Retrospective study of 46 cases of feline haemobartonellosis in Israel and their relationships with FeLV and FIV infections

Forty-six cats with clinical haemobartonellosis were studied; 75 per cent of the cats of known age were two-and-a-half years old or younger, 50 per cent were intact males and 19.5 per cent were castrated males. The predominant signs of the disease were tachypnoea, lethargy, depression, anorexia, infestation with fleas, pale mucous membranes, icterus, emaciation, dehydration, splenomegaly, anaemia, leucocytosis, increased activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and azotaemia. Thirty-eight per cent of the cats that were tested for feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) antigen were positive, and 22 per cent of those tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies were positive. The prevalence of both FeLV and FIV was much higher than in the general Israeli cat population. The cats infected with both Haemobartonella felis and FeLV had a significantly lower body temperature, were more anaemic and the mean cell volume of their erythrocytes was greater than in the cats with haemobartonellosis alone.     

Dirofilaria repens infection in a dog: diagnosis and treatment with melarsomine and doramectin

Therapy of canine dirofilariois due to Dirofilaria repens is indicated for dogs suffering from clinical signs of this disease, such as dermal swelling, sub-cutaneous nodules and pruritus. It is also important in order to decrease the risk of infection to other dogs and humans in the vicinity of the infected animal when suitable mosquito vectors are present. Combined therapy with the arsenic adulticide melarsomine and the avermectin microfilaricidal doramectin was effective in clearing infection with D. repens in a dog. The number of microfilariae dropped from 17 microl(-1) blood pre-treatment to 7 microl(-1) following the first adulticide injection and reached 0 a day after the microfilaricidal administration. The dog remained negative for D. repens microfilaremia during a follow-up period of 90 days. Euthanasia and necropsy performed 3 months after the initiation of therapy due to a progressive neoplastic disease revealed no evidence of filariae.     

Identification of phenolic compounds in tissues of the novel olive cultivar hardy's mammoth

A methodological approach to phenolic profiling making extensive use of LC-MS with extracted ion chromatograms was applied to extracts of five different olive tissues: pulp, seed, stone, new-season leaves, and old-season leaves. Tissue extracts of the cultivars Hardy's Mammoth, Corregiola, Verdale, and Manzanillo were analyzed by HPLC with UV and ESI MS detection. Chromatograms of samples of green Hardy's Mammoth drupes, a uniquely Australian olive cultivar, were dominated by a large, broad peak. This peak was not attributable to oleuropein, which is usually the dominant phenolic compound in green olive fruit, but the phenolic compound I. This compound was isolated by semipreparative HPLC and characterized by 1D- and 2D-NMR. Extraction studies showed that the compound was not likely to be an artifact of an enzymatic degradation process. Tritium labeling studies were used to establish a possible relationship between the biosynthesis of I and oleuropein.     

Quantitative changes in phenolic content during physiological development of the olive (Olea europaea) cultivar Hardy's Mammoth

This investigation was designed to characterize phenolic metabolism of the olive cultivar, Hardy's Mammoth, by examining its constitutive tissues. The phenolic profiles of pulp, seed, stone, and new and old season leaves were monitored over two fruiting seasons, to investigate possible relationships between tissues and phenol content and to determine the impact of alternate fruit bearing. No major qualitative differences in phenolic composition were found between the various tissues; however, distinct differences between the tissues with respect to quantifiable phenols were established. Relationships between 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl (3E,4E)-4-formyl-3-(2-oxoethyl)hex-4-enoate ester, oleuropein, and hydroxytyrosol in pulp and leaf were identified and found to be related to alternate bearing. Concentrations of 5-caffeoylquinic acid in old season leaves differed dramatically between seasons, confirming earlier studies.     

Correction of ADA-SCID by stem cell gene therapy combined with nonmyeloablative conditioning

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy for adenosine deaminase (ADA)-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) has shown limited clinical efficacy because of the small proportion of engrafted genetically corrected HSCs. We describe an improved protocol for gene transfer into HSCs associated with nonmyeloablative conditioning. This protocol was used in two patients for whom enzyme replacement therapy was not available, which allowed the effect of gene therapy alone to be evaluated. Sustained engraftment of engineered HSCs with differentiation into multiple lineages resulted in increased lymphocyte counts, improved immune functions (including antigen-specific responses), and lower toxic metabolites. Both patients are currently at home and clinically well, with normal growth and development. These results indicate the safety and efficacy of HSC gene therapy combined with nonmyeloablative conditioning for the treatment of SCID.     

CTLA-4 control over Foxp3+ regulatory T cell function

Naturally occurring Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining immunological self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Here, we show that a specific deficiency of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) in Tregs results in spontaneous development of systemic lymphoproliferation, fatal T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, and hyperproduction of immunoglobulin E in mice, and it also produces potent tumor immunity. Treg-specific CTLA-4 deficiency impairs in vivo and in vitro suppressive function of Tregs-in particular, Treg-mediated down-regulation of CD80 and CD86 expression on dendritic cells. Thus, natural Tregs may critically require CTLA-4 to suppress immune responses by affecting the potency of antigen-presenting cells to activate other T cells.     

Influence of time of harvest and maturity index on olive oil yield and quality

Harvesting plays a major role in the virgin olive oil production line, being the most expensive single component, but also due to its significant effect on the whole year's produce. Previous studies have focused on the effects of harvest timing on either oil yield or quality. Here we determined the separate and combined effects of harvesting date, fruit maturation, cultivar and fruit load on olive oil quality and quantity. Cultivars typical to the Middle East region were selected: the traditional cv. Souri and the newer cv. Barnea, grown under intensive conditions. The results demonstrate fundamental differences between the two cultivars with respect to harvest strategy. In high-yielding ‘Barnea’, oil accumulation continued throughout the ripening season resulting in increasing yield of oil with time while maintaining high quality. Hence, exploiting the production potential in ‘Barnea’ requires late harvest and advanced fruit maturity. However, in heavily loaded ‘Souri’, oil accumulation was accompanied by early massive shedding of fruits. Furthermore, late harvest and advanced maturation in ‘Souri’ were associated with a sharp increase in free fatty acids combined with a rapid decline in polyphenol content, and in MUFA to PUFA and saturated to unsaturated fatty acid ratios, all resulting in loss of oil quality. Rapid decline in oil yield coupled with deterioration of oil quality call for early harvesting at low maturity index in ‘Souri’. In medium-yielding trees of both cultivars, maturation progressed more rapidly, resulting in earlier harvest to utilize optimal oil potential.     

A serosurvey of Hepatozoon canis and Ehrlichia canis antibodies in wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Israel

A seroepidemiological survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of antibodies reactive with Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis antigens in free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Israel. Of 84 fox sera assayed, 36% were seropositive for E. canis by the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test and 24% were positive for H. canis using an enzyme-linked immunosrbent assay (ELISA). Canine ehrlichiosis and hepatozoonosis appear to be endemic in the wild red fox populations in Israel, and foxes may serve as a reservoir for infection of domestic dogs and other wild canine species.