SummaryStudies have demonstrated that B cells play important roles in systemic sclerosis (SSc), especially through the CD19/CD22 autoimmune loop. CD22 is a B cell-specific inhibitory receptor that dampens B cell antigen receptor (BCR) signalling via tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent mechanism. In this study, we examined the presence and functional property of circulating autoantibodies reacting with CD22 in systemic sclerosis. Serum samples from 10 tight skin (TSK/+) mice and 50 SSc patients were assessed for anti-CD22 autoantibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using recombinant mouse or human CD22. The association between anti-CD22 antibodies and clinical features was also investigated in SSc patients. Furthermore, the influence of SSc serum including anti-CD22 autoantibodies for CD22 tyrosine phosphorylation was examined by Western blotting using phosphotyrosinespecific antibodies reacting with four major tyrosine motifs of CD22 cytoplasmic domain. Anti-CD22 autoantibodies were positive in 80% of TSK/+ mice and in 22% of SSc patients. Patients positive for anti-CD22 antibodies showed significantly higher modified Rodnan skin thickness score compared with patients negative for anti-CD22 antibodies. Furthermore, anti-CD22 antibodies from patients' sera were capable of reducing phosphorylation of all four CD22 tyrosine motifs, while sera negative for anti-CD22 antibodies did not affect CD22 phosphorylation. Thus, a subset of SSc patients possessed autoantibodies reacting with a major inhibitory B cell response regulator, CD22. Because these antibodies can interfere CD22-mediated suppression onto B cell activation in vitro, SSc B cells produce functional autoantibodies that can enhance their own activation. This unique regulation may contribute to the autoimmune aspect of SSc.

The serum titre of anti-CCP Ab is higher in SSc-RA overlap patients than in SSc patients with or without arthralgia. The finding of high titres of anti-CCP Abs and the elevated levels combinatory with other RA-related Abs may help to define the diagnosis of SSc-RA overlap. MMP-3 might be a better marker to assess skin involvement rather than joint involvement in SSc patients.

Many poor-quality medicines are supplied to patients mainly in developing countries. No systematic survey on counterfeit medicines has been conducted in Myanmar since 1999. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current situation of substandard or counterfeit medicines in Myanmar. Samples of oral medicines, cefuroxime axetil (CXM), donepezil hydrochloride (DN) and omeprazole (OM), and injections, ceftriaxone sodium (CTRX), and gentamicin sulfate (GM), were collected from pharmacies, hospitals, and wholesalers in Yangon, Myanmar in 2014. Authenticity and quality were verified. There were 221 (94%) foreign medicines among 235 collected samples. Five samples of GM and 1 DN sample were not registered with the Food and Drug Administration, Myanmar. In quality analysis, 36 samples out of 177 (20.3%) did not pass quantity tests, 27 samples out of 176 (15.3%) did not pass content uniformity tests, and 23 out of 128 samples (18.0%) did not pass dissolution tests. Three of the unregistered GM samples failed in both identification and microbial assay tests. Counterfeit GM is being sold in Yangon. Also, the quality of OM is a matter of concern. Poor-quality medicines were frequently found among the products of a few manufacturers. Regular surveys to monitor counterfeit and substandard medicines in Myanmar are recommended.

Abstract:Arid land afforestation could be a countermeasure for global warming, and a project for developing and evaluating techniques for arid land afforestation and reforestation has been carried out in Sturt Meadows near Leonora, Western Australia. As a part of this project, the litter carbon dynamics were investigated at three Acacia aneura forest sites, using a litter carbon model incorporating the physical removal of litter by winds, floods, etc. Based on the field observation data of above ground plant biomass, annual litter fall, existing amount of the litter, and also litter decomposition rate constants separately obtained for leaf litter and woody litter, we investigated the carbon flows at these forest sites, especially the annual amount of litter physically removed from the sites by floods or winds. As a result, it is estimated that annual physical removal of litter amounted to 59% to 75% of the annual litter fall, and the litter removal rate constants were from 0.38 to 0.55 yr -1 . Roughly one third to a half of the existing litter is removed annually from the sites. There was also a tendency that as the canopy coverage decreases, the litter removal rate constant increases.For this type of ecosystem, which is susceptible to the run-off of water and strong winds, we consider the taking into account of the physical removal of the litter is essential for analyzing the carbon dynamics in the ecosystem.2