Immune System Links Psoriasis-Mediated Inflammation to Cardiovascular Diseases via Traditional and Non-Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background. Cutaneous psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases though the reasons are not clear. Here we discuss the role of the immune system in atherosclerosis and of the proinflammatory status in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis diseases

Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Role of Sustained Host-Parasite Interaction in Systemic Inflammatory Burden

The economic and social burden associated with Chagas disease morbidity and mortality is regrettably large in Latin America causing more deaths than does any other parasitic disease. Inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy is, by far, the most important clinical consequence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The insidious persistence of this parasite determines chronic myocarditis progression. The clinical outcome is multifactorial and depends on the particular parasite strain and virulence factors, the infective load and route of infection, the parasite ability to by-pass the protective immune response, the intensity and type of immune response during the acute infective phase, and the host genetic background. From the immunological viewpoint, host control of T. cruzi has been shown to depend on both humoral and cell-mediated adaptive responses and from the innate immune system. In this review, we discuss the most relevant literature conveying information on the relevance of identifying a subset of systemic inflammatory molecules as potential markers of cardiovascular risk morbidity and mortality in patients with Chagas disease. Concurrently, a direct role for the parasite in the perpetuation of myocardial inflammation is substantiated. Ultimately, host-parasite interactions determine the course of the ongoing systemic inflammation and the perpetuation of myocardial inflammation in genetically predisposed patients

Hippocampal Dendritic Spines Modifications Induced by Perinatal Asphyxia

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) affects the synaptic function and morphological organization. In previous works, we have shown neuronal and synaptic changes in rat neostriatum subjected to hypoxia leading to long-term ubi-protein accumulation. Since F-actin is highly concentrated in dendritic spines, modifications in its organization could be related with alterations induced by hypoxia in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we investigate the effects of PA on the actin cytoskeleton of hippocampal postsynaptic densities (PSD) in 4-month-old rats. PSD showed an increment in their thickness and in the level of ubiquitination. Correlative fluorescence-electron microscopy photooxidation showed a decrease in the number of F-actin-stained spines in hippocampal excitatory synapses subjected to PA. Although Western Blot analysis also showed a slight decrease in β-actin in PSD in PA animals, the difference was not significant. Taken together, this data suggests that long-term actin cytoskeleton might have role in PSD alterations which would be a spread phenomenon induced by PA

Eastern enlargement and differentiated integration: towards normalization

Against the background of theoretical arguments and the historical record, enlargements of the European Union tend to increase differentiated integration. The actual development of differentiation of the 2004 and 2007 accession countries can, therefore, be seen as an indicator of the Union’s integration capacity. We map the newcomers’ differentiated integration since accession, and also distinguish between exemptions and discrimination. Furthermore, we approximate a counterfactual scenario of how their level of differentiation might have developed in the absence of recent accession through a comparison to the Southern member states. Finally, we explore correlations between exemptions, discriminations and two structural country characteristics, wealth and identity. Overall, the level, trajectory and patterns of differentiation point towards a normalization of the new member states’ integration in the Union

Grand Theories, Differentiated Integration

Even though differentiation has become a core feature of the EU, the grand theories have focused almost exclusively on uniform integration. In this paper, we derive hypotheses about differentiated integration from liberal intergovernmentalism, neofunctionalism, and postfunctionalism. In an analysis of EU treaty making between 1992 and 2016, we find evidence that heterogeneity of both wealth and identity, integration in the area of core state powers, and pre-existing differentiation drive differentiated integration. A comparison of the explanatory power of the grand theories shows that neo- and post-functionalism explain the differentiations that member states obtain in EU reform treaties more convincingly than liberal intergovernmentalism. A synthetic model performs best, however. The grand theories also leave noteworthy variation unexplained

Multidimensional overview of neurofilament light chain contribution to comprehensively understanding multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelination, progressive axonal loss, and varying clinical presentations. Axonal damage associated with the inflammatory process causes neurofilaments, the major neuron structural proteins, to be released into the extracellular space, reaching the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the peripheral blood. Methodological advances in neurofilaments’ serological detection and imaging technology, along with many clinical and therapeutic studies in the last years, have deepened our understanding of MS immunopathogenesis. This review examines the use of light chain neurofilaments (NFLs) as peripheral MS biomarkers in light of the current clinical and therapeutic evidence, MS immunopathology, and technological advances in diagnostic tools. It aims to highlight NFL multidimensional value as a reliable MS biomarker with a diagnostic-prognostic profile while improving our comprehension of inflammatory neurodegenerative processes, mainly RRMS, the most frequent clinical presentation of MS

Antagonistic Parent-Offspring Co-Adaptation

In species across taxa, offspring have means to influence parental investment (PI). PI thus evolves as an interacting phenotype and indirect genetic effects may strongly affect the co-evolutionary dynamics of offspring and parental behaviors. Evolutionary theory focused on explaining how exaggerated offspring solicitation can be understood as resolution of parent-offspring conflict, but the evolutionary origin and diversification of different forms of family interactions remains unclear.Methodology/Principal Findings In contrast to previous theory that largely uses a static approach to predict how “offspring individuals” and “parental individuals” should interact given conflict over PI, we present a dynamic theoretical framework of antagonistic selection on the PI individuals obtain/take as offspring and the PI they provide as parents to maximize individual lifetime reproductive success; we analyze a deterministic and a stochastic version of this dynamic framework. We show that a zone for equivalent co-adaptation outcomes exists in which stable levels of PI can evolve and be maintained despite fast strategy transitions and ongoing co-evolutionary dynamics. Under antagonistic co-adaptation, cost-free solicitation can evolve as an adaptation to emerging preferences in parents. Conclusions/Significance We show that antagonistic selection across the offspring and parental life-stage of individuals favors co-adapted offspring and parental behavior within a zone of equivalent outcomes. This antagonistic parent-offspring co-adaptation does not require solicitation to be costly, allows for rapid divergence and evolutionary novelty and potentially explains the origin and diversification of the observed provisioning forms in family life

Sensory cutaneous papillae in the sea lamprey (Petromyzonmarinus L.) : I. Neuroanatomy and physiology

Molecules present in an animal's environment can indicate the presence of predators,food, or sexual partners and consequently, induce migratory, reproductive, foraging,or escape behaviors. Three sensory systems, the olfactory, gustatory, and solitarychemosensory cell (SCC) systems detect chemical stimuli in vertebrates. While agreat deal of research has focused on the olfactory and gustatory system over theyears, it is only recently that significant attention has been devoted to the SCC sys-tem. The SCCs are microvillous cells that were first discovered on the skin of fish,and later in amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Lampreys also possess SCCs that areparticularly numerous on cutaneous papillae. However, little is known regarding theirprecise distribution, innervation, and function. Here, we show that sea lampreys(Petromyzon marinus L.) have cutaneous papillae located around the oral disk, nostril,gill pores, and on the dorsal fins and that SCCs are particularly numerous on thesepapillae. Tract-tracing experiments demonstrated that the oral and nasal papillae areinnervated by the trigeminal nerve, the gill pore papillae are innervated by branchialnerves, and the dorsal fin papillae are innervated by spinal nerves. We also character-ized the response profile of gill pore papillae to some chemicals and showed thattrout-derived chemicals, amino acids, and a bile acid produced potent responses.Together with a companion study (Suntres et al., Journal of Comparative Neurology,this issue), our results provide new insights on the function and evolution of the SCCsystem in vertebrates