Mild Lesions Research Articles

The Therapeutic Effects of Lycopene Against Experimental Giardiasis in Mice

ABSTRACTGiardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite that infects approximately one billion people worldwide. In this study, the effects of lycopene on experimental giardiasis in mice were investigated by evaluating cyst shedding rate, weight changes, duodenal antioxidant status, and histopathological alteration. Ninety‐five male mice aged four to six weeks were divided into six groups of 15 and one group of 5 as the negative control. All mice were infected with 2 × 105 Giardia duodenalis (B genotype) cysts except for the negative control. The treatment groups were treated with metronidazole, mixed lycopene‐metronidazole, and 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg lycopene for 7 days. The mice treated with lycopene 20 and mixed lycopene‐metronidazole had no cyst shedding from the 7th day of treatment. The mildest lesions were observed in the mixed lycopene‐metronidazole group. Results showed that treatment with mixed lycopene‐metronidazole significantly increased TAC and decreased MDA levels as compared with the positive control. It seems that the antigiardial effect of lycopene is related to its antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, direct effect of lycopene on Giardia and its probable mechanism remain to be investigated.

Arthroscopy has a higher discriminative capacity than MRI in detecting mild cartilage lesions.

To determine whether current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could detect superficial cartilage lesions that are observed during diagnostic arthroscopy in patients with knee pain who have not been diagnosed with joint disease. Adult patients with knee pain of unclear origin lasting more than three months, scheduled for a therapeutic/diagnostic arthroscopy were recruited. Demographic and clinical data, pain assessment, MRI imaging, and observations of cartilage damage in the medial femoral condyle during arthroscopic procedure were documented. Patients were categorized based on the presence of cartilage damage assessed via MRI and/or direct visualization. Concordance between these assessments and its variation with age and patient-reported pain were examined. Out of the 95 patients recruited, 48 exhibited lesions in the medial femoral condyle (MFC) during arthroscopic examination, while only 24 of them showed lesions on the MRI scans. The thickness of the cartilage in the MFC was significantly lower in patients with cartilage damage detected by MRI compared with those without. Among patients with cartilage lesions identified during arthroscopy, those also showing lesions on the MRI had lower cartilage thickness and higher Outerbridge score than those without lesions on the MRI. Patients with detectable cartilage damage on the MRI were significantly older and reported higher levels of pain than those with damage detected only by arthroscopic examination. Despite significant technological advancements in MRI, arthroscopy still proves superior in identifying mild structural cartilage lesions that are not identifiable by this technique.

Surveillance of esophageal injury after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation.

Atrial-esophageal fistula following ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a major concern. There is no standardized approach to minimize the risk and morbidity of this serious complication. The objective of this study was to present the 7-year experience of systematic endoscopic surveillance of esophageal injury after AF catheter ablation. This was a retrospective single-center registry of systematic endoscopic evaluations after consecutive AF ablation procedures performed from 2016 to 2022. A total of 677 AF ablation procedures with controlled esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were analyzed during that period. Most patients were male (71%) with paroxysmal AF (71%). Radiofrequency with electroanatomical mapping was the main ablation approach for 633 patients (93.5%). Esophageal temperature monitoring was performed using a single sensor in 220 patients (34.3%) and a multisensor probe in 296 patients (46%). Most of the patients presented no esophageal lesions (75,7%). Severe lesions (Kansas-city-classification KCC 2B) were found in 46 (6.8%) of them, requiring a new EGD in 7days. KCC2B lesions were persistent in 3 patients, 2 of whom had ulcers during healing and 1 patient with a deep ulcer of 10mm who was admitted to the hospital and underwent fasting and parenteral nutrition. The ulcer healed in the second week after the procedure. Both esophageal temperature monitoring strategies were equivalent at preventing thermal lesions. Additionally, a greater left atrium (LA) was associated with a lower incidence of esophageal ulcer (P = 0.028). Most of the lesions spontaneously healed. The incidence of esophageal injury after ablation was 24.3%. Most (72%) were mild lesions that required no therapeutic intervention. A larger left atrium (LA) was correlated with a lower incidence of thermal lesions. Early endoscopy can help diagnose severe esophageal lesions and may provide additional information for the surveillance of esophageal injury after AF ablation.

