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The inflammation theory of depression, proposed over 20 years ago, was influenced by early studies on T cell responses and since then has been a stimulus for numerous research projects aimed at understanding the relationship between immune function and depression. Observational studies have shown that indicators of immunity, especially C reactive protein and proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 6, are associated with an increased risk of depressive disorders, although the evidence from randomized trials remains limited and only few studies have assessed the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity in depression. In this paper, we review current knowledge on the interactions between central and peripheral innate and adaptive immune molecules and the potential role of immune-related activation of microglia, inflammasomes and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase in the development of depressive symptoms. We highlight how combining basic immune methods with more advanced ‘omics’ technologies would help us to make progress in unravelling the complex associations between altered immune function and depressive disorders, in the identification of depression-specific biomarkers and in developing immunotherapeutic treatment strategies that take individual variability into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Context: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases associated with the aging process in men, particularly men aged >50 yr, yet only a few predictive factors have been identified. In recent years, attention has focused on the role of prostatic inflammation in the pathogenesis and progression of BPH. Objective: This article reviews recent findings related to the potential link between local and systemic inflammation and BPH. Evidence acquisition: In March 2013, at the annual meeting of the European Association of Urology in Milan, Italy, a satellite symposium entitled “Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) and Inflammation, from Lab to Clinic,” was held with the goal of reviewing the latest data relating to the link between inflammation and BPH. This paper is based on one of the presentations at this symposium. A structured PubMed literature search was performed, and emphasis was placed on results from the past 10 yr. Evidence synthesis: BPH is characterized by progressive hyperplasia of stromal and glandular cells, and clinically it is defined by lower urinary tract symptoms. In recent years, there has been accumulating evidence linking prostatic inflammation with BPH. The inflammatory infiltrates observed in patients with BPH are composed primarily of chronically activated T-lymphocytes. Cytokines and growth factors released from inflammatory cells create a proinflammatory environment that may support the fibromuscular growth seen in BPH and may also be responsible for inducing a state of relative hypoxia as a result of the increased oxygen demand of the proliferating cells. A number of clinical studies have confirmed the presence of inflammatory infiltrate in men with BPH, and this infiltrate has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis, clinical appearance, and progression of this disorder. There is evidence emerging that systemic inflammation may also play a role in BPH, since in men with metabolic syndrome there was a significant correlation between prostate diameter/volume and the number of metabolic syndrome components. Conclusions: It is clear that a number of different mechanisms are involved in the development and progression of BPH. Prostatic inflammation is an important feature, since it appears to be involved in the pathogenesis, symptomatology, and progression of the disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the cloning and sequencing of interleukin (IL)-23 p19 subunit for the first time within a non-mammalian species, the zebrafish (Danio rerio), which was discovered using a synteny approach. In addition, amino acid sequences were for IL-23 p19 subunits were also predicted from the stickleback, Fugu and Tetraodon genomes and included in this investigation. The zebrafish IL-23 p19 cDNA consisted of a 66bp 5′ UTR, a 249bp 3′ UTR and a single open reading frame of 567bp giving a predicted 188 aa IL-23 p19 molecule. Multiple alignment of zebrafish IL-23 p19, with other known IL-23 p19 and IL-12 p35 amino acid sequences revealed areas of amino acid conservation, such as the presence of four predicted α-helixes, cysteines important for disulphide bond formation and the conservation of a tryptophan known to interact with the receptor. Amino acid homologies and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the relationship of the fish IL-23 p19 subunits with their mammalian homologues. All the teleost fish IL-23 p19 subunits were found to have 4 exons and 3 introns similar to that of human and mouse IL-23 p19 and a limited degree of synteny was found between the organisms for the regions containing the IL-23 p19 genes with only PAB-dependent poly(A)-specific ribonuclease subunit 2 (PAN2) and IL-23 p19 found in the same order on human chromosome 12 and all the fish genomes looked at. Lastly using real-time PCR, constitutive expression of IL-12 p40 and IL-23 p19 was observed in the kidney, liver, gut and muscle with IL-12 p40 expression higher than IL-23 p19. As soon as an hour after stimulation with LPS, there was an increase of IL-23 p19 in zebrafish leukocytes and an increase of IL-1β, IL-12 p40 and IL-23 p19 expression was found after infection of zebrafish for 1 or 6 days with Mycobaterium marinum strain E11. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]