β2-microglobulin is a single-chain, low molecular weight (MW=11.8 kDA) polypeptide [1,2] and has similar structure to the CH 3 domain of the immunoglobulin molecule [3]. β2-microglobulin forms the invariant light chain portion of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules [4][5][6], which can be found on the membrane of all nucleated cells [7]. Thus, cellular membrane turnover is the main source of serum β2-microglobulin [3]. Because of its small size, β2-microglo- Objective: After filtration through the glomeruli of the kidney, β2-microglobulin is reabsorbed by the renal proximal tubules. Increase in urinary β2-microglobulin indicates tubular dysfunction, and measurement of β2-microglobulin in urine sediment is useful to determine the source of kidney injury. CD133 has recently been characterized as a progenitor cell marker in the kidney, detecting injured epithelial cells in the proximal tubules. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation of increase in urinary β2-microglobulin and CD133 staining in patients with tubular injury. Urinary β2-Microglobulin is a Sensitive Indicator for Renal Tubular InjuryAbstract

Electrical membrane breakdown (EMB) is a novel form of non-thermal treatment that has not, to our knowledge, been previously evaluated for its potential utility as an ablation mechanism. The findings with EMB immediately after treatment were compared with other forms of ablation (cryoablation and IRE (irreversible electroporation)) in the porcine liver clinically, ultrasonographically, and by light microscopy and ultrastructural analysis. Clinically, EMB did not induce muscular contractions, in contrast with IRE. By ultrasound, all lesions were hypoechoic when compared to the untreated liver. EMB created a consistent pattern of immediate tissue destruction at the light microscopic and ultrastructural level, characterized by pulse-dose-related coagulative necrosis and nuclear pyknosis, preserved blood vessels and adjacent structures, and sharply demarcated margins. We conclude that the profile of EMB ablation is distinctive and unique, inducing necrosis by immediate electrical rupture of cell membranes non-thermally while preserving proteins and adjacent vessels with potentially superior stimulation of the immune system than other ablation modalities.

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