bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expansion of a unique macrophage subset in rheumatoid arthritis synovial lining layer
Authors: Tanaka M , Nagai T , Tsuneyoshi Y , Sunahara N , Matsuda T , Nakamura T , Tsuyama S , Hasui K , FitzGerald O , Matsuyama T 
Published: October 2008

SummaryThe Z39Ig protein (complement receptor for C3b and iC3b) is expressed on resident tissue macrophages in various tissues. This study was undertaken to examine the distribution of Z39Ig+cells and their phenotypic features in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium, in comparison with those of osteoarthritis (OA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) synovium. Monoclonal anti-Z39Ig antibody was produced by immunizing Z39Ig transfected murine pre B cells and used for the identification of Z39Ig+cells. Z39Ig+cells were further stained with antibodies to macrophages, fibroblast-like synoviocytes, complement receptors and dendritic cells by using the double immunostaining method in normal, RA, OA and PsA synovium. RA synovial mononuclear cells were double-stained using anti-Z39Ig and anti-CD11c antibodies and sorted into Z39Ig+CD11c+cells and Z39Ig+CD11c−cells. These cell populations were then analysed by electron microscopy. The expression of the Z39Ig protein was limited to intimal macrophages in normal, RA, OA and PsA synovium. The numbers of Z39Ig+CD11c+cells and the ratios of Z39Ig+CD11c+cells to Z39Ig+cells were increased in the synovial lining layer of RA as compared with those of OA and PsA. The ultrastructural analysis of Z39Ig+CD11c+cells showed the character of macrophages with many secondary lysosomes and swelling of mitochondria. Z39Ig+ cells appeared to be useful for identification of resident tissue macrophages in normal synovium and the corresponding macrophages in the synovial lining layer of inflammatory arthritis. Expansion of Z39Ig+CD11c+cells was characteristic of RA synovial lining layer.
Human spleen contains different subsets of dendritic cells and regulatory T lymphocytes
Authors: Velásquez-Lopera M M , Correa L A , García L F 
Published: October 2008

Summary
Most knowledge about dendritic cells (DCs) and regulatory T cells in humans has been gathered from circulating cells but little is known about their frequency and distribution in lymphoid organs. This report shows the frequency, phenotype and location of DCs and regulatory T cells in deceased organ donors' spleens. As determined by flow cytometry, conventional/myeloid DCs (cDCs) CD11chighHLA-DR+CD123−/low were 2·3 ± 0·9% and LIN- HLA-DR+CD11chigh 2·1 ± 0·3% of total spleen cells. Mature CD11chighHLA-DR+CD83+ were 1·5 ± 0·8% and 1·0 ± 1·6% immature CD11chighHLA-DR+CD83- cDC. There were 0·3 ± 0·3% plasmacytoid DCs (pDC) CD11c−/lowHLA-DR+CD123high and 0·3 ± 0·1% LIN-HLA-DR+CD123high. Cells expressing cDCs markers, BDCA-1 and BDCA-3, and pDCs markers BDCA-2 and BDCA-4 were observed in higher frequencies than DCs with other phenotypes evaluated. CD11c+, CD123+ and CD83+ cells were located in subcapsular zone, T cells areas and B-cell follicles. CD4+CD25high Tregs were 0·2 ± 0·2% and CD8+CD28- comprised 11·5 ± 8·1% of spleen lymphocytes. FOXP3+ cells were found in T- and B-cell areas. The improvement in cell separation, manipulation and expansion techniques, will facilitate the manipulation of donor spleen cells as a part of protocols for induction and maintenance of allograft tolerance or treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Prognostic value of phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes in sepsis. Correlation to CD64 and CD14 antigen expression
Authors: Danikas D D , Karakantza M , Theodorou G L , Sakellaropoulos G C , Gogos C A 
Published: October 2008

