In October 2022, an outbreak in Europe of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in intensively farmed minks occurred in northwest Spain. A single mink farm hosting more than 50,000 minks ...was involved. The identified viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b, which is responsible of the ongoing epizootic in Europe. An uncommon mutation (T271A) in the PB2 gene with potential public health implications was found. Our investigations indicate onward mink transmission of the virus may have occurred in the affected farm.
We analyzed the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 epizootic of 2016-17 in Europe by epidemiologic and genetic characteristics and compared it with 2 previous epizootics caused by the same ...H5 Guangdong lineage. The 2016-17 epizootic was the largest in Europe by number of countries and farms affected and greatest diversity of wild birds infected. We observed significant differences among the 3 epizootics regarding region affected, epidemic curve, seasonality, and outbreak duration, making it difficult to predict future HPAI epizootics. However, we know that in 2005-06 and 2016-17 the initial peak of wild bird detections preceded the peak of poultry outbreaks within Europe. Phylogenetic analysis of 2016-17 viruses indicates 2 main pathways into Europe. Our findings highlight the need for global surveillance of viral changes to inform disease preparedness, detection, and control.
Aim
The aim of this case‐control study was to evaluate the association between the TNFSF13B rs9514828 (−871 C > T) polymorphism and soluble BAFF (sBAFF) in apical periodontitis (AP) patients.
...Methodology
Two hundred and sixty one healthy subjects (HS) and 158 patients with AP classified as: 46 acute apical abscess (AAA), 81 primary AP (pAP) and 31 secondary AP (sAP) patients were included. Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from peripheral blood cells according to the salting out method. The TNFSF13B rs9514828 (NC_000013.11:g.108269025C > T) were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Serum sBAFF levels were measured by ELISA test. The chi‐squared or Fisher's exact test was performed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to evaluate the risk of AP associated with the rs9514828. The Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis analysis were used for non‐normally distributed data. Differences were considered significant with a p‐value <.05.
Results
No differences in the genotype/allele frequencies were shown between HS and patients with AAA. However, the TT genotype (OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.10–6.53; p = .025) and T allele (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.00–2.12; p = .045) were associated with increased risk of pAP. In contrast, the minor allele T significantly decreased the risk of sAP (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.024–0.99; p = .043). sBAFF serum levels were increased in AAA and pAP compared with HS (p < .01 and p = .021, respectively). The AAA patients had higher sBAFF serum levels than pAP (p = .034) and sAP (p < .01).
Conclusions
These results suggest that the TNFSF13B rs9514828 (−871 C > T) polymorphism is associated with pAP susceptibility and that BAFF is a cytokine that might be involved in acute and chronic AP. The future exploration of the rs9514828 polymorphism in other AP cohorts is recommended.
In autumn 2022, the Spanish Influenza National Reference Laboratory (NRL) confirmed the detection of influenza A(H5N1) in samples from two asymptomatic workers linked to an outbreak in a poultry farm ...in Spain. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken according to a national screening protocol for exposed workers. Absence of symptoms, low viral load and negative serology in both workers suggested environmental contamination. These findings motivated an update of the early detection strategy specifying timing and sampling conditions in asymptomatic exposed persons.
In September 2010, an unusually high number of wild birds (partridges and pheasants) died in Cádiz in southwestern Spain. Reverse transcription PCR and virus isolation detected flavivirus infections. ...Complete nucleotide sequence analysis identified Bagaza virus, a flavivirus with a known distribution that includes sub-Saharan Africa and India, as the causative agent.
Aguero et al respond to comments on their article describing a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus outbreak in farmed minks in Spain in October 2022. De Vries et al. highlighted that the ...HPAI A(H5N1) viruses identified in Spain in minks contain a disrupted second sialic acid binding site (2SBS) in neuraminidase, similar to human influenza A viruses. In addition, they also pointed out that the mutations at position S369I and I396M of neuraminidase (NA) implicated in the loss of the 2SBS had already been acquired in avian hosts before the emergence of the outbreak in minks. They agree with the authors that the evolution of NA in avian viruses in relation to altered receptor-binding properties is an aspect that should not be overlooked.
Background: Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease, which affects exocrine glands. T cell activation is a trigger mechanism in the immune response. Hyperreactivity of T ...cells and antibody production are features in pSS. ICOS can be critical in the pathogenesis of pSS. Methods: A total of 134 pSS patients and 134 control subjects (CS) were included. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP. ICOS mRNA expression was quantified by real-time PCR, and CD4+ ICOS+ T cells were determined by flow cytometry. Results: The ICOS IVS1 + 173 T>C polymorphisms were not associated with susceptibility to pSS (p = 0.393, CI = 0.503−1.311). However, the c.1624 C>T polymorphism was associated with a reduction in the risk of development of pSS (p = 0.015, CI = 0.294−0.884). An increase in ICOS mRNA expression in patients was observed (3.7-fold). Furthermore, pSS patients showed an increase in membranal-ICOS expression (mICOS). High expression of mICOS (MFI) was associated with lymphocytic infiltration. Conclusions: The IVS1 + 173 polymorphism is not a genetic marker for the development of pSS, while c.1624 T allele was associated with a low risk. However, elevated mICOS expression in pSS patients with high lymphocytic infiltration was found. ICOS may have an important role in the immunopathogenesis of pSS and should be analyzed in T cell subsets in pSS patients as a possible disease marker.
