Effect of CRHR1 and CRHR2 gene polymorphisms and childhood trauma in suicide attempt.

Family, twin, and adoption studies have suggested that genetic factors might be involved in suicidal behavior. Corticotropin-releasing receptor type 1 (CRHR1) and 2 (CRHR2) genes play a key role in the activation and modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is considered a major stress regulator. Childhood trauma is an environmental risk factor associated with suicide attempt (SA) and it has been related to HPA axis dysregulation. This study aimed at analyzing the relationship of CRHR1 and CRHR2 genes with childhood trauma concerning the development of SA. In this study, we included 366 affective disorder patients. Among them, 183 patients had SA at least once and 183 had not SA. Information regarding SA and childhood trauma was obtained from medical records. Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction program was used to detect gene-environment interactions between CRHR1 (rs110402, rs242924, and rs16940665) and CRHR2 (rs2190242, rs2284217, and rs2014663) with childhood trauma in SA. The analysis showed an interaction of CRHR1 and CRHR2 with childhood trauma, thus conferring increased risk of having presented at least one SA (OR 7.44; 95% CI 4.58-12.07; p < 0.0001). In addition, we observed the following in the trauma subtypes analysis: physical negligence (OR 4.72; 95% CI 3.01-7.40; p < 0.0001), emotional abuse (OR 5.76; 95% CI 3.67-9.05; p < 0.0001), and sexual abuse (OR 5.70; 95% CI 3.62-8.97; p < 0.0001). Our results suggested that genetic variants of CRHR1 and CRHR2 genes in addition to physical negligence, and emotional and sexual abuse, contribute to increase risk of presented at least one SA.

Combining THz laser excitation with resonant soft X-ray scattering at the Linac Coherent Light Source.

This paper describes the development of new instrumentation at the Linac Coherent Light Source for conducting THz excitation experiments in an ultra high vacuum environment probed by soft X-ray diffraction. This consists of a cantilevered, fully motorized mirror system which can provide 600 kV cm(-1) electric field strengths across the sample and an X-ray detector that can span the full Ewald sphere with in-vacuum motion. The scientific applications motivated by this development, the details of the instrument, and spectra demonstrating the field strengths achieved using this newly developed system are discussed.

The Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source.

The Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science (AMO) instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) provides a tight soft X-ray focus into one of three experimental endstations. The flexible instrument design is optimized for studying a wide variety of phenomena requiring peak intensity. There is a suite of spectrometers and two photon area detectors available. An optional mirror-based split-and-delay unit can be used for X-ray pump-probe experiments. Recent scientific highlights illustrate the imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy and high-power density capabilities of the AMO instrument.

[Social network and social support among poor elderly ill in Guadalajara, Mexico]. / Redes y apoyo social en ancianos enfermos de escasos recursos en Guadalajara, México.

This paper examines social networks and social support among poor elderly ill in Guadalajara, Mexico. We interviewed 40 hospitalized elderly patients. The mean size of social networks was 7.5, basically involving women, multiple generations, and members of the extended family. Emotional support was more frequent than other types of social support. Elderly women had larger social networks and received more social support than men. Married elderly also had larger social networks and more social support than single patients. There were no differences between age and living arrangements with social networks and social support. Future studies are needed on the social and cultural environment of social support for the elderly.

Characterization of latex and chestnut antigens by immunoblotting.

BACKGROUND: Cross-reactions between latex, chestnut, and other fruits have been demonstrated by RAST, although the results show some discrepancies. OBJECTIVE: To detect and characterize cross-reacting antigens in both extracts by immunoblotting. METHODS: Polyclonal rabbit antisera were raised against ammoniated latex and an aqueous chestnut extract. The antigenic extracts were studied by immunoblotting using a diffusion transfer method. Cross-reactivities were measured by immunoblotting inhibition. RESULTS: Both antisera detected a high number of antigenic proteins in both latex and chestnut extracts. Latex was a good self-inhibitor and inhibitor of chestnut with respect to both antisera. Chestnut was only a good inhibitor for the two antisera on the chestnut-blot as well as on the latex-blot when the anti-chestnut antiserum was employed. No inhibition was obtained on latex immunoblotting by chestnut using anti-latex antiserum. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that latex and chestnut contained common epitopes detected by antibodies raised by immunization with both antigens. The anti-latex antiserum, however, possessed antibodies that could not be inhibited by other allergens. This could explain why latex has been described as a good inhibitor of chestnut-RAST while no inhibition by chestnut was found on the latex-RAST in latex and chestnut allergic patients. Other common pollen extracts were also inhibitors of immunoblotting with the exception of the latex/anti-latex pair. This suggests that antibodies induced by immunization with latex or chestnut showed unexpected cross-reactions.

