Mesh cancer: long-term mesh infection leading to squamous-cell carcinoma of the abdominal wall

Purpose: It is recognized that chronic inflammation can cause cancer. Even though most of the available synthetic meshes are considered non-carcinogenic, the inflammatory response to an infected mesh plays a constant aggression to the skin. Chronic mesh infection is frequently the result of misuse of mesh, and due to the challenging nature of this condition, patients usually suffer for years until the infected mesh is removed by surgical excision. Methods: We report two cases of squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the abdominal wall, arising in patients with long-term mesh infection. Results: In both patients, the degeneration of mesh infection into SCC was presumably caused by the long-term inflammation secondary to infection. Patients presented with advanced SCC behaving just like the Marjolin's ulcers of burns. Radical surgical excision was the treatment of choice. The involvement of the bowel played an additional challenge in case 1, but it was possible to resect the tumor and the involved bowel and reconstruct the abdominal wall using polypropylene mesh as onlay reinforcement, in a single stage operation. He is now under adjuvant chemotherapy. The big gap in the midline after tumor resection in case 2 required mesh bridging to close the defect. The poor prognosis of case 2 who died months after the operation, and the involvement of the armpit, groin and mesenteric nodes in case 1 shows how aggressive this disease can be. Conclusion: Infected mesh must be treated early, by complete excision of the mesh. Long-standing mesh infection can degenerate into aggressive squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin. © 2013 Springer-Verlag France.

No evidence for association of the CD40, CD40L and BLYS polymorphisms, B-cell co-stimulatory molecules, with Brazilian endemic Plasmodium vivax malaria

Background: Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria species in Brazil. The parasite-host coevolutionary process can be viewed as an 'arms race', in which adaptive genetic changes in one are eventually matched by alterations in the other. Methods: Following the candidate gene approach we analyzed the CD40, CD40L and BLYS genes that participate in B-cell co-stimulation, for associations with P. vivax malaria. The study sample included 97 patients and 103 controls. We extracted DNA using the extraction and purification commercial kit and identified the following SNPs: 21C.T in the CD40 gene, 2726T.C in the CD40L gene and the 2871C.T in the BLyS gene using PCR-RFLP. We analyzed the genotype and allele frequencies by direct counting. We also compared the observed with the expected genotype frequencies using the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results: The allele and genotype frequencies for these SNPs did not differ statistically between patient and control groups. Gene-gene interactions were not observed between the CD40 and BLYS and between the CD40L and BLYS genes. Overall, the genes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Significant differences were not observed among the frequencies of antibody responses against P. vivax sporozoite and erythrocytic antigens and the CD40 and BLYS genotypes. Conclusions: The results of this study show that, although the investigated CD40, CD40L and BLYS alleles differ functionally, this variation does not alter the functionality of the molecules in a way that would interfere in susceptibility to the disease. The variants of these genes may influence the clinical course rather than simply increase or decrease susceptibility. © Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2013. All rights reserved.

Optimal single-embryo mass spectrometry fingerprinting

In pre-implantation embryos, lipids play key roles in determining viability, cryopreservation and implantation properties, but often their analysis is analytically challenging because of the few picograms of analytes present in each of them. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) allows obtaining individual phospholipid profiles of these microscopic organisms. This technique is sensitive enough to enable analysis of individual intact embryos and monitoring the changes in membrane lipid composition in the early stages of development serving as screening method for studies of biology and biotechnologies of reproduction. This article introduces an improved, more comprehensive MALDI-MS lipid fingerprinting approach that considerably increases the lipid information obtained from a single embryo. Using bovine embryos as a biological model, we have also tested optimal sample storage and handling conditions before the MALDI-MS analysis. Improved information at the molecular level is provided by the use of a binary matrix that enables phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylinositols and phosphoethanolamines to be detected via MALDI(±)-MS in both the positive and negative ion modes. An optimal MALDI-MS protocol for lipidomic monitoring of a single intact embryo is therefore reported with potential applications in human and animal reproduction, cell development and stem cell research. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Macrophage activity and histopathology of the lymphohematopoietic organs in male Wistar rats orally exposed to single or mixed pesticides

