The pathology of Plasmodium chabaudi infection is not ameliorated by the secreted filarial nematode immunomodulatory molecule, ES-62

ES-62 is a phosphorylcholine-containing glycoprotein secreted by filarial nematodes. This molecule has been shown to reduce the severity of inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice, a model of rheumatoid arthritis, via down-regulation of anti-collagen type 1 immune responses. Malaria parasites induce a pro-inflammatory host immune response and many of the symptoms of malaria are immune system-mediated. Therefore we have asked whether the immunomodulatory properties of ES-62 can down-regulate the severity of malaria infection in BALB/c mice infected with Plasmodium chabaudi. We have found that ES-62 has no significant effect on the course of P. chabaudi parasitaemia, and does not significantly affect any of the measures of malaria-induced pathology taken throughout infection.

Securing Peace in Europe, 1945-62: Thoughts for the Post-Cold War Era

Articles include: Beatrice Heuser: ‘Stalin as Hitler's Successor: Western Interpretations of the Soviet threat', pp. 17-40

Absence of Association of Metabolic Syndrome with PPARGC1A, PPARG and UCP1 Gene Polymorphisms in Asian Indians

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of PPARG coactivator1 alpha (PPARGC1A), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) gene polymorphisms with the metabolic syndrome (MS) in an Asian Indian population. Nine common polymorphisms were genotyped via polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing in 950 normal glucose-tolerant subjects and 550 type 2 diabetic subjects, chosen randomly from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiological Study, an ongoing population based study in Southern India. Among the 9 polymorphisms examined, only the Thr394Thr variant of the PPARGC1A gene was significantly associated with diabetes and obesity. The genotype frequency of GA of Thr394Thr variant was 16% (138/887) in the nonMS group and 22% (136/613) in the MS group, and this genotype frequency was significantly higher with MS both in males (p = 0.01) and females (p = 0.05), compared to the without-MS group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio for MS for the susceptible genotype GA of Thr394Thr was 1.411 [95% CI: 1.03-1.84, p = 0.012]. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, however, there was no association of this polymorphism as an independent factor with MS. Hence, the study shows that the polymorphisms in the PPARGC1A, PPARG and UCP1 genes are not associated with MS in Asian Indians.