Normally occurring NKG2D+CD4+ T cells are immunosuppressive and inversely correlated with disease activity in juvenile-onset lupus

The NKG2D receptor stimulates natural killer cell and T cell responses upon engagement of ligands associated with malignancies and certain autoimmune diseases. However, conditions of persistent NKG2D ligand expression can lead to immunosuppression. In cancer patients, tumor expression and shedding of the MHC class I–related chain A (MICA) ligand of NKG2D drives proliferative expansions of NKG2D+CD4+ T cells that produce interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β, as well as Fas ligand, which inhibits bystander T cell proliferation in vitro. Here, we show that increased frequencies of functionally equivalent NKG2D+CD4+ T cells are inversely correlated with disease activity in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), suggesting that these T cells may have regulatory effects. The NKG2D+CD4+ T cells correspond to a normally occurring small CD4 T cell subset that is autoreactive, primed to produce IL-10, and clearly distinct from proinflammatory and cytolytic CD4 T cells with cytokine-induced NKG2D expression that occur in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. As classical regulatory T cell functions are typically impaired in SLE, it may be clinically significant that the immunosuppressive NKG2D+CD4+ T cells appear functionally uncompromised in this disease

Stillbirth differences according to regions of origin: an analysis of the German perinatal database, 2004-2007

Reeske A, Kutschmann M, Razum O, Spallek J. Stillbirth differences according to regions of origin: an analysis of the German perinatal database, 2004-2007. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2011;11(1): 63.Background: Stillbirth is a sensitive indicator for access to, and quality of health care and social services in a society. If a particular population group e. g. migrants experiences higher rates of stillbirth, this might be an indication of social deprivation or barriers to health care. This study examines differences in risk of stillbirth for women of different regions of origin compared to women from Germany in order to identify high risk groups/target groups for prevention strategies. Methods: We used the BQS dataset routinely compiled to examine perinatal outcomes in Germany nationwide. Participation of hospitals and completeness of data has been about 98% in recent years. Data on all live births and stillbirths were obtained for the period 2004 to 2007 (N = 2,670,048). We calculated crude and stratified mortality rates as well as corresponding relative mortality risks. Results: A significantly elevated stillbirth rate was found for women from the Middle East and North Africa (incl. Turkey) (RR 1.34, CI 1.22-1.55). The risk was slightly attenuated for low SES. An elevated risk was also found for women from Asia (RR 1.18, CI 1.02-1.65) and from Mediterranean countries (RR 1.14, CI 0.93-1.28). No considerable differences either in use and timing of antenatal care or preterm birth and low birthweight were observed between migrant and non-migrant women. After stratification for light for gestational age, the relative risk of stillbirth for women from the Middle East/North Africa increased to 1.63 (95% CI 1.25-2.13). When adjusted for preterm births with low birthweight, women from Eastern Europe and the Middle East/North Africa experienced a 26% (43%) higher risk compared with women from Germany. Conclusions: We found differences in risk of stillbirth among women from Middle East/North Africa, especially in association with low SES and low birthweight for gestational age. Our findings suggest a need for developing and evaluating socially and culturally sensitive health promotion and prevention programmes for this group. The findings should also stimulate discussion about the quality and appropriateness of antenatal and perinatal care of pregnant women and newborns with migrant backgrounds

