HFE mutations in heart disease.

Given the reported association of cardiac complications with hereditary hemochromatosis and the high carrier frequency of HFE gene mutations in the natural population, it seems reasonable that such mutations might appear more frequently than expected among symptomatic cardiac patients. Thus, H63D, C282Y, and S65C mutations and their possible associations were examined in 477 Caucasian males undergoing coronary angiography. Genotypes were analyzed for differences between ferritin and transferrin levels, coronary artery disease (CAD), cardiomyopathy (CM), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Increased pancreatitis in allografts flushed with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution: a cautionary tale.

We reviewed pancreas transplantation outcomes after Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) and University of Wisconsin (UW) preservation solution use between 2001 and 2007 at two transplant centers. While equivalence has been claimed for kidney and liver transplant outcomes after the use of HTK or UW preservation solution, consensus has not been reached on equivalence when flushing pancreata. Others have reported comparable patient and graft survival rates, but found an association between the use of HTK and an increase in the incidence of acute rejection and pancreatitis.

Steroid-free immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients: the University of Minnesota experience.

As results after transplants continue to improve, the burden associated with long-term immunosuppression and the complications associated with these agents become more significant. Recent trends in immunosuppression minimization strategies show that prednisone minimization protocols are not associated with significantly increased acute rejection or chronic graft dysfunction. With long-term data now available, we can see that the majority of such recipients (>80%) can remain prednisone free.

GOLPH2 and MYO6: putative prostate cancer markers localized to the Golgi apparatus.

Background: Malignant transformation is often accompanied by morphological and functional alterations in subcellular organelles. The Golgi apparatus is a subcellular structure primarily involved in modification and sorting of macromolecules for secretion and transport to other cellular destinations. Molecular alterations associated with the Golgi apparatus may take place during prostate carcinogenesis but such alterations have not been documented.

Are there predictors for failed expectant management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1?

Objective: To identify the short-term natural history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 and the potential risk factors for its progression, regression and persistence and to identify any characteristics of patients who were lost to follow-up.

Study Design: All colposcopic specimens from July 2001 through December 2004 were evaluated for the presence of CIN 1. Adequate follow-up was defined as 24 months of surveillance with Pap smears every 4-6 months.

Gamma-synuclein is an adipocyte-neuron gene coordinately expressed with leptin and increased in human obesity.

Recently, we characterized tumor suppressor candidate 5 (Tusc5) as an adipocyte-neuron PPARgamma target gene. Our objective herein was to identify additional genes that display distinctly high expression in fat and neurons, because such a pattern could signal previously uncharacterized functional pathways shared in these disparate tissues. gamma-Synuclein, a marker of peripheral and select central nervous system neurons, was strongly expressed in white adipose tissue (WAT) and peripheral nervous system ganglia using bioinformatics and quantitative PCR approaches.

Serotonin modulates transmitter release at central Lymnaea synapses through a G-protein-coupled and cAMP-mediated pathway.

Neuromodulation is central to all nervous system function, although the precise mechanisms by which neurotransmitters affect synaptic efficacy between central neurons remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the neuromodulatory action of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] at central synapses between identified neurons from the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Using whole-cell voltage-clamp and sharp electrode recording, we show that 5-HT strongly depresses synaptic strength between cultured, cholinergic neuron visceral dorsal 4 (VD4 - presynaptic) and its serotonergic target left pedal dorsal 1 (LPeD1 - postsynaptic).

Imaging second messenger dynamics in developing neural circuits.

A characteristic feature of developing neural circuits is that they are spontaneously active. There are several examples, including the retina, spinal cord, and hippocampus, where spontaneous activity is highly correlated among neighboring cells, with large depolarizing events occurring with a periodicity on the order of minutes. One likely mechanism by which neurons can "decode" these slow oscillations is through activation of second messenger cascades that either influence transcriptional activity or drive posttranslational modifications.

What happens to the kidney in an SPK transplant when the pancreas fails due to a technical complication?

We examined a group of SPK recipients that had early (<90 d post-transplant) pancreas graft failure caused by a technical complication, and looked at outcomes of the kidney graft in these recipients. Of 289 SPK transplants, 36 (12.5%) had early pancreas graft failure because of a technical complication: thrombosis (n = 16), leak (n = 5), infection (n = 14), and pancreatitis (n = 1).

Photochemical control of endogenous ion channels and cellular excitability.

Light-activated ion channels provide a precise and noninvasive optical means for controlling action potential firing, but the genes encoding these channels must first be delivered and expressed in target cells. Here we describe a method for bestowing light sensitivity onto endogenous ion channels that does not rely on exogenous gene expression. The method uses a synthetic photoisomerizable small molecule, or photoswitchable affinity label (PAL), that specifically targets K+ channels.

Posttransplant diabetes mellitus and acute rejection: impact on kidney transplant outcome.

