Copper aerosols inhibit phytoplankton growth in the Mediterranean Sea

Aerosol deposition plays an important role in climate and biogeochemical cycles by supplying nutrients to the open ocean, in turn stimulating ocean productivity and carbon sequestration. Aerosol particles also contain elements such as copper (Cu) that are essential in trace amounts for phytoplankton physiology but that can be toxic at high concentrations. Although the toxicity of Cu associated with aerosols has been demonstrated in bioassay experiments, extrapolation of these laboratory results to natural conditions is not straightforward. This study provides observational evidence of the negative effect of aerosols containing high Cu concentrations on marine phytoplankton over a vast region of the western Mediterranean Sea. Direct aerosol measurements were combined with satellite observations, resulting in the detection of significant declines in phytoplankton biomass after atmospheric aerosol events characterized by high Cu concentrations. The declines were more evident during summer, when nanoflagellates predominate in the phytoplankton population and stratification and oligotrophic conditions prevail in the study region. Together with previous findings concerning atmospheric Cu deposition, these results demonstrate that the toxicity of Cu-rich aerosols can involve large areas of the world’s oceans. Moreover, they highlight the present vulnerability of oceanic ecosystems to Cu-rich aerosols of anthropogenic origins. Because anthropogenic emissions are increasing, large-scale negative effects on marine ecosystems can be anticipated.     

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis associated with aluminosilicate dust: a case report

Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (IPPFE) is a recently described rare condition, characterized by pleural and subpleural parenchymal fibrosis, predominantly in the upper lobes. The clinical course of this disease is progressive and prognosis is poor, with little information regarding the etiology of IIPPFE. This report describes an IPPFE patient with convincing evidence of inhalational dust and suggests that dust exposure should be considered as a new causative factor of IPPFE.     

Proteolytic,lipidergic and polysaccharide molecular recognition shape innate responses to house dust mite allergens

House dust mites (HDMs) are sources of an extensive repertoire of allergens responsible for a range of allergic conditions. Technological advances have accelerated the identification of these allergens and characterized their putative roles within HDMs. Understanding their functional bioactivities is illuminating how they interact with the immune system to cause disease and how interrelations between them are essential to maximize allergic responses. Two types of allergen bioactivity, namely proteolysis and peptidolipid/lipid binding, elicit IgE and stimulate bystander responses to unrelated allergens. Much of this influence arises from Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 or TLR2 signalling and, in the case of protease allergens, the activation of additional pleiotropic effectors with strong disease linkage. Of related interest is the interaction of HDM allergens with common components of the house dust matrix, through either their binding to allergens or their autonomous modulation of immune receptors. Herein, we provide a contemporary view of how proteolysis, lipid-binding activity and interactions with polysaccharides and polysaccharide molecular recognition systems coordinate the principal responses which underlie allergy. The power of the catalytically competent group 1 HDM protease allergen component is demonstrated by a review of disclosures surrounding the efficacy of novel inhibitors produced by structure-based design.     

新疆东部地区蜱螨区系及医学意义

通过对新疆东部地区蜱类和医螨的广泛调查，目前已发现蜱７属１２种；革螨６科１３属２７种；恙螨４属５种。革螨中的长毛美绥螨Ａｍｅｒｏｓｅｉｕｓ ｌｏｎｇｉｓｅｔｏｓｕｓ Ｙｅ ｅｔ Ｍａ，１９９３系近期发表的新种，阴阳血厉螨Ｈａｅｍｏｌａｅｌａｐｓ ａｎｄｒｏｇｙｎｕｓ Ｂｒｅｇｅｔｏｖａ，１９５２是国内新纪录，宽胸真厉螨Ｅｕｌａｅｌａｐｓ ｗｉｄｅｓｔｅｒｎａｌｉｓ Ｐｉａｏ ｅｔ Ｍａ，１９８０是     

Dust mite-derived Enterobacterial fimbriae H protein enforces the allergen specific immunotherapy in asthma mice

