Evaluation of postoperative complications following elective surgeries of dogs and cats at private practices using computer records

This study was designed to determine the frequency of postoperative complications following elective surgeries (castration, ovariohysterectomy, onychectomy) of dogs and cats from private practices and to evaluate the use of electronic medical records for this type of research. All elective surgeries performed during the study period at 5 private practices were included. The surgical techniques and materials used for each procedure were similar across practices, but the interpretation of "complication," the amount of detail recorded on the primary medical record, and the intensity of follow-up varied. The frequencies and types of complications varied by species and procedure. The postoperative complication frequencies ranged from 1% to 24% for all complications and 1% to 4% for severe complications. The results of this study describe populations of elective-surgery patients at private practices, provide data for educating clients about the risks associated with these procedures, and demonstrate how computerized records can be used to collect practice-specific medical information.     

"Normal'' P300 amplitude predicts rapid response to ECT in melancholia

Migraine aura without headache (acephalgic migraines) is a recognized subset of migrainous phenomena in the adult population. No reports of its prevalence or characteristics in a series of children exists. Using diagnostic criteria for migraine aura without headache established by the International Headache Society, a retrospective review of a computerized database of all patients referred over a 4-year period (July 1991 to June 1995 inclusive) to a single university-based pediatric neurologist was performed. Fourteen patients were identified, representing 2% of all patients with a primary diagnosis of migraine. Nine were females and 13 had a strong family history of migraines. Age of onset of symptoms ranged from 5 to 12 years with a mean of 8 years. Symptoms were episodic in all, varying in frequency from weekly to more typically monthly, lasting generally less than 10 min. In 9 patients the aura described was that of often colorful photopsias or scintillating scotomas. Two had micropsia, one had temporal distortion (time "speeded up"), one had hyperacusis, and the final patient had a vague sense of disconnection from her surroundings. Only 2 patients had a headache occasionally associated with the described aura. In addition to the acephalgic migraines, 9 patients had either common or classical migraines, the latter typically featuring aura distinct from those observed in these patients' acephalgic episodes. Neurologic examination, electrophysiologic investigation (EEG/evoked potentials), and neuroimaging were noncontributory in all instances. Migraine aura without headache is a recognizable benign migraine syndrome of late childhood.     

Expansion of Dreissena into offshore waters of Lake Michigan and potential impacts on fish populations

Lake Michigan was invaded by zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the late 1980s and then followed by quagga mussels (D. bugensis) around 1997. Through 2000, both species (herein Dreissena) were largely restricted to depths less than 50 m. Herein, we provide results of an annual lake-wide bottom trawl survey in Lake Michigan that reveal the relative biomass and depth distribution of Dreissena between 1999 and 2007 (although biomass estimates from a bottom trawl are biased low). Lake-wide mean biomass density (g/m²) and mean depth of collection revealed no trend between 1999 and 2003 (mean = 0.7 g/m² and 37 m, respectively). Between 2004 and 2007, however, mean lake-wide biomass density increased from 0.8 g/m² to 7.0 g/m², because of increased density at depths between 30 and 110 m, and mean depth of collection increased from 42 to 77 m. This pattern was confirmed by a generalized additive model. Coincident with the Dreissena expansion that occurred beginning in 2004, fish biomass density (generally planktivores) declined 71% between 2003 and 2007. Current understanding of fish population dynamics, however, indicates that Dreissena expansion is not the primary explanation for the decline of fish, and we provide a species-specific account for more likely underlying factors. Nonetheless, future sampling and research may reveal a better understanding of the potential negative interactions between Dreissena and fish in Lake Michigan and elsewhere.     

Correct assembly of human normal adult hemoglobin when expressed in transgenic swine: chemical, conformational and functional equivalence with the human-derived protein

Structural and functional investigations of recombinant human hemoglobin A (HbA) isolated from the erythrocytes of transgenic swine coexpressing human alpha- and beta-globins have been carried out to authenticate its correct expression, post-translational processing and assembly. The HbA expressed in transgenic swine (TgHbA) is indistinguishable from the human-derived HbA in terms of its isoelectric pH, mass and elution pattern on a Mono S column. The chemical identity of the alpha- and beta-globin chains of TgHbA with the corresponding chains from human-derived HbA has been established by tryptic peptide mapping and amino acid sequencing. The proton NMR spectra of TgHbA have demonstrated that the conformational aspects of the protein around the heme pocket are indistinguishable from those of the control sample of HbA. The equivalence of the hydrogen bond pattern of TgHbA (in particular the inter-subunit surfaces) with that of authentic HbA has also been established by NMR studies. Consistent with these structural and conformational analyses, the TgHbA also exhibits complete functional equivalence with the human-derived HbA with respect to oxygen affinity, cooperativity, Bohr effect and allostery. Hence the studies presented here demonstrate that the transgenic swine system correctly transcribes the alpha- and beta-globin transgenes, translates the respective alpha- and beta-globin mRNA to generate the corresponding globin chains, carries out the correct cotranslational processing of the translated globin chains, inserts the heme into the globin chains in the same orientation as in the human-derived HbA and assembles the alpha- and beta-subunits into a functionally cooperative tetramer that exhibits a response to allosteric effectors identical with that of human-derived HbA. Thus, in the transgenic swine system, in vitro chemical manipulation steps such as those needed in the Escherichia coli and the yeast systems, to convert the rHbA expressed in these systems into forms functionally identical with that of the human-derived protein, are not needed. An additional advantage of the transgenic swine system is the stability of the transgenes over many generations. Hence the transgenic swine could serve as an excellent system for the production of human HbA (or its variants) for structure- function studies and for therapeutic applications.      

