Adult AD Research Articles

Mental health in adult AD

Atopic dermatitis, also known simply as eczema, is a long‐term skin condition that causes an itchy rash. Scratching can cause skin to weep, crust, become infected and become thicker. 16.5 million adults in the USA suffer from atopic dermatitis, with 6.6 million reporting moderate to severe symptoms. Those with more severe disease have been found to have worse quality of life and increased risk of depression and anxiety. This US‐based study looked at 2893 adults to see if having atopic dermatitis, and how severe it is, affects the likelihood of also having anxiety or depression. Information was collected by sending out a survey. Modified UK diagnostic criteria were used to screen for patients with atopic dermatitis. Disease severity was self‐reported by patients using tools such as the Patient‐Orientated Eczema Measure and Dermatology Life Quality Index. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for measuring anxiety and depression. 602 adults had atopic dermatitis. They had higher HADS scores (meaning higher levels of anxiety and depression) than the 2291 adults without atopic dermatitis. There were more adults with atopic dermatitis who also had a formal diagnosis of anxiety or depression than those without atopic dermatitis. However, many atopic dermatitis patients with high HADS scores had no formal diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Furthermore, patients with more severe atopic dermatitis had higher HADS scores than those with milder disease. The conclusion is that atopic dermatitis increases the likelihood of having anxiety and depression, especially if one has severe disease. This may go undiagnosed.

Impact of a High Intake of Dairy Product on Insulin Sensitivity in Hyperinsulinemic Adults: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACTBackgroundDairy product intake has been associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in cohort studies. However, results from clinical trials on T2D-related risk factors remain inconclusive.ObjectiveThe aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the impact of high dairy product intake (HD) (≥4 servings/d) for 6 wk, compared with an adequate dairy product intake (AD) (≤2 servings/d), on glycemic and insulinemic parameters, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and β-cell function in hyperinsulinemic adults.MethodsIn this crossover clinical trial, hyperinsulinemic adults were randomly assigned to HD or AD for 6 wk, then crossed over after a 6-wk washout period. Serum glucose, insulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, Matsuda index, insulinogenic index, and disposition index were measured and analyzed using a repeated-measures mixed model adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Anthropometric measures were collected and food intake was evaluated using a validated FFQ.ResultsNineteen men and 8 women completed the study (mean ± SD age: 55 ± 14 y; BMI: 31.3 ± 3.3 kg/m2. Dairy product intake was 5.8 servings/d in the HD condition and 2.3 servings/d in the AD condition after 6 wk. No difference was observed between HD and AD after 6 wk for all outcomes.ConclusionsHD does not affect glycemic and insulinemic parameters, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and β-cell function over AD in hyperinsulinemic adults. Additional larger and longer studies assessing T2D-related risk factors are required. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02961179.

The influence of tears on older and younger adults' perceptions of sadness.

Prior studies have shown that older adults perceive sadness differently relative to younger adults. However, the stimuli used to test older adults' perceptions of sadness have been limited by the fact that they have not included emotional tears-a salient emotional cue that has previously been shown to enhance perceptions of sadness in younger adults. This study reports three experiments that test whether the presence of tears differentially affects older and younger adults' perceptions of sadness. Experiment 1 was a laboratory-based experiment and also assessed facial mimicry responses using electromyography (EMG). Experiments 2 and 3 were conducted online. Across all three experiments, participants rated faces as showing greater sadness when tears were present compared to absent, and most critically, participant age did not moderate this effect-young and older adults responded equivalently to the presence of tears. Another finding to emerge across all experiments was that older faces were consistently rated as showing more sadness than younger faces, suggesting that there may be a bias toward attributing more sadness to people in older age. The facial EMG data showed that both age groups exhibited greater frowning (relative to smiling) responses when viewing the sad faces, but this effect was not moderated by the presence of tears. Taken together, the data from these three experiments show stability in terms of how younger and older adults respond to the presence of tears; in both age groups, behavioral responses to sadness are equivalently enhanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Adult Atopic Dermatitis in Hospitalized Patients: Comparison between Those with Childhood-Onset and Late-Onset Disease

