The role of pollen in chalkbrood disease in Apis mellifera: transmission and predisposing conditions

Chalkbrood in honeybees (Apis mellifera L. Himenoptera: Apidae) is a fungal disease caused by Ascosphaera apis (Maassen ex Claussen) Olive and Spiltoir. This disease requires the presence of fungal spores and a predisposing condition in the susceptible brood for the disease to develop. In this study we examined the role of pollen in the development of chalkbrood disease under two experimental conditions: (i) pollen combs were transferred from infected to uninfected beehives and (ii) colonies were deprived of adequate pollen supplies to feed the brood. The results of both treatments confirmed that pollen is an element that should be taken into account when controlling this honeybee disease.

Expression of cathepsins B, L, S, and D by gastric epithelial cells implicates them as antigen presenting cells in local immune responses

Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma. During H. pylori infection, class II MHC expression by the gastric epithelium increases, as does the number of local CD4(+) T cells, which appear to be important in the associated pathogenesis. These observations suggested that the epithelium might present antigens to T cells. Thus, we sought to determine whether gastric epithelial cells process antigens to establish their function as local antigen presenting cells (APC). We examined a panel of gastric epithelial cell lines for expression of the antigen processing cathepsins B (CB), L (CL), S (CS), and D (CD). The mRNA for these enzymes were detected by RT-PCR and the enzymes in the gastric epithelial cells were identified by various independent methods. We corroborated the expression of CB and CD on gastric epithelial cells from human biopsy samples. The functions of these proteases were confirmed by assessing their ability to digest ovalbumin, a conventional dietary antigen, and proteins from H. pylori. In summary, multiple lines of evidence suggest gastric epithelial cells process antigens for presentation to CD4(+) T cells. To our knowledge, these are the first studies to document the antigen processing capacity of human gastric epithelial cells.

Helicobacter pylori urease binds to class II MHC on gastric epithelial cells and induces their apoptosis

Infection by Helicobacter pylori leads to injury of the gastric epithelium and a cellular infiltrate that includes CD4+ T cells. H. pylori binds to class II MHC molecules on gastric epithelial cells and induces their apoptosis. Because urease is an abundant protein expressed by H. pylori, we examined whether it had the ability to bind class II MHC and induce apoptosis in class II MHC-bearing cells. Flow cytometry revealed the binding of PE-conjugated urease to class II MHC+ gastric epithelial cell lines. The binding of urease to human gastric epithelial cells was reduced by anti-class II MHC Abs and by staphylococcal enterotoxin B. The binding of urease to class II MHC was confirmed when urease bound to HLA-DR1-transfected COS-1 (1D12) cells but not to untransfected COS-1 cells. Urease also bound to a panel of B cell lines expressing various class II MHC alleles. Recombinant urease induced apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells that express class II MHC molecules, but not in class II MHC- cells. Also, Fab from anti-class II MHC and not from isotype control Abs blocked the induction of apoptosis by urease in a concentration-dependent manner. The adhesin properties of urease might point to a novel and important role of H. pylori urease in the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection of human respiratory epithelial cells up-regulates class I MHC expression through the induction of IFN-beta and IL-1 alpha

CD8+ T cells mediate some of the damage to the lung epithelium following respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Since CD8+ T cells recognize antigen-laden class I MHC molecules on the target cells, we examined in this study the expression of class I MHC by RSV-infected respiratory epithelial cells. Respiratory epithelial cell lines and bronchial epithelial cells from normal human tissue responded to RSV infection with an increased expression of class I MHC as determined by flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation of class I MHC from metabolically radiolabeled cells. The increase in class I MHC expression was dependent on infectious, replicating virus. UV-irradiated culture supernatants from RSV-infected A549 cells, when added to fresh A549 cell cultures, induced an increase in class I MHC expression by those cells. The class I MHC increasing activity within supernatants from A549 cells was due, in large part, to IFN-beta, and to a lesser extent to IL-1 alpha. The addition of neutralizing Abs to both cytokines completely blocked the increase in class I MHC expression by cells treated with the above-mentioned supernatants. These results demonstrate that RSV infection elicits IFN-beta production by respiratory epithelial cells, which in turn leads to an increase in their synthesis of class I MHC, which would facilitate their recognition and lysis by RSV-specific CD8+ T cells.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection of human respiratory epithelial cells up-regulates class I MHC expression through the induction of IFN-beta and IL-1 alpha

CD8+ T cells mediate some of the damage to the lung epithelium following respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Since CD8+ T cells recognize antigen-laden class I MHC molecules on the target cells, we examined in this study the expression of class I MHC by RSV-infected respiratory epithelial cells. Respiratory epithelial cell lines and bronchial epithelial cells from normal human tissue responded to RSV infection with an increased expression of class I MHC as determined by flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation of class I MHC from metabolically radiolabeled cells. The increase in class I MHC expression was dependent on infectious, replicating virus. UV-irradiated culture supernatants from RSV-infected A549 cells, when added to fresh A549 cell cultures, induced an increase in class I MHC expression by those cells. The class I MHC increasing activity within supernatants from A549 cells was due, in large part, to IFN-beta, and to a lesser extent to IL-1 alpha. The addition of neutralizing Abs to both cytokines completely blocked the increase in class I MHC expression by cells treated with the above-mentioned supernatants. These results demonstrate that RSV infection elicits IFN-beta production by respiratory epithelial cells, which in turn leads to an increase in their synthesis of class I MHC, which would facilitate their recognition and lysis by RSV-specific CD8+ T cells.

