CTLA4 Autoimmunity-Associated Genotype Contributes to Severe Pulmonary Tuberculosis in an African Population

The gene of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte-associated Antigen 4 (CTLA4), a negative regulator of T lymphocytes, contains a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position +6230A->G (ct60A->G), which has been found associated with several autoimmune diseases and appears to reduce T-cell inhibitory activity. In Ghana, West Africa, we compared the frequencies of CTLA4 +6230 A/G and 6 haplotype-tagging SNPs in 2010 smear-positive, HIV-negative patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and 2346 controls matched for age, gender and ethnicity. We found no difference in allele frequencies between cases and controls. However, +6230A and a distinct CTLA4 haplotype and a diplotype comprising the +6230A allele were significantly less frequent among cases with large opacities in chest radiographs compared to those with small ones (P_{corrected [cor]} = 0.002, P_cor = 0.00045, P = 0.0005, respectively). This finding suggests that an increased T-cell activity associated with the CTLA4 +6230G allele contributes to pathology rather than to protection in pulmonary TB.     

Susceptibility of human and murine Chlamydia trachomatis serovars to granulocyte- and epithelium-derived antimicrobial peptides.

Four antimicrobial peptides, protegrin-1, RTD-1, cryptdin-4, and indolicidin, were tested for their ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E, L2, and mouse pneumonitis (MoPn). In general, protegrin-1 was found to have the strongest anti-chlamydial activity. Overall, of the three serovars tested, L2 was the most susceptible while MoPn was the most resistant to these peptides.     

Effects on Plant Growth Produced by Azotobacter paspali Related to Synthesis of Plant Growth Regulating Substances

S ummary . Treating seedling roots of several plant species with cultures of Azotobacter paspali changed plant growth and development and significantly increased weight of leaves and roots; effects were probably caused by plant growth regulators. Culture supernatant fluids contained indolyl-3-acetic acid, at least 3 gibberellins and 2 cytokinins. The added inoculum of A. paspali survived in plant rhizospheres for only a few weeks and no nitrogen was fixed in the root zone of young Paspalum notatum , the grass with which A. paspali is associated.     

Clinical aspects of Campylobacter jejuni infections in adults.

Campylobacter jejuni is an almost ubiquitous, microaerophilic, gram-negative rod. Outbreaks have been associated with drinking raw milk or contaminated water and eating poultry. Campylobacter jejuni accounts for 3.2% to 6.1% of cases of diarrheal illness in the general population of the United States, and infected patients frequently present with abdominal pain and fever. Less frequently, C jejuni is responsible for bacteremia, septic arthritis, septic abortion, and other extraintestinal infections. Reactive arthritis, Reiter''s syndrome, the Guillain-Barré syndrome, and pancreatitis may accompany or follow C jejuni enterocolitis. Campylobacter jejuni is an important cause of diarrheal illness and is a more commonly identified stool organism than Salmonella or Shigella species. Recurrent and chronic infection is generally reported in immunocompromised hosts.     

Eosin B

The two known isomeric dibromodinitrofiuoresceins have been prepared in a fairly pure state, and their absorption spectra determined.

Commercial samples of eosin B are not 4, 5-dibromo—2, 7-dinitrofluorescein, as stated in dye indices. They are mixtures which contain other bromonitro derivatives of fluorescein as well as di-bromodinitro derivatives.

The color acid method provides a substantially reliable means of determining actual dye content with commercial samples of the dye, but the reduction method may prove decidedly misleading.