Abbreviations used: CNS, central nervous system; EAE, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; LNC, LN cell; MOG, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein; PLP, proteolipid protein.The online version of this article contains supplemental material. Most autoimmune diseases are more common in women than in men. This may be caused by differences in sex hormones, sex chromosomes, or both. In this study, we determined if there was a contribution of sex chromosomes to sex differences in susceptibility to two immunologically distinct disease models, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and pristane-induced lupus. Transgenic SJL mice were created to permit a comparison between XX and XY within a common gonadal type. Mice of the XX sex chromosome complement, as compared with XY, demonstrated greater susceptibility to both EAE and lupus. This is the fi rst evidence that the XX sex chromosome complement, as compared with XY, confers greater susceptibility to autoimmune disease.

Objective To assess the contribution of constitutional factors, as demonstrated by antenatal bladder Design A prospective investigational study. Setting General district hospital. Population One hundred and three primigravid women with no pre-existing urinary incontinence or neurological disorder.Methods Antenatal and postnatal measurement of bladder neck mobility using perineal ultrasound. Main outcome measure Urinary stress incontinence at 1CL14 weeks postpartum. ResultsWomen with postpartum urinary stress incontinence have significantly greater antenatal bladder neck mobility than those women continent postpartum. There were no significant differences in any labour or delivery variables, including mode of delivery, between the postpartum continent and incontinent women.Conclusions There is evidence for a constitutional risk factor (eg, defective pelvic floor connective tissue in the development of postpartum stress incontinence).neck mobility, in the development of postpartum urinary stress incontinence. 1300 1991;98: 81S819. Lavin JM, Smith ARB, Anderson J, Grant M, Buckley H, Critchley H, Hosker GL. The effect of the first pregnancy on the 269-272. connective tissue of the rectus sheath. Neurouroi Urodynam 1997; 1 6 381-382. 37 Toozs-Hobson P, Athanasiou S, Khullar V, Boos K, Anders K, Cardozo L. Why do women develop incontinence after childbirth? Neurourol Urodynam 1997; 1 6 384-385. 38 Iosif S, Ingemarsson I. Prevalence of stress incontinence among women delivered by elective caesarean section. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1982; 2 0 87-89.

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For many applications of polysilanes in optoelectronic devices, it is desirable that polymer properties, such as their band gap energy levels, their (redox) stability, and their propensity to interact favorably with (semi)conducting inorganic substrates, can be tailored. It has been demonstrated that, by introduction of substituents in the aryl moiety of poly(methylphenylsilane) (1), i.e., poly(methyl-4-methylphenylsilane) (2), poly(4-methoxyphenylmethylsilane) (3), poly[4-(dimethylamino)phenylmethylsilane] (4), poly(3-methoxyphenylmethylsilane) (5), and poly[4-(2-methoxyethoxy)phenylmethylsilane] (6), these objectives can be achieved. For comparative purposes, poly(4,7,10,13-tetraoxatetradecylmethylsilane) (7) was also taken into consideration. Electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry) in THF/LiClO4 of 1 − 7 show that the onset of oxidation V i of each polysilane provides a reliable estimate of its valence band edge; within series 1 − 7 V i shifts over ca. 0.7 V. Although it is impossible to obtain a reliable estimate of the conduction band edge due to the available potential window of THF/LiClO4, the position of the conduction band edge of the polysilanes is derived from their optical band gaps using fluorescence excitation and emission spectroscopy. The electrochemical and optical properties of the related polysilanes 1−5 correlate with the substituent Hammett constants (σR). The Hammett reaction constants (ρ) indicate that the optical band gap (ρ = 0.29) is less sensitive to electronic pertubations induced by the substituents than the valence band edge (ρ = 0.85). From these results the response of the conduction band edge toward substituent induced electronic pertubations was estimated to be ρ = 0.60. The experimental results are supported by semiempirical PM3 calculations on polysilane oligomers n = 1−10 of 1 and 4.

Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) therapy remains a mainstay of treatment in active hepatitis B. However, sustained remission rates remain relatively low, and the search for factors important for response to therapy continues. Our study aimed to identify the host single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict IFN response in hepatitis B patients. We selected genes in the IFN pathway involved in antiviral and signaling activities and sequenced 22 SNPs for each of our 82 patients. Our results identified 2 SNPs in the antiviral pathway that may influence IFN response. One SNP in the regulatory region of the eIF-2alpha gene revealed A/G alleles. The rate of A/G heterozygotes is 22% in nonresponders (NR) and 2% in sustained responders (R), with an odds ratio (OR) of 12.82 (95% CI: 1.52-107.85, P =.009). After adjustment for age, sex, and HBV DNA level, the OR reaches 14.94 (95% CI: 1.45-153.71, P =.023). This marker revealed greater significance than HBV DNA levels (OR: 5, 95% CI: 1.01-2.43, P =.033) as a marker for IFN response, suggesting its potential advantage over conventional predictors. In addition, borderline significance for the SNP in MxA gene promoter at nt -88 revealed G/T alleles, with the G/T heterozygote rate being 19% in nonresponders and 43% in sustained R (P =.061), concurring with a previous study involving hepatitis C patients. In conclusion, this pilot identified SNPs as potential markers that could predict hepatitis B patient response. These observations may help guide future large-scale studies in examining host SNPs for their clinical utility in predicting IFN response.