Project description:Comprehensive expression profiling of disseminated neuroblastoma with favorable and unfavorable outcome using SAGE. Results provide insight into the molecular pathogenesis of spontaneous regression and progression of metastatic neuroblastoma and may be used for improving risk estimation of patients with disseminated neuroblastoma. Keywords: gene expression SAGE-based, neuroblastoma, primary tumor, disseminated disease
Project description:Comprehensive expression profiling of disseminated neuroblastoma with favorable and unfavorable outcome using SAGE. Results provide insight into the molecular pathogenesis of spontaneous regression and progression of metastatic neuroblastoma and may be used for improving risk estimation of patients with disseminated neuroblastoma. Keywords: gene expression SAGE-based, neuroblastoma, primary tumor, disseminated disease Samples analyzed: 9 (stage 4S neuroblastoma: n=5, stage 4 neuroblastoma: n=3, neuroblastoma cell line: n=1)
Project description:We report a fatal case of disseminated acanthamebiasis caused by Acanthamoeba lenticulata (genotype T5) in a 39-year-old heart transplant recipient. The diagnosis was based on skin histopathologic results and confirmed by isolation of the ameba from involved skin and molecular analysis of a partial 18S rRNA gene sequence (DF3).
Project description:Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), an important pathogen of cattle, establishes lifelong latency in sensory neurons within trigeminal ganglia (TG) after acute infection. The BoHV-1 latency-reactivation cycle, like other -herpesvirinae subfamily members, is essential for viral persistence and transmission. Notably, cells within pharyngeal tonsil (PT) also support a quiescent or latent BoHV-1 infection. The synthetic corticosteroid dexamethasone, which mimics the effects of stress, consistently induces BoHV-1 reactivation from latency allowing early stages of viral reactivation to be examined in the natural host. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that stress-induced cellular factors trigger expression of key viral transcriptional regulatory genes. To explore this hypothesis, RNA-sequencing studies compared viral gene expression in PT during early stages of dexamethasone-induced reactivation from latency. Strikingly, RNA encoding infected cell protein 4 (bICP4), which is translated into an essential viral transcriptional regulatory protein, was detected 30 minutes after dexamethasone treatment. Ninety minutes after dexamethasone treatment bICP4 and to a lesser extent bICP0 RNA were detected in PT. All lytic cycle viral transcripts were detected within three hours after dexamethasone treatment. Surprisingly, the latency related (LR) gene, the only viral gene abundantly expressed in latently infected TG neurons, was not detected in PT during latency. In TG neurons, bICP0 and the viral tegument protein VP16 are expressed before bICP4 during reactivation suggesting distinct viral regulatory genes mediate reactivation from latency in PT versus TG neurons. Finally, these studies confirm PT is a biologically relevant site for BoHV-1 latency, reactivation from latency, and virus transmission.
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in the bone marrow (BM) can remain dormant for prolonged periods before recurrence. Our aim was to characterize individual prostate DTC, analyze tumor cell heterogeneity, and identify markers of tumor dormancy. Custom Agilent 44K whole human genome expression oligonucleotide microarrays were used to profile single disseminated tumor cells isolated from bone marrow (BM) samples of four patients with no evidence of disease (NED) upon follow-up and six advanced disease (ADV) prostate cancer patients. Essentially, a two-step selection process was employed, in which anti-CD45 and anti-CD61 conjugated to immunomagnetic beads were used for negative selection, and anti-HEA was used for positive selection. Cells were then fluorescently stained for BerEP4, counter stained with RPE anti-CD45, and individually selected (10 single cells each per patient) under fluorescent light using a micropipette system for further analysis. RNA was amplified using the WT-Oviation one-direct system and hybridized against a common reference pool of prostate tumor cell lines.
Project description:A bone marrow aspirate from a patient with advanced stage breast cancer was subject to size-based disseminated tumor cell (DTC) enrichment using the Parsortix (Angle LLC) 8 micron fluidics device. Cells eluted from the device were used for single cell RNA sequencing to demonstrate the capabilities of the device to enrich for DTCs in an unbiased manner
Project description:Aspergillus infection is a well-known complication of severe influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and these infections have been related with significant morbidity and mortality even when appropriately diagnosed and treated. Recent studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 might increase the risk of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Here, we report the first case of Aspergillus ochraceus in a SARS-CoV-2 positive immunocompetent patient, which is complicated by pulmonary and brain infections. Proven IPA is supported by the positive Galactomannan test, culture-positive, and histopathological evidence. The patient did not respond to voriconazole, and liposomal amphotericin B was added to his anti-fungal regimen. Further studies are needed to evaluate the prevalence of IPA in immunocompetent patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Consequently, testing for the incidence of Aspergillus species in lower respiratory secretions and Galactomannan test of COVID-19 patients with appropriate therapy and targeted anti-fungal therapy based on the primary clinical suspicion of IPA are highly recommended.
Project description:Comparative analysis of renal gene expression between wild type and mice deficient in IL-17 receptor signaling following disseminated candidiasis. The hypothesis to be tested in the present study was that there should be a differential renal gene expresion in the absence of IL-17 receptor signaling following disseminated candidiasis. Wild type and IL-17RA-/- mice were systemically infected with Candida albicans and 48 hour post infection renal gene expression was analyzed.