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Summary A rust fungus was found causing stem cankers on 1- to 5-year-old stems of Salix elbursensis in the north west of Iran. The rust also forms uredinia on leaves and flowers of the host willow. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the new rust is morphologically distinct from several Melampsora species occurring on the willows taxonomically close to S. elbursensis, but indistinguishable from Melampsora larici-epitea. Examination of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA suggested that the rust fungus is phylogenetically close to Melampsora allii-populina and Melampsora pruinosae on Populus spp. Based on both the morphological characteristics and the ITS sequence data, the rust is described as a new species - Melampsora iranica sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 174Salix(willow) clones belonging to 57 species and 14 interspecific hybrids were inoculated with seven pathotypes ofMelampsora larici-epiteausing the leaf disc method. Infection types were scored based on the uredinial pustule area data and the inoculum density. A close correlation (R2 = 0·82) was found between the average pustule area and the average number of spores produced. Most of the willows were also assessed in the field for rust in 1999. Most willow clones belonging to the species native to western Europe were infected by the rust. In inoculation experiments, uredinia developed on 46S. viminalisclones, out of a total of 47. In the field, all theS. viminalisclones were infected by rust. Within the subgenusVetrix, eight out of the 17 willow species that originated from North and South America produced rust pustules in inoculation experiments. Of these,S. pellitawas most susceptible.Salix irrorataandS. lasiolepsisvar.bracelinaeproduced well developed pustules after inoculation but no rust infections were detected in the field. In both leaf disc tests and field assessments, no rust infections were found onS. candida,S. cordata,S. drummondiana,S. eriocephala,S. hookeriana,S. houghtonii,S. humilis,S. rigidavar.mackenzianaandS. syrticola. Of 12 species of subgenusVetrixnative to northeast Asia and Japan, onlyS. kochianawas susceptible both in inoculation tests and in the field.Salix rossicaproduced no symptoms in leaf disc tests but showed low levels of infection in the field. The maximum infection type scores in leaf disc tests were highly significantly correlated with field disease severity scores (Spearman rank correlation coefficient was 0·76,P < 1 × 10−10). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between willow (Salix) and rust (Melampsora) is highly specific. Willows named Salix burjatica, S. dasyclados (S. × dasyclados) and S. × calodendron are important in renewable-energy plantations in the UK and western Europe. There has been much controversy over their origin, species status and nomenclature. It has been suggested that they have originated from hybridization between. S. caprea, S. viminalis and S. cinerea. In the present work, 59 willow clones were investigated through morphological examination and detached leaf inoculation using willow differentials, for their association, in southwest England, with M. capraearum and three pathotypes of Melampsora epitea (Me-A, B and C). M. capraearum was found on all clones of S. caprea and its hybrids with S. aurita; Me-A on all S. viminalis clones; Me-B on wild S. cinerea, S. × calodendron, S. × dasyclados'De Biardii 445' and S. 'Spaethii'; Me-C on all S. burjatica clones and most S. × dasyclados clones. Both M. caprearum and Me-A infected all S. × sericans (S. caprea × viminalis) clones and S. × dasyclados'LA041/03'. We suggest that S. × dasyclados'LA041/03' should be treated as S. × sericans (S. caprea × S. viminalis); S. burjatica, S. dasyclados and S. × dasyclados as synonyms; S. × dasyclados 'De Biardii 445' as S. × calodendron 'De Biardii 445'; and S. 'Spaethii' as S. × calodendron 'Spaethii'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1987 axenic cultures were obtained from Peridermium pini aeciospore samples obtained from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Morayshire, north-east Scotland and Thetford Forest District, East Anglia. The former typically had an ill-defined margin and a fluffy appearance; the latter a distinct margin and a mucilaginous appearance. A further test in 1988 with six additional aeciospore samples from both Morayshire and Thetford gave similar results. These differences accord well with other evidence for a distinction between the forms of Peridermium pini in the two areas based on germ-tube cytology and morphology, and on the establishment of cultures from single aeciospores. In some cultures from both spore sources, the distinction in colony morphology was largely obscured after a few months by the development of sectors of fast-growing mycelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen isolates of the rust fungus Melampsora from different locations in England were tested for pathogenicity to a large range of willow clones (Salix spp.) in experiments involving inoculation of leaf discs. Seventeen of the isolates were of leaf-infecting M. epitea var. epitea, 16 of which represented forms which alternated on Larix and one of which alternated on Ribes. The remaining isolate was of uncertain identity. Two experiments were carried out. In the first exp>eriment, 24 willow clones consisting of 20 Salix species and interspecific hybrids were inoculated with eight isolates from clones of S. viminalis. In the other experiment, 77 clones from 57 species or hybrids were inoculated with 10 isolates from several Salix spp. The M. epitea var. epitea isolates from S. viminalis clones were all similarly pathogenic, whilst most of the other isolates expressed distinct host specificity. Eight distinct pathotypes were recognized within M. epitea var. epitea. All except one of these alternated on Larix and could be assigned to three formae speciales which had been reported previously in Europe: four pathotypes to f.sp. larici-epitea typica, two to f.sp. larici-retusae, and one to f.sp. tarici-daphnoides. The Ribes-alternating pathotype of M. epitea var. epitea infected only S. purpurea. Nine differential willow hosts are proposed as reference clones to distinguish between the larch-alternating pathotypes, the Ribes-alternating rust and the ‘stem-infecting’ form. The extent of pathogenic variation encountered amongst sexually reproducing rusts suggests that more pathotypes probably exist and will arise in future in response to selection given by long-term clonal willow plantings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time with a rust fungus, continuously growing axenic cultures have been obtained from singk spores. This was achieved with acciosporc sources of the pine stem rust Peridermium pini (Pers.) Lév. from Thetford Forest, East Anglia, but not with sources from north-cast Scotland. Approximately 30% of the single spores of two East Anglian sources out of the three tested developed into transferable and subeulturable colonies on modified Harvey & Grasham's medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histones are important structural proteins of chromatin in the nucleus, which can regulate gene transcription, and can be released from the nucleus to the outside of the cell under injury and inflammatory stimulations, thereby causing cytotoxicity and immune stimulation, and aggravating tissue damage. Extracellular histones are involved in the occurrence and development of many diseases, including sepsis, autoimmune diseases, liver injury, and acute lung injury. Therefore, its application not only can be used as a body's biomarker of inflammation, but also it is expected to become a molecular target for the treatment of diseases. This article reviews the role of extracellular histones in the inflammatory process of liver injury.

