Immunogenicity and safety of seasonal and 2009 pandemic A/H1N1 influenza vaccines for patients with autoimmune diseases: a prospective, monocentre trial on 199 patients

The 2009 pandemic A/H1N1 influenza outbreak represented a theoretical risk for patients with autoimmune diseases (AID), especially those immunosuppressed. This study was undertaken to evaluate immunogenicity and tolerance of seasonal (SFV) and A/H1N1 flu vaccines (HFV) in AID patients.

Canine neurological diseases in a referral hospital population between 1989 and 2000 in Switzerland

OBJECTIVES: To merge clinical information from partly overlapping medical record databases of the Small Animal Teaching Hospital of the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne. To describe the frequencies and localisations of neurological diseases in dogs, as well as their age, gender, breed and geographical distributions. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a new database, with specific variables and a diagnosis key list 'VITAMIN D', was created and defined. A total of 4497 dogs (average of 375 per year) with a well-documented neurological disease were included in the study. A key list for the diagnoses was developed and applied to either the presumptive or the clinical and neurohistopathological diagnosis, with a serial number, a code for localisation and a code for differential diagnoses. RESULTS: Approximately 1159 dogs (26 per cent) had a neurohistopathological diagnosis confirmed, 1431 (32 per cent) had a clinical diagnosis confirmed and 1491 (33 per cent) had a presumptive diagnosis. The most frequent breeds were mixed-breed dogs (577 of 4497, 13 per cent), followed by German shepherd dogs (466 of 4497, 10 per cent). The most common localisations were the forebrain (908 of 4497, 20 per cent) and the spinal cord at the thoracolumbar area (840 of 4497, 19 per cent). Most dogs were diagnosed with degenerative diseases (38 per cent), followed by inflammatory/infectious diseases (14 per cent). The highest number of submissions originated from geographic regions around the referral hospital and from regions with higher human population densities. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: By defining closed-list fields and allocating all data to the corresponding fields, a standardised database that can be used for further studies was generated. The analysis of this study gives examples of the possible uses of a standardised database.

Neurodegenerative diseases in domestic animals: a comparative review

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by selective damage to specific neurons in the nervous system. Interest in such diseases in humans has resulted in considerable progress in the molecular understanding of these disorders in recent decades. Numerous neurodegenerative diseases have also been described in domestic animals but relatively little molecular work has been reported. In the present review, we have classified neurodegenerative disease according to neuroanatomical criteria. We have established two large groups, based on whether the neuronal cell body or its axon was primarily affected. Conditions such as motor neuron diseases, cerebellar degenerations and neuroaxonal dystrophies are discussed in terms of their clinical and neuropathological features. In the most studied disorders, we also present what is known about underlying pathomechanisms, and compare them with their human counterparts. The purpose of this review is to re-kindle interest in this group of diseases and to encourage veterinary researchers to investigate molecular mechanisms by taking advantage of current diagnostic tools.

Equine botulism and acute pasture myodystrophy: new soil-borne emerging diseases in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, the incidence of equine botulism and acute pasture myodystrophy have remarkably increased in the last five years. Equine fodder-borne botulism in Europe is most likely caused by Clostridium botulinum types C and D that produce the toxins BoNT/C and BoNT/D. Horses showing signs suggestive of botulism (muscle weakness and tremors, reduced tongue tone, slow chewing, salivation and difficulties swallowing, drooping eyelids, mydriasis), especially patients that have fed on suspect fodder (mostly haylage), must be treated with anti-serum as soon as possible.They also need intensive care, which is often difficult to provide and always expensive in the face of a guarded to poor prognosis. Therefore, prevention (high standards of forage quality and vaccination) is all the more important. Pasture myodystrophy is an acute disease with signs of rhabdomyolysis and lethality rate over 90%. It affects grazing horses under frosty, windy and rainy conditions. Preliminary results indicate that Clostridium sordellii and Clostridium bifermentans producing lethal toxin may play a role in pasture myodystrophy. Our efforts concentrate on developing a new subunit vaccine for equine botulism and understanding the ethiology and pathogenesis of pasture myodystrophy with the goal of improving prevention against these highly fatal diseases that present a significant risk to our horse population.

Inhibition of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Blockade of cytokines, particularly of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), in immuno-inflammatory diseases, has led to the greatest advances in medicine of recent years. We did a thorough review of the literature with a focus on inflammation models in rodents on modified gene expression or bioactivity for IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, and we summarized the results of randomized controlled clinical trials in human disease. What we have learned herewith is that important information can be achieved by the use of animal models in complex, immune-mediated diseases. However, a clear ranking for putative therapeutic targets appears difficult to obtain from an experimental approach alone. This is primarily due to the fact that none of the disease models has proven to cover more than one crucial pathogenetic aspect of the complex cascade of events leading to characteristic clinical disease signs and symptoms. This supports the notion that the addressed human immune-mediated diseases are polygenic and the summation of genetic, perhaps epigenetic, and environmental factors. Nevertheless, it has become apparent, so far, that TNF-alpha is of crucial importance in the development of antigen-dependent and antigen-independent models of inflammation, and that these results correlate well with clinical success. With some delay, clinical trials in conditions having some relationship with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) indicate new opportunities for blocking IL-1 or IL-6 therapeutically. It appears, therefore, that a translational approach with critical, mutual reflection of simultaneously performed experiments and clinical trials is important for rapid identification of new targets and development of novel treatment options in complex, immune-mediated, inflammatory diseases.

Hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cell trafficking in patients with myeloproliferative diseases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. The presence of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with myeloproliferative diseases (MPD) has been described. However, the exact nature of such progenitor cells has not been specified until now. The aim of this work was to investigate the presence of endothelial precursor cells in the blood of patients with MPD and to assess the role of the endothelial cell lineage in the pathophysiology of this disease. DESIGN AND METHODS. Endothelial progenitor cell marker expression (CD34, prominin (CD133), kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) or vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and von Willebrand factor) was assessed in the blood of 53 patients with MPD by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Clonogenic stem cell assays were performed with progenitor cells and monocytes to assess differentiation towards the endothelial cell lineage. The patients' were divided according to whether they had essential thrombocythemia (ET, n=17), polycythemia vera (PV, n=21) or chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (CIMF, n=15) and their data compared with data from normal controls (n=16) and patients with secondary thrombo- or erythrocytosis (n=17). RESULTS. Trafficking of CD34-positive cells was increased above the physiological level in 4/17 patients with ET, 5/21 patients with PV and 13/15 patients with CIMF. A subset of patients with CIMF co-expressed the markers CD34, prominin (CD133) and KDR, suggesting the presence of endothelial precursors among the circulating progenitor cells. Clonogenic stem cell assays confirmed differentiation towards both the hematopoietic and the endothelial cell lineage in 5/10 patients with CIMF. Furthermore, the molecular markers trisomy 8 and JAK2 V617F were found in the grown endothelial cells of patients positive for trisomy 8 or JAK2 V617F in the peripheral blood, confirming the common clonal origin of both hematopoietic and endothelial cell lineages. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS. Endothelial precursor cells are increased in the blood of a subset of patients with CIMF, and peripheral endothelial cells bear the same molecular markers as hematopoietic cells, suggesting a primary role of pathological endothelial cells in this disease.

The use of light- and electron microscopy for studies on the cell- and molecular biology of parasites and parasitic diseases

Lightmicroscopical (LM) and electron microscopi cal (EM) techniques, have had a major influence on the development and direction of cell biology, and particularly also on the investigation of complex host-parasite relationships. Earlier, microscopy has been rather descriptive, but new technical and scientific advances have changed the situation. Microscopy has now become analytical, quantitative and three-dimensional, with greater emphasis on analysis of live cells with fluorescent markers. The new or improved techniques that have become available include immunocytochemistry using immunogold labeling techniques or fluorescent probes, cryopreservation and cryosectioning, in situ hybridization, fluorescent reporters for subcellular localization, micro-analytical methods for elemental distribution, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy and live-imaging. Taken together, these tools are providing both researchers and students with a novel and multidimensional view of the intricate biological processes during parasite development in the host.

Travel medicine of parasitic diseases in the dog

Companion animals are increasingly brought along by their owners to foreign countries. Thus, small animal travel medicine is becoming more important. The field includes both prophylaxis and metaphylaxis against various infectious diseases, as well as their diagnosis and treatment. Dogs returning from Southern Europe, but also from more tropical regions, may be infected with exotic pathogens. In addition, imported pedigree or working dogs, and especially stray dogs imported through welfare organisations, are at high risk.The present overview summarises the clinical and practical aspects of exotic parasitic diseases that may affect such dogs, and the risk of such diseases becoming autochthonously transmitted in Switzerland. Furthermore, the zoonotic potential of these infections will be considered.

Magnetic field exposure and neurodegenerative diseases--recent epidemiological studies

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the results of recent studies not yet included in a 2003 report of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) on occupational exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields as potential risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in the online databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, DIMDI and COCHRANE, as well as in specialised databases and journals. Eight studies published between January 2000 and July 2005 were included in the review. RESULTS: The findings of these studies contribute to the evidence of an association between occupational magnetic field exposure and the risk of dementia. Regarding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the recent results confirm earlier observations of an association with electric and electronic work and welding. Its relationship with magnetic field exposure remains unsolved. There are only few findings pointing towards an association between magnetic field exposure and Parkinson's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological evidence for an association between occupational exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields and the risk of dementia has increased during the last five years. The impact of potential confounders should be evaluated in further studies.

p53-induced apoptosis occurs in the absence of p14(ARF) in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPMs) are usually wild type for the p53 gene but contain homozygous deletions in the INK4A locus that encodes p14(ARF), an inhibitor of p53-MDM2 interaction. Previous findings suggest that lack of p14(ARF) expression and the presence of SV40 large T antigen (L-Tag) result in p53 inactivation in MPM. We did not detect SV40 L-Tag mRNA in either MPM cell lines or primary cultures, and treatment of p14(ARF)-deficient cells with cisplatin (CDDP) increased both total and phosphorylated p53 and enhanced p53 DNA-binding activity. On incubation with CDDP, levels of positively regulated p53 transcriptional targets p21(WAF), PIG3, MDM2, Bax, and PUMA increased in p14(ARF)-deficient cells, whereas negatively regulated survivin decreased. Significantly, p53-induced apoptosis was activated by CDDP in p14(ARF)-deficient cells, and treatment with p53-specific siRNA rendered them more CDDP-resistant. p53 was also activated by: 1) inhibition of MDM2 (using nutlin-3); 2) transient overexpression of p14(ARF); and 3) targeting of survivin using antisense oligonucleotides. However, it is noteworthy that only survivin downregulation sensitized cells to CDDP-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that p53 is functional in the absence of p14(ARF) in MPM and that targeting of the downstream apoptosis inhibitor survivin can sensitize to CDDP-induced apoptosis.