Discriminant analysis and logistic regression on genetic history and environmental factors in children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is known to be related to genetic and environmental factors, we aimed to identify the predictors discriminating between children with asthma and a control group in order to build typical profiles of these children. METHODS: A multidimensional analysis covered children (58 with asthma and 217 as control group), under 17 years of age, involving environmental variables and medical history of these children and their families. RESULTS: Chi-square tests highlighted significant links between variables as rhinitis and conjunctivitis (p<0.001). The results showed, in group of asthmatic children, significant high frequencies of allergies, mainly seasonal (p<0.001), rhinitis, family history more present in mothers (p=0.002) and in maternal aunts and uncles (p<0.02). Allergies were mostly present in mothers of asthmatic children (p=0.03). Children whose father, mother or both had asthma were significantly more numerous in asthmatic group (p=0.0007). A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) identified two typical profiles of children, a first group of asthmatic children with positive modalities of family history, medical and environmental factors, a second, the control group), with essentially negative modalities of the variables. Logistic regression (LR) resulted in a final model which retained four significant predictors, rhinitis (p=0.01), atopic dermatitis (p=0.04), mother antecedents (p=0.03) and paternal uncle antecedents (p=0.008) with a globally appreciable predictive value (82%) of the Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test. CONCLUSIONS: These results allowed the drafting of a typical profile quantifying through a function of a few predictors, the variation of the probability for a child to develop an asthma.

Multidimensional analysis of genetic background and environmental factors: Cases of atopy in asthmatic children.

The present work aimed, through a multidimensional analysis of a data set related to 76 asthmatic children (2-16 years), to their family, and to their antecedents, to establish typical profiles of children with asthma, combining similar or even identical characteristics. A questionnaire was presented to the parents concerning possible consanguinity, prematurity of the child, birth order, skin prick test results, presence of animals, indoor dampness, medical history, and cases of atopy among the children and their antecedents. The links between variables were first identified by means of chi-square tests. Ascending hierarchical classification (AHC) was performed to identify significant groupings. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was then carried out to focus on typical children profiles. The results showed a high frequency of bronchitis (86.9%), rhinitis (46.1%), and indoor dampness (64.5%). Family history (asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis) and various allergies (to drugs, to food, or other allergies in general) were present mostly in mothers (≈20%) with a slightly significant association between mothers and siblings (P=0.045) but not between fathers and siblings (P=0.41). The AHC highlighted two distinct groups, well discriminated: a predominant group with maternal antecedents and another of lesser significance with paternal antecedents. The MCA identified groupings, with positive modalities of variables, largely around boys and paternal antecedents with an impact on girls. This work allowed us to establish a typical profile of children who have developed (or can develop) asthma. They are children with a history of atopy and allergies, mainly of their mothers, who have contracted early bronchitis and probably rhinitis, and who live in an environment with indoor dampness and smoking.

Endophytic fungi associated with roots of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in coastal dunes.

BACKGROUND: Symbiotic interactions with fungal endophytes are argued to be responsible for the tolerance of plants to some stresses and for their adaptation to natural conditions. AIMS: In this study we aimed to examine the endophytic fungal diversity associated with roots of date palms growing in coastal dune systems, and to screen this collection of endophytes for potential use as biocontrol agents, for antagonistic activity and mycoparasitism, and as producers of antifungal compounds with potential efficacy against root diseases of date palm. METHODS: Roots of nine individual date palms growing in three coastal locations in the South-East of Spain (Guardamar, El Carabassí, and San Juan) were selected to isolate endophytic fungi. Isolates were identified on the basis of morphological and/or molecular characters. RESULTS: Five hundred and fifty two endophytic fungi were isolated and assigned to thirty morphological taxa or molecular operational taxonomic units. Most isolates belonged to Ascomycota, and the dominant order was Hypocreales. Fusarium and Clonostachys were the most frequently isolated genera and were present at all sampling sites. Comparisons of the endophytic diversity with previous studies, and their importance in the management of the date palm crops are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on the diversity of endophytic fungi associated with roots of date palm. The isolates obtained might constitute a source of biological control agents and biofertilizers for use in crops of this plant.

