Novel IL10 gene family associations with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common cause of chronic childhood disability and encompasses a number of disease subgroups. In this study we have focused on systemic JIA (sJIA), which accounts for approximately 11% of UK JIA cases. This study reports the investigation of three members of the IL10 gene family as candidate susceptibility loci in children with sJIA. DNA from 473 unaffected controls and 172 patients with sJIA was genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in IL19 and IL20 and two SNPs in IL10. We examined evidence for association of the four SNPs by single marker and haplotype analysis. Significant differences in allele frequency were observed between cases and controls, for both IL10-1082 (p = 0.031) and IL20-468 (p = 0.028). Furthermore, examination of the haplotypes of IL10-1082 and IL20-468 revealed greater evidence for association (global p = 0.0006). This study demonstrates a significant increased prevalence of the low expressing IL10-1082 genotype in patients with sJIA. In addition, we show a separate association with an IL20 polymorphism, and the IL10-1082A/IL20-468T haplotype. The two marker 'A-T' haplotype confers an odds ratio of 2.24 for sJIA. This positive association suggests an important role for these cytokines in sJIA pathogenesis.     

Disease progress of non-specialised fungal pathogens in intraspecific mixed stands of cereal cultivars. I. Models

Two mathematical models are presented which describe progress of disease, caused by an unspecialised pathogen, in pure and mixed stands of cereal cultivars. One is a simple, discrete model utilising the parameters infection frequency (lesions/spore) and sporulation rate (spores/lesion/event) on each cultivar. The model predicts that, in most circumstances, the amount of disease in mixtures will be equal to or less than the arithmetic mean of the component pure stands. An increase in disease is only predicted in situations where the ranking of cultivars with respect to infection frequency and sporulation rate is opposed. In the other model differential equations are proposed. Solutions of these equations indicate that disease amelioration can usually be expected in such mixtures, confirming the conclusions of the discrete model and that disease levels will deviate around the geometric, rather than arithmetic, mean of the pure stands. However the advantages of this model lie in wider generality and conceptual, rather than practical, utility.     

A One Year Audit of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology For the Pre-Operative Diagnosis of Breast Disease

In 1988, 985 patients presenting with breast disease, most with a palpable abnormality, were investigated by the triple approach (clinical examination, imaging and fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC]). Using FNAC, 28% of patients were diagnosed as having carcinoma, 45% benign disease, 4% had suspicious cytology and 3% equivocal cytology. The remaining 20% had inadequate aspirates. Two false positive diagnoses of carcinoma were made (a false positive rate of 0.7%); one was a case of high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the other a papillary lesion with epithelial atypia. The false negative rate was 6.4%. Of these 49 patients, six had carcinoma-in-situ and 19 had low grade tumours. The absolute and complete sensitivities for the diagnosis of carcinoma in this series were 84.7% and 91.9% respectively and the absolute and complete specificities 99.7% and 98.3%, respectively. These figures compare favourably with those from other centres and confirm the efficacy of FNAC as part of the triple approach to the diagnosis of breast disease. The use of FNAC has resulted in a reduction in the number of Trucut and frozen section biopsies performed. Eighty three per cent of the patients with benign disease diagnosed by the triple approach have avoided excision biopsy, none of whom have subsequently been found to have carcinoma. Eighty patients with advanced breast carcinoma were spared operative intervention.     

Aspects of the biology of Hyolitha (Mollusca)

Hyolitha constitute an extinct group of class rank assigned to Molhsca. Two orders, Ortho-thecida and Hyolithida, are well established and most knowledge of morphologic detail is derived from the latter. Both orders had an operculum not hinged to the conch. Hyolithida also had paired, curved, whiskerlike appendages, requiring complex musculature to move them and the operculum. The Hyolithida were probably deposit feeders living in shallow water, and accordingly were tentaculate. A reconstruction of the soft parts of this sedentary organism is given — a shallow mantle cavity on the dorsal side, anterior tentacles, a long intestine, and a reduced ventral foot. Except for the more complex musculature associated with an elaborate operculum, Orthothecida are judged to have had a similar anatomy.     

Factors other than Light Affecting the Pineal Gland: Hypophysectomy, Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone, Estradiol, Cryptorchidism, and Stress

This article reviews those factors other than light that affectthe activity of the pineal gland. Both testosterone and dihydrotestosteronewere shown to have tissue specific inhibitory effects on pinealMAO activity concomitant with an increased activity of the gland.Estradiol stimulated pineal MAO activity and decreased the activityof this gland. This effect also was tissue-specific. Bilateraland unilateral experimental cryptorchidism also decreased pinealMAO activity 3 to 4 weeks after surgery. Acute stresses appearto increase adrenal catecholamine output (epinephrine and norepinephrine)as well as to stimulate local adrenergic pathways, while chronicstress, such as starvation, appears to act through the adrenalcorticosteroids by decreasing pineal MAO activity thereby indirectlyincreasing melatonin synthesis. Thusly, both components of theadrenal gland appear to act in concert to increase effectivelymelatonin synthesis by the pineal gland. Irradiation and histaminehave also been reported to affect pineal function—thelatter specifically inhibits HIOMT activity. These observationsindicate that many factors other than light affect pineal morphologyand melatonin synthesis. The pineal appears to be a true neuroendocrineorgan that is affected by hypophysectomy and is responsive tofeedback and control from other organs within the mammalianorganism.