The role of CD247 polymorphisms in Bulgarian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Decreased expression of the TCR ζ-chain has been reportedin several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Recent evidence suggeststhat this deficiency may be due to polymorphisms in the CD247gene. A total 52 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and95 healthy controls of Bulgarian ethnicity were genotyped for 837C&gt;G,rs1052230, 844A&gt;T, and rs1052231 using a TaqMan genotyping assay.None of the two polymorphisms appeared associated with the diseases.On the other hand, we have found that the -837GG genotype and the Gallele were associated with hematological disease. The -844AA genotypeand the A allele appeared associated with the hematological disease aswell. The -843AA genotype and the A allele were found to be associatedwith antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests and immunological disease. Anassociation was found between the -837G allele and arthritis. The AGhaplotype was found to be associated with hematological disease, ANA,and immunological disease. Our preliminary data confirm the previousfindings that the CD247 polymorphisms are mainly associated with theclinical outcome of the disease and less with susceptibility.</p

Chemical Composition of Corallina mediterranea Areschoug and Corallina granifera Ell. et Soland

Abstract The composition of sterols, volatiles and some polar compounds from three Corallina samples (C. granifera and C. mediterranea from the Black Sea and C. mediterranea from the Mediterranean Sea) was established. The sterol composition of the Black Sea samples was similar but it differs from that of the Mediterranean sample. The composition of the volatiles was very complex. The main groups of constituent were hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbonyl compounds, acids and their esters, terpenes. The composition of the polar components, soluble in n-butanol, was also established. There were some differences in the chemical composition of the two Black Sea species, which may be due to the biodiversity between them, while the differences in the composition of the two C. mediterranea samples could be due to the differences in the environment (salinity, temperature, pollution, etc.)

Chemical composition and biological activities of the Black Sea algae Polysiphonia denudata (Dillw.) Kutz. and Polysiphonia denudata f. fragilis (Sperk) Woronich.

Abstract The two investigated algae had almost identical sterol composition, but there were signifi­cant differences in the com position of the polar components and especially in the composi­tion of the volatiles. P. denudata f. fragilis extracts possessed a stronger biological activity (antibacterial, antifungal and toxicity against Artemia salina). Despite the minute morpholog­ical differences between the two algae, we recommend P. denudata f. fragilis to be regarded as P. denudata subsp. fragilis

Chemical composition of the brown alga Padina pavonia (L.) Gaill. from the adriatic sea

The chemical composition of the brown alga Padina pavonia (L.) Gaill. from the southern Adriatic Sea was investigated. Twelve sterols were identified in the sterol fraction, the main ones being cholesterol and fucosterol. The main fatty acids in the lipids were also identified.The most abundant fatty acid was palmitic acid, followed by oleic and myristic acids.The concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids was unusually low for a marine alga. By GC/MS analysis of the volatile and polar fractions, 40 compounds were identified. Some of them probably possess defensive functions. In the volatile fraction free fatty acids, aromatic esters, benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde predominated. Low concentrations of terpenoids, phenols and sulfur containing compounds were also identified.The nbutanol extract contained mainly fatty acids and polyols. Some of the extracts had an antibacterial activity

IL-1RN VNTR Polymorphism in Adult Dermatomyositis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Polymorphisms in the cytokine genes and their natural antagonists are thought to influence the predisposition to dermatomyositis (DM) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism of 86 bp in intron 2 of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) gene leads to the existence of five different alleles which cause differences in the production of both IL-1RA (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) and IL-1 . The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the association between the IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism and the susceptibility to DM and SLE in Bulgarian patients. Altogether 91 patients, 55 with SLE and 36 with DM, as well as 112 unrelated healthy controls, were included in this study. Only three alleles were identified in both patients and controls ((1) four repeats, (2) two repeats, and (3) five repeats). The IL-1RN * 2 allele ( = 0.02, OR 2.5, and 95% CI 1.2-5.4) and the 1/2+2/2 genotypes were found prevalent among the SLE patients ( = 0.05, OR 2.6, and 95% CI 1-6.3). No association was found between this polymorphism and the ACR criteria for SLE as well as with the susceptibility to DM. Our results indicate that the IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism might play a role in the susceptibility of SLE but not DM

