Relationship between neutrophils/lymphocytes and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes stroma in patients with invasive muscle bladder cancer and the response to treatment

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Background: The bladder cancer is a malignant disease. It has been related to tobacco consumption, fat diet, high body mass index (BMI) and urinary tract infections. As a result of the activation the pro-inflammatory pathways. Neutrophil to lymphocyte radio (NLR) and the infiltrating lymphocytes of the tumor stroma (TILs) have been shown to have a significant prognostic value in different tumors. The primary aim is to analyze the role of TILs and RNL as a predictive factor, in patients with MIBC and objective response rate (ORR). The secondary aim is to evaluate the relationship beteween BMI, tabaquism and ORR, in the same group of pts. Methods: A total of 35 pts with MIBC was included. All pts received neoadjuvant treatment, with cisplatin and gemcitabine. Also, TILs was determined as the percentage of mononuclear inflammatory cells in the total stromal area counted in 5 high-power fields (CGA, X 400), on the invasive front of the tumor. The NLR was obtained before treatment and value of cut-off was 2.6. the evaluation of ORR was calculated used the T-Test and Chi Square test. Results: Of the total of 35 patients. 15 patients obtained complete response (CR), 6 pts partial response (PR), 5 pts stable disease (SD) and 9 pts disease progression (DP). In 21 tumor sample was observed an intense TILS. These patients obtained a better ORR 42.6 % vs 21.7% with low TILs in his tumor samples. The difference was statistically significant (p: 0.001). Regarding NLR, only 9 pts presented response with NLR > 2,6 vs 12 pts with response and RNL < 2.6. The difference was not statistically significant. When analyzing the smoking and response. We could observe response of 69.6% in smoking pts vs Non- smoking the response was 41.7%. Regarding BMI, 21 pts with response of 27% and 14 patient without response 25.9%. But the differences were not significant in any groups. Conclusions: We conclude that the presence of TILS in tumor samples, in patients with MIBC, could be a predictive factor against the response to neoadjuvant treatment. With the other variables, smoking and BMI, we did not observed influence in ORR. We will keep working to obtain a greater number of patients. Then we could have a better analysis and statistical power.

Development of a defined compost system for the study of plant-microbe interactions

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria can improve plant health by providing enhanced nutrition, disease suppression and abiotic stress resistance, and have potential to contribute to sustainable agriculture. We have developed a sphagnum peat-based compost platform for investigating plant-microbe interactions. The chemical, physical and biological status of the system can be manipulated to understand the relative importance of these factors for plant health, demonstrated using three case studies: 1. Nutrient depleted compost retained its structure, but plants grown in this medium were severely stunted in growth due to removal of essential soluble nutrients - particularly, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Compost nutrient status was replenished with the addition of selected soluble nutrients, validated by plant biomass; 2. When comparing milled and unmilled compost, we found nutrient status to be more important than matrix structure for plant growth; 3. In compost deficient in soluble P, supplemented with an insoluble inorganic form of P (Ca₃(PO₄)₂), application of a phosphate solubilising Pseudomonas strain to plant roots provides a significant growth boost when compared with a Pseudomonas strain incapable of solubilising Ca₃(PO₄)₂. Our findings show that the compost system can be manipulated to impose biotic and abiotic stresses for testing how microbial inoculants influence plant growth.

Concentration levels of new-generation fungicides in throughfall released by foliar wash-off from vineyards

The presence of agricultural pesticides in the environment and their effects on ecosystems are major concerns addressed in a significant number of articles. However, limited information is available on the pesticide concentrations released from crops. This study reports losses of new-generation fungicides by foliar wash-off from vineyards and their potential impact on the concentrations of their main active substances (AS) in surface waters. Two experimental plots devoted to vineyards were treated with various combinations of commercial new-generation fungicide formulations. Then, up to sixteen throughfall collectors were installed under the canopy. Concentrations of sixteen different AS in throughfall were determined along nine rainfall episodes. Concentrations in throughfall far exceeded the maximum permissible levels for drinking water established by the European Union regulations. Dynamics of fungicide release indicated a first-flush effect in the wash-off founding the highest concentrations of AS in the first rain episodes after application of the fungicides. This article shows that foliar spray application of commercial formulations of new-generation fungicides does not prevent the release of their AS to soil or the runoff. Concentration data obtained in this research can be valuable in supporting the assessment of environmental effects of new-generation fungicides and modeling their environmental fate.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a prognostic factor in patients with stage I to III breast cancer

