Leucocyte Antigens and Disease: 1. Association of HL-A2 and Chronic Glomerulonephritis

The HL-A2 leucocyte antigen was found to be present in a significantly higher percentage of 485 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis than in 428 normal control subjects. No correlation could be shown between any of the ABO groups and chronic glomerulonephritis. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of HL-A2 when the controls were compared with 280 patients with a variety of other diseases. The trend toward an excess of HL-A2 positives among patients with glomerulonephritis was also seen in a study of 108 sibships, though the difference fell short of statistical significance. It was concluded that an HL-A2 positive person was about 1·5 times as likely to develop chronic glomerulonephritis as an HL-A2 negative person.     

A Clinical Epidemiological Study in 187 Patients with Vertigo

A retrospective study to investigate the clinical epidemiological characteristics of vertigo was carried out on 187 patients with vertigo. A clinical history for each patient was recorded precisely about the attack, frequency, and development of vertigo, its duration, intensity, and the accompanied symptoms including the risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, etc. All the patients were subjected to physical examination with special attention to neurologic systems and Dix-Hallpike maneuver, computed tomography/computed tomography–angiography (CT/CTA) and MRI scan were performed when necessary. Majority of the patients in this study suffered with posterior circulation ischemia (59.89%) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (16.04%). Other ailments that affected these patients included migraine, Meniere’s disease (1.6%), sudden hearing loss (1.07%), vestibular neuronitis, multiple sclerosis, acute viral encephalitis, meningioma, neurosis, posttraumatic vertigo, acute myocardial infarction (0.53%), and neurosis (14.97%). It appeared that in comparison to younger patients the elderly population is likely to be more susceptible to vertigo. Vertigo attacks patients with various diseases, which pre-dispose the patients to this disease. Presentation of vertigo can be clinically diagnosed in most cases of patients suffering from posterior circulation ischemia.     

Microsporidia and Its Relation to Crohn's Disease. A Retrospective Study

Background

The cause of Crohn''s Disease (CD) remains unknown. Recently a decrease in the global lymphocyte population in the peripheral blood of CD patients has been reported. This decrease was more evident in γδ T lymphocytes, especially γδ CD8+T subsets. Furthermore, a decrease of IL-7 was also observed in these patients. We propose the hypothesis that microsporidia, an obligate intracellular opportunistic parasite recently related to fungi, in CD patients can take advantage of the lymphocytes and IL-7 deficits to proliferate and to contribute to the pathophysiology of this disease.

Methods and Findings

In this case-control study, serum samples were collected from 36 CD patients and from 36 healthy individuals (controls), IgE and IgG anti-Encephalitozoon antibodies were determined by ELISA; and forty-four intestinal tissue samples were analyzed through real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), twenty CD patients, nine with others diseases and 15 healthy subjects.We observed that IgE anti-Encephalitozoon levels were significantly higher in patients with CD: 0.386(±0.256) vs control group, 0.201(±0.147), P<0.001. However, IgG anti-Encephalitozoon values were significantly lower in CD patients: 0.361(±0.256) vs control group, 0.876(±0.380), P<0.001. In the group of CD patients, 6/20 (30%) were positive by real time PCR for microsporidia and, all the patients of the control group were negative by real time PCR.

Conclusions

These results suggest that CD patients are a group at risk for microsporidiasis and, moreover that microsporidia may be involved as a possible etiologic factor of CD.     

A Prospective Epidemiological Study of Acute Mountain Sickness in Nepalese Pilgrims Ascending to High Altitude (4380 m)

Background

Each year, thousands of pilgrims travel to the Janai Purnima festival in Gosainkunda, Nepal (4380 m), ascending rapidly and often without the aid of pharmaceutical prophylaxis.

Methods

During the 2012 Janai Purnima festival, 538 subjects were recruited in Dhunche (1950 m) before ascending to Gosainkunda. Through interviews, subjects provided demographic information, ratings of AMS symptoms (Lake Louise Scores; LLS), ascent profiles, and strategies for prophylaxis.

Results

In the 491 subjects (91% follow-up rate) who were assessed upon arrival at Gosainkunda, the incidence of AMS was 34.0%. AMS was more common in females than in males (RR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.23, 2.00), and the AMS incidence was greater in subjects >35 years compared to subjects ≤35 years (RR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36, 1.95). There was a greater incidence of AMS in subjects who chose to use garlic as a prophylactic compared to those who did not (RR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.26, 2.28). Although the LLS of brothers had a moderate correlation (intraclass correlation = 0.40, p = 0.023), sibling AMS status was a weak predictor of AMS.

