Soil diversity under semi-natural grassland within the forest-steppe zone - examples from Transylvania (Romania)

In the Transylvanian Basin, extensively managed hay meadows with a particular biodiversity could survive until today. Under a temperate-continental climate of the forest steppe and within the colline zone, they are situated on north-facing slopes with an erratic ondulated relief, dominated by small slumpings. A mosaic of different site conditions is illustrated by a patchy distribution of wet meadow, dry- and semi-dry grassland sites. However, little is still known about the edaphic properties of these ecosystems. Precise pedological studies, even less entire soil sequences, are nonexistent. Therefore, the presented findings are a first approach to outline the distribution of different soil types under such semi-natural grasslands. As preliminary results, they are embedded into a pedological-morphodynamic study about the regional grassland-dependent landscape development. Two northern exposed hay meadows were investigated through the application of catenas. Soil description was done according to 'Bodenkundliche Kartieranleitung' (KA 5), based on data gathered from cores, test pits, and laboratory analysis. Several different soil types were detected: On the upper slope and on exposed positions, driest conditions and lowest clay contents led to the formation of subtypes of 'Pararendzina', 'Tschernosem', and 'Kalktschernosem'. Along more inclined parts of the slope, 'Tschernosem' and 'Pelosol' occur with accented processes of soil creep. Within colluvial infillings of punctually distributed small depressions, highest clay- and SOM-amounts were recorded. Especially in 'Pelosol'-subtypes occuring there, intense seasonal waterlogging and desiccation dominates soil formation. Along the investigated slopes, the generally deep, clay- and organic matter-rich soil cover reveals a small-scale mosaic of different soil types, reflecting the variety of site conditions. The specific soil features further let assume a long lasting constancy of semi-natural grassland on these potentially forested sites within the forest steppe

Effects of the glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP2 1561C>T) and reduced folate carrier (RFC1 80G>A) allelic variants on folate and total homocysteine levels in kidney transplant patients

Effects of the glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP2 1561C>T) and reduced folate carrier (RFC1 80G>A) allelic variants on folate and total homocysteine levels in kidney transplant patients.BackgroundThe effect of the glutamate carboxypeptidase II GCP2 1561C>T and the reduced folate carrier 1 RFC1 80G>A polymorphisms on folate and total homocysteine (tHcy) plasma levels of kidney transplant patients are unknown.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of 730 kidney allograft recipients, GCP2 1561C>T, RFC1 80G>A, folate, and tHcy plasma levels were analyzed using linear regression models that allowed dependent covariates to follow a gamma distribution for univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsThe allele frequency for GCP2 1561C>T was 0.05, and 0.43 for RFC1 80G>A. Heterozygosity or homozygosity for GCP2 1561C>T was associated with higher folate plasma levels compared to patients without mutation (P < 0.0001), while RFC1 80G>A showed no influence. Multiple testing, also including MTHFR 677C>T and MTHFR 1298A>C, revealed no interaction between the different genotypes and the folate plasma concentration. Neither GCP2 1561C>T nor RFC1 80G>A showed an association with tHcy plasma levels.ConclusionWe conclude that GCP2 1561C>T is associated with elevated folate levels. GCP2 1561C>T and RFC1 80G>A are no major determinants of tHcy plasma levels in kidney transplant patients

Agalsidase Alfa Slows the Decline in Renal Function in Patients with Fabry Disease

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase α on renal function in patients with Fabry nephropathy. Serum creatinine data were collected from 165 adult patients during 3 years of treatment. Serum creatinine increased in all men whereas it was stable in women, except in stage II renal disease (Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) declined in males with stage I and II (from 115.0 ± 22.2 to 98.3 ± 27.3 and from 76.5 ± 8.1 to 66.3 ±21.6 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively; both p 2; p = 0.01). The 24-hour proteinuria was <1 g in all patients, and most patients (96%) were treated with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Agalsidase α in combination with ACE inhibitors/ARB may be effective in slowing the deterioration in renal function in Fabry nephropathy

Effects of TCN2 776C>G on vitamin B12, folate, and total homocysteine levels in kidney transplant patients

Effects of TCN2 776C>G on vitamin B12, folate, and total homocysteine levels in kidney transplant patients.BackgroundControversy exists regarding the possible associations between a single nucleotide polymorphism of the transcobalamin II encoding gene (TCN2 776C>G) and plasma levels of vitamin B12, folate, or total homocysteine.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of 732 kidney allograft recipients, patients were categorized by TCN2 776C>G genotype. In univariate and multivariate linear regression models that allowed the outcome variables vitamin B12, folate, and total homocysteine plasma levels to follow a gamma distribution, we tested for possible associations of allelic variants of the TCN2 776C>G gene and these three dependent variables.ResultsThe allele frequency for TCN2 776C>G was 0.46. Heterozygosity or homozygosity for TCN2 776C>G was not associated with plasma levels of vitamin B12 (776CG, P = 0.22; 776GG, P = 0.89), folate (776CG, P = 0.91; 776GG, P = 0.84), or total homocysteine (776CG, P = 0.11; 776GG, P = 0.33) even after adjustment for several possible confounders.ConclusionWe conclude from this largest study on the subject thus far that there are no associations between allelic variants of TCN2 776C>G and plasma vitamin B12, folate, or total homocysteine plasma levels in kidney transplant patients

GBV-C/HGV in hemodialysis patients: Anti-E2 antibodies and GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum and peripheral blood: mononuclear cells

