First Report of Anthracnose of Tricyrtis macropoda Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in Korea

Tricyrtis macropoda Miq. (syn. T. dilatata Nakai), known as speckled toadlily, is a perennial herb native to China, Japan, and Korea. The plant has been highly praised for its beautiful flowers and rare populations in natural habitats. In September 2006, several dozen plants were heavily damaged by leaf spots and blight in cultivated plantings in the city of Pocheon, Korea. The infections with the same symptoms were repeated every year. In July 2011, the same symptoms were found on T. macropoda in the cities of Gapyeong and Osan, Korea. The leaf lesions began as small, water-soaked, pale greenish to grayish spots, which enlarged to form concentric rings and ultimately coalesced. A number of blackish acervuli were formed in the lesions. Acervuli were mostly epiphyllous, circular to ellipsoid, and 40 to 200 μm in diameter. Setae were two- to three-septate, dark brown at the base, paler upwards, acicular, and up to 100 μm long. Conidia (n = 30) were long obclavate to oblong-elliptical, sometimes fusiform-elliptical, guttulate, hyaline, and 12 to 20 × 4 to 6.5 μm (mean 15.4 × 5.2 μm). These morphological characteristics of the fungus were consistent with the description of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. (2). Voucher specimens (n = 7) were deposited in the Korea University herbarium (KUS). Two isolates, KACC46374 (ex KUS-F25916) and KACC46405 (ex KUS-F26063), were deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection. Fungal DNA was extracted and the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced. The resulting sequences of 549 bp were deposited in Genbank (Accession Nos. JQ619480 and JQ619481). They showed 100% similarity with a sequence of C. gloeosporioides (EU32619). Isolate KACC46374 was used in a pathogenicity test. Inoculum was prepared by harvesting conidia from 3-week-old cultures on potato dextrose agar. A conidial suspension (2 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) was sprayed onto 15 leaves of three plants. Three noninoculated plants served as controls. Plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain 100% relative humidity for 24 h and then kept in a greenhouse (22 to 28°C and 70 to 80% RH). After 5 days, typical leaf spot symptoms, identical to the ones observed in the field, started to develop on the leaves of inoculated plants. No symptoms were observed on control plants. C. gloeosporioides was reisolated from the lesions of inoculated plants, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. An anthracnose associated with C. tricyrtii (Teng) Teng was recorded on T. formosana and T. latifolia in China (3) and on T. formosana in Taiwan (1), respectively, without etiological studies. The morphological features of C. tricyrtii are within the variation of C. gloeosporioides (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose of T. macropoda. This report has significance to indigenous plant resource conservation managers and scientists because T. macropoda has been listed as one of the 126 "Rare and Endangered Plants" by the Korea Forest Service since 1991. References: (1) K. Sawada. Rep. Dept. Agric. Gov. Res. Inst. Formosa 87: 1, 1944. (2) B. C. Sutton. Pages 1-27 in: Colletotrichum Biology, Pathology and Control. J. A. Bailey and M. J. Jeger, eds. CAB International, Wallingford, U.K. 1992. (3) S. C. Teng. Contrib. Biol. Lab. Sci. Soc. China 8:36, 1932.

Prognostic indicators of gastric carcinoma confined to the muscularis propria

AIMS

Gastric carcinoma confined to the muscularis propria (MPGC) is considered an intermediate-stage carcinoma. A method of discriminating between more favourable and less favourable prognostic groups of this entity is critically needed in dealing with this heterogeneous disease. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between survival of patients with MPGC and its various clinicopathological parameters.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Various clinicopathological parameters were studied in 171 tissue samples including: macroscopic appearance, size, age, sex, stage, invasion depth, Lauren and Ming classifications, extent, lymphatic emboli and nodal metastasis. Tumours macroscopically resembling early gastric cancers, younger patient age, absence of lymphatic tumour emboli and lower stage were significantly associated with better prognosis of MPGC by univariate analysis. Tumours macroscopically resembling early gastric cancers, younger patient age and Lauren's diffuse type were significantly associated with a better prognosis of MPGC by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

These indicators are practical parameters for predicting patient prognosis in clinical practice. The description of these parameters should be carefully noted in the final report and pathologists should evaluate the macroscopic appearance of MPGC.

Acupuncture for peripheral joint osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in peripheral joint osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, AMED, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, PsychINFO and CAMPAIN until July 2005. Hand-searches included conference proceedings and our own files. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for patients with peripheral joint OA were considered for inclusion. Trials assessing needle acupuncture with or without electrical stimulation were considered if sham- or placebo-controlled or controlled against a comparator intervention. Trials testing other forms of acupuncture were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed and, where possible, meta-analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Thirty-one possibly relevant studies were identified and 18 RCTs were included. Ten trials tested manual acupuncture and eight trials tested electro-acupuncture. Overall, ten studies demonstrated greater pain reduction in acupuncture groups compared with controls. The meta-analysis of homogeneous data showed a significant effect of manual acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture (standardized mean difference 0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.47, P = 0.04, n = 329), which is supported by data for knee OA. The extent of heterogeneity in trials of electro-acupuncture prevented a meaningful meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Sham-controlled RCTs suggest specific effects of acupuncture for pain control in patients with peripheral joint OA. Considering its favourable safety profile acupuncture seems an option worthy of consideration particularly for knee OA. Further studies are required particularly for manual or electro-acupuncture in hip OA.