Atopic eczema is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. It is a common dermatological disorder that affects 17.8 million individuals in the USA, up to 20% of children and up to 3% of adults. Recent data show that the incidence of the disease is still rising, both in children and adults, especially in low-income countries. Atopic dermatitis in adults consists of childhood-onset (COAD) and adult or late-onset types (LOAD). Prior research has described differences in clinical features, laboratory data, and response to treatment between COAD and LOAD. Most studies have been done on an ambulatory population that mostly contains patients with mild to moderate disease. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the differences between adults hospitalized with COAD and LOAD. Methods: Data were analyzed from a retrospective cohort of 107 adult AD patients who were hospitalized from 2009 to 2017. Analysis of data included epidemiology, clinical and laboratory characteristics, and response to treatment. Results: Of the total sample, 87 (81%) patients were diagnosed with LOAD, and 20 (19%) patients were diagnosed with COAD. The median age was 66 years for all patients, 42 years for COAD patients, and 77 years for LOAD patients. The prevalence of atopy was lower in the LOAD group than in the COAD group (33.8 vs. 68.8% for family history, 35.5 vs. 84.8% for personal history). A higher incidence of head, neck, and flexural involvement was found in COAD patients. LOAD patients had lower immunoglobulin E levels and responded better to phototherapy. Conclusions: Elderly patients with LOAD constitute the majority of adults hospitalized with AD. As in ambulatory AD patients, there are significant differences in medical background, clinical picture, laboratory characteristics, and response to treatment between hospitalized LOAD and COAD patients. There is a need to determine diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for these patients.

Short Communication: The species and body size composition of pelagic fishes that caught by troll line in the fish landing of Sendang Biru, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Hidayati D, Oclandhi B, Maulidinia N, Sa’adah NN, Nurhayati APD. 2019. Short Communication: The species and body size composition of pelagic fishes that caught by troll line in the fish landing of Sendang Biru, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1764-1769. Troll line is the most used pelagic fishing gear for fishermen in Sendang Biru, the part of Indian ocean at East Java, which have an impact on the catch composition. The study was aimed to obtain data on species composition and size of pelagic fish caught in troll line in Sendang Biru, East Java, Indonesia. Fish samples were collected from nine different vessels landed in Sendang Biru for three days in April 2018. The composition of fish species was measured based on relative abundance. The fish size composition was obtained by measuring fork length which is also used to determine the stage of development of juvenile (Jv) or adult (Ad) fish. The results of the research showed there were four pelagic fish species which dominated by Katsuwonus pelamis or skipjack tuna (50.05%) and Thunnus albacares or yellowfin tuna (47.95%) and a small amount of Coryphaena hippurus and Makaira mazara. According to the body size, the fish caught by troll line in Sendang Biru is dominated by adult skipjack tuna (41-60 cm) and juvenile yellowfin tuna (21-78 cm).

The importance of avoidant personality in social anxiety disorder with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

In the present study, our primary aim was to compare the generalized social anxiety (GSAD) patients with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in terms of avoidant personality disorder (AVPD), and some clinical variables. We also investigated the relationship of AVPD and depression with ADHD and GSAD. We hypothesized that ADHD may be associated with AVPD in patients with GSAD. Seventy-six patients with GSAD were evaluated for depression, AVPD, and childhood and adulthood diagnoses of ADHD. The GSAD patients with (n = 34) and without adulthood ADHD (n = 30) were compared with respect to some sociodemographic and clinical variables. GSAD patients with adulthood ADHD had significantly higher comorbid diagnosis of AVPD, more avoidant personality and depression symptoms than those without ADHD. Pearson's correlation coefficient in total sample (n = 76) showed that the mean number of AVPD criteria was significantly associated with the severity of Beck Depression Inventory, Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), and inattention symptoms of ADHD. There were no correlations between the total and subscale scores of Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and the mean number of AVPD criteria. The scores of WURS significantly predicted the mean number of AVPD criteria (β = 0.305, p= 0.007). The severity of current depression (β = 0.143, p = 0.30) and inattention symptoms of adulthood ADHD (β = 0.112, p = 0.46) were not associated with the severity of AVPD symptoms. These results might demonstrate that comorbid AVPD in adult SAD patients was related to a childhood ADHD independent from depression, and inattention symptoms of ADHD in adulthood.

Association among 2-min step test, functional level and diagnosis of dementia.

