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Redox Biology Jun 2024We previously demonstrated that the human amniotic fluid (hAF) from II trimester of gestation is a feasible source of stromal progenitors (human amniotic fluid stem...
BACKGROUND
We previously demonstrated that the human amniotic fluid (hAF) from II trimester of gestation is a feasible source of stromal progenitors (human amniotic fluid stem cells, hAFSC), with significant paracrine potential for regenerative medicine. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) separated and concentrated from hAFSC secretome can deliver pro-survival, proliferative, anti-fibrotic and cardioprotective effects in preclinical models of skeletal and cardiac muscle injury. While hAFSC-EVs isolation can be significantly influenced by in vitro cell culture, here we profiled EVs directly concentrated from hAF as an alternative option and investigated their paracrine potential against oxidative stress.
METHODS
II trimester hAF samples were obtained as leftover material from prenatal diagnostic amniocentesis following written informed consent. EVs were separated by size exclusion chromatography and concentrated by ultracentrifugation. hAF-EVs were assessed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Western Blot, and flow cytometry; their metabolic activity was evaluated by oximetric and luminometric analyses and their cargo profiled by proteomics and RNA sequencing. hAF-EV paracrine potential was tested in preclinical in vitro models of oxidative stress and dysfunction on murine C2C12 cells and on 3D human cardiac microtissue.
RESULTS
Our protocol resulted in a yield of 6.31 ± 0.98 × 10 EVs particles per hAF milliliter showing round cup-shaped morphology and 209.63 ± 6.10 nm average size, with relevant expression of CD81, CD63 and CD9 tetraspanin markers. hAF-EVs were enriched in CD133/1, CD326, CD24, CD29, and SSEA4 and able to produce ATP by oxygen consumption. While oxidative stress significantly reduced C2C12 survival, hAF-EV priming resulted in significant rescue of cell viability, with notable recovery of ATP synthesis and concomitant reduction of cell damage and lipid peroxidation activity. 3D human cardiac microtissues treated with hAF-EVs and experiencing HO stress and TGFβ stimulation showed improved survival with a remarkable decrease in the onset of fibrosis.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that leftover samples of II trimester human amniotic fluid can represent a feasible source of EVs to counteract oxidative damage on target cells, thus offering a novel candidate therapeutic option to counteract skeletal and cardiac muscle injury.
PubMed: 38901103
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103241 -
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine Jun 2024Equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H) can cause Theiler's disease and subclinical hepatitis in horses.
BACKGROUND
Equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H) can cause Theiler's disease and subclinical hepatitis in horses.
OBJECTIVES
Assess the frequency of subclinical EqPV-H infection in hospitalized horses and to study viral transmission by investigating potential shedding routes.
ANIMALS
One hundred sixteen equids, that presented to the University Equine Hospital of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna between February 2021 and March 2022, for causes other than hepatopathy.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, samples (serum, feces, nasal, and buccal swabs) of hospitalized horses were collected. Sera were screened for the presence of anti-EqPV-H antibodies by a luciferase immunoprecipitation system assay. Quantitative PCR was used for the detection of EqPV-H DNA in the samples and a nested PCR was used for further validation.
RESULTS
Seroprevalence was 10.3% (12/116) and viremia occurred in 12.9% (15/116) of the serologically positive horses. The detected viral load in serum varied from non-quantifiable amount to 1.3 × 10 genome equivalents per milliliter of serum. A low viral load of EqPV-H DNA was detected in 2 nasal swabs and 1 fecal sample.
CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
EqPV-H DNA was detected in nasal secretions and feces of viremic horses, which could pose a risk to naive hospitalized horses. It is advisable to screen hospitalized horses that are potential donors of blood or plasma to reduce the risk of iatrogenic EqPV-H transmission.
PubMed: 38899610
DOI: 10.1111/jvim.17129 -
European Review For Medical and... Jun 2024Monitoring Jackson Pratt and Hemovac drains plays a crucial role in assessing a patient's recovery and identifying potential postoperative complications. Accurate and...
OBJECTIVE
Monitoring Jackson Pratt and Hemovac drains plays a crucial role in assessing a patient's recovery and identifying potential postoperative complications. Accurate and regular monitoring of the blood volume in the drain is essential for making decisions about patient care. However, transferring blood to a measuring cup and recording it is a challenging task for both patients and doctors, exposing them to bloodborne pathogens such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). To automate the recording process with a non-contact approach, we propose an innovative approach that utilizes deep learning techniques to detect a drain in a photograph, compute the blood level in the drain, estimate the blood volume, and display the results on both web and mobile interfaces.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our system employs semantic segmentation on images taken with mobile phones to effectively isolate the blood-filled portion of the drain from the rest of the image and compute the blood volume. These results are then sent to mobile and web applications for convenient access. To validate the accuracy and effectiveness of our system, we collected the Drain Dataset, which consists of 1,004 images taken under various background and lighting conditions.
