LAG3 genotype of the donor and clinical outcome after allogeneic transplantation from HLA-identical sibling donors.

Introduction: The association of polymorphisms in molecules involved in the immune response (checkpoint inhibitors) with the clinical outcome after allogeneic transplantation (alloHSCT) has been described. Lymphocyte Activation 3 (LAG3) is a surface protein that plays a regulatory role in immunity as an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule. Methods: To determine its role in the alloHSCT setting, we analyzed 797 patients transplanted from HLA-identical sibling donors. The LAG3 rs870849 C>T polymorphism was genotyped in donors. Results: We detected a higher incidence of severe acute GVHD in patients transplanted from donors with TT genotype (p: 0.047, HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.01 - 2.67). Overall survival (OS) was worse for patients transplanted from donors with the rs870849 CT/TT genotype (0.020; HR, 1.44; 95% CI 1.06 - 1.96), as well as disease-free survival (DFS) (p: 0.002; HR 1.58, 95%CI: 1.18 - 2.14) and transplant-related mortality (TRM) (p< 0.001; HR: 1.88, 95% CI 1.29 - 2.74). When combining the LAG3 rs870849 and the PDCD1 rs36084323 genotypes of the donor, three genetic groups were well defined, allowing a good stratification of the risk of acute GVHD, TRM, OS and DFS. Discussion: We conclude that the LAG3 genotype of the donor may be considered in donors' selection. As this selection may be limited in the HLA-identical sibling donor scenario, further studies exploring the impact of LAG3 genotype of the donor in unrelated transplantation are warranted.

The Role of Nanoengineered Biochar Activated with Fe for Sulfanilamide Removal from Soils and Water.

Biochar is a nanoengineered sorbent proposed to control the contamination derived from the presence of residual concentrations of sulfonamides in soil. In this work, we evaluated the sorption of sulfanilamide (SFA) in commercial biochar (BC) produced at 500 °C from oak hardwood (Quercus ilex) and its analog activated with 2% (w/w) Fe (BC-Fe). Subsequently, the effect on dissipation and transport of SFA in untreated soil and soil treated with BC and BC-Fe was also assessed. Laboratory batch studies revealed that BC-Fe increased the sorption of SFA as compared to the pristine BC with Kd of 278 and 98 L/kg, respectively. The dissipation of SFA in either untreated soil or soil treated with BC or BC-Fe was similar, displaying half-lives ranging between 4 and 6.4 days. Conversely, the concurrent determination of sorption during the incubation experiment showed that lower amounts of SFA in solution at the beginning of the experiments were bioavailable in BC-Fe-treated soil when compared to the rest of the treatments shortly after application. Leaching column studies confirmed the amendment's capability to bind the SFA compound. Therefore, the decrease in bioavailability and movement of SFA in treated soils suggest that biochar soil application can reduce SFA soil and water contamination. According to our results, BC surface modification after Fe activation may be more appropriate for water decontamination than for soil since there were no significant differences between the two types of biochar when added to the soil. Therefore, these outcomes should be considered to optimize the SFA mitigation potential of biochar.

Biochar changes the bioavailability and bioefficacy of the allelochemical coumarin in agricultural soils.

BACKGROUND: Allelochemicals can act as biopesticides or enhance the action of synthetic pesticides. In this work, we assessed the bioavailability of the allelochemical coumarin in soils amended with fresh or field-aged biochars (BCs). The fresh BC from oak wood (Fresh BC) was prepared at 550 °C and was buried for aging in two different places: in a sandy loam soil in Spain for 15 months (Aged BC_1) and a sandy loam soil in USA for six months (Aged BC_2). RESULTS: Sorption experiments showed that all BCs were able to increase the affinity of soil towards coumarin, with the distribution coefficient following the order: unamended soil < Aged BC_2-amended soil < Aged BC_1-amended soil < Fresh BC-amended soil. All biochars ensure greater persistence of coumarin and the effect was more pronounced at high chemical dose (10 mg kg-1 ). Conversely, leaching studies in soil columns revealed that BCs were able to maintain coumarin within the first 5 cm of top-soil with total amount extracted ranging between 17% and 22% for BC-amended soil and <1% for unamended soil. Leaching was only observed when coumarin was added at the highest rate. Likewise, the bioefficacy of coumarin against lettuce was enhanced only at 10 kg ha-1 with BC-amended soil. CONCLUSIONS: Biochar application to agricultural soils is a promising tool for the management of natural compounds with potential use as biopesticides, such as coumarin, because it increases sorption, persistence and, in some cases, bioefficacy. The results reveal that this effect still persists with aging of BC in soils.

Dynamic Effect of Fresh and Aged Biochar on the Behavior of the Herbicide Mesotrione in Soils.

In this study, we assessed the sorption, dissipation, and leaching of the herbicide mesotrione in soil amended with fresh and field-aged biochars, when added to the soil. The aging process was performed by burying the fresh biochar at 10 cm depth in three soils located in different points across the USA [Wisconsin (ABC_WI), Idaho (ABC_ID), and South Carolina (ABC_SC)] for six months. ABC_ID and ABC_SC slightly increased the sorption of mesotrione in soils, whereas ABC_WI removed greater amounts of herbicide from the solution. This was attributed to differences in water-soluble components and metal content of this aged biochar. Consequently, the persistence of the herbicide in the amended soils with fresh biochar and ABC_ID and ABC_SC were similar to that in unamended soils, while ABC_WI slightly increased mesotrione half-life. Differences between treatments were detected in leaching studies although no direct relationship with the dissipation batch studies was observed. Mesotrione leaching could not be detected in soil columns amended with ABC_WI and was high for the rest of treatments. The outcomes from this work demonstrate that temporal variability of biochar sorption capacities due to soil exposure can occur altering mesotrione's behavior in biochar-amended soils.