ABSTRACT.Aerobic capacity declines significantly throughout life, beginning at the age of 30 years and accelerating from 60 years, where a decline of 17% per decade is expected thereafter.Objective:To investigate the association between aerobic capacity and a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild AD or moderate AD in older adults, considering the risk classification of functional loss of the Step test.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 93 patients (age >60 years) were evaluated (Healthy=36; MCI=18, AD=39). The step test was used to assess aerobic capacity, while overall cognitive status was measured using the MMSE. The groups were divided according to the risk classifications of functional loss into below or above the standard cut-off point for aerobic capacity.Results:Subjects in the functional loss risk group were approximately ten to fourteen times more likely to be diagnosed with mild (OR:10.7; p=0.001) or moderate (OR.=14.7; p=0.002) AD than their fitter counterparts. Low aerobic fitness was also associated with the MCI condition (OR=4.5; p=0.05), but only after controlling for educational level, age and sex. In the overall sample (N=93), there was an association between aerobic capacity and MMSE performance (R2=0.35; p<0.001) after controlling for confounding variables.Conclusion:low aerobic capacity was associated with cognitive decline, and older adults at risk of functional loss on the STEP test had greater chance of being diagnosed with MCI or AD after controlling for age, sex and education.

Distinct transcriptomic profiles of early-onset atopic dermatitis in blood and skin of pediatric patients

BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) predominantly affects young children, but our understanding of AD pathogenesis is based on skin and blood samples from long-standing adult AD. Genomic biopsy profiling from early pediatric AD showed significant Th2 and Th17/Th22-skewing, without the characteristic adult Th1 up-regulation. Because obtaining pediatric biopsies is difficult, blood gene expression profiling may provide a surrogate for the pediatric skin signature. ObjectiveTo define the blood profile and associated biomarkers of early moderate-to-severe pediatric AD. MethodsWe compared microarrays and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of blood cells from 28 AD children (<5 years and within 6 months of disease onset) to healthy control blood cells. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in blood (fold change [FCH] > 1.2 and false discovery rate [FDR] < 0.05) were then compared with skin DEGs. ResultsEosinophil and Th2 markers (IL5RA, IL1RL1/ST2, HRH4, CCR3, SIGLEC8, PRSS33, CLC from gene arrays; IL13/IL4/CCL22 from RT-PCR) were up-regulated in early pediatric AD blood, whereas IFNG/Th1 was decreased. Th1 markers were negatively correlated with clinical severity (EASI, pruritus, transepidermal water loss [TEWL]), whereas Th2/Th17-induced interleukin (IL)-19 was positively correlated with SCORAD. Although a few RT-PCR–defined immune markers (IL-13/CCL22) were increased in blood, as previously also reported for skin, minimal overlap based on gene array DEGs was seen. ConclusionThe whole blood signature of early moderate-to-severe pediatric AD blood cells show predominantly a Th2/eosinophil profile; however, markers largely differ from the skin profile. Given their complementarity, pooling of biomarkers from blood and skin may improve profiling and predictions, providing insight regarding disease course, allergic comorbidity development, and response to systemic medications.

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy for atopic dermatitis: an open trial

ABSTRACTAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a common and debilitating inflammatory dermatological disorder and is marked by itch and inflamed skin. Scratching, sleep loss, and avoidance of situations associated with more AD symptoms are central hypothesized mechanisms that perpetuate the disorder and cause reduced quality of life. We developed an exposure-based cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) that entailed mindfulness practice as a means to increase tolerance for aversive experiences during exposure. The aim of the present study was to test the treatment’s acceptability and preliminary efficacy in adults with AD. We used an uncontrolled pretest-posttest design and recruited participants (N = 9) from a university hospital dermatological clinic. The treatment comprised 10 weekly sessions over 10 weeks and assessments of AD symptoms as well as psychiatric symptoms and quality of life were conducted at baseline, posttreatment and 6-month follow-up. The results showed significant and large baseline to posttreatment improvements on self-reported measures of AD symptoms (p = .020) and general anxiety (p = .005), but there was no significant improvement in depression or quality of life. Treatment satisfaction was high and a majority of participants (67%) completed the treatment. We conclude that exposure-based CBT for adult AD can be feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious.

Dispositional Optimism and Cardiovascular Reactivity Accompanying Anger and Sadness in Young Adults.

