De Barsy syndrome: Report of a case,literature review,and elastin gene expression studies of the skin

Several “progeroid” syndromes have now been identified. The De Barsy syndrome is an autosomal recessive syndrome of dwarfism, mental deficiency, an “aged” appearance at birth, abnormal elastic fibers on skin biopsy, and lax skin, large helices, eye abnormalities, lax joints, hypotonia, and athetoid posturing. We report one case and review 11 cases from the literature. To understand the abnormal appearance of the elastic fibers on biopsy, we performed elastin gene expression studies on fibroblasts cultured from our patient's skin. Molecular hybridization studies revealed reduced elastin mRNA steady-state levels as compared with age matched control individuals. Assuming normal rates of mRNA translation, reduced elastin synthesis would occur. Diminished dermal elastin content could explain the altered cutaneous elasticity, decreased elastic fibers in the skin, and many clinical manifestations of individuals with this condition.     

Changing smoking, drinking, and eating behaviour among pregnant women in Denmark. Evaluation of a health campaign in a local region

Health behaviour during pregnancy was examined before and after a comprehensive health campaign targeted at pregnant women in Odense, Denmark. Furthermore, lifestyle habits were compared before and during the campaign with similar habits in Aalborg, Denmark. All 13,815 pregnant women (equal numbers from each city) were enrolled in the study, and 11,980 gave information on eating, drinking, and smoking habits during pregnancy. Data collection in both cities took place from April 1984 to April 1987. The campaign, which was entitled "Healthy Habits for Two", ran from April 1985 to April 1987 in the city of Odense only. No significant change in health behaviour in the Odense area was noted after the start of the campaign.     

Increased NADPH-diaphorase activity in canine myxomatous mitral valve leaflets

Comparable pathological changes in the mitral valve have been described in dogs, pigs and human patients with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), i.e., primary mitral valve prolapse. The progressive myxomatous changes are probably a response to repeated impact on the leaflets, and endothelial stress or damage probably plays a central role in the pathogenesis. Little, however, is known about the vasoactive substances that mediate the subendothelial changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in canine mitral valve leaflets and to relate the findings to MMVD changes. The mitral valve was taken post mortem from 12 dogs (six males and six females) and a whole valve NADPH (the reduced form of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate) diaphorase (NADPH-d) reaction was performed. Macroscopical (semiquantitative) and microscopical (computer image analysis) evaluations of the staining due to NADPH-d activity were performed at four specific areas of the valve and related to microscopical signs of MMVD and gross signs of thickening or prolapse, or both. Macroscopically, the NADPH-d colour grade was correlated with the degree of MMVD (P=0.01). In addition, endothelial NADPH-d staining intensity was correlated with macroscopical signs of disease (P=0.004) as well as with collagen degeneration (P=0.008) and deposition of mucopolysaccharides (P=0.02). Age, gender and specific area of the valve did not seem to influence the NADPH-d activity. In conclusion, increased NADPH-d activity, suggesting increased NOS expression, was found in areas of the mitral valve with myxomatous changes. This indicates that nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in the pathogenesis of MMVD in dogs.     

Pasteurella multocida in scavenging family chickens and ducks: carrier status, age susceptibility and transmission between species.

Pasteurella multocida causes fowl cholera, a highly contagious and severe disease in chickens and water fowls. The disease is not well described in less intensive production systems, including scavenging family poultry production in developing countries. P. multocida was isolated from 25.9% of healthy-looking ducks and 6.2% of chickens from free-range family poultry farms and at slaughter slabs at market. On experimental infection with 1.2 to 2.0 x 10(8) organisms of the P. multocida type strain (NCTC 10322(T)), 12-week-old chickens expressed fowl cholera clinical signs significantly more times (372 signs) than those of 4-week-old, 8-week-old and 16-week-old chickens (173, 272 and 187 signs) and more signs were severe. In family ducks the 8-week-old birds expressed clinical signs significantly more times (188 signs) than those of the other age groups (117, 80, and 83 signs, respectively) and severe signs were more frequent. P. multocida transmitted from seeder birds (n=12) to sentinel birds (n=30), which developed clinical signs, and in some cases lesions of fowl cholera allowed bacterial re-isolation, whether infected ducks served as seeders for chickens or chickens served as seeder for ducks. This study has documented the occurrence of P. multocida among healthy-appearing family poultry in a tropical setting, and demonstrated that age susceptibility is highest in 12-week-old family chickens and 8-week-old family ducks when challenged with a low-virulent strain of P. multocida. It has further demonstrated that cross-transmission of fowl cholera may happen between family ducks and chickens, and vice versa.     

Genetic structure of population of Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis isolates associated with periodontitis and other human infections

The genetic diversity and relationships among 35 Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolates recovered from marginal and apical periodontitis in humans and from various other human infections were investigated using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. The strains were isolated in Norway, except for three strains isolated from periodontitis patients in Brazil. The genetic diversity of these strains was compared to that of 30 isolates from dairies in Norway and Finland. Allelic variation in 13 structural gene loci encoding metabolic enzymes was analyzed. Twelve of the 13 loci were polymorphic, and 48 unique electrophoretic types (ETs) were identified, representing multilocus genotypes. The mean genetic diversity among the 48 genotypes was 0.508. The genetic diversity of each source group of isolates varied from 0.241 (periodontal infection) to 0.534 (dairy). Cluster analysis revealed two major groups separated at a genetic distance of greater than 0.6. One cluster, ETs 1 to 13, included solely isolates from dairies, while the other cluster, ETs 14 to 49, included all of the human isolates as well as isolates from dairies in Norway and Finland. The isolates were serotyped using antiflagellar antiserum. A total of 14 distinct serotypes were observed. However, little association between serotyping and genotyping was seen. Most of the strains were also analyzed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, showing the presence of extrachromosomal DNA in the size range of 15 to 600 kb. Our results indicate a high degree of heterogeneity among dairy strains. In contrast, strains isolated from humans had their genotypes in one cluster. Most strains from patients with periodontitis belonged to a single lineage, suggesting that specific clones of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis are associated with oral infections.     

Distinct differences in repertoires of low-molecular-mass secreted antigens of Mycobacterium avium complex and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Antigens in a 4-week-old culture filtrate (CF) of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium were separated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified by Western blotting. The culture had minimal lysis of bacilli, giving a CF preparation consisting mainly of secreted proteins. Comparison with a similar CF of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with almost no contamination with intracellular proteins showed the presence of cross-reactive antigens homologous to the four components of the antigen 85 complex, as well as MPT32. These were major constituents of the M. avium subsp. avium CF. In addition, there were several low-molecular-mass bands (<15 kDa) in both species that did not cross-react with polyclonal and polyvalent rabbit antibodies in Western blotting. Furthermore, these bands were not detected in corresponding sonicate preparations, indicating high localization indexes, which is typical of soluble secreted proteins. A 14-kDa protein was selected for purification and more detailed characterization. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined, and a matching gene was found within the genomic sequence of M. avium subsp. avium which was highly homologous to Rv0455c of M. tuberculosis. The gene encoded a signal peptide typical of secreted mycobacterial proteins. A rabbit antiserum was raised against the purified protein, and the antigen was demonstrated by Western blotting in CFs of M. avium subsp. avium, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium intracellulare, and Mycobacterium scrofulaceum but was not detected in M. tuberculosis. This is a new example of a highly homologous gene being differentially expressed by different mycobacterial species.