Acinetobacter sp. utilized non-phenolic beta-o-4-model compounds, 2-methoxy-4-formylphenoxyacetic acid and veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether (VGE) as sole carbon source. Vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid and catechol were detected in the 2-methoxy-4-formylphenoxyacetic acid amended culture. Veratryl alcohol, veratraldehyde, veratric acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechol and guaiacol were identified from veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether culture. Acinetobacter sp. produced catechol 1,2-dioxygenase and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase that cleaved catechol and protocatechuic acid, respectively.

Acinetobacter↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hybridization of transposon Tn501 for detection of mercury resistance sequences in a marine environment.

Total genomic DNA isolated by concentrating seawater and mercury-resistant bacteria were hybridized with a mer probe to detect the presence of homologous DNA sequences in marine coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal, India. Coastal water extracts induced with mercury hybridized with the mer operon of transposon Tn501. Most of the mercury-resistant bacteria that volatilized mercury also contained homologous DNA sequences to the mer probe.

Bacteria↗

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Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy and giant axonal neuropathy--overlap diseases of neuronal cytoskeletal elements in childhood?

Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) and infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) are two progressive neurodegenerative disorders of childhood that have considerable clinical as well as histological overlap but are believed to be ultrastructurally distinct. The clinicopathological and ultrastructural features of three cases of INAD, two of whom are siblings and one case of GAN are described. The sural nerve biopsies in all four cases were essentially similar on light microscopy revealing giant axons. On electron microscopy, the findings in the case of GAN were typical with dense accumulation of neurofilaments within the giant axons. In the three cases of INAD, too, in addition to accumulation of mitochondria and organelles with vesiculotubular profiles, a similar increase in neurofilaments was evident. We, therefore, believe that these two disorders may represent a spectrum in evolution of intermediate filament pathology with various organelles participating in the temporal evolution of the disease process.

Biopsy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Whole-abdominal radiation in endometrial carcinoma: an analysis of toxicity, patterns of recurrence, and survival.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the toxicity, patterns of recurrence, and survival in high-risk endometrial cancer patients treated with whole-abdominal radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with endometrial cancer treated at Northwestern University since 1994 and at Rush University since 1993 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients believed to be at high risk for intra-abdominal recurrence and who received whole-abdominal radiation were reviewed for this study. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients completed whole-abdominal radiation (WAR) and were available for study. The mean and median follow-up was 2.3 and 2.1 years, respectively, with a range of 0.13 to 6.1 years. Seventy-eight percent of the cohort received surgical staging with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy/total abdominal hysterectomy/lymph node sampling. Forty-seven percent of the patients were found to have serous histology as a component of their tumor. Surgical staging results included 19% stage 1B, 4% stage IC, 8% stage IIB, 37% stage IIIA, 26% stage IIIC, and 7% stage IVB. Two patients had gross residual disease at the completion of surgery. Megestrol acetate (Megace) was used as an adjuvant treatment in 37% of patients, and no cases received initial chemotherapy. All patients received WAR with a mean total dose and dose per fraction of 2620 and 143 cGy, respectively. Twenty-two percent of patients received a para-aortic boost. The mean total pelvic dose was 4956 cGy. Seventy percent of patients received a vaginal cuff boost. Eight percent of patients had grade 3 acute gastrointestinal morbidity, and 4% had grade 4 acute gastrointestinal morbidity. No other grade 3 or greater acute or long-term morbidity was noted. At last follow-up, seven (23%) patients had experienced recurrence. The pattern of first recurrence was 0% in the vaginal cuff, 3% other vaginal, 7% pelvic, 7% upper abdominal, 3% lung, 7% bone, and 7% para-aortic lymph nodes. Ultimate recurrences were similar. At last follow-up, 77% patients had no evidence of disease, 13% were alive with disease, and 10% had died of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing a conservatrive total whole-abdominal radiation dose and limited para-aortic nodal boost resulted in very tolerable treatments. The patterns of recurrence and survival in this early report are encouraging.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

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Unusual case of multiple cellular and malignant schwannomas of the cranial and spinal nerves.

Schwannomas from cranial nerves and spinal roots are most often benign, malignant schwannomas being uncommon in this location. This report describes a unique case of multiple cellular and malignant schwannomas of the cranial and spinal nerves in a patient with features of neurofibromatosis 2. The tumors were arising from left optic, bilateral oculomotor, trochlear, abducent and vestibular nerves, the left facial and the spinal lumbar nerve roots. The tumor arising from the right trochlear nerve was seen excavating into the hippocampus and the left vestibular nerve into the medulla. In addition, the patient had nodular schwannomas adherent to the inferior surface of the optic chiasm and the cerebellum away from the cranial nerves. Hyperplastic schwannosis was noted in perivascular spaces of thalamus, cerebellum and hippocampus on both sides away from the main lesions. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural profiles of the tumors suggest that neurofibromas and schwannomas are probably not distinct tumors but lie within a spectrum that differs histologically depending on the predominant cell type.