Dispositional optimism, a generalized expectation for positive outcomes, appears to promote physical health and well-being, including positive effects on cardiovascular disease outcomes. Mechanisms may involve adaptive responses to psychological stressors that dampen their physiological impact. This study investigated (i) whether individual differences in optimism are associated with attenuated cardiovascular reactivity (CVR); (ii) whether the CVR moderating effect of optimism differs for two stress emotions, anger and sadness; and (iii) whether separate measures of optimism and pessimism, and the more commonly used measure that combines them, differ in their relationships with CVR. The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) was used to provide an overall dispositional optimism score and subscale scores separately assessing optimism and pessimism. These predictors were examined in relation to cardiovascular responses evoked by a stressful autobiographical recall task. Task instructions were manipulated within subjects to produce anger and sadness. CVR measures were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and heart rate (HR). Dispositional optimism was inversely associated with SBP and HR (but not DBP) elevations while participants related both anger- and sadness-inducing events. There was some indication that these associations were stronger for sadness than for anger, and that the LOT-R optimism subscale was a better predictor of CVR than its pessimism subscale. These findings add to the understanding of health-promoting effects of dispositional optimism by addressing relationships of optimism and pessimism with cardiovascular concomitants of anger and sadness that are thought to contribute to heart disease.

Severity strata for five patient-reported outcomes in adults with atopic dermatitis

Summary Atopic dermatitis (AD, also known simply as eczema) is a skin disease that can cause itching (pruritus), sleep disturbance and impaired quality of life (QoL), often affecting everyday activities such as school and work, resulting in impaired mental health. During studies into eczema or when treating patients, doctors use a variety of systems that record how severe the person's eczema is. Some of these look at the physical symptoms, such as how severe the skin lesions (areas of affected skin) are. However, as mentioned above, many of the symptoms of the disease can't be measured by looking at the skin, and for these, different measurements of ‘Patient Reported Outcomes’ (PRO) are used, in which the patient answers questions about, for example, their quality of life, mood or itch severity. These measures are not always specific to eczema, and can be used across a range of skin disorders. Each PRO has a different numbers of questions, response options, and scoring systems, which can make it difficult to interpret the results across different PROs. Severity strata have been developed for some PROs, which attribute levels of severity to the results of the scores, so for example, in a PRO called POEM, a score of 0 to 7 is mild, 8 to 16 is moderate and 17 to 28 is severe. This study sought to confirm whether previously reported strata for the PRO's called POEM and DLQI are indeed accurate for adults with AD. They also sought to develop severity strata for PRO's that don't already have them: NRS-itch, mean ItchyQOL and 5-D itch scale. The authors confirm that existing strata for POEM and DLQI perform well in adult AD and suggested amendments and new strata for certain other PRO's.

Author response: Odor identification as a biomarker of preclinical AD in older adults at risk.

Drs. Bohnen and Muller describe associations in other tauopathies, including the Lewy body–Parkinson spectrum, similar to the association we identified between odor identification deficit and Alzheimer disease biomarkers driven mostly by tau pathology.1 We agree; however, the association of odor identification with presymptomatic Alzheimer disease may be particularly useful owing to the paucity of other inexpensive and noninvasive robust biomarker measures in this prevalent neurodegenerative illness.

Dermatite atopique de l’adulte : présentation clinique, complications et comorbidités

Atopic dermatitis (DA) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Its incidence and prevalence is increasing, especially in industrialized countries. The prevalence of AD in adults is estimated at 1-3 % of the general population and can present as adult-onset AD, or as infantile/childhood AD that persists, or recurs in adulthood. There are no specific diagnostic criteria for adult AD. Diagnosis may be also complicated by the fact that the clinical manifestations sometimes differ from pediatric AD. Moreover, many recent studies have identified adult AD as a systemic disease. Due to its chronicity and comorbidities, Adult AD has a major impact on quality of life and working abilities of affected patients. With the emergence of new treatments, we should see more and more adult AD in the future, a better knowledge of its characteristics is therefore required.

L’actuel et le futur du traitement de la dermatite atopique de l’adulte

The treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults is based on the use of topical steroids and emollients. When AD is resistant to a well-conducted topical treatment, phototherapy or systemic treatments can be used: ciclosporin, methotrexate, azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil. The therapeutic landscape of adult AD is about to change and even be revolutionized by the imminent arrival of new treatments: topical phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, topical or systemic JAK inhibitors, anti-IL-4 and/or antiIL-13 biotherapies (dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab), anti-IL-31 (nemolizumab), anti-TSLP.

