Cervical and Amniotic Fluid Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 and Interleukin-6 Concentrations in Preterm Pregnancies with or without Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes

INTRODUCTION

Intra-amniotic inflammation is defined by elevated inflammatory biomarkers in the amniotic fluid (AF), either due to microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) or sterile inflammation. Amniocentesis being an invasive procedure, we wanted to investigate whether elevated matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations could be detected from cervical fluid samples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study included 67 women with singleton nondiabetic pregnancies with or without preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) between 22+0 and 37+0 weeks of gestation. Simultaneous AF and cervical samples were obtained.

RESULTS

In women without PPROM, cervical MMP-8 concentrations correlated with AF MMP-8 concentrations (rS = 0.466, p = 0.002), but cervical IL-6 did not correlate with AF IL-6 (rS = 0.277, p = 0.076). In PPROM cases no correlations were found. Women with MIAC had higher concentrations of AF MMP-8 and AF IL-6 compared to women without MIAC regardless of membrane status. However, only women without PPROM had higher concentrations of cervical MMP-8 in proven MIAC.

CONCLUSION

In women without PPROM, cervical MMP-8 concentration reflects the magnitude of AF MMP-8, thus potentially guiding the selection of patients benefitting from amniocentesis.

Population genetics of the main population of brown bears in southwest Asia

Genetic studies of the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) have so far focused on populations from Europe and North America, although the largest distribution area of brown bears is in Asia. In this study, we reveal population genetic parameters for the brown bear population inhabiting the Grand Kaçkar Mountains (GKM) in the north east of Turkey, western Lesser Caucasus. Using both hair (N = 147) and tissue samples (N = 7) collected between 2008 and 2014, we found substantial levels of genetic variation (10 microsatellite loci). Bear samples (hair) taken from rubbing trees worked better for genotyping than those from power poles, regardless of the year collected. Genotyping also revealed that bears moved between habitat patches, despite ongoing massive habitat alterations and the creation of large water reservoirs. This population has the potential to serve as a genetic reserve for future reintroductions in the Middle East. Due to the importance of the GKM population for on-going and future conservation actions, the impacts of habitat alterations in the region ought to be minimized; e.g., by establishing green bridges or corridors over reservoirs and major roads to maintain habitat connectivity and gene flow among populations in the Lesser Caucasus.

Circular RNA in Saliva

Although the type and amount of salivary components are influenced by many factors, due to easy, quick, cheap, and noninvasive sampling method alongside with the existence of the vast majority of the substances found in peripheral blood and urine in it, in recent years saliva has been considered as an ideal biofluid for disease research. Salivary circular RNA (circRNA), as an endogenous RNA molecule with a great variety of regulatory potency, is becoming a novel focus for detecting wide range of local or systemic diseases. Expectantly, with characterization of many more circRNAs in saliva, their motifs, and target sites, they can be used routinely in personalized medicine.

Aspergillus galactomannan detection in exhaled breath condensate compared to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients

OBJECTIVES

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive means of sampling the airways that has shown significant promise in the diagnosis of many disorders. There have been no reports of its usefulness in the detection of galactomannan (GM), a component of the cell wall of Aspergillus. The suitability of EBC for the detection of GM for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) using the Platelia Aspergillus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was investigated.

METHODS

Prospective, cross-sectional study of lung transplant recipient and haemotologic malignancy patients at a university centre. EBC samples were compared to concomitant bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples among lung transplant recipients and healthy controls. EBC was collected over 10 minutes using a refrigerated condenser according to the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society recommendations, with the BAL performed immediately thereafter.

RESULTS

A total of 476 EBC specimens with 444 matched BAL specimens collected from lung transplant recipients (n = 197) or haemotologic malignancy patients (n = 133) were examined. Both diluted and untreated EBC optical density (OD) values (0.0830, interquartile range (IQR) 0.0680-0.1040; and 0.1130, IQR 0.0940-0.1383), respectively, from all patients regardless of clinical syndrome were significantly higher than OD values in healthy control EBCs (0.0508, IQR 0.0597-0.0652; p < 0.0001). However, the OD index values did not correlate with the diagnosis of IA (44 samples were associated with IA). Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between EBC GM and the matched BAL specimen.

CONCLUSIONS

GM is detectable in EBC; however, no correlation between OD index values and IA was noted in lung transplant recipients.

