bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE RESPONDER STATUS OF THE FCγ II RECEPTOR and RECURRENT SPONTANEOUS ABORTION
Authors: Lorenz A. , Blasczyk R. , Kuhn U. , Venjakob U. , Mendonca M. , Grosse‐Wilde H. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYSeveral models exist for the aetiology and therapy of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). They are based in part on the assumption that an increased materno‐fetal histocompatibility results in an insufficient maternal immunological recognition of the fetus, and thus renders the maternal immune system unable to sustain the pregnancy. The involvement of the FCγII receptor (FcγIIR) in RSA was suggested, since FcγIIR‐blocking antibodies, present in normal pregnancies, could not be found in patients suffering from RSA.The FcγIIR is known to be functionally and structurally dimorphic, which results in a responder, respectively non‐responder pattern. We used an in vitro proliferation assay to distinguish between FCγIIR responder and non‐responder phenotypes. In 29 RSA couples we found 97% (28/29) of RSA patients and 100% (29/29) of their partners to be responders, whereas 50 fertile couples and a further 100 unrelated controls revealed distributions of responder vs. non‐responder of 73% vs. 27% and 70% vs. 30%, respectively. These differences (RSA vs. controls) are highly significant (P≤ 0.0001). Our results suggest further that the FcγIIR dimorphism might be involved in the pathogenesis of RSA.
DETERMINATION OF DQB1 ALLELES USING PCR AMPLIFICATION AND ALLELE‐SPECIFIC PRIMERS
Authors: Lepage V. , Ivanova R. , Loste M.N. , Mallet C. , Douay C. , Naoumova E. , Charron D. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYMolecular genotyping of HLA class II genes is commonly carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with sequence‐specific oligotyping (PCR‐SSO) or a combination of the PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods (PCR‐RFLP). However, the identification of the DQB1 type by PCR‐SSO and PCR‐RFLP is very time‐consuming which is disadvantageous for the typing of cadaveric organ donors. We have developed a DQB1 typing method using PCR in combination with allele‐specific amplification (PCR‐ASA), which allows the identification of the 17 most frequent alleles in one step using seven amplification mixtures. PCR allele‐specific amplification HLA‐DQB1 typing is easy to perform, and the results are easy to interpret in routine clinical practice. The PCR‐ASA method is therefore better suited to DQB1 typing for organ transplantation than other methods.
THE EFFECT OF TNF*B GENE POLYMORPHISM ON TNF‐α AND ‐β SECRETION LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH INSULIN‐DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS
Authors: Whichelow C. E. , Hitman G. A. , Raafat I. , Bottazzo G. F. , Sachs J. A. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYTNF‐α and ‐β have been implicated in the development of HLA‐associated autoimmune diseases. It has been suggested that inter‐individual differences in the secretion levels of these cytokines may contribute to the predisposition of certain individuals to the development of diseases such as insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). We have investigated whether a diallelic TNF*B polymorphism detected using the enzyme Ncol influences the TNF‐α and/or ‐β secretory capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from PHA stimulated healthy individuals and IDDM patients.We have shown that the level of TNF‐β secreted correlates with the TNF*B genotype in healthy individuals: those with the TNF B*2 allele secreted significantly higher levels of TNF‐β (P= 0.025) than those with the TNF*B1 allele. In IDDM patients, the reverse situation was observed, with those patients with the TNF*B1 allele secreting higher levels of TNF‐β than those with the TNF*B2 allele. No correlation was found between TNF‐α levels and TNF*B genotype. Furthermore, when IDDM patients and controls were matched for TNF*B genotype, the IDDM patients with the TNF*B2 allele secreted significantly lower levels of TNF‐β than controls with this allele.On analysis of IDDM‐susceptible extended HLA haplotypes in the homozygous groups, 4/7 IDDM patients with the TNF*B2 allele were Bw62‐DR4 compared with 0/16 matched controls. Thus, the extended haplotype Bw62‐DR4‐TNF*B2/2 rather than IDDM per se is almost certainly responsible for the depressed TNF‐β secretion found in the IDDM‐TNF*B2 homozygous cohort.
