Novel association of high C-reactive protein levels and A69S at risk alleles in wet age-related macular degeneration women

Purpose: To explore the relationship between plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, the main ARMS2 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and gender in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Methods: Our study included 131 patients with wetAMD [age-related eye disease study (AREDS) category 4] and 153 control participants (AREDS category 1) from two Spanish retinal units. CRP levels were determined on blood samples by high-sensitivity ELISA assay. According to their CRP level, subjects were categorized into three well-established CRP categories: low (3.00 mg/L, H-CRP). Genomic DNA was extracted from oral swabs using QIAcube (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and the A69S; rs10490924 of ARMS2 gene was genotyped by allelic discrimination with validated TaqMan assays (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age was used to analyze the genomic frequencies and to calculate odds ratio (OR) using SNPStats software. Results: Considering CRP risk categories, H-CRP group showed a significant [OR 4.0 (1.9-8.3)] association with wetAMD compared to L-CRP group. The risk genotypes of A69S (TT) SNPs showed an association with wetAMD risk [OR 14.0 (4.8-40.8)]. Interestingly, the gender stratification of the CRP categories showed a significant increase in CRP levels in wetAMD women compared with control women [OR 6.9 (2.2-22.3)] and with wetAMD men [OR 4.6 (1.3-16.9)]. In addition, the subgroup analysis of CRP within A69S genotype and gender showed a link in women between the A69S and CRP levels in the AMD group compared to controls [OR 4.2 (1.4-12.6)]. Conclusion: Our study shows, for the first time, that a different genetic association related with gender could contribute to AMD risk. As a consequence, the risk of female gender in the different CRP levels and A69S SNP frequencies could be taken into consideration to the established risk relationship of high levels of CRP and its association with risk A69S genotype

Tolerance of sugarcane varieties to different levels of water depletion on soil.

Sugarcane is one of the most important crops for Brazilian agribusiness, despite water stress being one of the main limiting factors of growth and productivity. Thus, the objective was to verify if there is variation in the tolerance to water deficit among sugarcane varieties in the soil and climate conditions of Quirinópolis-GO (State of Goiás)

Edaphoclimatic and genetic influence on soil water availability factor for different sugarcane varieties.

Sugarcane is grown in all Brazilian states; however, water stress is the main limiting factor of crop productivity in most farming environments (FEN). Thus, the objective was to verify the water availability factor in the soil (factor f) between FEN and sugarcane varieties. The assay was conducted in the Central and Southern Regions of Goiano, in Red Latosol with distinct physical-water attributes among the FEN

Software para manejo da irrigação na cultura do tomate para processamento industrial em Goiás.

O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores de tomate do mundo, sendo o Estado de Goiás o maior produtor brasileiro de tomate para fins industriais. Naquele estado, seu cultivo ocorre, predominantemente, em áreas irrigadas por pivô central, visando a aplicação de água no momento e em quantidades adequadas, pois a produção é sensível tanto ao déficit quanto ao excedente hídrico, inferindo em quebras significativas de produtividade. Porém, na grande maioria das áreas de produção de tomate, o manejo da irrigação ainda é feito de maneira empírica, devido a vários fatores que dificultam e até mesmo inviabilizam uma prática de irrigação correta, tais como: i) o alto custo das estações meteorológicas; ii) a dificuldade na instalação, a falta de homogeneidade nas leituras e a necessidade de calibração de sensores de umidade do solo; iii) a dificuldade de programação, utilização e interpretação de planilhas convencionais de manejo de irrigação; iv) e a carência de um software específico para cultura. Assim, este estudo objetivou desenvolver um software de fácil interface para os usuários, o qual integra as variáveis necessárias para auxiliar de maneira simples e prática o manejo da irrigação do tomateiro para fins industriais, irrigados por pivô central no estado de Goiás. O IrrigaTomate® foi desenvolvido em duas versões: uma para o planejamento, e outra para a tomada de decisão. O planejamento apresenta-se na forma de um calendário de irrigação, com informações de quando e quanto irrigar, após o usuário informar: a) o município, b) a data prevista de transplantio das mudas em campo, c) tipo e sistema de preparo do solo (plantio direto ou convencional), e c) a eficiência, área e lâmina mínima do pivô central. Enquanto que, na versão de tomada de decisão (Manejo), exige, além dos dados de entrada já informados, as informações de solo (granulometria/textura), quantidades diárias de chuva que estão ocorrendo ao longo do ciclo, e quantidades de irrigações efetivamente realizadas. Com isso, o usuário terá as informações de quando e quanto irrigar de forma mais assertiva, pois são utilizados dados coletados em tempo real em estações meteorológicas automáticas instaladas nas microrregiões climáticas homogêneas de Goiás, obtendo-se de uma melhor estimativa da duração de cada estádio fenológico da cultura (por soma térmica) e da evapotranspiração diária. Portanto, o IrrigaTomate® (www.irrigatomate.com.br) é um software que além de aconselhar o usuário no quando e quanto irrigar, registra o manejo efetivamente realizado na lavoura ao longo do ciclo

