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Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative inflammatory response and severity of pain between single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) cholecystectomy and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC)., Methods: Two groups of 20 patients were prospectively randomized to either conventional LC or SILS cholecystectomy. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were assayed before surgery, at 4-6 h, and at 18-24 h after the procedure. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels also were assayed at 18-24 h after surgery. Pain was measured at each of three time points after surgery using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The number of analgesia doses administered in the first 24 h after the procedure also was recorded and 30-day surgical outcomes were documented., Results: The groups had equivalent body mass index (BMI), age, and comorbidity distribution. Peak IL-6 levels occurred 4-6 h after surgery, and the median level was 12.8 pg/ml in the LC and 8.9 pg/ml in the SILS group (p = 0.5). The median CRP level before discharge was 1.6 mg/dl in the LC and 1.9 mg/dl in the SILS group (p = 0.38). There was no difference in either analgesic use or pain intensity as measured by the VAS between the two groups (p = 0.72). The length of the surgical procedure was significantly longer in the SILS group (p < 0.001). No intraoperative complications occurred in either group., Conclusions: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery does not significantly reduce systemic inflammatory response, postoperative pain, or analgesic use compared with LC.

Objective: Data about the survival rate of lupus patients on dialysis is controversial. The objective of this controlled prospective study was to report the survival of SLE patients undergoing dialysis and to analyse factors associated with mortality., Methods: Twenty dialysis centres were visited between May 2003 and February 2004. Disease activity was evaluated using the SLEDAI without the renal-related parameters [non-renal (nr)SLEDAI] data collection was performed at entrance to the study. The control group consisted of haemodialysis patients without SLE matched for gender, age, dialysis modality, time on dialysis and dialysis-associated HCV infection. Patients were prospectively followed for 60 months. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival. Associations of risk factors with mortality were tested using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: Each group was composed of 57 patients. In the multivariate analysis, only nrSLEDAI > 8 [hazard ratio (HR) 6.368; 95% CI 1.798, 22.548; P = 0.004], and urea reduction ratio (HR 0.953; 95% CI 0.917, 0.990; P = 0.014) were independently associated with mortality in lupus patients. The 5-year survival rate of the control group and the one from SLE patients with nrSLEDAI ≤ 8 (n = 51) were similar (83% and 73%, respectively) but significantly better than the one for SLE patients with nrSLEDAI > 8 (n = 6, 17%), P < 0.001., Conclusion: A high nrSLEDAI was strongly associated with 5-year mortality in lupus patients on dialysis.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has a global spread, and it is estimated that around 20 million persons are infected. Seven major genetic subtypes are recognized. However, there are complete genomes only from the HTLV-1a (cosmopolitan) and HTLV-1c (Melanesian) subtypes. Here, the first full-length genome of an HTLV-1b strain, a subtype so far restricted to Central African countries, is revealed. The genome size of HTLV-1b SF26, a strain isolated in Brazil, was determined to be 8,267 bp. The genomic analysis showed that all characteristic regions and genes of a prototypic HTLV-1 virus are conserved. This genome can provide information for further studies on the evolutionary history and pathogenic potential of this human oncovirus.

Unlabelled: The HLA-DRB1 alleles encoding an amino acid sequence (QKRAA/QRRAA/RRRAA) at position 70 74 of the third hypervariable region of the β1 chain of the HLA-DRB1 gene, called shared epitope (SE), are associated with increased susceptibility to and severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in different populations., Objective: To determine the frequency of HLA-DRB1 alleles in Brazilian patients with RA and their association with rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA)., Methods: Four hundred and twelve patients with RA (ACR 1987) and 215 controls were included. HLA-DRB1 typing was performed by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers and hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP). ACPA was measured by use of the ELISA technique and RF by nephelometry. The statistical analysis comprised the chi-square and Student t tests and logistic regression., Results: HLA-DRB1*04:01, *04:04, *04:05 alleles were associated with RA (P < 0.05); despite the wide confidence interval, it is worth noting the association between the DRB1*09:01 allele and RA (P < 0.05). HLA-DRB1 SE+ alleles were observed in 62.8% of the patients and in 31.1% of controls (OR 3.62; P < 0.001) and were associated with ACPA (OR 2.03; P < 0.001). DRB1-DERAA alleles showed a protective effect against RA (OR 0.42; P < 0.001)., Conclusion: In a sample of Brazilian patients with RA, most of whom of mixed heritage, HLA-DRB1 SE+ alleles were associated with susceptibility to disease and presence of ACPA.

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RPB4), a protein produced by the adipose tissue, is associated with insulin resistance (IR). Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare disease characterized by IR and paucity of adipose tissue. Our objective was to determine RBP4 levels in patients with CGL., Subjects and Methods: Six (6) patients with CGL and a healthy control group were selected to participate in the study. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were compared between groups., Results: No difference was observed in RBP4 levels between the two groups (CGL 42.5 [12.5 - 127] vs. control 57.4 [15.9 - 165]; p = 0.78). On the other hand, leptin levels were significantly lower in CGL patients (CGL 0.65 [0.2 - 0.7] vs. control 10.9 [0.9 - 38.6]; p = 0.015). No correlation was found between RBP-4 and waist circunference (r = 0.18, p = 0.57), or BMI (r = 0.24, p = 0.45)., Conclusion: RBP4 is not decreased in CGL. These results suggest that adipose tissue may not be the main source of RBP4.

