Health-related quality of life of adult and adolescent patients living with alopecia areata in Australia.

Introduction: To understand the experiences of adolescent and adult patients living with alopecia areata (AA) in Australia regarding symptom severity and the impact on psychosocial well-being and work/classroom productivity.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional online patient survey among adolescent and adult patients diagnosed with AA was recruited via the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation. Patient-reported outcomes were also assessed.

Interleukin-21 is critically required in autoimmune and allogeneic responses to islet tissue in murine models.

Objective: Type 1 diabetes is an incurable chronic autoimmune disease. Although transplantation of pancreatic islets may serve as a surrogate source of insulin, recipients are subjected to a life of immunosuppression. Interleukin (IL)-21 is necessary for type 1 diabetes in NOD mice.

Expression, purification and characterization of recombinant interleukin-21.

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a key regulator of the immune system. However, studies of this cytokine have so far been hampered by the limited availability of recombinant protein preparations. Here we describe a method based on refolding of inclusion bodies expressed in E.

Detection of growth hormone doping by gene expression profiling of peripheral blood.

Context: GH abuse is a significant problem in many sports, and there is currently no robust test that allows detection of doping beyond a short window after administration.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate gene expression profiling in peripheral blood leukocytes in-vivo as a test for GH doping in humans.

Design: Seven men and thirteen women were administered GH, 2 mg/d sc for 8 wk.

The proline-rich region of HIV-1 Nef affects CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis in Jurkat T cells.

T-cell chemotaxis constitutes an essential function of the immune response, since active secretion of chemokines controls homing and recruitment of leukocytes into tissues. Modification of chemotactic responses by HIV-1 may provide a mechanism to increase viral spread, and may be an important factor in HIV-1 disease progression and pathogenesis. One potent T-cell chemoattractant is SDF-1 alpha, the natural ligand for the HIV-1 co-receptor CXCR4.

Selection of human antibody fragments by phage display.

Here, we describe a protocol for the selection of human antibody fragments using repertoires displayed on filamentous bacteriophage. Antigen-specific clones are enriched by binding to immobilized antigen, followed by elution and repropagation of phage. After multiple rounds of binding selection, specific clones are identified by ELISA.