Mild atopic dermatitis is characterized by increase in non-staphylococcus pathobionts and loss of specific species

Atopic dermatitis is the most common inflammatory skin condition with a severe negative impact on patients’ quality of life. The etiology of AD is complex and depends on age, genetics, the immune system, environmental factors, and the skin microbiome, with a key role for pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus in the development of severe AD. However, the composition of the skin microbiome in mild AD is understudied. Here, using metagenomic shallow shotgun sequencing, we showed that mild AD lesions did not show a significant difference in the diversity of the skin microbiome compared to samples from non-AD patients and that the relative abundance of S. aureus did not differ in these mild AD lesions. However, when we assessed other taxa, Mycobacterium ostraviense, Pedobacter panaciterrae_A and four Streptomyces species were identified with higher abundances in mild AD lesions and species of 15 genera were decreased in abundance. The highest fold decreases were observed for Paracoccus marcusii, Microbacterium lacticum, Micrococcus luteus, and Moraxella sp002478835. These microbiome compositional insights are a first step towards novel microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics for early intervention at the stage of mild AD and provide a path forward for the functional study of species involved in this often-overlooked patient population.

An 8-year single-centre experience of patients with subclinical rheumatic carditis.

Transthoracic echocardiography is the gold standard method for screening and confirmation of acute rheumatic fever and subclinical rheumatic heart disease. Secondary antibiotic prophylaxis that is regularly employed in subclinical rheumatic heart disease may help to reverse mild rheumatic carditis lesions, delay the progression of the disease, reduce morbidity and mortality, and improve patients' quality of life. We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 180 patients with subclinical rheumatic heart disease who were followed up for a mean of 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years. Between 1 March 2015 and 31 December 2023, 180 patients diagnosed with subclinical rheumatic heart disease with a mean follow-up of 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years were included in the study. Of the patients, 50.6% were male, 49.4% were female, mean age at diagnosis was 11.74 ± 3.18 (9.68-13.65) years, and mean follow-up period was 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years. Further, 87.2 % of the patients had mitral valve regurgitation, 38.3% had aortic valve regurgitation, and 27.2% had both valve (aortic and mitral valve) regurgitation. Moreover, Sydenham chorea was also diagnosed in 7.8% the patients. Of the patients, 90% had mild rheumatic heart disease, 7.8% had moderate rheumatic heart disease, and 2.2% had severe rheumatic heart disease. After the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease, 76.7% patients received regular and 23.3% irregular secondary benzathine penicillin G prophylaxis. We believe that echocardiography demonstrates its efficacy and safety profile in reducing the risk of rheumatic heart disease in patients diagnosed with subclinical rheumatic carditis and complying with regular secondary antibiotic prophylaxis.

Leptospirosis in the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in Australia: Who Is Infecting Whom?

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an amphibious, egg-laying mammal of high conservation value that is found only in Australia. The zoonotic bacterium Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo was discovered in platypuses in prior studies, but little is known about its epidemiology. Samples in the Platypus Serum Bank were tested in 2023 and the results were combined with historical records. Antibodies against L. interrogans serovar Hardjo were found in 50% of 464 serum samples from 411 platypuses collected from 14 river basins in southeastern Australia between 1981 and 2012; prevalence remained high over three decades in the Shoalhaven River population. Seroprevalence increased with age, suggesting environmental exposure. Individual platypuses had persistent titres, some for six years. Seropositive females lactated, juveniles were recruited into the population, and there were no reports of clinical leptospirosis. Three necropsied platypuses were seropositive and had mild nephritis with leptospires in the renal tubules. The high seroprevalence, persistent titres, lack of disease, mild renal lesions, and renal colonisation suggest the platypus may be a maintenance host. Sympatric cattle had L. interrogans serovar Hardjo titres, but the spatial association with seropositive platypuses was statistically weak. Other mammalian wildlife species and sheep also have L. interrogans serovar Hardjo titres; therefore, a complex ecological network must be considered. A landscape-wide study is recommended to properly assess transmission pathways and confirm who is infecting whom.

Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease in Adulthood: How Often, How Relevant?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is typically detected during fetal life, infancy, or early childhood. However, there is no published data regarding the proportion of congenital heart defects that are diagnosed in adulthood or the impact of these defects. Retrospective analyses of all consecutive patients (n = 1,010) referred to an adult CHD unit between 2018 and 2023. We analyzed the proportion of cases diagnosed in adulthood, defining the type of defect, reasons for diagnosis, complications, and need for intervention. In total, 26.5% of patients were diagnosed in adulthood (mean age 47 ± 16 years). Overall, 75% were in New York Heart Association class I/IV. Most were mild complexity lesions (57.5%). The most common diagnoses were pre-tricuspid shunts, including ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD, 23.9%), partial anomalous pulmonary vein drainage (18.3%), and other types of ASD (5.9%). Bicuspid aortic valve (16.8%) and aortic coarctation (8.2%) were common. Other diagnoses included Ebstein's anomaly (5.6%), ventricular septal defect (4.5%), patent ductus arteriosus (2.6%), or congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (2.6%). The main reason for diagnostic work-up was cardiac symptoms (28.4%) such as dyspnea (19%) and palpitations (7.1%), followed by incidental findings on imaging (25.4%). A total of 47.4% had some complications, the most common being pulmonary hypertension (24.3%). Surgical repair was required in 27.2% and 25.4% underwent percutaneous intervention. About one-fourth of patients with CHD were diagnosed in adulthood, and up to 42.5% had moderate or severe complexity lesions. A significant proportion had developed complications at the time of diagnosis and half of them required intervention.

Current vaccination strategy against Piscirickettsia salmonis in Chile based only on the EM-90 genogroup shows incomplete cross-protection for the LF-89 genogroup

Piscirickettsia salmonis, the primary bacterial disease in Chilean salmon farming, necessitates a constant refinement of control strategies. This study hypothesized that the current vaccination strategy for SRS control in the Chilean Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry, which has been in place since 2017 (ALPHA JECT® 5.1 plus LiVac®), solely relies on vaccines formulated with the EM-90 genogroup of P. salmonis (PS-EM-90), triggering a partial cross-immunity response in fish infected with the LF-89 genogroup (PS-LF-89). Relative Percent Survival (RPS) and cell-mediated immune (CMI) response were evaluated in Atlantic salmon post-smolts vaccinated with the standard vaccination strategy but challenged with both PS-EM-90 and PS-LF-89, in addition to other vaccination strategies considering primo vaccination and booster with other commercial vaccines and the possible enhancing effects of the combination with a natural immunomodulator (PAQ-Xtract®) administered orally. The intraperitoneal (I.P.) challenge was performed after 2395°-days (DD) after the start of the immunostimulant delivery, 1905 DD after the primo vaccination, and 1455 DD after the booster vaccination. Unvaccinated fish showed 73.6 and 41.7 % mortality when challenged with PS-EM-90 and PS-LF-89, respectively. Fish infected with PS-LF-89 died significantly faster (21 days post-infection, dpi) than fish challenged with PS-EM-90 (28 dpi) (p = 0.0043) and had a higher probability of death (0.4626) than fish challenged with PS-EM-90. RPS had a significant positive correlation with the PS-EM-90 load of the P. salmonis genogroup (r = 0.540, p < 0.01) but not with the PS-LF-89 load (r = 0.155, p > 0.05). This demonstrated that the immunization strategies were more effective in lowering PS-EM-90 loads, resulting in higher survival rates in fish challenged with PS-EM-90. The current industry vaccination strategy recorded a 100 % RPS when fish were challenged with PS-EM-90, but the RPS dropped significantly to 77 % when fish were challenged with PS-LF-89, meaning that the strategy did not show complete cross-protection. But after adding PAQ-Xtract®, the RPS improved from 77 % to 92 % in fish that were vaccinated with the standard method but then challenged with PS-LF-89. The most effective vaccination strategy was based on LiVac® as primo vaccination and ALPHA JECT® 5.1 plus LiVac® as booster vaccination, with or without PAQ-Xtract®, in both PS-EM-90 (100 %) and PS-LF-89 (96 %) challenged fish. The serum concentration of anti-P. salmonis IgM did not show a correlation with the protection of immunization strategies expressed in survival. Low serum IL-12 and high serum IFNγ concentrations showed a correlation with higher bacterial loads and lower survival. Aggregate analysis showed a significant correlation between higher numbers of CD8+ cells in the head-kidney, higher fish survival, and a lower bacterial load. The immunization strategies were safe for fish and induced only mild microscopic lesions in the gut. Taken together, our results help to better understand the biological interaction between P. salmonis and post-smolt vaccinated Atlantic salmon to deepen the knowledge on vaccine-induced protection, CMI immune response, and cross-immunity applied to improve the current immunization strategy for SRS control in the Chilean salmon industry.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Boys With Adrenoleukodystrophy: Identification of Cerebral Disease and Association With Neurocognitive Outcomes.

Childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (C-ALD) is a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease that must be treated at an early stage to prevent permanent brain injury and neurocognitive decline. In standard clinical practice, C-ALD lesions are detected and characterized by a neuroradiologist reviewing anatomical MRI scans. We aimed to assess whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is sensitive to the presence and severity of C-ALD lesions and to investigate associations with neurocognitive outcomes after hematopoietic cell therapy (HCT). In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed high-resolution anatomical MRI, DTI, and neurocognitive assessments from boys with C-ALD undergoing HCT at the University of Minnesota between 2011 and 2021. Longitudinal DTI data were compared with an age-matched group of boys with ALD and no lesion (NL-ALD). DTI metrics were obtained for atlas-based regions of interest (ROIs) within 3 subdivisions of the corpus callosum (CC), corticospinal tract (CST), and total white matter (WM). Between-group baseline and slope differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial (AD), radial (RD), and mean (MD) diffusivities were compared using analysis of covariance accounting for age, MRI severity (Loes score), and lesion location. Among patients with NL-ALD (n = 14), stable or increasing FA, stable AD, and stable or decreasing RD and MD were generally observed during the 1-year study period across all ROIs. In comparison, patients with mild posterior lesions (Loes 1-2; n = 13) demonstrated lower baseline FA in the CC splenium (C-ALD 0.50 ± 0.08 vs NL-ALD 0.58 ± 0.04; pBH = 0.022 adjusted Benjamini-Hochberg p-value), lower baseline AD across ROIs (e.g., C-ALD 1.34 ± 0.03 ×10-9 m2/s in total WM vs NL-ALD 1.38 ± 0.04 ×10-9 m2/s; pBH = 0.005), lower baseline RD in CC body and CST, and lower baseline MD across ROIs except CC splenium. Longitudinal slopes in CC splenium showed high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating early C-ALD from NL-ALD. Among all patients with C-ALD (n = 38), baseline Loes scores and DTI metrics were associated with post-HCT neurocognitive functions, including processing speed (e.g., FA WM Spearman correlation coefficient R = 0.64) and visual-motor integration (e.g., FA WM R = 0.71). DTI was sensitive to lesion presence and severity as well as clinical neurocognitive effects of C-ALD. DTI metrics quantify C-ALD even at an early stage.

Can patients with mild non-neoplastic lesions diagnosed at baseline screening be safely exempt from surveillance: evidence from multicenter community-based cohorts.

