The biodistribution of two recently developed tumour markers, trimethylated (CP(Me)(3)) and trimethoxylated (CP(OMe)(3)) carotenoporphyrin, was investigated by means of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) after i.v. injection into 38 tumour-bearing (MS-2 fibrosarcoma) female Balb/c mice. At 3, 24, 48 or 96 h after administration, the carotenoporphyrin fluorescence was measured in tumoral and peritumo

Context: Data on bone mineral density (BMD) are lacking in adults with childhood onset (CO)-craniopharyngioma (CP) with hypothalamic damage from the tumour. In patients with CO GH deficiency BMD increases during GH treatment. Objective: The aims were to evaluate BMD in adults with CO-CPs on complete hormone replacement, including long-term GH and to evaluate the impact of hypothalamic damage on th

B-cell development to antibody-producing plasma cells requires the concerted function of a large number of genes and proteins. Genome-level expression profiling during human B-cell maturation was studied in anti-immunoglobulin M-stimulated Ramos cells. cDNA microarrays were used to follow changes in the transcriptome over several days. Close to 1500 genes had significantly altered expression at le

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is frequently associated with aberrant activation of the Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression. This study evaluated the potential for combining the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib and the specific COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib as therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: BxPC-3, MIAPaCa-2, PANC-1 and AsPC-1 pan

Cancer patients with advanced disease and short-survival expectancy were given hospital-based advanced home care (AHC) or conventional care (CC), according to their preference. The two groups were compared at baseline to investigate whether there were differences between the AHC and the CC patients that may help explain their choice of care. The patients were consecutively recruited over 2(1/2) ye

IgG antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins A and B were followed in controls and patients with an initial C. difficile infection (CDI). Of the 50 CDI patients, 38 were cured and 12 developed recurrence. Compared to controls, patients had significantly lower anti-toxin A and B IgGs at inclusion, but the subsequent levels rose slightly regardless of clinical outcome. The results imply that

Background: p-tert-Butylphenol-formaldehyde resin (PTBP-FR) is a common component of glues used in the manufacturing of many plastic, electronic, rubber, wood, and leather products. Two main allergens of PTBP-FR have been described. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the concentrations of the two main allergens of PTBP-FR in diagnostic patch testing preparations and PTBP-FR av

In this study, we have used a microRNA-regulated lentiviral reporter system to visualize and segregate differentiating neuronal cells in pluripotent cultures. Efficient suppression of transgene expression, specifically in undifferentiated pluripotent cells, was achieved by using a lentiviral vector expressing a fluorescent reporter gene regulated by microRNA-292. Using this strategy, it was possib

We show that intranigral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, which provokes specific degeneration of DA neurons, induced caspase-3 activation in the rat ventral mesencephalon, which was mostly associated with glial cells. In contrast, nigral DA neurons exhibited AIF nuclear translocation in response to LPS. A significant decrease of the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in nigral tissue after LPS injection was obse

We use a field experiment in a lunch restaurant to analyze how meal attributes and a “nudge” impact healthy labeled meal consumption. The nudge consists of increasing the salience of healthy labeled meals by placing them at the top of the menu. We find that certain meal attributes (e.g. poultry and red meat) greatly increase both sales and the market share of the healthy labeled meal. We conclude

CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) cross-talk plays a key role in B-cell terminal maturation in the germinal centers. Genetic defects affecting CD40 cause a rare form of hyper-immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome, a disorder characterized by low or absent serum IgG and IgA, associated with recurrent infections. We previously reported on a few patients with homozygous CD40 mutations resulting in lack or severe re

The role of VEGF in the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has been clearly established. However, little is known about temporal changes in circulating VEGF concentrations in the preterm infant. The objective was to determine the longitudinal serum concentrations of VEGF in relation to ROP.

Embryogenesis of the retina is a complex event orchestrated by a multitude of physical and biochemical signals. To study the impact of intrinsic developmental cues, the retinal tissue can be isolated in culture which also enables modulation of normal development for other purposes, i.e. transplantation of specific neuronal cell types. In the present experiment, cell type development of immature po

Moraxella catarrhalis is a human-restricted commensal that over the last two decades has developed into an emerging respiratory tract pathogen. The bacterial species is equipped with various adhesins to facilitate its colonization. Successful evasion of the human immune system is a prerequisite for Moraxella infection. This strategy involves induction of an excessive proinflammatory response, inte

OBJECTIVES: The soluble epoxide hydrolase (gene name EPHX2) is responsible for metabolism of 8,9 11,12 and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, vasodilator and anti-inflammatory substances. There are several functional polymorphisms in the EPHX2 gene: two of them, the K55R and R287Q, showing an altered metabolic activity in vitro, were associated with coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke in prev

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Intronic variation in the TCF7L2 gene exhibits the strongest association to type 2 diabetes observed to date, but the mechanism whereby this genetic variation translates into altered biological function is largely unknown. A possible explanation is a genotype-dependent difference in the complex splicing pattern; however, this has not previously been characterised in pancreatic or