Cardiorespiratory pathogenesis of sickle cell disease in a mouse model

The nature and development of cardiorespiratory impairments associated with sickle cell disease are poorly understood. Given that the mechanisms of these impairments cannot be addressed adequately in clinical studies, we characterized cardiorespiratory pathophysiology from birth to maturity in the sickle cell disease SAD mouse model. We identified two critical phases of respiratory dysfunction in SAD mice; the first prior to weaning and the second in adulthood. At postnatal day 3, 43% of SAD mice showed marked apneas, anemia, and pulmonary vascular congestion typical of acute chest syndrome; none of these mice survived to maturity. The remaining SAD mice had mild lung histological changes in room air with an altered respiratory pattern, seizures, and a high rate of death in response to hypoxia. Approximately half the SAD mice that survived to adulthood had an identifiable respiratory phenotype including baseline tachypnea at 7–8 months of age, restrictive lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac enlargement, lower total lung capacity, and pulmonary vascular congestion. All adult SAD mice demonstrated impairments in exercise capacity and response to hypoxia, with a more severe phenotype in the tachypneic mice. The model revealed distinguishable subgroups of SAD mice with cardiorespiratory pathophysiology mimicking the complications of human sickle cell disease.

Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in the three developmental stages of Trichinella spiralis

Trichinella spiralis, an intracellular parasitic nematode, can cause severe foodborne zoonosis, trichinellosis. The life cycle of T. spiralis consists of adult (Ad), muscle larvae (ML) and newborn larvae (NBL). The protein profiles in different developmental stages of the parasite remain unknown. In the present study, proteins from lysates of Ad, ML and NBL were identified by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). A total of 4691 proteins were identified in all the developmental stages, of which 1067 proteins were differentially expressed. The number of up-regulated proteins in NBL was higher than that of the other two groups. The protein profiles from Ad, ML and NBL were compared in pairs. The identified proteins were involved in various functions of T. spiralis life cycle, including sexual maturity, metabolism, utilization of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleotides, and other crucial developmental processes that occur at distinct stages. Further investigation of the transcriptional levels of major sperm protein, serine protease, zinc finger protein, etc. from the different protein profiles using quantitative RT-PCR showed identical results to the iTRAQ analysis. The differentially expressed proteins that are involved in developmental regulation and host-parasite interactions should be further studied.

Effect of Asian dust on pulmonary function in adult asthma patients in western Japan: A panel study

BackgroundAsian dust (AD) has become a major health concern. The concentration of AD is typically expressed in particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.5). However, PM10 and PM2.5 consist of various substances besides AD. Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems can selectively measure the quantity of AD particles to distinguish non-spherical airborne particles from spherical airborne particles. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between pulmonary function in adult asthma patients and AD using LIDAR data. MethodsSubjects were 231 adult asthma patients who had their morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) measured from March to May 2012. A linear mixed model was used to estimate the association of PEF with sand dust particles detected by LIDAR. ResultsIncreases in the interquartile range of AD particles (0.018 km−1) led to changes in PEF of −0.42 L/min (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.85 to 0.01). An increase of 11.8 μg/m3 in suspended particulate matter and 6.9 μg/m3 in PM2.5 led to decreases of −0.17 L/min (−0.53 to 0.21) and 0.03 L/min (−0.35 to 0.42), respectively. A heavy AD day was defined as a day with a level of AD particles >0.032 km−1, which was the average plus one standard deviation during the study period, and six heavy AD days were identified. Change in PEF after a heavy AD day was −0.97 L/min (−1.90 to −0.04). ConclusionsHeavy exposure to AD particles was significantly associated with decreased pulmonary function in adult asthma patients.

Children's recall of fast food television advertising-testing the adequacy of food marketing regulation.

Background and AimIn the United States, the fast food companies McDonald’s and Burger King participate in marketing self-regulation programs that aim to limit emphasis on premiums and promote emphasis of healthy food choices. We determine what children recall from fast food television advertisements aired by these companies.MethodsOne hundred children aged 3–7 years were shown McDonald’s and Burger King children’s (MDC & BKC) and adult (MDA & BKA) meal ads, randomly drawn from ads that aired on national US television from 2010–11. Immediately after seeing the ad, children were asked to recall what they had seen and transcripts evaluated for descriptors of food, healthy food (apples or milk), and premiums/tie-ins.ResultsPremiums/tie-ins were common in children’s but rarely appeared in adult ads, and all children’s ads contained images of healthy foods (apples and milk). Participants were significantly less likely to recall any food after viewing the children’s vs. the adult ad (MDC 32% [95% confidence interval 23, 41] vs. MDA 68% [59, 77]) p <0.001; BKC 46% [39, 56] vs. BKA 67% [58, 76] respectively, p = 0.002). For children’s ads alone and for both restaurants, recall frequency for all food was not significantly different from premium/tie-ins, and participants were significantly more likely to recall other food items than apples or milk. Moreover, premiums/tie-ins were recalled much more frequently than healthy food (MDC 45% [35, 55] vs. 9% [3, 15] p<0.001; BKC 54% [44, 64] vs. 2% [0, 5] respectively, p<0.001).ConclusionsChildren’s net impressions of television fast food advertising indicate that industry self-regulation failed to achieve a de-emphasis on toy premiums and tie-ins and did not adequately communicate healthy menu choices. The methods devised for this study could be used to monitor and better regulate advertising patterns of practice.