RESULTS
With an average error rate of less than 5% in milliliters, our proposed approach achieves highly accurate blood level detection and estimation, as demonstrated by our trials on this dataset. The system also exhibits robustness to variations in lighting conditions and drain shapes, ensuring its applicability in different clinical scenarios.
CONCLUSIONS
The proposed automated blood volume estimation system can significantly reduce the time and effort required for manual measurements, enabling healthcare professionals to focus on other critical tasks. The dataset and annotations are available at: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/ayenahin/liquid-volume-detection-from-drain-images and the code for the web application is available at https://github.com/itsjustaplant/AwesomeProject.git.
Topics: Humans; Decision Support Systems, Clinical; Drainage; Blood Volume; Deep Learning; Blood Volume Determination
PubMed: 38884505
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202406_36375 -
Cureus May 2024Pericardial effusion, a clinical condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity, has multiple etiological factors. One of the...
Pericardial effusion, a clinical condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity, has multiple etiological factors. One of the prominent causes is malignant effusion. The patient is a 69-year-old female with a past medical history of Crohn's disease, melanoma status post-resection, and osteoarthritis. She presented with complaints of abdominal discomfort, shortness of breath on exertion, and lower extremity swelling for the past 2-3 days. She was recently discharged four days before this visit after being treated for a viral infection. A physical examination was significant for tachycardia, muffled heart sounds, abdominal distention, and bilateral lower extremity swelling. Labs were in the normal range except for elevated liver enzymes and sodium of 130 mmol/L. A chest X-ray revealed a small bilateral effusion; a bedside echocardiogram showed an ejection fraction greater than 70% and a large pericardial effusion >2 cm, consistent with cardiac tamponade. Emergent pericardiocentesis was performed with the drainage of 250 milliliters of hemorrhagic fluid, which was sent for diagnostic studies. Post-procedure echo on the next day showed an EF of 35-40% and no recurrent pericardial effusion. The workup for connective tissue disease was negative except for elevated antinuclear antibodies (ANA). CT of the abdomen and pelvis revealed gastric wall thickening with no solid organ mass. Her pericardial fluid studies were consistent with exudative etiology and positive for atypical lymphoid cells, leading to the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Malignant pericardial effusion is common due to solid organ malignancy; however, it is rare with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We present an intriguing case where pericardial effusion was the precursor to the eventual diagnosis of DLBCL, highlighting the complexity and diverse manifestations of this lymphoma subtype.
PubMed: 38882999
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60418 -
Optics Express May 2024A spectrometer built using an external cavity pulsed quantum cascade laser is described. The spectrometer has a tuning range from 10 - 13 µm (1,000 - 769 cm) and is...
A spectrometer built using an external cavity pulsed quantum cascade laser is described. The spectrometer has a tuning range from 10 - 13 µm (1,000 - 769 cm) and is designed to target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which often exhibit water-free molecular absorption within the region. The spectrometer utilizes a hollow silica waveguide gas cell which has an internal volume of a few millilitres, a fast response time (∼1 s), and is advantageous when only low sample volumes, similar to the cell volume, are available. Propane is used as a test gas because it is easy to handle, and its spectral profile is comparable to VOCs of interest. Its absorption in the region is primarily within the ν band which spans from 10.55 - 11.16 µm (948 - 896 cm). Spectral measurements at a range of concentrations show good linearity and an Allan deviation of absorbance values recorded over a 100-minute period indicates a minimum detectable absorbance of 3.5×10 at an integration time of 75 s.
PubMed: 38858996
DOI: 10.1364/OE.521695 -
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Jun 2024Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy is a common multifactorial abnormality of the hematological system, next to anemia. It leads to more increased risk of bleeding during...
BACKGROUND
Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy is a common multifactorial abnormality of the hematological system, next to anemia. It leads to more increased risk of bleeding during delivery, labour, or the postpartum period. Despite being a significant public health concern, there are limited studies done concerning thrombocytopenia during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the magnitude and associated factors of thrombocytopenia among pregnant women at Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital from September 2023 to November 2023.
