Thyroid disease associated with Cowden syndrome: A meta-analysis.

Background: We investigated the pathology and surgical management of thyroid disease in patients with Cowden syndrome (CS).

Methods: A query of the PubMed database between 2001 and January 2010 was performed using the terms "cowden syndrome OR cowden's syndrome OR cowden disease OR cowden's disease." Original articles, reviews, case reports, and case series were included.

Morphological and functional midbrain phenotypes in Fibroblast Growth Factor 17 mutant mice detected by Mn-enhanced MRI.

With increasing efforts to develop and utilize mouse models of a variety of neuro-developmental diseases, there is an urgent need for sensitive neuroimaging methods that enable in vivo analysis of subtle alterations in brain anatomy and function in mice. Previous studies have shown that the brains of Fibroblast Growth Factor 17 null mutants (Fgf17(-/-)) have anatomical abnormalities in the inferior colliculus (IC)-the auditory midbrain-and minor foliation defects in the cerebellum. In addition, changes in the expression domains of several cortical patterning genes were detected, without overt changes in forebrain morphology.

Apolipoprotein A-I lysine modification: effects on helical content, lipid binding and cholesterol acceptor activity.

We examined the role of the positively charged lysine residues in apoAI by chemical modification. Lysine modification by reductive methylation did not alter apoAI's net charge, secondary or tertiary structure as observed by circular dichroism and trytophan fluorescence, respectively, or have much impact on lipid binding or ABCA1-dependent cholesterol acceptor activity. Acetylation of lysine residues lowered the isoelectric point of apoAI, altered its secondary and tertiary structure, and led to a 40% decrease in cholesterol acceptor activity, while maintaining 93% of its lipid binding activity.