. The presence of specific antibodies against MCPyV, HPyV6, HPyV7, HPyV9, and TSPyV in 828 Italian subjects aged 1 to 100 years was investigated by virus-like particle-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The findings indicate that all of these new polyomaviruses circulate widely in humans, with seroprevalences in adulthood ranging from 39.4% for HPyV9 to 87.1% for MCPyV, and that primary exposure is most intense in childhood, with the exception of HPyV7 and HPyV9, for which the seroprevalence increased throughout life. The proportion of subjects with high antibody titers was found to increase with age for MCPyV and to decrease with age for TSPyV.

f Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a fecally and orally transmitted human pathogen of worldwide distribution. In industrial countries, HEV is observed in an increasing number of autochthonous cases and is considered to be an emerging pathogen. A growing body of evidence suggests that HEV is a zoonotic disease, and pig handlers and pig veterinarians have been reported to be high-risk groups for HEV infection. The aims of the present study were to establish the prevalence of anti-HEV in wild boars in France and to identify whether forestry workers are at a higher risk of HEV infection. Three different anti-HEV tests were used to compare their effectiveness in detecting anti-HEV in the general population. The most sensitive test was then used to investigate HEV seroprevalence in 593 forestry workers and 421 wild boars. Anti-HEV was detected in 31% of the forestry workers and 14% of the wild boars. Detection of anti-HEV in humans was correlated with age, geographical location, and occupational activity and in wild boars was correlated with geographical location. HEV infection is frequent in woodcutters in France, and it varies geographically. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the transmission route and the exact virus reservoirs.H epatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped, single-strand RNA virus that has been classified as the prototype and sole member in the Hepevirus genus of the Hepeviridae family (29). The viral genome of about 7.2 kb contains 3 partially overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes nonstructural viral proteins, ORF2 encodes the capsid protein, and ORF3 encodes a small multifunctional protein. Four major HEV genotypes belonging to a single serotype have been identified (11). Genotype 1 is detected in most cases of human HEV disease (waterborne epidemics and sporadic cases), genotype 2 is rare and has been found in several epidemics in Mexico and central Africa, and genotypes 3 and 4 are detected in swine and in autochthonous HEV infections in industrial countries (5,19,20,30,34,39,45,49).HEV is a significant fecally and orally transmitted human pathogen of worldwide distribution, causing self-limited disease with mortality rates of 1 to 3% in the general population and up to 20 to 25% in pregnant women. In developing countries, HEV outbreaks have been attributed to feces-contaminated water supplies. In industrial countries, HEV is observed in travelers returning from countries where HEV is endemic and in an increasing number of individuals with no history of traveling to regions where HEV is endemic, particularly in France (5, 6, 20). Molecular analysis of HEV strains has revealed that the strains identified in nonimported HEV cases form a group of genetically divergent isolates compared to HEV strains in regions where HEV is endemic (31, 39). The modes of transmission of sporadic nonimported cases and of autochthonous cases have rarely been determined, with the exception of zoonotic food-borne transmission from pigs, wild boars, and wild deer (19,25,40,41,4...

No abstract

The association between vitamin D deficiency and MCC characteristics and outcome, together with detection of the VDR in MCC cells, suggest that vitamin D could influence the biology of MCC.

Summary Proteomic analysis is intrinsically an iterative, incremental process. Information is usually acquired gradually by researchers, and in different projects. At the same time, there are relatively few examples of biological data management systems which take into account this reality, most of them usually treat the experiment generated data as static and unchangeable: data are never reconsidered, or seldom, whereas technology becomes more powerful or that other researchers have brought information on data correction. And yet, post-planned analysis [21] which involves multiple iterations and subsequent re-investigations of previously prepared data might bring tremendous benefits.Named PARIS (Proteomic Analysis and Resources Indexation System), the system we developed here seeks to address this requirement. Compliant with the majority of 2-DE analysis and MALDI-TOF based protein identification softwares, it automatically takes data from them and stores the raw and processed data in a relational database suitable for advanced exploration. Taking into account the standards proposed by PSI (Proteomics Standard Initiative), the system exports the stored data in XML format for data exchange and knowledge sharing. PARIS also manages information about experiments and their biological contexts, and allows the user to search and analyze a large data collection in a global manner. It provides tools for data integration and advanced, cross multi-experiment, multi-experimenter data exploration, and supports visual verification and correction of the analysis results. Implemented in Java, the system is platform independent, accessible to multiple users through Internet. It is also scalable for use for one or many laboratories, and therefore suitable to inter-institute collaborative work.PARIS can be tested and downloaded at http://genome.jouy.inra.fr/paris

Bovine lactoserum proteins, such as a-lactalbumin and p-iactogiobuiin, have a high nutritional value and together with bovine caseins are the most commonly used proteins in infant formulae. Important allergenic characteristics in newborn infants are assigned to these proteins, especially

No abstract

No abstract