METHODS
An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 230 systematic randomly selected pregnant women who attended antenatal visits from September 2023 to November 2023 G.C using data collection tools. The pretested structured questionnaires were employed to obtain clinical, nutritional, and sociodemographic information. Additionally, three millilitres of venous blood were collected from each participant and analyzed using a Sysmex hematology analyzer. The data was entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14. Descriptive statistics were computed, and logistic regression was used to identify predictors with a significance level of less than 0.05.
RESULTS
Two hundred thirty pregnant women participated in the study. Among study participants, the magnitude of thrombocytopenia was 55(24.35%) with 32 (57.14%) mild, 19 (33.93%) moderate, and 5 (8.93%) severe thrombocytopenia. The determinant factors which shown significant association were Malaria parasite infection (AOR 9.27 at 95% CI 7.42, 10.87), one-year Inter-birth interval (AOR 1.7 at 95% CI 1.24, 2.14), History of abortion (AOR 3.94 95% CI 3.13, 4.86), History of hypertension (AOR 3.12 95% CI 1.56, 4.12), HIV infection (AOR 1.81 95% CI 1.32.2.52) and HBV infection (AOR 3.0 95% CI 2.82, 3.34).
CONCLUSION
Thrombocytopenia is a public health problem and mild type of thrombocytopenia was the most predominant. The determinant factors that showed significant association with thrombocytopenia were Malaria Parasitic infection, one-year Inter-birth interval, History of abortion, History of hypertension, HIV infection, and HBV infection. Therefore, pregnant women should be continuously screened for thrombocytopenia to avoid excessive bleeding. Increasing Inter-birth interval, preventing abortion as well as timely diagnosis and treatment of underlying causes such as malaria infection, hypertension, HBV, and HIV is important to reduce the burden of thrombocytopenia.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Thrombocytopenia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethiopia; Adult; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic; Hospitals, Teaching; Risk Factors; Young Adult; Hospitals, University
PubMed: 38849723
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06609-6 -
Nature Jun 2024Farmed soils contribute substantially to global warming by emitting NO (ref. ), and mitigation has proved difficult. Several microbial nitrogen transformations produce...
Farmed soils contribute substantially to global warming by emitting NO (ref. ), and mitigation has proved difficult. Several microbial nitrogen transformations produce NO, but the only biological sink for NO is the enzyme NosZ, catalysing the reduction of NO to N (ref. ). Although strengthening the NosZ activity in soils would reduce NO emissions, such bioengineering of the soil microbiota is considered challenging. However, we have developed a technology to achieve this, using organic waste as a substrate and vector for NO-respiring bacteria selected for their capacity to thrive in soil. Here we have analysed the biokinetics of NO reduction by our most promising NO-respiring bacterium, Cloacibacterium sp. CB-01, its survival in soil and its effect on NO emissions in field experiments. Fertilization with waste from biogas production, in which CB-01 had grown aerobically to about 6 × 10 cells per millilitre, reduced NO emissions by 50-95%, depending on soil type. The strong and long-lasting effect of CB-01 is ascribed to its tenacity in soil, rather than its biokinetic parameters, which were inferior to those of other strains of NO-respiring bacteria. Scaling our data up to the European level, we find that national anthropogenic NO emissions could be reduced by 5-20%, and more if including other organic wastes. This opens an avenue for cost-effective reduction of NO emissions for which other mitigation options are lacking at present.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Biofuels; Farms; Flavobacteriaceae; Global Warming; Nitrogen; Nitrous Oxide; Soil; Soil Microbiology; Crop Production; Europe
PubMed: 38811724
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07464-3 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... May 2024Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is identified by the excessive production of abnormal monoclonal...
BACKGROUND
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is identified by the excessive production of abnormal monoclonal immunoglobulins, which can result in various clinical symptoms such as destructive bone lesions, renal dysfunction, anemia, and immunodeficiency. The current study aims to evaluate the serum levels of carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks 1 (CTX-1), Fibulin-1, vitamin D3, LDH, and albumin in MM patients and their significance for early diagnosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study included 30 healthy controls (11 males, 19 females) and 60 patients with multiple myeloma (37 males and 23 females), aged between 40-60 years. Five-milliliter blood samples were collected and stored at -20°C. Afterward, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to estimate the concentrations of CTX-1, Fibulin-1, and vitamin D3. Additionally, LDH and albumin levels were determined using the automated biochemistry analyzer.
RESULTS
This study revealed that the majority of patients with multiple myeloma are between the ages of 51 and 60 years. The serum concentrations of CTX-1, Fibulin-1, and LDH were significantly increased in the multiple myeloma patients compared to the healthy control group. In contrast, the serum level of vitamin D3 was significantly decreased in patients with MM.
