New vaccination strategies are required for effective control of winter ulcer disease caused by emerging variant strains of Moritella viscosa in Atlantic salmon.

Moritella viscosa is one on the major etiological agents of winter-ulcers in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Norway. Outbreaks of ulcerative disease in farmed fish occurs across the North Atlantic region and is an impeding factor for sustainable growth within the industry. Commercially available multivalent core vaccines containing inactivated bacterin of M. viscosa reduce mortality and clinical signs related to winter ulcer disease. Two major genetic clades within M. viscosa have previously been described based on gyrB sequencing, namely typical (hereafter referred to as classic) and variant. Vaccination-challenge trials using vaccines including either variant and or classic isolates of M. viscosa show that classic clade isolates included in current commercial multivalent core vaccines provide poor cross-protection against emerging variant strains, while variant strains confer high level of protection against variant M. viscosa but to a lesser extent to classic clade isolates. This demonstrates that future vaccine regimens should include a combination of strains from both clades.

Blood cell gene expression associated with cellular stress defense is modulated by antioxidant-rich food in a randomised controlled clinical trial of male smokers.

BACKGROUND: Plant-based diets rich in fruit and vegetables can prevent development of several chronic age-related diseases. However, the mechanisms behind this protective effect are not elucidated. We have tested the hypothesis that intake of antioxidant-rich foods can affect groups of genes associated with cellular stress defence in human blood cells. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00520819 http://clinicaltrials.gov. METHODS: In an 8-week dietary intervention study, 102 healthy male smokers were randomised to either a diet rich in various antioxidant-rich foods, a kiwifruit diet (three kiwifruits/d added to the regular diet) or a control group. Blood cell gene expression profiles were obtained from 10 randomly selected individuals of each group. Diet-induced changes on gene expression were compared to controls using a novel application of the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) on transcription profiles obtained using Affymetrix HG-U133-Plus 2.0 whole genome arrays. RESULTS: Changes were observed in the blood cell gene expression profiles in both intervention groups when compared to the control group. Groups of genes involved in regulation of cellular stress defence, such as DNA repair, apoptosis and hypoxia, were significantly upregulated (GSEA, FDR q-values < 5%) by both diets compared to the control group. Genes with common regulatory motifs for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR nuclear translocator (AhR/ARNT) were upregulated by both interventions (FDR q-values < 5%). Plasma antioxidant biomarkers (polyphenols/carotenoids) increased in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The observed changes in the blood cell gene expression profiles suggest that the beneficial effects of a plant-based diet on human health may be mediated through optimization of defence processes.

Increased expression of interleukin-1 in coronary artery disease with downregulatory effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is important in atherogenesis. Interleukin (IL)-1 is the prototypic inflammatory cytokine. We hypothesized a dysbalance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators in the IL-1 family in coronary artery disease (CAD) and a possible modulation of these mediators by HMG-CoA inhibitors (statins). METHODS AND RESULTS: In a microarray screening experiment examining peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 6 CAD patients and 4 healthy control subjects, IL-1beta was identified as 1 of 25 genes whose expression were upregulated in CAD and downregulated by statins. In the following, we studied the role of IL-1beta and related mediators in CAD. Our major findings were as follows. (1) Although mRNA levels of IL-1alpha and IL-1beta were markedly reduced in PBMCs from CAD patients after 6 months of simvastatin (20 mg/d, n=15) and atorvastatin (80 mg/d, n=15) therapy, the reduction in IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) was more modest. Statins also reduced the spontaneous release of IL-1beta and IL-1Ra from PBMCs in CAD patients. (2) mRNA levels of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-1Ra were increased in PBMCs from patients with stable (n=20) and unstable (n=20) angina compared with healthy control subjects (n=15). Although the unstable patients had particularly high levels of IL-1beta and IL-1alpha, IL-1Ra was not correspondingly increased. (3) IL-1beta induced release of proatherogenic cytokines from PBMCs, whereas atorvastatin partly abolished this effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that cytokines in the IL-1 family may represent therapeutic targets in CAD. The ability of statins to modulate these cytokines in an anti-inflammatory direction underscores their immunomodulatory potential.