennifer J Siegel, Joshua P Neunuebel, James J Knierim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The place-specific activity of hippocampal cells provides downstream structures with information regarding an animal's position within an environment and, perhaps, the location of goals within that environment. In rodents, recent research has suggested that distal cues primarily set the orientation of the spatial representation, whereas the boundaries of the behavioral apparatus determine the locations of place activity. The current study was designed to address possible biases in some previous research that may have minimized the likelihood of observing place activity bound to distal cues. Hippocampal single-unit activity was recorded from six freely moving rats as they were trained to perform …

Hiv-1 Tat And Aids-Associated Cancer: Targeting The Cellular Anti-Cancer Barrier?, Giuseppe Nunnari, Johanna A Smith, René Daniel

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is accompanied by a significant increase in the incidence of neoplasms. Several causative agents have been proposed for this phenomenon. These include immunodeficiency and oncogenic DNA viruses and the HIV-1 protein Tat. Cancer in general is closely linked to genomic instability and DNA repair mechanisms. The latter maintains genomic stability and serves as a cellular anti-cancer barrier. Defects in DNA repair pathway are associated with carcinogenesis. This review focuses on newly discovered connections of the HIV-1 protein Tat, as well as cellular co-factors of Tat, to double-strand break DNA repair. We propose that the Tat-induced …