Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) display an airway neutrophilic inflammation before the transplantation that persists over the years. In this study, we have ...investigated the cytokine profile over a period of one year in sputum supernatant of patients who underwent HSCT. We have measured sputum supernatant levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, and IFN-γ in 49 HSCT patients and compared the results with those found in 40 COPD and 54 healthy subjects matched for age.
Compared to healthy subjects, before the transplantation, HSCT patients exhibited raised levels of IL-6 (p<0.001) and IL-8 (p<0.05) while the other cytokines were generally poorly detectable. This picture was rather similar to what is seen in COPD even if cytokine levels were much greater in the latter with IL-8 being significantly greater in COPD than in HSCT patients (p<0.0001). In the 1 year following the transplantation, sputum IL-6 and IL-8 did not differ any longer compared to healthy subjects. Overall in HSCT patients, sputum IL-8 and IL-6 correlated with sputum neutrophil counts (r=0.4, p<0.0001; r=0.42, p<0.0001, respectively).
In conclusion, sputum IL-6 and IL-8 may play a role in neutrophilic airway inflammation seen in patients undergoing HSCT.
The Piéron function (Piéron, 1914, 1920, 1952) describes the decay of reaction time (RT) when the intensity of the stimulus is increased. It is generally demonstrated within a suprathreshold range of ...intensities. However, in some studies, for the lowest range of intensities, the exponent of the function is clearly greater than that for the upper ranges of intensities. Such an increase in the exponent for the lowest intensities is assumed to result from a combined effect of stimulus intensity and of stimulis uncertainty in detection. Our first experiment used luminance levels that covered all the scotopic range and a spatial two-alternative forced-choice task in which both accuracy and RT were measured. It demonstrated a drastic increase in the exponent in the Piéron function when the intensities reached the threshold region. Since the estimates of the threshold region may have been biased by the use of a much larger range of luminances, a second experiment was conducted using luminances that covered only the threshold region. This experiment confirmed the previous estimates for the threshold region.
We present far-UV spectra of the three magnetic cataclysmic variables (MCVs)
BY Cam, V1309 Ori and AE Aqr obtained with the FUSE satellite. These MCVs have
revealed strongly unusual NV and CIV UV ...resonance lines. The FUSE spectra
exhibit broad OVI lines as well as a strong NIII line at 991A, while the CIII
1175A line is nearly absent, supporting non-solar CNO abundances of the
accreting matter in these sources. The spectrum of BY Cam shows molecular H2
lines which might be of circumstellar nature. The flaring activity of AE Aqr is
also observed in the far-UV range. The radial velocities of the broad OVI
components in AE Aqr are orbitally modulated and would indicate an emission
region close to the magnetosphere.
Abstract Background Usher syndrome (USH) combines sensorineural deafness with blindness. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive mode. Early diagnosis is critical for adapted educational and ...patient management choices, and for genetic counseling. To date, nine causative genes have been identified for the three clinical subtypes (USH1, USH2 and USH3). Current diagnostic strategies make use of a genotyping microarray that is based on the previously reported mutations. The purpose of this study was to design a more accurate molecular diagnosis tool. Methods We sequenced the 366 coding exons and flanking regions of the nine known USH genes, in 54 USH patients (27 USH1, 21 USH2 and 6 USH3). Results Biallelic mutations were detected in 39 patients (72%) and monoallelic mutations in an additional 10 patients (18.5%). In addition to biallelic mutations in one of the USH genes, presumably pathogenic mutations in another USH gene were detected in seven patients (13%), and another patient carried monoallelic mutations in three different USH genes. Notably, none of the USH3 patients carried detectable mutations in the only known USH3 gene, whereas they all carried mutations in USH2 genes. Most importantly, the currently used microarray would have detected only 30 of the 81 different mutations that we found, of which 39 (48%) were novel. Conclusions Based on these results, complete exon sequencing of the currently known USH genes stands as a definite improvement for molecular diagnosis of this disease, which is of utmost importance in the perspective of gene therapy.
We present far-UV spectra of the three magnetic cataclysmic variables (MCVs) BY Cam, V1309 Ori and AE Aqr obtained with the FUSE satellite. These MCVs have revealed strongly unusual NV and CIV UV ...resonance lines. The FUSE spectra exhibit broad OVI lines as well as a strong NIII line at 991A, while the CIII 1175A line is nearly absent, supporting non-solar CNO abundances of the accreting matter in these sources. The spectrum of BY Cam shows molecular H2 lines which might be of circumstellar nature. The flaring activity of AE Aqr is also observed in the far-UV range. The radial velocities of the broad OVI components in AE Aqr are orbitally modulated and would indicate an emission region close to the magnetosphere.
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