Enhanced levels of leukotriene B4 in synovial fluid in Lyme disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential role of LTB4 and cysteinyl leukotrienes in Lyme disease (LD). Therefore, a total number of 34 patients divided into four groups was studied. The patients were classified as having Lyme arthritis (n = 7) or Lyme meningitis (n = 10), and as control groups patients with a noninflammatory arthropathy (NIA) (n = 7) and healthy subjects (n = 10). LTB4 as well as LTC4 secretion from stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) from all groups of patients showed no statistical differences. LTB4 levels in synovial fluid were significantly increased in patients with Lyme arthritis (median 142 ng/ml, range 88–296) when compared to the control subjects with NIA (median 46 ng/ml, range 28–72) (p < 0.05). No statistical difference of urinary LTE4 levels between all the different groups of patients was observed. These results show that cysteinyl leukotrienes do not play an important role in the pathogenesis of LD. In contrast to previous findings in rheumatoid arthritis, LTB4 production from stimulated PMNL was not found to be increased in LD. However, the significantly elevated levels of LTB4 in synovial fluid of patients with Lyme arthritis underline the involvement of LTB4 in the pathogenesis of this disease

Detection of Tropheryma whippelii DNA in a patient with AIDS

A case of an AIDS patient infected with the Whipple's disease bacterium, Tropheryma whippelii, is reported. A DNA fragment with sequence specificity for the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterium was detected by PCR in a duodenal biopsy specimen from a 55-year-old male patient with AIDS and diarrhea. The biopsy specimen contained periodic acid-Schiff stain-positive macrophages which did not, however, resemble the sickleform-particle-containing cells characteristic of Whipple's disease. This observation raises two possibilities: either the patient had a coincidence of AIDS and Whipple's disease or Tropheryma whippelii acted as an opportunistic pathogen in this immunodeficient patient. The latter explanation is of interest in light of the ongoing discussion of immunologic abnormalities as predisposing factors for Whipple's disease

Continuous Wave THz System Based on an Electrically Tunable Monolithic Dual Wavelength Y-Branch DBR Diode Laser

We analyse the use of a tunable dual wavelength Y-branch DBR laser diode for THz applications. The laser generates electrically tunable THz difference frequencies in the range between 100 and 300 GHz. The optical beats are tuned via current injection into a micro-resistor heater integrated on top of one of the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) section of the diode. The laser is integrated in a homodyne THz system employing fiber coupled ion-implanted LT-GaAs log spiral antennas. The applicability of the developed system in THz spectroscopy is demonstrated by evaluating the spectral resonances of a THz filter as well as in THz metrology in thickness determination of a polyethylene sample

Spatially-resolved potential measurement with ion crystals

We present a method to measure potentials over an extended region using one-dimensional ion crystals in a radio frequency (RF) ion trap. The equilibrium spacings of the ions within the crystal allow the determination of the external forces acting at each point. From this the overall potential, and also potentials due to specific trap features, are calculated. The method can be used to probe potentials near proximal objects in real time, and can be generalized to higher dimensions.Comment: 7 pages (double spaced), 3 figure