Surveillance recommendations for gastric cancer (GC) in current guidelines focused on advanced precancerous lesions and were based on precise diagnosis of severity/extent of baseline lesions. We aimed to develop a less endoscopy-related equipment-dependent risk-stratification tool, and assessed whether mild-precursor-lesion patients can be safely exempt from surveillance. In the multicenter community-based cohort, 75,051 participants receiving baseline endoscopy were enrolled during 2015-2017 and followed-up until 2021. Cumulative incidence rates (CIRs) of GC for precancerous-conditions were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by Log-rank tests. Mixed-effects Cox regression models were used to detect potential factors for progression towards GC. A risk score was calculated as counts of selected factors. An independent cohort, including 26,586 participants was used for external validation. During a median follow-up of 6.25 years, CIRs of GC were 0.302%, 0.436%, and 4.756% for normal group, non-neoplastic (atrophic gastritis/intestinal metaplasia) and neoplastic lesions (low-grade/high-grade dysplasia), respectively (Ptrend<0.001). Four predictors, including male, ⩾60 years, smoking, and limited vegetable consumption, were selected for risk-stratification. High-risk patients (⩾3 risk factors) with non-neoplastic lesions showed higher GC risks (adjusted HR=7.73, 95%CI: 4.29-13.92), and their four-year CIR reached the one-year CIR of neoplastic lesions. Further categorizing non-neoplastic lesions by histological grade, both patients with moderate-to-severe lesions (aHR=3.07, 95%CI: 1.67-5.64) and high-risk patients with mild lesions (aHR=7.29, 95%CI: 3.58-14.86) showed higher risks. Consistent trends were observed in validation cohort. High-risk mild-precursor-lesion patients should receive surveillance within 3-5 years after baseline screening. Our study provides evidence on supplementing current guideline recommendations.

Steady-state versus burst lasing techniques for thulium fiber laser

ObjectiveTo evaluate the stone ablation rate and direct thermal damage from thulium fiber laser (TFL) lithotripsy using continuous (C) and burst (B) lasing techniques on an in vitro ureteral model.MethodsThe TFL Drive (Coloplast, Humlebaek, Denmark) was used in an in vitro saline-submerged ureteral model. Ten participants, including five junior and five experienced urologists, conducted the experimental setup with 7 different settings comparing two lasing techniques: steady-state lasing (0.5 J/10 Hz = 5W for 300 s and 0.5 J/20 Hz = 10W for 150 s) and burst, intermittent 5 s on/off lasing (0.5 J/20 Hz, 0.5 J/30 Hz, 0.5 J/60 Hz, 0.1 J/200 Hz, and 0.05 J/400 Hz) with a target cumulative energy of 1500 J using cubic 125 mm3 phantom BegoStonesTM. Ureteral damage was graded 1–3 based on the severity of burns and holes observed on the surface of the ureteral model.ResultsThe were no significant differences in stone ablation mass neither between C and B lasing techniques, nor between expertise levels. At C lasing technique had only mild ureteral lesions with no significant differences between expertise levels (p: 0.97) or laser settings (p: 0.71). At B lasing technique, different types of thermal lesions were found with no expertise (p: 0.11) or setting (p: 0.83) differences. However, B laser setting had higher grade direct thermal lesions than C (p: 0.048).ConclusionRegarding efficacy, C and B lasing techniques achieve comparable stone ablation rates. Safety-wise, B lasing mode showed higher grade of direct thermal lesions. These results should be further investigated to verify which of the lasing mode is the safest in vivo. Until then and unless proven otherwise, a C mode with low frequency should be recommended to avoid ureteral wall lesions.

