Paradoxical downregulation of HLA-A expression by IFNγ associated with schizophrenia and noncoding genes.

Neuronal MHC/HLA regulates the synapses of the central nervous system (CNS). The expression of MHC/HLA is, in turn, regulated by immune cytokines. We were therefore interested in the regulation of schizophrenia-associated HLA antigens, specifically their regulation of expression by interferons.

Responsiveness of a patient in a persistent vegetative state after a coma to weekly injections of autologous activated immune cells: a case report.

Introduction: An 82-year-old Caucasian woman had remained in a persistent vegetative state after a coma of seven months duration, which occurred after a stroke with hemiplegia, nine years previously. The persistent vegetative state could be reversed in part by weekly injections with activated immune cells. After therapy, our patient responded to commands in addition to regaining spontaneous movements of both arms and the ability to swallow.

The LMP7-K allele of the immunoproteasome exhibits reduced transcript stability and predicts high risk of colon cancer.

Destruction of cancer cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes depends on immunogenic tumor peptides generated by proteasomes and presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules. Functional differences arising from alleles of immunoproteasome subunits have not been recognized so far. We analyzed the genetic polymorphism of the immunoproteasome subunits LMP2 and LMP7 and of the transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP1 and TAP2) in two independently collected panels of colorectal carcinoma patients (N(1) = 112, N(2) = 62; controls, N = 165).

Increased prevalence of Chlamydophila DNA in post-mortem brain frontal cortex from patients with schizophrenia.

Infection can initiate symptoms of mental illness. It has been shown previously that Chlamydophila DNA is present six times more often in the blood of patients with schizophrenia than in the blood of control individuals. Monocytes, the main targets of Chlamydiaceae infection, are microglia precursors.

Transporter associated with antigen processing and the chaperone tapasin: are non-classical HLA genes keys to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a mind-destructive disease. Family and twin studies have indicated an equal contribution of genetic endowment and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Recently Chlamydiaceae species has been identified as a major factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, suggesting defective immune responses of schizophrenic patients against this environmental factor.

Xrs2 facilitates crossovers during DNA double-strand gap repair in yeast.

Xrs2 is a member of the MRX complex (Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study we demonstrate the important role of the MRX complex and in more detail of Xrs2 for the repair of radiation-induced chromosomal double-strand breaks by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. By using a newly designed in vivo plasmid-chromosome recombination system, we could show that gap repair efficiency and the association with crossovers were reduced in the MRX null mutants, but repair accuracy was unaffected.

High risk of schizophrenia and other mental disorders associated with chlamydial infections: hypothesis to combine drug treatment and adoptive immunotherapy.

Many microbial factors have been implicated as pathogenic factors in mental disorders. Occurrence of such microbial factors also in the mentally unaffected population raised skepticism against such findings, although each microbial factor may cause mental problems only in some individuals, depending on the individual's immunogenetic disposition. Skepticism against the role of infection in schizophrenia was also fostered by the low impact of antiinfections treatment on the course of disease progression in schizophrenia.