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Skin integrity is recognized as of vital consideration for both animal welfare and final product quality of farmed fish. This study examines the effects of three different rearing temperatures (4, 10 and 16 °C) on the skin of healthy Atlantic salmon post-smolts. Changes in skin condition were assessed by the means of skin composition analyses, quantitative histology assessments and transcriptome analysis. Level of protein, vitamin C and vitamin E was significantly higher at 16 °C compared with 4 °C. Quantitative histology measurements showed that the epidermal thickness decreased from low to high temperature, whereas the epidermal area comprising mucous cells increased. The difference was only significant between 4 and 16 °C. Both high and low temperature exhibited significant changes in the skin transcriptome. A number of immune-related transcripts responded at both temperatures. Contrary to well-described immunosuppressive effects of low water temperature on systemic immunity, a subtle increase in skin-mediated immunity was observed, suggesting a pre-activation of the mucosal system at 4 °C. Upregulation of a number of heat-shock proteins correlating with a decrease in epidermal thickness suggested a stress response in the skin at high temperature. The results demonstrate distinctive temperature-related effects on the skin of Atlantic salmon., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Health diets that contain immunostimulants and other functional ingredients can strengthen the immune response in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, and thereby reduce sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infection levels. Such diets can be used to supplement other treatments and will potentially reduce the need for delousing and medication. A sea lice infection trial was conducted on fish with an average weight of 215 g. One control diet and four experimental diets containing functional ingredients were produced. The diets were fed to salmon for 4 weeks before infection with sea lice copepodids. When lice had developed to chalimus III/IV, 88 fish per diet were examined for lice loads. Mucus samples from fish fed the different diets were taken before and after lice infection. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics was used to characterize the protein composition in the epidermal mucus of Atlantic salmon and to identify quantitative alterations in protein expression. Multivariate analysis of the generated data sets was performed to identify protein biomarkers. Putative biomarkers associated with functional feed intake and with sea lice infection have been identified and can form the basis for strategic validation experiments with selected functional feeds., (© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Aims: The AKT family is implicated in cancer progression. There are three mammalian AKT isoforms located on chromosomes 14, 19 and 1, respectively. The aim of the study was to investigate genetic alterations of AKT in breast and prostatic cancers using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)., Methods and Results: In oestrogen receptor(ER)-positive breast carcinomas, AKT1 was deleted in five (4.8%) and amplified in one (1%) carcinoma. Deletions of AKT2 were seen in 19 (21.1%) cases. No AKT2 amplifications were identified. Ten (9.9%) AKT3 amplifications but no deletions were seen. In prostatic cancer, AKT1 was amplified in one carcinoma (2.6%). No genetic changes were observed for AKT2 and AKT3. High frequencies of aneusomy for all chromosomes were observed in breast and prostatic carcinomas., Conclusions: In breast cancer AKT3 amplifications and AKT1 and AKT2 deletions were seen, which, to our knowledge, have not been shown by FISH before. Although these two cohorts cannot be directly compared, only one AKT1 amplification was identified in prostatic carcinomas. This indicates differences in the genetic changes underlying development of breast and prostatic cancers. To evaluate further the role of genetic changes of AKT in breast cancer progression, a cohort of both ER+ and ER- patients should be evaluated.

Background: Recently, peanut-allergic patients have reported symptoms upon ingestion of bean sprouts produced from various legumes., Objective: This study was designed to identify immunoreactivity to seeds and sprouts of legumes other than peanut in sera from peanut-allergic patients., Methods: Crude protein extracts of seeds and sprouts (comprising cotelydons and hypocotyls/epicotyls) of peanut, soybean, green pea, blue lupine, mung bean, alfalfa, broad bean, and azuki bean were prepared. The reactivity of sera from 10 peanut-allergic patients to these extracts was analysed by indirect histamine release (HR), enzyme-allergosorbent test (EAST), EAST inhibition, and Western blots. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were performed on the patients with fresh legume seeds as well as four commercial legume sprouts, and food challenges with soybean, pea, and lupine were performed on a subgroup of the patients., Results: All legume seeds and commercial sprouts induced positive SPTs in some of the patients. Indirect HR experiments indicated an extensive co-reactivity between peanut and the legumes, and cross-reactivity was observed for soybean, pea, and lupine seeds as well as lupine hypocotyls in EAST inhibition experiments. Of the 16 protein extracts, soybean, pea, and lupine seed extracts produced visible bands in Western blots., Conclusion: The symptoms reported by peanut-allergic patients after legume sprout intake might be caused by cross-reactivity of peanut-specific antibodies. The intake of raw legume sprouts might cause symptoms in peanut-allergic patients.

