The Role of Porcine Monocyte Derived Dendritic Cells (MoDC) in the Inflammation Storm Caused by Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Infection.

Background: Streptococcus suis is an important swine pathogen and zoonotic agent. Infection with this highly pathogenic strain can cause streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome (STSLS), characterized by a Th-1 inflammatory cytokine storm, and a high mortality rate. Monocyte derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) are known to stimulate Th-1 cell differentiation, but the role of MoDCs in STSLS remains to be elucidated.

Association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with exceptional longevity in a Chinese population.

Background: Longevity is a multifactorial trait with a genetic contribution, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms were found to be involved in the phenomenon of longevity.

Methodology/principal Findings: To explore the effects of mtDNA haplogroups on the prevalence of extreme longevity (EL), a population based case-control study was conducted in Rugao--a prefecture city in Jiangsu, China. Case subjects include 463 individuals aged > or = 95 yr (EL group).

Pinghua population as an exception of Han Chinese's coherent genetic structure.

The Han Chinese is the largest single ethnic group in the world, consisting of ten Chinese branches. With the exception of the Pinghua branch, the genetic structure of this group has been studied extensively, and Y chromosome and mitochondrial (mt)DNA data have demonstrated a coherent genetic structure of all Han Chinese. It is therefore believed that the Pinghua branch, being members of an old branch of the Han Chinese, despite being scattered in and around Guangxi Province where members of the Daic and Hmong-Mien are more prevalent than Han Chinese, is no exception.

Comparison of a new gold-immunochromatographic assay for the detection of antibodies against avian influenza virus with hemagglutination inhibition and agar gel immunodiffusion assays.

A gold-immunochromatographic test-strip kit is used for the detection of IgG antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein of Avian Influenza Virus (AIV). Compared with the "gold standard", i.e.