GENOTYPE‐RELATED FINGERPRINTS FROM HLA‐DPB1 EXON 2 LOW‐STRINGENCY PCR
Authors: Porfirio B. , Chiarelli I. , Rombolà G. , Mattiuz P.L. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYTechniques based on the formation of heteroduplexes between relevant heterologous amplified HLA loci have proved to be simple and cost‐effective screening methods for the detection of DNA sequence diversity. However, the banding patterns produced may not be as complex as required. We used the original procedure of Pena et al. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 91, 1946–1949, 1994) to generate fingerprints from a specific, polymorphic PCR product. HLA‐DPB1 exon 2 was amplified, recovered from agarose gel, and used as a template for subsequent low‐stringency (30°C) amplification cycles (LS‐PCR) in the presence of a single primer. The LS‐PCR products were run on 8% PAGE and silver‐stained. In total, 22 subjects were characterized by this method. The issues of the reproducibility and specificity of the patterns obtained were addressed by comparing fingerprints from individuals with the same genotype. The results showed that LS‐PCR was robust. A further step was the evaluation of the diversity that can be generated, i.e. the sensitivity of the method. Genotype‐related fingerprints were produced, and differences as small as a single nucleotide in heterozygous samples could be detected. We then demonstrated the usefulness of LS‐PCR in the evaluation of donor/recipient pairs. We believe that LS‐PCR may be a valuable adjunct to the battery of tests aimed at the verification of HLA matching before unrelated bone marrow transplantation. We suggest that it could be used to speed up the search process when several candidate donors are retrieved from registries before embarking on SSOP typing or sequencing.
ANALYSIS OF HLA HAPLOTYPES IN FAMILIES WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS IN LA RÉUNION ISLAND
Authors: Feugeas J. P. , Tortosa P. , Dulay S. , Augustin‐Pascalis I. , Charron D. , Krishnamoorthy R. , Caillens H. , Montchamp‐Moreau C. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYTo analyse HLA and insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) association in the ethnically mixed population of La Réunion island, we carried out a family study on 70 diabetic subjects. HLA‐DQA1, ‐DQB1 and ‐DRB1 typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP), completed by PCR‐sequence‐specific oligonucleotide (SSO) and PCR‐sequence‐specific priming (SSP). Haplotype‐relative risks (HRR) were determined with the non‐transmitted parental haplotypes as controls, and relative risks (RR) were calculated with a classical case‐control study. The most significant risks were found for the cis and trans combinations between DQA1*03 or *0501 (Arg52+) and DQB1*02 or *0302 (Asp57−) alleles, suggesting a direct role for the HLA‐DQ heterodimer in IDDM susceptibility. Interestingly, due to the mixed origin of the population, the trans‐encoded DQ molecules in the (DR3)‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*02/(DR4)‐DQA1*03‐DQB 1*0302 subjects were also found cis‐encoded in patients with the (DR7 or 9)‐DQA1*03‐DQB1*02 haplotype and in a patient with the rare (DR 11)‐DQA1*0501‐DQB 1*0302 haplotype. A relative predispositional effect (RPE) analysis gave significant haplotype‐IDDM+ associations in the following order: (DR3)‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*02>(DR4)‐DQA1*03‐DQB1*0302>(DR9)‐DQA1*03‐DQB*02>(DR7)‐DQA1*03‐DQB1*02>(DR2)‐DQA1*01‐DQB1*0502. No protective effect remained significant once the susceptible haplotypes were removed. A stratification study showed a stronger influence of the DQ genes than DRB1 alleles within the DR7 haplotypes. On the other hand, IDDM subjects with only one susceptible haplotype had inherited this haplotype more often from their father than from their mother. This paternal effect could be related to the greater risk of IDDM in offspring of diabetic fathers than the risk in offspring of diabetic mothers.
FREQUENCY OF COMPLEMENT THIRD COMPONENT (C3) AND PROPERDIN FACTOR (BF) PHENOTYPES IN PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF HBV INFECTION
Authors: Kacprzak‐Bergman I. , Hacasa J. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYFour groups of children were tested for the distribution of C3 and BF phenotypes: HBV‐infected patients with Gianotti‐Crosti syndrome, with CAH and with glomerulonephritis, and healthy children. The frequency of the phenotype C3F was significantly higher in children with Gianotti‐Crosti syndrome in comparison with healthy children. The frequency of the phenotype BFS was significantly higher in patients with glomerulonephritis than in individuals with CAH. The difference between the frequency of the BFS phenotype in glomerulonephritis patients and that in healthy subjects neared significance. We suggest that the carriers of these phenotypes are characterized by susceptibility to some immune complex diseases associated with HBV infection.