SummaryThe role of the phagocytic function of monocytes and neutrophils in sepsis has been poorly investigated. The present study evaluated the impact of the phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes on the outcome of patients with severe sepsis. Thirty-one patients and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. The phagocytic activity of monocytes and neutrophils was evaluated during 24 h after admission and the results were correlated to the expression of CD64 on neutrophils and monocytes, CD14 antigen on monocytes, the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and the patients' survival. A reduced phagocytic activity of neutrophils during the first 24 h after admission was a negative predictor for survival. Increased expression of CD64 antigen on polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and monocytes was favourably correlated to the patients' survival. In multivariate analysis the phagocytic activity of PMNs was the only independent predictor factor for survival. Patients with PMN phagocytic activity &lt;37% had lower expression of CD64 on monocytes and PMNs and worse outcome, while those with phagocytic activity &gt;37% had higher expression of CD64 on monocytes and PMNs and better outcome. Reduced phagocytic activity of neutrophils may represent a state of neutrophil inactivation similar to that previously described for monocytes during the compensatory anti-inflammatory response.
Hypothetical review: thymic aberrations and type-I interferons; attempts to deduce autoimmunizing mechanisms from unexpected clues in monogenic and paraneoplastic syndromes
Authors: Meager A , Peterson P , Willcox N 
Published: October 2008

SummaryIn sporadic autoimmune disorders, dendritic cells are increasingly being incriminated as agents provocateurs. However, the mechanisms and any ‘danger signals’ that induce them to autoimmunize remain enigmatic. Here, we focus on unexpected clues from two prototypic/ highly informative autoimmune syndromes, acquired thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis and the monogenic autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS1), caused by mutations in the AutoImmune Regulator (AIRE). Both involve the thymus, and in both we find early, persistent, highly prevalent and high-titre neutralizing autoantibodies against type-I interferons, regardless of the exact AIRE genotype or the characteristically variable clinical phenotype in APS1. Thus these key innate↔adaptive immune intermediaries are now implicated in APS1 and paraneoplastic myasthenia as well as in systemic lupus erythematosus and other sporadic autoimmune disorders. The currently accepted notion that autoimmunization proceeds automatically (by ‘default’) does not explain how, when or where autoimmune responses are initiated against which targets in APS1, or whether exogenous or internal danger signals are involved, or predict whether the primary auto-immunogenic targets are AIRE-dependent. As the parallels between these syndromes must hold novel clues to these puzzles, they demand explanations. To unify these and other findings, we propose that autoimmunization occurs centrally in aberrant thymic environments rendered ‘dangerous’ by AIRE-deficiency (possibly by excess undegraded nucleic acids/dead cell debris). The ensuing autoreactivity focuses early on the locally abundant type I interferons and then on other peripheral tissue autoantigens that are still expressed despite the absence of AIRE. These ideas raise numerous questions that others may already have the materials to address.
25 years of HIV research on virology, virus restriction, immunopathogenesis, genes and vaccines
Authors: Scherer E , Douek D , McMichael A 
Published: October 2008

Summary
From 19 to 21 May 2008 an important meeting was held at the Pasteur Institute in Paris to mark the 25th Anniversary of the discovery of HIV as the aetiological agent of AIDS. This review summarizes the historical findings, recent work and future directions presented at this meeting.
Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides infection and polyparasitism associated with poor cognitive performance in Brazilian schoolchildren
Authors: Jardim‐Botelho Anne , Raff Sophia , DeÁvila Rodrigues Renato , Hoffman Heather J. , Diemert David Joseph , Corrêa‐Oliveira Rodrigo , Bethony Jeffrey Michael , Gazzinelli Maria Flávia 
Published: October 2008

SummaryObjective  To investigate the relationship between hookworm and Ascaris lumbricoides infection and performance on three subsets of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – third edition (WISC‐III) (Digit Span, Arithmetic and Coding) and Raven Colored Progressive Matrices.Methods  Cross‐sectional study of 210 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years in Americaninhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Separate proportional odds models were used to measure the association between the intensity of helminth infections and poor performance on each of the four cognitive tests.Results  After adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status and other helminth infections, moderate‐to‐high‐intensity hookworm infection was associated with poor performance on the WISC‐III Coding subtest [OR = 3.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.43–7.17], low intensity of hookworm infection was associated with poor performance on the WISC‐III Coding subtest [odds ratio (OR) = 3.71; 95% CI = 1.80–7.66] and moderate‐to‐high‐intensity A. lumbricoides infection was associated with poor performance on the Raven test (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.04–3.99), all in comparison with uninfected children. Children co‐infected with A. lumbricoides infection and hookworm infection had greater odds of poor performance on some WISC‐III subtests than children with only A. lumbricoides infection.Conclusions  These findings suggest that hookworm infection may be associated with poorer concentration and information processing skills, as measured on the WISC‐III Coding subtest, and that A. lumbricoides infection may be associated with poorer general intelligence, as measured through the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices. This study also presents evidence that polyparasitized children experience worse cognitive outcomes than children with only one helminth infection.
Sensitivity and specificity of an index for the diagnosis of TB meningitis in patients in an urban teaching hospital in Malawi
Authors: Checkley Anna M. , Njalale Yasin , Scarborough Matthew , Zjilstra Eduard E. 
Published: October 2008