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Background: Current evidence makes reference to the potential role that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a prognostic factor in breast cancer and numerous types of tumors. Different studies have shown that the interaction with the immune response of the host is relevant to the response to chemotherapy. TILs are cell phenotype T CD3 +, which can, in turn, stratify in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8), and regulatory T cells (CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+).Our aim was to identify whether there was a relationship between TILs and SLE in patients with stage I to III breast cancer who have undergone chemotherapy adjuvant treatment. The secondary endpoint was to analyze the association between subtype infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4 and CD8) and SLE. Methods: Retrospective and analytical study in our institution IONC. Patients with stage I to III breast cancer was analized which had standard risk factors and required adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy. 87 patients completed with the selection criteria. The infiltration degree by H/E was evaluated and CD4 and CD8 by IHQ was marked. SLE was analyzed through the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: 87 samples were analyzed, in 46 patients (52,8 %) evidenced TILs and in 41 patients (47.12%) there were no TILs in their tumor samples. SLE was higher for those patients who had TILs with respect to those patients who did not have any TILs, 45.3 months as opposed to 30.85 months respectively (p: 0,038) and these differences were statistically different. In the TILi analysis, it could observed that 91% patients not revealed infiltrations in their tumor samples.When correlating CD4 and CD8 was carried out, 33% of the patients showed CD4 TILs in their tumor samples and 49.4% evidenced CD8 TILs. There were no SLE differences regarding the presence or the absence of CD4. The high number of CD8 was associated to a higher SLE; 39.06 months as opposed to 37.5 months, but these differences were not statistically different. Conclusions: We could conclude that patients who had showed TILs in their tumor samples had a higher SLE with respect to those who did not show any infiltration and this was statistically significant. There were no differences when samples were analyzed on the presence or absence of CD4 and CD8.

Rainfall-induced removal of copper-based spray residues from vines

The continuous use of copper against fungal diseases and off-target effects causes major environmental and agronomic problems. However, the rain-induced removal of Cu-based residues is known only for a limited number of crops. We present the results of rain-induced removal of fungicides from two monitored vineyard plots which were sprayed with two widely used Cu-based formulations: copper-oxychloride (CO) and Bordeaux mixture (BM), respectively. Cu removal per growing season was 0.60±0.12kgha(-1) (30% of the applied fungicide) for CO and 0.80±0.10kgha(-1) for BM (70% of the applied fungicide). Fractioning the Cu in soluble (CuS) and particulate fractions (CuP) showed that most of the Cu was removed as CuP, but CuS concentrations found in throughfall collectors exceeded the regulatory threshold for toxicity in surface waters. The first few millimeters of rain caused most of the Cu removal. Our findings agreed with the data reported in the scientific literature, in which a significant fraction of the Cu-based formulation is loosely attached to the plant surfaces. In addition, we found that rainfall energy had a minor influence on the removal.

Systemic amyloidosis with bilateral conjunctival involvement: a case report

Background

Conjunctival amyloidosis is a very rare condition, generally unilateral, and presents mostly as an isolated condition without systemic compromise. Our purpose is to present a new case of systemic amyloidosis with a bilateral conjunctival involvement.

Case Presentation

A 66-years-old caucasian female complaining of conjunctival hemorrhage and chemosis in both eyes for the last five years had been discontinuously treated with topical antibiotics and corticosteroids without any evident improvement. She presented with a pink-yellow infiltration in the inferior conjunctiva of both eyes. Conjunctival biopsy under optical microscopy revealed amyloid deposit, confirmed by Congo red staining. Mucosal biopsy from esophagus and rectus confirmed amyloidosis by Congo red stain. Immunohistochemistry of bone marrow biopsy showed an increased number of plasma cells and an over-expression of light chain kappa subunit. She was treated with corticosteroids and lubrication with an improvement of symptoms. Ocular lesions remained stable after a follow-up of 3 years.

Conclusions

Conjunctival amyloidosis is a rare entity that may be overlooked, and should be differentiated from chronic conjunctivitis and conjunctival malignancies. Although it presents most frequently as a local process, a systemic involvement should always be ruled out.

Modeling raindrop strike performance on copper wash-off from vine leaves

Copper lost in foliar wash-off from vine leaves treated with Cu-based fungicides was analyzed with a single-drop rainfall simulator. The temporal losses of the particulate Cu (CuP) and the solution Cu (CuS) from raindrop strikes on leaves were modeled using a Poisson point process. This model estimated maximum detachment rates of 0.82 ng CuP and 0.033 ng CuS per raindrop. The total amount of Cu (CuT) in the leaves before rainfall ranged between 0.4 and 4.4 g Cu kg(-1) dry weight. Wash-off reduced the amount of CuT present in the leaves by 0.6 g kg(-1). Particulate losses of CuT ranged from 75 to 90%, while soluble losses of CuT ranged from 10 to 25%. The kinetic energy of the raindrops influenced the loss of CuS but not the loss of CuP. The Poisson point approach can provide an interesting starting point to model non-point source pollution produced from agricultural chemicals washed-off by rain.