CHARACTERIZATION OF A SEVENTH FAMILY OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAIN VH GENE SEGMENTS IN THE CHANNEL CATFISH, ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS
Authors: Ventura‐Holman T. , Ghaffari S.H. , Lobb C.J. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYA VH gene segment that could not be assigned to any of the six known VH gene families of the channel catfish was identified in a genomic clone containing VH gene segments. This gene segment (designated VH7.1) exhibited the structural features characteristic of vertebrate VH genes, specifically potential upstream regulatory sequences, a leader sequence split by an intron, a reading frame that could be readily divided into framework and complementarity determining regions, and a 3′ recombination signal sequence. Two regions of nucleotide deletions coupled with degeneracy in the nonamer sequence indicate that this VH gene segment is a pseudogene. Genomic DN A restricted with different enzymes and hybridized under stringent conditions with probes derived from VH7.1 showed that 8‐10 bands were present in Southern blots. Reverse transcriptase PCR approaches were used to determine if any of these related sequences were expressed. Sequence analysis of cloned PCR products indicates that different VH gene segments exhibiting >80% similarity to germline VH7.1 are expressed. Multiple sequence alignments showed that the expressed cVH7a cDNA sequence shared less than 60% nucleotide similarity with representative cDNA sequences from the other known catfish VH gene families. These combined results thus fulfil the criteria for the definition of a new family of catfish VH gene segments. This newly defined, small VH family is designated VH7.
COMBINED PCR‐HETERODUPLEX AND PCR‐SSCP ANALYSIS FOR MATCHING OF HLA‐A, ‐B AND ‐C ALLOTYPES IN MARROW TRANSPLANTATION
Authors: Pursall M.C. , Clay T. M. , Bidwell J.L. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYWe describe a method for rapid matching of HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐C allotypes using simultaneous polymerase chain reaction‐single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR‐SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis. Electrophoresis is performed at ambient temperature without requirements for buffer cooling. SSCP and heteroduplexes are revealed as discrete spatially separated band clusters. Using HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐C locus‐specific PCR primers, matching for alleles at these loci can be performed in 5h. We tested 17 serologically matched patient‐unrelated donor pairs and found considerable microheterogeneity at the DNA level. We propose that this technology has several advantages over conventional low‐resolution typing methods and represents a potentially valuable screening method in unrelated donor selection.
ASSOCIATION OF MHC CLASS I WITH SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES IN KUWAIT
Authors: Alharbi S.A. , Mahmoud F.F. , AwAdi A. Al , Jumma R.A. Al , Khodakhast F. , Alsulaiman S.M. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYThis study is the first to assess the prevalence of HLA B27 in Kuwaiti patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or related spondyloarthropathies compared to healthy controls. Positive HLA B27 was found in nine (25.7%) of 35 patients, but only in 22 (4%) of 544 controls (P = 0.000). A significant difference in Cw2 and Cw6 between patients and controls was also found (P < 0.01 and 0.000, respectively), suggesting a linkage disequilibrium between B27 and Cw2 (P < 0.000) in the Kuwaiti population. These findings suggest that B27‐positive Kuwaitis are at high risk of developing AS and spondyloarthropathies, especially if they carry Cw2 and Cw6. The importance of HLA Cw loci is becoming increasingly apparent in disease association studies.
INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX GENES, INCLUDING HLA CLASS I, CLASS II and TAP GENES, WITH CLINICAL FORMS OF CROHN'S DISEASE
Authors: Hesresbach D. , Alizadeh M. , Bretagne J.F. , Gautier A. , Quillivic F. , Lemarchand B. , Gosselin M. , Genetet B. , Semana G. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to determine immunogenetic markers of susceptibility in Crohn's disease (CD), taking the different features of the clinical course of the disease into account. HLA class I, HLA class II and TAP transporter gene polymorphisms were studied using DNA typing methods. Gene and antigen frequencies were analysed and compared in a group of 102 CD patients and 200 unrelated healthy controls from the same area. Analysis of the whole CD patient population revealed no definite association with either HLA or TAP gene alleles, with the exception of an association with DRB1*1302 (Pc < 0.05). However, when clinical subgroups of patients were considered, specific associations with some genetic markers were found. The most definitive results involved a genetic association in the group of patients who did not respond to glucocorticoid therapy. This group was characterized by a high frequency of HLA‐DRB1*04 (P < 0.05). Conversely, a positive association with the TAP2‐A allele was found in cortico‐responder patients (Pc < 0.03). Furthermore, analysis of the distribution of HLA class II alleles in relation to the presence of extra‐intestinal manifestations revealed an association with the DQB 1*0501 or *0503 suballele of DQ5 (P < 0.05). Finally, patients with lesions in the small bowel were more frequently HLA DRB1 *07 (P < 0.05). The present study supports the concept of clinical heterogeneity in Crohn's disease associated with a background of genetic heterogeneity.
