Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder that can reveal two different diseases: a very interesting nephrological picture of complete enzyme deficiency characterized by the association of dyslipidemia, corneal opacities, anemia, and progressive nephropathy; and a partial form (fish-eye disease) with dyslipidemia and progressive corneal opacities only. We report herein the case of a 35-year-old man who presented hypertension, renal symptomatology of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis associates: nephrotic proteinuria, severe renal failure, in combination with annular corneal opacities, anemia, and dyslipidemia. The diagnosis of familial LCAT deficiency was confirmed by clinical examination, characteristic dyslipidemia, undetectable LCAT levels in plasma, and positive family history.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are being administered worldwide. Most side effects are mild and self-limiting with few reported cases of severe reactions. We report a case of leukocytoclastic vasculitis with acute kidney failure following aninactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, unique for its dramatic visual presentation and its rapid response to treatment. This is the case of a 58years-old man presenting with fever, arthralgias and vascular purpura on his limbs associated with acute kidney failure requiring hemodialysis nine days after anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Skin biopsy revealed a leukocytoclastic vasculitis and a renal biopsy showed an acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. The vascular purpura resolved 7days after initiating treatment with prednisone but the patient remains in chronic renal failure. The analysis and investigation of the complications and adverse events induced by anti-COVID-19 vaccines could increase our understanding of the underlying pathogenesis.

Recently, biologically active compounds isolated from plants used in herbal medicine have been the center of interest. Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), structurally closely related to the lignan podophyllotoxin, was found to be a potent antitumor and antiproliferative agent, in several tumor cells, in vitro. However, DPT has not been used clinically yet because of the lack of in vivo studies. This study is the first report demonstrating the antitumor effect of DPT on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice. DPT, significantly, inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 xenograft in BALB/c nude mice. The T/C value (the value of the relative tumor volume of treatment group compared to the control group) of groups treated with 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg of intravenous DPT-HP-β-CD was 42.87%, 34.04% and 9.63%, respectively, suggesting the positive antitumor activity of DPT. In addition, the antitumor effect of DPT-HP-β-CD (20 mg/kg) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 xenograft was more effective than etoposide (VP-16) (20 mg/kg) and docetaxel (20 mg/kg). These findings suggest that this drug is a promising chemotherapy candidate against human breast carcinoma.

HIV-1 particle assembly is driven by oligomerization of the Gag polyprotein precursor in infected cells. Translation of the full-length viral RNA results in the synthesis of large amounts of Gag molecules which oligomerize upon the combined interactions of its C-terminal NC domain with the genomic RNA and of its N-terminal myristate and matrix basic residues with cellular membranes. HIV assembly has been studied during the past two decades mostly by means of biochemical techniques on transfected or infected cells as well as in vitro using purified Gag molecules. More recently, understanding the mechanisms of viral assembly moved a big step forward due to the utilization of fluorescently labeled viral proteins, notably Gag, and of fluorescent microscopy techniques able to track single viral particles. In this chapter, we will summarize recent imaging data on HIV-1 Gag assembly at the level of the plasma membrane where viral particles bud in the form of cell-free viruses or can be transmitted to adjacent naïve cells through virological synapses.