Pneumolysis: a fundamental concept in COVID-19 lung disease

BackgroundCOVID-19 severe lung compromise often evolves to life-threatening hypoxia. The experience led to the implementation of standardized protocols assuming similarity to SARS-CoV. Impulsive use of ventilators ended in up to 88% fatality.MethodsCOVID-19 pathophysiology and histopathological lung biopsy photomicrographs are analyzed. ResultsPneumolysis is defined as progressive alveolar-capillary destruction resulting from the CoV-2 attack on pneumocytes. The histopathological results show the presence of Masson bodies, alveolar coating cells with nuclear atypia, reactive pneumocytes, reparative fibrosis, intra-alveolar hemorrhage, moderate inflammatory infiltrates, microabscesses, microthrombus, hyaline membrane remnants, and emphysema. The three theoretical pathophysiological stages of progressive hypoxemia (silent hypoxemia, gasping, and death zone) are depicted.Conclusion Silent hypoxemia suddenly evolves to critical hypoxemia. This, as a consequence of progressive pneumolysis + inflammation + overexpressed immunity + autoimmunity + HAPE-type edema resulting in acute pulmonary insufficiency. The proposed treatment (based on Tolerance to Hypoxia and the Hemoglobin factor) includes: prompt oxygen administration, inflammation and immunity reaction control, antibiotics, rehydration & anticoagulation.

PENGEMBANGAN ANTIBODI POLIKLONAL DARI STADIUM TAKIZOIT TOXOPLASMA GONDII ISOLAT WTA

ABSTRAK<br />Antibody poliklonal sebagai sumber dasar skrining antigen yang dihasilkan melalui teknik kloning gen penyandi protein escretory surface antigen (ESA) Toxoplasma gondii. Skrining diperlukan untuk mengetahui reaksi imunitas protein rekombinan ESA yang mampu mengenali protein anti-ESA secara biomolekuler dan spesifik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan antibodi poliklonal untuk digunakan dalam pengembangan teknik analisa Western-blot. Antigen yang digunakan berasal dari crude protein ESA, dari stadium takizoit. Mencit BALB/c betina berumur 8-10 minggu disuntik crude protein ESA pada rongga peritoneum mencit. Penyuntikan ulang (booster) diulang sebanyak 5 kali dengan interval waktu 14 hari. Serum dari mencit dikoleksi dan diukur titernya dengan ELISA, dan dilanjutkan pada analisa Western-blot. Hasil analisis Western-blot menunjukkan bahwa antibodi poliklonal yang dikembangkan pada mencit mampu bereaksi secara spesifik terhadap antigen yang dihasilkan melalui rekayasa genetik. Berdasarkan hal ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa antibodi poliklonal yang dikembangkan pada mencit telah berhasil dan dapat digunakan sebagai reagen immunoproteomik.<br />Kata Kunci : antibody poliklonal, analisa Western-blot, Toxoplasma gondii.<br />ABSTRACT<br />Polyclonal antibody is a basic resource in screening antigen from recombinant DNA technology of excretory surface antigen of Toxoplasma gondii. Screening is using to analyze the immunity reaction of recombinant protein to recognize the antibody in specific and molecular. The aim of this research is to produce excretory surface antigen (ESA) of Toxoplasmaa gondii and can developed for Western-blot analyze. The antigen is from cruse protein isolated tachyzote of Toxoplasma gondii. Female mice are in age 8-10 weeks, injected in the peritoneum. The booster is injected for five times, in interval every 14 days. The serums are collected and analyze by ELISA and use it on Western-blot. The result is the polyclonal antibody showed reaction with the antigen from genetic engineering. From this result it can concluded that the developing of this antibody is successful and it can be used as an immunoproteomic reagent.<br />Keyword : Polyclonal antibody, Western-blot, Toxoplasma gondi

Recombinant Multiepitope Protein for Diagnosis of Leptospirosis

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease and is considered to be the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world. It can be misdiagnosed because manifestations of this febrile disease vary from mild flu-like symptoms to severe illness involving vital organs such as the liver and lungs. Therefore, accurate diagnosis for differentiation of leptospirosis from other pyrogenic infections prevailing in the same locality is imperative for proper treatment. Here, we report a customized recombinant leptospirosis multiepitope protein (r-LMP) that can specifically detect the immunoglobulin class of anti-leptospirosis antibodies in patient sera. Immunodominant epitopes from leptospire outer membrane proteins OmpL1, LipL21, and LipL32 were predicted and confirmed using phage display and immunity reaction. On the basis of the sequences of the identified epitopes, five major immunodominant epitopes were selected to construct a synthetic gene, recombinant lmp. The recombinant lmp gene was doubled and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified and used as an antigen to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of special immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgG in sera from patients with leptospirosis or other febrile illnesses and healthy subjects. The results showed that the r-LMP protein recognized IgG and IgM in all the sera that were microscope agglutination test positive, and there were no cross-reactions with other patient sera. This approach of creating customized antigens coupled to overexpression and simple purification offers a promising alternative option for leptospirosis diagnosis, with the potential to circumvent the drawbacks of whole-leptospirosis-antigen-based assays.

THE INFLUENCE OF ACTH AND CORTISOL UPON SKIN HOMOGRAFTS IN THE RAT

SUMMARY Homografts of skin exchanged between two strains of rat survive for an average of 8·8 days. Survival time is increased to 14·1 days by the daily administration (beginning on the day following operation) of 4·0 mg cortisol, but 2 i.u. ACTH (Cortrophin 'Z') daily has no effect (survival time = 9·0 days). If, however, treatment with ACTH is begun 28 days before operation the homografts survive for 17 days (Cortrophin 'Z') and for 11·4 days (Acthar gel). The normal processes of wound repair are slowed down in proportion to the influence of treatment on the immunity reaction. The results conform to the view that prolonged treatment with ACTH alters the ratio of cortisol/corticosterone secreted by the adrenal cortex.

Parasites and Insect Predators of the Larch Sawfly

Before the introduction of the parasite Mesoleius tenthredinis Morley into Canada in 1910, the larch sawfly had periodically caused devastating outbreaks that eventually resulted in the destruction of nearly all the mature larch east of the Rockies. The parasite at first gave control wherever it became established and, fallowing its release in Central Canada, the larch sawfly caused no serious damage there until 1938, when it again began to flare up, first in central Manitoba and then in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Associated with the present resurgence is a loss of effectiveness on the part of M. tenthredinis and this appears to be related to the development of an immunity reaction on the part of the host (Muldrew, 1953a). The larch sawfly in British Columbia is, however, still highly susceptible to the parasite and, apparently, parasitism by N. tenthredinis keeps the level of abundance of the larch sawfly so low that at difficulty is experienced in obtaining host material for study purposes.