Computerised assessment-a novel approach for calculation of percentage of hypomineralized lesion on incisors and its correlation with aesthetic concern

IntroductionMolar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a localized, qualitative, demarcated enamel defect that affects first permanent molars (FPMs) and/or permanent incisors. The aim of present study was to introduce a novel computerised assessment process to detect and quantify the percentage opacity associated with MIH affected maxillary central incisors. MethodologyChildren (8–16 years) enrolled in the primary study having mild (white/cream or yellow/brown) MIH lesion on fully erupted maxillary permanent central incisor. 50 standardised images of MIH lesions were captured in an artificially lit room with fixed parameters and were anonymized and securely stored. Images were analysed by AI-driven computerised software and generates output classifications via a sophisticated algorithm crafted using a meticulously annotated image dataset as reference through supervised machine learning (SML). For the validation of computerised assessment of MIH lesions, the percentage of demarked opacity was calculated using ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS7. ResultsThe percentage of MIH lesion was calculated through histogram plotting with the maxima ranging from 7.29 % to 71.21 % with the mean value of 34.51 %. The validation score ranged from 10.29 % to 67.27 % with the mean value of 35.32 %. The difference between the two was statistically not significant. Out of 50 patients; 11 patients had 1–30 % of surface affected with MIH and 2 had aesthetic concern; 24 had 30–60 % of surface affected and 13 had aesthetic concern; 15 had >60 % of surface affected and 12 had aesthetic concerns. ConclusionsThe proposed approach exhibit sufficient quality to be integrated into a dental software addressing practical challenges encountered in daily clinical settings.

Discovery of a new long COVID mouse model via systemic histopathological comparison of SARS-CoV-2 intranasal and inhalation infection

Intranasal infection is commonly used to establish a SARS-CoV-2 mouse model due to its non-invasive procedures and a minimal effect from the operation itself. However, mice intranasally infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a high mortality rate, which limits the utility of this model for exploring therapeutic strategies and the sequelae of non-fatal COVID-19 cases. To resolve these limitations, an aerosolised viral administration method has been suggested. However, an in-depth pathological analysis comparing the two models is lacking. Here, we show that inhalation and intranasal SARS-CoV-2 (106 PFU) infection models established in K18-hACE2 mice develop unique pathological features in both the respiratory and central nervous systems, which could be directly attributed to the infection method. While the inhalation-infection model exhibited relatively milder pathological parameters, it closely mimicked the prevalent chest CT pattern observed in COVID-19 patients with focal, peripheral lesions and fibrotic scarring in the recuperating lung. We also found the evidence of direct neuron-invasion from the olfactory receptor neurons to the olfactory bulb in the intranasal model and showed the trigeminal nerve as an alternative route of transmission to the brain in inhalation infected mice. Even after viral clearance confirmed at 14 days post-infection, mild lesions were still found in the brain of inhalation-infected mice. These findings suggest that the inhalation-infection model has advantages over the intranasal-infection model in closely mimicking the pathological features of non-fatal symptoms of COVID-19, demonstrating its potential to study the sequelae and possible interventions for long COVID.

An overview of the resin-infiltration technique

Resin infiltration is a minimally invasive technique to treat mild hypomineralized lesions. It seals the porosity of the affected enamel, strengthens the enamel defect and improves the aesthetics of the lesion. However, there are disadvantages such as lack of evidence on its long-term durability and microleakage. This article provides an overview on the resin infiltration concept and the procedure for its application. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Resin infiltration is a minimally invasive procedure that occludes the pores and inhibits further demineralization. within the lesion body.

Protective evaluation of the commercialized porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccines in piglets challenged by NADC34-like strain.

