Curating Tempelhof: negotiating the multiple histories of Berlin's ‘symbol of freedom’

Despite its National Socialist origins, the post-war use of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport has seen it recast as a ‘symbol of freedom’. Since the airport’s 2008 closure the site has been caught between calls for increased engagement with its use under the Third Reich and economic incentives to repackage it as an attractive events location. Through analysing the different strategies through which Tempelhof’s past is negotiated, this article will highlight the contested nature of Berlin’s relationship with the past and the complex interaction between memory politics and more pragmatic issues

Interleukin-21 receptor might be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the synovial inflammation of the joints. Various cells and cytokines have been identified that may contribute to RA pathology. Interleukin (IL)-21 is a proinflammatory cytokine mediating pleiotropic functions through the IL-21 receptor (IL-21R). Blockade of IL-21R may represent a hopeful therapeutic approach in RA. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of IL-21R expressing CD4+ cells and IL-21 mRNA expression in peripheral blood of RA patients. Methods: Surface expression of IL-21R on CD4+ cells in peripheral blood of RA patients (n=32 compared to healthy control participants (n=20) was evaluated by flow cytometry. Simultaneously, mononuclear cells were taken apart from the peripheral blood of individuals on a density gradient. The expression of IL-21 mRNA was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: IL-21R-expressing CD4+ cells from RA patients showed a significantly higher percentage of IL-21R compared with healthy controls (p< 0.05). Moreover, real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that there was no significant difference between patients and healthy controls. Conclusion: Our results indicate higher expression of IL-21R in RA patients and suggest that targeting of the IL-21R may be a novel therapeutic idea for the treatment of RA. © 2014

Die Kirchenburgenlandschaft Siebenbürgens : Strategien zur Erhaltung des europäischen Kulturerbes der Kirchenburgen in Siebenbürgen/Rumänien

Im Hochland des Karpatenbogen gelegen zählt Siebenbürgen zu den ganz besonderen Landschaften in Rumänien und Europa. Naturraum, traditionelle agrarische Strukturen und ländliche Architektur verdichten sich mit den über 150 erhaltenen Wehrkirchen der Siebenbürger Sachsen zu einer einzigartigen historischen Kulturlandschaft. In fast jedem Dorf findet sich eine Kirchenburg mit oft noch imposanten Wehranlagen. Die Kirchenburgen stellen eindrucksvolle Zeugnisse mittelalterlicher Wehrarchitektur dar. Sie bieten zusammen mit den dörflichen Siedlungsstrukturen und den Gemeinschaftsbauten der Sachsen ein beeindruckendes Bild der besonderen historischen Entwicklung dieser Gegend und der 800 Jahre lang tradierten Lebensformen der Siebenbürger Sachsen. Durch die politischen Verhältnisse nach 1945 und die damit verbundene Abwanderung der Siebenbürger Sachsen ist diese Kulturlandschaft seit langem gefährdet. Doch erst mit der politischen Wende 1989 erreichte die Auswanderung ein Ausmaß, das die im Lande gebliebenen Sachsen außer Stande setzte, ihre über Jahrhunderte gemeinschaftlich gepflegten Kirchenburgen instand zu halten und instand zu setzen. Die Evangelische Landeskirche als Eigentümerin der Gebäude hat es mit großer Anstrengung vermocht, die Kirchenburgen bis heute so zu sichern, dass es noch nicht zu allzu großen Verlusten gekommen ist. Auf Grund der hohen Überalterung der sächsischen Gemeinschaft ist jedoch eine dramatische Verschlechterung der Situation in den nächsten 10 bis 15 Jahren zu erwarten. Neue Ansätze und Strategien sind deshalb für den Erhalt und die Nutzung der Kirchenburgen, Wehranlagen und Nebengebäude dringend erforderlich. Die vorliegende Dokumentation beinhaltet die Ergebnisse eines Projektes, in dessen Rahmen im Herbst 2011 von der Leitstelle Kirchenburgen eine umfassende Bestandsaufnahme der Kirchenburgen und Dörfer in Südsiebenbürgen durchgeführt wurde. Aus der Analyse der vorgefundenen Situation wurden Strategien entwickelt und Optionen aufgezeigt, die sich mit der Nutzung, Finanzierung und Verwaltung der Kirchenburgen befassen. Die Ergebnisse dieses Projektes sind als Unterstützung und Anregung in einem Reformprozess gedacht, den die Kirche bereits angestoßen hat

Interactions between Type 1 Interferons and the Th17 Response in Tuberculosis: Lessons Learned from Autoimmune Diseases

textabstractThe classical paradigm of tuberculosis (TB) immunity, with a central protective role for Th1 responses and IFN-γ-stimulated cellular responses, has been challenged by unsatisfactory results of vaccine strategies aimed at enhancing Th1 immunity. Moreover, preclinical TB models have shown that increasing IFN-γ responses in the lungs is more damaging to the host than to the pathogen. Type 1 interferon signaling and altered Th17 responses have also been associated with active TB, but their functional roles in TB pathogenesis remain to be established. These two host responses have been studied in more detail in autoimmune diseases (AID) and show functional interactions that are of potential interest in TB immunity. In this review, we first identify the role of type 1 interferons and Th17 immunity in TB, followed by an overview of interactions between these responses observed in systemic AID. We discuss (i) the effects of GM-CSF-secreting Th17.1 cells and type 1 interferons on CCR2+ monocytes; (ii) convergence of IL-17 and type 1 interferon signaling on stimulating B-cell activating factor production and the central role of neutrophils in this process; and (iii) synergy between IL-17 and type 1 interferons in the generation and function of tertiary lymphoid structures and the associated follicular helper T-cell responses. Evaluation of these autoimmune-related pathways in TB pathogenesis provides a new perspective on recent developments in TB research

CD107a(+) (LAMP-1) Cytotoxic CD8(+) T-Cells in Lupus Nephritis Patients

Cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CD107a (LAMP-1) on cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cells in SLE-patients in particular with lupus nephritis. Peripheral blood of SLE-patients (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 21) was analyzed for the expression of CD314 and CD107a by flow cytometry. Kidney biopsies of lupus nephritis patients were investigated for the presence of CD8(+) and C107a(+) cells by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. The percentages of CD107a(+) on CD8(+) T-cells were significantly decreased in SLE-patients as compared to healthy controls (40.2 +/- 18.5% vs. 47.9 +/- 15.0%, p = 0.02). This was even more significant in SLE-patients with inactive disease. There was a significant correlation between the percentages of CD107a(+)CD8(+) T-cells and SLEDAI. The evaluation of lupus nephritis biopsies showed a significant number of CD107a(+)CD8(+) T-cells mainly located in the peritubular infiltrates. The intrarenal expression of CD107a(+) was significantly correlated with proteinuria. These results demonstrate that CD8(+) T-cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have an altered expression of CD107a which seems to be associated with disease activity. The proof of intrarenal CD107a(+)CD8(+) suggests a role in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis