bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multilaboratory Evaluation of Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of
Neisseria meningitidis
Isolates
Authors: Jorgensen James H. , Crawford Sharon A. , Fulcher Letitia C. , Glennen Anita , Harrington Susan M. , Swenson Jana , Lynfield Ruth , Murray Patrick R. , Tenover Fred C. 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACT

In 2005, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute published MIC interpretive criteria for 13 antimicrobial agents used for either therapy or prophylaxis of
Neisseria meningitidis
infections. The MIC method includes the use of lysed horse blood-supplemented Mueller-Hinton broth with incubation in 5% CO
2
for 20 to 24 h. Since some clinical laboratories might prefer the option of disk diffusion testing for infrequently encountered isolates a multicenter collaborative study was conducted to evaluate the reproducibility of a disk diffusion method for testing isolates of
N. meningitidis
. Interpretive criteria were developed for 12 antimicrobial agents. Four laboratories tested a common collection of 50 meningococcal strains and then tested 25 unique isolates per laboratory. Isolates were tested using Mueller-Hinton sheep blood agar plates incubated for 20 to 24 h in 5% CO
2
; they were also tested by the reference broth microdilution method in parallel. Pooling of the MIC and disk diffusion data from the common and unique isolates provided a sufficient sample size to develop susceptible, intermediate, and resistant zone diameter interpretive criteria using the error rate-bounded method for the following agents: chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin. Due to the lack of resistant strains at the present time, “susceptible only” interpretive criteria were proposed for cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, meropenem, azithromycin, and minocycline. The numbers of minor interpretive errors with penicillin and ampicillin disk tests were unacceptably high and precluded recommended testing of those agents by the disk method. However, amdinocillin, an agent that preferentially binds to the altered penicillin binding protein responsible for diminished penicillin susceptibility, has potential utility as a surrogate screening reagent for ampicillin resistance. A disk diffusion breakpoint was derived for nalidixic acid to serve as a surrogate marker for gyrase A mutations associated with diminished fluoroquinolone susceptibility. Disk diffusion testing with meningococci can be performed in a reproducible manner with several antimicrobial agents and represents a practical and cost-effective option for testing sporadic clinical isolates or for surveillance purposes by resource-limited laboratories.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Intrafamilial Transmission and Microevolutions of
Candida albicans
Isolates from the Human Digestive Tract
Authors: Bougnoux M.-E. , Diogo D. , François N. , Sendid B. , Veirmeire S. , Colombel J. F. , Bouchier C. , Van Kruiningen H. , d'Enfert C. , Poulain D. 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACT

Candida albicans
is a human commensal that is also responsible for superficial and systemic infections. Little is known about the carriage of
C. albicans
in the digestive tract and the genome dynamics that occur during commensalisms of this diploid species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, diversity, and genetic relationships among
C. albicans
isolates recovered during natural colonization of the digestive tract of humans, with emphasis on Crohn's disease patients who produce anti-yeast antibodies and may have altered
Candida
sp. carriage.
Candida
sp. isolates were recovered from 234 subjects within 25 families with multiple cases of Crohn's disease and 10 control families, sampled at the oral and fecal sites. Prevalences of
Candida
sp. and
C. albicans
carriage were 53.4% and 46.5%, respectively, indicating frequent commensal carriage. No differences in prevalence of carriage could be observed between Crohn's disease patients and healthy subjects. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of
C. albicans
isolates revealed frequent colonization of a subject or several members of the same family by genetically indistinguishable or genetically close isolates. These latter isolates differed by loss-of-heterozygosity events at one or several of the MLST loci. These loss-of-heterozygosity events could be due to either chromosome loss followed by duplication or large mitotic recombination events between complementary chromosomes. This study was the first to jointly assess commensal carriage of
C. albicans
, intrafamilial transmission, and microevolution. The high frequency of each of these events suggests that the digestive tract provides an important and natural niche for microevolutions of diploid
C. albicans
through the loss of heterozygosity.