Variability of Non-Polar Secondary Metabolites in the Red Alga Portieria

Possible sources of variation in non-polar secondary metabolites of Portieria hornemannii, sampled from two distinct regions in the Philippines (Batanes and Visayas), resulting from different life-history stages, presence of cryptic species, and/or spatiotemporal factors, were investigated. PCA analyses demonstrated secondary metabolite variation between, as well as within, five cryptic Batanes species. Intraspecific variation was even more pronounced in the three cryptic Visayas species, which included samples from six sites. Neither species groupings, nor spatial or temporal based patterns, were observed in the PCA analysis, however, intraspecific variation in secondary metabolites was detected between life-history stages. Male gametophytes (102 metabolites detected) were strongly discriminated from the two other stages, whilst female gametophyte (202 metabolites detected) and tetrasporophyte (106 metabolites detected) samples were partially discriminated. These results suggest that life-history driven variations, and possibly other microscale factors, may influence the variation within Portieria species

Halocarbon emissions by selected tropical seaweeds: species-specific and compound-specific responses under changing pH

Five tropical seaweeds, Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva, Padina australis Hauck, Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh (syn. S. aquifolium (Turner) C. Agardh), Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing, were incubated in seawater of pH 8.0, 7.8 (ambient), 7.6, 7.4 and 7.2, to study the effects of changing seawater pH on halocarbon emissions. Eight halocarbon species known to be emitted by seaweeds were investigated: bromoform (CHBr3), dibro-momethane (CH2Br2), iodomethane (CH3I), diiodomethane (CH2I2), bromoiodomethane (CH2BrI), bromochlorometh-ane (CH2BrCl), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), and dibro-mochloromethane (CHBr2Cl). These very short-lived halocarbon gases are believed to contribute to stratospheric halogen concentrations if released in the tropics. It was observed that the seaweeds emit all eight halocarbons assayed, with the exception of K. alvarezii and S. binderi for CH2I2 and CH3I respectively, which were not measurable at the achievable limit of detection. The effect of pH on halocarbon emission by the seaweeds was shown to be species-specific and compound specific. The highest percentage changes in emissions for the halocarbons of interest were observed at the lower pH levels of 7.2 and 7.4 especially in Padina australis and Sargassum spp., showing that lower seawater pH causes elevated emissions of some halocarbon compounds. In general the seaweed least affected by pH change in terms of types of halocarbon emission, was P. australis. The commercially farmed seaweed K. alvarezii was very sensitive to pH change as shown by the high increases in most of the compounds in all pH levels relative to ambient. In terms of percentage decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) prior to and after incubation, there were no significant correlations with the various pH levels tested for all seaweeds. The correlation between percentage decrease in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) and halocarbon emission rates, was significant only for CH2BrCl emission by P. australis (r = 0.47; p ≤ 0.04), implying that photosynthesis may not be closely linked to halocarbon emissions by the seaweeds studied. Bromine was the largest contributor to the total mass of halogen emitted for all the seaweeds at all pH. The highest total amount of bromine emitted by K. alvarezii (an average of 98% of total mass of halogens) and the increase in the total amount of chlorine with decreasing seawater pH fuels concern for the expanding seaweed farming activities in the ASEAN region

Diseases, Pest and Weeds on the Seed of Wheat and Barley in the Period from 2001-2003 Year

Large is the number of weeds,diseases and pest and witch continuously are present on the seed of wheat and barley in Macedonia. However, in the economic importance of the seed of wheat and barley there is little number influence on. In these paper it is registered the presence of the most important weeds, diseases and pest. From these examinations was concluded that during the period of 2001-2003 from the weed as more present are: Avena spp., Bifora radians, Bromus spp., and Lolium spp. and from the diseases the biggest percent have: Erysiphe graminis, Puccinia graminis and Helmitosporium sativum, from the pests biggest present have: Eurygaster spp., Haplotrips tritic,i Lema melanopos, and Aphididae