Seafood Allergy: Lessons from Clinical Symptoms, Immunological Mechanisms and Molecular Biology

2005 ◽  
pp. 205-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Hou Chu ◽  
Chi Yan Tang ◽  
Adrian Wu ◽  
Patrick S. C. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Immunological Mechanisms

scholarly journals Xeroderma Pigmentosum Patients from Egypt: II. Preliminary Correlations of Epidemiology, Clinical Symptoms and Molecular Biology

1981 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Cleaver ◽  
Bauke Zelle ◽  
Nemat Hashem ◽  
Mohamed H. El-Hefnawi ◽  
James German
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Xeroderma Pigmentosum ◽  
Clinical Symptoms

scholarly journals Pathogenesis of Onchocercal Keratitis (River Blindness)

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie R. Hall ◽  
Eric Pearlman
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Corneal Stroma ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
World Health ◽  
River Blindness ◽  
Anterior Portion ◽  
Immunological Mechanisms ◽  
Interstitial Keratitis

SUMMARY Onchocerciasis is a major cause of blindness. Although the World Health Organization has been successful in reducing onchocerciasis as a public health problem in parts of West Africa, there remain an estimated 17 million people infected with Onchocerca volvulus, the parasite that causes this disease. Ocular pathology can be manifested in any part of the eye, although disease manifestations are frequently characterized as either posterior or anterior eye disease. This review focuses on onchocerca-mediated keratitis that results from an inflammatory response in the anterior portion of the eye and summarizes what is currently known about human disease. This review also describes studies with experimental models that have been established to determine the immunological mechanisms underlying interstitial keratitis. The pathogenesis of keratitis is thought to be due to the host inflammatory response to degenerating parasites in the eye; therefore, the primary clinical symptoms of onchocercal keratitis (corneal opacification and neovascularization) are induced after injection of soluble O. volvulus antigens into the corneal stroma. Experimental approaches have demonstrated an essential role for sensitized T helper cells and shown that cytokines can regulate the severity of keratitis by controlling recruitment of inflammatory cells into the cornea. Chemokines are also important in inflammatory cell recruitment to the cornea, and their role in onchocerciasis is being examined. Further understanding of the molecular basis of the development of onchocercal keratitis may lead to novel approaches to immunologically based intervention.

Impact of Decrease of Serum Haptoglobin in Patients with Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4111-4111
Author(s):  
Hideyoshi Noji ◽  
Kazuhiko Ikeda ◽  
Naoto Takahashi ◽  
Junichi Kameoka ◽  
Katsushi Tajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Aplastic Anemia ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Bone Marrow Failure ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Serum Haptoglobin ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Immunological Mechanisms

Abstract Acquired bone marrow failure (BMF) syndromes include aplastic anemia (AA), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In this study, to clarify what the frequencies of borderline PNH patients with lower proportions of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-protein-deficient erythrocytes and no apparent clinical symptoms of PNH, such as visible hemoglobinuria and thrombotic events, are and what the significance of serum haptoglobin (Hpl) in patients with BMF is, we examined flow cytometry of erythrocytes with expression of CD59 and quantified the concentrations of serum Hpl in 142 Japanese patients with BMF, including 54 AA, 36 PNH, and 52 MDS patients. The diagnosis and grading of the severity of AA were based on the criteria of the International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study Group (Blood, 1987) and that of Frickhoten et al (N Engl J Med, 1991), respectively. A patient with over 1% of CD59− erythrocytes, determined by flow cytometry, was judged to have PNH erythrocytes. The diagnosis and phenotypes of MDS were determined according to the French-American-British criteria (Br J Haematol, 1982). The concentrations of serum Hpl were measured by the nephelometric procedure, developed by Van Lente et al (Clin Chem, 1979), with some modifications. The IgG bound to erythrocytes on the cell surfaces was measured by immunoradiometoric assay, developed by Jeje et al (Transfusion, 1984), with some modifications. The proportions of CD59− erythrocytes from 32 healthy individuals, AA patients, MDS patients, and PNH patients were 0.047 ± 0.052% (mean ± standard deviation), 0.143 ± 0.183%, 0.103 ± 0.126%, and 37.529 ± 33.442%, respectively. Thirteen (36.1%) of 36 PNH patients had lower proportions (range, 1–10%) of CD59− erythrocytes and no apparent clinical symptoms. Subsequently, the concentrations of serum Hpl in 436 Japanese healthy individuals, AA patients, MDS patients, and PNH patients were 152.4 ± 72.7 mg/dl (range, 42.6–309 mg/dl), 127.6 ± 130.4 mg/dl (range, 7–551 mg/dl), 73.2 ± 74.3 mg/dl (range, 3–430 mg/dl), and 13.2 ± 24.6 mg/dl (range, 2–130 mg/dl), respectively. There were significant differences in the values between AA and MDS (p<0.01), MDS and PNH (p<0.01), and AA and PNH patients (p<0.001). The frequencies of AA, MDS, and PNH patients with below 40 mg/dl of serum Hpl were 27.8%, 38.5%, and 94.4%, respectively. The frequency of PNH patients was significantly higher than that of AA or MDS patients (p<0.001 or p<0.001, respectively). Surprisingly, the white blood cell counts, absolute neutrophil counts, and platelet counts in the group (n=15) with low concentrations of serum Hpl in AA patients or the concentrations of hemoglobin and serum iron values in the group (n=20) with low concentrations of serum Hpl in MDS patients significantly decreased compared with those in the group with normal concentrations of serum Hpl in AA patients (n=39) or in MDS patients (n=32), respectively (p<0.005, p<0.01, and p<0.02; or p<0.05 and p<0.02, respectively). These findings suggest the possibility that decrease of serum Hpl might be due to the destruction of hematopoietic precursor cells via immunological mechanisms in AA or due to ineffective erythropoiesis in MDS, although it is unclear how the concentrations of serum Hpl decrease in AA patients. Recently, Theilgaard-Mönch K et al (Blood, 2006) reported that the production of Hpl by immature granulocytes in addition to hepatocytes may partially contribute to concentrations of serum Hpl. Then, we also considered another reason of decrease of concentrations of serum Hpl in patients with AA and MDS. The mean erythrocyte-associated IgG in 100 healthy individuals or 15 AA and 17 MDS patients with low concentrations of serum Hpl was 33 ± 13 molecules/one erythrocyte or 76.5 ± 64.5 molecules/one erythrocyte and 93.5 ± 60.8 molecules/one erythrocyte, respectively. The values of erythrocyte-associated IgG of 3 (20%) of 15 AA patients and 5 (29.4%) of 17 MDS patients were clinically significant, indicating that autoimmune hemolysis was associated with the decrease of concentrations of serum Hpl in these patients. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the concentrations of serum Hpl can be used as a hallmark knowing existence of over 1% of GPI-protein-negative erythrocytes in PNH, and that some mechanisms, including autoimmune hemolysis, contribute to decrease of concentrations of serum Hpl in AA and MDS.