Background: The benefits (e.g., low acute rejection [AR] rate) vs.

Loss-of-function mutations and inducible RNAi suppression of Arabidopsis LCB2 genes reveal the critical role of sphingolipids in gametophytic and sporophytic cell viability.

Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first step in sphingolipid biosynthesis, and downregulation of this enzyme provides a means for exploring sphingolipid function in cells. We have previously demonstrated that Arabidopsis SPT requires LCB1 and LCB2 subunits for activity, as is the case in other eukaryotes. In this study, we show that Arabidopsis has two genes (AtLCB2a and AtLCB2b) that encode functional isoforms of the LCB2 subunit.

Transmission of anaplastic large cell lymphoma via organ donation after cardiac death.

Recently, donation after cardiac death (DCD) has been encouraged in order to expand the donor pool. We present a case of anaplastic T-cell lymphoma transmitted to four recipients of solid organ transplants from a DCD donor suspected of having bacterial meningitis. On brain biopsy, the donor was found to have anaplastic central nervous system T-cell lymphoma, and the recipient of the donor's pancreas, liver and kidneys were found to have involvement of T-cell lymphoma.

Arabidopsis mutants lacking long chain base phosphate lyase are fumonisin-sensitive and accumulate trihydroxy-18:1 long chain base phosphate.

The sphingoid long chain bases (LCBs) and their phosphorylated derivatives (LCB-Ps) are important signaling molecules in eukaryotic organisms. The cellular levels of LCB-Ps are tightly controlled by the coordinated action of the LCB kinase activity responsible for their synthesis and the LCB-P phosphatase and lyase activities responsible for their catabolism. Although recent studies have implicated LCB-Ps as regulatory molecules in plants, in comparison with yeast and mammals, much less is known about their metabolism and function in plants.

Absent endocervical cells on Pap smears after loop electrosurgical excision procedure.

Objective: To evaluate the absence of endocervical cells on Pap smear after loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) as a possible marker for cervical stenosis.

Materials And Methods: All LEEPs performed at a public health teaching hospital caring for the indigent between July 1, 1999, and September 30, 2002, were reviewed; 1,190 eligible charts of patients were reviewed, and extracted data included the following: age, parity, ethnicity, histology obtained during colposcopy, volume of loop specimen taken, and follow-up Pap smear results.

Results: One thousand four hundred twenty-one patients had LEEPs during this period.

Propofol for procedural sedation in the emergency department.

Objectives: To observe procedural sedation practice within a district general hospital emergency department (ED) that uses propofol for procedural sedation.

Methods: Prospective observation of procedural sedation over an 11 month period. Patients over 16 years of age requiring procedural sedation and able to give informed consent were recruited.

Reducing relapse and recurrence in unipolar depression: a comparative meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral therapy's effects.

Relapse and recurrence following response to acute-phase treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) are prevalent and costly. In a meta-analysis of 28 studies including 1,880 adults, the authors reviewed the world's published literature on cognitive-behavioral therapies (CT) aimed at preventing relapse-recurrence in MDD. Results indicate that after discontinuation of acute-phase treatment, many responders to CT relapse-recur (29% within 1 year and 54% within 2 years).

A six-membrane-spanning topology for yeast and Arabidopsis Tsc13p, the enoyl reductases of the microsomal fatty acid elongating system.

The very long chain fatty acids are crucial building blocks of essential lipids, most notably the sphingolipids. These elongated fatty acids are synthesized by a system of enzymes that are organized in a complex within the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Although several of the components of the elongase complex have recently been identified, little is known about how these proteins are organized within the membrane or about how they interact with one another during fatty acid elongation.

Can methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus be found in an ambulance fleet?

Objective: To perform an initial screening study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination in an ambulance fleet.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of MRSA contamination in an ambulance fleet operating in the western United States in June 2006. Five specific areas within each of 21 ambulances (n = 105) were tested for MRSA contamination using dacron swabs moistened with a 0.

Rhabdomyolysis and necrotic bowel after acetaminophen and ibuprofen overdose.

A 28-year-old man with schizophrenia intentionally ingested a lethal dose of acetaminophen and an unknown quantity of ibuprofen. He arrived at the hospital with acute renal and fulminant liver failure complicated by rhabdomyolysis. His creatine kinase level was 20,306 U/L on admission, which increased to 245,595 U/L by hospital day 2, and subsequently decreased to 339 U/L by day 16.

Comparison of Motion Encoding Waveforms for Magnetic Resonance Elastography at 3T.

Magnetic resonance (MR) elastography has the ability to combine the inherent soft-tissue contrast of traditional MR imaging with quantitative maps of tissue stiffness. Mechanical properties of tissues can vary greatly with disease and degeneration, and can illuminate structure-function understanding of tissues. Dynamic MR elastography is a phase contrast-based method for imaging the transmission of strain waves in an object.