The seroprevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis among epileptic patients in León, Nicaragua, as evaluated by ELISA and western blotting

The Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis complex is an important public-health problem in several countries, where many epileptic seizures appear to be associated with neurocysticercosis. As few data on this problem in Nicaragua exist, the seroprevalence of antibodies reacting with antigens from T. solium cysticerci was investigated among 88 Nicaraguan epileptics (45 males and 43 females, aged 6-53 years). In questionnaire-based interviews, each adult subject and a caregiver of each child investigated were asked about potential risk factors for taeniasis/cysticercosis. When a serum sample from each subject was then checked for anti-cysticercus antibodies, 8.0% of the subjects were found seropositive by ELISA and 14.8% by western blotting. Five samples (all from individuals who had been epileptic for > 5 years) were positive in both tests. When the level of association between each potential risk factor and seropositivity (in ELISA or by blotting) was evaluated, the only statistically significant association detected was that between a positive ELISA and the subject living in a household where pigs were raised (odds ratio = 5.18; 95% confidence interval = 0.8-41.6; P = 0.05). The bands most frequently recognized in the western blots (of 50, 42-39, 24 and 14 kDa) were those previously reported. The results indicate that, in the city of Léon, cysticercosis may be endemic and the cause of a significant proportion of the epilepsy recorded.     

Secondary use of existing public microarray data to predict outcome for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Since 1990, numerous public repositories of microarray data have been created to store vast genomic data sets. Our hypothesis is that a secondary analysis of an available hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) public data set could generate new findings and additional hypotheses.

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus at the National Center for Biotechnology Information was queried for available data sets specific for ‘HCC’ and ‘clinical data.’ Genes that passed filtering and normalization criteria were analyzed using the class comparison and prediction functions in BRB-ArrayTools. Ingenuity pathway analysis software was used to identify potential gene networks up- or down-regulated.

Results

The file GDS274, which measured gene expression in primary HCC lesions with or without hepatic metastases from a cohort of Chinese patients, was identified as an appropriate data set and was imported into BRB-ArrayTools. 9984 genes passed filtering criteria. Clinical data demonstrated alpha fetoprotein (AFP) >100 ng/mL predictive of worse survival (HR 5.87, 95% confidence interval: 1.11–31.0). A class comparison between patients with an AFP >100 and those with AFP <100 demonstrated 92 genes to be differentially expressed. Ingenuity pathway analyses demonstrated the top networks associated with the observed gene expression.

Conclusions

Using available HCC microarray data, we identified genes differentially expressed based on AFP >100. Canonical pathway analysis demonstrated functional gene pathways and associated upstream regulators. This study maximizes the use of publicly available data by generating new findings. Secondary analyses of these data sets should be considered by investigators before embarking on new genomic experiments.     

Association of the C8orf13-BLK region with systemic sclerosis in North-American and European populations

ObjectiveGenetic studies in the systemic sclerosis (SSc), an autoimmune disease that clinically manifests with dermal and internal organ fibrosis and small vessel vasculopathy, have identified multiple susceptibility genes including HLA-class II, PTPN22, IRF5, and STAT4 which have also been associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These data suggest that there are common autoimmune disease susceptibility genes. The current report sought to determine if polymorphisms in the C8orf13-BLK region (chromosome 8p23.1-B lymphoid tyrosine kinase), which is associated with SLE, are associated also with SSc.MethodsTwo variants in the C8orf13-BLK region (rs13277113 & rs2736340) were tested for association with 1050 SSc cases and 694 controls of North Americans of European descent and replicated in a second series 589 SSc cases and 722 controls from Spain.ResultsThe “T” allele at rs2736340 variant was associated with SSc in both the U.S. and Spanish case–control series (P = 6.8 × 10^?5, OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.1–1.4). The “A” allele at rs13277113 variant was associated with SSc in the U.S. series only (P = 3.6 × 10^?4, OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.1–1.6) and was significant in the combined analyses of the two series (P = 2.0 × 10^?3; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.1–1.3). Both variants demonstrated an association with the anti-centromere antibody (P = 2.2 × 10^?6 and P = 5.5 × 10^?4, respectively) and limited SSc (P = 3.3 × 10^?5 and P = 2.9 × 10^?3, respectively) in the combined analysis. Peripheral blood gene expression profiles suggest that B-cell receptor and NFκB signaling are dysregulated based on the risk haplotype of these variants.ConclusionWe identify and replicate the association of the C8orf13-BLK region as a novel susceptibility factor for SSc, placing it in the category of common autoimmune disease susceptibility genes.     

Pediatric norovirus diarrhea in Nicaragua

Information about norovirus (NoV) infections in Central America is limited. Through a passive community and hospital pediatric diarrhea surveillance program, a total of 542 stool samples were collected between March 2005 and February 2006 in León, Nicaragua. NoV was detected in 12% (65/542) of the children; of these, 11% (45/409) were in the community and 15% (20/133) were in the hospital, with most strains (88%) belonging to genogroup II. NoV infections were age and gender associated, with children of <2 years of age (P < 0.05) and girls (P < 0.05) being most affected. Breast-feeding did not reduce the number of NoV infections. An important proportion (57%) of NoV-infected children were coinfected with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. A significant proportion (18/31) of NoV-positive children with dehydration required intravenous rehydration. Nucleotide sequence analysis (38/65) of the N-terminal and shell region in the capsid gene revealed that at least six genotypes (GI.4, GII.2, GII.4, GII.7, GII.17, and a potentially novel cluster termed “GII.18-Nica”) circulated during the study period, with GII.4 virus being predominant (26/38). The majority (20/26) of those GII.4 strains shared high nucleotide homology (99%) with the globally emerging Hunter strain. The mean viral load was approximately 15-fold higher in children infected with GII.4 virus than in those infected with other G.II viruses, with the highest viral load observed for the group of children infected with GII.4 and requiring intravenous rehydration. This study, the first of its type from a Central American country, suggests that NoV is an important etiological agent of acute diarrhea among children of <2 years of age in Nicaragua.