BackgroundThe mite alimentary canal contains plenty of microbiota. It is accepted that some of the microbial products function as adjuvants to speed up immune responses.ObjectivesWe identified five bacterial proteins from dust mite, and Enterobacterial fimbriae H (FimH) was one of them. This study aims to test a hypothesis that the FimH protein enforces immunotherapy in asthmatic mice.MethodsAsthmatic mice were treated by allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT) with rDer f1/f2 or rDer f1/f2 plus FimH. Changes in inflammatory cell infiltration, airway hyperreactivity, frequency of Tregs, splenic CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ cells, and serum levels of TGF-β, IL-10, IL-13 and IL-17A of asthmatic mice were checked.ResultsASIT with rDer f1/f2 plus FimH reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, airway hyperreactivity (AHR), and levels of IgE and IgG1 compared to ASIT with rDer f1/f2 alone, but the levels of IgG2a increased. Asthmatic mice that underwent ASIT with rDer f1/f2 plus FimH showed increased frequency of Tregs, splenic CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ cells, serum levels of TGF-β and IL-10; and deceased splenic CD4⁺IL-4⁺ cells, and serum levels of IL-13 and IL-17A. In vitro study showed FimH triggered IL-10 expression in a concentration dependent manner and facilitated the differentiation of Tregs.ConclusionUsed as an adjuvant, FimH enforces the effect of ASIT in asthmatic mice via augmenting Tregs.     

广州城市青少年特应性与支气管哮喘的关系调查

目的了解广州城市青少年特应性的流行情况，探讨特应性与支气管哮喘（简称哮喘）的关系，明确主要的吸人性变应原。方法2002年4至5月在广州市参加儿童哮喘和变应性疾病的国际性对比研究（简称ISAAC）第三阶段调查的10所学校学生中，每所学校以班级为单位进行随机整群抽样调查。采用5组9种吸人性变应原（屋尘螨、粉尘螨、猫毛、美洲大镰、德国小镰、混合草花粉、混合树木花粉、链格孢属真菌、混合霉菌）对1187名学生进行皮肤点刺试验。哮喘定义为：既往或近12个月胸部有喘息声、胸闷或曾被医生诊断为哮喘，有哮喘、鼻炎、湿疹中的任1种疾病视为有变应性疾病史。变应原皮试反应的风团直径大于阴性对照3mm以上为阳性，有1个或以上变应原反应阳性视为特应性。特应性程度及变应原阳性反应强度分别以特应性指数（AI）及皮肤指数（SI）分级表示。结果随机抽取1543人参加调查，实际应答率为77．0％（1187／1543），其中男性为51．6％（613／1187），女性为48．4％（574／1187），年龄12～17岁（中位数14岁）。哮喘的患病率为9．4％（111／1187），其中合并鼻炎率为81．1％（90／111），合并湿疹率为24．3％（27／111）。686例有鼻炎史患者合并哮喘率为[13．1％（90／686）]，高于无鼻炎史者[4．2％（21／501），OR值为3．444，95％可信区间（CI）为2．110～5．622，P〈0．01]；200例有湿疹史患者合并哮喘率为[13．5％（27／200）]，也高于无湿疹史者[8．5％（84／987），OR值为1．676，95％CI为1．055～2．663，P〈0．05]。特应性阳性率为46．3％（549／1187），其中尘螨（屋尘螨、粉尘螨）皮试反应阳性率最高[分别为41．8％（496／1187）、42．7％（507／1187）]。哮喘患者特应性阳性率为[71．2％（79／111）]，高于无变应性疾病者[26．4％（112／425），OR值为6．812，95％CI为4．276～10．853，P〈0．01]，且随着合并其他疾病种类的增加而升高。与特应性阴性者比较，特应性阳性是哮喘的危险因素（OR值为3．183，95％CI为2．075～4．883，P〈0．01），且哮喘的患病风险随着特应性程度的增加而升高。单因素Logistic回归分析结果表明，哮喘的危险因素有屋尘螨（SI≥2）、粉尘螨（SI=3～4）、美洲大蠊、德国小蠊、猫毛、链格孢属、混合草花粉。多因素Logistic回归分析结果表明，屋尘螨（SI=3～4）、链格孢属阳性仍是哮喘独立的危险因素。结论广州城市青少年哮喘患者大多属尘螨变应性的，哮喘的患病风险随着特应性程度及屋尘螨皮试反应强度增加而升高。     