CONCLUSION
Our results indicate that the incidence of multiple myeloma is higher in males than in females. Additionally, the serum concentrations of CTX-1 and Fibulin-1 were significantly higher in the multiple myeloma patients compared to the healthy control group, indicating their potential for early detection and as therapeutic targets.
Topics: Humans; Multiple Myeloma; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Biomarkers, Tumor; Prognosis; Follow-Up Studies; Collagen Type I; Peptides; Peptide Fragments
PubMed: 38809631
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.5.1599 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Pyuria in dipstick examination serves as the most widespread screening tool for urinary tract infections (UTI). The absence of pyuria, however, does not exclude UTI. We...
Pyuria in dipstick examination serves as the most widespread screening tool for urinary tract infections (UTI). The absence of pyuria, however, does not exclude UTI. We investigated the diagnostic value of urinary calprotectin, a mediator protein of the innate immune system, which is released by leukocytes, for the detection of UTI and compared it with dipstick pyuria. Since even low numbers of leukocytes in the urine significantly increase urinary calprotectin concentrations, calprotectin might be a more sensitive marker than pyuria detected by dipstick. All 162 patients were prospectively included and underwent a urine dipstick, urine culture, quantification of proteinuria and determination of calprotectin in the urine. Urinary calprotectin was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). UTI was defined as urine cultures with detection of one or a maximum of two uropathogenic bacteria with ≥ 10 colony-forming units per millilitre (CFU/ml). Exclusion criteria were acute kidney injury, chronic renal insufficiency and tumors of the urinary tract. 71 (43.8%) patients had a UTI. Of the 91 patients without UTI, 23 had a contamination and 19 had evidence of ≥ 10 CFU/ml considered to be asymptomatic bacteriuria. The median calprotectin concentration in patients with UTI and pyuria was significantly higher than in patients with UTI and without pyuria (5510.4 vs. 544.7 ng/ml). In ROC analyses, calprotectin revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70 for the detection of significant bacteriuria. Pyuria in dipstick examinations provided an AUC of 0.71. There was no significant difference between these AUCs in the DeLong test (p = 0.9). In patients with evidence of significant bacteriuria but without pyuria, a significantly higher calprotectin concentration was measured in the urine than in patients with neither pyuria nor UTI (544.7 ng/ml vs 95.6 ng/ml, p = 0.029). Urinary calprotectin is non-inferior to dipstick pyuria in the detection of UTI.
Topics: Humans; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; Male; Female; Bacteriuria; Middle Aged; Aged; Biomarkers; Urinary Tract Infections; Adult; Pyuria; Prospective Studies; Urinalysis; Aged, 80 and over; ROC Curve; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 38806578
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62605-y -
PLOS Global Public Health 2024South Africa rolled out dolutegravir (DTG) as first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in December 2019 to overcome high rates of pretreatment non-nucleoside reverse...
South Africa rolled out dolutegravir (DTG) as first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in December 2019 to overcome high rates of pretreatment non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug resistance. In the context of transition to DTG-based ART, this study spatiotemporally analysed detectable HIV viral loads (VLs) prior to- and following DTG rollout in public-sector healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, the epicentre of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. We retrospectively curated a HIV VL database using de-identified routine VL data obtained from the National Health Laboratory Service for the period January 2018 to June 2022. We analysed trends in HIV viraemia and mapped median log10 HIV VLs per facility on inverse distance weighted interpolation maps. We used Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot analysis to identify geospatial HIV hotspots. We obtained 7,639,978 HIV VL records from 736 healthcare facilities across KZN, of which 1,031,171 (13.5%) had detectable VLs (i.e., VLs ≥400 copies/millilitre (mL)). Of those with detectable VLs, we observed an overall decrease in HIV VLs between 2018 and 2022 (median 4.093 log10 copies/mL; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.087-4.100 to median 3.563 log10 copies/mL; CI 3.553-3.572), p<0.01 (median test). The downward trend in proportion of HIV VLs ≥1000 copies/mL over time was accompanied by an inverse upward trend in the proportion of HIV VLs between 400 and 999 copies/mL. Moreover, specific coastal and northern districts of KZN had persistently higher VLs, with emergent hotspots demonstrating spatial clustering of high median log10 HIV VLs. The overall decrease in HIV VLs over time shows good progress towards achieving UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets in KZN, South Africa. The DTG-transition has been associated with a reduction in VLs, however, there is a need for pre-emptive monitoring of low-level viraemia. Furthermore, our findings highlight that specific districts will need intensified HIV care despite DTG rollout.
PubMed: 38805477
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003224