Sociodemographic Differences in Depressed Mood: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample of High School Adolescents
Authors: Paxton Raheem J. , Valois Robert F. , Watkins Ken W. , Huebner E. Scott , Drane J. Wanzer 
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACTBackground:  Research on adolescent mental health suggests that prevalence rates for depressed mood are not uniformly distributed across all populations. This study examined demographic difference in depressed mood among a nationally representative sample of high school adolescents.Methods:  The 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey was utilized to examine the association between depressed mood and demographic variables. To examine demographic associations, chi‐square and follow‐up logistic regression models were created for the sample of high school adolescents (N = 15,214).Results:  Caucasians and African Americans were significantly less likely to report depressed mood when compared to Hispanics and Others. Women were also more likely than men to report depressed mood. No significant differences were observed among levels of urbanicity and age.Conclusions:  An understanding of the difference in the prevalence and correlates of depressed mood among adolescents of various ethnic/racial and gender groups deserves increased attention. Given the fact that challenges with depressed mood in adolescents can be substantial and relatively unrecognized, there is an increased need to identify these adolescents early and intervene with culturally appropriate interventions.
Coccoid Form of
Helicobacter pylori
as a Morphological Manifestation of Cell Adaptation to the Environment
Authors: Azevedo N. F. , Almeida C. , Cerqueira L. , Dias S. , Keevil C. W. , Vieira M. J. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

After characterization of preferred conditions for
Helicobacter pylori
survival in the sessile state, it was observed that the bacterium transforms from spiral to coccoid under mild circumstances, whereas under extreme ones it is unable to undergo shape modification. This strongly supports the view that transformation into the coccoid form is an active, biologically led process, switched on by the bacterium as a protection mechanism.
Monochloramine Inactivation of Bacterial Select Agents
Authors: Rose Laura J. , Rice Eugene W. , Hodges Lisa , Peterson Alicia , Arduino Matthew J. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

Seven species of bacterial select agents were tested for susceptibility to monochloramine. Under test conditions, the monochloramine routinely maintained in potable water would reduce six of the species by 2 orders of magnitude within 4.2 h.
Bacillus anthracis
spores would require up to 3.5 days for the same inactivation with monochloramine.
Identification of Novel Genes Involved in Long-Chain
n
-Alkane Degradation by
Acinetobacter
sp. Strain DSM 17874
Authors: Throne-Holst Mimmi , Wentzel Alexander , Ellingsen Trond E. , Kotlar Hans-Kristian , Zotchev Sergey B. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

Acinetobacter
sp. strain DSM 17874 is capable of utilizing
n
-alkanes with chain lengths ranging from that of decane (C
10
H
22
) to that of tetracontane (C
40
H
82
) as a sole carbon source. Two genes encoding AlkB-type alkane hydroxylase homologues, designated
alkMa
and
alkMb
, have been shown to be involved in the degradation of
n
-alkanes with chain lengths of from 10 to 20 C atoms in this strain. Here, we describe a novel high-throughput screening method and the screening of a transposon mutant library to identify genes involved in the degradation of
n
-alkanes with C chain lengths longer than 20, which are solid at 30°C, the optimal growth temperature for
Acinetobacter
sp. strain DSM 17874. A library consisting of approximately 6,800
Acinetobacter
sp. strain DSM 17874 transposon mutants was constructed and screened for mutants unable to grow on dotriacontane (C
32
H
66
) while simultaneously showing wild-type growth characteristics on shorter-chain
n
-alkanes. For 23 such mutants isolated, the genes inactivated by transposon insertion were identified. Targeted inactivation and complementation studies of one of these genes, designated
almA
and encoding a putative flavin-binding monooxygenase, confirmed its involvement in the strain's metabolism of long-chain
n
-alkanes. To our knowledge,
almA
represents the first cloned gene shown to be involved in the bacterial degradation of long-chain
n
-alkanes of 32 C's and longer. Genes encoding AlmA homologues were also identified in other long-chain
n
-alkane-degrading
Acinetobacter
strains.