Heavy metal retention in copper mine soil treated with mussel shells: batch and column experiments

Batch and column experiments are used to study the effects of ground mussel shell amendment on the retention of heavy metals in acidic mine soil. The soil pH increases proportionally with the mussel shell concentration employed. Mussel shell amendment increases Cu, Cd, Ni and Zn retention in mine soil when compared with unamended soil. In fact, Cu retention was 6480μmolkg(-1) (43% of the total added) when the maximum metal concentration (1570μM) was added to the unamended soil, whereas retention reached 15,039μmolkg(-1) (99.9% of the total Cu added) when soil was amended with 24gkg(-1) mussel shell; in the case of Cd, adsorption increases from 3257μmolkg(-1) (15% of the total added) for the unamended soil, to 13,200μmolkg(-1) (87% of the total added) for the shell-amended soil; Ni retention increased from 3767μmolkg(-1) (25% of the total added) corresponding to unamended soil, to 11,854μmolkg(-1) (77% of the total added) for the shell-amended soil; and finally, Zn retention increased from 4684μmolkg(-1) (31% of the total added), for unamended soil, to 14,952μmolkg(-1) (98% of the total added) for shell-amended soil. The results of the constant flow transport experiments show that the addition of the 24gkg(-1) mussel shells can retain Cu, Cd, Ni and Zn within the first few centimetres of the column length, indicating the usefulness of ground mussel shells to drastically decrease the mobility and availability of these pollutants and to facilitate soil remediation.

Influence of the adjuvants in a commercial formulation of the fungicide "Switch" on the adsorption of their active ingredients: cyprodinil and fludioxonil, on soils devoted to vineyard

The objective of this work was to assess the effect of adjuvants in the sorption in soils of the fungicides, cyprodinil and fludioxonil, usually applied together in a mixture commonly called 'Switch'. Water suspensions of a commercial formulation of Switch were used in phase partition experiments for a set of selected soils from vineyards. A clean-up procedure of the supernatant was developed for the phase separation in presence of the adjuvants prior to quantification of cyprodinil and fludioxonil. The maximum sorption on the solid phase (which includes soil and other solids from the commercial formulation of Switch) was 2000 mg kg(-1) for fludioxonil and 3000 mg kg(-1) for cyprodinil after incubation with 800 mg L(-1) of Switch. However, adsorption to soil particles were lower; fludioxonil concentrations adsorbed in soils range from 50 to 80 mg kg(-1) of soil and cyprodinil concentrations range from 120 to 260 mg kg(-1) of soil. Adjuvants increased the solubility of fludioxonil in pure water at 25 °C up to 5 times that of the pure substance (from 1.8 to 9 mg L(-1) in control samples), and show a strong influence on the adsorption in soil. Soil pH, effective cation exchange capacity and copper content due to past anti fungal copper-based sprays, have also influence on the adsorption of the active ingredients in presence of adjuvants.

Behaviour of metalaxyl as copper oxychloride-metalaxyl commercial formulation vs. technical grade-metalaxyl in vineyards-devoted soils

The objective of this work is to asses the sorption of metalaxyl applied as a copper oxychloride (CO)-metalaxyl formulation, for a set of selected soils devoted to vineyards. The method involved batch incubation of soils suspended with a commercial copper oxychloride-metalaxyl-based fungicide in 0.01M CaCl(2). Afterwards, the metalaxyl concentration remaining in solution was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The amount of dissolved metalaxyl in the fungicide suspension depends mainly on the soil pH, its potential acidity, and the cation exchange capacity. Of the approx. 20% metalaxyl retained by the solid colloids, the effect of organic matter colloids in soils (15-20 mg kg(-1)) had a poor contribution (six times lower) than the copper oxychloride colloids (40%, w/w) in the commercial fungicide formulation (100-130 mg kg(-1)). When comparing these retention data with the behaviour of metalaxyl used as a technical grade fungicide of about 100% purity (10-15 mg kg(-1) in solids), it is clear that the commercial formulation increases a 30% retention of metalaxyl by soil (15-20 mg kg(-1) in solids). The overall effect of the metalaxyl formulation plus soil show values of 10 times higher retention than technical grade-metalaxyl plus soil. Commercial formulation can decrease the mobility of soluble metalaxyl in agricultural soils with regard to the expected values obtained from batch studies using analytical grade-metalaxyl. Therefore, the effect of surfactants should be considered in the assessment of water contamination by the pesticides used in agriculture.

