BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) molecular detection is being conducted by a growing number of laboratories, but the degree of proficiency may vary between them. External quality control is needed. METHODS We have conducted an international quality assurance study on WNV molecular detection. Participating laboratories tested noninfectious samples inactivated by heat and gamma irradiation. Par...

The Src homology (SH)2-containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP) negatively regulates a variety of immune responses through inhibitory immune receptors. In SHIP(-/-) animals, we found that the number of early lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow was significantly reduced and accompanied by expansion of myeloid cells. We exploited an in vitro system using hematopoietic progenitors that reprodu...

Intrathymic CD4/CD8 differentiation is a process that establishes the mutually exclusive expression profiles of the CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage. The RUNX3-mediated silencing of CD4 in CD8 lineage cells has been well documented; however, it is unclear how CD8 is silenced during CD4 lineage differentiation. In this study, we report that, by directly binding the CD8 locus, ThPOK works as a negative...

Bacterial pathogens stimulate periodontitis, the most common osteolytic disease in humans and the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. Previous studies identified leukocytes and their products as key factors in this process. We demonstrate for the first time that osteoblast lineage cells play a critical role in periodontal disease. Oral infection stimulated nuclear localization of NF-κB i...

Many populations of the seed-harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus exhibit genetic caste determination (GCD) generated by the interbreeding of two distinct yet interdependent lineages. Same-lineage matings are genetically predestined to become female reproductives (gynes) whereas alternate-lineage matings become workers. The perpetuation of this system requires that reproductives of both lineages...

Congenital leukemia is a rare event with a poor prognosis. We report a case of congenital leukemia with a cryptic rearrangement of MLL demonstrable only with RT-PCR. Interestingly, with treatment, the patient showed lineage plasticity of the leukemia with the development of monocytic lineage blasts after presenting with B-cell lineage blasts. This was heralded by the development of a new clonal...