The Traveller's Risk Perception (TRiP) questionnaire: pre-travel assessment and post-travel changes.

BACKGROUND: Travellers' risk perception is a key component of travel risk assessment because it influences the adequate implementation of safety precautions. The aims of this study are to validate a tool to analyse travellers' risk perception to identify which factors can influence it and how it changes upon return. METHODS: The Traveller's Risk Perception (TRiP) questionnaire was developed and administered to outpatients before and after travel in three travel clinics. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to validate the questionnaire and multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of travellers' characteristics on the risk scores. RESULTS: A total of 1020 travellers completed the questionnaire. PCA identified two latent factors: 'generic-disseminated risks' and 'specific-circumstantial risks'. Cronbach's α was acceptable (0.76 and 0.70, respectively). The 'generic-disseminated risks' dimension scored higher than the 'specific-circumstantial risks' (p<0.001). The items with the highest scores were insect bites, gastrointestinal disorders and malaria. The mean scores were significantly lower after the travel for all items but one. CONCLUSIONS: The TRiP questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for rating travellers' perceptions. Staff in travel clinics should be trained to systematically assess travellers' risk perception in order to tailor the consultation according to specific information needs.

EULAR recommendations for women's health and the management of family planning, assisted reproduction, pregnancy and menopause in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and/or antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Develop recommendations for women's health issues and family planning in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). METHODS: Systematic review of evidence followed by modified Delphi method to compile questions, elicit expert opinions and reach consensus. RESULTS: Family planning should be discussed as early as possible after diagnosis. Most women can have successful pregnancies and measures can be taken to reduce the risks of adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Risk stratification includes disease activity, autoantibody profile, previous vascular and pregnancy morbidity, hypertension and the use of drugs (emphasis on benefits from hydroxychloroquine and antiplatelets/anticoagulants). Hormonal contraception and menopause replacement therapy can be used in patients with stable/inactive disease and low risk of thrombosis. Fertility preservation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues should be considered prior to the use of alkylating agents. Assisted reproduction techniques can be safely used in patients with stable/inactive disease; patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies/APS should receive anticoagulation and/or low-dose aspirin. Assessment of disease activity, renal function and serological markers is important for diagnosing disease flares and monitoring for obstetrical adverse outcomes. Fetal monitoring includes Doppler ultrasonography and fetal biometry, particularly in the third trimester, to screen for placental insufficiency and small for gestational age fetuses. Screening for gynaecological malignancies is similar to the general population, with increased vigilance for cervical premalignant lesions if exposed to immunosuppressive drugs. Human papillomavirus immunisation can be used in women with stable/inactive disease. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for women's health issues in SLE and/or APS were developed using an evidence-based approach followed by expert consensus.

Prevalence of acute alcohol intoxication in Borgo Trento Hospital Emergency Department (Verona).

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol is an important factor weighting towards global disease burden, premature death and Disability-Adjusted Life Years. This study examines the burden imposed on the Borgo Trento Verona Hospital Emergency Department (ED) Italy by patients with Acute Alcohol Intoxication (AAI). METHODS: A 6-year retrospective study was performed by reviewing medical records in all patients (≥ 16 years old) diagnosed with AAI. Clinical criteria for inclusion in the sample followed those defined in the "Alcohol Intoxication Symptoms" section of DSM-IV-TR. Ambiguous cases presenting traumas potentially related to AAI were confirmed positive using a Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) test before inclusion in the sample. Socio-demographic data, case history, timing of admission/discharge and outcome were collected for each patient. RESULTS: One thousand five hundred forty-seven patients (males:females = 6.6:1) were included in the study. With regard to marital status, the crude rate within the sample shows that single and married subjects have a significantly higher prevalence (p < 0.01). When demographic data of residents was taken into consideration, divorced/separated and single categories were significantly more represented (p < 0.05). The admissions appeared fairly constant throughout the week with a higher prevalence of patients aged between 25-55 years, and a significant peak of the youngest age class on weekends. Higher rates of admission were recorded during the late afternoon and night. The triage code of admission appeared uniformly distributed along the week, with the highest prevalence of green code (67.7%), followed by yellow one (25.8%). The analysis of clinical symptoms and BAL highlights that moderate clinical severity concerns almost 50%, and clinically critical severity the 6.6% of cases of access. Admissions rates of foreign patients resulted to be 3 times higher compared to those of natives when adjusted to demographic data. DISCUSSION: Social disadvantages such as foreign provenance and social difficulties as unemployment, low money intake, perception of loneliness, and dysfunction in family life were frequently identified in the sample. An exception was found within the youngest age group, where the AAI are mostly related to alcohol abuse during social outings over the weekend. EDs play a crucial role in helping patients with AAI, but prevention of alcohol abuse though implementation of social and sanitary health policies on all ages (but especially among the youngest) is essential.

