Measurement of Interleukin-6 in Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis.

OBJECTIVE: It is assessed whether the measurement of interleukin-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid can serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. METHODOLOGY: Cerebrospinal fluid was obtained from 152 patients aged 0-15 years suspected of having meningitis. These patients were classified into the following groups: Bacterial meningitis (n = 85), aseptic meningitis (n = 35) and non-meningitis/control (n = 32) based on leukocyte count and bacterial identification by culture and molecular biology. Interleukin-6 concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: This study found a significant difference of the mean cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 level (p≤0.01) between patients with bacterial meningitis (3,538.69±2,560.78 pg mL -1) and patients with aseptic meningitis (332.51±470.69 pg mL -1) or those of the control group (205.83±79.39 pg mL -1). There was also a significant difference of the mean cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 level between patients with aseptic meningitis and those of the control group. Interleukin-6 had the highest area under the ROC curve: 0.94 (95% confidence interval: 0.901-0.979) compared to that of cerebrospinal fluid glucose and total protein. At a cut-off value of 1,065.96 pg mL -1, interleukin-6 had a sensitivity of 76.2% and specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: Interleukin-6 is a potential biomarker for the differential diagnosis of meningitis.

Ca2+ signaling in taste bud cells and spontaneous preference for fat: unresolved roles of CD36 and GPR120.

Recent compelling evidences from rodent and human studies raise the possibility for an additional sixth taste modality devoted to oro-gustatory perception of dietary lipids. Understanding the mechanisms underlying oro-gustatory detection of dietary fat is critical for the prevention and treatment of obesity. A number of studies have suggested that lingual CD36, a glycoprotein, highly expressed by circumvallate papillae of the tongue, is implicated in the perception of dietary fat taste. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important signaling molecules for many aspects of cellular functions. It has been shown that these receptors, particularly GPR120, are also involved in lipid taste perception. We have shown that dietary long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), in CD36-positive taste bud cells (TBC), induce increases in free intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations, [Ca(2+)]i, by recruiting Ca(2+) from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pool via inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate production, followed by Ca(2+) influx via opening of store-operated Ca(2+) (SOC) channels. GPR120 is also coupled to increases in [Ca(2+)]i by dietary fatty acids. We observed that stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), a sensor of Ca(2+) depletion in the ER, mediated fatty acid-induced Ca(2+) signaling and spontaneous preference for fat in the mouse. In this review article, we discuss the recent advances and unresolved roles of CD36 and GPR120 in lipid taste signaling in taste bud cells.

Inadequate status of iodine nutrition among pregnant women residing in three districts of Niamey, the Niger Republic's capital.

Universal dietary salt iodisation (UDSI) programme was implemented in Niger in 1996. However, since 2000, there has been a slowdown in progress against iodine deficiency. The aim of our study was to assess the iodine status among pregnant women in a context where national controls are not effective at ensuring universal availability of adequately iodised salt. This is mainly to assess the impact of the slowdown in the fight against iodine deficiency in this vulnerable group. The study was centred on 240 healthy pregnant women volunteers recruited in three districts primary health centres. A control group of 60 non-pregnant, non-lactating healthy women was also studied and compared. Median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of all pregnant women was 119 µg L(-1) , and 61.67% had UIC below 150 µg L(-1) . Median UIC for the first, second and third trimester were 144, 108 and 92 µg L(-1) , respectively. The percentage of pregnant women with UIC below 150 µg L(-1) increased from 52% in the first trimester to 66% in the third trimester. The median UIC of the control group was 166 µg L(-1) , and 28.33% had UIC below 100 µg L(-1) . No significant relationship was found between nutritional iodine status and provenance, age and parity. However, significant relationship was found between iodine status and stage of pregnancy, gestational age and educational level (P < 0.05). Iodine nutrition status thus observed was inadequate in 61.67% of all the pregnant women. It is therefore urgent to revitalise implementation of the UDSI programme, and in the short term to consider iodine supplementation for pregnant women.

Oro-gustatory perception of dietary lipids and calcium signaling in taste bud cells are altered in nutritionally obesity-prone Psammomys obesus.

Since the increasing prevalence of obesity is one of the major health problems of the modern era, understanding the mechanisms of oro-gustatory detection of dietary fat is critical for the prevention and treatment of obesity. We have conducted the present study on Psammomys obesus, the rodent desert gerbil which is a unique polygenic natural animal model of obesity. Our results show that obese animals exhibit a strong preference for lipid solutions in a two-bottle test. Interestingly, the expression of CD36, a lipido-receptor, in taste buds cells (TBC), isolated from circumvallate papillae, was decreased at mRNA level, but remained unaltered at protein level, in obese animals. We further studied the effects of linoleic acid (LA), a long-chain fatty acid, on the increases in free intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) concentrations, [Ca(2+)]i, in the TBC of P. obesus. LA induced increases in [Ca(2+)]i, largely via CD36, from intracellular pool, followed by the opening of store-operated Ca(2+) (SOC) channels in the TBC of these animals. The action of this fatty acid on the increases in [Ca(2+)]i was higher in obese animals than that in controls. However, the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, studied also by employing thapsigargin, was lower in TBC of obese animals than control rodents. In this study, we show, for the first time, that increased lipid intake and altered Ca(2+) signaling in TBC are associated with obesity in Psammomys obesus.

Effects of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) polyphenols on Jurkat cell signaling and proliferation.

We assessed the effects of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) polyphenols (ZLP) on T-cell signaling and proliferation. Our results showed that ZLP exerted no effect on the increases in intracellular free calcium concentrations, [Ca(2+)]i, in human Jurkat T-cells. However, ZLP modulated the thapsigargin-induced increases in [Ca(2+)]i in these cells. ZLP treatment was found to decrease the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). In addition, ZLP induced a rapid (t1/2=33s) and dose-dependent decrease in intracellular pH (pHi) in human Jurkat T-cells. Furthermore, ZLP significantly curtailed T-cell proliferation by diminishing their progression from S to G2/M phase of cell cycle, and the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2) mRNA. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that ZLP modulate cell signaling and exert immunosuppressive effects in human T-cells.

STIM1 regulates calcium signaling in taste bud cells and preference for fat in mice.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying oro-gustatory detection of dietary fat is critical for the prevention and treatment of obesity. The lipid-binding glycoprotein CD36, which is expressed by circumvallate papillae (CVP) of the mouse tongue, has been implicated in oro-gustatory perception of dietary lipids. Here, we demonstrate that stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), a sensor of Ca(2+) depletion in the endoplasmic reticulum, mediates fatty acid-induced Ca(2+) signaling in the mouse tongue and fat preference. We showed that linoleic acid (LA) induced the production of arachidonic acid (AA) and lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso-PC) by activating multiple phospholipase A2 isoforms via CD36. This activation triggered Ca(2+) influx in CD36-positive taste bud cells (TBCs) purified from mouse CVP. LA also induced the production of Ca(2+) influx factor (CIF). STIM1 was found to regulate LA-induced CIF production and the opening of multiple store-operated Ca(2+) (SOC) channels. Furthermore, CD36-positive TBCs from Stim1-/- mice failed to release serotonin, and Stim1-/- mice lost the spontaneous preference for fat that was observed in wild-type animals. Our results suggest that fatty acid-induced Ca(2+) signaling, regulated by STIM1 via CD36, might be implicated in oro-gustatory perception of dietary lipids and the spontaneous preference for fat.