Increased levels of (class switched) memory B cells in peripheral blood of current smokers

There is increasing evidence that a specific immune response contributes to the pathogenesis of COPD. B-cell follicles are present in lung tissue and increased anti-elastin titers have been found in plasma of COPD patients. Additionally, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated in its pathogenesis as they control immunological reactions. We hypothesize that the specific immune response in COPD is smoke induced, either by a direct effect of smoking or as a result of smoke-induced lung tissue destruction (i.e. formation of neo-epitopes or auto antigens). Furthermore, we propose that Tregs are involved in the suppression of this smoke-induced specific immune response.The presence of B cells, memory B cells and Tregs was assessed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood of 20 COPD patients and 29 healthy individuals and related to their current smoking status.COPD patients had lower (memory) B-cell percentages and higher Treg percentages in peripheral blood than healthy individuals, with a significant negative correlation between these cells. Interestingly, current smokers had higher percentages of (class-switched) memory B cells than ex-smokers and never smokers, irrespective of COPD.This increase in (class-switched) memory B cells in current smokers is intriguing and suggests that smoke-induced neo-antigens may be constantly induced in the lung. The negative correlation between B cells and Tregs in blood is in line with previously published observations that Tregs can suppress B cells. Future studies focusing on the presence of these (class switched) memory B cells in the lung, their antigen specificity and their interaction with Tregs are necessary to further elucidate the specific B-cell response in COPD.     

Biodiversity of pig breeds from China and Europe estimated from pooled DNA samples: differences in microsatellite variation between two areas of domestication

Microsatellite diversity in European and Chinese pigs was assessed using a pooled sampling method on 52 European and 46 Chinese pig populations. A Neighbor Joining analysis on genetic distances revealed that European breeds were grouped together and showed little evidence for geographic structure, although a southern European and English group could tentatively be assigned. Populations from international breeds formed breed specific clusters. The Chinese breeds formed a second major group, with the Sino-European synthetic Tia Meslan in-between the two large clusters. Within Chinese breeds, in contrast to the European pigs, a large degree of geographic structure was noted, in line with previous classification schemes for Chinese pigs that were based on morphology and geography. The Northern Chinese breeds were most similar to the European breeds. Although some overlap exists, Chinese breeds showed a higher average degree of heterozygosity and genetic distance compared to European ones. Between breed diversity was even more pronounced and was the highest in the Central Chinese pigs, reflecting the geographically central position in China. Comparing correlations between genetic distance and heterozygosity revealed that China and Europe represent different domestication or breed formation processes. A likely cause is a more diverse wild boar population in Asia, but various other possible contributing factors are discussed.     

Autoantibody systems in rheumatoid arthritis: specificity, sensitivity and diagnostic value

The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is primarily based on clinical symptoms, so it is often difficult to diagnose RA in very early stages of the disease. A disease-specific autoantibody that could be used as a serological marker would therefore be very useful. Most autoimmune diseases are characterized by a polyclonal B-cell response targeting multiple autoantigens. These immune responses are often not specific for a single disease. In this review, the most important autoantibody/autoantigen systems associated with RA are described and their utility as a diagnostic and prognostic tool, including their specificity, sensitivity and practical application, is discussed. We conclude that, at present, the antibody response directed to citrullinated antigens has the most valuable diagnostic and prognostic potential for RA.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vivo</Emphasis> effect of hyaluronic acid on erythrocyte flow properties

Background  

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is present in many tissues; its presence in serum may be related to certain inflammatory conditions, tissue damage, sepsis, liver malfunction and some malignancies. In the present work, our goal was to investigate the significance of hyaluronic acid effect on erythrocyte flow properties. Therefore we performed in vitro experiments incubating red blood cells (RBCs) with several HA concentrations. Afterwards, in order to corroborate the pathophysiological significance of the results obtained, we replicated the in vitro experiment with ex vivo RBCs from diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, a serum HA-increasing pathology.     

Programmed cell death during development of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) seed coat

The seed coat develops primarily from maternal tissues and comprises multiple cell layers at maturity, providing a metabolically dynamic interface between the developing embryo and the environment during embryogenesis, dormancy and germination of seeds. Seed coat development involves dramatic cellular changes, and the aim of this research was to investigate the role of programmed cell death (PCD) events during the development of seed coats of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. We demonstrate that cells of the developing cowpea seed coats undergo a programme of autolytic cell death, detected as cellular morphological changes in nuclei, mitochondria, chloroplasts and vacuoles, DNA fragmentation and oligonucleosome accumulation in the cytoplasm, and loss of membrane viability. We show for the first time that classes 6 and 8 caspase‐like enzymes are active during seed coat development, and that these activities may be compartmentalized by translocation between vacuoles and cytoplasm during PCD events.     

New records of fungal pathogens of euphorbia inarticulata from Aseer region,south-west Saudi Arabia: Neue aufzeichnungen über fungale pathogene von euphorbia inarticulata aus der Aseer-region im südwesten Saudi Arabiens

A 12 month period survey of the fungi associated with Euphorbia inarticulata was evaluated. Sampling was concentrated mainly in Aseer region (South-West Saudi Arabia) and seven fungal species were identified as pathogens of this plant. Melampsora euphorbiae and Alternaria euphorbiicola were the most common species on this plant. Bipolaris euphorbiae, Botrytis ricini, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Oidium sp., Sphaceloma poinsettiase and Uromyces euphorbiae were less frequent species. These fungal pathogens were recorded for the first time on Euphorbia inarticulata in Saudi Arabia. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the colonization of M. euphorbiae, as an example, in leaf tissues of E. inarticulata. Remarkable ultrastructural changes in chloroplasts and nuclei of infected cells of E. inarticulata as a result of infection by M. euphorbiae were observed.     

Effect of fertilizer levels on grain yield,incidence and severity of downy mildew in pearl millet

The effect of various levels of nitrogen (0.0, 30.0, 60.0, 120.0) and phosphorus (0.0, 6.5, 13.0, 36.0) on the incidence and severity of downy mildew of pearl millet and yield of two pearl millet varieties (Zango and GB8375) were studied under field conditions in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Both nitrogen and phosphorus significantly increased incidence and severity of the disease in the two varieties. Grain yield and 1000 grain weight of the varieties also increased with nitrogen and phosphorus levels.     

Replicated high-density genetic maps of two great tit populations reveal fine-scale genomic departures from sex-equal recombination rates

Linking variation in quantitative traits to variation in the genome is an important, butchallenging task in the study of life-history evolution. Linkage maps provide a valuabletool for the unravelling of such trait−gene associations. Moreover, they giveinsight into recombination landscapes and between-species karyotype evolution. Here weused genotype data, generated from a 10k single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip, ofover 2000 individuals to produce high-density linkage maps of the great tit (Parusmajor), a passerine bird that serves as a model species for ecological andevolutionary questions. We created independent maps from two distinct populations: acaptive F2-cross from The Netherlands (NL) and a wild population from the United Kingdom(UK). The two maps contained 6554 SNPs in 32 linkage groups, spanning 2010 cM and1917 cM for the NL and UK populations, respectively, and were similar in size andmarker order. Subtle levels of heterochiasmy within and between chromosomes wereremarkably consistent between the populations, suggesting that the local departures fromsex-equal recombination rates have evolved. This key and surprising result would have beenimpossible to detect if only one population was mapped. A comparison with zebra finchTaeniopygia guttata, chicken Gallus gallus and the green anole lizardAnolis carolinensis genomes provided further insight into the evolution ofavian karyotypes.