Paternal lineages in southern Iberia provide time frames for gene flow from mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world

Background: The geography of southern Iberia and an abundant archaeological record of human occupation are ideal conditions for a full understanding of scenarios of genetic history in the area. Recent advances in the phylogeography of Y-chromosome lineages offer the opportunity to set upper bounds for the appearance of different genetic components.

Aim: To provide a global knowledge on the Y haplogroups observed in Andalusia with their Y microsatellite variation. Preferential attention is given to the vehement debate about the age, origin and expansion of R1b-M269 clade and sub-lineages.

Subject and methods: Four hundred and fourteen male DNA samples from western and eastern autochthonous Andalusians were genotyped for a set of Y-SNPs and Y-STRs. Gene diversity, potential population genetic structures and coalescent times were assessed.

Results: Most of the analysed samples belong to the European haplogroup R1b1a1a2-M269, whereas haplogroups E, J, I, G and T show lower frequencies. A phylogenetic dissection of the R1b-M269 was performed and younger time frames than those previously reported in the literature were obtained for its sub-lineages.

Conclusion: The particular Andalusian R1b-M269 assemblage confirms the shallow topology of the clade. Moreover, the sharing of lineages with the rest of Europe indicates the impact in Iberia of an amount of pre-existing diversity, with the possible exception of R1b-DF27. Lineages such as J2-M172 and G-M201 highlight the importance of maritime travels of early farmers who reached the Iberian Peninsula.     

Influence of age and autoimmunity on liver disease in HCV-associated type II mixed cryoglobulinemia

It has been suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia have less extensive liver damage than patients without cryoglobulinemia. We retrospectively evaluated 35 patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with HCV infection, seeking for factors associated with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values. The presence of anti-GOR and of other autoantibodies, including the recently described anti-LAG-3.1, was specifically investigated. Fifty-four percent of patients had anti-GOR, 46% anti-LAG-3.1, 40% anti-smooth muscle, 17% anti-nuclear, and 11% anti-liver-kidney microsome 1 antibodies. Anti-GOR was significantly (p = 0.037) associated with anti-LAG-3.1 but not with other autoantibodies. Persistently abnormal ALT levels were observed in 54% of patients. By univariate analyses, abnormal ALT was significantly associated with anti-GOR positivity (p = 0.018) and younger age (p = 0.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that these variables were independently associated with abnormal ALT. Our data suggest that the presence of autoimmune manifestations as well as unidentified age-related host factor(s) may protect from liver injury in HCV-associated cryoglobulinemia.     

Antibodies to mouse laminin in patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) recognize galactosyl (alpha 1-3)-galactose epitopes.

Employing radioimmunoinhibition assays with distinct oligosaccharides as inhibitors, this study demonstrates that the epitope recognized on mouse laminin by sera from patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is a terminal galactosyl (alpha 1-3)-galactose disaccharide. The reaction with this alpha-digalactose was further confirmed when the sera were tested in radioimmunoassay (RIA) binding assay and in ELISA with synthetic galactose alpha 1-3 galactose coupled to human serum albumin. The circulating antibody appeared restricted to the IgG class and mostly to the subclass IgG3 and IgG4. Antibodies with the same specificity can be found in patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis and Chagas disease; however, whilst in these diseases the antibody production is triggered by antigenic determinants present on the surface of the parasites, the events eliciting their appearance in systemic sclerosis are unknown.     

Anti-topoisomerase II alpha autoantibodies in systemic sclerosis-association with pulmonary hypertension and HLA-B35

We have previously detected autoantibodies against topoisomerase II alpha (anti-topo II alpha) in sera from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. To determine whether anti-topo II alpha is also present in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with pulmonary involvement, we screened sera from 92 patients and 34 healthy controls. Presence of anti-topo II alpha was investigated with respect to clinical and serological features, including the frequencies of HLA class I and II alleles. Anti-topo II alpha was detected in 20/92 (21.7%) patients. No association was found with either anti-topoisomerase I (Scl-70 or anti-topo I) or anti-centromere antibodies. However, anti-topo II alpha was associated with the presence of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) (as opposed to pulmonary fibrosis), and with a decrease of carbon monoxide diffusing capacity. Anti-topo II alpha was strongly associated with the presence of the class I antigen HLA-B35. No significant association was found with HLA class II antigens. HLA-B35 also turned out to be associated with the presence of PHT. These results indicate that in SSc patients, the presence of anti-topo II alpha is associated with PHT, and that the simultaneous presence of HLA-B35 seems to add to the risk of developing PHT.     

游离丙型肝炎病毒核心抗原酶联免疫吸附试验不适用于粒细胞集落刺激因子动员的造血祖细胞捐献者的筛查

市售的酶联免疫试验试剂盒抗-丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心抗原酶联免疫(ELISA)检测系统(Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan,NJ),能够检测患者感染HCV后窗口期的HCV核心抗原,即在产生HCV RNA后的1d～2d内检测到HCV核心抗原,灵敏度为94％,总的特异性为99％。由于作者关注的是自体或异体外周血祖细胞(PBPC)产品污染HCV的问题,作者在用HCV抗原试验筛查HPC捐献者时,发现HCV抗原阳性检出率较高。这一发现促使作者进一步研究应用细胞因子动员的患者的HCV抗原检测阳性率高的原因,这种增高是真正病毒复制所致还是检测HCV核心抗原试验方法干扰所致的问题。