Increasing Incidence of Severe Epstein-Barr Virus-Related Infectious Mononucleosis: Surveillance Study
Authors: Tattevin Pierre , Le Tulzo Yves , Minjolle Sophie , Person Arnaud , Chapplain Jean Marc , Arvieux Cedric , Thomas Remi , Michelet Christian 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACT

Older patients are more susceptible to severe Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related infectious mononucleosis (IM). This condition may increase in industrialized countries where primary EBV infection occurs later in life. Between 1990 and 2004, 38 patients were admitted to our department with EBV-related IM. Two patients died. The annual incidence increased significantly (
r
= 0.623;
P
= 0.013).
Application of Minimal Sequence Quality Values Prevents Misidentification of the
bla
SHV
Type in Single Bacterial Isolates Carrying Different SHV Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Genes
Authors: al Naiemi Nashwan , Schipper Kim , Duim Birgitta , Bart Aldert 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACT

Nucleotide sequencing is the standard molecular method for determination of the β-lactamase gene present in an isolate. Using minimal sequence quality values prevents misidentification of
bla
SHV
genes, as illustrated by three strains of three different species that each contained two different
bla
SHV
alleles, SHV-2 and SHV-12.
Systemic Oncolytic Herpes Virus Therapy of Poorly Immunogenic Prostate Cancer Metastatic to Lung
Authors: Varghese Susan , Rabkin Samuel D. , Nielsen Petur G. , Wang Wenzheng , Martuza Robert L. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Purpose: Our goal was to evaluate whether systemic administration of NV1042, an interleukin-12 (IL-12)–expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus, and its noncytokine parental vector NV1023 are effective against preexisting metastatic prostate cancer in an immunocompetent mice model.
Experimental Design: Metastatic TRAMP-C2 lung tumors established in C57Bl/6 or nude mice were treated on day 21 with four i.v. administrations of NV1042 or NV1023 and sacrificed on day 42 to assess virus efficacy and the potential mechanism of efficacy.
Results: NV1042 or NV1023 treatment was similarly effective in eliminating extrapleural and hemorrhagic tumors present in mock-treated mice. However, NV1042 was further effective compared with NV1023 in controlling the growth of lung tumors (as determined by mean surface tumor nodule number, lung weights, and surface tumor burden) and in extending survival. NV1042-treated mice exhibited a transient increase of serum IL-12 1 day posttreatment, whereas IL-12 levels in tumor bearing lungs persisted a further 2 days at least. Only splenocytes from NV1042-treated mice secreted IFN-γ in response to TRAMP-C2 stimulation and displayed natural killer activity. The IL-12-mediated enhancement observed with NV1042 in the syngeneic model was abrogated in athymic mice treated in a similar manner, thus indicating a role for T cells in the augmented efficacy of NV1042 virus.
Conclusions: Systemic administration of the IL-12-expressing NV1042 virus is more effective than its noncytokine parent, NV1023, against preestablished metastatic lung tumors. Given the clinical safety profile of NV1020, the parental vector of NV1023, and NV1042's enhanced efficacy and ability to activate the host immune system, NV1042 merits clinical consideration for treating metastatic prostate cancers.
Antitumor Efficacy of Edotecarin as a Single Agent and in Combination with Chemotherapy Agents in a Xenograft Model
Authors: Ciomei Marina , Croci Valter , Ciavolella Antonella , Ballinari Dario , Pesenti Enrico 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The novel indolocarbazole edotecarin (J-107088, formerly ED-749) differs from other topoisomerase I inhibitors both pharmacokinetically and pharmacodynamically. In vitro, it is more potent than camptothecins and has a variable cytotoxic activity in 31 different human cancer cell lines. Edotecarin also possesses greater than additive inhibitory effects on cell proliferation when used in combination with other agents tested in vitro against various cancer cell lines. The present in vivo studies were done to extend the in vitro findings to characterize the antitumor effects of edotecarin when used either alone or in combination with other agents (i.e., 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and SU11248) in the HCT-116 human colon cancer xenograft model. Treatment effects were based on the delay in onset of an exponential growth of tumors in drug-treated versus vehicle control-treated groups. In all studies, edotecarin was active both as a single agent and in combination with other agents. Combination therapy resulted in greater than additive effects, the extent of which depended on the specific dosage regimen. Toxicity in these experiments was minimal. Of all 359 treated mice, the six that died of toxicity were in the high-dose edotecarin/oxaliplatin group. The results suggest that edotecarin may serve as effective chemotherapy of colon cancer when used as a single agent, in combination with standard regimens and other topoisomerase inhibitors or with novel agents, such as the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU11248.