SummaryTuberculous (TB) meningitis is difficult to diagnose and has a high mortality rate, particularly when presentation is delayed. A diagnostic index developed in Vietnam, an area of low‐HIV seroprevalence, has been proposed as a means to differentiate TB meningitis from acute bacterial meningitis using clinical and laboratory features. We applied this index over a 4‐month period to adults presenting with meningitis to an urban teaching hospital in Malawi, where HIV seroprevalence is 70% among medical inpatients. Eighty‐five consecutive eligible patients were studied. Nine had TB meningitis, 64 bacterial meningitis and 12 cryptococcal meningitis. The sensitivity of the diagnostic index for predicting TB meningitis was 78%, with a specificity of 43%, too low to be used in the diagnosis of TB meningitis in this setting. This finding is likely to be generalizable to other southern African countries with similarly high‐HIV seroprevalences.
The outcomes and outpatient costs of different models of antiretroviral treatment delivery in South Africa
Authors: Rosen Sydney , Long Lawrence , Sanne Ian 
Published: October 2008

SummaryObjective  Estimate the average outpatient cost per patient in care and responding to treatment 1 year after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) under different models of treatment delivery in South Africa.Methods  At each site, medical records for a sample patients of were reviewed 1 year after ART initiation. Each subject was assigned to one outcome category: in care and responding (IC); in care but not responding (NR); or no longer in care at study site (NIC). Average cost per outcomes category was estimated based on resource utilisation.Results  Site 1 was an urban public hospital; Site 2 a programme that contracts private general practitioners; Site 3 a rural non‐governmental (NGO) AIDS clinic; and Site 4 a peri‐urban NGO primary care clinic. At month 12, IC, NR and NIC rates were 67%, 7% and 26% (Site 1); 52%, 3%, and 45% (Site 2); 63%, 9% and 28% (Site 3); and 76%, 11%, and 13% (Site 4). The average outpatient cost per patient initiated was $756 (Site 1), $896 (Site 2), $932 (Site 3) and $1,126 (Site 4). When all costs and all outcomes were taken into account, the average cost to produce an IC patient was $1,128 (Site 1), $1,723 (Site 2), $1,480 (Site 3), and $1,482 (Site 4).Conclusion  If all ART patients remain in care and responding, total costs will increase but the average cost to produce an IC patient will fall. The cost per ART patient treated varies moderately among sites. Cost differences increase markedly when patient outcomes are taken into account.
Serum leptin and adiponectin levels and their association with allergic sensitization
Authors: Radon K. , Schulze A. , Schierl R. , Dietrich‐Gümperlein G. , Nowak D. , Jörres R. A. 
Published: October 2008

Background:  Obesity and respiratory allergies have increased in parallel in industrialized countries. We have recently shown an association between obesity and allergic sensitization whereby obesity diminished the protective effect of childhood farm contact.Objective:  To assess whether taking obesity into account allergic sensitization is associated with adipokine levels in blood and whether this effect is modified by childhood farm contact.Methods:  Serum samples of 231 adult participants (age 18–45 years) of the Lower Saxony Lung Study were analysed for leptin and adiponectin by ELISA. Subjects were elected to represent equal‐sized groups with respect to obesity (<30 vs≥30 kg/m2), childhood farm contact, specific IgE to ubiquitous allergens and sex. Multiple logistic regression models were adjusted for potential confounders.Results:  Leptin levels were positively related to the prevalence of sensitization (highest vs lowest quartile odds ratio 6.7, 95% confidence interval 2.0–22.4). For adiponectin levels, a weak, not statistically significant inverse association with sensitization was shown (highest vs lowest quartile 0.4, 0.2–1.1). The association between leptin and sensitization appeared to be more pronounced in subjects with farm contact; however, the effect modification was not statistically significant.Conclusion:  These findings suggest that adipokines might be involved in the causal pathway between obesity and allergic sensitization.
Pregnancy IFN‐γ responses to foetal alloantigens are altered by maternal allergy and gravidity status
Authors: Breckler L. A. , Hale J. , Taylor A. , Dunstan J. A. , Thornton C. A. , Prescott S. L. 
Published: October 2008

