Early axonal damage and progressive myelin pathology define the kinetics of CNS histopathology in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis

Studies of MS histopathology are largely dependent on suitable animal models. While light microscopic analysis gives an overview of tissue pathology, it falls short in evaluating detailed changes in nerve fiber morphology. The ultrastructural data presented here and obtained from studies of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG):35–55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in C57BL/6 mice delineate that axonal damage and myelin pathology follow different kinetics in the disease course. While myelin pathology accumulated with disease progression, axonal damage coincided with the initial clinical disease symptoms and remained stable over time. This pattern applied both to irreversible axolysis and early axonal pathology. Notably, these histopathological patterns were reflected by the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), suggesting that the NAWM is also in an active neurodegenerative state. The data underline the need for neuroprotection in MS and suggest the MOG model as a highly valuable tool for the assessment of different therapeutic strategies.     

Compliance with iron-folic acid (IFA) therapy among pregnant women in an urban area of south India

Background

Anaemia is highly prevalent among pregnant women and iron deficiency is the most important cause. Like many other countries, India has policies to give pregnant women iron supplements. Non-compliance is one important challenging factor in combating anaemia.

Objective

To estimate the compliance for IFA tablets among pregnant women and to study the social factors influencing it.

Methodology

This study included 190 pregnant women seeking ante-natal care in tertiary health centres in the Mangalore city in south India. After Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) approval, data was collected by personal interview. Missing >2 doses consecutively was considered non-compliance. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 11.5.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 25.8 years (SD: 4.1). Most of the subjects consumed mixed diet and 72.1% belonged to lower socioeconomic status. Overall, compliance with IFA tablets was 64.7%. Compliance increased with the increase in age, birth order and single daily dose. Forgetfulness and both perceived as well as experienced side effects of IFA therapy were the important factors for non-compliance.

Conclusion

There was a moderate level of compliance towards IFA tablets with key social and demographic factors playing an important role.     

IFA在酿酒污染野生酵母快速检测中的应用

用荧光抗体技术进行快速检测,方法简便、灵敏、快速。用三种混合血清可以检测出常见全部污染野生酵母。该技术在工厂中应用结果表明,酿酒种酵母中野生酵母污染现象是存在的,而且随着种酵母使用代数的增加而越趋严重。     

用Sephadex G200层析血清对4种弓形虫病免疫诊断方法的评价

弓形虫感染小鼠血清经Sephadex G 200柱层析后,各层析峰(紫外线OD_(280)吸收峰)用染色试验(DT)、乳胶凝集试验(LAT)、间接荧光抗体试验(IFA)和酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)分别检测总抗体、IgM和IgG抗体。结果显示,两类抗体分别存在于第Ⅰ峰和第Ⅱ峰,第Ⅲ峰无抗体活性。ELISA和IFA用于弓形虫病早期诊断(检测IgM)具有高度特异性和敏感性;LAT操作简便、经济快速、但敏感性稍差。IFA可取代DT用于常规个例诊断。     

精神病人莱姆病螺旋体感染情况分析

目的：探讨精神病人感染莱姆病螺旋体情况。方法：间接免疫荧光抗体试验（ＩＦＡ）。结果：精神病人血清抗体阳性率（５２／１３４，３８９％）明显高于健康人群（１／９０，１１％），且均排除梅毒和钩端螺旋体感染，并从精神病人中分离出１株病原体。结论：莱姆病感染后期可致精神异常     

Duck hepatitis B photoinactivation bydimethylmethylene blue in RBC suspensions

BACKGROUND: Dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) has been used to photoinactivate a number of model viruses, including VSV, in RBC suspensions under conditions that preserve in vitro RBC properties during storage. The relative sensitivity of duck HBV (DHBV) and VSV to photoinactivation by DMMB was investigated by performing an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using primary duck hepatocyte (PDH) cultures or a standard plaque assay for the respective viruses. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: DMMB was added to 45-percent Hct, WBC-reduced, oxygenated AS-3 RBCs at 10-, 1-, and 0.1-microM concentrations. Samples (1-mm thick) were illuminated with 5.4-mW per cm(2) of red light for 2 or 9 seconds. Unilluminated samples without DMMB or with 10 microM DMMB served as control. RESULTS: DHBV and VSV were rapidly photoinactivated by DMMB in a concentration and light-dose-dependent fashion. Neither virus was substantially inactivated by incubation with DMMB in the dark. For a given light exposure, DHBV required a concentration of DMMB one-one hundredth that of VSV to achieve approximately the same level of inactivation. CONCLUSION: DHBV appears to be considerably more sensitive than VSV to DMMB photoinactivation. Photoinactivation in 45-percent Hct RBCs can be achieved in seconds by using micromolar quantities of dye.     

