Abstract The incidence of aplastic anemia is reported to be higher in Asia than elsewhere. We studied the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DRB1 alleles in aplastic anemia patients from 2 ...genetically similar aboriginal groups, the Kadazan and the Dusun, and compared them with genetically matched community and hospital controls. HLA-DRB1*15 was significantly higher in the patients compared with controls ( p = 0.005), confirming similar findings in Japanese and Caucasian studies. Further testing indicated a significantly higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*1501 in patients compared with controls ( p = 0.0004) but no significant difference in the frequency of HLA-DRB1*1502. The high frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 in the Kadazan and Dusun population combined with the wide variety of environmental factors associated with aplastic anemia could be the reason for the elevated incidence of aplastic anemia in the Kadazan and Dusun in Sabah.
This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:
To assess the effects of workplace interventions aimed at treating work‐related rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. We ...will combine findings of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis in this review due to their similarity in definition, presentation and reported effects but will separate the two entities if possible in our subgroup analysis.
Tropomyosin and arginine kinase have been identified as the major allergens in multiple species of crab. Charybdis feriatus is an important commercial crab in this country.
To characterize the major ...allergens of C. feriatus using a proteomics approach and subsequently to identify the allergens involved in cross-reactivity with Portunus pelagicus.
Raw and boiled extracts of the crabs were prepared from crab meat. The protein profile of the extracts was determined by SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Major allergens were identified by the immunoblotting test using sera from 50 patients with crab allergy. The major allergens were further identified by 2-DE immunoblotting. The major allergenic spots were then excised, digested by trypsin and identified by mass spectrometry analysis. The immunoblotting inhibition test was performed to study the crossreactivity between red crab and blue crab allergens using sera from 20 patients with allergy to both red and blue crabs.
At least 20 protein bands between 13 to 250 kDa were detected in the SDS-PAGE gel of raw extract, while boiled extract procuced fewer protein bands. Proteins of 36 kDa and 41 kDa were recognized as the major allergens of the crab. The major allergenic spot sequences of the 36 and 41 kDa proteins were identified as crab tropomyosin and arginine kinase, respectively. All IgE-binding proteins, including both major allergens, were found to be cross-creative with P. pelagicus allergens.
In addition to tropomyosin, arginine kinase was also identified as the major allergen of C. feriatus among our local crab-allergic patients. Cross-reactivity of this crab with P. pelagicus was demonstrated in this study.
IgE-mediated allergic reaction to squid is one of the most frequent molluscan shellfish allergies. Previously, we have detected a 36 kDa protein as the major allergen of Loligo edulis (white squid) ...by immunoblotting using sera from patients with squid allergy. The aim of this present study was to further identify this major allergen using a proteomics approach. The major allergen was identified by a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), immunoblotting, mass spectrometry and bioinformatics tools. The 2-DE gel fractionated the cooked white squid proteins to more than 50 different protein spots between 10 to 38 kDa and isoelectric point (pI) from 3.0 to 10.0. A highly reactive protein spot of a molecular mass of 36 kDa and pI of 4.55 was observed in all of the patients' serum samples tested. Mass spectrometry analysis led to identification of this allergen as tropomyosin. This finding can contribute to advancement in component-based diagnosis, management of squid allergic patients, to the development of immunotherapy and to the standardization of allergenic test products as tools in molecular allergology.
Dendritic cell immunoreceptor (DCIR) has been implicated in development of autoimmune disorders in rodent and DCIR polymorphisms were associated with anti-citrullinated proteins antibodies ...(ACPA)-negative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Swedish Caucasians. This study was undertaken to further investigate whether DCIR polymorphisms are also risk factors for the development of RA in four Asian populations originated from China and Malaysia. We genotyped two DCIR SNPs rs2377422 and rs10840759 in Han Chinese population (1,193 cases, 1,278 controls), to assess their association with RA. Subsequently, rs2377422 was further genotyped in three independent cohorts of Malaysian-Chinese subjects (MY_Chinese, 254 cases, 206 controls), Malay subjects (MY_ Malay, 515 cases, 986 controls), and Malaysian-Indian subjects (MY_Indian, 378 cases, 285 controls), to seek confirmation of association in various ethnic groups. Meta-analysis was preformed to evaluate the contribution of rs2377422 polymorphisms to the development of ACPA-negative RA in distinct ethnic groups. Finally, we carried out association analysis of rs2377422 polymorphisms with DCIR mRNA expression levels. DCIR rs2377422 was found to be significantly associated with ACPA -negative RA in Han Chinese (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.27-2.90, P = 0.0020). Meta-analysis confirms DCIR rs2377422 as a risk factor for ACPA-negative RA across distinct ethnic groups (OR.sub.overall = 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.30, P = 0.003). The SNP rs2377422 polymorphism showed significant association with DCIR mRNA expression level, i.e. RA-risk CC genotype exhibit a significant increase in the expression of DCIR (P = 0.0023, Kruskal-Wallis). Our data provide evidence for association between DCIR rs2377422 and RA in non-Caucasian populations and confirm the influence of DCIR polymorphisms on RA susceptibility, especially on ACPA-negative RA.
