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Introduction: Genetic studies have shown that variants in the microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT ) gene, which encodes tau protein, can increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, two haplotypes of the MAPT gene (H1 and H2) are associated with various neurodegenerative disorders, including AD. This study aimed to test the association of MAPT haplotypes (H1 and H2) and MAPT haplotype-tagging polymorphisms (rs1467967, rs242557, rs3785883, rs2471738, del-In9, rs7521) with AD., Methods: The study included 964 individuals: 113 with AD, 53 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 54 with other dementias, and 744 healthy controls., Results: The results showed that individuals carrying the A allele in the MAPT rs1467967 polymorphism, the GG genotype in the MAPT rs7521 polymorphism, and the G allele in the MAPT rs242557 polymorphism had worse performance on various neuropsychological tests. Carriers of the C allele in MAPT rs2471738 polymorphism and CC homozygotes also showed worse performance on neuropsychological tests and pathological levels of several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. However, T allele carriers in the MAPT rs2471738 polymorphism were more represented among patients with dementia and apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) ɛ4 carriers. Carriers of the H2 MAPT haplotype had worse performance on various neuropsychological tests, consistent with our previous study, which associated the H2 MAPT haplotype with pathological levels of CSF AD biomarkers. Regarding the MAPT rs3785883 polymorphism, further research is needed since both the AA and GG genotypes were associated with pathological levels of CSF and plasma AD biomarkers., Discussion: In conclusion, further genetic studies are needed to elucidate the role of MAPT haplotypes and MAPT haplotype-tagging polymorphisms in the development of AD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Babić Leko, Španić Popovački, Willumsen, Nikolac Perković, Pleić, Zubčić, Langer Horvat, Vogrinc, Boban, Borovečki, Zemunik, de Silva and Šimić.)

Sudden, unexpected deaths are extremely difficult for families, especially when the victim is a child. Most sudden deaths occur due to cardiovascular issues, and a smaller number (approximately one-quarter) are attributed to other causes, such as epilepsy. The medicinal and non-medicinal use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which can cause breathing problems, is frequently involved in these deaths. It is also being found more often in autopsies of sudden death cases, and the number of overdose deaths from illicit drugs containing fentanyl is increasing. There are cases in which it is mixed with other drugs. A gene known as the KCNH2 gene or human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG), involved in the heart's electrical activity, can be related to abnormal heart rhythms. This gene, along with others, may play a role in sudden deaths related to fentanyl use. In response, we have examined the scientific literature on genetic variations in the KCNH2 gene that can cause sudden death, the impact of fentanyl on this process, and the potential benefits of genetic testing for the victims to offer genetic counseling for their family members.

Various metals have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), principally heavy metals that are environmental pollutants (such as As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) and essential metals whose homeostasis is disturbed in AD (such as Cu, Fe, and Zn). Although there is evidence of the involvement of these metals in AD, further research is needed on their mechanisms of toxicity. To further assess the involvement of heavy and essential metals in AD pathogenesis, we compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers to macro- and microelements measured in CSF and plasma. We tested if macro- and microelements' concentrations (heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Tl), essential metals (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Mo), essential non-metals (B, P, S, and Se), and other non-essential metals (Al, Ba, Li, and Sr)) are associated with CSF AD biomarkers that reflect pathological changes in the AD brain (amyloid β 1-42 , total tau, phosphorylated tau isoforms, NFL, S100B, VILIP-1, YKL-40, PAPP-A, and albumin). We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) to determine macro- and microelements in CSF and plasma, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine protein biomarkers of AD in CSF. This study included 193 participants (124 with AD, 50 with mild cognitive impairment, and 19 healthy controls). Simple correlation, as well as machine learning algorithms (redescription mining and principal component analysis (PCA)), demonstrated that levels of heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Tl), essential metals (Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, K, and Zn), and essential non-metals (P, S, and Se) are positively associated with CSF phosphorylated tau isoforms, VILIP-1, S100B, NFL, and YKL-40 in AD.