Cranial Nerve Neoplasms↗

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Co-occurrence of Wilson's disease and glioblastoma multiforme--is it a chance association?

We report a patient with glioblastoma multiforme who was subsequently diagnosed to have Wilson's disease. Immunohistochemical studies of the tumor revealed high (> 60%) labeling index for p53 and Rb retinoblastoma protein. Whether this association is like the co-occurrence of retinoblastoma and Wilson's disease due to possible somatic mutation in chromosome 13 needs to be explored.

Adolescent↗

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Rabies encephalitis following fox bite--histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of lesions caused by virus.

Rabies caused by fox bite is uncommon, most cases being caused by bite of rabid dogs (95%). We report a 45-year-old lady with rabies encephalomyelitis caused by bite of a rabid wild fox (Vulpes vulpes), a species prevalent in the Deccan plateaus of Central India. Though foxes are known to be susceptible to rabies, literature on the pathological changes caused by fox bite rabies in humans is scarce. Unlike the mild histological alterations described in canine rabies, a florid encephalitic process evolved in fox bite rabies, in our case, with intense microglial reaction, neuronophagia and perivascular inflammatory infiltrates despite clinical manifestation as a paralytic rabies. Immunostaining using polyclonal antibodies to the rabies viral nucleocapsid antigen and to the whole virion demonstrated high viral load within neurons with extensive spread along dendritic arborization and axonal tracts. Genomic sequence analysis demonstrated close homology with canine virus strain with only minor variations.

Animals↗

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Acute pure motor quadriplegia: is it dengue myositis?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In view of paucity of comprehensive evaluation about dengue infection producing quadriplegia, we report the clinical, laboratory and neurophysiological studies in these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seven out of 16 patients with dengue infection presented with quadriplegia and they were subjected to a detailed clinical history and examination. Diagnosis of dengue was based on characteristic clinical and positive serum IgM ELISA. Blood counts, serum chemistry, CSF analysis and nerve conduction and electromyographic (EMG) studies were performed in all. Outcome was defined at the end of 1 month into complete, partial and poor on the basis of activities of daily living RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged between 9 and 42 years and 2 were females. Fever was present in all and myalgia in 5 patients. Weakness developed within 3-5 days of illness, which was severe in 4 and moderate in 3 patients. Hypotonia and hyporeflexia were present in 5 patients. Nerve conduction and EMG studies were normal in all except one whose EMG was myopathic. Serum CPK and SGPT were raised in all and serum bilirubin in 3 patients. All the patients had coagulopathy and 6 had thrombocytopenia. Muscle biopsy in 1 patient was suggestive of myositis. Six patients improved completely and one had poor recovery who needed ventilatory support. CONCLUSION: Dengue virus infection may result in acute pure motor quadriplegia due to myositis. In an endemic area it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute flaccid paralysis.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cestode parasitic infestation: intracranial and spinal hydatid disease--a clinicopathological study of 29 cases from South India.

In developing countries hydatidosis is both a medical and economic problem related to environmental hygiene and healthy veterinary practice. This cestode parasitic infestation, uncommonly involving the nervous system, presents with varied clinical manifestation, at times causing diagnostic dilemmas. Multiple intracranial and spinal hydatidosis is rare. A series of 29 histologically confirmed cases of hydatidosis of neuraxis (21 intracranial and 8 spinal) from South India are presented. Among the 21 cases of intracranial hydatidosis, 12 cases were in pediatric age, while only 1 spinal lesion was noted in a 5-year-old child. The clinical presentation of intracranial lesions was predominantly that of raised intracranial pressure and visual symptoms, while spinal hydatidosis manifested with severe back pain, weakness and sphincter disturbances. The cranial cysts were usually single and uniloculated (12 cases), multiple in 7 and single but multiloculated in 2. In spinal hydatidosis, the cysts are usually multiple and extradural, rare ones being intramedullary and intradural. Based on clinical features and imaging, the differential diagnosis for intracranial lesions were cystic tumors and arachnoid cyst while metastasis and tuberculosis were considered in cases of spinal hydatidosis because of vertebral bony involvement. The majority of the cysts could be surgically resected totally and some were aspirated under control suction and resected. None of the cases had anaphylactic reaction, with no significant post-operative morbidity and no mortality. One intracranial and 2 spinal lesions caused by fertile cysts recurred to undergo repeated surgery.

Adult↗

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Degradation of labelled lignins and veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether by Acinetobacter sp.

Acinetobacter sp. evolved 14CO2 from 14C-(ring)DHP lignin and 14C-teakwood lignin. Veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether, a lignin model compound with beta-o-4 linkage was cleaved by Acinetobacter sp. Veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether into 2(o-methoxyphenoxy) ethanol and veratrylalcohol 2(o-methoxyphenoxy) ethanol was degraded to guaiacol and then to catechol whereas veratrylalcohol was converted to veratraldehyde, veratric acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid and catechol. Both catechol 1,2-dioxygenase and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase were detected in veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether grown cultures.

Acinetobacter↗