RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Congenital aural atresia, which is usually unilateral, causes hearing loss and aesthetic impairment. Besides tympanoplasty with/without canalplasty and bone conduction devices, active middle ear implants are also available for functional rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to present a contemporary review on the treatment possibilities for middle ear malformations, with a focus on audiological rehabilitation with the Vibrant Soundbridge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A selective literature search for treatment possibilities was performed in PubMed up to October 2020, and personal clinical experiences are reported. RESULTS: The Vibrant Soundbridge, which is approved for children ≥ 5 years, is suitable for treatment of middle ear malformations with a Jahrsdoerfer score ≥ 5. Although implantation of a Vibrant Soundbridge is surgically more demanding than implantation of a bone conduction device, the method is safe, delivers good auditory results (superior to bone conduction devices in terms of speech understanding and spatial hearing), does not involve intensive postsurgical care, and rarely requires revision surgery. The Vibrant Soundbridge can be coupled to (remnants of) the ossicular chain or the round window. CONCLUSION: The Vibrant Soundbridge is an appropriate treatment method in patients with middle ear malformations who have suitable anatomical preconditions.

Asunto(s)

Oído , Prótesis Osicular , Niño , Humanos , Resultado del Tratamiento , Oído/cirugía , Audición , Oído Medio/cirugía , Oído Medio/anomalías

RESUMEN

Information about and explanation of risks as well as the initiation of behavioral changes and preventive actions are core tasks of risk communication. During the EHEC/HUS outbreak in spring 2011, the governmental agencies responsible for risk communication mainly focused on these tasks. In general, risk communication is understood as a continuous, long-term process that aims at an adequate handling of risks. In contrast, crisis communication is focused rather on an acute event and aims at timely information and behavioral measures. During the EHEC/HUS outbreak, risk communication partly changed over to crisis communication. The risk communication activities of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitüt für Risikobewertung, BfR) during the EHEC/HUS outbreak are presented here. The results of a representative survey that was conducted in Germany shortly after the outbreak show details of the success of these risk communication activities. Finally, the necessity of communication about scientific uncertainty is addressed and new ways in risk communication with regard to new media are highlighted.

Asunto(s)

Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Brotes de Enfermedades/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades Transmitidas por los Alimentos/prevención & control , Comunicación en Salud/métodos , Síndrome Hemolítico-Urémico/epidemiología , Síndrome Hemolítico-Urémico/prevención & control , Gestión de Riesgos/estadística & datos numéricos , Recolección de Datos , Enfermedades Transmitidas por los Alimentos/epidemiología , Alemania/epidemiología , Humanos , Difusión de la Información/métodos , Prevalencia , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Gestión de Riesgos/métodos , Gestión de Riesgos/organización & administración

RESUMEN

This article reviews central findings and current developments of psychological and sociological research on the perception of health risks. Risk perception is influenced by numerous psychological, social, political, and cultural factors. These factors can be categorized into (a) risk characteristics, (b) characteristics of the risk perceiving person and his/her situation, and (c) characteristics of risk communication. Thus, besides individual cognitive and affective processing of risk information, social processes of risk amplification (e.g., media effects) are also involved in the construction of individual risk perceptions. We discuss the recommendations for health risk communication that follow from these findings with regard to different communication goals.

Asunto(s)

Indicadores de Salud , Modelos de Riesgos Proporcionales , Opinión Pública , Medición de Riesgo/métodos , Humanos , Psicología , Estados Unidos/epidemiología

RESUMEN

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen capable of transferring a defined segment of DNA to a host plant, generating a gall tumor. Replacing the transferred tumor-inducing genes with exogenous DNA allows the introduction of any desired gene into the plant. Thus, A. tumefaciens has been critical for the development of modern plant genetics and agricultural biotechnology. Here we describe the genome of A. tumefaciens strain C58, which has an unusual structure consisting of one circular and one linear chromosome. We discuss genome architecture and evolution and additional genes potentially involved in virulence and metabolic parasitism of host plants.

Asunto(s)

Agrobacterium tumefaciens/genética , Genoma Bacteriano , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/clasificación , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/patogenicidad , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/fisiología , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Proteínas Portadoras/química , Proteínas Portadoras/genética , Proteínas Portadoras/metabolismo , Ciclo Celular , Cromosomas Bacterianos/genética , Replicación del ADN , Genes Bacterianos , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Filogenia , Tumores de Planta/microbiología , Plantas/microbiología , Plásmidos , Replicón , Rhizobiaceae/genética , Transducción de Señal , Sinorhizobium meliloti/genética , Sintenía , Telómero , Virulencia/genética

RESUMEN

Chemokines mediate their diverse activities through G protein-coupled receptors. The human homolog of the bovine orphan receptor PPR1 shares significant similarity to chemokine receptors. Transfection of this receptor into murine L1.2 cells resulted in responsiveness to monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-4, MCP-2, and MCP-1 in chemotaxis assays. Binding studies with radiolabeled MCP-4 demonstrated a single high affinity binding site with an IC(50) of 0.14 nM. As shown by competition binding, other members of the MCP family also recognized this receptor. MCP-2 was the next most potent ligand, with an IC(50) of 0.45 nM. Surprisingly, eotaxin (IC(50) = 6.7 nM) and MCP-3 (IC(50) = 4.1 nM) bind with greater affinity than MCP-1 (IC(50) = 10.7 nM) but only act as agonists in chemotaxis assays at 100-fold higher concentrations. Because of high affinity binding and functional chemotactic responses, we have termed this receptor CCR11. The gene for CCR11 was localized to human chromosome 3q22, which is distinct from most CC chemokine receptor genes at 3p21. Northern blot hybridization was used to identify CCR11 expression in heart, small intestine, and lung. Thus CCR11 shares functional similarity to CCR2 because it recognizes members of the MCP family, but CCR11 has a distinct expression pattern.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas Quimioatrayentes de Monocitos/metabolismo , Receptores de Quimiocina/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Bovinos , Mapeo Cromosómico , Cromosomas Humanos Par 3 , ADN Complementario , Humanos , Ratones , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Unión Proteica , Receptores CCR , Receptores de Quimiocina/química , Receptores de Quimiocina/genética , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido

RESUMEN

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes 3 genes that are homologous to cellular chemokines. vMIP-III, the product of open reading frame K4.1, is the most distantly related to human chemokines and has yet to be characterized. We have examined the interaction of vMIP-III with chemokine receptors, its expression in KS lesions, and its in ovo angiogenic properties. We show expression of vMIP-III in KS lesions and demonstrate the stimulation of angiogenesis by this chemokine, like vMIP-I and vMIP-II, in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. vMIP-III does not block human immunodeficiency virus entry through the coreceptors CCR3, CCR5, or CXCR4. However, vMIP-III is an agonist for the cellular chemokine receptor CCR4. CCR4 is expressed by TH2-type T cells. Consistent with this, vMIP-III preferentially chemoattracts this cell type. Because of these biologic properties and because it is expressed in KS lesions, vMIP-III may play an important role in the pathobiology of KS. (Blood. 2000;95:1151-1157)

Asunto(s)

Quimiocinas CC/genética , Quimiocinas CC/farmacología , Quimiocinas CC/fisiología , Herpesvirus Humano 8/genética , Neovascularización Fisiológica/fisiología , Receptores de Quimiocina/agonistas , Células Th2/fisiología , Alantoides/irrigación sanguínea , Animales , Células CHO , Línea Celular , Quimiocinas CC/inmunología , Quimiotaxis/efectos de los fármacos , Quimiotaxis/fisiología , Embrión de Pollo , Corion/irrigación sanguínea , Cricetinae , VIH/efectos de los fármacos , VIH/fisiología , Herpesvirus Humano 8/inmunología , Humanos , Neovascularización Fisiológica/efectos de los fármacos , Sistemas de Lectura Abierta , Receptores CCR4 , Proteínas Recombinantes/inmunología , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacología , Sarcoma de Kaposi/inmunología , Sarcoma de Kaposi/patología , Sarcoma de Kaposi/virología , Células TH1/efectos de los fármacos , Células TH1/fisiología , Células Th2/efectos de los fármacos , Transfección , Proteínas Virales , Replicación Viral/efectos de los fármacos

RESUMEN

Macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) is a recently identified CC chemokine that is a potent chemoattractant for dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and the Th2 subset of peripheral blood T cells. In normal tissues, MDC mRNA is expressed principally in the thymus. Immunohistochemical analysis performed on 5 human postnatal thymuses showed high MDC immunoreactivity, which was selectively localized to epithelial cells within the medulla. To examine the effects of MDC on immature T cells, we have identified cDNA clones for mouse and rat MDC. Expression of MDC in murine tissues is also highly restricted, with significant levels of mRNA found only in the thymus. Thymocytes express high-affinity binding sites for MDC (kd = 0.7 nmol/L), and, in vitro, MDC is a chemoattractant for these cells. MDC-responsive murine thymocytes express mRNA for CCR4, a recently identified receptor for MDC. Phenotypic analysis of MDC-responsive cells shows that they are enriched for a subset of double-positive cells that express high levels of CD3 and CD4 and that have reduced levels of CD8. This subset of MDC-responsive cells is consistent with the observed expression of MDC within the medulla, because more mature cells are found there. MDC may therefore play a role in the migration of T-cell subsets during development within the thymus.

Asunto(s)

Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/fisiología , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/fisiología , Quimiocinas CC/fisiología , Quimiotaxis de Leucocito , Células Epiteliales/inmunología , Subgrupos de Linfocitos T/fisiología , Timo/inmunología , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Complejo CD3/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/inmunología , Quimiocina CCL22 , Quimiocinas CC/análisis , Quimiocinas CC/química , Niño , Preescolar , Células Epiteliales/citología , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Filogenia , Ratas , Alineación de Secuencia , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Subgrupos de Linfocitos T/inmunología , Timo/citología

RESUMEN

High throughput partial sequencing of randomly selected cDNA clones has proven to be a powerful tool for examining the relative abundance of mRNAs and for the identification of novel gene products. Because of the important role played by macrophages in immune and inflammatory responses, we sequenced over 3000 randomly selected cDNA clones from a human macrophage library. These sequences represent a molecular inventory of mRNAs from macrophages and provide a catalog of highly expressed transcripts. Two of the most abundant clones encode recently identified CC chemokines. Macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) plays a complex role in immunoregulation and is a potent chemoattractant for dendritic cells, T cells, and natural killer cells. The chemokine receptor CCR4 binds MDC with high affinity and also responds by calcium flux and chemotaxis. CCR4 has been shown to be expressed by Th2 type T cells. Recent studies also implicate MDC as a major component of the host defense against human immunodeficiency virus.

Asunto(s)

Quimiocinas/biosíntesis , Quimiocinas/genética , ADN Complementario/análisis , Macrófagos/metabolismo , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Secuencia de Bases , Clonación Molecular , ADN Complementario/genética , Humanos