中国医学革螨生态学研究现状

医学革螨是一大类非昆虫类节肢动物的统称,可以作为多种疾病的传播媒介.医学革螨生态学研究是革螨研究的一个重要组成部分.在很长的一段时间里,人们主要集中在革螨个体生态学的研究,忽视了对革螨种群生态学和群落生态学的研究,随着医学节肢动物研究的发展,革螨种群生态学和群落生态学的研究逐渐增多,并且革螨群落生态学的研究已成为中国革螨生态学研究的一个新的重要内容.该文结合国内关于革螨生态学研究的诸多文献报道,从个体生态学、种群生态学和群落生态学的不同层次,归纳总结了我国医学革螨生态学研究的动态、现状和进展,并指出了现阶段中国医学革螨生态学研究中存在的一些问题.     

Effects of Asian sand dust particles on the respiratory and immune system

Epidemiologic studies have reported that Asian sand dust (ASD) particles can affect respiratory health; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the effects of ASD on airway epithelial cells and immune cells, and their contributing factors to the effects. Human airway epithelial cells were exposed to ASD collected on 1–3 May (ASD1) and on 12–14 May (ASD2) 2011 in Japan and heat‐treated ASD1 for excluding heat‐sensitive substances (H‐ASD) at a concentration of 0, 3, 30 or 90 µg ml^–1 for 4 or 24 h. Furthermore, bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDC) from atopic prone mice were differentiated by culture with granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) then these BMDC were exposed to the ASD for 24 h. Also splenocytes as mixture of immune cells were exposed to the ASD for 72 h. All ASD dose dependently reduced viability of airway epithelial cells. Non‐heated ASD showed a dose‐dependent increase in the protein release of interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐8. The raises induced by ASD1 were higher than those by ASD2. ASD1 and ASD2 also elevated ICAM‐1 at the levels of mRNA, cell surface protein and soluble protein in culture medium. In contrast, H‐ASD did not change most of these biomarkers. Non‐heated ASD showed enhancement in the protein expression of DEC205 on BMDC and in the proliferation of splenocytes, whereas H‐ASD did not. These results suggest that ASD affect airway epithelial cells and immune cells such as BMDC and splenocytes. Moreover, the difference in ASD events and components adhered to ASD can contribute to the health effects. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indoor particle counts during Asian dust events under everyday conditions at an apartment in Japan

Objective

Asian dust storms originating from arid regions of Mongolia and China are a well-known springtime phenomenon throughout East Asia. Evidence is increasing for the adverse health effects caused by airborne desert dust inhalation. Given that people spend approximately 90 % of their time indoors, indoor air quality is a significant concern. The present study aimed to examine the influence of outdoor particulate matter (PM) levels on indoor PM levels during Asian dust events under everyday conditions.

Methods

We simultaneously monitored counts of particles larger than 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 μm using two direct-reading instruments (KC-01D1 airborne particle counter; Rion), one placed in an apartment room and another on the veranda, under everyday conditions before and during an Asian dust event. We also examined how indoor particle counts were affected by opening a window, crawling, and air purifier use.

Results

An Asian dust event on 24 April 2012 caused 50- and 20-fold increases in PM counts in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. A window open for 10 min resulted in a rapid increase of indoor PM counts up to 70 % of outside levels that did not return to baseline levels after 3 h. An air purifier rapidly reduced PM counts for all particle sizes measured.

Conclusions

It is important to account for occupant behavior, such as window-opening and air purifier use, when estimating residential exposure to particulate matter.