RESUMO
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is key for anaerobic glycolysis. LDH is induced by the hypoxia inducible factor -1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 induces genes involved in glucose metabolism and regulates cellular oxygen homeostasis. HIF-1 is formed by a regulatory α-subunit (HIF-1α) and a constitutive ß-subunit (HIF-1ß). The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) induces anaerobic glycolysis in shrimp hemocytes, associated with lactate accumulation. Although infection and lactate production are associated, the LDH role in WSSV-infected shrimp has not been examined. In this work, the effects of HIF-1 silencing on the expression of two LDH subunits (LDHvan-1 and LDHvan-2) in shrimp infected with the WSSV were studied. HIF-1α transcripts increased in gills, hepatopancreas, and muscle after WSSV infection, while HIF-1ß remained constitutively expressed. The expression for both LDH subunits increased in each tissue evaluated during the WSSV infection, translating into increased enzyme activity. Glucose concentration increased in each tissue evaluated, while lactate increased in gills and hepatopancreas, but not in muscle. Silencing of HIF-1α blocked the increase of LDH expression and enzyme activity, along with glucose (all tissues) and lactate (gills and hepatopancreas) concentrations produced by WSSV infection. These results demonstrate that HIF-1 up regulates the expression of LDH subunits during WSSV infection, and that this induction contributes to substrate metabolism in energetically active tissues of infected shrimp.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica/imunologia , Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/genética , Imunidade Inata/genética , L-Lactato Desidrogenase/genética , L-Lactato Desidrogenase/imunologia , Penaeidae/genética , Penaeidae/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Proteínas de Artrópodes/química , Proteínas de Artrópodes/genética , Proteínas de Artrópodes/imunologia , Sequência de Bases , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/metabolismo , L-Lactato Desidrogenase/química , Filogenia , Alinhamento de Sequência , Vírus da Síndrome da Mancha Branca 1/fisiologiaRESUMO
Infection with human herpesvirus type 8 and with human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 shows strong geographic variations. We conducted this study to assess prevalence and risk factors for human herpesvirus type 8 infection in Havana City, Cuba. Information and residual serum samples already collected for a hospital based case-control study were used. A total of 379 individuals (267 males and 112 females; median age=63 years) were evaluated. Antibodies to the lytic antigen of human herpesvirus type 8 were detected by using an immunofluorescence assay, while human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 serology was performed by means of an ELISA test (alpha Biotech). Overall, 64 subjects (16.9%, 95% confidence interval: 13.1-20.0) were positive for human herpesvirus type 8 antibodies. Human herpesvirus type 8 seroprevalence significantly increased with age (odds ratio=1.9 for >/=65 vs <55 years), and was twice as frequent in blacks than in whites. No association emerged with gender, socio-economic indicators, family size, history of sexually transmitted disease, sexual behaviour. Overall, 16 persons had anti-human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 antibodies (4.2%, 95% confidence interval: 2.2-6.4). No relationship emerged between human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 and human herpesvirus type 8 serostatus. The study findings indicate that human herpesvirus type 8 infection is relatively common in Havana City, Cuba, suggesting that Cuba may represent an intermediate endemical area. Sexual transmission does not seem to play a major role in the spread human herpesvirus type 8 infection.
Assuntos
Infecções por HTLV-I/epidemiologia , Infecções por Herpesviridae/epidemiologia , Herpesvirus Humano 8/patogenicidade , Vírus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/patogenicidade , Sarcoma de Kaposi/virologia , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Anticorpos Antivirais/análise , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Cuba/epidemiologia , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Feminino , Infecções por HTLV-I/etiologia , Infecções por Herpesviridae/etiologia , Herpesvirus Humano 8/imunologia , Vírus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/imunologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Razão de Chances , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Sarcoma de Kaposi/epidemiologia , Sarcoma de Kaposi/etiologia , População UrbanaRESUMO
A pilot study was carried out in the Nuclear Medicine Department of the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology to learn the diagnostic efficacy of the 99mTc-HMPAO scintigraphy in the detection of cutaneous melanoma, distant and local metastases, in patients with a confirmed histological diagnosis. The planar and/or SPECT scintigraphy was performed in 17 patients and revealed 90% sensitivity for the detection of the disease. We calculated the tumor/background index in all the images obtained and found a value greater than 1 in every case. Thus, we can affirm that the 99mTc-HMPAO accumulation in tumors was higher than the background in all cases. We recommend that this procedure be considered in the follow up of these patients as a new diagnostic method which is very useful in the determination of the patient stage and prognostic evaluation.
