An immunogenomic exome landscape of triple positive primary antiphospholipid patients.

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by thrombosis and autoantibodies directed against phospholipids or associated proteins. The genetic etiology of PAPS remains unknown. We enrolled 21 patients with thromboembolic events associated to lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti ß2 glycoprotein1 autoantibodies. We performed whole exome sequencing and a systematic variant-based analysis in genes associated with thrombosis, in candidate genes previously associated with APS or inborn errors of immunity. Data were compared to public databases and to a control cohort of 873 non-autoimmune patients. Variants were identified following a state-of-the-art pipeline. Enrichment analysis was performed by comparing with the control cohort. We found an absence of significant HLA bias and genetic heterogeneity in these patients, including when testing combinations of rare variants in genes encoding for proteins involved in thrombosis and of variants in genes linked with inborn errors of immunity. These results provide evidence of genetic heterogeneity in PAPS, even in a homogenous series of triple positive patients. At the individual scale, a combination of variants may participate to the breakdown of B cell tolerance and to the vessel damage.

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of cartilage degeneration using full-field optical coherence tomography ex vivo.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate cartilage degeneration using the qualitative evaluation of histology sections as the reference. DESIGN: Thirty-three human knee cartilage samples of variable degeneration were included in the study. A closely matching histology and FFOCT image was acquired for each sample. The cartilage degeneration was qualitatively evaluated by assigning a grade to each histology and FFOCT image. The relevance of the performed grading was assessed by calculating the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility and calculating the concordance between the histology and FFOCT grades. A near-automatic algorithm was developed to quantitatively characterize the cartilage surface in each image. The correlation between the quantitative results and the reference qualitative histology was calculated. RESULTS: An almost perfect agreement was achieved for both the intra- and inter-reproducibility of the histology and FFOCT qualitative grading (κ ≥ 0.91). A high and statistically significant level of agreement was measured between the histology and FFOCT grades (W = 0.95, P < 0.05). Strong and statistically significant correlations were measured between the quantitative results and the reference qualitative histology grades (ρ ≥ 0.75, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that FFOCT is an alternative approach to conventional optical coherence tomography (OCT) that is as well adapted for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of human cartilage as the reference gold standard - histology. This study constitutes the first promising results towards developing a new diagnostic tool in the field of osteoarthritis.

Anatomy and histology of the scrotal ligament in adults: inconsistency and variability of the gubernaculum testis.

PURPOSE: The anatomy of gubernaculum testis (GT) is often discussed; however, the postnatal anatomy of the GT or scrotal ligament (SL) is rarely described. Hence, we performed an anatomical and histological study to analyze histologically the structures between testis and scrotum. METHODS: We performed anatomical dissections on 25 human fresh cadavers' testes. Each testis was removed with its envelopes and macroscopically analyzed. Then samples were included for histological study. Finally, they were analyzed under microscope, looking for attachments between testis, epididymis and scrotal envelopes. RESULTS: The absence of proximal and distal attachment was found in 56.0% of cases. Looking at the proximal attachment of the SL, the main one found is the epididymal attachment (28.0%), whereas no cases of testis attachment was found. Distally, there are more variations with scrotal attachment (12%) and cremaster attachment (12.0%). We found a significant prevalence of multiple adherences in 16.0% of cases too. Finally, in 15 cases (57.7%) an attachment is present between testis and epididymis, as it is commonly described. CONCLUSIONS: In the majority of cases there is no attachment of the lower pole of the testis and epididymis and these structures remain free. So it seems that the SL disappears with aging. Moreover, there is not only one kind of ligamentous attachment, but a high variability of attachments at the lower pole of the testiculo-epididymal structure. When it exists, this structure is never a real ligament and it seems more appropriate to use the term "attachments".

Loss of B Cells in Patients with Heterozygous Mutations in IKAROS.

BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia in the absence of predisposing factors. The genetic cause is unknown in the majority of cases, and less than 10% of patients have a family history of the disease. Most patients have normal numbers of B cells but lack plasma cells. METHODS: We used whole-exome sequencing and array-based comparative genomic hybridization to evaluate a subset of patients with CVID and low B-cell numbers. Mutant proteins were analyzed for DNA binding with the use of an electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA) and confocal microscopy. Flow cytometry was used to analyze peripheral-blood lymphocytes and bone marrow aspirates. RESULTS: Six different heterozygous mutations in IKZF1, the gene encoding the transcription factor IKAROS, were identified in 29 persons from six families. In two families, the mutation was a de novo event in the proband. All the mutations, four amino acid substitutions, an intragenic deletion, and a 4.7-Mb multigene deletion involved the DNA-binding domain of IKAROS. The proteins bearing missense mutations failed to bind target DNA sequences on EMSA and confocal microscopy; however, they did not inhibit the binding of wild-type IKAROS. Studies in family members showed progressive loss of B cells and serum immunoglobulins. Bone marrow aspirates in two patients had markedly decreased early B-cell precursors, but plasma cells were present. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed in 2 of the 29 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Heterozygous mutations in the transcription factor IKAROS caused an autosomal dominant form of CVID that is associated with a striking decrease in B-cell numbers. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).

Carboxypeptidases B of Anopheles gambiae as targets for a Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccine.