In China, the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has undergone several variations over the decades and contributed to the diversity of the clinical epidemic PRRSV strains. This has complicated the prevention and control of PRRS. In particular, the efficacy of the currently available commercial vaccines against the highly pathogenic NADC34-like strains is unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the protection efficacy of three commercial PRRS modified-live virus (MLV) vaccines derived from classical PRRS VR2332 MLV and R98 MLV against challenge with a heterologous NADC34-like PRRSV strain, JS2021NADC34, which has high pathogenicity in pigs. PRRSV- and antibody-free piglets were immunized with the PRRS VR2332 MLV vaccine or either of two R98 MLV vaccines (from different manufacturers) and were challenged with the JS2021NADC34 strain 28 days after immunization. Rectal temperature, clinical symptoms, viremia and viral shedding from the nose, gross lesions in the thymus and lungs, microscopic lesions and viral distribution in the lungs, as well as the humoral immune response and mortality rates were recorded over a 14-day post-challenge period. The results showed that PRRS VR2332 MLV had better efficacy against the JS2021NADC34 challenge than PRRS R98 MLV, with vaccinated piglets in the former group showing transient and mild symptoms, mild pathological lesions in the lungs, mild thymic atrophy, and low viral levels in sera and nasal swabs, as well as better growth performance and a 100% survival rate. In contrast, two PRRS R98 MLVs exhibited limited efficacy against the JS2021NADC34 challenge, with the piglets in two R98 groups showing obvious clinical symptoms and pathological changes in the lungs and thymus; moreover, there were two deaths caused by PRRS in two R98 groups, respectively. Despite this, the mortality rate was lower than that of the unvaccinated piglets that were challenged with JS2021NADC34. The cumulative results demonstrate that PRRS VR2332 MLV was partly effective against the highly pathogenic PRRSV NADC34-like strain based on the observations over the 14-day post-challenge period. Thus, it might be a viable option among the commercially available vaccines for control of NADC34-like virus infections in swine herds.

Prevalence Study of Trichomonas gallinae in Domestic Pigeons in Northeastern Beijing and Experimental Model of Trichomoniasis in White King Squabs Measuring In Situ Apoptosis and Immune Factors in Crop and Esophagus.

Trichomonas gallinae (T. gallinae) is a flagellated protozoan and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, or canker, in birds. In the current study, the prevalence of T. gallinae was firstly investigated in five breeds. According to the results of the prevalence study, White King pigeons were selected as the experimental animals. A total of 135 White King squabs at one day of age were randomly divided into two groups and raised in separate isolators. The challenged group (N = 100) was challenged intranasally with 5 × 106 parasites/mL of the T. gallinae strain, and the control group (N = 35) was intranasally administered medium of equivalent volume. At 1, 2, 3 and 5 days post infection (DPIs), the crops and esophagi were collected for RNA extraction and formaldehyde fixation. The results showed that prevalence of T. gallinae in the five breeds ranged from 27.13% (White Carneau) to 43.14% (White King). After the challenge, mild microscopic lesions were observed in both tissues. Apoptosis rates were higher in the challenged group than in the control group at 2 and 5 DPIs in the crop and at 1, 2 and 7 DPIs in the esophagus. For both tissues, relative expression of IL-1β increased dramatically at the beginning and decreased at 5 DPIs, and TGF-β increased stably in the challenged group.

Gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia: Diagnostic clues from two fetal cases and literature review.

This article presents two fetal cases of gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia (GDD), a rare autosomal dominant disorder, and reviews the relevant literature. The cases involved two fetuses exhibiting bone bowing, which led to the diagnosis of GDD. Genetic testing revealed two de novo variants of the ANO5 gene, confirming the diagnosis. A literature review was conducted to explore GDD's clinical and paraclinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. GDD is a rare but frequently inherited cause of bone fragility and jaw lesions characterized by a gain-of-function variant within the ANO5 gene. Clinical manifestations range from recurrent dental infections with mild jaw lesions to severe bone fragility with several fractures associated with large jaw lesions requiring disfiguring surgeries. Diagnostic techniques depend on the context and include targeted genetic testing of ANO5, untargeted molecular analysis with whole-exome sequencing, or whole-genome sequencing. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing GDD as a novel cause of bone bowing and fractures during pregnancy. By summarizing the literature, this article contributes to healthcare professionals' knowledge and improves the recognition, diagnosis, and care of patients with GDD.