El geoturismo es una potencial estrategia para la conservación de los rasgos biofísicos y culturales del territorio, así como una alternativa para impulsar el desarrollo y paliar el despoblamiento de ...áreas rurales. En este estudio se presenta un análisis situado del geoturismo y su implementación, dirigida al patrimonio geológico. El trabajo se desarrolló en el Distrito Minero de Tlalpujahua-El Oro, emplazado en un área rural de montaña, en el centro de México. La metodología se centra en la investigación-acción participativa (IAP) con residentes locales y la propuesta de un catálogo del patrimonio geológico para desplegar la actividad geoturística. Se identificaron las fortalezas y oportunidades de la localidad para gestionar el geoturismo. Los resultados destacan el sentido de pertenencia de la población local con relación al patrimonio geológico que caracteriza al área de estudio y muestran la idoneidad de la acción participativa para poner en marcha proyectos de turismo sostenible.
Introduction
B cell activating factor (BAFF) has an important role in normal B cell development. The aberrant expression of BAFF is related with the autoimmune diseases development like Systemic ...Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) for promoting self-reactive B cells survival. BAFF functions are exerted through its receptors BAFF-R (BR3), transmembrane activator calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI) and B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) that are reported to have differential expression on B cells in SLE. Recently, atypical B cells that express CD11c have been associated with SLE because they are prone to develop into antibody-secreting cells, however the relationship with BAFF remains unclear. This study aims to analyze the BAFF system expression on CXCR5
-
CD11c
+
atypical B cell subsets double negative 2 (DN2), activated naïve (aNAV), switched memory (SWM) and unswitched memory (USM) B cells.
Methods
Forty-five SLE patients and 15 healthy subjects (HS) were included. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the expression of the receptors in the B cell subpopulations. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to quantify the soluble levels of BAFF (sBAFF) and IL-21.
Results
We found increased frequency of CXCR5
-
CD11c
+
atypical B cell subpopulations DN2, aNAV, SWM and USM B cells in SLE patients compared to HS. SLE patients had increased expression of membrane BAFF (mBAFF) and BCMA receptor in classic B cell subsets (DN, NAV, SWM and USM). Also, the CXCR5
+
CD11c
-
DN1, resting naïve (rNAV), SWM and USM B cell subsets showed higher mBAFF expression in SLE. CXCR5
-
CD11c
+
atypical B cell subpopulations DN2, SWM and USM B cells showed strong correlations with the expression of BAFF receptors. The atypical B cells DN2 in SLE showed significant decreased expression of TACI, which correlated with higher IL-21 levels. Also, lower expression of TACI in atypical B cell DN2 was associated with high disease activity.
Discussion
These results suggest a participation of the BAFF system in CXCR5
-
CD11c
+
atypical B cell subsets in SLE patients. Decreased TACI expression on atypical B cells DN2 correlated with high disease activity in SLE patients supporting the immunoregulatory role of TACI in autoimmunity.
Background
The increased expression of B cell‐activating factor (BAFF) has been linked to autoantibody production in autoimmune diseases (ADs). The aim of this study was to investigate the ...association among TNFSF13B gene (OMIM: 603969) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), TNFSF13B mRNA, and soluble BAFF (sBAFF) expression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). The diagnostic value of sBAFF also was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic or receptor (ROC) curves.
Methods
Genotypes of the TNFSF13B rs9514827 (−2841 T > C), rs1041569 (−2701 A > T) and rs9514828 (−871 C > T) SNPs were determined by PCR‐RFLP assay. TNFSF13B mRNA and sBAFF expression were performed by RT‐qPCR and ELISA, respectively. The study included 320 RA patients, 101 pSS patients, and 309 healthy subjects (HS).
Results
The rs9514828 T allele and the TAT haplotype were associated with an increased risk to develop RA. In both ADs, the TNFSF13B mRNA levels were increased in comparison with HS. The rs9514828 (−871 C > T) polymorphism was associated with increased gene expression in RA patients. Also, sBAFF levels were higher in both ADs, however pSS patients showed the highest sBAFF levels. sBAFF showed higher diagnostic performance for pSS with an AUC of 0.968, with a similar accuracy of anti‐SSA/Ro antibody diagnosis (AUC = 0.974).
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that the TNFSF13B rs9514828 (−871 C > T) polymorphism is a risk factor for RA in the western Mexican population. sBAFF levels may be a potential diagnosis biomarker in pSS.
TNFSF13B rs9514828 polymorphism is a risk factor for RA in western Mexican population. sBAFF levels are increased in RA and pSS patients. sBAFF showed higher diagnostic performance for pSS with AUC of 0.968, with similar accuracy of anti‐SSA/Ro antibody diagnosis.
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