A Phase I Study of a New Nucleoside Analogue, OSI-7836, Using Two Administration Schedules in Patients with Advanced Solid Malignancies
Authors: Lee Chooi P. , de Jonge Maja J.A. , O'Donnell Anne E. , Schothorst Kristel L. , Hanwell Janet , Chick Jon B. , Brooimans Rik A. , Adams Laurel M. , Drolet Daniel W. , de Bono Johann S. , Kaye Stan B. , Judson Ian R. , Verweij Jaap 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of the novel nucleoside analogue OSI-7836 in patients with advanced solid malignancies.
Experimental Design: OSI-7836 was initially given as a 60-minute i.v. infusion on day 1 every 21 days. In view of its dose-limiting toxicities, the administration time was amended to a 5-minute bolus, and subsequently, the schedule was amended to weekly for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week rest. Blood and urine samples were collected for pharmacokinetic studies. Analyses of cytokines and lymphocyte subsets were added later in the study to elucidate a mechanism for the severe fatigue and lymphocyte depletion observed in earlier patients.
Results: Thirty patients received a total of 61 treatment cycles. Fatigue was the main dose-limiting toxicity. Maximum-tolerated dose was defined as 300 mg/m2 in the 60-minute infusion, (three times per week) schedule; 400 mg/m2 in the 5-minute bolus infusion, (three times per week) schedule; and 100 mg/m2 in the weekly schedule. Other common toxicities were nausea, vomiting, rash, fever, and a flu-like syndrome. There were no clinically significant hematologic toxicities. Following the initial dose, OSI-7836 was eliminated from plasma with a median (range) elimination half-life of 48.3 minutes (22.6-64.8 minutes). Lymphocyte subset analysis showed a significant drop in B cell counts, which persisted to day 14 and beyond. Cytokine analysis showed significant elevations of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in all patients who received ≥200 mg/m2 OSI-7836. Best response was disease stabilization in seven patients.
Conclusion: OSI-7836 was associated with excessive fatigue, and despite changes in its schedule and duration of administration, we did not observe an improvement in its tolerability. Its potentially selective effect on B lymphocytes could be exploited in further studies in specific hematologic malignancies.
Expression of Novel Molecules, MICAL2-PV (MICAL2 Prostate Cancer Variants), Increases with High Gleason Score and Prostate Cancer Progression
Authors: Ashida Shingo , Furihata Mutsuo , Katagiri Toyomasa , Tamura Kenji , Anazawa Yoshio , Yoshioka Hiroki , Miki Tsuneharu , Fujioka Tomoaki , Shuin Taro , Nakamura Yusuke , Nakagawa Hidewaki 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify novel molecular targets for development of novel treatment or diagnostic markers of prostate cancer through genome-wide cDNA microarray analysis of prostate cancer cells purified by laser microdissection.
Experimental Design and Results: Here, we identified molecule interacting with CasL-2 prostate cancer variants (MICAL2-PV), novel splicing variants of MICAL2, showing overexpression in prostate cancer cells. Immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody generated specific to MICAL2-PV revealed that MICAL2-PV was expressed in the cytoplasm of cancer cells with various staining patterns and intensities, whereas it was not or hardly detectable in adjacent normal prostate epithelium or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Interestingly, immunohistochemical analysis of 105 prostate cancer specimens on the tissue microarray indicated that MICAL2-PV expression status was strongly correlated with Gleason scores (P &lt; 0.0001) or tumor classification (P &lt; 0.0001). Furthermore, the expression levels of MICAL2-PVs were also concordant to those of c-Met, a marker of tumor progression, with statistical significance (P = 0.0018). To investigate its potential of molecular therapeutic target for prostate cancers, we knocked down endogenous MICAL2-PVs in prostate cancer cells by small interfering RNA, which resulted in the significant reduction of prostate cancer cell viability.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that MICAL2-PV is likely to be involved in cancer progression of prostate cancer and could be a candidate as a novel molecular marker and/or target for treatment of prostate cancers with high Gleason score.
