Gut-associated plasmacytoid dendritic cells display an immature phenotype and upregulated granzyme B in subjects with HIV/AIDS

© 2015 Boichuk, Khaiboullina, Ramazanov, Khasanova, Ivanovskaya, Nizamutdinov, Sharafutdinov, Martynova, DeMeirleir, Hulstaert, Anokhin, Rizvanov and Lombardi. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in the periphery of subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) decrease over time, and the fate of these cells has been the subject of ongoing investigation. Previous studies using animal models as well as studies with humans suggest that these cells may redistribute to the gut. Other studies using animal models propose that the periphery pDCs are depleted and gut is repopulated with naive pDCs from the bone marrow. In the present study, we utilized immunohistochemistry to survey duodenum biopsies of subjects with HIV/AIDS and controls. We observed that subjects with HIV/AIDS had increased infiltration of Ki-67+/CD303+ pDCs, a phenotype consistent with bone marrow-derived pre-pDCs. In contrast, Ki-67+/CD303+ pDCs were not observed in control biopsies. We additionally observed that gut-associated pDCs in HIV/AIDS cases upregulate the proapoptotic enzyme granzyme B; however, no granzyme B was observed in the pDCs of control biopsies. Our data are consistent with reports in animal models that suggest periphery pDCs are depleted by exhaustion and that naive pDCs egress from the bone marrow and ultimately infiltrate the gut mucosa. Additionally, our observation of granzyme B upregulation in naive pDCs may identify a contributing factor to the gut pathology associated with HIV infection

Nitrogênio fixado simbioticamente por feijão‑caupi e gliricídia em sistemas tradicional e agroflorestal sob condições semiáridas

The objective of this work was to estimate the amounts of N fixed by cowpea in a traditional system and by cowpea and gliricidia in an agroforestry system in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a split‑plot arrangement, with four replicates, in the semiarid region of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Plots consisted of agroforestry and traditional systems (no trees), and split‑plots of the three crops planted between the tree rows in the agroforestry system. To estimate N fixation, plant samples were collected in the fourth growth cycle of the perennial species and in the fourth planting cycle of the annual species. In the agroforestry system with buffel grass and prickly‑pear cactus, gliricidia plants symbiotically fix high proportions of N (>50%) and contribute with higher N amounts (40 kg ha‑1 in leaves) than in the traditional system (11 kg ha‑1 in grain and 18 kg ha‑1 in straw). In the agroforestry system with maize and cowpea, gliricidia plants do not fix nitrogen, and N input is limited to the fixation by cowpea (2.7 kg ha‑1), which is lower than in the traditional system due to its lower biomass production.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar as quantidades de N fixadas em feijão‑caupi em sistema tradicional e em feijão‑caupi e gliricídia em sistema agroflorestal, sob condições semiáridas do Nordeste brasileiro. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos ao acaso, em arranjo em parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições, no semiárido da Paraíba. As parcelas consistiram dos sistemas agroflorestal e tradicional (sem árvores), e as subparcelas, dos três cultivos entre as linhas das árvores, no sistema agroflorestal. Para estimar a fixação de N, amostras das plantas foram coletadas no quarto ciclo de crescimento das espécies perenes e no quarto ciclo de cultivo das espécies anuais. No sistema agroflorestal com capim‑buffel e palma forrageira, a gliricídia fixa simbioticamente altas proporções de N (>50%) e adiciona quantidades maiores de N (40 kg ha‑1 nas folhas) que no sistema tradicional (11 kg ha‑1 nos grãos e 18 kg ha‑1 na palhada). No sistema agroflorestal com milho e feijão‑caupi, a gliricídia não fixa N e a adição de N é limitada à fixação no feijão‑caupi (2,7 kg ha‑1), que é menor que no sistema tradicional em razão da sua baixa produção de biomassa

Oligonucleotide Microarray Analysis of Age-Related Gene Expression Profiles in Miniature Pigs

