Hologenome analysis of two marine sponges with different microbiomes

Background: Sponges (Porifera) harbor distinct microbial consortia within their mesohyl interior. We herein analysed the hologenomes of Stylissa carteri and Xestospongia testudinaria, which notably differ in their microbiome content. Results: Our analysis revealed that S. carteri has an expanded repertoire of immunological domains, specifically Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich (SRCR) like domains, compared to X. testudinaria. On the microbial side, metatranscriptome analyses revealed an overrepresentation of potential symbiosis-related domains in X. testudinaria. Conclusions: Our findings provide genomic insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying host-symbiont coevolution and may serve as a roadmap for future hologenome analyses

Comparative Microsatellite Typing of New World Leishmania infantum Reveals Low Heterogeneity among Populations and Its Recent Old World Origin

Leishmania infantum (syn. L. chagasi) is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the New World (NW) with endemic regions extending from southern USA to northern Argentina. The two hypotheses about the origin of VL in the NW suggest (1) recent importation of L. infantum from the Old World (OW), or (2) an indigenous origin and a distinct taxonomic rank for the NW parasite. Multilocus microsatellite typing was applied in a survey of 98 L. infantum isolates from different NW foci. The microsatellite profiles obtained were compared to those of 308 L. infantum and 20 L. donovani strains from OW countries previously assigned to well-defined populations. Two main populations were identified for both NW and OW L. infantum. Most of the NW strains belonged to population 1, which corresponded to the OW MON-1 population. However, the NW population was much more homogeneous. A second, more heterogeneous, population comprised most Caribbean strains and corresponded to the OW non-MON-1 population. All Brazilian L. infantum strains belonged to population 1, although they represented 61% of the sample and originated from 9 states. Population analysis including the OW L. infantum populations indicated that the NW strains were more similar to MON-1 and non-MON-1 sub-populations of L. infantum from southwest Europe, than to any other OW sub-population. Moreover, similarity between NW and Southwest European L. infantum was higher than between OW L. infantum from distinct parts of the Mediterranean region, Middle East and Central Asia. No correlation was found between NW L. infantum genotypes and clinical picture or host background. This study represents the first continent-wide analysis of NW L. infantum population structure. It confirmed that the agent of VL in the NW is L. infantum and that the parasite has been recently imported multiple times to the NW from southwest Europe

Dosage direct du cuminaldéhyde dans l’extrait de Cumin et d’anisaldéhyde dans l’huile essentielle d’Anis vert par spectrométrie IRTF

Direct Determination of cuminaldehyde in Cumin and anisaldehyde in the essential oil of anise green by FTIR spectrometry Analytical method was developed for the direct Determination of cuminaldehyde in Cumin and anisaldehyde in the essential oil of green anise by using FTIR spectrometry. The determination of compounds was carried out by considering the specific band 1097 cm-1 corrected with a baseline established between 957 -1325 cm-1 for cuminaldéhyde ( rate in cumin 40.75%. ) and 1216 cm-1 corrected between 658 - 1792 cm-1 for anisaldéhyde ( rate in EO of green anise 0.14%.

Premières identifications d’un profil traumatique chez des patients hospitalisés en psychiatrie en Martinique

La population hospitalisée en psychiatrie apparaît davantage exposée à des événements traumatiques que la population française en général, avec plus particulièrement des agressions à caractère sexuel. Notre objectif principal est de décrire la population hospitalisée en psychiatrie et en particulier l’histoire traumatique des patients, les comorbidités associées (psychiatriques et addictologiques) ainsi que le niveau socioéconomique. Cette étude descriptive, transversale et rétrospective a été réalisée au Centre de crise du Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Martinique de février à juillet 2013. Un questionnaire socioéconomique, le Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0, le Trauma History Questionnaire et le questionnaire Impact Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) ont été réalisés de façon aléatoire auprès de 49 des 143 patients admis sur cette période (soit 34,3 %). Dans notre échantillon, une moyenne de 6,5 types différents d’événements traumatiques a été établie (écart-type = 4,2) : 38,8 % des patients rapportent un traumatisme à la suite d’une catastrophe naturelle, et 38,8 % déclarent au moins une agression sexuelle. Parmi les 25 patients souffrant de syndrome de stress post-traumatique, 66,7 % ont subi une agression sexuelle dans l’enfance, avant l’âge de 10 ans (P = 0,01), et dans l’adolescence, entre 10 et 18 ans (P = 0,01). Ces résultats soulignent l’importance d’interroger systématiquement le profil traumatique, c’est-à-dire l’association entre les événements traumatiques et leur retentissement clinique.The population hospitalised in psychiatry seems more exposed to traumatic events than the French general population, with particularly more sexual aggressions. The aim of this study is to describe the population hospitalised in psychiatry and more precisely the traumatic history of these patients, their comorbidities (mental diseases and addictions), and socio economical level. This descriptive, cross sectional and retrospective study took place in the Crisis Center in the University Hospital in Martinique (French West Indies), from February to July 2013. A socio-demographic information, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0, the Trauma History Questionnaire and the Impact Events Scale-Revised were realised with 49 of the 143 patients admitted during this period (34.3%). In this population, we found a mean of 6.5 (standart-deviation=4.2) different types of traumatic event, with 38.8% patients reporting a natural disaster, and 38.8% declaring at least one sexual aggression. In the 25 patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, 66.7% underwent a sexual aggression, significatively during childhood (before 10 years old, P=0.01), and during adolescence (between 10 to 18 years old, P=0.01). These results underline the importance of a systematic screening of the traumatic profile: the characteristics of the traumatic events and its clinical impact

Guselkumab Modulates Differentially Expressed Genes in Blood of Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: Results from Two Phase 3, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trials

Objective To evaluate gene expression in blood of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) versus healthy controls and identify changes associated with guselkumab treatment. Methods Whole blood transcriptome profiling via paired‐end RNA sequencing was conducted using samples from DISCOVER‐1 and DISCOVER‐2 at baseline (n = 673) and at weeks 4 and 24 from a representative subgroup that received placebo or guselkumab (n = 227 [longitudinal PsA cohort]). Baseline samples were compared with demographically matched healthy controls (n = 21). Guselkumab‐mediated changes in gene expression were assessed in participants from the longitudinal PsA cohort who did versus did not achieve at least 20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20) or at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75). Differential gene expression was analyzed using edgeR. Results At baseline, 355 upregulated and 314 downregulated genes (PsA‐associated genes) were identified in patients with PsA versus healthy controls. Upregulated genes were related to neutrophil, mononuclear cell, and CD11b+ gene sets. No cell type–specific gene sets were identified among downregulated genes. Most PsA‐associated genes were modulated by guselkumab treatment. At week 24, genes downregulated by guselkumab were enriched with neutrophil, monocyte, eosinophil, and macrophage gene sets; genes upregulated by guselkumab were enriched with B cell, T cell, and natural killer cell gene sets. Reductions in expression of upregulated PsA‐associated gene sets were more pronounced in ACR20 and PASI75 responders than in nonresponders. Conclusion These findings suggest a dysregulation of immune cell profiles in blood from patients in the baseline PsA cohort that approached levels in healthy controls after guselkumab treatment