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Unlabelled: This study aimed to compare strains of Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli isolated from food workers and enteral diet samples obtained from 2 public hospitals (H1/H2) in Goiania, Goias, Brazil, by the means of antibiogram and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In the H1, strains of S. aureus were present in 2 enteral diet samples and in 13 food worker swabs. Strains of E. coli were found in an enteral diet sample from H1 and in 2 enteral diet samples from H2 and in 6 food worker swabs in the H1 and in 12 food worker swabs from H2. According to the antibiogram, the 6 susceptibility profiles (A to F) of 15 S. aureus strains colonizing personnel and enteral feeding did not allow the identification of the probable source of diet contamination. All 20 E. coli strains isolated from the H1 and H2 were grouped in 4 phenotypic profiles (A to D). The phenotypes A (H1) and C (H2) showed the same profile for microorganisms isolated from handlers and diets, suggesting more phenotypic similarity among these samples. PFGE genotyping showed that S. aureus isolates from diets were related to a single strain isolated from a food worker suggesting that in this case the reason for the diet contamination may be a result of food handling. The food worker appears to be the most probable source of E. coli contamination for enteral feeding from H2. This fact emphasizes on the food workers as a risk of bacterial transmission for the diets and that the diet chain production must be controlled., Practical Application: The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring the enteral diet microbiological quality and the factors associated to its contamination. The study highlights the use of molecular biology as an instrument to correlate strains to determine the origin of the final product contamination.

On the path to successful immunotherapy of hematopoietic tumors, gammadelta T cells offer great promise because of their human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-unrestricted targeting of a wide variety of leukemias/lymphomas. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lymphoma recognition by gammadelta T cells remain unclear. Here we show that the expression levels of UL16-binding protein 1 (ULBP1) determine lymphoma susceptibility to gammadelta T cell-mediated cytolysis. Consistent with this, blockade of NKG2D, the receptor for ULBP1 expressed on all Vgamma9(+) T cells, significantly inhibits lymphoma cell killing. Specific loss-of-function studies demonstrate that the role of ULBP1 is nonredundant, highlighting a thus far unique physiologic relevance for tumor recognition by gammadelta T cells. Importantly, we observed a very wide spectrum of ULBP1 expression levels in primary biopsies obtained from lymphoma and leukemia patients. We suggest this will impact on the responsiveness to gammadelta T cell-based immunotherapy, and therefore propose ULBP1 to be used as a leukemia/lymphoma biomarker in upcoming clinical trials.

The Alagados Reservoir (Brazil) is an important source for the supply of water, recreation and fishery. Since 2002, the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms (paralytic shellfish toxins - PST producers) have been noted. This study was aimed at the monitoring of PST occurrence in the Reservoir's water and fish. Biomarkers such as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activities, lipoperoxidation (LPO), histopathology, and comet assay were analyzed in fish. Water and fish were sampled in spring, summer and autumn. The PST concentrations in water were 5.15, 43.84, and 50.78 ng equiv Saxitoxin/L in the spring, summer and autumn, respectively. The PST muscle concentration was below the limit for shellfish. Gonyautoxins (GTX) were found in water samples and fish muscle, and GTX 5 was the major analogous found in muscle. In the summer samples, the LPO, genetic damage, and the GST and AchE activities increased while in the autumn an increase in EROD activity and genetic damage were observed. In all samplings, histopathological alterations in the fish gills and liver were found. The results showed a seasonal variation in the fishes health, which could be related also to farming activities and to the contaminants bioavailability during the year., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify mutations associated with bilateral retinoblastoma in a quadruplet conceived by in vitro fertilization, and to trace the parental origin of mutations in the four quadruplets and their father., Methods: Mutational screening was carried out by sequencing. Genotyping was carried out for determining quadruplet zygosity., Results: The proband was a carrier of a novel RB1 constitutive mutation (g.2056C>G) which was not detected in her father or her unaffected sisters, and of two other mutations (g.39606 C>T and g.174351T>A) also present in two monozygotic sisters. The novel mutation probably occurred de novo while the others were of likely maternal origin. The novel mutation, affecting the Kozak consensus at the 5'UTR of RB1 and g.174351T>A were likely associated to retinoblastoma in the proband., Conclusion: Molecular diagnosis of retinoblastoma requires genotypic data of the family for determining hereditary transmission. In the case of children generated by IVF with oocytes from an anonymous donor which had been stored in a cell repository, this might not be successfully accomplished, making precise diagnosis impracticable for genetic counseling.