N-Cadherin as a Novel Prognostic Marker of Progression in Superficial Urothelial Tumors
Authors: Lascombe Isabelle , Clairotte Anne , Fauconnet Sylvie , Bernardini Stéphane , Wallerand Hervé , Kantelip Bernadette , Bittard Hugues 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Purpose: Loss of intercellular adhesion and increased cell motility promote tumor cell invasion and spreading. In bladder cancer, loss or reduced E-cadherin expression has been associated with poor survival, and aberrant expression of N-cadherin has been associated with the invasive phenotype of bladder carcinoma cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether N-cadherin expression was associated with the bladder tumor progression.
Experimental Design: E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 101 tumors (pT1 and pT2-T3) and by reverse transcription-PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry in 28 other fresh frozen tumors (pTa, pT1, and pT2-T3).
Results: N-cadherin expression was absent in normal urothelium, appeared in stage pT1, and increased in pT2-pT3 tumors. In most cases, increased N-cadherin expression in invasive tumors was associated with loss of E-cadherin expression. Progression-free survival and multivariate analyses revealed that N-cadherin expression is an independent prognostic marker for pT1 tumor progression. Analysis of the 28 frozen tumors by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-PCR showed a good correlation between protein and gene expression in pT1 and pT2-T3 tumors. Interestingly, in pTa tumors, N-cadherin was not immunodetected, whereas mRNA was present in 50% of cases.
Conclusion: Regulatory defects in the N-cadherin promoter, abnormalities at the translational, or protein processing levels could explain the discrepancies between protein and mRNA expression. Most importantly, this study identified N-cadherin as a novel prognostic marker of progression in superficial urothelial tumors. Clearly, N-cadherin acts in an invasive mode in bladder cancer, but whether it has a primary role in urothelial neoplastic progression has yet to be investigated.
Enhanced Gene Transfer and Oncolysis of Head and Neck Cancer and Melanoma Cells by Fiber Chimeric Oncolytic Adenoviruses
Authors: Reddy P. Seshidhar , Ganesh Shanthi , Yu De-Chao 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a fiber knob replacement strategy to improve infectivity and efficacy of Ad5 fiber chimeric oncolytic viruses for treatment of melanoma and head and neck cancers (HNC).
Experimental Design: Adenoviral receptors and transduction levels were used to determine the level of infectivity of fiber-modified, green fluorescent protein–expressing, replication-deficient viruses in a panel of melanoma and HNC cell lines in vitro. Virus yield and cytotoxicity assays were used to determine the tumor specificity and virus replication-mediated cytotoxicity of the fiber-modified oncolytic viruses in the same panel of melanoma and HNC in vitro. Xenograft tumor models were used to assess the antitumor activity of those fiber-modified chimeric viruses compared with the parental virus.
Results: Marker gene expression following gene transfer of the fiber chimeric vectors in melanoma and HNC cell lines was ∼10-fold higher than that obtained with parental Ad5 vector. The fiber chimeric oncolytic variants mediated killing of melanoma and HNC cells that was 2- to 576-fold better than with the parental virus. In addition, fiber chimeric variants produced 2- to 7-fold more progeny virus in tumor cells than the parental virus. Moreover, a high multiplicity of infection was needed for the fiber chimeric viruses to produce cytotoxicity in normal cells. A significantly stronger antitumor response and survival advantage were shown in the tested melanoma and HNC xenograft models following i.t. injections.
Conclusions: In vitro and in vivo studies showed the improved transduction, replication, cytotoxicity, antitumor efficacy, and survival advantage in melanoma and HNC tumor models, suggesting a potential use of these oncolytic agents for the treatment of melanoma and HNCs.