Pathogenicity of two different genotypes avian hepatitis E strains in laying hens and silkie fowl

To determine the pathogenicity of two different genotypes of avian hepatitis E strains in two species of birds, a total of thirty healthy 12-week-old birds were used. After inoculation, fecal virus shedding, viremia, seroconversion, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increases and liver lesions were evaluated. The results revealed that CHN-GS-aHEV and CaHEV could both infect Hy-Line hens and silkie fowls, respectively. Compared to the original avian HEV strain, the cross-infected virus exhibited a delay of 2 weeks and 1 week in emerged seroconversion, viremia, fecal virus shedding, and increased ALT level, and also showed mild liver lesions. These findings suggested that CHN-GS-aHEV may have circulated in chickens. Overall, these two different genotypes of avian HEV showed some variant pathogenicity in different bird species. This study provides valuable data for further analysis of the epidemic conditions of two avian HEVs in Hy-Line hens and silkie fowls.

Studying the pathogenic Streptomyces strains responsible for causing potato common scab in Iran and assessing the efficacy of native S. fimicarius-ghR and S. rochei-FsG in reducing scab lesion development in both potato and radish hosts in vivo

ABSTRACT Potato common scab an important widespread disease caused by Streptomyces species, usually can diminish the market value of tubers. None of the disease management methods is considered efficient. Non-pathogenic Streptomyces species owing to their source of bioactive compounds can alleviate scab severity and strengthen plant vigour. During our survey, three pathogenic strains with atypical composition of Pathogenicity Island (PAI) marker genes prevented radish seed germination by ≥98% and exhibited coalescing superficial, raised or mild pitted lesions in pot trials. Based on 16S rRNA and rpoB sequencing, Streptomyces sp. (FG1 and AAb) and S. rochei-HGs were identified. Our research findings have led us to identify S. rochei-HGs as a novel scab-causing species of potato. In addition, two beneficial Streptomyces strains obtained from potato rhizosphere and soil, including S. fimicarius-ghR and S. rochei-FsG, inhibited streptomyces sp.-FG1 growth with the inhibition halo ≥30 mm on agar plates, alleviated the lesion severity index and showed the control efficacy of 88.88 ± 6.41% and 83.33 ± 16.94% on potato, respectively under greenhouse conditions. Both of them can produce siderophore, IAA and solubilise phosphate. By measuring the plant growth attributes, the application of ghR and FsG strains in pathogen-infected soil showed enhancement in potato root and shoot length as well as radish compared with the controls. Evaluation of the inhibitory compounds of studied antagonists by chemistry methods is ongoing. The disease suppressiveness of strains and their plant growth induction should also be validated at the field level.

THE EFFECT OF MIMOSINE FROM SIMPLICIA OF THE LAMTORO LEAF ON THE HISTOPATOLOGICAL OF WHITE RATS’ TESTIS

Lamtoro leaves (Leucaena leucocephala) are often used as cattle feed. Lamtoro leaf feeding causes decrease in sperm concentration, in diameter of the seminiferous tubules, impaired spermatogenesis, cell degeneration and atrophy. This research aims to determine the histopathology of the testes of white rat given mimosine at different doses. This research uses 20 of 2 months old male Wistar strain white rat with 300-350 g body weight. This research used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments, which is P0 (negative control), P1 (positive control) is given mimosine standard 5 mg/day/head, P2 is given lamtoro leaf simplicia 50 mg/day/head and P3 is given leaf simplicia lamtoro 150 mg/day/head. Treatment was given for 14 days orally and on the 15th day a necropsy of testicular organ was taken. Histopathological examination was carried out based on the presence of congestion and necrosis lesions in the seminiferous tubules. Data from testicular histopathological examination results were scored based on severity consisting of, 0 = no lesions; 1= mild lesion (focal); 2= moderate lesion (multifocal); 3 = severe (diffuse), then analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The results of the study showed that administration of mimosine from lamtoro leaf simplisia could cause congestion and necrosis compared to control and treatment. Administration of mimosine dose 5 mg/day/ head (P1) causes congestion and necrosis while administration of mimosine from lamtoro leaf simplicia dose 50 mg / head / day (P3) does not cause lesions and dose 150 mg/day/ head (P2) causes congestion in the testicles.