A spectroscopic and molecular mechanics investigation on a series of AIB-based linear peptides and a peptide template, both containing tryptophan and a nitroxide derivative as probes.

Linear Aib-based hexapeptides, of the general formula Ac-Toac-(Aib)(n) -Trp-(Aib)(r) -OtBu [T(Aib)(n) Trp], where n + r = 4, and Toac is a nitroxide spin-labeled C(alpha,alpha)-disubstituted glycine, were investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements in different solvent media. A related peptide, i.e., cyclo-¿Orn-[(Aib)(2)-Trp-(Aib)(2)-Z]-Asp-[(Aib)(2)-Toac-(Aib)(2)-+ ++OtBu ]¿ [T-cyclo-Trp], was also studied by the same techniques. It is a L-Orn, L-Asp diketopiperazine template, to which two Aib-based chains are covalently attached, each one containing one chromophore only, i.e., Trp or Toac. Whatever the solvent, in the former series of peptides quenching of the excited Trp exhibits three lifetime components and proceeds on a time scale from subnanoseconds to a few nanoseconds, while in the case of the template the same process occurs entirely on the nanoscale time scale, exhibiting two lifetimes only. The ir absorption spectral patterns suggest that the backbone of the peptides examined is in the 3(10)-helical conformation, as earlier determined by x-ray diffraction for T(Aib)(3)Trp in the crystal state. In all cases, the fluorescence results are satisfactorily described by a dipole-dipole interaction mechanism, in which electronic energy transfer takes place from the excited Trp to Toac, provided the mutual orientation between the fluorophore and Toac is taken into account. This implies that interconversion among conformational substates is slow on the time scale of the transfer process, allowing us to estimate the dynamics of the process. Molecular mechanics calculations coupled with time decay data made it possible to build up the most probable structures of these peptides in solution.

The effect of polylysine on casein-kinase-2 activity is influenced by both the structure of the protein/peptide substrates and the subunit composition of the enzyme.

The mechanism by which polybasic peptides stimulate the activity of casein kinase 2 (CK2) has been studied by comparing the effect of polylysine on the phosphorylation of a variety of protein and peptide substrates by the native CK2 holoenzyme and by its recombinant catalytic alpha subunit, either alone or in combination with the recombinant non-catalytic beta subunit. Calmodulin is not phosphorylated by the CK2 holoenzyme, in either the native or the reconstituted form, unless polylysine is added. In the presence of polylysine, it becomes a good substrate for CK2 (Km 14.2 microM, Kcat 4.6 mol.min-1.mol CK2-1). The recombinant alpha subunit, however, spontaneously phosphorylates calmodulin, this phosphorylation being actually inhibited rather than stimulated by polylysine. The calmodulin tridecapeptide, RKMKDTDSEEEIR, reproducing the phosphorylation site for CK2, is spontaneously phosphorylated by either CK2 holoenzyme or the recombinant alpha subunit with 5.8-fold and 2.8-fold stimulation by polylysine, respectively. The recombinant beta subunit of CK2 is itself a good exogenous substrate for the enzyme, its phosphorylation, however, is inhibited rather than enhanced by polylysine. On the contrary, the phosphorylation of the nonapeptide, MSSSEEVSW, reproducing the beta-subunit phosphoacceptor site, is dramatically stimulated by polylysine. Using a variety of small peptide substrates, it was shown that phosphorylation rate is diversely stimulated by polylysine. The observed stimulation, moreover, is variably accounted for by changes in Vmax and/or Km, depending on the structure of the peptide substrate. Maximum stimulation with all protein/peptide substrates tested requires the presence of the beta subunit, since the recombinant alpha subunit is much less responsive than CK2 holoenzyme, either native or reconstituted. While the phosphorylation of the peptide RRRDDDSDDD by CK2 is stimulated 2.8-fold, with 15 nM polylysine being required for half-maximal stimulation, a stimulation of only 1.9-fold, with 80 nM polylysine required for half-maximal stimulation, is attained with recombinant alpha subunit. The concentration of polylysine required for half-maximal stimulation is comparable to CK2 concentration and increases by increasing CK2 concentration, suggesting that polylysine primarily interacts with the enzyme, rather than with the peptide substrate.