Pro-oxidant effects of a high α-tocopherol dose on kidney antioxidant biomarkers and histopathological aspects.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of α-tocopherol supplementation at two doses (600 and 1200 mg × kg-1) on kidney antioxidant status and the histopathological changes in Wistar rats after 12 weeks of exposure at different diets. Forty rats has been divided into 4 groups of 10 rats each, the control group received basal diet with 5 % fresh sunflower oil (FSO), the second group: 5 % oxidized sunflower oil (OSO), the third group: 5 % OSO supplemented with 600 mg × kg-1 α-tocopherol and the fourth group: 5 % OSO supplemented with 1200 mg × kg-1 α-tocopherol. In OSO groups, the results showed highly significant increases of LPO (from 31.3 ± 0.9 to 53.8 ± 1.2 nmol of MDA formed/min/mg protein, p < 0.0001) with a significant decrease (p < = 0.001) of the antioxidant enzymatic activities (CAT, SOD, GPX, GR and G6PDH), body weight (339 ± 9 to 290 ± 3 g) and α-tocopherol levels (13.6 ± 0.6 to 6.5 ± 0.4 µg/mg protein). In OSO groups with 600 mg × kg-1 α-tocopherol, an antioxidant effect was found, reflected by a return of the parameters to values similar to those of the control group. However, higher doses of α-tocopherol (1200 mg × kg-1) induced a depletion of antioxidant status, α-tocopherol levels (6.0 ± 0.3 µg/mg protein, p < 0.001) and a very highly significant rise (p < 0.0001) of LPO content (54.86 ± 0.01 nmol of MDA formed/min/mg protein). The kidney tissues also showed changes in glomerular, severe inflammatory cells infiltration, and formation of novel vessels. So, we can conclude that the oxidative stress is attenuated by a moderate administration of 600 mg × kg-1 α-tocopherol, while a pro-oxidant effect occurs at 1200 mg × kg-1 α-tocopherol.

Greater improvement in LRRK2 G2019S patients undergoing Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation compared to non-mutation carriers.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) of parkinson's disease (PD) patients has demonstrated to improve motor performance and to reduce dopa-induced dyskinesia. An association between the occurrence of dyskinesias and LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) G2019S gene mutations has recently been suggested. The aim of this study is to discover the impact of the G2019S mutation (with high incidence in the authors' native Algeria) on the symptom response of PD in patients who underwent STN-DBS. METHODS: We carried out a comparative statistical study for the clinical evaluation and neuropsychological assessment of 27 Algerian PD STN-DBS patients, both G2019S mutation carriers (MC) and non-carriers (NC). A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was then conducted to compare the results with those from groups of individuals with similar modalities. RESULTS: The MCA revealed that MC and NC PD patients showed two different patterns of clinical evaluations. The group of idiopathic patients showed some differences compared to the clinical evaluations, depending on gender. No association was found between the G2019S mutation and the Mini Mental State Examination scores (MMSE), and MC patients appeared more susceptible to dyskinesia than NC patients. In NC patients, we found two cases with Parkin mutations who had a different "honeymoon" period and different initial symptoms. The results showed considerable improvement of motor unified parkinson's disease rating scale III (UPDRS-III) in a situation of stimulation without medication in the MC patients with a percentage of improvement (51.1 %) over the required 30 % compared to the NC patients (25.5 %). The same result was observed for the Schwab and England's activities of daily living scale (S and E scale), which thus demonstrated a greater effectiveness of DBS for MC patients than for NC patients. However, the Hoehn and Yahr scale (H and Y Scale) showed the same significance in a situation of stimulation for MC and NC patients. In this later group, the best scores of UPDRS-III were observed for patients with the Parkin mutation before they underwent surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that surgical treatment probably has a more significant impact on LRRK2 G2019S MC than on idiopathic patients.