Conclusions

The incidence of AMS upon reaching 4380 m was 34% in a large population of Nepalese pilgrims. Sex, age, and ascent rate were significant factors in the development of AMS, and traditional Nepalese remedies were ineffective in the prevention of AMS.     

Equine markers genes. Polymorphism for group-specific component (Gc)

Polymorphism of equine Gc protein was demonstrated by immunofixation electrophoresis with a goat anti-human Gc antibody. Three different phenotypes, F, FS and S, were found. Family data supported the genetic theory of two autosomal co-dominant alleles, Gc^F and Gc^S. Both alleles occurred in Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Arabian horses and in Shetland ponies. A frequency of 0.23 for Gc^S in the American Standardbred horse indicates the system should be useful for problems of identification and parentage.     

Analysis of Cross-Reactive Antigens of Phytophthora fragariae and Strawberry and their Relation to Resistance and Susceptibility

The presence of cross-reactive antigens between five isolates of P, fragariae (Pf 1, Pf 2, Pf 3, Pf 10 and Pf 11) belonging to five physiological races of the fungus and five strawberry cultivars (Cambridge Favourite, Hapil, Red Gauntlet, Siletz and 52AC18) exhibiting different disease responses to the five isolates was demonstrated by Western blotting. Antiserum anti-H, raised against extracts of healthy Cambridge Favourite roots, detected two antigens which were common to all isolates. Concentration of one of these antigens might be related to the pathogenicity of P. fragariae isolates. Antiserum anti-PfM, raised against mycelial suspensions from the five isolates, detected a doublet of 64 and 61 kDa in the soluble extracts of healthy roots from the five cultivars tested. The corresponding root suspensions revealed numerous other antigens which reacted with anti-PfM. In susceptible interactions, the doublet described above and two additional polypeptides of 38 and 31 kda were detected in large concentrations in both the soluble extracts and root suspensions. These four polypeptides were shown to be present in the healthy roots as well as in the mycelial extracts. In resistant interactions, a 116 kDa polypeptide, present in the root suspensions of the healthy host, was detected in the soluble extracts of the infected roots. It is suggested that these antigens might have a role in resistance and susceptibility.     

Differentiation Antigens: Dependence on Carcinogenesis Mechanisms and Tumor Progression (A Hypothesis)

The data considered in the paper indicate that a tumor clone resulting from cell transformation, in order to develop into an overt neoplasm, should overcome a microenvironmental constraint. This destroys intercellular contacts and cell interactions with extracellular matrix required for induction and maintenance of epithelium differentiation. The possible reasons for this lie in mutations of genes that control cell adhesion molecules and integrins, as well as proteases secreted by a tumor. These events lead to partial loss of differentiation antigens by a cell or to their incorrect localization in a cell. Simultaneously, the expression of embryo-specific genes is unblocked, leading to overexpression of embryonic antigens and their abnormal secretion into blood, which results in appearance of oncofetal serum markers. Discussed from this point of view are alpha-fetoprotein, the carcinoembryonic antigen, and the prostate-specific antigen, which are used as tumor markers.     

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Risk Loci to Equine Recurrent Uveitis in German Warmblood Horses

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a common eye disease affecting up to 3–15% of the horse population. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Illumina equine SNP50 bead chip was performed to identify loci conferring risk to ERU. The sample included a total of 144 German warmblood horses. A GWAS showed a significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on horse chromosome (ECA) 20 at 49.3 Mb, with IL-17A and IL-17F being the closest genes. This locus explained a fraction of 23% of the phenotypic variance for ERU. A GWAS taking into account the severity of ERU, revealed a SNP on ECA18 nearby to the crystalline gene cluster CRYGA-CRYGF. For both genomic regions on ECA18 and 20, significantly associated haplotypes containing the genome-wide significant SNPs could be demonstrated. In conclusion, our results are indicative for a genetic component regulating the possible critical role of IL-17A and IL-17F in the pathogenesis of ERU. The associated SNP on ECA18 may be indicative for cataract formation in the course of ERU.     

Equine Abortion (Herpes) Virus: Strain Differences in Susceptibility to Inactivation by Dithiothreitol

The infectivity of equine abortion (herpes) virus (EAV) was inactivated by treatment with reduced dithiothreitol (DTT). According to their susceptibility to DTT, the EAV strains could be divided into three groups. The vaccine strain RAC-H (419) proved to be more resistant to DTT than all of the other 14 strains tested. The hemagglutinin of EAV was also inactivated by DTT; no strain differences were observed in this respect.