Separation of acidic peptides by reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography. Analytical application to a series of acidic substrates of casein kinases.

A series of small peptides including clusters of glutamyl residues, synthesized to study the site specificity of rat liver (L-CK2) and yeast (Y-CK2) casein kinase-2, are analytically characterized by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography using tetrabutylammonium as counter-ion and acetonitrile as modifier of the aqueous phase. Under these conditions peptides of slightly different acidity can be separated and the elution order parallels the hydrophobicity of the ion-pair-peptide complexes, which increases with the number of the acidic functions present in the sequence.

Further definition of the substrate specificity of the alpha-herpesvirus protein kinase and comparison with protein kinases A and C.

The pseudorabies virus protein kinase prefers model substrates containing arginyl residues on the amino-terminal side of a target seryl or threonyl residue. We have defined this substrate specificity more precisely in experiments using a new series of synthetic model peptides. When the number of arginyl residues was varied from two to four in substrates of the type RnASVA it was found that peptides with four arginyl residues constituted the best substrates, although the most marked decrease in Km was seen on increasing the number of arginyl residues from two to three. The effect of varying the number of 'spacer' alanyl residues from zero to three was investigated in peptides of the type R4AmSVA, and the peptide with one alanyl residue was found to be the best substrate, making R4X the optimal amino-terminal environment for this enzyme. A similar substrate specificity was observed with the herpes simplex type 1 protein kinase. Protein kinase C was found to have a quite similar substrate preference to the viral enzyme as far as the number and position of the amino-terminal basic residues was concerned; but, unlike the viral protein kinase, it also requires carboxy-terminal basic residues in optimal peptide substrates, and can tolerate the substitution of lysyl for arginyl residues. The cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, like the viral enzyme, had favourable kinetic constants for this series of peptides, but differed from the latter in being able to catalyze the phosphorylation of the peptides with two to four arginyl residues with similar efficiency. Studies with the protein, clupeine Y1, as substrate indicated that the pseudorabies virus protein kinase can tolerate arginyl residues on the carboxyl-terminal side of its target residue when there are suitable amino-terminal arginyl determinants. In this respect the virus protein kinase resembled protein kinase C but differed from the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase which cannot tolerate such carboxyl-terminal basic residues. The relationship of substrate specificity with model peptides to the ability of the pseudorabies virus protein kinase to phosphorylate proteins in vitro and in vivo is discussed.

Stimulation by NaCl, polylysine and heparin of two forms of spleen tyrosine protein kinase immunologically related with the protein expressed by lyn oncogene.

The previously isolated spleen tyrosine protein kinase, conventionally termed TPK-IIA, displaying activation by either positively or negatively charged polyelectrolytes has been further characterized. TPK-IIA is immunologically related with the tyrosine protein kinase encoded by the lyn gene, a member of src subfamily and is dramatically activated by very high NaCl concentration. The stimulatory effects of NaCl and polylysine, which are not additive, are accounted for by increased Vmax values, the Km being virtually unchanged, suggesting that both effectors probably interact with the same site(s). Stimulation of TPK-IIA by heparin appears to be partially additive to that promoted by NaCl and possibly occurring through a different mechanism. The NaCl activatory effect correlates with the electrolytic nature of synthetic peptides used as substrates, being much more consistent with neutral peptides as compared with acidic ones. Of the other three spleen tyrosine protein kinases, TPK-I shows similar biochemical and immunological features, suggestive of close relatedness with TPK-IIA, while TPK-IIB and TPK-III are neither related with the lyn protein nor with the products of three other oncogenes of the src subfamily, namely lck, hck and fyn.