Genome Sequence of the Cellulolytic Gliding Bacterium
Cytophaga hutchinsonii
Authors: Xie Gary , Bruce David C. , Challacombe Jean F. , Chertkov Olga , Detter John C. , Gilna Paul , Han Cliff S. , Lucas Susan , Misra Monica , Myers Gerald L. , Richardson Paul , Tapia Roxanne , Thayer Nina , Thompson Linda S. , Brettin Thomas S. , Henrissat Bernard , Wilson David B. , McBride Mark J. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

The complete DNA sequence of the aerobic cellulolytic soil bacterium
Cytophaga hutchinsonii
, which belongs to the phylum
Bacteroidetes
, is presented. The genome consists of a single, circular, 4.43-Mb chromosome containing 3,790 open reading frames, 1,986 of which have been assigned a tentative function. Two of the most striking characteristics of
C. hutchinsonii
are its rapid gliding motility over surfaces and its contact-dependent digestion of crystalline cellulose. The mechanism of
C. hutchinsonii
motility is not known, but its genome contains homologs for each of the
gld
genes that are required for gliding of the distantly related bacteroidete
Flavobacterium johnsoniae. Cytophaga-Flavobacterium
gliding appears to be novel and does not involve well-studied motility organelles such as flagella or type IV pili. Many genes thought to encode proteins involved in cellulose utilization were identified. These include candidate endo-β-1,4-glucanases and β-glucosidases. Surprisingly, obvious homologs of known cellobiohydrolases were not detected. Since such enzymes are needed for efficient cellulose digestion by well-studied cellulolytic bacteria,
C. hutchinsonii
either has novel cellobiohydrolases or has an unusual method of cellulose utilization. Genes encoding proteins with cohesin domains, which are characteristic of cellulosomes, were absent, but many proteins predicted to be involved in polysaccharide utilization had putative D5 domains, which are thought to be involved in anchoring proteins to the cell surface.
Characterization of a Gene Cluster Responsible for the Biosynthesis of Anticancer Agent FK228 in
Chromobacterium violaceum
No. 968
Authors: Cheng Yi-Qiang , Yang Min , Matter Andrea M. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

A gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of anticancer agent FK228 has been identified, cloned, and partially characterized in
Chromobacterium violaceum
no. 968. First, a genome-scanning approach was applied to identify three distinctive
C. violaceum
no. 968 genomic DNA clones that code for portions of nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase. Next, a gene replacement system developed originally for
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
was adapted to inactivate the genomic DNA-associated candidate natural product biosynthetic genes in vivo with high efficiency. Inactivation of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase-encoding gene completely abolished FK228 production in mutant strains. Subsequently, the entire FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster was cloned and sequenced. This gene cluster is predicted to encompass a 36.4-kb DNA region that includes 14 genes. The products of nine biosynthetic genes are proposed to constitute an unusual hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase assembly line including accessory activities for the biosynthesis of FK228. In particular, a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase is proposed to catalyze disulfide bond formation between two sulfhydryl groups of cysteine residues as the final step in FK228 biosynthesis. Acquisition of the FK228 biosynthetic gene cluster and acclimation of an efficient genetic system should enable genetic engineering of the FK228 biosynthetic pathway in
C. violaceum
no. 968 for the generation of structural analogs as anticancer drug candidates.
Geographical Distribution and Diversity of Bacteria Associated with Natural Populations of
Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Corby-Harris Vanessa , Pontaroli Ana Clara , Shimkets Lawrence J. , Bennetzen Jeffrey L. , Habel Kristin E. , Promislow Daniel E. L. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

Drosophila melanogaster
is one of the most widely used model systems in biology. However, little is known about its associated bacterial community. As a first step towards understanding these communities, we compared bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries recovered from 11 natural populations of adult
D. melanogaster
. Bacteria from these sequence libraries were grouped into 74 distinct taxa, spanning the phyla
Proteobacteria
,
Bacteroidetes
, and
Firmicutes
, which were unevenly spread across host populations. Summed across populations, the distribution of abundance of genera was closely fit by a power law. We observed differences among host population locations both in bacterial community richness and in composition. Despite this significant spatial variation, no relationship was observed between species richness and a variety of abiotic factors, such as temperature and latitude. Overall, bacterial communities associated with adult
D. melanogaster
hosts are diverse and differ across host populations.