Miniature pigs are useful model animals for humans because they have similar anatomy and digestive physiology to humans and are easy to breed and handle. In this study, whole blood microarray analyses were conducted to evaluate variations of correlation among individuals and ages using specific pathogen-free (SPF) Clawn miniature pigs. Whole blood RNA is easy to handle compared to isolated white blood cell RNA and can be used for health and disease monitoring and animal control. In addition, whole blood is a heterogeneous mixture of subpopulation cells. Once a great change occurs in composition and expressing condition of subpopulations, their associated change will be reflected on whole blood RNA. From 12 to 30 weeks of age, fractions of lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils in white blood cells showed insignificant differences with age as a result of ANOVA analysis. This study attempted to identify characteristics of age-related gene expression by taking into account the change in the number of expressed genes by age and similarities of gene expression intensity between individuals. As a result, the number of expressed genes was less in fetal stage and infancy period but increased with age, reaching a steady state of gene expression after 20 weeks of age. Variation in gene expression intensity within the same age was great in fetal stage and infancy period, but converged with age. The variation between 20 and 30 weeks of age was comparable to that among 30 weeks individuals. These results indicate that uniformity of laboratory animals is expected for miniature pigs after 20 weeks of age. Furthermore, a possibility was shown that whole blood RNA analysis is applicable to evaluation of physiological state

PepShell : visualization of conformational proteomics data

Proteins are dynamic molecules; they undergo crucial conformational changes induced by post-translational modifications and by binding of cofactors or other molecules. The characterization of these conformational changes and their relation to protein function is a central goal of structural biology. Unfortunately, most conventional methods to obtain structural information do not provide information on protein dynamics. Therefore, mass spectrometry-based approaches, such as limited proteolysis, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and stable-isotope labeling, are frequently used to characterize protein conformation and dynamics, yet the interpretation of these data can be cumbersome and time consuming. Here, we present PepShell, a tool that allows interactive data analysis of mass spectrometry-based conformational proteomics studies by visualization of the identified peptides both at the sequence and structure levels. Moreover, PepShell allows the comparison of experiments under different conditions, including different proteolysis times or binding of the protein to different substrates or inhibitors

Immunohaematological reference values in human immunodeficiency virus-negative adolescent and adults in rural northern Tanzania

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The amount of CD4 T cells is used for monitoring HIV progression and improvement, and to make decisions to start antiretroviral therapy and prophylactic drugs for opportunistic infections. The aim of this study was to determine normal reference values for CD4 T cells, lymphocytes, leucocytes and haemoglobin level in healthy, HIV negative adolescents and adults in rural northern Tanzania.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross sectional study was conducted from September 2006 to March 2007 in rural northern Tanzania. Participants were recruited from voluntary HIV counselling and testing clinics. Patients were counselled for HIV test and those who consented were tested for HIV. Clinical screening was done, and blood samples were collected for CD4 T cell counts and complete blood cell counts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We enrolled 102 participants, forty two (41.2%) males and 60 (58.8%) females. The mean age was 32.6 ± 95% CI 30.2–35.0. The mean absolute CD4 T cell count was 745.8 ± 95% CI 695.5–796.3, absolute CD8 T cells 504.6 ± 95% CI 461.7–547.5, absolute leukocyte count 5.1 ± 95% CI 4.8–5.4, absolute lymphocyte count 1.8 ± 95% CI 1.7–1.9, and haemoglobin level 13.2 ± 95% CI 12.7–13.7. Females had significantly higher mean absolute CD4 T cell count (p = 0.008), mean absolute CD8 T cell count (p = 0.009) and significantly lower mean haemoglobin level than males (p = 0.003)</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Immunohaematological values found in this study were different from standard values for western countries. Females had significantly higher mean CD4 T cell counts and lower mean haemoglobin levels than males. This raises the issue of the appropriateness of the present reference values and guidelines for monitoring HIV/AIDS patients in Tanzania.</p

Un cas de postposition chez les Mɔngɔ

Hulstaert G. Un cas de postposition chez les Mɔngɔ. In: Africana Linguistica 8, 1980. pp. 137-147

Table des matières de la syntaxe du lɔmɔngɔ

Hulstaert G. Table des matières de la syntaxe du lɔmɔngɔ. In: Africana Linguistica 8, 1980. pp. 149-158