Objective: To determine Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) levels in patients with Familial Partial Lipodystrophy (FPLD)., Methods: Ten patients with FPLD and a control group (9 patients) were selected to participate in the study., Results: RBP4-log levels were lower in patients with FPLD in comparison to control group (1.52 +/- 0.32 vs 1.84+/-0.25, p=0.029). A statistical trend was observed between Waist-to-Hip Ratio and RBP4-log (r=-0.44, p=0.054)., Conclusion: RBP4 levels are decreased in FPLD.

The distribution of the surface proteins of Toxoplasma gondii radiodinated were studied using the phase separation technique and ability of binding in the phenyl-Sepharose column. Eight polypeptides with Mr 22 to 180 distributed exclusively in the detergent rich-phase, while six polypeptides with mol. wt. 15,000 to 76,000 distributed exclusively in the detergent poor-phase. Two polypeptides with 15,000 and 70,000 distributed in both phase. All the polypeptides present in the detergent rich-phase binding in the phenyl-Sepharose column, and can be isolated in two peak according with their relative hydrophobicities. Two polypeptides hydrophobic with Mr 60 and 66 recognized by human serum were isolated by the association of the two technique. Our result showed that the surface proteins of T. gondii present different degrees of hydrophobicity and that the use of hydrophobic interaction chromatography after Triton X-114 extraction may be an important isolation method of membrane proteins.

A general theory relating the orientation of the transition moment in a chromophore to incident light, linearly polarized at an arbitrary angle, is discussed for cylindrical molecules. Experimental verification of this theory is presented for molecules of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), T(2) DNA, and polyadenylic acid (poly-A).

Deoxyribonucleic acid extracted from BGAV LPP-1 is double-stranded and has a base composition of 55% guanine plus cytosine. Sedimentation analysis indicated that the DNA is monodisperse with a molecular weight of 25 +/- 2 million, based on comparison with T7 DNA.

In experiments designed to determine the thermal stability and bonding strength of a natural nucleoprotein structure, the loss of birefringence as a function of time and temperature was investigated for both mammalian and nonmammalian sperm nuclei. At a constant temperature, this reaction was found to be first order for both types over a range of temperatures. The methods of chemical kinetics applied to results of these reactions, called birefringence melting reactions, produced values for the enthalpy and entropy of activation in the reactions, which gave some indication of the strength of binding in the nucleoprotein structure; and these results, plus those on the influence of chemicals on the structure, were consistent with the molecular structures which have been proposed by others for the nucleoprotein complex of sperm nuclei. For both bull and human sperm in ethylene glycol, the rate-limiting step in the melting reactions appeared to be the breakage of disulfide bonds. For squid sperm in ethylene glycol, and bull or squid sperm in ethylene glycol plus beta-mercaptoethanol, the identity of this step was more ambiguous, but a possibility consistent with these and other results would be a cooperative breakage of ionic bonds.

Adsorption and one-step growth experiments performed with blue-green algal virus (BGAV) LPP-1 under normal conditions revealed a slow adsorption rate, in comparison with bacteriophage systems, followed by a 7-hour latent period. The burst size was approximately 100 virus particles per cell. The molecular weight of the virus obtained from sedimentation and diffusion measurements was 51 +/- 3 x 10(6) daltons, and the hydration was calculated to be 0.37 g of H2O per gram of virus. Phosphorus analysis indicated a DNA content of 40% w/w, while amino acid analysis revealed all the common amino acids to be present. At reduced magnesium concentrations, the virus breaks apart, liberating its DNA, which then can be separated from the protein by sedimentation in a CsCl density gradient. A protein component was obtained as ghosts. Neutralization experiments with BGAV antiserum established no relationship to bacteriophages T1, T2, or T3.

The internal structure of the bacterial virus fd was investigated by ultraviolet dichroism of virus solutions oriented by flow through a small capillary tube. The dichroism was found to be positive for wavelengths longer than 262 mmicro and shorter than 239 mmicro, and negative for the intermediate wavelengths. The magnitude of the effect was at all times small, with dichroic ratios of 1.22 and 0.83 at 280 mmicro and 250 mmicro, respectively. the intuitive interpretation that this was the result of the addition of negative DNA dichroism and positive protein dichroism was confirmed by the application of a simple theory which allowed the calculation from protein and DNA absorption data of a dichroism curve closely approximating the experimental one. The parameters arrived at by this procedure indicate a semiangle of 25 degrees +/-5 degrees for a cone described by the normals to the DNA base planes inside the virus. The protein absorbers tryptophan and probably tyrosine were found to be oriented on the average relatively parallel to the longitudinal axis of the virus.

In thermal denaturation experiments on sperm cells, described in the accompanying paper, it was found that squid sperm, when melted, lose both birefringence and morphological shape. Bull sperm, on the other hand, show no change of morphology, but their initial negative birefringence becomes positive. Since this suggested the existence of form birefringence, the influence of solvents of different refractive indices on the observed birefringence was investigated, using a new derivation of the Wiener form birefringence equations which allows direct comparison of Wiener's theory with experimental results. Bull sperm showed form birefringence both before and after melting, while squid sperm showed none. Quantitative application of the general form of the Wiener equations to these results gave values for the refractive index and intrinsic birefringence of bull sperm cells. Application of the specific forms of the Wiener equations showed that neither of these descriptions of idealized systems was adequate to describe completely the form birefringence of bull sperm, but that the equation for platelike submicroscopic structures was more nearly an accurate fit to the data than that for rodlike structures.