Objective: To assess if levels of anti-pneumococcal (Pn) antibodies in saliva reflect concentrations in serum and determine whether saliva can accurately identify protective concentrations in serum.
Methods: IgG, IgA and IgM antibody levels in paired saliva and serum samples were measured against 12 Pn polysaccharide antigens in 72 healthy adults.
Results: Antibody levels in saliva correlated positively with serum across immunoglobulin classes, most strongly for IgA. Individuals who had protective antibody levels in serum demonstrated significantly higher IgG and IgA salivary antibody concentrations/secretion rates. Salivary IgG and IgA Pn antibodies were able to distinguish between those with/without protective levels in serum for the majority of serotypes. Salivary IgM antibodies were not able to differentiate protective status. Median IgG and IgA Pn salivary parameters were able to identify individuals who had protective levels in serum on ≥8/12 serotypes with moderate accuracy: median IgA secretion rates provided the best sensitivity (73%) and specificity (71%).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that IgG and IgA Pn specific antibodies in saliva may be useful surrogate markers of antibody status in serum. 相似文献
Objectives: To investigate the prognostic value of IGF-I in patients admitted for acute decompensation of cirrhosis.
Materials and methods: Cohort study that included 103 patients. IGF-I was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Ninety-day mortality was 26.2% and it was independently associated with MELD, age and IGF-I. The Kaplan–Meier survival probability at 90 days was 94.3% in patients with IGF-I?≥13?ng/mL and 63.2% for patients with IGF-I?<13?ng/mL (p?=?.001).
Discussion and conclusion: IGF-I levels are independently associated with mortality in acute decompensation of cirrhosis. 相似文献
Objective: This study investigates the level of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in the blood of the tea garden workers at risk of exposure to a mixture of pesticides.
Materials and methods: The study sample consisted of pesticide exposed workers, non-exposed (control), smokers and alcoholics. AChE and BuChE activity was measured and tested for significance.
Results: Results showed that AChE activity was half in the pesticide exposed individuals than controls (p≤ 0.001). BuChE activity was also significantly decreased in the pesticide exposed individuals than controls (p≤ 0.001), while AChE and BuChE activity in smokers and alcoholics were not different from that of controls. However, significantly decreased AChE and BuChE activities were recorded in pesticide exposed workers compared to smokers and alcoholics.
Conclusions: The results indicated that the decrease in enzyme activities in tea garden workers was due to mixed pesticides (containing organophosphates) exposure. Age was not found to influence the enzyme activities. However, the gender had little effect on the enzyme activities but the effect was not so prominent. 相似文献
Objective: Evaluation of micronuclei (MN) as a screening marker of occupational ionizing radiation (IR) exposure.
Materials and methods: Using micronucleus test, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of 402 control and exposed subjects were screened for genetic damage.
Results: The mean frequencies of micronucleus test parameters were significantly higher in exposed persons. Increase of micronucleus yield with duration of exposure (DOE) by 0.303MN/year was revealed.
Discussion and conclusion: The obtained data encourage us to consider MN as valuable markers for preventive medical screening of occupationally exposed groups. 相似文献
Aims: This study compared nests of six bird species of the families Fringillidae and Motacillidae to investigate the insulative properties in still and moving air treatments. It was hypothesized that differences in nest size and moving air would differ between species and would have a significant effect on insulatory values of the nests.
Methods: Nest dimensions were measured for a total of 35 nests from six species. Thermal properties of the nests were recorded using temperature loggers within nests placed in a wind tunnel under still and moving air conditions.
Results: Insulatory values and internal nest cooling rates were significantly increased by moving air. There was no significant difference between species for the thermal properties of nests but nest mass correlated with greater insulatory values and a lower rate of cooling within the nest cup. Nest wall thickness had no significant effect on the thermal characteristics of the nests.
Conclusion: The use of a constructed nest mitigated the effects of air movement but the differences between species reflected difference in nest mass rather than wall thickness. 相似文献
Objective: An in vitro-validated whole-blood assay of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 (pS6RP) was evaluated for confounders to monitor the mTOR-inhibitor everolimus (ERL).
Materials and methods: Whole blood samples from 87 heart transplant recipients were analyzed for pS6RP-expression in CD3-positive T-cells by phospho-flow analysis.
