Description of Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) tolimensis, a new species of phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia

A description is presented of Lutzomyia tolimensis sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia, series sanguinaria. It was collected in dwellings, peridomestic environment and in nearby forest patches located in the foothills of the Andean Central Cordillera, where in 2004-2006 occurred the largest epidemic ever recorded of leishmaniasis in Colombia. The male of this species is differentiated from other members of the series sanguinaria based on the following combination of characters: (i) base of coxite with 0-3 subequal setae, (ii) spines of gonostyle organized in positions 2.1.2, (iii) spines inserted on distal half of gonostyle and (iv) relationship of alar indices. The female is recognized principally by the following characters: (i) palpomere V longer than III, (ii) length of labro-epipharynx and (iii) relationship of the alar indices.

IL2RA/CD25 gene polymorphisms: uneven association with multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes (T1D).

BACKGROUND: IL-2 receptor (IL2R) alpha is the specific component of the high affinity IL2R system involved in the immune response and in the control of autoimmunity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here we perform a replication and fine mapping of the IL2RA gene region analyzing 3 SNPs previously associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 5 SNPs associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a collection of 798 MS patients and 927 matched Caucasian controls from the south of Spain. We observed association with MS in 6 of 8 SNPs. The rs1570538, at the 3'- UTR extreme of the gene, previously reported to have a weak association with MS, is replicated here (P = 0.032). The most associated T1D SNP (rs41295061) was not associated with MS in the present study. However, the rs35285258, belonging to another independent group of SNPs associated with T1D, showed the maximal association in this study but different risk allele. We replicated the association of only one (rs2104286) of the two IL2RA SNPs identified in the recently performed genome-wide association study of MS. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm and extend the association of this gene with MS and reveal a genetic heterogeneity of the associated polymorphisms and risk alleles between MS and T1D suggesting different immunopathological roles of IL2RA in these two diseases.