Occupational asthma caused by Papaver somniferum.

Twenty eight workers of a pharmaceutical factory were studied. The company produced morphine and other alkaloids extracting the active principles from shells of Papaver somniferum. Six of the exposed subjects had clinical symptoms of sensitization to this allergen and positive skin tests. A bronchial provocation test was found to be positive on 4 workers and specific IgE could be found on the 6 sensitized patients by an ELISA and a RAST test using an aqueous extract of P. somniferum. A histamine release using the same antigen was also positive in the 4 samples from sensitized patients available. An SDS-PAGE of the extract revealed a major protein band with an estimated mol wt of 52,000 d. This band had the highest IgE-binding capacity as shown by immunoblotting. All these facts suggest that P. somniferum allergy is mediated by an IgE mediated mechanism and not by a pharmacological or toxic effect of the alkaloids or polyphenols.

alpha-Amylase hypersensitivity in non-exposed millers.

Occupational hypersensitivity to alpha-amylase among bakers and workers in the pharmaceutical industry has been described. We present the results of skin tests and in vitro methods used to assess alpha-amylase sensitivity in 259 millers. There was no occupational contact with the enzyme in this population. Positive skin tests to this allergen were obtained in 16 subjects (6.18 per cent), specific IgE values were found in seven subjects (2.7 per cent), specific IgG was detected on 45 workers (17.37 per cent) and high values for IgG (> 2.5 absorbance units) were found in 12 subjects (4.63 per cent). Furthermore, specific IgE and IgG could be determined in several sera by immunoblotting. All these facts suggested that millers were sensitized to Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase, although the allergen was not used by these workers. A cross-reaction cannot be excluded; however, it is the authors' opinion that wheat or wheat flour is a natural substrate for fungi and that the moulds that grow on cereals or cereal-derived by-products need to secrete amylases to support their own development. Hence the workers may be indirectly sensitized to amylases.

Skin-prick tests for hypersensitivity to alpha-amylase preparations.

Twenty-five asthmatic subjects with suspected alpha-amylase hypersensitivity were studied by skin-prick tests, a capture ELISA, immunoblotting and bronchial provocation tests. At the same time, different amylases were analysed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using a polyclonal rabbit antiserum. Eight patients showed a positive bronchial response to amylase. Seven of them had positive skin-prick tests, with this method being the most sensitive approach for diagnosis. However, in four cases, skin tests were also positive although the patients had a negative provocation test, thus demonstrating that skin tests are not specific. ELISA and blotting showed similar results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The enzymes used by the workers included several antigens besides alpha-amylase. The rabbit antiserum to alpha-amylase detected a protein in a wheat flour extract. In one case, the IgE antibodies were specific only for a contaminant of lower molecular weight than amylase. These facts suggest that proteins from the culture medium could be responsible for some cases of amylase hypersensitivity, making the diagnosis difficult. The presence of amylase in another enzymatic extract, a protease produced by Aspergillus oryzae, was proved by means of skin tests and immunoblotting, thus demonstrating the allergenic properties of this enzymatic preparation.

Hypersensitivity to carrot associated with specific IgE to grass and tree pollens.

This study deals with a 34-year-old female cook with no previous history of atopy, who was studied because of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and contact urticaria in both hands associated with severe itching when she handled raw carrot. The patient had had anaphylactic episodes after accidental ingestion of raw carrots, but she tolerated cooked carrots. Skin prick tests with carrot, celery, and olive, and birch, grass, and mugwort pollens were positive. Total IgE was 411 UI/ml. Specific IgE to olive, grass, and weed pollens were 10.92, 6.17, and 2.4 AU/ml, respectively. The histamine release test was positive for carrot, celery, celeriac, and olive pollen up to a dilution of 1/10(6). Immunoblot of raw carrot showed a single IgE-binding 18-kDa band. IgE reactivity for raw carrot immunoblot was completely inhibited by carrot and by celery, but not by olive or grass pollens. Specific IgE to olive pollen was not inhibited by carrot. The existence of monosensitization to an 18-kDa protein in carrot and specific IgE to olive pollen has not been reported in the celery-carrot-mugwort-spice syndrome.

