Early B-cell Factor gene association with multiple sclerosis in the Spanish population

Background  

The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is at present not fully elucidated, although it is considered to result from the interaction of environmental and genetic susceptibility factors. In this work we aimed at testing the Early B-cell Factor (EBF1) gene as a functional and positional candidate risk factor for this neurological disease. Axonal damage is a hallmark for multiple sclerosis clinical disability and EBF plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the expression of proteins essential for axonal pathfinding. Failure of B-cell differentiation was found in EBF-deficient mice and involvement of B-lymphocytes in MS has been suggested from their presence in cerebrospinal fluid and lesions of patients.     

A comparison between protein profiles of B cell subpopulations and mantle cell lymphoma cells

Background  

B-cell lymphomas are thought to reflect different stages of B-cell maturation. Based on cytogenetics and molecular markers, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is presumed to derive predominantly from na?ve, pre-germinal centre (pre-GC) B lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to develop a method to investigate the similarity between MCL cells and different B-cell compartments on a protein expression level.     

Prognostic Significance of B-Cells and pSTAT3 in Patients with Ovarian Cancer

Background

Several previous studies have identified a strong association between T-cell infiltration and clinical outcome in ovarian cancer. The role of B-cells remains controversial, however.

Methods

Forty-nine paraffin-embedded omental specimens derived from patients with high grade epithelial ovarian cancer were assessed. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to characterize expression of CD19⁺ B-cells and pSTAT3 as high (>50% positively staining cells [PSCs]) or low (<50% PSCs). The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to determine the association between clinicopathologic parameters and overall survival (OS). A multi-variate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis including nature of debulking (primary vs secondary), histology, tumor grade, receipt of prior chemotherapy, B-cell infiltration and pSTAT3 expression was performed.

Results

Median OS was 160.6 months in those patients with low B-cell expression vs 47.3 months in those with high B-cell expression (P = 0.0015). Similarly, median OS was improved in those patients with low pSTAT3 expression (160.6 vs 47.9 months, P = 0.02). In a multivariate model to predict survival, only the degree of B-cell infiltration and clinical stage were retained. pSTAT3 expression did not enter the final model, possibly be due to a high positive correlation with B-cell infiltration (r = 0.82, P<0.0001).

Conclusions

Increased B-cell infiltration and pSTAT3 expression in omental tissue are associated with poorer survival.     

Epstein-Barr virus reactivation after superinfection of the BJAB-B1 and P3HR-1 cell lines with cytomegalovirus

Background  

Studies examining herpesvirus-herpesvirus (cytomegalovirus (CMV)-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)) interactions are limited, and many of the studies have been clinical observations suggesting such an interaction exists. This report aims to examine the in vitro susceptibilities of BJAB-B1 and P3HR-1 cells (EBV positive Burkitt's lymphoma B-cell lines) to a CMV superinfection; and show that EBV reactivation occurs after CMV superinfects these cell lines.     

Retrospective analysis of protein kinase C-beta (PKC-β) expression in lymphoid malignancies and its association with survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas

Background  

Both mechanistic features and recent correlative findings suggest a potential role for protein kinase C-beta (PKC-β) in tumor pathogenesis, particularly in B-cell malignancies. To evaluate the role of this gene in lymphoid malignancies, we analyzed global gene expression data to quantify PKC-β expression across diagnostic groups and, when possible, determined correlations between PKC-β expression and survival.     

Molecular cloning and expression of bovine nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2): a maternal effect gene regulated by miR-181a

Background  

Nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2) is an oocyte-specific nuclear protein essential for nuclear and nucleolar organization and early embryonic development. The aims of this study were to clone the bovine NPM2 gene, determine its temporal expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate the potential role of miRNA-181a in regulation of its expression.     

Markers of B-lymphocyte activation are elevated in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis and correlated with disease activity in the ESPOIR cohort

Introduction  

Little is known about systemic B-cell activation in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We therefore evaluated the serum levels of markers of B-cell activation in patients included in the ESPOIR early arthritis cohort.     

Type I interferon receptor controls B-cell expression of nucleic acid-sensing Toll-like receptors and autoantibody production in a murine model of lupus

Introduction  

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of high-titer IgG autoantibodies directed against nuclear autoantigens. Type I interferon (IFN-I) has been shown to play a pathogenic role in this disease. In the current study, we characterized the role of the IFNAR2 chain of the type I IFN (IFN-I) receptor in the targeting of nucleic acid-associated autoantigens and in B-cell expression of the nucleic acid-sensing Toll-like receptors (TLRs), TLR7 and TLR9, in the pristane model of lupus.     

Control of <Emphasis Type="Italic">gag-pol</Emphasis> gene expression in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida albicans</Emphasis> retrotransposon Tca2

Background  

In the C. albicans retrotransposon Tca2, the gag and pol ORFs are separated by a UGA stop codon, 3' of which is a potential RNA pseudoknot. It is unclear how the Tca2 gag UGA codon is bypassed to allow pol expression. However, in other retroelements, translational readthrough of the gag stop codon can be directed by its flanking sequence, including a 3' pseudoknot.     

Identification of a candidate alternative promoter region of the human Bcl2L11 (Bim) gene

Background  

Despite the importance of the BCL2L11 (BIM) protein in various apoptotic processes in development and disease, little is known of the promoter structure of the human BCL2L11 locus and of the cis-acting elements regulating expression of the human gene.     

Involvement of SPI-2-encoded SpiC in flagellum synthesis in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Background  

SpiC encoded within Salmonella pathogeniCity island 2 on the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium chromosome is required for survival within macrophages and systemic infection in mice. Additionally, SpiC contributes to Salmonella-induced activation of the signal transduction pathways in macrophages by affecting the expression of FliC, a component of flagella filaments. Here, we show the contribution of SpiC in flagellum synthesis.