Buxidin (1) and E-Buxenone (2), steroidal alkaloids from Buxus hyrcana, are found to possess potent immunosuppressive properties. The activity was tested in vitro on oxidative burst, chemotaxis, ...T-cell proliferation, and cytokine production. Both compounds showed a significant immunomodulatory activity with clear suppressive effect on oxidative burst and chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner. They also exhibited suppressive effect on the phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T-cell proliferation. The immunomodulatory activity was further confirmed by the suppression of IL-2 and IL-4 production. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding mode of Buxidin (1) and E-Buxenone (2) with IL-2. Despite the structural differences between Buxidin (1) and E-Buxenone (2), docking results revealed that they adopt a similar binding pattern at the active site of the IL-2. A good agreement between practical and theoretic results indicates that the current docking study could provide an alternate tool for the structural optimization of recently identified ligand as more potent IL-2 inhibitors.
To investigate the associations between HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) alleles and rheumatoid arthritis in subsets of rheumatoid arthritis defined by autoantibodies in three Asian populations from ...Malaysia. 1,079 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 1,470 healthy controls were included in the study. Levels of antibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPA) and rheumatoid factors were assessed and the PCR-SSO method was used for HLA-DRB1 genotyping. The proportion of ACPA positivity among Malay, Chinese and Indian rheumatoid arthritis patients were 62.9%, 65.2% and 68.6%, respectively. An increased frequency of SE alleles was observed in ACPA-positive rheumatoid arthritis among the three Asian ethnic groups. HLA-DRB1*10 was highly associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in these Asian populations. HLA-DRB1*0405 was significantly associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Malays and Chinese, but not in Indians. HLA-DRB1*01 did not show any independent effect as a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis in this study and HLA-DRB1*1202 was protective in Malays and Chinese. There was no association between SE alleles and ACPA- negative rheumatoid arthritis in any of the three Asian ethnic groups. The HLA-DRB1 SE alleles increase the risk of ACPA-positive rheumatoid arthritis in all three Asian populations from Malaysia.
Prawns and shrimp are a frequent cause of seafood allergy mediated by IgE antibodies. Penaeus monodon and Penaeus latisulcatus, commonly known as black tiger prawn and king prawn, respectively, are ...among the most frequently consumed prawns in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to identify the IgE-binding proteins of these 2 prawn species.
Raw and boiled prawn extracts were prepared and then resolved by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). IgE-immunoblotting was then performed using sera from patients with positive skin prick tests to the raw prawn extracts.
SDS-PAGE analysis of the raw extracts of both prawn species revealed 23 protein bands; the boiled extracts yielded fewer protein bands. The bands in the range of 40 to 100 kDa were sensitive to heat and therefore were not found in the boiled extracts. Immunoblot of raw extracts of black tiger prawns and king prawns yielded 14 and 11 IgE-binding proteins, respectively, with molecular weights of between 15 and 200 kDa. Proteins at 36, 42, and 49 kDa were detected as the major allergens in both species of prawns. A protein of 75 kDa was also identified as a major allergen in black tiger prawns. Other potential allergens were also observed at various molecular masses.
Proteins of 36, 42, and 49 kDa were identified as the major allergens of both species of prawns. The 36 and 42 kDa proteins are hypothesised to be tropomyosin and arginine kinase, respectively. A high molecular weight protein of 75 kDa was found to be an additional major allergen in black tiger prawns.
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