4,099 research outputs found
Plasma Cortisol in Men â Relationship With Atherosclerosis of Retinal Arteries
The production of cortisol increases in acute stress but the effects of chronic stress on
plasma cortisol are still controversial. Stress on the other hand plays a role in coronary
artery disease (CAD) and carotid atherosclerosis. Since there is no data about plasma
cortisol and atherosclerosis of the retinal arteries, the purpose of this study was to explore
the relationship between plasma cortisol in 101 adult males with the degree of
their retinal vessels atherosclerosis. The results were compared with those in 47
matched apparently healthy men with no retinal vessels changes. The atherosclerotic
changes of retinal vessels were determined by direct ophthalmoscopy and graded (1â4)
according to Scheie. Morning plasma cortisol levels were determined by radioimmunoassay
using commercial kits. The results were compared by using chi-square test. No association
between morning plasma cortisol concentrations and retinal vessels atherosclerosis
could be found. The results of this study do not support a role for physiological
levels of plasma cortisol in the development of atherosclerosis, at least of the retinal arteries,
in men
Expression analysis of HLA-E and NKG2A and NKG2C receptors points at a role for natural killer function in ankylosing spondylitis
Background. Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a complex chronic inflammatory disease strongly associated with the majority of HLA-B27 alleles. HLA-E are non-classical MHC class I molecules that specifically interact with the natural killer receptors NKG2A (inhibitory) and NKG2C (activating), and have been recently proposed to be involved in AS pathogenesis. Objectives: To analyze the expression of HLA-E and the CD94/NKG2 pair of receptors in HLA-B27 positive AS patients and healthy controls (HC) bearing the AS-associated, B*2705 and the non-AS-associated, B*2709 allele. Methods: The level of surface expression of HLA-E molecules on CD14 positive peripheral blood mononuclear cell was evaluated in 21 HLA-B*2705 patients with AS, 12 HLA-B*2705 HC, 12 HLA-B*2709 HC and 6 HLA-B27 negative HC, using the monoclonal antibody MEM-E/08 by quantitative cytofluorimetric analysis. The percentage and density of expression of HLA-E ligands NKG2A and NKG2C were also measured on CD3-CD56+ NK cells. Results. HLA-E expression in CD14 positive cells was significantly higher in AS patients (587.0 IQR 424-830) compared to B*2705 HC (389 IQR 251.3-440.5, p=0.0007), B*2709 HC (294.5 IQR 209.5-422, p=0.0004) and HLA-B27 negative HC (380 IQR 197.3-515.0, p=0.01). A higher number of NK cells expressing NKG2A compared to NKG2C was found in all cohort analysed as well as a higher cell surface density. Conclusion: The higher surface level of HLA-E molecules in AS patients compared to HC, concurrently with a prevalent expression of NKG2A, suggests that the crosstalk between these two molecules might play a role in AS pathogenesis accounting for the previously reported association between HLA-E and AS
In-Field LAMP Detection of Flavescence Dorée Phytoplasma in Crude Extracts of the Scaphoideus titanus Vector
One of the most destructive diseases affecting grapevine in Europe is caused by Flavescence Dorée phytoplasma (FDp), which belongs to the 16Sr-V group and is a European Union quarantine pathogen. Although many molecular techniques such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are widely used for the rapid detection of FDp in infected grapevine plants, there is no developed isothermal amplification assay for FDp detection in the insect vectors that are fundamental for the spread of the disease. For this reason, a simple in-field real-time LAMP protocol was optimized and developed for the specific detection of FDp in the insect vector Scaphoideus titanus. The LAMP assay was optimized to work with crude insect extracts obtained by manually shaking a single insect in a buffer for 5 min. Such a simple, sensitive, specific, economic, and user-friendly LAMP assay allowed the detection of FDp in S. titanus in less than half an hour, directly in the field. The developed insect tissue preparation procedure, combined with the LAMP protocol, promptly revealed the presence of FDp in infected S. titanus directly in the vineyards, allowing for monitoring of the spread of the pathogen in the field and to apply timely strategies required for the mandatory control of this pathogen
Investigating the veracity of self-reported post-traumatic growth: a profile analysis approach
Research into posttraumatic growthâpositive psychological change that people report in their relationships, priorities in life, and self-perception after experiences of adversityâhas been severely critiqued. We investigated the degree to which community membersâ friends and relatives corroborated targetsâ self-perceived positive and negative changes as measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-42. We found corroboration only for negative changes when we examined overall (averaged) scores. However, using a profile analysis procedure, we found significant participantâinformant agreement on the domains of change that had relatively higher scores in the targetâs profile and those that had relatively lower scores. Our results demonstrate that informants were able to observe that targets had changed and were sensitive to the idiosyncratic ways in which these changes had manifested in targetsâ behavior
Multiple guests in a single host : interactions across symbiotic and phytopathogenic bacteria in phloem-feeding vectors : a review
Some pathogenic phloem-limited bacteria are a major threat for worldwide agriculture due to the heavy economic losses caused to many high-value crops. These disease agents \u2013 phytoplasmas, spiroplasmas, liberibacters, and Arsenophonus-like bacteria \u2013 are transmitted from plant to plant by phloem-feeding Hemiptera vectors. The associations established among pathogens and vectors result in a complex network of interactions involving also the whole microbial community harboured by the insect host. Interactions among bacteria may be beneficial, competitive, or detrimental for the involved microorganisms, and can dramatically affect the insect vector competence and consequently the spread of diseases. Interference is observed among pathogen strains competing to invade the same vector specimen, causing selective acquisition or transmission. Insect bacterial endosymbionts are another pivotal element of interactions between vectors and phytopathogens, because of their central role in insect life cycles. Some symbionts, either obligate or facultative, were shown to have antagonistic effects on the colonization by plant pathogens, by producing antimicrobial substances, by stimulating the production of antimicrobial substances by insects, or by competing for host infection. In other cases, the mutual exclusion between symbiont and pathogen suggests a possible detrimental influence on phytopathogens displayed by symbiotic bacteria; conversely, examples of microbes enhancing pathogen load are available as well. Whether and how bacterial exchanges occurring in vectors affect the relationship between insects, plants, and phytopathogens is still unresolved, leaving room for many open questions concerning the significance of particular traits of these multitrophic interactions. Such complex interplays may have a serious impact on pathogen spread and control, potentially driving new strategies for the containment of important diseases
Gene Modulation by Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) Targeting microRNAs (miRs)
Since non-viral gene therapy was developed and employed in different in vitro and in vivo
experimental systems as an effective way to control and modify gene expression, RNA has
been considered as a molecular target of great relevance (Li &Huang, 2008, LĂłpez-Fraga et
al., 2008). In combination with standard chemotherapy, the siRNA therapy can reduce the
chemoresistance of certain cancers, demonstrating its potential for treating many malignant
diseases. Examples of RNA sequences to be targeted for therapeutic applications are
mRNAs coding oncoproteins or RNA coding anti-apoptotic proteins for the development of
anti-cancer therapy.
In the last years, progresses in molecular biology have allowed to identify many genes
Coding for small non coding RNA molecules, microRNA (miRNAs or miRs), able to
regulate gene expression at the translation level (Huang et al., 2008, Shrivastava &
Shrivastava, 2008, Sahu et al. 2007, Orlacchio et al., 2007, Williams et al., 2008,
Papagiannakopoulos & Kosik, 2008). Accordingly, an increasing number of reports associate
the changed expression with specific phenotypes and even with pathological conditions
(Garzon & Croce, 2008, Mascellani et al., 2008, Sontheimer & Carthew, 2005, Filipowicz et
al., 2005, Alvarez-Garcia & Miska, 2005). Interestingly, microRNAs play a double role in
cancer, behaving both as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. In general, miRs promoting
cancer targets mRNA coding for tumor-suppression proteins, while microRNAs exhibiting
tumor-suppression properties usually target mRNAs coding oncoproteins. MicroRNAs
which have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of
human cancer are defined as oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs) (Cho, 2007). The oncomiR
expression profiling of human malignancies has also identified a number of diagnostic and
prognostic cancer signals (Cho, 2007, Lowery et al., 2008). Moreover, microRNAs have been
firmly demonstrated to be involved in cancer metastasis (metastamiRs).
Examples of metastasis-promoting microRNAs are, miR-10b (Calin et al., 2006), miR-373 and -
520c (Woods et al., 2007), miR-21, -143 and -182 (Hayashita et al., 2005; Si et al., 2007; Zhu et al.,2007). Reviews on metastamiR has been recently published Hurst et al. (Hurst et al. 2009,
Edmonds et al. 2009). Reviews on metastamiRs has been recently published by Hurst et al
Amniotic Membrane Transplantation for Ocular Surface Reconstruction
The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical experience and the effect of human
amniotic membrane transplantation on pterygium excision and bullous keratopathy.
From January 1999 to January 2001 at University Hospital »Sestre milosrdnice«
amniotic membrane transplantation was performed consecutively in 21 eyes: 11 eyes
with bullous keratopathy and 10 with recurrent pterygia. In the group with bullous
keratopathy epithelization took place in 19.6 days in 72.7% and the reduction of pain
was satisfactory. Recurrence rate in group with recurrent pterygia was 20%. Based on
the presented results it could be concluded that amniotic membrane transplantation
can be considered as an effective alternative for treating severe ocular surface diseases
and as an alternative for penetrating keratoplasty if there is a lack of graft
Study of the bacterial community affiliated to Hyalesthes obsoletus, the insect vector of âbois noirâ phytoplasma of grape
Grape yellows caused by phytoplasmas afflict several important wine-producing areas of Europe. A grape yellows with increasingincidence in European vineyards is âbois noirâ (BN), caused by âCandidatus Phytoplasma solaniâ. Its vector is the planthopperHyalesthes obsoletus Signoret (Hemiptera Cixiidae), occasionally feeding on grapevine. An innovative strategy for reducing thediffusion of the disease could be symbiotic control, exploiting the action of symbiotic microorganisms of the insect host. To investigatethe occurrence of possible microbial candidates for symbiotic control we performed a molecular characterization of thebacteria associated to H. obsoletus. Length heterogeneity PCR was applied for a preliminary population screening. Taxonomicaffiliations of the bacterial species were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, showing, within the microbial diversity,the intracellular reproductive parasite Wolbachia pipientis and a Bacteroidetes symbiont with 92% nt identity with âCandidatusSulcia muelleriâ. PCR essays specific for these bacteria showed they co-localize in several organs of H. obsoletus. Fluorescentin situ hybridization was performed to assess the distribution of these microorganisms within the insect body, showing interestinglocalization patterns, particularly in insect gonads and salivary glands. These results could be a starting point for a deeper investigationof functions and relationships between microbial species
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