The Tight Junction Associated Signalling Proteins ZO-1 and ZONAB Regulate Retinal Pigment Epithelium Homeostasis in Mice

Cell-cell adhesion regulates the development and function of epithelia by providing mechanical support and by guiding cell proliferation and differentiation. The tight junction (TJ) protein zonula occludens (ZO)-1 regulates cell proliferation and gene expression by inhibiting the activity of the Y-box transcription factor ZONAB in cultured epithelial cells. We investigated the role of this TJ-associated signalling pathway in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in vivo by lentivirally-mediated overexpression of ZONAB, and knockdown of its cellular inhibitor ZO-1. Both overexpression of ZONAB or knockdown of ZO-1 resulted in increased RPE proliferation, and induced ultrastructural changes of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like phenotype. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that transduced RPE monolayers were disorganised with increased pyknosis and monolayer breaks, correlating with increased expression of several EMT markers. Moreover, fluorescein angiography analysis demonstrated that the increased proliferation and EMT-like phenotype induced by overexpression of ZONAB or downregulation of ZO-1 resulted in RPE dysfunction. These findings demonstrate that ZO-1 and ZONAB are critical for differentiation and homeostasis of the RPE monolayer and may be involved in RPE disorders such as proliferative vitroretinopathy and atrophic age-related macular degeneration

Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Retinal Detachment Reveals Both Inflammatory Response and Photoreceptor Death

Background Retinal detachment often leads to a severe and permanent loss of vision and its therapeutic management remains to this day exclusively surgical. We have used surgical specimens to perform a differential analysis of the transcriptome of human retinal tissues following detachment in order to identify new potential pharmacological targets that could be used in combination with surgery to further improve final outcome. Methodology/Principal Findings Statistical analysis reveals major involvement of the immune response in the disease. Interestingly, using a novel approach relying on coordinated expression, the interindividual variation was monitored to unravel a second crucial aspect of the pathological process: the death of photoreceptor cells. Within the genes identified, the expression of the major histocompatibility complex I gene HLA-C enables diagnosis of the disease, while PKD2L1 and SLCO4A1 -which are both down-regulated- act synergistically to provide an estimate of the duration of the retinal detachment process. Our analysis thus reveals the two complementary cellular and molecular aspects linked to retinal detachment: an immune response and the degeneration of photoreceptor cells. We also reveal that the human specimens have a higher clinical value as compared to artificial models that point to IL6 and oxidative stress, not implicated in the surgical specimens studied here. Conclusions/Significance This systematic analysis confirmed the occurrence of both neurodegeneration and inflammation during retinal detachment, and further identifies precisely the modification of expression of the different genes implicated in these two phenomena. Our data henceforth give a new insight into the disease process and provide a rationale for therapeutic strategies aimed at limiting inflammation and photoreceptor damage associated with retinal detachment and, in turn, improving visual prognosis after retinal surgery