Earwax as an alternative specimen for forensic analysis

In this work, we presented, for the first time, earwax as an alternative forensic specimen for detecting 12 neuropsychotic drugs employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion modes after straightforward extraction with methanol. The method was validated and standard curves were established by external calibration with correlation coefficients >0.99. All precision, accuracy, matrix effects, extraction recoveries, and carryover were within acceptable limits; limits of quantification were sufficiently low to quantify almost all the samples tested. To confirm the feasibility of the study, earwax specimens were collected from actual patients treated with different combinations of the 12 drugs and analyzed by our method; the 12 drugs could be quantified from the earwax specimens of the users successfully, showing usefulness of earwax specimens, because of its noninvasive sampling and the storage of drug(s) for relatively long time together with its being relatively less contaminated by environmental impurities. This study is pioneering; many detailed studies on earwax as an alternative specimen remain to be explored.

Using Environmental DNA for Invasive Species Surveillance and Monitoring

The method employed for environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance for detection and monitoring of rare species in aquatic systems has evolved dramatically since its first large-scale applications. Both active (targeted) and passive (total diversity) surveillance methods provide helpful information for management groups, but each has a suite of techniques that necessitate proper equipment training and use. The protocols described in this chapter represent some of the latest iterations in eDNA surveillance being applied in aquatic and marine systems.

Fine-scale genetic assessment of sex-specific dispersal patterns in a multilevel primate society

Like humans, hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) are unusual among primates in having a multilevel social system and stable pair bonds, and are thus a useful model for the evolution of human sociality. While the kinship structure and sex-biased dispersal patterns that underlie human social organization have been extensively elucidated, the impact of these factors on the social system of hamadryas baboons is currently unclear. Here we use genetic analysis of individuals to elucidate the patterns of male and female dispersal across multiple levels of society in a wild population of hamadryas baboons. We characterized 244 members of five hamadryas bands at Filoha, Ethiopia by genotyping one Y-linked and 23 autosomal microsatellite loci and sequencing part of the mitochondrial hypervariable control region I. We found both male and female dispersal to be limited at the level of the band, with more movement of females than males among bands. By integrating long-term behavioral data for Band 1, we also found evidence for male and female philopatry at the clan level. We speculate that male philopatry at the clan level and female dispersal across one-male units and clans may enable both kin-based cooperation among males and the maintenance of kin bonds among females after dispersal. This would mean that, as in humans, kin bonds within both sexes are a core feature of the hamadryas social system, thus contributing to our understanding of the evolution of social organization in humans.

Closed-population capture-recapture modeling of samples drawn one at a time

Motivated by field sampling of DNA fragments, we describe a general model for capture-recapture modeling of samples drawn one at a time in continuous-time. Our model is based on Poisson sampling where the sampling time may be unobserved. We show that previously described models correspond to partial likelihoods from our Poisson model and their use may be justified through arguments concerning S- and Bayes-ancillarity of discarded information. We demonstrate a further link to continuous-time capture-recapture models and explain observations that have been made about this class of models in terms of partial ancillarity. We illustrate application of our models using data from the European badger (Meles meles) in which genotyping of DNA fragments was subject to error.

Lack of Evidence of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Among Nonhuman Primates in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire: Limitations of Noninvasive Methods and SIV Diagnostic Tools for Studies of Primate Retroviruses

It is now well established that the human immunodeficiency viruses, HIV-1 and HIV-2, are the results of cross-species transmissions of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) naturally infecting nonhuman primates in sub-Saharan Africa. SIVs are found in many African primates, and humans continue to be exposed to these viruses by hunting and handling primate bushmeat. Sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) and western red colobus (Piliocolobus badius badius) are infected with SIV at a high rate in the Taï Forest, Côte d'Ivoire. We investigated the SIV infection and prevalence in 6 other monkey species living in the Taï Forest using noninvasive methods. We collected 127 fecal samples from 2 colobus species (Colobus polykomos and Procolobus verus) and 4 guenon species (C. diana, C. campbelli, C. petaurista, and C. nictitans). We tested these samples for HIV cross-reactive antibodies and performed reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) targeting the gag, pol, and env regions of the SIV genome. We screened 16 human microsatellites for use in individual discrimination and identified 4-6 informative markers per species. Serological analysis of 112 samples yielded negative (n=86) or uninterpretable (n=26) results. PCR analysis on 74 samples confirmed the negative results. These results may reflect either the limited number of individuals sampled or a low prevalence of infection. Further research is needed to improve the sensitivity of noninvasive methods for SIV detection.