Background:  During pregnancy, variations in maternal–foetal cellular interactions may influence immune programming. This study was carried out to determine if maternal responses to foetal alloantigens are altered by maternal allergic disease and/or previous pregnancies.Methods:  For this cohort study, peripheral blood was collected from allergic (n = 69) and nonallergic (n = 63) pregnant women at 20, 30, 36‐week gestation and 6‐week postpartum (pp). Cord blood was collected at delivery. Mixed lymphocyte reactions were used to measure maternal cytokine responses [interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐10, IL‐13 and (interferon‐γ) IFN‐γ] at each time point towards foetal mononuclear cells.Results:  Maternal cytokine responses during pregnancy (20, 30 and 36 weeks) were suppressed compared to the responses at 6‐week pp. The ratio of maternal IFN‐γ/IL‐13 and IFN‐γ/IL‐10 responses were lower during pregnancy. Allergic mothers had lower IFN‐γ responses at each time‐point during pregnancy with the greatest difference in responses observed at 36‐week gestation. When allergic and nonallergic women were further stratified by gravidity group, IFN‐γ responses of allergic multigravid mothers were significantly lower than nonallergic multigravid mothers during pregnancy.Conclusions:  During normal pregnancy, peripheral T‐cell cytokine responses to foetal alloantigens may be altered by both allergic status of the mother and previous pregnancies. These factors could influence the cytokine milieu experienced by the foetus and will be further explored in the development of allergic disease during early life.
Array‐based profiling of ragweed and mugwort pollen allergens
Authors: Gadermaier G. , Wopfner N. , Wallner M. , Egger M. , Didierlaurent A. , Regl G. , Aberger F. , Lang R. , Ferreira F. , Hawranek T. 
Published: October 2008

Background:  Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) pollen is the main cause of allergic reactions in late summer and autumn. The differential diagnosis between ragweed and mugwort pollen allergy is a frequent problem encountered by allergologists in areas where both plants are present due to shared antigenic structures and overlapping flowering seasons.Objective:  To evaluate the sensitization pattern of weed allergic patients towards a large panel of purified allergens in the microarray format and by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Methods:  Eight ragweed and six mugwort pollen allergens were purified from natural source or expressed as recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. Allergens were spotted on protein microarray slides or coated onto ELISA plates. Sera from 19 ragweed and/or mugwort allergic individuals were used to determine the reactivity towards single molecules in both assays.Results:  All ragweed allergic individuals were sensitized to Amb a 1, among them 30% were monosensitized to the major ragweed allergen. Art v 1 and Art v 3 were recognized by 89% of mugwort pollen‐allergic patients. Extensive cross‐reactivity was observed for both patient groups mainly involving the pan‐allergens profilin and nonspecific lipid transfer proteins. Comparable IgE profiles were obtained with both allergen microarray and ELISA methods.Conclusions:  Molecule‐based diagnosis provides essential information for the differential diagnosis between ragweed and mugwort pollen allergy and for the selection of the appropriate allergen source for specific immunotherapy.
Specific IgE to allergens in cord blood is associated with maternal immunity to Toxoplasma gondii and rubella virus
Authors: Ege M. J. , Herzum I. , Büchele G. , Krauss‐Etschmann S. , Lauener R. P. , Bitter S. , Roponen M. , Remes S. , Vuitton D. A. , Riedler J. , Brunekreef B. , Dalphin J‐C. , Braun‐Fahrländer C. , Pekkanen J. , Renz H. , Von Mutius E. ,   the PASTURE Study group
Published: October 2008

