Dynamic correlation between CTL response and viral load in primary human immunodeficiency virus-1 infected Koreans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIV-1 specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have an important role as antiviral effector cells for controlling HIV-1 infection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To investigate CTL response during the early stage of HIV infection, we measured immunity-related factors including CD4⁺T cell counts, CD8⁺T cell counts, HIV-1 RNA viral loads and IFN-γ secretion according to CTL response in 78 selected primary HIV-1-infected Koreans.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The CTL response was strongly induced by HIV-1 specific Gag and Nef peptides (p = 0.016) compared with induction by Tat or Env peptides. These results suggest that the major antiviral factors inducing strong HIV-specific CTL responses are associated with the Gag and Nef viral regions in primary HIV-1 infected Koreans. The relationship between viral load and CTL response showed varying correlations with time following HIV infection. CTL response was inversely correlated with viral loads at preseroconversion stage I (r = -0.224 to -0.33) and changed to a positive correlation at the preseroconversion stage II (r = 0.132 to 0.854). Finally, it changed to an inverse correlation again after seroconversion until a viral set point was established on serological profiling (r = -0.195 to -0.407).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings demonstrate a dynamic correlation between viral load and subsequent CTL responses during early HIV infection.</p

Global Diversity of Ascidiacea

The class Ascidiacea presents fundamental opportunities for research in the fields of development, evolution, ecology, natural products and more. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the global biodiversity of the class Ascidiacea, focusing in their taxonomy, main regions of biodiversity, and distribution patterns. Based on analysis of the literature and the species registered in the online World Register of Marine Species, we assembled a list of 2815 described species. The highest number of species and families is found in the order Aplousobranchia. Didemnidae and Styelidae families have the highest number of species with more than 500 within each group. Sixty percent of described species are colonial. Species richness is highest in tropical regions, where colonial species predominate. In higher latitudes solitary species gradually contribute more to the total species richness. We emphasize the strong association between species richness and sampling efforts, and discuss the risks of invasive species. Our inventory is certainly incomplete as the ascidian fauna in many areas around the world is relatively poorly known, and many new species continue to be discovered and described each year

Maturation in the female eastern king prawn Penaeus plebejus from coastal waters of eastern Australia, and considerations for quantifying egg production in penaeid prawns

The trawl fishery for eastern king prawns, Penaeus plebejus, is of major commercial significance on the east coast of Australia. This paper describes the reproductive biology of female P. plebejus and presents new information relevant to quantifying egg production in penaeid prawn populations. The study concluded that the gonosomatic index (GSI) covaried with prawn size and was, therefore, likely to be a poor indicator of reproductive activity for penaeid prawn populations. GSI was also found to be not independent of ovary histological stage, moult stage, insemination status and parasitisation by bopyrid isopods. An histological description of ovarian development and the incidence of each stage of development is provided. This includes a description of the ovulation stage, which has not been previously recorded in naturally-occurring populations. Fifty percent of female P. plebejus were classed as mature at 42mm CL. The relationships between GSI, percent mature, and percent inseminated with size suggest that there is a decline in the capacity of large (> 60 mm CL) females to produce and fertilise eggs. The declines in both GSI and percent mature is indicative of ovarian senescence in large(o1d) females, which has not been recorded previously in penaeid prawns. An index which considers the relationships between the percent mature, fecundity and the percent inseminated with size, as well as the influence of mortality on the population, is put forward to determine the relative contribution of different size classes of females to egg production. The index suggests that females >50 mm CL contribute little to egg production, and that the bulk of eggs are produced by 35 to 48 mm CL females

Planning cancer control in Latin America and the Caribbean

Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, are overtaking infectious disease as the leading health-care threat in middle-income and low-income countries. Latin American and Caribbean countries are struggling to respond to increasing morbidity and death from advanced disease. Health ministries and health-care systems in these countries face many challenges caring for patients with advanced cancer: inadequate funding; inequitable distribution of resources and services; inadequate numbers, training, and distribution of health-care personnel and equipment; lack of adequate care for many populations based on socioeconomic, geographic, ethnic, and other factors; and current systems geared toward the needs of wealthy, urban minorities at a cost to the entire population. This burgeoning cancer problem threatens to cause widespread suffering and economic peril to the countries of Latin America. Prompt and deliberate actions must be taken to avoid this scenario. Increasing efforts towards prevention of cancer and avoidance of advanced, stage IV disease will reduce suffering and mortality and will make overall cancer care more affordable. We hope the findings of our Commission and our recommendations will inspire Latin American stakeholders to redouble their efforts to address this increasing cancer burden and to prevent it from worsening and threatening their societies.SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe