scholarly journals Purified Native and Recombinant Major Alternaria Alternata Allergen (Alt a 1) Induces Allergic Asthma in the Murine Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 896
Author(s):  
Ainara Vélez-del-Burgo ◽  
Patricia Sánchez ◽  
Ester Suñen ◽  
Jorge Martínez ◽  
Idoia Postigo

Aeroallergens such us the spores of Alternaria alternata are described as the most important agents associated with respiratory allergies and severe asthma. Various experimental models of asthma have been developed using A. alternata extracts to study the pathogenesis of asthma, establishing the main parameters that trigger the asthmatic response. In this study, we describe a mouse model of asthma induced only by Alt a 1. To induce the allergic response, mice were challenged intranasally with the major allergen of A. alternata, Alt a 1. The presence of eosinophils in the lungs, elevated concentrations of Th2 family cytokines, lymphocyte proliferation and elevated IgE total serum levels indicated that the sensitisation and challenge with Alt a 1 induced the development of airway inflammation. Histological studies showed an eosinophilic cellular infiltrate in the lung tissue of mice instilled with Alt a 1. We demonstrate that Alt a 1 alone is capable of inducing a lung inflammatory response with an increase in IgE serum levels mimicking the allergic asthma immunoresponse when it is administered into BALB/c mice. This model will allow the evaluation of the immunoregulatory or immunotolerant capacity of several molecules that can be used in targeted immunotherapy for fungal allergic asthma.

Author(s):  
Katharina Kerschan-Schindl ◽  
Ursula Föger-Samwald ◽  
Andreas Gleiss ◽  
Stefan Kudlacek ◽  
Jacqueline Wallwitz ◽  
...  

Summary Background Circulating serum sclerostin levels are supposed to give a good estimation of the levels of this negative regulator of bone mass within bone. Most studies evaluating total serum sclerostin found different levels in males compared to females and in older compared to younger subjects. Besides an ELISA detecting total sclerostin an ELISA determining bioactive sclerostin has been developed. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of bioactive sclerostin in an Austrian population-based cohort. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study in 235 healthy subjects. Using the bioactive ELISA assay (Biomedica) bioactive sclerostin levels were evaluated. Results Serum levels of bioactive sclerostin were higher in men than in women (24%). The levels correlated positively with age (r = 0.47). A positive correlation could also be detected with body mass index and bone mineral density. Conclusion Using the ELISA detecting bioactive sclerostin our results are consistent with data in the literature obtained by different sclerostin assays. The determination of sclerostin concentrations in peripheral blood thus appears to be a robust parameter of bone metabolism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 293-294
Author(s):  
Murat Baymishev ◽  
Sergey Eremin ◽  
Kirill Plemyashov ◽  
Khamidulla Baymishev ◽  
Igor Konopel’tsev ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the etiopathogenesis of reproductive dysfunction in highly productive cows. Studies were conducted on cows of black-motley breed, aged 3–5 lactations, with a live weight of 480–520 kg. Cows were divided into two groups. The first group included 20 cows effective inseminated after the first insemination. The second group included 17 cows that did not fertilize after the first insemination. Blood samples (n = 253) were taken from 4–7; 14–17; 24–34; 35–50; 88–95; 195–210 days of pregnancy; during the beginning of dry period (DP); 1–4 days before calving and on the first day after calving. The content of total serum lipids in pregnant animals was 15.8% higher compared to unfertilized animals. In non-pregnant cows, a decrease in free cholesterol (by 28.65%), especially in its ether-bound fraction (14.91%), indicates a lower synthetic function of the liver, which is confirmed by the low serum levels of vitamins A and E (a difference of 11.3 and 23.65%). The DP was characterized by a significant increase in the products of lipid peroxidation - malondialdehyde by 12–17%, diene and triene conjugates - by 10–15 and 8–15%, respectively, and 1–4 days before calving in cows, which subsequently had a pathological calving, in particular - retention of placenta (5 cows), were characterized by an increased content in the blood plasma of lipid peroxidation products. Thus, the difference in the number of dienes, trienes, and malondialdehyde products was 14.0, 12.0, and 23.5%, compared with animals without obstetric pathology. On the first day after calving, this difference increased even more. Cows with retention of placenta had a significantly higher level of lipid peroxidation products and were characterized by a predominance of oxidized products over the antiradical thiol disulfide and ascorbate systems restored in the antioxidant balance.