A decrease in serotonergic transmission throughout the brain is among the earliest pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Serotonergic receptors are also affected in AD. Polymorphisms in genes of serotonin (5HT) receptors have been mostly associated with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). In this study, we examined if AD patients carrying different genotypes in 5HTR1B rs13212041, 5HTR2A rs6313 (T102C), 5HTR2C rs3813929 (-759C/T), and 5HTR6 rs1805054 (C267T) polymorphisms have a higher risk of faster disease progression (assessed by neuropsychological testing), are more prone to develop AD-related pathology (reflected by levels of cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] AD biomarkers), or have an association with an apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) haplotype. This study included 115 patients with AD, 53 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 2701 healthy controls. AD biomarkers were determined in the CSF of AD and MCI patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), while polymorphisms were determined using either TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays or Illumina genotyping platforms. We detected a significant decrease in the CSF amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ 1-42 ) and an increase in p-tau 181 /Aβ 1-42 ratio in carriers of the T allele in the 5HTR2C rs3813929 (-759C/T) polymorphism. A significantly higher number of APOE ε4 allele carriers was observed among individuals carrying a TT genotype within the 5HTR2A T102C polymorphism, a C allele within the 5HTR1B rs13212041 polymorphism, and a T allele within the 5HTR6 rs1805054 (C267T) polymorphism. Additionally, individuals carrying the C allele within the 5HTR1B rs13212041 polymorphism were significantly more represented among AD patients and had poorer performances on the Rey-Osterrieth test. Carriers of the T allele within the 5HTR6 rs1805054 had poorer performances on the MMSE and ADAS-Cog. As all four analyzed polymorphisms of serotonin receptor genes showed an association with either genetic, CSF, or neuropsychological biomarkers of AD, they deserve further investigation as potential early genetic biomarkers of AD.

Concerns have been raised about allergic reactions to messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. A history of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis to drugs, has been frequently reported in individuals with anaphylaxis to mRNA vaccines. To estimate the rate of immediate allergic reactions in patients with a history of drug allergy or other allergic disorders. We included adult patients who had received at least 1 dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at the Special Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases between March 1, 2021, and October 1, 2021, and who reported a history of drug allergy or other allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food or insect venom allergy, mastocytosis, idiopathic anaphylaxis, acute or chronic urticaria, and/or angioedema). Immediate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, occurring within 4 hours of vaccination were recorded. Six immediate allergic reactions were noted in the cohort of 1679 patients (0.36%). One patient experienced anaphylaxis (0.06%), which resolved after epinephrine administration, and the other reactions were mild and easily treatable. Most patients with a history of allergies can safely receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, providing adequate observation periods and preparedness to recognize and treat anaphylaxis., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The family of human APOBEC3 (A3) restriction factors is formed by seven different proteins, A3A-D and A3F-H. Among these A3s, A3B harbors strong restriction activity against several retroviruses, such as SIV, and MLV. How lentiviruses and other retroviruses, prevalent in many primate species, counteract A3B is poorly understood. In this study, we found that A3B strongly inhibited SIVmac and HIV-2 infectivity, which was antagonized by their Vif proteins. Both SIVmac and HIV-2 Vifs diminished the protein level of A3B in viral producer cells, and hindered A3B incorporation into viral particles. We observed that HIV-2 Vif binds A3B and induces its degradation by assembly of an A3-Vif-CUL5-ElonginB/C E3-ligase complex. A3B and HIV-2 Vif localize and interact in the nucleus. In addition, we also found that the accessory protein Bet of prototype foamy virus (PFV) significantly antagonized the anti-SIVmac activity of A3B. Like Vif, Bet prevented the incorporation of A3B into viral particles. However, in contrast