Anopheles gambiae is the major African vector of Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly species of human malaria parasite and the most prevalent in Africa. Several strategies are being developed to limit the global impact of malaria via reducing transmission rates, among which are transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs), which induce in the vertebrate host the production of antibodies that inhibit parasite development in the mosquito midgut. So far, the most promising components of a TBV are parasite-derived antigens, although targeting critical mosquito components might also successfully block development of the parasite in its vector. We previously identified A. gambiae genes whose expression was modified in P. falciparum-infected mosquitoes, including one midgut carboxypeptidase gene, cpbAg1. Here we show that P. falciparum up-regulates the expression of cpbAg1 and of a second midgut carboxypeptidase gene, cpbAg2, and that this up-regulation correlates with an increased carboxypeptidase B (CPB) activity at a time when parasites establish infection in the mosquito midgut. The addition of antibodies directed against CPBAg1 to a P. falciparum-containing blood meal inhibited CPB activity and blocked parasite development in the mosquito midgut. Furthermore, the development of the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei was significantly reduced in mosquitoes fed on infected mice that had been immunized with recombinant CPBAg1. Lastly, mosquitoes fed on anti-CPBAg1 antibodies exhibited reduced reproductive capacity, a secondary effect of a CPB-based TBV that could likely contribute to reducing Plasmodium transmission. These results indicate that A. gambiae CPBs could constitute targets for a TBV that is based upon mosquito molecules.

cpbAg1 encodes an active carboxypeptidase B expressed in the midgut of Anopheles gambiae.

We previously used differential display to identify several Anopheles gambiae genes, whose expression in the mosquito midgut was regulated upon ingestion of Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we report the characterization of one of these genes, cpbAg1, which codes for the first zinc-carboxypeptidase B identified in An. gambiae and in any insect. Expression of cpbAg1 in baculovirus gave rise to an active enzyme, and determination of the N-terminal amino acids confirmed that CPBAg1 contains a signal peptide and a pro-peptide, typical features of digestive zinc carboxypeptidases. cpbAg1 mRNA was mainly produced in the mosquito midgut, where it accumulated in unfed females and was rapidly down-regulated upon blood feeding. Annotation of the An. gambiae genome predicts twenty-three sequences coding for zinc-carboxypeptidases of which only two (cpbAg1 and cpbAg2) are expressed at a significant level in the mosquito midgut.

Seroprevalence of human herpes virus 8 antibody in populations at high or low risk of transfusion, graft, or sexual transmission of viruses.

BACKGROUND: The routes of transmission of human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) remain unclear. In particular, HHV-8 transmission by blood components and organ transplantation is still debated and raises public health issues. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HHV-8 in selected populations of persons or patients with or without risk factors for the transmission of viral infections, in order to determine the routes of HHV-8 transmission. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1431 persons or patients at low or high risk of sexually, blood-, or graft-transmitted viral infections were tested by means of a standardized immunofluorescence serologic assay detecting anti-HHV-8. RESULTS: The persons or patients could be classified into three distinct groups according to anti-HHV-8 prevalence: a low prevalence group (0.0% to 5.0%), including healthy blood donors, healthy pregnant women, multiply transfused patients with thalassemia major, and IV drug users; an intermediate prevalence group (5.0% to 20.0%), including organ donors, kidney transplant recipients, and multiply transfused patients with sickle cell disease; a high prevalence group (>20.0%), including HIV-negative persons at high risk of sexually-transmitted viral infections, and HIV-infected homosexual men and heterosexuals. CONCLUSION: The sexual route appears to be the main route of HHV-8 transmission; bloodborne transmission of HHV-8, if it exists, is rare. In contrast, organ transplantation recipients might be exposed to HHV-8 transmission by the transplanted organ, which raises the issue of systematic screening of organ donors.

Catharanthus roseus G-box binding factors 1 and 2 act as repressors of strictosidine synthase gene expression in cell cultures.

The enzyme encoded by the strictosidine synthase (Str) gene catalyses a key step in the biosynthesis of therapeutically valuable terpenoid indole alkaloids. In Catharanthus roseus the Str gene was shown to be regulated by a wide variety of signals including auxin, methyl jasmonate and fungal elicitors in cell suspension cultures and by tissue-specific control in plant organs. The Str promoter contains a functional G-box (CACGTG) cis-regulatory sequence. In order to understand better the mechanisms involved in the regulation of Str gene expression, we isolated the C. roseus cDNAs encoding G-box binding factors Crgbf1 and Crgbf2. The binding specificity of their protein products CrGBF1 and CrGBF2 was analysed by competitive electrophoresis mobility and saturation binding assays. CrGBF1 had a high binding specificity for class I G-boxes including the Str G-box. CrGBF1 showed a lower affinity for class II G-boxes and for the G-box-like element (AACGTG) found in the tryptophan decarboxylase (Tdc) gene which encodes another enzyme involved in TIA biosynthesis. CrGBF2 showed a high affinity for all types of G-boxes tested and to a lesser extent for the Tdc G-box-like element. Transient bombardment experiments demonstrated that both CrGBF1 and CrGBF2 can act in vivo as transcriptional repressors of the Str promoter via direct interaction with the G-box. These data indicate that GBFs may play functional role in the regulation of expression of the terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthetic gene Str.

Identification of eukaryotic peptide deformylases reveals universality of N-terminal protein processing mechanisms.

The N-terminal protein processing pathway is an essential mechanism found in all organisms. However, it is widely believed that deformylase, a key enzyme involved in this process in bacteria, does not exist in eukaryotes, thus making it a target for antibacterial agents such as actinonin. In an attempt to define this process in higher eukaryotes we have used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism. Two deformylase cDNAs, the first identified in any eukaryotic system, and six distinct methionine aminopeptidase cDNAs were cloned. The corresponding proteins were characterized in vivo and in vitro. Methionine aminopeptidases were found in the cytoplasm and in the organelles, while deformylases were localized in the organelles only. Our work shows that higher plants have a much more complex machinery for methionine removal than previously suspected. We were also able to identify deformylase homologues from several animals and clone the corresponding cDNA from human cells. Our data provide the first evidence that lower and higher eukaryotes, as well as bacteria, share a similar N-terminal protein processing machinery, indicating universality of this system.