Latitude and ultraviolet radiation dose in the birthplace in relation to menarcheal age in a large cohort of French women.

Background: Age at menarche is an important determinant of hormonal-related neoplasia and other chronic diseases. Spatial and temporal variations in age at menarche have been observed in industrialised countries and several environmental factors were reported to have an influence.

Method: We examined geographical variations in self-reported age at menarche and explored the effects of both latitude and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dose on the onset of menarche in 88,278 women from the French E3N cohort (aged 40-65 years at inclusion).

Estimating natural UV personal exposure with radiative transfer calculations.

The following study has investigated whether straightforward radiative transfer calculations can be used to adequately document natural UV personal exposure. The method was evaluated by comparing the results with erythemal doses accumulated by polysulphone films positioned on mannequins. The calculations succeeded in reproducing the variability associated with changing solar zenith angle and atmospheric conditions.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura at the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease.

We describe the case of a 76-year-old male presenting a thrombocytopenia at the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease. Basing on bone marrow biopsy and evolution, we diagnosed an immune thrombocytopenia and treated with intravenous gammaglobulins. The platelet count normalized in a few days under this therapy.

Anti-CTLA-4 treatment induces IL-10-producing ICOS+ regulatory T cells displaying IDO-dependent anti-inflammatory properties in a mouse model of colitis.

Background And Aims: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has been shown to act as a negative regulator of T cell function and has been implicated in the regulation of T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 development and the function of regulatory T cells. Tests were carried out to determine whether anti-CTLA-4 treatment would alter the polarisation of naive T cells in vivo.

Methods: Mice were treated with anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (UC10-4F10) at the time of immunisation or colonic instillation of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS).

Endotoxin hyperresponsiveness upon CD4+ T cell reconstitution in lymphopenic mice: control by natural regulatory T cells.

Natural CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (nTreg) have been shown to control graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Herein, we considered the possibility that the beneficial action of nTreg upon immune reconstitution in lymphopenic hosts involves dampening of the inflammatory response induced by bacterial products. We first observed that transfer of syngeneic CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells in RAG-deficient mice dramatically enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines and associated pathology upon endotoxin injection.