Analysis of environmental contamination resulting from catastrophic incidents: part 2. Building laboratory capability by selecting and developing analytical methodologies.

Catastrophic incidents can generate a large number of samples of analytically diverse types, including forensic, clinical, environmental, food, and others. Environmental samples include water, wastewater, soil, air, urban building and infrastructure materials, and surface residue. Such samples may arise not only from contamination from the incident but also from the multitude of activities surrounding the response to the incident, including decontamination.

Analysis of environmental contamination resulting from catastrophic incidents: part 1. Building and sustaining capacity in laboratory networks.

Catastrophic incidents, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and industrial accidents, can occur suddenly and have high impact. However, they often occur at such a low frequency and in unpredictable locations that planning for the management of the consequences of a catastrophe can be difficult. For those catastrophes that result in the release of contaminants, the ability to analyze environmental samples is critical and contributes to the resilience of affected communities.

Transcription of proteinase 3 and related myelopoiesis genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with active Wegener's granulomatosis.

Objective: Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic inflammatory disease that is associated with substantial morbidity. The aim of this study was to understand the biology underlying WG and to discover markers of disease activity that would be useful for prognosis and treatment guidance.

Methods: Gene expression profiling was performed using total RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and granulocyte fractions from 41 patients with WG and 23 healthy control subjects.

Novel conformation of histidyl-transfer RNA synthetase in the lung: the target tissue in Jo-1 autoantibody-associated myositis.

Objective: We previously proposed that novel expression and/or conformation of autoantigens in the target tissue may play a role in generating phenotype-specific immune responses. The strong association of autoantibodies to histidyl-transfer RNA synthetase (HisRS, Jo-1) with interstitial lung disease in patients with myositis led us to study HisRS expression and conformation in the lung.

Methods: Normal human tissue specimens were probed with a novel anti-HisRS antibody recognizing its granzyme B-cleavable conformation by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.

Immunopathogenic pathways in canine inflammatory myopathies resemble human myositis.

Progress in the treatment of inflammatory myopathies is impeded by the lack of suitable animal models. Inflammatory myopathies occur spontaneously in the dog, are a heterogeneous group of disorders, and are more common than in humans. Clinical signs of weakness and muscle atrophy are reliably present, and there are histological and immunohistological similarities to forms of human myositis.