Results: ERL blood concentration, laboratory parameters, co-medications, demographic and clinical data were reviewed.
Conclusion: Evaluating the pS6RP-assay revealed that pS6RP is influenced by cyclosporine A (CsA) blood concentration, duration of ERL treatment, co-medication with thiazide diuretics and different metabolic parameters. 相似文献
Participants: Twelve patients took part in the investigation.
Results: An increase of the nerve conductive velocity of soral and peroneal nerves of feet, increased postural stability, and disappearance of the pain and tingling were observed.
Conclusion: The obtained results provide evidence for beneficial effects of 8-week plantar vibration training in patients with DPN. 相似文献
Objective: To establish a panel of protein biomarkers incorporated in a multiplexed microarray (BCa chip) and a classifier for diagnosing recurrent NMIBC.
Materials and methods: Urine samples from 45 patients were tested. Diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: A multi biomarker panel (ECadh, IL8, MMP9, EN2, VEGF, past recurrences, BCG therapies and stage at diagnosis) was identified yielding an area under the curve of 0.96.
Discussion and conclusion: This biomarker panel represents a potential diagnostic tool for noninvasive diagnosis of recurrent NMIBC. 相似文献
Objective: Ascertain the utility of measurements of single-strand breaks (SSB) in DNA for assessment of breast cancer risk.
Methods: Fine-needle aspirates of the breast, SSB by nick translation, percent breast density (PBD), Gail model risk, cumulative methylation index (CMI), enzymes of DNA repair and tissue antioxidants.
Results: DNA repair enzymes and 4-hydroxyestradiol were negatively associated with SSB; CMI and PBD were positively associated.
Conclusions: Quantitative measurement of SSBs by this procedure indicates the relative number of SSBs and is related to promoter methylation, antioxidant availability and percent breast density. 相似文献
Methods: Four different liposomal formulations were investigated, i.e. DPPC:Chol:DSPE-PEG2000 (75:20:5 and 65:30:5) and DPPC:Chol (80:20 and 66.7:33.3). Lipid films were prepared and hydrated with loading buffer containing sCT and different concentrations of the cryoprotectant, trehalose dihydrate. The liposomes were lyophilized, reconstituted and extruded to obtain small unilamellar vesicles. Non-encapsulated sCT was separated by gel filtration. Non-lyophilized formulations and liposomes lyophilized without the cryoprotectant were used as controls. Liposomes were analyzed for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta-potential and encapsulation efficiency. 31P-NMR (phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) was performed on selected formulations.
Results: Post-lyophilization, no significant change in particle sizes and zeta-potentials were noted, regardless of the presence or absence of the cryoprotectant. Encapsulation efficiencies, however, increased following lyophilization, in both PEGylated (lyophilization control batch) and non-PEGylated liposomes (cryoprotectant batches only). 31P-NMR revealed the presence of two distinct vesicle populations – liposomes and micelles – in PEGylated formulation. The presence of micelles might be responsible for the observed encapsulation enhancement of sCT in the PEGylated formulation.
Conclusions: Lyophilization resulted in an increase in encapsulation efficiency of sCT in PEGylated liposomes, even in the absence of a cryoprotectant, due to presence of micellar vesicles. 相似文献
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association of CD40 polymorphisms (-1?C>T (rs1883832) and 945G>T (rs4810485)) and myocardial infarction (MI), and to test the association of CD40 gene haplotypes with MI in Tunisians.
Materials and methods: Three hundred and fifty MI patients and 301 apparently healthy controls were included in the study. The polymorphisms of CD40 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).
Results: There were significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of CD40 gene -1?C>T (rs1883832) polymorphism between cases and controls. Stratifying according to gender, the association between the TT genotype and MI was statistically significant in males, only. Haplotype analysis revealed that the C-T and T-G haplotypes were associated with an increased risk of MI (p?=?0.012 and p?<?0.001, respectively).
Conclusions: Our work showed a significant association between the -1?C>T (rs1883832) polymorphism of the CD40 gene and MI in the Tunisians. 相似文献
Aims: To explore biotic and abiotic factors affecting the abundance of urban House Sparrows. To infer the causes that might explain the urban decline and to propose measures that might halt it and elevate population numbers.