Nonfucosylated Therapeutic IgG1 Antibody Can Evade the Inhibitory Effect of Serum Immunoglobulin G on Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity through its High Binding to FcγRIIIa
Authors: Iida Shigeru , Misaka Hirofumi , Inoue Miho , Shibata Mami , Nakano Ryosuke , Yamane-Ohnuki Naoko , Wakitani Masako , Yano Keiichi , Shitara Kenya , Satoh Mitsuo 
Published: May 2006

AbstractPurpose: Recent studies have revealed that fucosylated therapeutic IgG1s need high concentrations to compensate for FcγRIIIa-competitive inhibition of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by endogenous human plasma IgG. Here, we investigated whether ADCC of nonfucosylated therapeutic IgG1 is also influenced by plasma IgG in the same way as fucosylated IgG1s.Experimental Design: Ex vivo ADCC upon CD20+ human B cells was induced by incubation of human whole blood with nonfucosylated and/or fucosylated anti-CD20 IgG1s rituximab, and quantified by measuring the remaining CD19+ human B cells using flow cytometry.Results: Nonfucosylated anti-CD20 showed markedly higher (over 100-fold based on EC50) ex vivo B-cell depletion activity than its fucosylated counterpart in the presence of plasma IgG. The efficacy of fucosylated anti-CD20 was greatly diminished in plasma, resulting in the need for a high concentration (over 1.0 μg/mL) to achieve saturated efficacy. In contrast, nonfucosylated anti-CD20 reached saturated ADCC at lower concentrations (0.01-0.1 μg/mL) with much higher efficacy than fucosylated anti-CD20 in all nine donors through improved FcγRIIIa binding. Noteworthy, the high efficacy of nonfucosylated anti-CD20 was inhibited by addition of fucosylated anti-CD20. Thus, the efficacy of a 1:9 mixture (10 μg/mL) of nonfucosylated and fucosylated anti-CD20s was inferior to that of a 1,000-fold dilution (0.01 μg/mL) of nonfucosylated anti-CD20 alone.Conclusions: Our data showed that nonfucosylated IgG1, not including fucosylated counterparts, can evade the inhibitory effect of plasma IgG on ADCC through its high FcγRIIIa binding. Hence, nonfucosylated IgG1 exhibits strong therapeutic potential through dramatically enhanced ADCC at low doses in humans in vivo.
Traditional taboos in biological conservation: the case of Colobus vellerosus at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Central Ghana
Authors: Saj Tania L. , Mather Charles , Sicotte Pascale 
Published: May 2006

Englilish The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in central Ghana has been called a classic example of successful ‘‘traditional’’ conservation. Local hunting taboos on two species of primates (the ursine black and white colobus and the Campbell's monkey) are thought to date back to the 1830s when a local oracle instructed the villagers to ‘‘care for the monkeys’’. However, the same level of protection is not given to the surrounding forest or other animals in the forest. In light of this situation, we examine the extent to which the traditional taboos on the monkeys complement the biological/ environmental conservation agenda. We come to the conclusion that the monkeys embody the history and foundation myths of the villages and serve as a totemic mechanism to preserve the villagers' social world. French Le "Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary'' au centre du Ghana est considéré comme un exemple classique de conservation "traditionnelle'' réussie. Les tabous locaux sur la chasse de deux espèces de primates (le colobus oursin noir et blanc et le singe de Campbell) datent, pense-t-on, des années 1830, lorsqu'un oracle local avait fait savoir aux villageois qu'ils devaient "prendre soin des singes''. Cependant, la protection accordée aux singes ne l'est pas à la forêt environnante ou aux autres espèces animales de la forêt. C'est pourquoi l'article cherche à établir dans quelle mesure les tabous traditionnels à l'égard des singes convergent avec l'agenda de conservation biologique/environnementale. L'article en arrive à la conclusion que les singes incarnent l'histoire et les mythes fondateurs de ces villages et servent de mécanismes totémiques pour préserver l'espace social des villageois.