to Vif Bet did not induce the degradation of A3B. Rather, Bet binds A3B to block formation of high molecular weight A3B complexes and induces A3B cytoplasmic trapping. In summary, these findings indicate that A3B is recognized by diverse retroviruses and counteracted by virus-specific pathways that could be targeted to inhibit A3B mutating activity in cancers., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the world leading cause of dementia. Early detection of AD is essential for faster and more efficacious usage of therapeutics and preventive measures. Even though it is well known that one ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E gene increases the risk for sporadic AD five times, and that two ε4 alleles increase the risk 20 times, reliable genetic markers for AD are not yet available. Previous studies have shown that microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene polymorphisms could be associated with increased risk for AD., Methods: The present study included 113 AD patients and 53 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as nine healthy controls (HC) and 53 patients with other primary causes of dementia. The study assessed whether six MAPT haplotype-tagging polymorphisms (rs1467967, rs242557, rs3785883, rs2471738, del-In9, and rs7521) and MAPT haplotypes are associated with AD pathology, as measured by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ 1-42 ), total tau (t-tau), tau phosphorylated at epitopes 181 (p-tau 181 ), 199 (p-tau 199 ), and 231 (p-tau 231 ), and visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1)., Results: Significant increases in t-tau and p-tau CSF levels were found in patients with AG and AA MAPT rs1467967 genotype, CC MAPT rs2471738 genotype and in patients with H1H2 or H2H2 MAPT haplotype., Conclusions: These results indicate that MAPT haplotype-tagging polymorphisms and MAPT haplotypes should be further tested as potential genetic biomarkers of AD., (© 2018 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Lentiviruses have evolved the Vif protein to counteract APOBEC3 (A3) restriction factors by targeting them for proteasomal degradation. Previous studies have identified important residues in the interface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif and human APOBEC3C (hA3C) or human APOBEC3F (hA3F). However, the interaction between primate A3C proteins and HIV-1 Vif or natural HIV-1 Vif variants is still poorly understood. Here, we report that HIV-1 Vif is inactive against A3Cs of rhesus macaques (rhA3C), sooty mangabey monkeys (smmA3C), and African green monkeys (agmA3C), while HIV-2, African green monkey simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVagm), and SIVmac Vif proteins efficiently mediate the depletion of all tested A3Cs. We identified that residues N/H130 and Q133 in rhA3C and smmA3C are determinants for this HIV-1 Vif-triggered counteraction. We also found that the HIV-1 Vif interaction sites in helix 4 of hA3C and hA3F differ. Vif alleles from diverse HIV-1 subtypes were tested for degradation activities related to hA3C. The subtype F-1 Vif was identified to be inactive for degradation of hA3C and hA3F. The residues that determined F-1 Vif inactivity in the degradation of A3C/A3F were located in the C-terminal region (K167 and D182). Structural analysis of F-1 Vif revealed that impairing the internal salt bridge of E171-K167 restored reduction capacities to A3C/A3F. Furthermore, we found that D101 could also form an internal interaction with K167. Replacing D101 with glycine and R167 with lysine in NL4-3 Vif impaired its counteractivity to A3F and A3C. This finding indicates that internal interactions outside the A3 binding region in HIV-1 Vif influence the capacity to induce degradation of A3C/A3F., Importance: The APOBEC3 restriction factors can serve as potential barriers to lentiviral cross-species transmissions. Vif proteins from lentiviruses counteract APOBEC3 by proteasomal degradation. In this study, we found that monkey-derived A3C, rhA3C and smmA3C, were resistant to HIV-1 Vif. This was determined by A3C residues N/H130 and Q133. However, HIV-2, SIVagm, and SIVmac Vif proteins were found to be able to mediate the depletion of all tested primate A3C proteins. In addition, we identified a natural HIV-1 Vif (F-1 Vif) that was inactive in the degradation of hA3C/hA3F. Here, we provide for the first time a model that explains how an internal salt bridge of E171-K167-D101 influences Vif-mediated degradation of hA3C/hA3F. This finding provides a novel way to develop HIV-1 inhibitors by targeting the internal interactions of the Vif protein., (Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

