Eosinophilia and reduced STAT3 signaling affect neutrophil cell death in autosomal-dominant Hyper-IgE syndrome

The autosomal‐dominant hyper‐IgE syndrome (HIES), caused by mutations in STAT3, is a rare primary immunodeficiency that predisposes to mucocutaneous candidiasis and staphylococcal skin and lung infections. This infection phenotype is suggestive of defects in neutrophils, but data on neutrophil functions in HIES are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to functionally characterize neutrophils in STAT3‐deficient HIES patients and to analyze whether the patients` eosinophilia affects the neutrophil phenotype in S. aureus infection. Neutrophil functions and cell death kinetics were studied in eight STAT3‐deficient patients. Moreover, the response of STAT3‐deficient neutrophils to S. aureus and the impact of autologous eosinophils on pathogen‐induced cell death were analyzed. No specific aberrations in neutrophil functions were detected within this cohort. However, the half‐life of STAT3‐deficient neutrophils ex vivo was reduced, which was partially attributable to the presence of eosinophils. Increased S. aureus‐induced cell lysis, dependent on the staphylococcal virulence controlling accessory gene regulator (agr)‐locus, was observed in STAT3‐deficient neutrophils and upon addition of eosinophils. Accelerated neutrophil cell death kinetics may underlie the reported variability in neutrophil function testing in HIES. Increased S. aureus‐induced lysis of STAT3‐deficient neutrophils might affect pathogen control and contribute to tissue destruction during staphylococcal infections in HIES.

Cold-atom scanning probe microscopy

Scanning probe microscopes are widely used to study surfaces with atomic resolution in many areas of nanoscience. Ultracold atomic gases trapped in electromagnetic potentials can be used to study electromagnetic interactions between the atoms and nearby surfaces in chip-based systems. Here we demonstrate a new type of scanning probe microscope that combines these two areas of research by using an ultracold gas as the tip in a scanning probe microscope. This cold-atom scanning probe microscope offers a large scanning volume, an ultrasoft tip of well-defined shape and high purity, and sensitivity to electromagnetic forces (including dispersion forces near nanostructured surfaces). We use the cold-atom scanning probe microscope to non-destructively measure the position and height of carbon nanotube structures and individual free-standing nanotubes. Cooling the atoms in the gas to form a Bose-Einstein condensate increases the resolution of the device.

Tailoring gold nanostructures for near-field optical applications

A method of combined thin-film deposition, electron beam lithography, and ion milling is presented for the fabrication of gold and silver nanostructures. The flexibility of lithographical processes for the variation of geometric parameters is combined with three-dimensional control over the surface evolution. Depending on the etching angle, different shapes ranging from cones over rods to cups can be achieved. These size- and shape-tunable structures present a toolbox for nano-optical investigations. As an example, optical properties of systematically varying structures are examined in a parabolic mirror confocal microscope.

Focal cortical dysplasia: a genotype-phenotype analysis of polymorphisms and mutations in the TSC genes

PURPOSE

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a common cause of pharmacoresistant human epilepsy. FCD has frequently been discussed as a "forme fruste" of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) because of the radiologic and histologic resemblance of dysplastic areas to tubers in TSC. Mutations or a germ-line predisposition in terms of increased polymorphisms in the TSC genes have been presumed to influence the pathogenesis of FCD. A detailed genotype-phenotype analysis of these patients has not been performed so far.

METHODS

In this study, 33 patients with FCD (among them 23 with FCD type 2 and 4 patients with multifocal FCD) were investigated (1) clinically as to dermatologic manifestations, retinal hamartoma, cardial rhabdomyoma, and renal angiomyolipoma, and (2) genetically by considering lesional brain tissue and blood using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) electrophoresis and sequencing of the TSC1 and TSC2 genes.

RESULTS

In the clinical examinations, no subtle features of TSC could be detected in this large group of patients with FCD, pointing to the fact that this is a different patient group without clinical overlap. Several sequence alterations were found in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes in both lesional brain tissue and blood of FCD patients, however, in similar frequencies to that of the normal population. Moreover, most of these sequence alterations were silent.

DISCUSSION

This study shows that FCD-even multifocal FCD-is not caused by mutations in the TSC genes and seems not to be promoted by polymorphisms in the TSC genes. Therefore, FCD cannot be regarded as a "forme fruste" of TSC.