scholarly journals Use of Recombinant Antigens for the Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Laín ◽  
Natalia Elguezabal ◽  
Elena Amutio ◽  
Iñigo Fernández de Larrinoa ◽  
María Dolores Moragues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Invasive Candidiasis ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Diagnostic Method ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Fatal Complication ◽  
Recombinant Antigens ◽  
Fungal Extracts

Invasive candidiasis is a frequent and often fatal complication in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis remains difficult due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and a definitive diagnostic method. The detection of antibodies against differentCandidaantigens may help in the diagnosis. However, the methods traditionally used for the detection of antibodies have been based on crude antigenic fungal extracts, which usually show low-reproducibility and cross-reactivity problems. The development of molecular biology techniques has allowed the production of recombinant antigens which may help to solve these problems. In this review we will discuss the usefulness of recombinant antigens in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.

Electron Microscopy in Molecular Biology

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 2-3
Author(s):  
Cecil E. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Noise Level ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Material Structure ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Shadow Casting ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Very High

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.

An introduction to the themed issue on RNA biology in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 863-866
Author(s):  
Zhe Wu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Fortieth Anniversary ◽  
Rna Biology ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Education In China

Abstract The year 2019 marked the fortieth anniversary of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB), whose mission is to promote biomolecular research and education in China. The last 40 years have witnessed tremendous growth and achievements in biomolecular research by Chinese scientists and Essays in Biochemistry is delighted to publish this themed issue that focuses on exciting areas within RNA biology, with each review contributed by key experts from China.

Case Example: Adjacent Segment Disease: What Is It, and How Is It Rated?

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-9
Author(s):  
Marjorie Eskay-Auerbach
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Lumbar Fusion ◽  
Adjacent Segment Degeneration ◽  
Adjacent Segment Disease ◽  
Adjacent Segment ◽  
Disc Space Narrowing ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Space ◽  
Radiographic Findings ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients

Abstract The incidence of cervical and lumbar fusion surgery has increased in the past twenty years, and during follow-up some of these patients develop changes at the adjacent segment. Recognizing that adjacent segment degeneration and disease may occur in the future does not alter the rating for a cervical or lumbar fusion at the time the patient's condition is determined to be at maximum medical improvement (MMI). The term adjacent segment degeneration refers to the presence of radiographic findings of degenerative disc disease, including disc space narrowing, instability, and so on at the motion segment above or below a cervical or lumbar fusion. Adjacent segment disease refers to the development of new clinical symptoms that correspond to these changes on imaging. The biomechanics of adjacent segment degeneration have been studied, and, although the exact mechanism is uncertain, genetics may play a role. Findings associated with adjacent segment degeneration include degeneration of the facet joints with hypertrophy and thickening of the ligamentum flavum, disc space collapse, and translation—but the clinical significance of these radiographic degenerative changes remains unclear, particularly in light of the known presence of abnormal findings in asymptomatic patients. Evaluators should not rate an individual in anticipation of the development of changes at the level above a fusion, although such a development is a recognized possibility.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document