Simulating washoff of Cu-based fungicide sprays by using a rotating shear device

Foliar washoff causes a loss of copper-based pesticides sprayed on crops, leading to an increase in the number of applications and contamination of the soil with Cu. In field studies, the variables that determine the amount of Cu loss are difficult to control. An experimental setup based on a rotating shear device (RSD) was used to estimate the influence of physical factors in the loss of Cu due to washoff of three copper-based fungicides: copper oxychlorhide (CO), Bordeaux mixture (BM), and a mixture of copper oxychlorhide and propylene glycol (CO-PG). Full factorial designs were used to model the loss of Cu from fungicides sprayed on the polypropylene surface of the RSD. Variables in the experiments were rotation speed, wash water volume, and fungicide dose. Good reproducibility was obtained for Cu loss, with a coefficient of variation less than 8%. Mean Cu losses were 27.0, 33.0, and 13.5% of the copper applied in fungicide for the BM, CO, and CO-PG, respectively. Empirical equations were obtained to calculate Cu losses from the rotation speed, wash water volume, and dose, as well as their interactions. CO losses were consistent with a model of particle detachment in which such losses depended on a threshold boundary shear stress required to initiate particle motion. Also, percent CO losses were found to be significantly correlated with the linear momentum at the surface boundary. The momentum values obtained in the RSD tests were similar to those estimated for a rainfall event of 20 mm h(-1) lasting 10 min. The most important mechanism in the loss of CO was the erosion of Cu-bearing particles.

Influence of pH and soil copper on adsorption of metalaxyl and penconazole by the surface layer of vineyard soils

The upper horizons of old vineyard soils have substantial copper contents due to the traditional use of copper-based fungicides. Total copper levels in eight vineyard soils in the Rías Baixas area of Galicia (northwestern Spain) ranged from 60 to 560 mg kg(-1) (mean +/- SD = 206 +/- 170 mg kg(-1)). The adsorption of the fungicides metalaxyl (pK(a) = 1.41) and penconazole (pK(a) = 2.83) by these soils was determined using fungicide solutions of pH 2.5 and 5.5, and desorption of fungicide adsorbed at pH 5.5 was also determined. In all cases, Freundlich equations were fitted to the data with R (2) > 0.96. Penconazole was adsorbed and retained more strongly than metalaxyl, with K(F) values more than an order of magnitude greater. In the desorption experiments, both fungicides exhibited hysteresis. Soil copper content hardly affected the adsorption of metalaxyl, but K(F) values for adsorption of penconazole increased at a rate of about 0.1 mL(n) (microg of penconazole)(1-n) (microg of Cu)(-1), which is attributed to the formation of Cu(2+)-penconazole complexes with greater affinity for soil colloids than penconazole itself. Because the dependence of K(F) for penconazole adsorption on copper content was the same at both pH values, complex formation appears not to have been affected by the solubilization of 6-17% of soil copper at pH 2.5. A similar copper dependence, or lack of dependence, was observed when 100-1000 mg kg(-1) of copper was added as Cu(NO(3))(2).2H(2)O to the solutions from which the fungicides were adsorbed.

[Casuistic revision of adrenal pathology during last 23 years]

We present a casuistic revision of adrenal pathology, which was studied in our service during the period January 1977-July 2000. We reviewed 59.069 biopsies and 2.674 autopsies and we 84 cases. founded with the following findings: Primary tumors 25% Secundary tumors 51% Infectious diseases 11% Miscellaneous 12% Unsuitable for diagnosis 1% Hyperplasias, adenomas, pheochromocy-tomas, neuroblastoma, adenocarcinoma are included within primary tumors. The metastasic tumors corresponded to: lung, pancreas, mammary gland, kidney and carcinomas; endometrial adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, melanoma, hepatocarcinoma, gastric carcinoma, testicular teratocarcinoma, skin epidermoid carcinoma, uterus choriocarcinoma and a primary germinal tumor of the thymus. Within infectious diseases we founded tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, cryptococosis, hydatidosis. Miscellaneous included hematoma, hemorrhage, pseudocyst, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), athrophy, Wegener's granulomatosis, myelolipoma, hemorrhagic necrosis. There was only one case which was unsuitable for diagnosis due to insufficient material.