Methods: The abundance of urban House Sparrows was analysed in relation to 17 landscape variables by carrying out 181 point counts (50 urban parks/38 schools/93 streets) per season across six locations and over five seasons (breeding and non-breeding seasons) in southeast Spain. Urban parks were also described by 21 additional variables. Hierarchical partitioning analyses were used to identify favoured or avoided urban factors by birds in each season.
Results: House Sparrows were most abundant in parks and other urban areas where rubbish bins were available as their foraging sites. The presence of rubbish bins, area and proximity to other parks favoured their abundance in parks. Furthermore, House Sparrows were less abundant in crowded streets, heavy traffic areas and high-rise buildings zones.
Conclusion: House Sparrows were present in high abundance where they feed but were scarce in polluted, crowded and heavily built-up areas of the city. Changes in the structure of these urban habitats may underlie the documented declines across Spain. Green urban planning and management are needed to ensure heterogeneous green areas with enough vegetation coverage to provide high availability of natural food versus anthropogenic food scraps. Sufficient numbers of buildings offering nest sites and reduced air pollution might ameliorate cities adequately to support larger populations of House Sparrows. 相似文献
The rapid development of lipidomics of human and higher animals stimulated the study of the lipidome of certain groups of marine organisms. Soft corals are an integral part of the tropical and cold-water ecosystems of the World Ocean, but there is almost no data on the lipidome of these animals. The total lipidome of a tropical soft coral Sinularia siaesensis (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcionacea) containing intracellular symbiotic microalgae (zooxanthellae) was studied by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The structure and content of 144 molecular species of the main classes of acyl lipids of this alcyonaria were determined, including waxes, triglycerides (TG), monoalkyldiacylglycerides (MADAG), ethanolamine, choline, serine, and inositol glycerophospholipids (PE, PC, PS, and PI), ceramide aminoethylphosphonate (CAEP), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglyceride (SQDG), and mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerides (MGDG and DGDG). The main components of S. siaesensis lipids were waxes 16:0/16:0, 16:0/18:0, and 18:0/16:0; TG 16:0/16:0/16:0 and 16:2/16:0/16:0; MADAG 18:0e/16:0/16:0, 16:0e/16:0/18:0, and 16:0e/16:0/16:0; and PS 18:0e/24:5, lyso-PC 18:0e, PE 18:1e/20:4, PC 18:0e/20:4, CAEP 18:2b/16:0, SQDG 14:0/16:0, and PI 18:0/24:5. The dominance of saturated waxes in reserve lipids is a species-specific feature of tropical alcyonarians. Waxes are synthesized in the host organism, and zooxanthellae can increase the proportion of saturated waxes by transferring saturated fatty acids (FA). The residues of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) are found in the molecules of TG and MADAG, mainly in the sn-1 and sn-2 positions, respectively. Detection of MADAG with residues of marker FA of zooxanthellae (18:0e/18:3/16:0, 18:0e/18:4/16:0, and 16:0e/18:3/16:0) confirms the transfer of PUFA from the symbionts to the host. Tetracosapolyenoic FA, which is a chemotaxonomic markers of octocorals, are concentrated in molecular species of PS and PI. Most molecular species of PE, PC, and PS are in alkylacyl form, while for PI molecules, a diacyl form is characteristic. A significant proportion of MGDG, DGDG, and SQDG points to the importance of zooxanthellae in the formation of the lipid profile of symbiotic soft corals. Determination of the profile of lipid molecular species requires the development of a lipidomic approach in the study of biochemistry and ecology of corals and other cnidarians.
相似文献Aims: We hypothesised that vegetation patchiness in the semi-arid shrublands of north-eastern Patagonia would be increased by livestock grazing, but not by positive interactions between adult plants of shrubs and grasses.
Methods: We compared vegetation cover and pattern at three grazing intensities (exclosure, light and heavy grazing) and measured the growth of a representative shrub and grass in the presence and absence of the other to quantify the role of plant-to-plant interactions and its interaction with grazing for vegetation structure.
Results: In the grazing exclosure and in moderately grazed areas, vegetation cover among shrub patches was larger, whereas the top cover of shrubs was lower than in the heavily grazed areas. We did not find any evidence of positive interactions between shrub and grass life forms.
Conclusions: Our results were consistent with the hypothesis that livestock grazing increased the formation of patchy vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid shrublands. 相似文献