Seroprevalence of human herpes virus 8 antibody in populations at high or low risk of transfusion, graft, or sexual transmission of viruses

BACKGROUND: The routes of transmission of human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) remain unclear. In particular, HHV-8 transmission by blood components and organ transplantation is still debated and raises public health issues. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HHV-8 in selected populations of persons or patients with or without risk factors for the transmission of viral infections, in order to determine the routes of HHV-8 transmission. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1431 persons or patients at low or high risk of sexually, blood-, or graft-transmitted viral infections were tested by means of a standardized immunofluorescence serologic assay detecting anti-HHV-8. RESULTS: The persons or patients could be classified into three distinct groups according to anti-HHV-8 prevalence: a low prevalence group (0.0% to 5.0%), including healthy blood donors, healthy pregnant women, multiply transfused patients with thalassemia major, and IV drug users; an intermediate prevalence group (5.0% to 20.0%), including organ donors, kidney transplant recipients, and multiply transfused patients with sickle cell disease; a high prevalence group (>20.0%), including HIV-negative persons at high risk of sexually-transmitted viral infections, and HIV-infected homosexual men and heterosexuals. CONCLUSION: The sexual route appears to be the main route of HHV-8 transmission; bloodborne transmission of HHV-8, if it exists, is rare. In contrast, organ transplantation recipients might be exposed to HHV-8 transmission by the transplanted organ, which raises the issue of systematic screening of organ donors.     

Transfusion-associated transmission of babesiosis in New York State

BACKGROUND: Babesiosis can be life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. Although the disease is usually transmitted by tick bite, more than 20 cases have been reported of infection transmitted by transfusion of blood or blood components obtained from apparently healthy donors from endemic areas in the United States. This report describes several recent cases of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in New York State. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Transfusion-associated incidents of babesiosis infection were identified and investigated. Seroprevalence of babesiosis in healthy blood donors in a highly endemic area was ascertained. RESULTS: In three incidents, babesiosis was diagnosed in five of eight patients given infected blood: two premature infants, an elderly patient with gastrointestinal bleeding, and two patients with thalassemia. Seroprevalence in blood donors on Shelter Island (Suffolk County, eastern Long Island), a highly endemic area, was 4.3 percent in May 1998. CONCLUSIONS: Infected donors lived in endemic areas and were asymptomatic with no history of tick bite. Blood collected in January 1997 from one donor was infectious. Those transfusion recipients who were infected were neonatal, elderly, or chronically transfused patients. Babesiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of febrile illness in immunocompromised recipients of blood transfusion, particularly in the Northeastern United States.     

Cat scratch disease: analysis of 130 seropositive cases

 To clarify the clinical manifestations of cat scratch disease (CSD), we evaluated a total of 130 seropositive patients with CSD. The patients' ages ranged from 1 to 68 years; 103 (79.2%) were under 18 years of age. CSD occurred predominantly in the fall and winter months. Regional lymphadenopathy was noted in 110 (84.6%) of the cases, and the most common sites were the neck (33%), axillary (27%), and inguinal (18%) regions. One hundred of the patients (77%) had general symptoms, such as fever, headache, and malaise. The clinical manifestations of CSD showed a wide spectrum from typical or classical CSD, with regional lymphadenopathy, to atypical or systemic CSD. Of the 130 cases, 103 (79.2%) were typical CSD and 27 (20.8%) were atypical CSD. Atypical cases of CSD were commonly reported as fever of unknown origin (37.0%), neuroretinitis (22.2%), encehalopathy (14.8%), hepatosplenic granuloma (11.1%), and Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome (7.4%). Fever of unknown origin or prolonged fever lasting more than 14 days was evident in 27 (20.8%) of the 130 cases in this study. Eleven of the 27 cases lacked lymphadenopathy. Our findings suggest that CSD is not a rare disease in Japan. The indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test to detect Bartonella species may provide a prompt diagnosis of CSD and facilitate appropriate therapy. Received: March 6, 2002 / Accepted: July 8, 2002     

Improving the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the EtMIC2 protein against Eimeria tenella infection through random mutagenesis

In recent years, directed evolution has emerged as an efficient tool to develop and identify novel protein variants. Eimeria tenella microneme-2 (EtMIC2) is a promising vaccine candidate for use against E. tenella infection; however, it only yields partial protection. The present study aimed to improve the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of EtMIC2 through random mutagenesis. Mutagenesis gene libraries of EtMIC2 were generated using error-prone polymerase chain reaction (epPCR), and the corresponding variant proteins were displayed on the yeast cell surface. Variant EtMIC2 proteins with high immunogenicity were screened through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) based on the affinity between polyclonal antibodies and antigens. Seven effective variant proteins were screened out and heterogeneously expressed in Escherichia coli as subunit vaccines. The protective efficacy of the variant proteins against E. tenella infections was then evaluated in chicken. Two variant proteins (1130 and 2119) displayed higher immunogenicity and protective efficacy than the wild-type EtMIC2 protein against E. tenella infections, increasing body weight gains and significantly decreasing lesion scores and fecal oocyst shedding, and increasing sIgA antibody production and lymphocyte proliferation. These variants displayed potential for use in the development of subunit vaccines for coccidiosis in chickens. The present results also indicate that directed evolution technology is useful for improving the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of parasite antigens.