Customized PCR-array analysis informed by gene-chip microarray and biological hypothesis reveals pathways involved in lung inflammatory response to titanium dioxide in pregnancy.

Validation of gene-chip microarray results is one of the challenges in genomic studies. The successful use of a custom-designed 96-well polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array to study the unexpected inflammatory effect of environmental titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles on the lungs of pregnant mice, with similar results not seen in control mice, is reported. In our approach, selection of candidate genes for the custom PCR array was informed by prior gene-chip microarray profiling.

Characterization of particulate matter for three sites in Kuwait.

Many studies have shown strong associations between particulate matter (PM) levels and a variety of health outcomes, leading to changes in air quality standards in many regions, especially the United States and Europe. Kuwait, a desert country located on the Persian Gulf, has a large petroleum industry with associated industrial and urban land uses. It was marked by environmental destruction from the 1990 Iraqi invasion and subsequent oil fires.