Cereal alpha-amylase inhibitors cause occupational sensitization in the wood industry.

BACKGROUND: Cereal flours are used in the wood industry to improve the quality of the glues necessary to produce veneer panels. However, up to now, no cases of sensitization to cereal flour in this kind of industry have been reported. Cereal alpha-amylase inhibitors have been previously described as important occupational allergens responsible for baker's asthma. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cereal allergens were responsible for occupational sensitization in three wood industry workers. METHODS: The diagnosis was made by clinical questionnaire, physical examination, skin-prick tests to cereals, CAP and immunoblotting. RESULTS: The three patients had positive skin prick tests and CAP to cereal flours. An IgE-immunoblotting revealed that only low molecular weight proteins (under 20 kDa) were detected by the three sera. These main IgE-binding proteins were members of the alpha-amylase inhibitor family which have been described as one of the group of main allergenic proteins in rye, barley and wheat. The three patients changed their workplace and remain asymptomatic in spite of the fact that they are still in contact with different woods and exposed to high concentrations of wood dust and other chemicals such as formaldehyde. CONCLUSION: Proteins from cereal flours are important occupational allergens in some wood industries.

Periodate treatment of Anisakis simplex allergens.

Anaphylactic reactions after parasitized fish consumption are mediated by an IgE response. However, positive skin tests and specific IgE can also be found in many asymptomatic subjects who recognize a single medium-mol.-wt. antigen by IgE immunoblot. The study aimed to find out whether this unspecificity was due to the carbohydrate moieties of parasite antigens. Sixty-two patients with suspected parasite allergy, 51 blood donors, 18 bakers, and 38 atopic patients were studied by blotting. Parasite proteins were treated with periodate. Several selected sera were inhibited with a crude wheat extract and fungal amylase. Twelve patients (19%), eight donors (16%), six bakers (33%), and one atopic patient (3%) recognized a single medium-mol.-wt. band in blotting and should be considered false-positive. This band was periodate-sensitive, but specific IgE to this allergen could not be inhibited by a wheat extract nor by fungal amylase and was clinically irrelevant. Diagnosis of Anisakis simplex hypersensitivity by skin tests and/ or specific IgE values should always be confirmed by specific IgE immunoblotting in order to detect the presence of clinically unrelated antibodies directed to periodate-sensitive allergens. These allergens are probably not a carbohydrate moiety of a parasite glycoprotein.

Prevalencia de anemia ferropénica en escolares de 1ro a 6to grado de la Escuela Bolivariana Las dos Bocas, Municipio Colina, Estado Falcón: febrero-junio, 2004 / Prevalencia of anemia ferropenica in school of 1ro to 6to grade of the school Bolivarian Las Dos Bocas, Municipality Colina, State Falcon: february-june 2004

La deficiencia de hierro es el problema nutricional más común en el mundo así la anemia ferropénica es la enfermedad hematológica más frecuente de la infancia, constituye una de las principales causas de morbilidad y mortalidad en el mundo entero. Con el propósito de determinar la prevalencia de anemia ferropénica en escolares de 1ro a 6to grado de la Escuela Bolivariana Las Dos Bocas, Municipio Colonia del Estado Falcón, en el lapso comprendido entre febrero-junio 2004; se realizó un estudio descriptivo, diagnóstico y transversal, con muestreo probabilístico simple, que incluyó 24 escolares se determinó: hemoglobina, hematocrito, índices hematimétricos por técnica semi-automatizada y niveles séricos de hierro y ferritina, a través del test inmunoenzimático ELISA. Los valores de referencia fueron los establecidos como normales por la Organización Mundial de la Salud. El 58,3 por ciento de los escolares presentó niveles de Hb y Hto bajos. El 71,4 por ciento de los escolares anémicos presentó índices hematimétricos bajos. El 25 por ciento mostró niveles de hierro debajo de lo normal y el 41,6 por ciento presentó niveles bajos de ferritina. La prevalencia de anemia ferropénica obtenida fue de 25 por ciento ferropenía sin anemia 16,6 por ciento . El valor promedio de Hb encontrado en escolares sin déficit de hierro fue 11,75 g/dl. Se concluye que la prevalencia de anemia ferropénica es alta en el Estado Falcón. Se hace nesesario la determinación de hierro sérico y ferritina sérica para el diagnóstico específico de la anemia por déficit de hierro.