Assuntos
Melanoma/diagnóstico por imagem , Metástase Neoplásica/diagnóstico por imagem , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/diagnóstico por imagem , Compostos Radiofarmacêuticos , Neoplasias Cutâneas/diagnóstico por imagem , Tecnécio Tc 99m Exametazima , Tomografia Computadorizada de Emissão de Fóton Único , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Reações Falso-Negativas , Reações Falso-Positivas , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Melanoma/patologia , Melanoma/cirurgia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Projetos Piloto , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Neoplasias Cutâneas/patologia , Neoplasias Cutâneas/cirurgiaRESUMO
Because thyroid hormones play a critical role in the regulation of metabolism, the low metabolic rates reported for manatees suggest that thyroid hormone concentrations in these animals may also be reduced. However, thyroid hormone concentrations have yet to be examined in manatees. The effects of captivity, diet and water salinity on plasma total triiodothyronine (tT(3)), total thyroxine (tT(4)) and free thyroxine (fT(4)) concentrations were assessed in adult West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus). Free-ranging manatees exhibited significantly greater tT(4) and fT(4) concentrations than captive adults, regardless of diet, indicating that some aspect of a captive existence results in reduced T(4) concentrations. To determine whether this reduction might be related to feeding, captive adults fed on a mixed vegetable diet were switched to a strictly sea grass diet, resulting in decreased food consumption and a decrease in body mass. However, tT(4) and fT(4) concentrations were significantly elevated over initial values for 19 days. This may indicate that during periods of reduced food consumption manatees activate thyroid-hormone-promoted lipolysis to meet water and energetic requirements. Alterations in water salinity for captive animals did not induce significant changes in thyroid hormone concentrations. In spite of lower metabolic rates, thyroid hormone concentrations in captive manatees were comparable with those for other terrestrial and marine mammals, suggesting that the low metabolic rate in manatees is not attributable to reduced circulating thyroid hormone concentrations.
Assuntos
Tiroxina/sangue , Trichechus/sangue , Tri-Iodotironina/sangue , Animais , Animais Selvagens/sangue , Animais Selvagens/metabolismo , Peso Corporal , Dieta , Ingestão de Alimentos , Água Doce , Água do Mar , Trichechus/metabolismo , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To know the incidence, etiology, risk factors, morbidity, and mortality of nosocomial diarrhea in adults. DESIGN: Nested case-control study, matched by service, length of stay, date of admission, and presence of leukopenia and/or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cases were those who developed nosocomial diarrhea. Controls were those who did not develop nosocomial diarrhea during a comparative period nor during the next ten days. Stool samples were processed in search for parasites, yeasts, bacteria, and rotavirus. SETTING: Third-level referral center, in Mexico City, Mexico, for general internal medicine and surgical problems. PATIENTS: Eligible subjects were all new admissions to the hospital from November 1987 to September 1988. Reasons for exclusion were presence of chronic diarrheal disease or melena. There were 115 cases and 111 controls. RESULTS: Overall risk of acquiring nosocomial diarrhea was 5.5%, or 1.8 episodes per 100 patient-weeks. A potential pathogen was found in 59%. Yeasts and Entamoeba histolytica were the most frequently isolated pathogens. Mortality in cases was 18%, as compared with 5% in controls (p less than .01). Multivariate analysis showed enteral feeding, recent enemas, presence of Candida species, use of antacids/H2-blockers, and presence of nasogastric tubes as significant risk factors for nosocomial diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea is a common complication in hospitalized patients. It occurs more often than previously suspected and is linked with a substantial mortality. The spectrum of etiologic agents is different from that reported in pediatric hospitals. Given that nosocomial diarrhea may constitute, at least, a marker of severity of illness, it should receive more attention in general hospitals.