Biochar Soil Additions Affect Herbicide Fate: Importance of Application Timing and Feedstock Species.

Biochar (BC), solid biomass subjected to pyrolysis, can alter the fate of pesticides in soil. We investigated the effect of soil amendment with several biochars on the efficacy of two herbicides, clomazone (CMZ) and bispyribac sodium (BYP). To this aim, we evaluated CMZ and BYP sorption, persistence, and leaching in biochar-amended soil. Sorption of CMZ and BYP was greater in soil amended with BC produced at high temperature (700 °C). Significant sorption of the neutral CMZ herbicide also occurred in amended soil with BC prepared at low temperature (350 and 500 °C). For both herbicides, desorption possessed higher hysteretic behavior in soil amended with BC made at 700 °C (pyrolysis temperature). Dissipation of CMZ was enhanced after addition of BCs to soil, but no correlation between persistence and sorption was observed. Persistence of BYP was up to 3 times greater when BC made at 700 °C was added to soil. All BCs suppressed the leaching of CMZ and BYP as compared to the unamended soil. Amendment with 700 °C BC inhibited the action of CMZ against weeds, but 350 and 500 °C BCs had no such effect when added to soil. BYP activity was similar to that exhibited by unamended soil after the addition of 700 °C BC. From these results, biochar amendments can be a successful strategy to reduce the environmental impact of CMZ and BYP in soil. However, the phytotoxicity of soil-applied herbicides will depend on BC sorption characteristics and the pesticide's chemical properties, as well as the pesticide application timing (e.g., pre- or postemergence). According to our results, proper biochar screening with intended pesticides in light of the application mode (pre- or postemergence) is required prior to use to ensure adequate efficacy.

Terbuthylazine persistence in an organic amended soil.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the application of a solid waste from olive oil production (alperujo) on the movement and persistence of the herbicide terbuthylazine (N2-tert-butyl-6-chloro-N4-ethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine). An experimental olive grove was divided in two plots: (i) Plot without organic amendment (blank) and (ii) Plot treated with alperujo during 3 years at a rate of 17920 kg of alperujo ha(- 1). Terbuthylazine was applied to both plots at a rate of 2 kg ha(- 1) a.i. Triplicates from each plot were sampled at 3 depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm), air-dried, remains of olive leaves, grass roots, and stones removed and sieved through a 5 mm mesh sieve. Terbuthylazine was extracted with methanol 1:2 weight:volume ratio, the extracts were evaporated to dryness, resuspended in 2 mL of methanol, filtered and anylized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Higher amounts of terbuthylazine were detected at each sampling depth in plots treated with alperujo. The increase in soil organic matter content upon amendment with alperujo slightly increased sorption, suggesting that other factors beside sorption affect terbuthylazine degradation rate in organic amended soils.

Specific CAPN10 gene haplotypes influence the clinical profile of polycystic ovary patients.

Recently, several research groups have evaluated CAPN10 gene in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients and other phenotypes, including hirsutism or intermediate phenotypes of PCOS. Molecular genetic analysis of CAPN10 gene indicates that different alleles may play a role in PCOS susceptibility and could be associated with idiopathic hirsutism. However, these observations are not exempt from controversy, because independent studies cannot replicate these preliminary findings. We present a haplotype-phenotype correlation study of CAPN10 haplotypes in 148 women showing ecographically detected polycystic ovaries (PCO) combined with one or more of these clinical symptoms: amenorrhea or severe oligomenorrhea, hyperandrogenism, and anovulatory infertility, as well as 93 unrelated controls. We have reconstructed and analyzed 482 CAPN10 haplotypes in patients and controls. We detected the association of UCSNP-44 allele with PCO phenotype in the Spanish population (P = 0.02). In addition, we identified several CAPN10 alleles associated to phenotypic differences observed between PCO patients, such as the presence of hypercholesterolemia (haplotype 1121, P = 0.005), presence of hyperandrogenic features (P = 0.05), and familial cancer incidence (haplotype 1111, P = 0.0005). Our results confirm the association of UCSNP-44 allele with PCO phenotype in the Spanish population. Moreover, we have identified novel candidate risk alleles and genotypes, within CAPN10 gene, that could be associated with important phenotypic and prognosis differences observed in PCOS patients.

Comment: CAPN10 alleles are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic anovulation infertility, hyperandrogenemia, and frequently insulin resistance. This study investigated whether polymorphisms in the CAPN10 gene are related with PCOS etiology. The allelic frequencies and genotypes of CAPN10 polymorphisms UCSNP-44, 43, 19, and 63 were determined in 55 well characterized women with polycystic ovaries and 93 unrelated healthy controls using spectrofluorimetric analyses and real-time PCR. Our data indicate that CAPN10 UCSNP-44 allele is associated with PCOS in the Spanish population (P = 0.01). These results support a role of Calpain 10 gene in PCOS susceptibility in humans.