eMouseAtlas Informatics:Embryo Atlas and Gene Expression

A significant proportion of developmental biology data is presented in the form of images at morphologically diverse stages of development. The curation of these datasets presents different challenges to that of sequence/text-based data. Towards this end, the eMouseAtlas project created a digital atlas of mouse embryo development as a means of understanding developmental anatomy and exploring the relationship between genes and development in a spatial context. Using the morphological staging system pioneered by Karl Theiler, the project has generated 3D models of post-implantation mouse development and used them as a spatial framework for the delineation of anatomical components and for archiving in situ gene expression data in the EMAGE database. This has allowed us to develop a unique online resource for mouse developmental biology. We describe here the underlying structure of the resource, as well as some of the tools that have been developed to allow users to mine the curated image data. These tools include our IIP3D/X3DOM viewer that allows 3D visualisation of anatomy and/or gene expression in the context of a web browser, and the eHistology resource that extends this functionality to allow visualisation of high-resolution cellular level images of histology sections. Furthermore, we review some of the informatics aspects of eMouseAtlas to provide a deeper insight into the use of the atlas and gene expression database

Supplementary Material for: Successful Treatment of Autoimmune Urticaria with Low-Dose Prednisolone Therapy Administered for a Few Months: A Case Series of 42 Patients

<p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined as symptoms of urticaria persisting for 6 weeks or more without obvious cause. Autologous serum skin test (ASST) positivity in patients with CSU is considered to be associated with autoimmune urticaria (AIU). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this retrospective study we retrieved the medical records of 1,073 urticaria patients seen at the Department of Dermatology and Allergology of Szeged University between January 2005 and February 2014. Forty-two patients (36 female and 6 male) met the study criteria by having CSU and giving positive results in the ASST. Our aim was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of low-dose oral prednisolone therapy administered to patients with antihistamine-refractory ASST-positive CSU for a few months. Patients were given an initial dose (40 mg/day) of prednisolone until the complete resolution of the symptoms, usually 7-10 days, and then the dose was gradually decreased, as in other autoimmune diseases. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Prednisolone therapy lasted for an average of 3.6 months and a complete long-lasting response was achieved in 35 of 42 AIU patients (83.3%). The follow-up period was at least 36 months (3 years) for each AIU patient; the longest follow-up time was 139 months (11.5 years). None of the patients reported any considerable side effects. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Based on our results, we suggest that the use of this treatment could be an alternative for the treatment of AIU. Our present results also highlight the need for other therapies in a small percentage of AIU patients. Our results suggest that AIU represents a transient autoimmunity that can be successfully treated with low-dose steroid therapy administered for a few months.</p