Identität, Authentizität und Gemeinschaft. Warum Social Communities und Religion etwas gemeinsam haben

Soziale Netzwerke im Internet können schon seit einiger Zeit enorme Zuwächse ihrer Nutzerzahlen verbuchen. Bereits zwei Drittel aller Internetnutzer in Deutschland haben damit Erfahrungen gesammelt. Papst Benedikt ermuntert Katholiken – besonders auch Priester und junge Menschen –, die Chancen zu nutzen, die diese Medien für die Kommunikation und die Verkündigung des Evangeliums bieten. Viele religiös interessierte Internetnutzer sind bereits in Diskussionsgruppen aktiv, die sich mit religiösen Fragen beschäftigen und wünschen sich ein stärkeres Engagement der Kirche in den Sozialen Netzwerken. Die aktuelle lebhafte Diskussion über Datensicherheit in den Netzwerken zeigt die Notwendigkeit einer Vermittlung von Medienkompetenz. Dabei ist auch die Kirche als Bildungsanbieter angesprochen. Das Internet und die Sozialen Netzwerke dienen der Kommunikation in einer doppelten Weise: In der internen Kommunikation (in geschlossenen Foren und Gruppen) stärken sie den Glauben und helfen dabei, die eigene katholische Identität immer besser kennenzulernen und zu entwickeln. In der externen Kommunikation tragen sie diesen Glauben in die säkulare Welt und machen dadurch das Evangelium anderen Menschen zugänglich. Trotz aller berechtigten Kritik an den Sozialen Netzwerken sollten die Kirche und ihre Repräsentanten ihre Aktivitäten in diesem Bereich ausbauen. EnglishMichael Hertl: Identity, authenticity and community. Why Social Commu- nities and religion habe a lot in common Social Networking Services on the Internet have seen a huge rise in the number of users in recent times. In Germany already two thirds of internet users have experienced with these services. Pope Benedict encouraged Catholics – especially priests and young people – to risk enga- ging in new media for communication and proclaiming the gospel. Many users who are interested in religion are already engaged in religious discussion groups and demand a stronger involvment of the Church in Social Networking Services. The current lively discussion about security issues illustrates the need for the teaching of media literacy education, a topic that adresses the Church as provider of education. The Internet and the Social Networking Services serve communication in two ways: through internal communication (in closed forums and groups) they strengthen the faith and help individuals find and develop one‘s own catholic identity. In external communication they carry this faith into the secular world and give others access to the gospel. Despite all the justified criticism of Social Networking Services it is imperative that the Church and her agents extend their activites in this field.

Vernetzt oder isoliert? Eine Untersuchung zu Kirche und sozialen Netzwerken

Laut aktuellen Studien zählen drei Viertel der rund 62 Millionen erwachsenen Bundesbürger zu den „Onlinern“, d .h . sie sind regelmäßig online, jüngere deutlich häufiger als ältere. Silver Surfer, ältere Nutzer, haben die höchsten Zuwachsraten. 52 Millionen erwachsene Deutsche zählen somit zu den Onlinern. 43 Prozent dieser Internetnutzer haben ein Profil in sozialen Netzwerken, was rund 22 Millionen Nutzern entspricht. Da Facebook momentan das am häufigsten genutzte Netzwerk ist, stand es im Mittelpunkt einer Untersuchung der Universität Frankfurt im Auftrag der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz über die Nutzung sozialer Netzwerke im Internet durch Katholiken. (...

Rituximab Mediates a Strong Elevation of B-Cell-Activating Factor Associated with Increased Pathogen-Specific IgG but Not Autoantibodies in Pemphigus Vulgaris

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe autoimmune disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes, characterized by autoantibodies mainly against desmoglein 3 (dsg3). This study investigated the effects of different treatment options on two B-cell mediators, B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), in 19 PV patients on immunosuppressive drugs alone or in combination with immunoadsorption and anti-CD20 antibody, respectively. Serum BAFF and APRIL levels, circulating desmoglein-reactive autoantibodies, and serum IgG specific for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) were determined by ELISA before and at different time points after initiation of the respective therapy. In contrast to immunosuppressive therapy alone and in combination with adjuvant immunoadsorption, respectively, rituximab treatment led to a strong and significant elevation of BAFF, but not of APRIL levels, which normalized upon recovery of peripheral CD19+ B cells. Moreover, rituximab treatment led to a statistically significant increase of anti-VZV-IgG and anti-EBV-IgG titers, whereas anti-dsg1 and -3 specific autoantibody titers decreased significantly. Our results suggest that elevated BAFF levels might exert a differential effect on the induction of autoreactive versus pathogen-specific IgG antibody production in PV patients, possibly due to promotion of antibody release of pathogen-specific long-lived plasma cells

Pemphigus Foliaceus Autoantibodies Induce Redistribution Primarily of Extradesmosomal Desmoglein 1 in the Cell Membrane