The noxious effects of low or effective dose exposure to single or mixed pesticides on macrophage activity and the lymphohematopoietic organs were investigated. Male Wistar rats were orally exposed to dichlorvos, dicofol, endosulfan, dieldrin and permethrin, either as single or combined mixtures during a 28-day study containing eight groups: one group received a semipurified diet (non-treated); two groups received a semipurified diet containing low dose mixture (dieldrin 0.025 mg/kg, endosulfan, 0.6 mg/kg, dicofol 0.22 mg/kg, dichlorvos 0.23 mg/kg, permethrin 5 mg/kg) or an effective dose mixture (dichlorvos 2.3 mg/kg, dicofol 2.5 mg/kg, endosulfan 2.9 mg/kg, dieldrin 0.05 mg/kg and permethrin 25.0 mg/kg), respectively; the other five groups received a semipurified diet containing each single pesticide in effective doses. At sacrifice, the thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, Payer's patches and bone marrow were removed for histological analysis. Peritoneal macrophages were obtained to determine the phagocytosis and spreading indexes and tumoral necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO) and H2O2 production. Exposure to pesticide mixtures did not alter the percentage of macrophage phagocytosis and spreading, TNF-α production or the NO and H2O2 release when compared to the non-treated group. Neither was there any apparent evidence that a pesticide mixture at low or effective doses altered the histological structure of the lymphohematopoietic organs. The findings indicate that short-term treatment with pesticide mixtures did not induce an apparent immunotoxic effect in male Wistar rats. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Thyroid Hormone Stimulates the Proliferation of Sertoli Cells and Single Type A Spermatogonia in Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Testis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with gastrointestinal nematode infection in goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Endocrine and paracrine regulation of zebrafish spermatogenesis: the Sertoli cell perspective

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) either self-renew or differentiate into spermatogonia that further develop into spermatozoa. Self-renewal occurs when residing in a specific micro-environment (niche) while displacement from the niche would tip the signalling balance towards differentiation. Considering the cystic type of spermatogenesis in fish, the SSC candidates are single type A undifferentiated (A(und)) spermatogonia, enveloped by mostly one niche-forming Sertoli cell. When going through a self-renewal cell cycle, the resulting new single type Aund spermatogonium would have to recruit another Sertoli cell to expand the niche space, while a differentiating germ cell cyle would result in a pair of spermatogonia that remain in contact with their cyst-forming Sertoli cells. In zebrafish, thyroid hormone stimulates the proliferation of Sertoli cells and of type Aund spermatogonia, involving Igf3, a new member of the Igf family. In cystic spermatogenesis, type Aund spermatogonia usually do not leave the niche, so that supposedly the signalling in the niche changes when switching from self-renewal to differentiation. and rzAmh inhibited differentiation of type A(und) spermatogonia as well as Fsh-stimulated steroidogenesis. Thus, for Fsh to efficiently stimulate testis functions, Amh bioactivity should be dampened. We also discovered that Fsh increased Sertoli cell Igf3 gene and protein expression; rzIgf3 stimulated spermatogonial proliferation and Fsh-stimulated spermatogenesis was significantly impaired by inhibiting Igf receptor signaling. We propose that in zebrafish, Fsh is the major regulator of testis functions and, supported by other endocrine systems (e.g. thyroid hormone), regulates Leydig cell steroidogenesis as well as Sertoli cell number and growth factor production to promote spermatogenesis.

The effects of acute and chronic administration of phosphatidylserine on cell proliferation and survival in the dentate gyms of adult and middle-aged rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and milk production traits in buffalo

The aim of this study was to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in buffaloes associated with milk yield and content, in addition to somatic cell scores based on the cross-species transferability of SNPs from cattle to buffalo. A total of 15,745 SNPs were analyzed, of which 1562 showed 1% significance and 4742 with 5% significance, which were associated for all traits studied. After application of Bonferroni's correction for multiple tests of the traits analyzed, we found 2 significant SNPs placed on cattle chromosomes BTA15 and BTA20, which are homologous to buffalo chromosomes BBU16 and BBU19, respectively. In this genome association study, we found several significant SNPs affecting buffalo milk production and quality. Furthermore, the use of the high-density bovine BeadChip was suitable for genomic analysis in buffaloes. Although extensive chromosome arm homology was described between cattle and buffalo, the exact chromosomal position of SNP markers associated with these economically important traits in buffalo can be determined only through buffalo genome sequencing.