[Progression of viral infection in twins born from a mother infected with human immunodeficiency virus]

We studied the evolution of HIV-1 infection and immune response during six years in two twins born from an infected mother. The children had a continuous progression of the infection, proved by CD4+ cell count, serum anti-HIV antibodies, cultivable virus and proviral load. Now, both children are on antiviral treatment. The analysis of serum antibodies showed a different immune response in both children. One of them developed higher levels of antibodies directed against viral proteins and synthetic peptides derived from their aminoacid sequence. In this child, the amount of cultivable virus increased less than in his twin. Nucleotide sequencing of a part of viral genoma, showed that the virus belonged to the B subtype, prevalent in America and Europe. The observed differences in viral sequences suggest a different selective pressure in both twins. This phenomenon could be related to the observed differences in immune response.

Etiology of acute diarrhoea among children in developing countries: a multicentre study in five countries

A 2-year etiological survey of acute diarrhoea in children aged 0-35 months who were attending treatment facilities was carried out using a standardized protocol in five hospitals in China, India, Mexico, Myanmar, and Pakistan. A total of 3640 cases of diarrhoea and 3279 age- and sex-matched controls were studied; about 60% of the patients were aged less than 1 year and 60% were male. An enteric pathogen was detected in 68% of the cases and in 30% of the controls. In all the study centres, the pathogens most strongly associated with disease were rotavirus (16% of cases, 2% of controls), Shigella spp. (11% of cases, 1% of controls) and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (16% of cases, 5% of controls). Rotavirus was commonest among 6-11-month-olds, accounting for 20% of all cases in this age group; 71% of all rotavirus episodes occurred during the first year of life. Shigella spp. were commonest among those aged 12-23 months and 24-35 months, accounting for 22% and 27% of the cases, respectively. The proportion of cases that yielded no pathogen was inversely related to age, being highest (41%) among infants below 6 months of age and lowest (19%) among those aged 24-35 months. These results suggest that microbe-specific intervention strategies for the control of childhood diarrhoeal diseases in developing countries should focus on rotavirus, Shigella spp. and enterotoxigenic E. coli.

Organisation for regional resources management

This paper offers a conceptual framework to discuss the organisational dimension of regional management. The regional system is defined as a ‘black box’ transforming regional resources into output products and services. The discussion is centred in the management of these transformations. It is argued that the complexity that managers have to see in the regional system is only that which is left unattended by the system's self-regulating and self-organising processes. However, the complexity that the regional system must see and respond to in its environment is defined by ‘socially implied’ criteria of performance. A mismatch between this and the actual complexity absorbed by the regional system may imply that managers are overloaded by a large unattended residual complexity. To redress the balance structural changes are likely to be necessary. This paper deals with only one aspect of structural design, namely the partitioning of the tasks implies by the missions of the regional system. The 1974 re-structuring of Local government in England and Wales is analysed from this perspective. This paper was originally presented at a IIASA workshop on Regional Resources Management (Albena, Bulgaria 1985). Hence its focus in the regional system, however, its content is general to all organisational systems.

Localisation of atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity in the ventricular myocardium and conduction system of the human fetal and adult heart

Atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity was found in ventricular and atrial tissues with specific antisera raised to the amino and carboxy terminal regions of the precursor molecule. In 13 developing human hearts (7-24 weeks' gestation) the immunoreactivity was concentrated in the atrial myocardium and ventricular conduction system but it was also detected in the early fetal ventricular myocardium. Immunoreactivity in five normal adults was largely confined to the atrial myocardium although it was also found in the ventricular conduction tissues of hearts removed from 10 patients who were undergoing cardiac transplantation. The ventricular conduction system is an extra-atrial site for the synthesis of atrial natriuretic peptide. In the failing heart this synthesis may be further supplemented by expression of the gene in the ventricular myocardium. It is possible that ventricular production of the peptide contributes to the raised circulating concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity found in severe congestive heart disease, particularly in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Different polypeptide composition of two human rotavirus types

Human rotaviruses, which are placed into two groups according to their ribonucleic acid patterns obtained by gel electrophoresis, were characterized both by polypeptide components from purified virions and by polypeptides translated from their denatured ribonucleic acids in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Viruses assigned to different groups differed in the electrophoretic migration of the second largest of the polypeptides which compose the inner shell; polypeptides that had been synthetized in vitro from ribonucleic acid from each group showed this same difference, thus indicating that this is due to the genomic composition. This study suggests that there are differences in the third largest polypeptide of the inner shell and also in the three smaller polypeptides composing the outer shell. We also demonstrated that there are differences in genomic and polypeptide compositions between simian (SA11) and calf (Nebraska calf diarrhea virus) rotaviruses grown in tissue culture and human rotaviruses.

[Existence of 2 types of Rotavirus associated with acute gastroenteritis in children]

Rotaviruses found in the stools of different infants, hospitalized in the Hospital del Niño del DIF, may be grouped into at least two types according to their RNA composition. The viral RNA composition was analyzed by electrophoresis in agarose gels. The different types can be distinguished by the mobility of the second larger of the 11 segments that make up the viral RNA.

[Diagnosis of Rotavirus using viral RNA electrophoresis]

Rotavirus has emerged as a major agent of acute enteritis of infants. A rapid and simple technique has been developed for its detection, based on the visualization of the viral RNA electrophoretic pattern. This technique takes advantage of the large amount of rotavirus present in the stools and the high sensitivity for detection of RNA obtained with ethidium bromide.

[Epidemiological aspects of gastroenteritis dut to Rotavirus]

During December 1976 to January-March 1977, 13/53 children less than 5 years of age were admitted with acute enteritis caused by rotaviruses to the Hospital del Niño, DIF. There is already convincing evidence that this new virus will prove to be the most important etiological agent of sporadic acute enteritis in young children.