Human chromosome 16 conservation in primates

A study was made of the organization of the chromosome orthologous to HSA16 in primates using a panel of 8 BAC probes spanning human chromosome 16. The probes were used in FISH experiments on great apes and on representatives of the Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, and lemurs. The domestic cat was used as an outgroup. The results indicate that 16p and 16q were separate chromosomes in a primate ancestor. They fused in a Catarrhini ancestor giving rise to the present day form found in HSA, great apes, and Old World monkeys. Several rearrangements were found in New World monkeys.     

The interrelations of genital lesions-urinary tract infections in girls

This investigation was aimed at emphasizing the importance of early detection and elimination of the favoring factors which associated with an adequate treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) represent the only way to prevent the recurrences that with time might cause severe kidney dysfunctions. It is a retrospective study of 220 girls aged 1 month to 16 years referred in the interval 1993-1997 to Ia?i Polyclinic No. 1 for pediatric gynecological examination and diagnosed with urinary tract infection. The clinical and laboratory evaluations were directed at determining the site of UTI, the factors that favored the recurrences, and the effects on renal function. The following favoring factors were found: disorders of the genital tract (22.2%), constipation (11.6%), oxyuriasis (4.5%), urinary tract obstructions (5.9%). The genital tract disorders were represented by inflammation (70%) (vaginitis, vulvovaginitis) and malformations (30%) (labia minora fusion, imperforate hymen, etc). The specific inflammation (48.5%) was mycotic (41.1%), bacterial (29.3%), the same pathogen being detected both in urine and vaginal discharge, trichomonal (17.6%), and gonococcal (11.6%). The high rate of recurrence in some UTI cases has proved once again the important role played by the favoring factors (genital tract disorders, urinary tract obstruction, constipation) and suggested that the correction of these conditions should be the only reasonable way to prevent recurrences.     

Experimental Testing of the Action of Vitamin D and Silicon Chelates in Bone Fracture Healing and Bone Turnover in Mice and Rats

This study presents findings on the biological action of an integrated supplement containing the following components involved in osteogenesis and mineralization: vitamin D and silicon in the bioavailable and soluble form. A hypothesis that these components potentiate one another’s action and make calcium absorption by the body more efficient was tested. Biological tests of the effect of vitamin D and silicon chelates on bone fracture healing and bone turnover were conducted using ICR mice and albino Wistar rats. Radiographic and biochemical studies show that the supplement simultaneously containing silicon chelates and vitamin D stimulates bone tissue regeneration upon mechanical defects and accelerates differentiation of osteogenic cells, regeneration of spongy and compact bones, and restoration of bone structure due to activation of osteoblast performance. Bone structure restoration was accompanied by less damage to skeletal bones, apparently due to better absorption of calcium from food. The studied supplement has a similar effect when used to manage physiologically induced decalcification, thus holding potential for the treatment of osteomalacia during pregnancy or occupational diseases (e.g., for managing bone decalcification in astronauts).     

Autoimmune Effect of Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is continuing to spread around the world and drastically affect our daily life. New strains appear, and the severity of the course of the disease itself seems to be decreasing, but even people who have been ill on an outpatient basis suffer post-COVID consequences. Partly, it is associated with the autoimmune reactions, so debates about the development of new vaccines and the need for vaccination/revaccination continue. In this study we performed an analysis of the antibody response of patients with COVID-19 to linear and conformational epitopes of viral proteins using ELISA, chip array and western blot with analysis of correlations between antibody titer, disease severity, and complications. We have shown that the presence of IgG antibodies to the nucleoprotein can deteriorate the course of the disease, induce multiple direct COVID-19 symptoms, and contribute to long-term post-covid symptoms. We analyzed the cross reactivity of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 with own human proteins and showed that antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein can bind to human proteins. In accordance with the possibility of HLA presentation, the main possible targets of the autoantibodies were identified. People with HLA alleles A01:01; A26:01; B39:01; B15:01 are most susceptible to the development of autoimmune processes after COVID-19.     

DNA excision repair and double-strand break repair gene polymorphisms and the level of chromosome aberration in children with long-term exposure to radon

Purpose: To study polymorphic variants of repair genes in people affected by long-term exposure to radon. The chromosome aberration frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes was used as the biological marker of genotoxicity.

Materials and methods: Genotyping of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA repair genes (APE, XRCC1, OGG1, ADPRT, XpC, XpD, XpG, Lig4 and NBS1) was performed in children with long-term resident exposure to radon. Quantification of the aberrations was performed using light microscopy.

Results: The total frequency of aberrations was increased in carriers of the G/G genotype for the XpD gene (rs13181) polymorphism in recessive model confirmed by the results of ROC-analysis (‘satisfactory predictor’, AUC?=?0.609). Single chromosome fragments frequency was increased in carriers of the G/G genotype in comparison with the T/T genotype. In respect to the total frequency of aberrations, the G/G genotype for the XpG gene (rs17655) polymorphism was also identified as a ‘satisfactory predictor’ (AUC?=?0.605). Carriers of the T/C genotype for the ADPRT gene (rs1136410) polymorphism were characterized by an increased level of single fragments relative to the T/T genotype.

Conclusion: The relationships with several types of cytogenetic damage suggest these three SNP (rs13181, rs17655 and rs1136410) may be considered radiosensitivity markers.     

PERCEPTUA.ND LEXICA.ACTORS IN A CAS.F LETTER-BY-LETTER READING

We report the case of a letter-by-letter reader (MJ) who showed normal processing of single letters and who could normally access the orthographic input lexicon when presented with letter names for aural recognition, or when allow ed enough tim e to process a visually presented letter string. However, MJ showed severe difficulties in simultaneously processing multiple letters and other simple visual stimuli. Furthermore, she does not have normal access to lexical orthographic representations and their meanings when stimuli are presented for too brief a time to allow for serial processing of the letter string. We found no evidence of (partial) lexical or semantic access without corresponding recognition of the letters in a word: No signs of implicit reading were observed w hen the input stimuli were controlled for the relevant visual features; “implicit reading” was only obtained under conditions that allowed sophisticated guessing. This pattern of results is interpreted as indicating that LBL reading (at least in MJ) results from damage to prelexical processing mechanisms. In MJ's case, the deficit reflects the degraded transfer of information from a normal visual processing system in the right hemisphere to a normal language processing system in the left hemisphere.     

Real world experience with teriflunomide in multiple sclerosis: the TER-Italy study

Journal of Neurology - To identify baseline factors associated with disease activity in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) under teriflunomide treatment. This was an...