2011 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-10
Author(s):  
Nathalie Kirschvink ◽  
Jérôme Leemans

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Senolt ◽  
H Hulejova ◽  
O Krystufkova ◽  
S Forejtova ◽  
L Andres Cerezo ◽  
...  

ObjectiveDickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is an inhibitor of osteoblastogenesis, and its lower levels are linked to new bone formation. The aim of this study was therefore to explore serum levels of DKK-1 and to evaluate DKK-1's association with the severity of spinal involvement in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).MethodsSerum levels of total and functional DKK-1 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 37 patients with DISH and 22 healthy age and sex-matched controls. Plain radiographs of the cervical and thoracic spine were performed, and the diagnosis of DISH was defined using the Resnick criteria. Patients were divided into three groups based on spinal involvement. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers were evaluated in patients with DISH.ResultsThe levels of total serum DKK-1 were significantly lower in patients with DISH than in healthy controls (p<0.0001). Importantly, low serum levels of DKK-1 were associated with more severe spinal involvement in DISH, independent of age, sex, disease duration, CRP, bone turnover markers or BMD. However, these findings were less significant for functional DKK-1.ConclusionThese observations indicate that DKK-1 may play a significant role in bone formation during DISH.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S410-S410 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Eckert ◽  
T. Mikoteit ◽  
J. Beck ◽  
U.M. Hemmeter ◽  
S. Brand ◽  
...  

BackgroundSerum BDNF levels are decreased in major depressive disorder (MDD) and tend to normalize under antidepressant treatment, serving as a treatment outcome predictor. BDNF is initially synthetized as precursor protein proBDNF and is cleaved to mature BDNF (mBDNF) while only the latter exerts neurotrophic activity.AimThe aim was to explore if a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for mBDNF in serum would be superior to the unspecific assessment of total serum BDNF in predicting treatment response in MDD.MethodsTwenty-five patients with MDD underwent standardized treatment with duloxetine. Severity of depression was measured by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at baseline (BL), after one (W1), two (W2) and six weeks (W6) of treatment. Treatment response was defined as a HDRS ≥ 50% reduction of BL score at W6. mBDNF and total BDNF serum levels were determined at BL, W1 and W2.ResultsA high and stable correlation was found between mBDNF and total BDNF serum levels over all measurements. The predictive value of mBDNF BL levels and mBDNFΔW1 to response was similar to that of total BDNF BL and total BDNFΔW1. The assessment of serum mBDNF was not superior to total BDNF in prediction of treatment outcome.ConclusionsNot only baseline total BDNF but also mBDNF is predictive to treatment outcome. The later might represent the main player in this respect, which supports the idea of a functional link between neuroplasticity and MDD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2004 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 589-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Ibarrola ◽  
María Suárez-Cervera ◽  
M. Carmen Arilla ◽  
Alberto Martínez ◽  
Javier Monteseirín ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
pp. 224-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis F. Fajardo ◽  
Dora G. Castellanos ◽  
Myriam Chinchilla ◽  
Luz N. Vargas ◽  
Martha Guerra ◽  
...  

Objective: To contribute to the knowledge of some aspects of the Healthy Life Style by studying the effects of including legumes in the diet and exercise at two intensity levels, along with the lipid profile of young sedentary women living at 2640 meters above sea level. Materials and methods: The study included a non-randomized clinical trial with four intervention groups: exercise at 45% VO2 peak plus legumes in diet, exercise at 65% VO2 peak plus legumes in diet, only exercise at 65% VO2 peak, and only inclusion of legumes in diet. In each group, 20 to 23 sedentary women were included. The intervention was carried out for four weeks, three days a week. Exercise prescription was based on measurement of VO2 peak by ergospirometry; and the current intervention was monitored with heart-rate monitors. The outcome variables were total serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerols measured at baseline and after two and four weeks of intervention. Results: The measurements taken of participants in the group of exercise at 65% VO2 peak plus legumes in diet showed a reduction of 19.8 mg/dl in total cholesterol, of 21.8 mg/dl of LDL cholesterol, of 20.7 mg/dl of tracylglycerol, and an increase of 6.2 mg/dl of HDL cholesterol. The serum levels of HDL also increased in the group of only exercise at 65% VO2 peak. No significant changes in serum levels were documented for participants in the group with only dietary modifications. Conclusions: The results suggest that different interventions that meet some of the criteria for healthy eating and life style show different effects with regards to the level of change in the lipid profile components.