APOBEC4 (A4) is a member of the AID/APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases. In this study we found a high mRNA expression of A4 in human testis. In contrast, there were only low levels of A4 mRNA detectable in 293T, HeLa, Jurkat or A3.01 cells. Ectopic expression of A4 in HeLa cells resulted in mostly cytoplasmic localization of the protein. To test whether A4 has antiviral activity similar to that of proteins of the APOBEC3 (A3) subfamily, A4 was co-expressed in 293T cells with wild type HIV-1 and HIV-1 luciferase reporter viruses. We found that A4 did not inhibit the replication of HIV-1 but instead enhanced the production of HIV-1 in a dose-dependent manner and seemed to act on the viral LTR. A4 did not show detectable cytidine deamination activity in vitro and weakly interacted with single-stranded DNA. The presence of A4 in virus producer cells enhanced HIV-1 replication by transiently transfected A4 or stably expressed A4 in HIV-susceptible cells. APOBEC4 was capable of similarly enhancing transcription from a broad spectrum of promoters, regardless of whether they were viral or mammalian. We hypothesize that A4 may have a natural role in modulating host promoters or endogenous LTR promoters.

SIVagm does not induce disease in its African green monkey (AGM) host. In comparison, the hybrid simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIV89.6P that carries the HIV env gene induces disease in rhesus macaques more rapidly than the SIVmac parent virus. To address the possibility that this enhancement of disease by HIV env would also occur when present in SIVagm, a full-length SIVagm/89.6Penv chimeric lentivirus genome (termed SHIV-MP) was constructed. SHIV-MP replicated similarly to SIVagm in simian peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In inoculated AGMs, rhesus macaques and pig-tailed (PT) macaques the absolute number of CD4(+) T lymphocytes remained at normal levels. The peak levels of productively infected cells in SHIV-MP-infected monkeys ranged from 10(1) to 10(2) per 10(6) PBMCs, while in SIVagm infected macaques the levels were 10-100-fold higher. The env gene of SHIV89.6P therefore appears insufficient to confer acute pathogenicity to a non-pathogenic primate lentivirus due to poor in vivo replication., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The mammalian APOBEC3 (A3) proteins comprise a multigene family of cytidine deaminases that act as potent inhibitors of retroviruses and retrotransposons. The A3 locus on the chromosome 28 of the horse genome contains multiple A3 genes: two copies of A3Z1, five copies of A3Z2, and a single copy of A3Z3, indicating a complex evolution of multiple gene duplications. We have cloned and analyzed for expression the different equine A3 genes and examined as well the subcellular distribution of the corresponding proteins. Additionally, we have tested the functional antiretroviral activity of the equine and of several of the human and nonprimate A3 proteins against the Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), the Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and the Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV-2). Hematopoietic cells of horses express at least five different A3s: A3Z1b, A3Z2a-Z2b, A3Z2c-Z2d, A3Z2e, and A3Z3, whereas circulating macrophages, the natural target of EIAV, express only part of the A3 repertoire. The five A3Z2 tandem copies arose after three consecutive, recent duplication events in the horse lineage, after the split between Equidae and Carnivora. The duplicated genes show different antiviral activities against different viruses: equine A3Z3 and A3Z2c-Z2d are potent inhibitors of EIAV while equine A3Z1b, A3Z2a-Z2b, A3Z2e showed only weak anti-EIAV activity. Equine A3Z1b and A3Z3 restricted AAV and all equine A3s, except A3Z1b, inhibited SIV. We hypothesize that the horse A3 genes are undergoing a process of subfunctionalization in their respective viral specificities, which might provide the evolutionary advantage for keeping five copies of the original gene.

The human cytidine deaminase family APOBEC3 represents a novel group of proteins in the field of innate defense mechanisms that has been shown to be active against a variety of retroviruses. Here we examined whether members of the APO-BEC3 family have an impact on retrotransposition of human long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1s or L1s). Using a retrotransposition reporter assay in HeLa cells, we demonstrate that in the presence of transiently transfected APOBEC3A, L1 retrotransposition frequency was reduced by up to 85%. Although APOBEC3G and -3H did not influence L1 retrotransposition notably, expression of APOBEC3B, -3C, and -3F inhibited transposition by approximately 75%. Although reverse transcription of L1s occurs in the nucleus and APOBEC3 proteins are believed to act via DNA deamination during reverse transcription, activity against L1 retrotransposition was not correlated with nuclear localization of APOBEC3s. We demonstrate that APOBEC3C and APOBEC3B were endogenously expressed in HeLa cells. Accordingly, down-regulation of APOBEC3C by RNA interference enhanced L1 retrotransposition by approximately 78%. Sequence analyses of de novo L1 retrotransposition events that occurred in the presence of overexpressed APOBEC3 proteins as well as the analyses of pre-existing endogenous L1 elements did not reveal an enhanced rate of G-to-A transitions, pointing to a mechanism independent of DNA deamination. This study presents evidence for a role of host-encoded APOBEC3 proteins in the regulation of L1 retrotransposition.

Prostate carcinoma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in men of middle and older age. It is second diagnosed malignant tumor among men in USA and in Europe. Hereby, we'd like to show the number of treated patients at our hospital between January 2002 and January 2004. We made a retrospective analysis of patients' histories, discharge letters and operation protocols. During that period 70 transrectal biopsies (12 cilindars) were made, finding prostate carcinomas at 39 patients. Three patients with negative biopsies were incidentally diagnosed at TURP. Average age of treated patients was 72 years (51-90), with Gleason score 6.12 and PSA average 32.4 (5.2-159). Ten radical prostatectomies, 23 subcapsular orchidectomies and 6 chemical castrations by LH-RH agonists were made. Further palliative irradiation was performed in 7 patients with bone metastases and radical irradiation in 16 patients unable to undergone surgery. Only early detection of disease can lead to successful treatment, so we should search for prostate tumor in all male patients who come to see urologist and are older than 50 years.