Aims: CCND1 and EMSY, on 11q13, are frequently amplified in breast cancer. CCND1 is implicated in cell cycle progression and EMSY is a BRCA2-associated repressor protein. The aim was to investigate gene copy numbers of CCND1 and EMSY and to determine if CCND1 amplification is associated with reduced survival of tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients., Methods and Results: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed on 111 consecutive and 354 oestrogen receptor (ER)+ tamoxifen-treated breast cancers. In the consecutive set, CCND1 and EMSY were amplified in 14.8% and 7.2%, respectively, and deleted in 8.7% and 13.5%, respectively. In the ER+ set, CCND1 and EMSY were amplified in 20.6% and 9.6%, respectively, and deleted in 1.7% and 4.2%, respectively. CCND1 and EMSY gene amplifications were associated with decreased overall survival (OS) (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively) of patients in the ER+ set., Conclusion: As hypothesized, CCND1 amplifications are associated with poor OS in ER+ patients. EMSY amplification is also associated with poor OS. However, as >70% of EMSY amplifications were CCND1 amplified, EMSY may not have any additional effect on survival of ER+ breast cancer.

Objectives: To determine the relationships between serum vitamin D metabolites, bone mass, and dietary calcium and phosphorus in a cohort of 510 healthy Danish perimenopausal women., Design: A population-based cross-sectional study., Subjects: A total of 510 healthy women aged 45-58 years, with amenorrhoea for 3-24 months. None of the women was using hormone replacement therapy., Measurements: Measurements of total bone mineral content and regional bone mineral density were performed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Analyses of serum levels of 25-OHD and 1,25-(OH)2D, intact PTH, ionized calcium and phosphate, as well as biochemical markers of bone turnover in blood and urine. Assessment of calcium and phosphorus intake using dietary records., Results: A consistent inverse relationship between serum 1,25-(OH)2D and bone mineral content/ density was found in whole-body mineral content (P = 0.001), spine (P = 0.005) and femoral neck (P<0.05). There was a positive relationship between levels of 1,25-(OH)2D and biochemical bone markers, indicating that high levels of 1,25-(OH)2D are accompanied by increased bone turnover. The dietary calcium:phosphorus ratio was inversely related to serum 1,25-(OH)2D (P = 0.04) and positively related to bone mineral density (P<0.0005). No relationships could be detected between levels of PTH, serum ionized calcium and phosphate, and serum vitamin D metabolites., Conclusion: Within normal physiological range, elevated levels of 1,25-(OH)2D were associated with decreased bone mineral density and content, reduced calcium:phosphorus ratio in the diet and increased bone turnover.

Objectives: To determine risk factors for low bone mass at menopause and risk factors for subsequent bone loss in the following period., Design: A cross-sectional study and a 2-year prospective follow-up., Setting: The catchment area of Sundby Hospital in Copenhagen., Subjects: Four hundred and thirty-three women aged 45-58 years, with amenorrhea for 3-24 months, of whom 87 were followed for a 2-year period., Measurements: Registration of life-style and anthropometric variables, reproductive history, and family history of fractures. Total body bone mineral content (BMC) was measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry., Results: By means of multiple regression analysis height, body weight, and length of reproductive period were found to be positively related to whole body BMC (P < 0.001), whilst a negative relationship was found to age (P < 0.001), smoking (P < 0.001), and family history of fractures (P < 0.005). In the longitudinal study, only body weight at the inclusion (P = 0.005) and subsequent changes in body weight and fat mass (P < 0.001) were related to the changes in bone mass., Conclusion: The most significant predictors for bone loss were changes in body weight and fat mass. Hence, weight loss is a risk factor for bone loss in the early postmenopausal period, whereas weight gain seems to preserve bone.