Functional consequences of allotypic polymorphisms in human immunoglobulin G subclasses.

Heritable polymorphisms within the human IgG locus, collectively termed allotypes, have often been linked by statistical associations, but rarely mechanistically, to a wide range of disease states. One potential explanation for these associations is that IgG allotype alters host cell receptors' affinity for IgG, dampening or enhancing an immune response depending on the nature of the change and the receptors. In this work, a panel of allotypic antibody variants were evaluated using multiplexed, label-free biophysical methods and cell-based functional assays to determine what effect, if any, human IgG polymorphisms have on antibody function. While we observed several differences in FcγR affinity among allotypes, there was little evidence of dramatically altered FcγR-based effector function or antigen recognition activity associated with this aspect of genetic variability.

Making it fit.

A new NP on a psych unit finds her professional identity must be redefined.

A model program for hepatitis B vaccination and education of schoolchildren in rural China.

OBJECTIVES: Incomplete hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine coverage and poor HBV-related knowledge in China leave millions of children unprotected from this life-threatening infection. To address these gaps, a pilot program for HBV education and vaccination was launched in rural China. METHODS: In 2006, public and private organizations in the US and China collaborated to provide HBV education and vaccination to 55,000 school-age children in the remote, highly HBV-endemic area of Qinghai Province. The impact of the educational program on HBV-related knowledge was evaluated among more than 2,800 elementary school students. RESULTS: Between September 2006 and March 2007, the three-shot hepatitis B vaccine series was administered to 54,680 students, with a completion rate of 99.4%. From low pre-existing knowledge levels, classroom educational sessions statistically significantly increased knowledge about HBV risks, symptoms, transmission, and prevention. CONCLUSIONS: This program offers an effective and sustainable model for HBV catch-up vaccination and education that can be replicated throughout China, as well as in other underserved HBV-endemic regions, as a strategy to reduce chronic HBV infection, liver failure, and liver cancer.

San Francisco hep B free: a grassroots community coalition to prevent hepatitis B and liver cancer.

Chronic hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer and the largest health disparity between Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs) and the general US population. The Hep B Free model was launched to eliminate hepatitis B infection by increasing hepatitis B awareness, testing, vaccination, and treatment among APIs by building a broad, community-wide coalition. The San Francisco Hep B Free campaign is a diverse public/private collaboration unifying the API community, health care system, policy makers, businesses, and the general public in San Francisco, California. Mass-media and grassroots messaging raised citywide awareness of hepatitis B and promoted use of the existing health care system for hepatitis B screening and follow-up. Coalition partners reported semi-annually on activities, resources utilized, and system changes instituted. From 2007 to 2009, over 150 organizations contributed approximately $1,000,000 in resources to the San Francisco Hep B Free campaign. 40 educational events reached 1,100 healthcare providers, and 50% of primary care physicians pledged to screen APIs routinely for hepatitis B. Community events and fairs reached over 200,000 members of the general public. Of 3,315 API clients tested at stand-alone screening sites created by the campaign, 6.5% were found to be chronically infected and referred to follow-up care. A grassroots coalition that develops strong partnerships with diverse organizations can use existing resources to successfully increase public and healthcare provider awareness about hepatitis B among APIs, promote routine hepatitis B testing and vaccination as part of standard primary care, and ensure access to treatment for chronically infected individuals.

Physiological response of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis to differences in food and temperature in the Gulf of Maine.

Studies performed in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) during the spring of 2006 examined populations of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis at several intertidal locations. Several parameters were measured including maximum length, diet (stable isotope composition), and the physiological performance of individual mussels using condition indices and RNA/DNA ratios. These same mussels were also assessed for their response to differences in seawater temperature by quantifying the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP70) and the activities of the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD). These data were then interpreted in the context of sea surface and air temperatures as well as chlorophyll a concentration and the genetic structure of mussel populations. Populations of M. edulis throughout the GOM were found to be genetically homogenous and consumed a mixed diet of phytoplankton and detritus. Mussels exposed to higher seawater temperatures also showed a significant increase in the expression of HSP70 and activities of SOD. The site-specific interplay between the amount of energy gained from the available food resources and the costs associated with protection against the effects of elevated seawater temperatures shows that these mussels exhibit phenotypic plasticity at different sites which could play an important role in the population dynamics of this key member of the rocky intertidal.