2010 ◽  
Vol 206 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Bernichtein ◽  
Philippe Touraine ◽  
Vincent Goffin

Human prolactin (PRL) is currently viewed as a hormone of pituitary origin, whose production (i.e. serum levels) is controlled by dopamine, whose biological actions relate exclusively to lactation and reproductive functions, for which any genetic disorder is yet to be identified, and whose unique associated pathology is hyperprolactinemia. Both experimental studies and human sample/cohort-based investigations performed during the past decade have considerably widened our perception of PRL biology: i) there are now strong epidemiological arguments supporting the fact that circulating PRL is a risk factor for breast cancer, ii) in addition to the endocrine hormone, locally produced PRL has been documented in several human tissues; there is increasing evidence supporting the tumor growth potency of local PRL, acting via autocrine/paracrine mechanisms, in both rodent models, and human breast and prostate tumors, iii) the first functional germinal polymorphisms of the PRL receptor were recently identified in patients presenting with breast tumors, which involve single amino acid substitution variants exhibiting constitutive activity, iv) human PRL analogs have been engineered, which were shown in experimental models to down-regulate the effects triggered by local PRL (competitive antagonism) or by the constitutively active receptor variants (inverse agonism). The aim of this review is to discuss these novel concepts in PRL biology, including their potential pathophysiological outcomes.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (5) ◽  
pp. H1548-H1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Cox ◽  
D. C. Kikta

Studies were performed on the ontogeny of arterial blood pressure and functional properties of the thoracic aorta in lean (L) and obese (O) male Zucker rats at ages of 6-36 wk. Body weight was larger in the O than the L at all ages, with differences reaching values of 200-250 g at ages over 24 wk (at 33-36 wk: L = 510 +/- 9 and O = 730 +/- 15 g). Systolic blood pressure was lower in young O compared with L (6-15 wk) but increased with age at a rate seven times greater in O than in L. For ages of 33-36 wk, systolic pressure was significantly higher in O compared with L (O = 132 +/- 2 vs. L = 122 +/- 2 mmHg). Total serum cholesterol (at 36 wk: L = 278 +/- 31 and O = 354 +/- 12 mg/dl) and triglycerides (at 36 wk: L = 493 +/- 71 and O = 1,618 +/- 220 mg/dl), as well as glucose levels, increased with age in both groups and were significantly higher in O at all ages. Serum levels of thyroxine but not triiodothyronine were significantly lower in O at all ages. No differences were found in passive mechanics at any age. Values of maximum active stress with smooth muscle activation by 75 mM K+ plus 10 microM norepinephrine were significantly higher at 24 and 36 wk in O (at 36 wk: L = 573 +/- 42 and O = 821 +/- 89 x 10(3) dyn/m2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Blood ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
HE Prince ◽  
H Lee ◽  
ER Jensen ◽  
P Swanson ◽  
D Weber ◽  
...  

Abstract Previously we showed that mononuclear cells from about half of human T- lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-seropositive persons exhibit spontaneous proliferation in vitro. We sought to determine if proliferation was associated with other immunologic changes characteristic of HTLV infection. The parameters assessed were (1) percentages of lymphocytes expressing CD4 and/or CD25 (interleukin-2 receptor), (2) serum levels of soluble CD25, (3) serostatus for other viruses, (4) anti-HTLV antibody levels, and (5) HTLV type determined by polymerase chain reaction or serologic reactivity with type-specific peptides. The proliferation+ HTLV (PROL+) group, proliferation HTLV (PROL-) group, and control group showed similar percentages of CD4+, CD25+, and CD4+CD25+ lymphocytes; serum levels of soluble CD25 were also similar. Antibodies to cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B core, and hepatitis C were present in similar proportions of PROL+ and PROL+ groups. However, a significant association was found between spontaneous proliferation and anti-HTLV antibody levels; sera from 67% of PROL+ persons, but only 18% of PROL- persons, required dilution to yield absorbance values within the linear range of the anti-HTLV antibody assay. In the PROL+ group, persons whose sera required the most dilution had proliferative responses significantly higher than those whose sera required no dilution. The PROL+ and PROL groups were similar with regard to the relative distribution of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection. These findings indicate that HTLV-related spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation is related to levels of circulating anti-HTLV antibodies, and characterizes both HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection.


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