Deposition of eosinophil-granule major basic protein and expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in the mucosa of the small intestine in infants with cow's milk-sensitive enteropathy

BACKGROUND

Cow's milk-sensitive enteropathy (CMSE) is an important cause of chronic diarrhea and failure to thrive in infancy. The immunopathology of the mucosal lesion associated with CMSE has not yet been described.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the eosinophil activation and the role of adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of intestinal mucosal damage associated with CMSE.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients with chronic diarrhea and abnormal mucosa on duodenal biopsy specimens were included. The patients had negative responses to skin prick tests and RASTs with milk. Fourteen patients were diagnosed with CMSE by milk challenge test and were designated as the CMSE group. Seven patients with no milk intolerance were defined as the non-CMSE group. Four infants with frequent vomiting and no mucosal abnormalities were also studied as the control group. Immunohistochemical stains for eosinophil major basic protein (MBP), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on endoscopic duodenal biopsy specimens were performed.

RESULTS

The degree of eosinophil degranulation, as evidenced by localization of extracellular MBP, was significantly greater in the CMSE group compared with the non-CMSE and control groups (P <.05). Expression of VCAM-1 on mononuclear cells was higher in the CMSE group compared with the non-CMSE and control groups (P <.05). The severity of villous atrophy was positively correlated with the deposition of MBP (r = 0.79, P <.001).

CONCLUSION

These results strongly suggest eosinophils and VCAM-1 are implicated in the pathogenesis of mucosal damage associated with CMSE.

cDNA cloning of the 210-kDa paraneoplastic pemphigus antigen reveals that envoplakin is a component of the antigen complex

Although the 210 and 190-kDa proteins are the most frequently detected antigens reacting with sera of patients with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) in immunoblot analysis, there is still uncertainty as to the nature of these PNP antigens. To isolate and characterize a cDNA clone encoding the 210-kDa PNP antigen, we screened a human keratinocyte lambda gt 11 cDNA expression library by the immunoperoxidase method with serum IgG from a PNP patient. The IgG used for the immunoscreening of a keratinocyte cDNA expression library recognized 210- and 190-kDa antigens by immunoblotting. A single clone, called here the PNP clone, producing a fusion protein that reacted strongly with the patient's IgG, was further characterized. Only the PNP patient's IgG, but not IgG from a normal control, pemphigus foliaceus, or pemphigus vulgaris patients, bound the plaques of this positive clone. Furthermore, PNP IgG affinity purified on plaques of this clone, but not unrelated clones, bound to keratinocyte cell surfaces by immunofluorescence and reacted with the 210-kDa PNP antigen by immunoblotting. EcoRI digestion of the clone's cDNA insert demonstrated a 1.4-kbp fragment. This cDNA insert was placed into a M13 mp 18 vector and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed that the cDNA insert of the PNP clone encodes a part of the central rod domain and the COOH-terminal C domain of envoplakin, a newly defined precursor of the cornified envelope that is homologous to desmoplakin. This result demonstrates that the 210-kDa PNP antigen is envoplakin and PNP is an autoimmune disease that produces autoantibodies against intermediate filament-associated proteins in desmosomes and hemidesmosomes, desmoplakin, bullous pemphigoid antigen 1 (BPAG 1), and envoplakin.

Isolation and characterization of the promoter region of the rat DNA topoisomerase II alpha gene

A genomic DNA clone containing the 5'-end of the rat topo II alpha gene was isolated and the intron/exon structure of a 4.0 kb region encompassing the translation initiation site was determined. Multiple transcription initiation sites were found at positions -128, -110, and -100 bp upstream of the ATG codon. A minimal promoter region extending from -192 to the translation initiation codon was identified on transient expression analysis. This region lacks a TATA motif, is moderately GC-rich and contains a high number of CpG dinucleotides, which is characteristic of a housekeeping gene promoter. The fragment extending to position -242 exhibited maximal promoter activity. Putative regulatory elements were delineated within and immediately upstream of the minimal promoter region. On gel retardation and DNase I footprint analyses, two regions, between positions -195 to -159 which interact with protein factor(s) were identified. The minimal promoter region of the rat topo II alpha gene showed high sequence homology with that of human topo II alpha. In a 250 bp region upstream of the translation initiation site, the sequence identity was about 70%. The basic structure of the regulatory region of the rat topo II alpha gene was found to be similar to that of the human counterpart.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the CDNA for rat DNA topoisomerase II

CDNA clones encoding the rat DNA topoisomerase II were isolated from rat testis CDNA library using a DNA probe synthesized by two sequential nested PCRs. The nucleotide sequence of the entire coding region and its deduced 1526 amino acid sequence showed that 80% nucleotides and 89% amino acids were identical with human HeLa DNA topoisomerase II gene (hTOP2). Approximately 1100 amino acids at the N-terminus shows 96.5% sequence identity, but C-terminus has only 65% homology. Rat DNA topoisomerase II gene (rTOP2) contains three functional domains responsible for ATPase activity, break-reunion activity, and complex stability and DNA binding activity like other eukaryotic TOP2. It also contains two putative nuclear targeting sequences and a leucine zipper motif and has highly charged species specific sequences at the C-terminus.

Viscoelastic Properties of Nylon 6 and Nylon 66 Tire Cords: Morphological Analysis

The differences in the viscoelastic properties of conditioned nylon 6 and nylon 66 cords leading to higher shoulder temperatures of nylon 66 tires are reviewed and analyzed in terms of fiber structure. It is concluded that these differences are related to the differences in crystallographic behavior of the two polymers. The conclusions are based on the viscoelastic data from tire cords removed from tires and the properties recorded after mechanical conditioning to reach steady state equivalent to driving conditions. Viscoelastic data are obtained with the Allied high-strain viscoelastomer and structural interpretations are based on SAXS and WAXS analyses.