: A Small but Versatile Species.

Enteroviruses (EVs) from the D species are the causative agents of a diverse range of infectious diseases in spite of comprising only five known members. This small clade has a diverse host range and tissue tropism. It contains types infecting non-human primates and/or humans, and for the latter, they preferentially infect the eye, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system.

A polymorphic residue that attenuates the antiviral potential of interferon lambda 4 in hominid lineages.

As antimicrobial signalling molecules, type III or lambda interferons (IFNλs) are critical for defence against infection by diverse pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Counter-intuitively, expression of one member of the family, IFNλ4, is associated with decreased clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the human population; by contrast, a natural frameshift mutation that abrogates IFNλ4 production improves HCV clearance. To further understand how genetic variation between and within species affects IFNλ4 function, we screened a panel of all known extant coding variants of human IFNλ4 for their antiviral potential and identify three that substantially affect activity: P70S, L79F and K154E.

Gastric carcinomas of intestinal type concur with distant changes in the gastric mucosa. A multicenter study in the Atlantic basin.

Population studies in the Pacific Basin showed that gastric carcinomas of intestinal type often concur with distant mucosal changes (DMCs). In the present work, the presence of DMCs was investigated in populations dwelling in the Atlantic Basin. A total of 1737 gastrectomy specimens were reviewed: 627 in New York, 435 in Reykjavik, 198 in Buenos Aires, 186 in Florence, 174 in London and the remaining 117 in Stockholm.

Duodenal content reflux esophagitis in the rat: an animal model for the ulcer-associated cell lineage (UACL)?

We have studied the histological changes observed in the mucosa of 10 rats in the region of a esophagojejunostomy to evaluate it as a model for the ulcer-associated cell lineage (UACL). In man, the UACL has a distinctive morphology, proliferative organization, and pattern of trefoil peptide localization. We have therefore examined these aspects aided by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization to the trefoil peptides TFF1, TFF2, and TFF3.