Neutrophil chemotaxis in response to TGF-beta isoforms (TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TGF-beta 3) is mediated by fibronectin

TGF-beta isoforms regulate numerous cellular functions including cell growth and differentiation, the cellular synthesis and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin (Fn), and the immune response. We have previously shown that TGF-beta 1 is the most potent chemoattractant described for human peripheral blood neutrophils (PMNs), suggesting that TGF-beta s may play a role in the recruitment of PMNs during the initial phase of the inflammatory response. In our current studies, we demonstrate that the maximal chemotactic response was attained near 40 fM for all mammalian TGF-beta isoforms. However, there was a statistically significant difference in migratory distance of the PMNs: TGF-beta 2 (556 microM) > TGF-beta 3 (463 microM) > TGF-beta 1 (380 microM) (beta 2: beta 3, p < or = 0.010; beta 3: beta 1, p < or = 0.04; beta 2: beta 1, p < or = 0.0012). A mAb to the cell binding domain (CBD) of Fn inhibited the chemotactic response to TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 3 by 63% and to TGF-beta 2 by 70%, whereas the response to FMLP, a classic chemoattractant, was only inhibited by 18%. In contrast, a mAb to a C-terminal epitope of Fn did not retard migration (< 1.5%). The Arg-gly-Asp-ser tetrapeptide inhibited chemotaxis by approximately the same extent as the anti-CBD (52 to 83%). Furthermore, a mAb against the VLA-5 integrin (VLA-5; Fn receptor) also inhibited TGF-beta-induced chemotaxis. These results indicate that chemotaxis of PMNs in response to TGF-beta isoforms is mediated by the interaction of the Arg-gly-Asp-ser sequence in the CBD of Fn with an integrin on the PMN cell surface, primarily the VLA-5 integrin. TGF-beta isoforms also elicited the release of cellular Fn from PMNs; we observed a 2.3-fold increase in Fn (389 to 401 ng/ml) in the supernatants of TGF-beta-stimulated PMNs compared with unstimulated cells (173.6 ng/ml). The concentration of TGF-beta required to cause maximal release of Fn from PMNs (4000 fM) is a concentration at which TGF-beta is no longer chemotactic, suggesting that PMNs only use Fn that is constitutively expressed for migration. At higher concentrations of TGF-beta, the Fn released may accumulate basal to the cell, ultimately retarding cellular migration and modulating the chemotactic response.     

Identification of nuclear matrix protein alterations associated with renal cell carcinoma

PURPOSE: Neoplastic transformation, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), is always accompanied by changes in nuclear morphology. Nuclear grading of RCC is based on characteristic alterations in nuclear shape, size, area and other morphologic parameters. The nuclear matrix, which forms the skeleton of the nucleus, determines nuclear morphology. Alterations in nuclear matrix protein (NMP) composition specific to tissue and cancer type have been described in a variety of human cancers. We conducted a study to analyze the nuclear matrix protein composition of renal cell carcinoma and compare it to that of normal renal tissue and renal cell carcinoma cells grown in culture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the nuclear matrix protein composition of RCC tumor tissue and that of normal kidney tissue obtained from seventeen patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for RCC. We also analyzed the NMP composition of two renal cancer cell lines (A-498 and 769-P). RESULTS: We were able to identify five different and unique NMPs which were present only in the human RCC tumor samples and were absent in all normal kidney tissue. One NMP was found specifically in the normal kidney tissue. All five RCC specific NMPs were also identified in the nuclear matrix of the two cell lines analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Five nuclear matrix proteins specific and unique to RCC were identified. These NMPs are different from those previously identified in other tissues and neoplasms. The RCC specific NMPs identified in this study can potentially be used as diagnostic markers for renal cell carcinoma and for therapeutic tumor targeting.