Background: Investigating transmission of a constitutive, g78238C > T (R552X), RB1 mutation in four affected children descended from three different unaffected fathers and an unaffected mother., Procedures: Sequence data analyses and allele-specific PCR assays were used to investigate the presence of the mutation in four affected children, five unaffected sibs (or half-sibs), and the unaffected mother. Haplotyping was carried out for confirming that the children descended from different fathers., Results: Haplotyping excluded the possibility of paternal transmission of a de novo mutation and provided evidence of maternal germline mosaicism. The mutation was apparently absent in blood- and buccal cell-DNA of the mother who also showed a normal fundoscopy., Conclusions: Our findings indicated that mosaicism was restricted to the maternal germline. The mutational event must have occurred at least 4 weeks post-conception, unlike the early mutational events of most mosaics, occurring between fertilization and the 8th day of conception. The implications of these findings are discussed in view that genetic counselling should discriminate between germline mosaicism and de novo events in pseudo-low-penetrant hereditary retinoblastoma., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The objective was to evaluate the effect of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-lg) polymorphism and seasonality on milk composition (fat, lactose, total solids, milk urea nitrogen, total protein, true protein, casein and somatic cell counts) of Holstein and Girolando cows. Milk and blood samples from 278 Holsteins cows and 156 Girolando cows were taken during two dry seasons and two rainy seasons, for milk composition analysis and to determine beta-lg genotypes, respectively. BB genotype was the most frequent for both breeds, followed by AA genotype for Holstein (BB>AA>AB) and by AB for Girolando cows (BB>AB>AA). No differences were found in milk compositional characteristics among genetic variants of beta-lg (AA, AB and BB) either between Holstein or Girolando cows. No association between milk composition and beta-lg genetic polymorphism was observed. During the dry season, independently of the breed considered, higher contents of lactose, true protein, casein and casein:true protein ratio were found.

This study evaluates the longitudinal changes in occlusal dimensions in young adults. The sample was composed of 27 individuals (13 male and 14 female individuals) who presented dental Class I and normal occlusion, according to the inclusion protocol. All teeth were present except for the third molars. The mean age of the subjects was 21 years and two months initially and 28 years and four months at the end of the observation period. The measurements collected in both arches were overbite, overjet, intercanine and intermolar distances, irregularity index, and perimeter. All measurements were taken from study dental casts by a calibrated operator, using a digital caliper. The paired t-test was used to evaluate the changes, using the difference between the initial and final mean measurements. Data indicated that the overbite increased 0.39 mm, the incisor irregularity increased 0.38 mm in the upper arch and 0.54 mm in the lower arch, and the arch perimeter decreased 0.67 mm in the upper arch and 0.71 mm in the lower arch (P > .05). The other measurements did not show significant changes. No sexual dimorphism was observed. It could be concluded that occlusal dimensions change throughout adult life. In the sample studied, changes were statistically significant for overbite, incisors irregularity, and arch perimeter after a mean period of seven years and two months. These changes can be observed in both sexes.

Objective: The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms that indicate the hygienic and sanitary conditions of human milk samples collected at a Human Milk Bank., Methods: Three hundred and thirty eight (338) samples of human milk collected from a milk bank in a maternity in the municipality of Goiânia, in the state of Goias, Brazil were submitted to microbiological analysis. The latter were plated on McConkey agar according to the type of bacteria. Among the total number of samples collected, 194 consisted of raw milk and the remaining 144 were pasteurized milk., Results: The presence of Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., yeasts and molds, and Enterobacteriaceae was verified in the raw milk samples. Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in 10 (5.2%) samples, Staphylococcus epidermidis in 28 (14.4%) samples, Streptococcus spp. in three (1.6%) samples, yeasts and molds in 43 (22.2%) and Enterobacteriaceae in 49 (25.3%) samples. In a hundred and forty four (144) samples which underwent thermal treatment Staphylococcus aureus was detected in five (3.5%) samples, Staphylococcus epidermidis in 15 (10.4%), Staphylococcus lugdenensis in two (1.4%), Streptococcus spp. in four (2.8%), yeasts and molds in 37 (25.7%), and Enterobacteriaceae in nine (6.3%)., Conclusions: Analysis indicated a high degree of contamination in raw human milk, and as for the pasteurized milk, despite elimination of the great majority of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, the percentage of yeasts and molds was higher than in raw milk, demonstrating that a lower degree of initial contamination would be necessary for pasteurization to be an efficient means of microbiological control.