PAS-positive lymphocyte vacuoles can be used as diagnostic screening test for Pompe disease

Screening of blood films for the presence of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive lymphocyte vacuoles is sometimes used to support the diagnosis of Pompe disease, but the actual diagnostic value is still unknown. We collected peripheral blood films from 65 untreated Pompe patients and 51 controls. Lymphocyte vacuolization was quantified using three methods: percentage vacuolated lymphocytes, percentage PAS-positive lymphocytes, and a PAS score depending on staining intensity. Diagnostic accuracy of the tests was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. All three methods fully discerned classic infantile patients from controls. The mean values of patients with milder forms of Pompe disease were significantly higher than those of controls, but full separation was not obtained. The area under the ROC curve was 0.98 for the percentage vacuolated lymphocytes (optimal cutoff value 3; sensitivity 91%, specificity 96%) and 0.99 for the percentage PAS-positive lymphocytes and PAS score (optimal cutoff value 9; sensitivity 100%, specificity 98%). Our data indicate that PAS-stained blood films can be used as a reliable screening tool to support a diagnosis of Pompe disease. The percentage of PAS-positive lymphocytes is convenient for use in clinical practice but should always be interpreted in combination with other clinical and laboratory parameters

Phospholipids of Entamoeba invadens

The major phosphoglycerides present in Entamoeba invadens are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol. Furthermore, three different sphingolipids could be isolated from the amoeba. In addition to sphingomyelin and a phosphonolipid, ceramide phosphonylethanolamine, a previously unknown sphingolipid was present. This sphingolipid contained a long chain base, inositol, and phosphorus in the ratio of 0.97:0.97: 1.0 and could be identified as ceramide phosphorylinositol. The various individual phospholipids showed different rates of turnover. Phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol had, relative to the other phospholipids, a short half-time of about 12 h. Phosphatidylethanolamine and ceramide phosphorylinositol had a half-time of about 24 and 30 h, respectively. The major phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine and also sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine showed no turnover. In contrast to the phosphoglycerides, the sphingolipid composition of the amoeba cultivated in different media was rather variable, while the total sphingolipid content remained at 21% of the total amount of phospholipids. The amount of ceramide phosphorylinositol was almost doubled in the cells cultivated on the serum-free medium (T), whereas the amount of sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphonylethanolamine decreased. Evidence is presented that these alterations in the sphingolipid composition of E. invadens are related to the amount of unsaturated fatty acids which were present in the culture medium

Spatiotemporal monitoring of allergic rhinitis symptoms in the Netherlands using citizen science

Background Airborne pollen is a major symptom trigger in allergic rhinitis patients, but the impact of pollen differs among patients and regions and is influenced by environmental factors. To study these complex relationships, there is a need for data on the severity of symptoms in space and time. ‘Citizen science’ is increasingly recognized as an effective tool to monitor changes in our environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a citizen science-based survey to monitor spatiotemporal variation in allergic rhinitis symptoms. Methods Participants were recruited through the Web site Allergieradar.nl. After registering by completing an extensive questionnaire, they entered (preferably daily) their symptoms of eyes, nose, and lungs on a scale from 1 to 10, as well as their geographic location. Results The registration questionnaire revealed that the majority of the participants (77%) had physician-diagnosed hay fever and 65% of the participants had been tested positively for their allergy. This study shows that the symptom scores of the participants are related to (i) pollen concentrations in the air, (ii) the self-reported sensitivity profile, and (iii) the sales of prescription antihistamines in the Netherlands. Conclusion Our data indicate that the collection of allergic rhinitis symptom data by ‘citizen science’ is feasible and has an added value in studies on the impact of pollen

Spatiotemporal monitoring of allergic rhinitis symptoms in the Netherlands using citizen science

Background Airborne pollen is a major symptom trigger in allergic rhinitis patients, but the impact of pollen differs among patients and regions and is influenced by environmental factors. To study these complex relationships, there is a need for data on the severity of symptoms in space and time. ‘Citizen science’ is increasingly recognized as an effective tool to monitor changes in our environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a citizen science-based survey to monitor spatiotemporal variation in allergic rhinitis symptoms. Methods Participants were recruited through the Web site Allergieradar.nl. After registering by completing an extensive questionnaire, they entered (preferably daily) their symptoms of eyes, nose, and lungs on a scale from 1 to 10, as well as their geographic location. Results The registration questionnaire revealed that the majority of the participants (77%) had physician-diagnosed hay fever and 65% of the participants had been tested positively for their allergy. This study shows that the symptom scores of the participants are related to (i) pollen concentrations in the air, (ii) the self-reported sensitivity profile, and (iii) the sales of prescription antihistamines in the Netherlands. Conclusion Our data indicate that the collection of allergic rhinitis symptom data by ‘citizen science’ is feasible and has an added value in studies on the impact of pollen

Evaluating the use of gel-based sub-sampling for assessing responses of terrestrial microarthropods (Collembola and Acari) to different slurry applications and organic matter contents

Microarthropods show considerable small-scale spatial variation, which on statistical grounds demands the use of numerous samples per experimental unit to obtain a representative density estimate. To avoid the identification of all individuals in these samples a sub-sampling technique is desirable. Due to various factors, existing sub-sampling methods perform sub-optimally when working with soil microarthropods. As an alternative, this study evaluated a gel-based sub-sampling method. The method was applied in a practical situation comparing effects of two existing methods of slurry manure application (injection of control slurry and the superficial application of slurry to which an additive was added) on soil inhabiting springtails and mites. In the experiment, special attention was paid to the mediating influence of soil organic matter content. The gel-based sub-sampling data showed a Poisson distribution, supporting randomness. Furthermore, none of the identified specimens showed morphological damage, strongly suggesting that neither gel-suspension nor amylase treatment had damaged the integuments of the specimens. Therefore, gel-based sub-sampling seems to offer an efficient and safe tool for sub-sampling microarthropods. Of the two slurry applications studied, the surface application of the slurry manure with the additive resulted in the highest abundances of microarthropods, with an average of 17,890 individuals m¿2 in broadcasted fields, compared to 11,486 individuals m¿2 in the slit injected fields. A positive correlation between microarthropod abundance and the organic matter content of the soil was found for the fields that were slit injected with unamended slurry. The specially prepared slurry treatment did not show the latter correlation, probably because of the a priori relatively high organic matter content of most fields receiving this treatment. The relative dominance of surface dwelling species in the superficially applied slurry with additive suggests that the microarthropods responded in particular to the method of slurry manure application rather than to slurry manure type