The links of hepcidin and erythropoietin in the interplay of inflammation and iron deficiency in a large observational study of rheumatoid arthritis.

Anaemia affects quality of life and radiographic outcome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a cross-sectional study with 779 patients, we assessed the prognostic potential of the major haematopoietic regulators, hepcidin and erythropoietin, comparing their serum concentrations with respect to different anaemia types, inflammatory activity, anti-cytokine-specific treatment effects and iron deficiency (ID) indices. The results showed that clinical disease activity was more closely associated with haemoglobin levels than with anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin 6 receptor effects.

Does Concomitant Methotrexate with Adalimumab Influence Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis? Data from a Large Observational Study.

Objective: To examine the influence of concomitant methotrexate (MTX) with adalimumab (ADA) on outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using data from an observational study of ADA.

Methods: Data from a German noninterventional study of patients with PsA starting treatment with ADA were analyzed retrospectively for effects of concomitant MTX on key outcomes, including Disease Activity Score-28 joints, tender and swollen joint counts, skin assessments, and safety. Patients were categorized into those with symptoms of axial involvement and those with no symptoms of axial involvement as judged by the examining clinician.

Impact of the routine varicella vaccination programme on varicella epidemiology in Germany.

Routine varicella vaccination with one dose for children of 11 to 14 months was recommended in Germany in 2004 to reduce disease incidence and severe complications. A country-wide varicella sentinel surveillance system was initiated in 2005 to detect trends of disease frequency and vaccine uptake and to evaluate the vaccination programme. A convenient sample of about 1,000 paediatricians and general practitioners was recruited to report on a monthly basis on varicella cases by age groups seen in their practice, and on varicella vaccine doses administered.

Ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals complexity of indigenous North American turkey domestication.

Although the cultural and nutritive importance of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) to precontact Native Americans and contemporary people worldwide is clear, little is known about the domestication of this bird compared to other domesticates. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of 149 turkey bones and 29 coprolites from 38 archaeological sites (200 BC-AD 1800) reveals a unique domesticated breed in the precontact Southwestern United States. Phylogeographic analyses indicate that this domestic breed originated from outside the region, but rules out the South Mexican domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) as a progenitor.

[Overview of measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccination in adolescents and adults].

It is evident that the complete elimination of measles, mumps and varicella has not yet been accomplished, as various outbreaks have shown. In the recent past the number of infections of teenagers and adults with these so called 'children's diseases' have been increasing. The course of the infections in these cases are often severe.

Tracing the first steps of American sturgeon pioneers in Europe.

Background: A Baltic population of Atlantic sturgeon was founded approximately 1,200 years ago by migrants from North America, but after centuries of persistence, the population was extirpated in the 1960s, mainly as a result of over-harvest and habitat alterations. As there are four genetically distinct groups of Atlantic sturgeon inhabiting North American rivers today, we investigated the genetic provenance of the historic Baltic population by ancient DNA analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear markers.

Results: The phylogeographic signal obtained from multilocus microsatellite DNA genotypes and mitochondrial DNA control region haplotypes, when compared to existing baseline datasets from extant populations, allowed for the identification of the region-of-origin of the North American Atlantic sturgeon founders.

Observational study of a patient and doctor directed pre-referral questionnaire for an early arthritis clinic.

We evaluated a combined physician and patient questionnaire designed for identifying early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) in a cohort of 220 patients supposed for admission to an early arthritis clinic (EAC). The documents including personal and basis demographic data, referral diagnosis, questions related to RA and SpA classification criteria, functional limitations and previous diagnostic and therapeutic attempts were fax-transmitted to referring practices and returned before first EAC appointment. 125 referrals before introduction of the questionnaire served as controls.

[Public health management in invasive meningococcal diseases].

At the 54(th) Scientific Congress of the German Professional Association of Public Health Service Physicians and Dentists in Marburg on 6th May 2004 the working group on meningococci (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Meningokokken, AGMK) organised the international workshop "Public Health Management of invasive Meningococcal Disease". In recent years significant changes in the epidemiology of meningococcal disease took place in Europe: in some countries and regions the number of disease caused by meningococci serogroup C has increased significantly. In the Netherlands this increase led to the introduction of an immunisation programme with conjugated meningococcal vaccines targeting children aged 1 up to 18 years.