Behcet's syndrome (BS) is characterized by systemic vasculitis with unknown etiology. There is evidence that more than one mechanism underlies the pathogenesis of BS, involving genetic factors and environmental stimuli. Although human leucocyte antigen-B51 is by far the most strongly associated genetic factor to BS, it accounts for less than 20% of the genetic risk, which indicates that other genetic factors remain to be discovered. Cytokines are signal molecules of the immune system which modulate the inflammatory process of nearly all immune response. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of cytokine gene have been associated with BS in many studies, involving T helper cell 1-type cytokines, interleukin 1 cytokine, interleukin 17 and chemotactic cytokine. The impact of different SNPs on BS varies, most of which affect the risk of disease, while the remaining affect the phenotype, the cumulative effect of these minor genes (SNPs) might be the genetic mechanisms of BS pathogenesis. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 876-880) .

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of glucocorticoid eye drops induced ocular hypertension in pediatric and adult uveitic eyes. Methods: Retrospective survey of consecutive uveitic patients attending referral service at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2013 to August 2017. Incidences of glucocorticoid eye drops induced ocular hypertension were compared between the pediatric and adult uveitic groups. The clinical patterns of 1% prednisolone acetate eye drops induced ocular hypertension in pediatric and adult uveitic eyes were also investigated. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and the χ(2) test. Results: The clinical data of 1 138 uveitic eyes [677 patients; 331 males and 346 females; mean age (31±16) years]receiving corticosteroid eye drops were reviewed, among which 246 eyes (143 patients) had pediatric uveitis and 892 eyes (534 patients) had adult uveitis. The incidence of glucocorticoid eye drops induced ocular hypertension was higher in pediatric eyes (39.8%, 98/246) as compared to adults (29.1%, 260/892) (χ(2)=9.880, P= 0.002). One hundred and thirty eyes (75 patients) with 1% prednisolone acetate induced ocular hypertension were included in the clinical pattern analysis, including 49 [28 patients; 15 males and 13 females; mean age (11±3) years] pediatric and 81 [47 patients; 22 males and 25 females;mean age (34±12) years] adult uveitic eyes. No differences were found in daily doses of 1% prednisolone acetate between the pediatric group [4.60 (3.46, 5.36) drops/day] and the adult group [4.00 (3.30, 4.88) drops/day; Z= -1.675, P= 0.094]. But the duration of medication in pediatric eyes [4.71 (2.79, 6.36) weeks] was significantly shorter as compared to the adults [6.00 (4.86, 9.00) weeks; Z= -3.446, P< 0.001]. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was 26.00 (24.00, 31.00) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) in pediatric uveitic eyes and 26.00 (23.30, 31.15) mmHg in the adults, which showed no statistical significance ( Z= -0.231, P= 0.818). To achieve effective IOP control, 79.6% (39/49) of pediatric and 54.3% (44/81) of adult eyes received IOP-lowering drug therapy (χ(2)=8.447, P= 0.004). And during the follow-up, the withdrawal rate of IOP-lowering drugs was much lower in pediatric eyes (48.7%, 19/39) as compared to the adult group (72.7%, 32/44) (χ(2)=5.031, P= 0.025). Conclusion: Compared with adult patients with uveitis, children with uveitis are more prone to IOP elevation, which is more difficult to control after the use of glucocorticoid eye drops. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 839-842) .

Behcet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Uveitis, which is common and therapeutically challenging, is the major ocular manifestation of BD. Researches have shown that, in addition to the genetic components (e.g. HLA-B51), environmental factors such as infection also play important roles in the pathogenesis of BD. In recent years, with the advances in bio-detecting technologies, accumulating evidence has shown an association between microbial infections and previously believed non-infectious immune disorders. Specifically, there has been increasing research interest in roles of infection in pathogenesis of BD. A variety of microbes, including streptococcus sanguis, staphylococcus aureus, intestinal flora, herpes simplex virus and etc., have been suggested to be involved. The objective of this article is to review current research progress concerning BD and infection, as well as to provide some recommendations for future investigations into this subject. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 636-640).