7 research outputs found
Management of clandestine drug laboratories: need for evidence-based environmental health policies
Seroprevalence of Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii in dogs in North America
Background: This study evaluated the exposure of dogs to three different Ehrlichia spp. in the south and central
regions of the United States where vector-borne disease prevalence has been previously difficult to ascertain,
particularly beyond the metropolitan areas.
Methods: Dog blood samples (n = 8,662) were submitted from 14 veterinary colleges, 6 private veterinary
practices and 4 diagnostic laboratories across this region. Samples were tested for E. canis, E. chaffeensis and
E. ewingii specific antibodies using peptide microtiter ELISAs.
Results: Overall, E. canis, E. chaffeensis and E. ewingii seroprevalence was 0.8%, 2.8%, and 5.1%, respectively. The
highest E. canis seroprevalence (2.3%) was found in a region encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Tennessee and Texas. E. chaffeensis seroreactivity was 6.6% in the central region (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and
Oklahoma) and 4.6% in the southeast region (Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and
Virginia). Seroreactivity to E. ewingii was also highest in the central region (14.6%) followed by the southeast region
(5.9%). The geospatial pattern derived from E. chaffeensis and E. ewingii seropositive samples was similar to previous
reports based on E. chaffeensis seroreactivity in white-tailed deer and the distribution of human monocytic
ehrlichiosis (HME) cases reported by the CDC.
Conclusions: The results of this study provide the first large scale regional documentation of exposure to E. canis,
E. chaffeensis and E. ewingii in pet dogs, highlighting regional differences in seroprevalence and providing the basis
for heightened awareness of these emerging vector-borne pathogens by veterinarians and public health agencies
The effects of β-glucan isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus on methotrexate treatment in rats with adjuvant arthritis
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) production by T cell receptor-primed T lymphocytes is a target for low dose methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis
Methotrexate (MTX) is an effective immunosuppressive agent in various chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, its mechanisms of action are only partially understood. In this study, we assessed the effects of MTX on the differentiation of peripheral blood (PB) CD4+CD45RA ‘naive’ and CD4+CD45RO ‘memory’ T cells from healthy controls and patients with RA. Accordingly, purified T cells were primed and restimulated in vitro via the T cell receptor (TCR) in the presence of IL-2 to generate effector T cells secreting large amounts of Th1 and Th2 cytokines. We observed that low doses of MTX strongly suppress TNF and to a lesser extent interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by T cells from both healthy donors and RA patients when present during T cell priming via the TCR. Similar data were obtained for TCR-primed synovial fluid mononuclear cells in RA. In contrast, production of IL-4 by TCR-primed CD45RA T cells was significantly increased upon MTX treatment. Interestingly, MTX did not enhance IL-4 production when present during restimulation of effector CD45RO T cells, although it still suppressed TNF production. The results indicate that MTX effects depend on the stage of T cell activation and identify TNF production by TCR-primed T lymphocytes as a target for low-dose MTX treatment in RA. These findings could explain the delayed clinical effects of MTX and may contribute to its potent anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties