Local Increase of Arginase Activity in Lesions of Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

The leishmaniases are a complex of diseases caused by Leishmania parasites. Currently, the diseases affect an estimated 12 million people in 88 countries, and approximately 350 million more people are at risk. The leishmaniases belong to the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting the poorest populations, for whom access to diagnosis and effective treatment are often not available. Leishmania parasites infect cells of the immune system called macrophages, which have the capacity to eliminate the intracellular parasites when they receive the appropriate signals from other cells of the immune system. In nonhealing persistent leishmaniasis, lymphocytes are unable to transmit the signals to macrophages required to kill the intracellular parasites. The local upregulation of the enzyme arginase has been shown to impair lymphocyte effector functions at the site of pathology. In this study, we tested the activity of this enzyme in skin lesions of patients presenting with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis. Our results show that arginase is highly upregulated in these lesions. This increase in arginase activity coincides with lower expression of a signalling molecule in lymphocytes, which is essential for efficient activation of these cells. These results suggest that increased arginase expression in the localized cutaneous lesions might contribute to persistent disease in patients presenting with cutaneous leishmaniasis

THE LIFE REGARD INDEX - RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

This study investigated the reliability and factorial validity of the Life Regard Index, a measure of meaning in life. Principal component factor analyses performed on the responses of 122 undergraduate psychology students, gave two factors, fulfillment and framework, confirming the theoretical structure. Alpha estimates of internal consistency of the factor scales ranged from satisfactory to good. Analysis supports the predicted moderate negative correlations with anxiety, hostility and depression and a positive correlation with elation. Discriminant validity was good: the index discriminated persons who are happy and satisfied with their lives from unhappy and dissatisfied ones. A clear philosophy of life, education, and psychological counseling correlated significantly with the degree of meaning in life. The use of the instrument in further research is recommended. </jats:p

On the psychometric properties of the life regard index (LRI)::A measure of meaningful life: An evaluation in three independent samples based on the Dutch version

The current study presents data on the reliability and validity of the Life Regard Index (LRI), a 28-item scale which was designed to assess positive life regard, degree of experienced meaningfulness of one's life. The theoretical LRI structure, distinguishing two dimensions framework and fulfilment, was substantially supported by empirical data from distressed student (n = 116), normal student (n = 169) and general population (n = 176) samples. The findings demonstrated that the LRI scales have high internal consistency, and good test-retest reliability. The LRI strongly discriminated between distressed and non-distressed subjects. Associations with happiness, psychological well-being and primary relationships were established, showing evidence for construct validity of the LRI. Furthermore the instrument was found to be to a great extent independent of specific value orientations. The use of the instrument in further research is recommended