Schizophrenia proteomics: biomarkers on the path to laboratory medicine?

Over two million Americans are afflicted with schizophrenia, a debilitating mental health disorder with a unique symptomatic and epidemiological profile. Genomics studies have hinted towards candidate schizophrenia susceptibility chromosomal loci and genes. Modern proteomic tools, particularly mass spectrometry and expression scanning, aim to identify both pathogenic-revealing and diagnostically significant biomarkers. Only a few studies on basic proteomics have been conducted for psychiatric disorders relative to the plethora of cancer specific experiments. One such proteomic utility enables the discovery of proteins and biological marker fingerprinting profiling techniques (SELDI-TOF-MS), and then subjects them to tandem mass spectrometric fragmentation and de novo protein sequencing (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) for the accurate identification and characterization of the proteins. Such utilities can explain the pathogenesis of neuro-psychiatric disease, provide more objective testing methods, and further demonstrate a biological basis to mental illness. Although clinical proteomics in schizophrenia have yet to reveal a biomarker with diagnostic specificity, methods that better characterize the disorder using endophenotypes can advance findings. Schizophrenia biomarkers could potentially revolutionize its psychopharmacology, changing it into a more hypothesis and genomic/proteomic-driven science.     

Annual TSP and Trace Metal Distribution in the Urban Atmosphere of Islamabad in Comparison with Mega-Cities of the World

The objective of this work was to assess the current concentrations of total suspended particles (TSP) and trace metals in the urban atmosphere of Islamabad, Pakistan, where local industries, transportation, and urbanization are adversely affecting air quality. Air sampling was done using a high-volume sampler and the metals were estimated in TSP by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. An annual mean TSP of 151.9 μ g/m³ was determined for the period May 2003–April 2004, which exceeded the World Health Organization's (WHO's) primary and secondary standards of air quality. The TSP metal concentrations were compared with those reported in literature for other regions of the world and with air quality standards laid down by regulatory agencies. The levels of Na, Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, and Cd for the present study were higher than most of the levels reported for other typical industrial and urban areas of the world. The airborne Ni concentrations were higher than the WHO and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards. Cluster and Principal Component Analyses of the data were used to identify the sources of the metals and establish their mutual correlations in the local atmosphere.     

Phytotoxin Production in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus-Infected Pinus sylvestris

Our findings suggest that i) phytotoxic materials can be isolated from Bursaphelenchus xylophilus-infected Scots pine, but not from noninfected pines; ii) the phytotoxins cause wilting of 45-day-old and 2-year-old pine seedlings in a dose and species dependent manner; iii) the phytotoxins are produced early in the infection, accumulate or increase with time, and may function to suppress water transport in the tree; and iv) the phytotoxins are lipid materials of low molecular weight which are not acidic.