Different specificities of spleen tyrosine protein kinases for synthetic peptide substrates.

20 synthetic peptides, each of which includes a tyrosyl residue flanked by either neutral or acidic amino acids in different proportions and at variable positions, have been employed as model substrates for investigation of the site specificity of three tyrosine protein kinases previously isolated from spleen [Brunati, A. M. & Pinna, L. A. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 172, 451-457] and conventionally termed TPK-I, TPK-IIB and TPK-III. Comparison of the phosphorylation efficiencies shows that each tyrosine protein kinase is considerably different from the others in both the stringency and the nature of its specificity determinants. By considering, in particular, the kinetic constants obtained with the pentapeptides AAYAA, EEYAA, AEYAA, EAYAA, with the tetrapeptides AYAA and EYAA and with the tripeptides AYA and EYA, it turns out that N-terminal acidic residue(s) are only essential with TPK-IIB for efficient phosphorylation with multiple residues displaying a synergistic effect. The very similar Km (130 microM) but 14-fold-different Vmax values with YEEEEE vs. EEEEEY indicate that an N-terminal rather than C-terminal location of acidic residues is required for a high phosphorylation rate with, though not for binding to TPK-IIB. Acidic residues decrease the phosphorylation rate with TPK-I, a kinase related to the src family which is immunologically indistinguishable from the lyn TPK; they are nearly ineffective, however, with TPK-III, the least specific of the tyrosine protein kinases, which exhibits appreciable activity toward tripeptides and dipeptides like GAY and AY which are not significantly affected by TPK-I and TPK-IIB. While the peptide substrate specificity of TPK-I is similar to that of TPK-IIA, a spleen tyrosine protein kinase previously considered [Brunati, A. M., Marchiori, F., Ruzza, P., Calderan, A., Borin, G. & Pinna, L. A. (1989) FEBS Lett. 254, 145-149], the remarkable requirement of TPK-IIB alone for acidic peptides may suggest the involvement of this enzyme, which is also unique in its failure to autophosphorylate, in the phosphorylation of the highly conserved and quite acidic phosphoacceptor sites of the src family protein kinases.

Synthetic peptides including acidic clusters as substrates of yeast casein kinase-2.

The synthesis is reported of a series of glutamyl peptide analogs of the model substrate H-Ser-Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu-OH of casein kinase-2 (CK-2). A convenient HPLC method for the separation of slightly different acidic peptides is also reported. The site specificity of yeast casein kinase-2 (Y-CK2) is examined with the aid of synthesized peptide substrates.

Synthetic peptides as model substrates for the study of the specificity of the polycation-stimulated protein phosphatases.

The substrate specificity of the different forms of the polycation-stimulated (PCS, type 2A) protein phosphatases and of the active catalytic subunit of the ATP, Mg-dependent (type 1) phosphatase (AMDC) was investigated, using synthetic peptides phosphorylated by either cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase or by casein kinase-2. The PCS phosphatases are very efficient toward the Thr(P) peptides RRAT(P)VA and RRREEET(P)EEE when compared with the Ser(P) analogues RRAS(P)VA and RRREEES(P)EEEAA. Despite their distinct sequence, both Thr(P) peptides are excellent substrates for the PCSM and PCSH1 phosphatases, being dephosphorylated faster than phosphorylase a. The slow dephosphorylation of RRAS(P)VA by the PCS phosphatases could be increased substantially by the insertion of N-terminal (Arg) basic residues. In contrast with the latter, the AMDC phosphatase shows very poor activity toward all the phosphopeptides tested, without preference for either Ser(P) or Thr(P) peptides. However, N-terminal basic residues also favor the dephosphorylation of otherwise almost inert substrates by the AMDC phosphatase. Hence, while the dephosphorylation of Thr(P) substrates by the PCS phosphatases is highly favored by the nature of the phosphorylated amino acid, phosphatase activity toward Ser(P)-containing peptides may require specific determinants in the primary structure of the phosphorylation site.