Medical journals and free speech.

Does fear of libel lawsuits influence what gets published in medical journals? We suggest it may, especially when the conclusions run counter to corporate interests. A research team headed by Sargent probed children’s responses to televised fast-food ads. The study tested Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) advertising self-regulation guidelines, in which the Better Business Bureau “evaluates child-directed advertising and promotional material in all media to advance truthfulness, accuracy and consistency with its Self-Regulatory Program for Children’s Advertising.”1 The study examined children’s responses to television ads from McDonald’s and Burger King, companies responsible for 99% of the child-directed fast-food advertising on television in the United States at that time.2 It tested whether children’s ads focused the child’s attention primarily on the product and made the premium message clearly secondary, as CARU guidelines on deception said they should.3 To test this hypothesis for each company, the investigators randomly selected 1 adult and 1 children’s ad from 2010–2011 national television ads ( n = 107) for children ages 3 to 7 years to watch. None of the adult ads and almost all of the children’s ads contained a premium message, typically showing the current toy giveaway. After each viewing, the children were asked, “What did you see?” Most (∼70%) reported the adult ad was about food. However, fewer than half reported the children’s ad was about food. For children’s ads alone and for both restaurants, recall frequency for food was not significantly different from premiums/tie-ins. The investigators concluded that the companies had failed to comply with CARU’s self-regulation requirements that they emphasize food over premiums. The manuscript was reviewed at Pediatrics and was … Address correspondence to James D. Sargent, MD, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Rubin 8, One Medical Center Dr, Lebanon, NH 03756. E-mail: james.d.sargent{at}dartmouth.edu

Characterisation of a plancitoxin-1-like DNase II gene in Trichinella spiralis.

BackgroundDeoxyribonuclease II (DNase II) is a well-known acidic endonuclease that catalyses the degradation of DNA into oligonucleotides. Only one or a few genes encoding DNase II have been observed in the genomes of many species. 125 DNase II-like protein family genes were predicted in the Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) genome; however, none have been confirmed. DNase II is a monomeric nuclease that contains two copies of a variant HKD motif in the N- and C-termini. Of these 125 genes, only plancitoxin-1 (1095 bp, GenBank accession no. XM_003370715.1) contains the HKD motif in its C-terminus domain.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this study, we cloned and characterised the plancitoxin-1 gene. However, the sequences of plancitoxin-1 cloned from T. spiralis were shorter than the predicted sequences in GenBank. Intriguingly, there were two HKD motifs in the N- and C-termini in the cloned sequences. Therefore, the gene with shorter sequences was named after plancitoxin-1-like (Ts-Pt, 885 bp) and has been deposited in GenBank under accession number KF984291. The recombinant protein (rTs-Pt) was expressed in a prokaryotic expression system and purified by nickel affinity chromatography. Western blot analysis showed that rTs-Pt was recognised by serum from T. spiralis-infected mice; the anti-rTs-Pt serum recognised crude antigens but not ES antigens. The Ts-Pt gene was examined at all T. spiralis developmental stages by real-time quantitative PCR. Immunolocalisation analysis showed that Ts-Pt was distributed throughout newborn larvae (NBL), the tegument of adults (Ad) and muscle larvae (ML). As demonstrated by DNase zymography, the expressed proteins displayed cation-independent DNase activity. rTs-Pt had a narrow optimum pH range in slightly acidic conditions (pH 4 and pH 5), and its optimum temperature was 25°C, 30°C, and 37°C.ConclusionsThis study indicated that Ts-Pt was classified as a somatic protein in different T. spiralis developmental stages, and demonstrated for the first time that an expressed DNase II protein from T. spiralis had nuclease activity.