Background:  Various studies have found reduced prevalences of atopic sensitization and atopic diseases in children previously exposed to infections or living conditions with a high microbial burden, such as the farming environment.Objective:  We sought to determine the relationships of cord blood immunoglobulin E (IgE) with maternal health conditions before and during pregnancy.Methods:  Pregnant women living in rural areas in five European countries were recruited in the third trimester of pregnancy. Information on maternal health during pregnancy was collected from maternity records and by questionnaires (n = 497). Specific IgE for inhalant and food allergens was assessed in cord blood and peripheral blood samples of the mothers.Results:  Inverse associations of cord blood IgE to seasonal allergens with positive maternal records for Toxoplasma gondii (adjusted odds ratio = 0.37 [0.17–0.81]) and rubella virus (adjusted odds ratio = 0.35 [0.13–0.96]) were found. The previously described effect of prenatal farm exposure on IgE to seasonal allergens was partly confounded by a positive maternal record for T. gondii. The number of maternal siblings, maternal contact to cats during pregnancy or during her first year of life, predicted a positive maternal record for T. gondii.Conclusions:  Maternal immunity to T. gondii and rubella may impact on atopic sensitization in the fetus. A positive T. gondii record explained the previously identified effect of prenatal farm exposure on IgE to seasonal allergens only to a minor extent.
Sediment phosphorus characteristics in the clearwater state of Lake Mogan, Turkey
Authors: Pulatsü Serap , Kırkaǧaç Akasya Topçu Mine , Köksal Gülten 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThis study examined the vertical distributions of total phosphorus (TP) and phosphorus fractions, and the iron and organic matter, in the littoral sediment in a macrophyte‐dominated, clearwater state in Lake Mogan between September 2005 and August 2006. Benthic macroinvertebrates and total bacteria in the sediment also were determined. No clear seasonal or depth‐related (0–20 cm) patterns were found in sediment concentrations for the measured parameters. The phosphorus release was quantitatively very low, and a negative phosphorus release (–0.132 µg m−2 day−1) was measured during the summer months. The TP concentrations of the sediment samples ranged between 675.00 and 1463.80 µg g−1 dry weight (DW), and the trophic level of the lake was eutrophic. On average, inorganic phosphorus fractions comprised the largest fraction (63%), while organic‐bound phosphorus (Org ≈ P) constituted 37% of the TP in Lake Mogan. The most important phosphorus‐immobilizing factors are high iron content (14 200–47 750 µg g−1 DW), the sediment's clay content (47.80–51.80%), and an abundance of macrophytes at the sampling station. The low abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates (510–850 individuals m−2), which depend on sediments with high iron and low organic matter (5.42–13.30%), played a role in the sediment phosphorus retention. Although bacterial abundance in the surficial sediment appeared to be positively correlated to temperature, the overlying water did not experience anoxic conditions, supporting a state in which bacteria were able to retain phosphorus in their cell structures. Long‐term changes in the sediments of Lake Mogan must be monitored lake. In order to optimize the management of the lake, and to determine the longevity of a clearwater state following management measures and continued external phosphorus loading, long‐term changes in the sediments of Lake Morgan must be monitored.
Comparison of electrofishing and NORDIC gillnets for sampling littoral fish in boreal lakes
Authors: Sutela Tapio , Rask Martti , Vehanen Teppo , Westermark Ari 
Published: October 2008

AbstractParallel sampling of fish, using electrofishing and NORDIC multimesh gillnets, was performed in the littoral areas of eight boreal lakes. Some fish species were caught only by electrofishing (e.g. bullhead, Cottus gobio (L.); burbot, Lota lota (L.)), while some were caught only with gillnets (e.g. pikeperch, Stizostedion lucioperca (L.); smelt, Osmerus eperlanus (L.)). The fish species that were caught with both methods (e.g. perch, Perca fluviatilis (L.) exhibited gear‐specific length distributions. A combination of NORDIC gillnetting (passive gear) and electrofishing (active gear) is suggested to reasonably well cover the entire species composition in the littoral zones (≈ 0–3 m depth) of boreal lakes. This gear combination is recommended for evaluating the ecological status of lakes within the European Water Framework Directive.
Developing a monitoring strategy for phytoplankton community structure in a large water‐storage reservoir: Lake Mulwala, Australia
Authors: Baldwin Darren S. , Boulding Amy N. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractPhytoplankton are an important element in the ecology of lakes and reservoirs and therefore often included in lake monitoring programmes. However, algal distribution is often highly variable in both time and space, thereby posing difficulties when designing lake monitoring strategies. This study describes the spatial distribution of both total phytoplankton community structure and cyanobacterial biovolume during a period of high algal abundance in Lake Mulwala, a water‐storage reservoir in Australia. The distribution of phytoplankton is then used for the rational design of monitoring strategies with sufficient statistical power to determine both changes in overall phytoplankton community structure over time, as well as to fulfil statutory cyanobacterial biovolume monitoring obligations.