An investigation of the substrate specificity of protein phosphatase 2C using synthetic peptide substrates; comparison with protein phosphatase 2A.

The synthetic phosphopeptide RRATpVA was found to be the most effective substrate for protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) so far identified. Replacement of phosphothreonine by phosphoserine decreased activity over 20-fold and a striking preference for phosphothreonine was also observed with two other substrates (RRSTpTpVA and casein) that were phosphorylated on both serine and threonine. Replacement of the C-terminal valine in RRATpVA by proline abolished dephosphorylation, while exchanging the N-terminal alanine by proline had no effect. The preference for phosphothreonine and the effect of proline are similar to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). However, the peptide RRREEETpEEEAA, an excellent substrate for PP2A, was not dephosphorylated by PP2C, and substitution of the C-terminal valine in RRATpVA by glutamic acid reduced the rate of dephosphorylation by PP2C over 10-fold, without affecting dephosphorylation by PP2A. Addition of two extra N-terminal arginine residues to RRASpVA increased PP2A catalysed dephosphorylation 4- to 5-fold, without altering dephosphorylation by PP2C. These results represent the first study of the specificity of PP2C using synthetic peptides, and strengthen the view that this approach may lead to the development of more effective and specific substrates for the serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatases.

Specificity determinants of maize casein kinase-IIB are related to but distinct from those of rat liver casein kinase-2.

The site specificity of maize seedling casein kinase-IIB, a type-2 casein kinase exhibiting an unusually low Mr, has been studied with the aid of model acidic peptide substrates for rat liver casein kinase-2. Like the animal enzyme, casein kinase-IIB also readily phosphorylates peptides SEEEEE, SEAEEE and SEEEAE, but not SEEAEE. Maize seedling casein kinase-IIB, however, is almost inactive toward peptides SAEEEE, SAEEEEE and SAAEEEEE which are good substrates for liver casein kinase-2. This indicates that casein kinase-IIB requires acidic residues not only at position +3, similar to rat liver casein kinase-2, but also at position +1, where the animal enzyme tolerates a neutral residue. This and other differences outlined in this report support the view that protein kinases of the same type from different sources may have significant differences in their substrate specificity.

A new synthetic peptide with elastase inhibiting effect.

A new peptide, obtained by chemical synthesis, inhibits porcine pancreatic elastase activity "in vitro" with an IC50 of 24 mmol/l. The effect of the peptide was also tested on human plasma elastase by using plasmas with different levels of alpha-1-antitrypsin. The synthetic peptide apparently decreased the amount of normal plasma elastase, assayed by an immunoenzymatic method, with a dose-dependent effect and an IC50 of 13 mmol/l. In plasma with higher amounts of alpha-1-antitrypsin the IC50 value was 18 mmol/l.

Synthesis of the dodecapeptide corresponding to domain III of bovine brain calmodulin: alpha-beta shift side reactions during the synthesis by the classical method in solution.

We report details of the chemical synthesis of the dodecapeptide corresponding to the calcium binding loop III of bovine brain calmodulin (sequence 93-104) and its fragments 96-04, 93-98, and 99-104. The preparation of the peptides employed classical solution methods and a fragment-condensation strategy. The major difficulties were encountered during the synthesis of the peptides containing the N-terminal sequences -Gly-Asn-Gly- and -Asp-Lys-Asp-Gly-Ans-Gly-, in which alpha-beta shift side reactions were observed.

Conformation and ion binding properties of peptides related to calcium binding domain III of bovine brain calmodulin.