The autoimmune dermatosis pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is predominantly caused by IgG autoantibodies against the desmosomal cadherin desmoglein (Dsg) 1. The exact mechanisms that lead to the characteristic epidermal blistering are not yet fully understood. In the present study, we used a variety of biophysical methods to examine the fate of membrane-bound Dsg1 after incubation with PF patients' IgG. Dispase-based dissociation assays confirmed that PF-IgG used for this study reduced intercellular adhesion in a manner dependent on phospholipase C (PLC)/Ca2+ and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 signaling. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that Dsg1 binding on single molecule level paralleled effects on keratinocyte adhesion under the different conditions. Stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution microscopy was used to investigate the localization of Dsg1 after PF-IgG incubation for 24 h. Under control conditions, Dsg1 was found to be in part co-localized with desmoplakin and thus inside of desmosomes as well as extra-desmosomal along the cell border. Incubation with PF-IgG reduced the extra-desmosomal Dsg1 fraction. In line with this, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments demonstrated a strongly reduced mobility of Dsg1 in the cell membrane after PF-IgG treatment indicating remaining Dsg1 molecules were primarily located inside desmosomes. Mechanistically, experiments confirmed the involvement of PLC/Ca2+ since inhibition of PLC or 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor to reduce cytosolic Ca2+ reverted the effects of PF-IgG on Dsg1 intra-membrane mobility and localization. Taken together, our findings suggest that during the first 24 h PF-IgG induce redistribution predominantly of membrane-bound extradesmosomal Dsg1 in a PLC/Ca2+ dependent manner whereas Dsg1-containing desmosomes remain

Literatur-Rundschau

Andreas Püttmann: Gesellschaft ohne Gott. Risiken und Nebenwirkungen der Entchristlichung Deutschlands (Petra Hemmelmann)Giuseppe Costa (Hg.): Editoria, Media e Religione (Hans Peter Gohla)Thomas Zeilinger: Netz .Macht .Kirche . Möglichkeiten institutioneller Kommunikation des Glaubens im Internet (Michael Hertl)Hans Maier: Böse Jahre, gute Jahre . Ein Leben 1931ff . (Walter Hömberg)Anke Fiedler/Michael Meyen (Hg.): Fiktionen für das Volk: DDR-Zeitungen als PR-Instrument (Dietrich Schwarzkopf)Frank Bösch/Lucian Hölscher (Hg.): Kirchen – Medien – Öffentlichkeit (Michael Schmolke)

Targeted Immunotherapy with Rituximab Leads to a Transient Alteration of the IgG Autoantibody Profile in Pemphigus Vulgaris

In pemphigus vulgaris (PV), IgG autoantibodies against the ectodomain of desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) have been shown to be directly responsible for the loss of keratinocyteadhesion. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of the B cell depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, on the profile of pathogenic IgG against distinct regions of the Dsg3 ectodomain in 22 PV patients who were followed up clinically and serologically by Dsg3 ELISA over 12-24 months. Prior to rituximab, all the 22 PV patients showed IgG against Dsg3 (Dsc3EC1-5). Specifically, 14/22 showed IgG reactivity against the Dsg3EC1 subdomain, 5/22 patients against Dsg3EC2, 7/22 against Dsg3EC3, 11/22 against Dsg3EC4, and 2/22 against Dsg3EC5. Within 6 months after rituximab, all the patients showed significant clinical improvement and reduced IgG against Dsg3 (5/22) and the various subdomains, that is, Dsg3EC1 (7/22), Dsg3EC2 (3/22), Dsg3EC3 (2/22), sg3EC4 (2/22), and Dsg3EC5 (0/22). During the entire observation period, 6/22 PV patients experienced a clinical relapse which was associated with the reappearance of IgG against previously recognized Dsg3 subdomains, particularly against the Dsg3EC1. Thus, in PV, rituximab only temporarily depletes pathogenic B cell responses against distinct subdomains of Dsg3 which reappear upon clinical relapse

Severity and Phenotype of Bullous Pemphigoid Relate to Autoantibody Profile Against the NH2- and COOH-Terminal Regions of the BP180 Ectodomain

Bullous pemphigoid, the most common autoimmune subepidermal bullous disorder, is associated with autoantibodies targeting antigenic sites clustered within the extracellular domain of BP180. To investigate epitope and subclass specificity of autoantibodies in bullous pemphigoid, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilizing baculovirus-expressed recombinant forms of the NH2- and COOH-terminal regions of the extracellular domain of BP180 and examined sera obtained from patients with active bullous pemphigoid (n=116) and controls (n=100). Ninety-three (80%) and 54 (47%) of the 116 bullous pemphigoid sera recognized the NH2- and COOH-terminal regions, respectively, of the extracellular domain of BP180. Detailed analysis demonstrates that (i) this novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is highly specific (98%) and sensitive (93%) as 108 of 116 bullous pemphigoid sera reacted with at least one of the baculovirus-derived recombinants, (ii) in active bullous pemphigoid, autoantibodies against the NH2-terminus of the extracellular domain of BP180 were predominantly of the IgG1 class, whereas a dual IgG1 and IgG4 response to this region was related to a more severe skin involvement, (iii) autoreactivity against both the NH2- and COOH-terminal regions was more frequently detected in patients with mucosal lesions, and (iv) levels of IgG (and IgG1) against the NH2-terminal, but not against the COOH-terminal portion of the extracellular domain of BP180, reflected disease severity indicating that autoantibodies against the NH2-terminus are critical in the pathogenesis of bullous pemphigoid. In conclusion, this novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay represents a highly sensitive and specific assay for rapid diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid and related disorders and may provide predictive parameters for the management of bullous pemphigoid patients