The transcription factor Oct-4 is crucial for the maintenance of cell pluripotency and is known to be expressed in embryonic stem cells, germ cells and whole embryos at various stages of development. Oct-4 regulates cell fate in a dose-dependent manner and plays a key role in germ-cell tumours. In the past, several stem-cell markers have been detected, and their role in the pathogenesis of diseases has been discussed frequently. Thus, we investigated the expression of Oct-4 comparing its occurrence in endometrium of healthy and diseased women using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-PCR. IHC demonstrated Oct-4 expression in 25 of 60 sections (42%), respectively in 11 out of 25 patients (44%). Oct-4 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in all tested samples (9 of 9) of endometrium, although the levels of expression varied. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating Oct-4 expression in human endometrium.

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance by wastewater-based epidemiology is poised to provide a complementary approach to sequencing individual cases. However, robust quantification of variants and de novo detection of emerging variants remains challenging for existing strategies. We deep sequenced 3,413 wastewater samples representing 94 municipal catchments, covering >59% of the population of Austria, from December 2020 to February 2022. Our system of variant quantification in sewage pipeline designed for robustness (termed VaQuERo) enabled us to deduce the spatiotemporal abundance of predefined variants from complex wastewater samples. These results were validated against epidemiological records of >311,000 individual cases. Furthermore, we describe elevated viral genetic diversity during the Delta variant period, provide a framework to predict emerging variants and measure the reproductive advantage of variants of concern by calculating variant-specific reproduction numbers from wastewater. Together, this study demonstrates the power of national-scale WBE to support public health and promises particular value for countries without extensive individual monitoring.

Background The bone marrow (BM) is a major reservoir of resting memory T cells and long-lived plasma cells, capable of providing protection against recurrent infections. Whether the age-related accumulation of adipose tissue in the BM affects the functionality and maintenance of memory cells is not well understood. Methods For the first time, we compare human femur marrow adipose tissue (fMAT) and subcutaneous white adipose tissue of the thigh (tsWAT) obtained from the same donors. Therefore, we used microarrays for comparative global gene expression analysis, and employed assays to analyse parameters of adipocyte biology, inflammation and oxidative stress. Findings We show that fMAT adipocytes differ significantly from tsWAT adipocytes regarding specific gene expression profiles including inflammatory responses and adipogenesis/adipocyte phenotype. Concomitant with considerably lower levels of CD36, a membrane-associated protein important for long-chain fatty acid uptake that is used as maturation marker, fMAT adipocytes are smaller and contain less triglycerides. fMAT adipocytes secrete similar levels of adiponectin and leptin as tsWAT adipocytes, and express increased levels of pro-inflammatory molecules concomitant with an elevated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired function of plasma cells in the BM. Interpretation Our findings suggest that fMAT is a unique type of adipose tissue containing small adipocytes with lower CD36 protein and triglyceride levels than tsWAT but high adipokine secretion. Moreover, fMAT adipocytes secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to inflammation and impairment of plasma cell function in the BM, suggesting that fMAT has more immune regulatory functions than tsWAT.

Since the start of the 2019 pandemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a valuable tool for monitoring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. With methods and infrastructure being settled, it is time to expand the potential of this tool to a wider range of pathogens. We used over 500 archived RNA extracts from a WBE program for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance to monitor wastewater from 11 treatment plants for the presence of influenza and norovirus twice a week during the winter season of 2021/2022. Extracts were analyzed via digital PCR for influenza A, influenza B, norovirus GI, and norovirus GII. Resulting viral loads were normalized on the basis of NH4-N. Our results show a good applicability of ammonia-normalization to compare different wastewater treatment plants. Extracts originally prepared for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance contained sufficient genomic material to monitor influenza A, norovirus GI, and GII. Viral loads of influenza A and norovirus GII in wastewater correlated with numbers from infected inpatients. Further, SARS-CoV-2 related non-pharmaceutical interventions affected subsequent changes in viral loads of both pathogens. In conclusion, the expansion of existing WBE surveillance programs to include additional pathogens besides SARS-CoV-2 offers a valuable and cost-efficient possibility to gain public health information.

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