Multiple origins of cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sativa) based on chloroplast DNA polymorphisms.

The domestication of the Eurasian grape (Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa) from its wild ancestor (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) has long been claimed to have occurred in Transcaucasia where its greatest genetic diversity is found and where very early archaeological evidence, including grape pips and artefacts of a 'wine culture', have been excavated. Whether from Transcaucasia or the nearby Taurus or Zagros Mountains, it is hypothesized that this wine culture spread southwards and eventually westwards around the Mediterranean basin, together with the transplantation of cultivated grape cuttings. However, the existence of morphological differentiation between cultivars from eastern and western ends of the modern distribution of the Eurasian grape suggests the existence of different genetic contribution from local sylvestris populations or multilocal selection and domestication of sylvestris genotypes. To tackle this issue, we analysed chlorotype variation and distribution in 1201 samples of sylvestris and sativa genotypes from the whole area of the species' distribution and studied their genetic relationships. The results suggest the existence of at least two important origins for the cultivated germplasm, one in the Near East and another in the western Mediterranean region, the latter of which gave rise to many of the current Western European cultivars. Indeed, over 70% of the Iberian Peninsula cultivars display chlorotypes that are only compatible with their having derived from western sylvestris populations.

Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of serum S-100 beta protein in patients with malignant melanoma.

PURPOSE: To establish the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of serum S-100 beta protein (sSB) in patients with malignant melanoma (MM), based on its concentration in the peripheral blood and the likelihood ratio (LR) for the whole group of patients with MM, as well as for each separate clinical stage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: sSB was determined immunoluminometrically in 172 patients with histologically confirmed MM. Sera from 64 healthy subjects were used as controls. RESULTS: Increased values of sSB were detected in 65 out of 172 patients with MM, and in 5 cases among healthy subjects. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 38%, 92%, 93% and 35%, respectively. In stage I 1/29 patients had increased values of sSB, in stage II 3/34, in stage III 13/47 and in stage IV 48/62 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for stage I were 3%, 92%, 17% and 68%, respectively/ for stage II 9%, 92%, 37% and 65%, respectively; for stage III 28%, 92%, 72% and 63%, respectively; and for stage IV 77%, 92%, 91%, and 81%, respectively. The LR for sSB values of >13 mug/l was 5 for the whole group of patients with MM, 0.4 for stage I, 1 for stage II, 3 for stage III and 10 for stage IV. CONCLUSION: Based on our results we conclude that sSB is a reliable serum marker for the diagnosis of stage IV MM.