Correction of iron-deficient erythropoiesis in the treatment of anemia of chronic disease with recombinant human erythropoietin.

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) is a frequent complication of chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) has been shown to be effective in correcting ACD, although with a variable rate of nonresponders. The first aim of this trial was to improve the response to rHuEpo by parenteral iron supplementation in cases of iron-deficient erythropoiesis (IDE).

[Drug therapy of rheumatoid arthritis].

Nowadays undisputed is the effectiveness of early and long-standing DMARD therapy in the presence of active rheumatoid arthritis on disease progression and avoidance of structural joint changes. "Early" is defined as immediate initiation of drug therapy after diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. "Long-term" refers to a mostly life-long therapy, which even in the case of remission should be continued for at least 1 year.

Release of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and CXCL8/interleukin-8 from lung epithelial cells rendered necrotic by influenza A virus infection.

Bronchiolar epithelial cells are the prime targets for influenza A virus infection. It still remains to be clarified which signals are generated from these cells to initiate an immune response. Among chemokines, viral infection of primary lung epithelial cells triggered exclusively the release of CXCL8/interleukin-8 (IL-8), which contrasts with our previous observation that influenza A virus induced in monocytes the expression of mononuclear-leukocyte-attracting chemokines and even suppressed the production of neutrophil-attracting chemokines.

Experiences and expectations of a novel X-ray microsource with focusing mirror. I. erratum.

The following are corrections to a paper by Bloomer & Arndt [(1999), Acta Cryst. D55, 1672-1680]. The entry in the second row of the I(MAR) column of Table 1(b) on page 1674 should read 6.

Experiences and expectations of a novel X-ray microsource with focusing mirror. I.

Data are presented from a novel microfocus X-ray generator installed with a choice of ellipsoidal specularly reflecting mirrors. Diffraction data from proteins show the useful flux from this low-power device to be approaching equivalence with that from many far more powerful generators. Intensity measurements show that for small crystals the brilliance is now restricted by the performance of the mirror, which appears to be limited by imperfections in the figure of its surface rather than by a low reflectivity.

New developments in X-ray optics for macromolecular crystallography using laboratory X-ray sources.

A variety of different devices has been described recently for conditioning the X-ray beam incident on the sample for structural studies on proteins and other macromolecular crystals.

Assessment of the genotoxicity of mine-dump material using the Tradescantia-stamen hair (Trad-SHM) and the Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassays.

The Tradescantia-stamen hair (Trad-SHM) and -micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassays were used to determine the genotoxicity of two eluates derived from mine tailings. The goal was to test the suitability of the Tradescantia bioassays as screening tools for this kind of waste material. Leachates obtained using the current standard German leaching test methods (S4 eluate) as well as leachates obtained using a new eluation method (pHstat4) were tested and compared.

Performance of some growth variables.

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.

Visible injury responses.

During a five year experiment on the causes of forest disease, symptoms of visible injury and pest infestations in trees treated with various air pollutants in open-top chambers were observed. Though the long-term experiment was originally not intended to include such investigations, insect infestation and some discoloration of the trees (Beech, Fagus sylvatica; Fir, Abies alba; Spruce, Picea abies) could not be avoided. Abundance and size of some of the insects were measured after two years and at the end of the experiment.

CO2/H2O gas exchange parameters of one- and two-year-old needles of spruce and fir.

Gas exchange was characterized in one- and two year-old spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and fir seedlings (Abies alba Mill.

Mineral content in the soil and tree foliage.

Seedlings of fir (Abies alba Mill.) and spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.

General methods and materials.

In the winter of 1982-83 an experiment was initiated at the University of Hohenheim to investigate the long-term effects of near ambient concentrations of O(3), SO(2), and simulated acidic rain and fog, alone and in combination, on mineral cycling, physiology, biochemistry and anatomy of Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.), Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.