The conformational and ion binding properties of the sequences 93-104, 96-104, and 93-98 of domain III of bovine brain calmodulin (CaM) have been studied by CD and Tb3+-mediated fluorescence. In aqueous solution the interaction of all fragments with Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions is very weak and without any effect on the peptide conformation, which remains always random. In trifluoroethanol the interaction is very strong and the different fragments exhibit very distinct binding properties. In particular, the dodecapeptide fragment 93-104, and its N-terminal hexapeptide 98-104, bind calcium and magnesium with a very high binding constant (Kb greater than 10(5) M-1), undergoing a substantial conformational change. The structural rearrangement is particularly evident in the hexapeptide fragment, which tend to form a beta-bend. The C-terminal nonapeptide fragment 96-104 interacts with calcium and magnesium more weakly, and the binding process causes a decrease of ordered structure. These results suggest that, even in the entire dodecapeptide sequence corresponding to the loop of domain III of CaM, the calcium binding site is shifted toward the N-terminal hexapeptide segment. This interpretation is consistent with the results of crystallographic studies of CaM, which show that the calcium ions are located toward the amino terminal portion of the loop.

Substrate-specificity determinants for a membrane-bound casein kinase of lactating mammary gland. A study with synthetic peptides.

A tissue-specific casein kinase, purified from the Golgi-enriched-membrane fraction of guinea-pig lactating mammary gland (GEF-CK), readily phosphorylates the synthetic peptide Ser-Glu5, a good substrate of casein kinase-2, and several derivatives varying for the number and position of acidic residues on the C-terminal side of serine, except those lacking an acidic side chain at position +2. The least acidic peptide, still significantly affected by GEF-CK, is Ser-Ala-Glu-Ala3 which is not a substrate for CK-2. Conversely, the peptides Ser-Ala2-Glu-Ala2, Ser-Ala2-Glu3, Ser-Ala2-Glu5 and Ser-Glu-Ala-Glu3, all of which are more or less readily phosphorylated by CK-2, are not appreciably affected by GEF-CK. On the other hand the presence of additional glutamyl residues, besides the one in the second position, improves the affinity of the peptide substrate for GEF-CK, as indicated by the Km values of Ser-Glu5, Ser-Glu2-Ala3 and Ser-Ala-Glu-Ala3 which are 80, 950 and 3950 microM respectively. It is concluded that although both CK-2 and GEF-CK require, for optimal activity, rather extended acidic clusters on the C-terminal side of the target serine, the most critical residue in the case of GEF-CK is not the one at position +3, which is required for CK-2 catalyzed phosphorylation [Marin, O. et al. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 160, 239-244], but the one lying at position +2. Additional differences, concerning the site specificities of these enzymes, have been outlined using the threonyl derivative of Ser-Glu5 and the peptide Arg-Ser-Glu3-Val-Glu. The former is still phosphorylated by CK-2 but not to any appreciable extent by GEF-CK, which apparently is strictly specific for seryl residues. On the contrary, the presence of an N-terminal basic residue, which greatly reduces phosphorylation by CK-2, is tolerated rather well by GEF-CK. On the other hand a C-terminal basic residue, interrupting the acidic cluster, compromises phosphorylation by GEF-CK, as indicated by the extremely high Km value of Ser-Glu3-Lys-Glu vs Ser-Glu3-Val-Glu (13,000 and 170 microM, respectively).

Synthetic peptide substrates for casein kinase 2. Assessment of minimum structural requirements for phosphorylation.

Unlike the peptides SAEAAA and SEEAAA which are not substrates for casein kinase 2 (CK-2) their analogs SAAEAE and SAAEAA are still significantly phosphorylated. Their Km values, however, (13.3 and 18.9 mM, respectively) are almost two orders of magnitude higher than that of SEEEEE and their Vmax values are 3- and 14-fold lower than that of SAAEEE. The peptide ESEEEEE, but not ASEEEEE, is a slightly better substrate than SEEEEE, while both RSEEEEE and SEEEKE are very poor substrates compared to ASEEEEE and SEEEAE, respectively. SAAEAE is much more responsive to polylysine stimulation and polyphosphate inhibition than is SEEEEE. Taken together these data show that a single acidic residue at the third position from the C-terminal side of the phosphorylatable amino acid represents not only a necessary, but also a sufficient condition for site recognition by CK-2. Optimal phosphorylation efficiency, however, requires an extended C-terminal cluster of several acidic residues, and can be compromised by the presence of only a basic residue either inside the acidic cluster or adjacent to the N-terminal side of the phosphoacceptor amino acid. The structure of the phosphoacceptor site can greatly influence the efficacy of substrate-directed effectors of CK-2.