Tear fluid biomarkers in ocular and systemic disease: potential use for predictive, preventive and personalised medicine

In the field of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine, researchers are keen to identify novel and reliable ways to predict and diagnose disease, as well as to monitor patient response to therapeutic agents. In the last decade alone, the sensitivity of profiling technologies has undergone huge improvements in detection sensitivity, thus allowing quantification of minute samples, for example body fluids that were previously difficult to assay. As a consequence, there has been a huge increase in tear fluid investigation, predominantly in the field of ocular surface disease. As tears are a more accessible and less complex body fluid (than serum or plasma) and sampling is much less invasive, research is starting to focus on how disease processes affect the proteomic, lipidomic and metabolomic composition of the tear film. By determining compositional changes to tear profiles, crucial pathways in disease progression may be identified, allowing for more predictive and personalised therapy of the individual. This article will provide an overview of the various putative tear fluid biomarkers that have been identified to date, ranging from ocular surface disease and retinopathies to cancer and multiple sclerosis. Putative tear fluid biomarkers of ocular disorders, as well as the more recent field of systemic disease biomarkers, will be shown

Characterisation of Dermanyssus gallinae glutathione S-transferases and their potential as acaricide detoxification proteins

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) facilitate detoxification of drugs by catalysing the conjugation of the reduced glutathione (GSH) to electrophilic xenobiotic substrates and therefore have a function in multi-drug resistance. As a result, knowledge of GSTs can inform both drug resistance in, and novel interventions for, the control of endo- and ectoparasite species. Acaricide resistance and the need for novel control methods are both pressing needs for Dermanyssus gallinae, a highly economically important haematophagous ectoparasite of poultry. METHODS: A transcriptomic database representing D. gallinae was examined and 11 contig sequences were identified with GST BlastX identities. The transcripts represented by 3 contigs, designated Deg-GST-1, −2 and −3, were fully sequenced and further characterized by phylogenetic analysis. Recombinant versions of Deg-GST-1, −2 and −3 (rDeg-GST) were enzymically active and acaricide-binding properties of the rDeg-GSTs were established by evaluating the ability of selected acaricides to inhibit the enzymatic activity of rDeg-GSTs. RESULTS: 6 of the identified GSTs belonged to the mu class, followed by 3 kappa, 1 omega and 1 delta class molecules. Deg-GST-1 and −3 clearly partitioned with orthologous mu class GSTs and Deg-GST-2 partitioned with delta class GSTs. Phoxim, permethrin and abamectin significantly inhibited rDeg-GST-1 activity by 56, 35 and 17 % respectively. Phoxim also inhibited rDeg-2-GST (14.8 %) and rDeg-GST-3 (20.6 %) activities. CONCLUSIONS: Deg-GSTs may have important roles in the detoxification of pesticides and, with the increased occurrence of acaricide resistance in this species worldwide, Deg-GSTs are attractive targets for novel interventions

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Ist Amalgam eine Gefahr für die Gesundheit?

Since more than 100 years amalgam is successfully used for the functional restoration of decayed teeth. During the early 1990s the use of amalgam has been discredited by a not very objective discussion about small amounts of quicksilver that can evaporate from the material. Recent studies and reviews, however, found little to no correlation between systemic or local diseases and amalgam restorations in man. Allergic reactions are extremely rare. Most quicksilver evaporates during placement and removal of amalgam restorations. Hence it is not recommended to make extensive rehabilitations with amalgam in pregnant or nursing women. To date, there is no dental material, which can fully substitute amalgam as a restorative material. According to present scientific evidence the use of amalgam is not a health hazard

Spectroscopic characterization of Cicer arietinum metallothionein 1

The plant metallothioneins differ distinctively from other metallothionein families with respect to the cysteine distribution patterns, the presence of aromatic amino acids in most and histidine in some forms, as well as long cysteine-free amino acid stretches between cysteine-rich regions. Although known for more than 25 years, research activity on plant metallothioneins has been low increasing only in the past few years. In the following, we will present the first characterization of Cicer arietinum (chickpea) MT1. In this root-specific protein two cysteine-rich regions with six cysteine residues each are separated by a 42 amino acids long linker region. A synthetic gene encoding MT1 was designed, cloned into a suitable vector, and the protein was over-expressed in Escherichia coli. We could show, that MT1 has the ability to coordinate up to five Zn2+ or Cd2+ ions and even higher amounts of Hg2+. According to titration experiments pH-dependent zinc– and cadmium–thiolate cluster stability in MT1 is considerably lower than in vertebrate metallothioneins. The approximate contribution of secondary structural elements to the overall structure was assessed with circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopy. Hypothetical metal–thiolate cluster structures will be presented

Die direkte schienenunterstützte Bisshöhenrekonstruktion – eine minimalinvasive Restaurationstechnik mit Komposit

Der durch eine umfangreiche Reduktion der Zahnhartsubstanz infolge Attrition, Erosion und/oder Abrasion bedingte Bisshöhenverlust stellt für den Zahnarzt immer noch eine große klinische Herausforderung dar. Die oftmals erforderliche Wiederherstellung der ursprünglichen Bisslage kann mit Hilfe unterschiedlicher Therapieformen erzielt werden. Ein Hauptproblem bei der Rekonstruktion mit laborgefertigten Versorgungen ergibt sich jedoch durch die in der Regel notwendige zusätzliche Opferung von gesunder Zahnhartsubstanz. Der Beitrag beschreibt eine minimalinvasive Restaurationstechnik mit Komposit, die es erlaubt, lediglich die verloren gegangenen Zahnanteile zu ersetzen. Um ein möglichst einfaches, effizientes und kontrolliertes Vorgehen zu gewährleisten, wird dabei eine auf einem Wax-up basierende Tiefziehschiene als Formhilfe verwendet