Evaluating the nutritional value of date pits and demonstrating their application in laying hen diets.

This experiment was carried out to study the feeding value of ground date pits (DP) (Phoenix dactylifera L.) with and without enzyme supplementation on laying hens' performance. Apparent metabolizable energy value of DP was determined by the total collection method using 10 adult Leghorn cockerels. After that, a total number of 144 Lohmann 50-week-old LSL-Lite hens were randomly allocated into six groups consisting of four replicates of six birds, based on a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of the treatments. Six iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets including I-corn-soya bean meal-based control, II-corn-soya bean meal oil-based control and III- corn-soya bean meal-based diet (180 g/kg DP) were formulated. Each of the diets was supplemented with two levels of an enzyme (0.0 and 0.07 g/kg Natozim Plus). The experiment lasted 10 weeks after 7 days of adaptation. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg mass, eggshell weight, eggshell thickness and Haugh unit among the treatments. Dietary inclusion of DP significantly decreased body weight gain (BWG), egg weight and yolk colour score. On the other hand, corn-soya bean meal-based control diet with vegetable oil significantly increased egg weight and BWG of birds in comparison with other treatments. The serum biochemical metabolites were not affected by DP and enzyme supplementation. Thus, DP can be used as alternative feedstuff in laying hen diets, up to 18% of the diet with little effect on the performance of hens, including egg weight, and also, it had an adverse effect on yolk colour. Eventually, in terms of performance, the results failed to demonstrate any positive effect of Natozim Plus on either the controls or 18% DP diets.

Relationship between disease activity and type 1 interferon- and other cytokine-inducible gene expression in blood in dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between blood mRNA, disease activity and treatment effects in a longitudinal study of patients with dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM). In all, 24 patients with DM or PM were followed for up to 6 years (mean of 1.9 years) at 2-7 follow-up visits while receiving standard clinical care. Clinical data and blood samples collected at 80 patient visits were used for the analysis of cytokine-induced gene expression for the signaling pathways of type 1 interferon (IFN), tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1ß, granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor, IL-10 and IL-13. A type 1 IFN signature score, but not other cytokine signature scores in the blood of patients with DM or PM, correlated highly with disease activity, decreased significantly with immunomodulatory therapies and showed concordant changes with major changes in disease activity. Type 1 IFN signature score in the blood correlates with disease activity in longitudinal follow-up of individual patients with DM or PM. The type 1 IFN-inducible gene transcripts in the blood have potential utility for monitoring disease activity in patients with DM or PM.

T cell receptor profiling in muscle and blood lymphocytes in sporadic inclusion body myositis.

BACKGROUND: Sporadic IBM (sIBM) is characterized by invasion of non-necrotic MHC-I class-expressing muscle fibers by clonally expanded CD8+ cells. Whether the endomysial cells expand in situ or are recruited from the circulation is unclear. METHODS: We used CDR3 spectratyping of the T cell receptor (TCR) V beta chains to determine clonal expansion of T cells in simultaneously obtained muscle and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 12 patients with sIBM, and compared the difference between the two compartments. To determine whether the identified clones belonged to autoinvasive T cells, we performed immunohistochemistry on the same muscle specimens. Spectratyping was repeated in four muscle biopsies 1 year after the first. RESULTS: In control PBL, all 24 TCR V beta subfamilies had a polyclonal or Gaussian distribution. In sIBM PBL, 5% of the V beta subfamilies demonstrated a single and 16% up to three peaks. In contrast, in their corresponding muscles, 27% (p = 0.0003) of the V beta subfamilies demonstrated a single and 71% (p < 0.0001) up to three peaks. Among the amplified subfamilies, V beta 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 23, and 24 showed the highest degree of restriction within muscle. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the clonally expanded CD8+ cells were autoinvasive. In follow-up biopsies the clonality persisted with an unchanged degree of restriction, but not always of the same subfamilies, suggesting epitope spreading. CONCLUSION: In sporadic inclusion body myositis, the endomysial T cells are specifically recruited to the muscle or expand in situ. The restriction of multiple V beta subfamilies and their change over time suggests recognition of various local antigens and epitope spreading.

Modafinil for treatment of fatigue in post-polio syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if modafinil can improve fatigue in patients with post-polio syndrome. METHODS: We used a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Intervention with modafinil (400 mg/day) and placebo occurred over 6-week periods. Primary endpoint (fatigue) was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale as the main outcome measure. Other measures included the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue and the Fatigue Impact Scale. Secondary endpoint (health-related quality of life) was assessed using the 36-Item Short-Form. Analysis of variance for repeated measures was applied to assess treatment, period, and carryover effects. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were randomized, 33 of whom (mean age: 61 years) completed required interventions. Treatment with modafinil was safe and well-tolerated. After adjusting for periods and order effects, no difference was observed between treatments. CONCLUSION: Based on the utilized measures of outcome modafinil was not superior to placebo in alleviating fatigue or improving quality of life in the studied post-polio syndrome population.