Bone mineral density in adolescent girls with early onset of anorexia nervosa.

Background & Aims: To assess prevalence of bone mineral density (BMD) reduction and relationship between bone mineral status and anthropometric assessment, nutritional intake and physical activity in adolescents with early anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive AN patients and 57 healthy controls underwent anthropometric status, bone density, body composition and physical activity evaluations. In AN patients clinical features and nutritional intake were also assessed.

Clinical value of immunoglobulin A antitransglutaminase assay in the diagnosis of celiac disease.

Objectives: Our goal was to evaluate the possible correspondence between antitissue transglutaminase of immunoglobulin A class levels and stage of mucosal damage in patients affected by celiac disease. In addition, we assessed clinical use of antitissue transglutaminase values to predict biopsy results.

Methods: One thousand eight hundred eighty-six consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of celiac disease and 305 healthy controls underwent determination of serum levels of immunoglobulin A and antitissue transglutaminase.

Duodenal stenosis, a new finding on congenital rubella syndrome: case description and literature review.

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) continues to represent a public healthcare problem although an effective vaccination program. Gastrointestinal involvement is rather infrequent and the association of CRS with duodenal stenosis has been never reported. In this study a case of CRS with duodenal diaphragm is reported and the gastrointestinal diseases described in association with CRS are reviewed.

Notch3 and pre-TCR interaction unveils distinct NF-kappaB pathways in T-cell development and leukemia.

Notch signaling plays a critical role in T-cell differentiation and leukemogenesis. We previously demonstrated that, while pre-TCR is required for thymocytes proliferation and leukemogenesis, it is dispensable for thymocyte differentiation in Notch3-transgenic mice. Notch3-transgenic premalignant thymocytes and T lymphoma cells overexpress pTalpha/pre-TCR and display constitutive activation of NF-kappaB, providing survival signals for immature thymocytes.

PKC theta mediates pre-TCR signaling and contributes to Notch3-induced T-cell leukemia.

Protein kinase (PK)C theta is a critical regulator of mature T-cell activation and proliferation, being implicated in TCR-triggered nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B activation and providing important survival signals to leukemic T cells. We previously showed that overexpression of pT alpha/pre-TCR and constitutive activation of NF-kappa B characterize the T-cell leukemia/lymphoma developing in Notch3-IC transgenic mice. We report here that PKC theta is a downstream target of Notch3 signaling and that its activation and membrane translocation require a functional pre-TCR in order to trigger NF-kappa B activation in thymocytes and lymphoma cells of transgenic mice.

Experimental parkinsonism modulates multiple genes involved in the transduction of dopaminergic signals in the striatum.

The irreversible loss of the dopamine-mediated control of striatal function is considered the functional substrate of the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This pathological event causes a complex rearrangement of neuronal activity which involves specific dopamine-regulated cellular functions and, secondarily, several other cellular properties and transmitter systems. In the present study, we applied recently developed cDNA microarray technology to investigate the genetic correlates of the alterations produced by 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopamine denervation in the nucleus striatum.