GBV-C/HGV in hemodialysis patients: Anti-E2 antibodies and GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV), a recently identified RNA virus adds to the risk of parenteral transmitted viral infections in hemodialysis patients. We studied the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNC) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and determined antibodies against the envelope protein E2 of GBV-C/HGV by ELISA. A total of 119 dialysis patients were studied. GBV-C/HGV-RNA was found in 16 of 119 patients (13%) as compared with 2% of healthy controls (P = 0.014). Two of the 16 GBV-C/HGV-RNA+ patients were co-infected with HCV, and none was positive for HBV-DNA. In 38% of serum GBV-C/HGV-RNA+ patients GBV-C/HGV-RNA was also detected in PMNC. In addition, GBV-C/HGV-RNA was identified in PMNC of 2 patients negative for GBV-C/HGV-RNA in serum. Twenty-four patients had anti-E2 antibodies in serum (20%), but were GBV-C/HGV-RNA-. In addition, two of the 16 GBV-C/HGV-RNA+ patients were concomitantly positive for anti-E2 antibodies. Only one of the 16 GBV-C/HGV infected patients had elevated aminotransferases; this patient was co-infected with hepatitis C virus. GBV-C/HGV-RNA positivity was independent on duration of hemodialysis, but GBV-C/HGV-RNA+ patients had received more units of blood in the past. Combined data of past contact, as assessed by anti-E2 antibodies, and present infection, documented by GBV-C/HGV-RNA, indicate a high overall exposure to GBV-C/HGV in dialysis patients

Calcitonin concentrations in patients with chronic kidney disease and medullary thyroid carcinoma or c-cell hyperplasia

It is currently not known which level of pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin serum concentration indicates medullary thyroid carcinoma in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined CKD stage 3–5 patients who had total thyroidectomy because of a pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentration greater than 100pg/ml, and tested the diagnostic performance of basal and pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin levels for differentiating medullary thyroid carcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia in this patient population. A total of 180 CKD patients presented with an elevated calcitonin level and had a pentagastrin stimulation test. Forty patients showed a maximum pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentration greater than 100pg/ml, and 22 patients had a total thyroidectomy. Seven of these 22 patients presented with a medullary thyroid carcinoma, all other patients showed C-cell hyperplasia. Patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma showed higher unstimulated (212pg/ml (36–577) vs 42pg/ml (17–150); P<0.001) and higher maximum pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentrations (862pg/ml (431–2423) vs 141pg/ml (102–471); P<0.001) as compared to patients with C-cell hyperplasia. The sensitivity (100%) and specificity (93%) estimates suggested that a maximum pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentration greater than 400pg/ml indicates the presence of medullary thyroid carcinoma in patients with CKD. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed an area under the ROC plot of 0.99 for maximum pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentrations. A maximum pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentration greater than 400pg/ml appears to be a clinically meaningful threshold for thyroidectomy

HSP70 Expression in Skeletal Muscle of Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease

AbstractObjectives: heat shock protein (HSP70) has been studied in the ischaemic myocardium and proven to provide protection against ischaemia. However, HSP70 in ischaemic skeletal muscle in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) has not been reported.Methods: thirty-four patients with PAOD (Fontaine's criteria: stage II: 15; III: 9 and IV: 10, respectively) and ten non-PAOD controls were enrolled in the study. Calf muscle samples were taken. HSP70 was quantitated by SDS-PAGE using ultrasensitive silver staining with reference to a series of standard HSP70, and HSP70 mRNA was estimated using RT-PCR.Results: in comparison with the controls [median with range: 24.8 (14.1–35.6) ng in 2.5μg total protein], HSP70 was increased significantly in PAOD [stage II: 93.1 (62.7–114.3); stage III: 110.1 (89.7–134.5) and stage IV: 77.4 (67.3–101.1)]. Similar results were obtained with HSP70 mRNA.Conclusions: HSP70 is increased in the ischaemic skeletal muscle in patients with PAOD, and HSP70 expression is different with regard to clinical stages, and the upregulation of HSP70 mRNA implies that the expression of HSP70 seems to be regulated at transcriptional level

YOU+ME. Discurso artístico contemporáneo sobre la relación hombre-naturaleza/naturaleza- hombre

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HBV and HCV genome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis

HBV and HCV genome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. Patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis are at risk for infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). As peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNC) are known to be susceptible to infection of both HBV and HCV, assessment of viral genomes in those cells could uncover occult infections not detected by serologic methods or virus determination in serum. We investigated all 67 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis at a single dialysis unit by PCR for the presence of HBV or HCV genomes in serum as well as in PMNC. None of the 67 patients was HBsAg positive or showed HBV-DNA in serum, but in 5 patients HBV-DNA in PMNC was detected as the only marker of HBV-infection; those patients were also anti-HBc negative. In 9 patients HCV-RNA was positive in serum; in 5 of those patients it was also found in PMNC. Three of these infected patients were negative for anti-HCV. One other patient had no anti-HCV or HCV-RNA in serum, but was positive for HCV-RNA in PMNC. Thus, in 6 patients (8.9%) undergoing chronic hemodialysis we found evidence of infection with HBV or HCV by detecting viral genomes in PMNC without the presence of viremia, antigenemia or specific viral antibodies in serum. The detection of viral genomes in PMNC could be useful in the positive identification of additional potentially infectious patients