Comparative analyses of vertebrate posterior HoxD clusters reveal atypical cluster architecture in the caecilian Typhlonectes natans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The posterior genes of the <it>HoxD </it>cluster play a crucial role in the patterning of the tetrapod limb. This region is under the control of a global, long-range enhancer that is present in all vertebrates. Variation in limb types, as is the case in amphibians, can probably not only be attributed to variation in <it>Hox </it>genes, but is likely to be the product of differences in gene regulation. With a collection of vertebrate genome sequences available today, we used a comparative genomics approach to study the posterior <it>HoxD </it>cluster of amphibians. A frog and a caecilian were included in the study to compare coding sequences as well as to determine the gain and loss of putative regulatory sequences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We sequenced the posterior end of the <it>HoxD </it>cluster of a caecilian and performed comparative analyses of this region using <it>HoxD </it>clusters of other vertebrates. We determined the presence of conserved non-coding sequences and traced gains and losses of these footprints during vertebrate evolution, with particular focus on amphibians. We found that the caecilian <it>HoxD </it>cluster is almost three times larger than its mammalian counterpart. This enlargement is accompanied with the loss of one gene and the accumulation of repeats in that area. A similar phenomenon was observed in the coelacanth, where a different gene was lost and expansion of the area where the gene was lost has occurred. At least one phylogenetic footprint present in all vertebrates was lost in amphibians. This conserved region is a known regulatory element and functions as a boundary element in neural tissue to prevent expression of <it>Hoxd </it>genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The posterior part of the <it>HoxD </it>cluster of <it>Typhlonectes natans </it>is among the largest known today. The loss of <it>Hoxd-12 </it>and the expansion of the intergenic region may exert an influence on the limb enhancer, by having to bypass a distance seven times that of regular <it>HoxD </it>clusters. Whether or not there is a correlation with the loss of limbs remains to be investigated. These results, together with data on other vertebrates show that the tetrapod <it>Hox </it>clusters are more variable than previously thought.</p

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Household decisions and gender inequality in education in rural China

This study employs a multidisciplinary approach to understand household education decisions and their implications for gender inequality in education in rural China. Based on a household survey of poor rural counties in Gansu and Hebei and local accounts, the study finds that parents have higher educational expectations for boys than for girls. Household education spending is a heavy economic burden for poor rural households, and school non-attendance rates are higher for girls than for boys in the majority of the counties. School attendance is related to economic burden, gender and other factors, but the relationship differs across the counties

Small-scale analysis of the infant mortality in Bielefeld under special consideration of the immigrant background

Bardehle D, Blecher C, Danke K, Cremer D, Razum O. Kleinräumige Analyse der Säuglingssterblichkeit in Bielefeld unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Migrationshintergrundes. Das Gesundheitswesen. 2008;70(3): 3

Small Area Analysis of Infant Mortality in Bielefeld with Special Consideration of the Migration Satutus of Parents, 2000-2006

Danke K, Blecher C, Bardehle D, Cremer D, Razum O. Kleinräumige Analyse der Säuglingssterblichkeit in Bielefeld unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Migrationshintergrundes, 2000-2006. GESUNDHEITSWESEN. 2008;70(11):624-630.Objective: From 2002 to 2005 the infant mortality Fate in the city of Bielefeld has been higher than that of the state of North Rhine Westphalia, in which Bielefeld is located. The 3-year average in Bielefeld was 7.3 vs. 4.7 per 1000 live births in the period 2002-2004. The aim Of Our study was to examine the causes of the elevated infant mortality in Bielefeld. Methods: We conducted a small area analysis and an analysis of the migration status of parents and children in the context of infant mortality. We collected data from death certificates stored at the health office of Bielefeld and coded the cause of death according to ICD-10. We extracted nationality and Country of birth from the local Population registry. Results: The most frequent causes of death were perinatal factors, malformations and sudden infant death syndrome. Three city districts with a high proportion Of Population groups With specific sociological risks had an elevated infant mortality. Among infants of migrants, malforillations were a more common cause of death (40% of all deaths) than among those without migration background. Perinatal Causes were less common among infants with a migration background than without one (42% vs. 54%. of deaths). The authors question whether or not a cause-effect relationship exists here. Conclusions: The infant mortality rate and the proportion of low birth-weight infants are associated with the social status. Thus, infant mortality is not distributed evenly within a city, either in geographic or in sociological terms. Conversely, statistics about infant mortality define focal points which can be identified and improved. Analysis according to migration background and socio-spatial structures can help to assess health care provided and to initiate targeted interventions, e.g., via local health conferences