Expression of keratin K2e in cutaneous and oral lesions: association with keratinocyte activation, proliferation, and keratinization.

The cytoskeleton in keratinocytes is a complex of highly homologous structural proteins derived from two families of type I and type II polypeptides. Keratin K2e is a type II polypeptide that is expressed in epidermis late in differentiation. Here we report the influence of keratinocyte activation, proliferation, and keratinization on K2e expression in samples of cutaneous and oral lesions.

Genetic diversity and spoilage potentials among Pseudomonas spp. isolated from fluid milk products and dairy processing plants.

Degradation of milk components through various enzymatic activities associated with the contamination of dairy products by Pseudomonas spp. can reduce the shelf life of processed milk. Reliable methods for differentiating among Pseudomonas spp.

Antigenically diverse reference strains and autologous strains of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans are equally efficient antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a major pathogen in periodontitis. Data on the clinical relevance of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels against this species are controversial. The aim of the present study was to elucidate how different strains used as antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) influence the detection of individuals with elevated serum IgG levels against A.

In vivo assessment of blood-spinal cord barrier permeability: serial dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of spinal cord injury.

Serial in vivo dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI studies were performed on spinal cord injured rats on post-injury Days 0, 10, 20 and 30 to determine the distribution of gadopentetate-dimeglumine (Gd) concentration in injured cord tissue. A two-compartment pharmacokinetic model was fitted to the time course of the concentration data at the epicenter of injury for each post-injury day. From these fits, the rates of the Gd transport between plasma and injured cord tissue were determined as a measure of blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans proportion of subgingival bacterial flora in relation to its clonal type.

We investigated whether certain Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans clones occur in elevated proportions in subgingival flora, and if the proportions relate to other bacteria in the samples. A total of 121 A. actinomycetemcomitans strains from 121 patients with periodontitis were serotyped and 60 strains were also genotyped.

Subgingival strains of Candida albicans in relation to geographical origin and occurrence of periodontal pathogenic bacteria.

Clonal diversity of subgingival yeast strains was determined in relation to geographical location and coexistence of selected periodontal pathogenic bacteria. A total of 60 dental patients from Finland, the United States and Turkey each contributed five Candida albicans isolates. C.

Comparison of virulence factors of oral Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans isolates in healthy people and patients with chronic candidosis.

We determined differences in the expression of certain virulence factors between oral Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans species. In addition, clonal differences were sought among C. albicans isolates recovered from patients with and without compromised immune system.

Studies on the vascular effects of the fractions and phenolic compounds isolated from Viscum album ssp. album.

Viscum album L. has been used in the indigenous system of medicine for treatment of various diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. In the literature, phenylpropan and flavonoid derivatives were suggested to play a role in the inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-phosphodiesterase (PDE) and a correlation was proposed between the in vitro inhibition of PDE and in vivo pharmacological activity.

Genotyping of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype d isolates based on polymerase chain reaction.

The aims of the study were to determine the genetic diversity of the rare Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype d and to compare the ability of the repetitive extragenic palindromic element (REP)-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with that of the arbitrarily primed (AP)-PCR to discriminate between and within A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes. The material included 26 A.

Process options in hepatitis B surface antigen extraction from transgenic potato.

The process conditions for recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) extraction from transgenic potato were examined. The effects of temperature, the reducing agent beta-mercaptoethanol (BME), and proteinase inhibitors on the level of antigenic activity of recovered HBsAg were determined. Sedimentation profiles were performed to characterize HBsAg assembly into virus-like particles.

Bacterial adhesion of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotypes to titanium implants: SEM evaluation. A preliminary report.

Background: In this study, the adherence ability of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotypes to titanium implant surfaces was evaluated to demonstrate if any selective adherence occurs according to the serotypes of the microorganism.

Methods: The study material included 3 reference strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a, b, and c (ATCC 29523, ATCC 43718, ATCC 33384) and 2 clinical isolates of A.

Persistence of oral colonization by the same Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strain(s).

Background: The Gram-negative facultatively anaerobic coccobacillus Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is the major pathogen in localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) and some forms of adult periodontitis (AP). A. actinomycetemcomitans can be grouped into 5 serotypes (a through e) based on differences in the carbohydrate moiety of cell surface lipopolysaccharide.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype e--biotypes, genetic diversity and distribution in relation to periodontal status.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolates from 356 individuals were screened for identification of serotype e in order to investigate its distribution in relation to periodontal status. From subjects with serotype e, 1-6 isolates per subject (n = 61) were genotyped using arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) and apaH gene polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis to determine the genetic heterogeneity within the serotype. Furthermore, one serotype e strain per subject was tested for fermentation of 8 carbohydrates for biotyping.

Keratin 15 expression in stratified epithelia: downregulation in activated keratinocytes.

Keratin 15 (K15) is a type I keratin without a defined type II partner whose expression in epidermal diseases has not been investigated. In this study we have used LHK15, a monoclonal antibody raised against the last 17 amino acids of the K15 polypeptide, to show that K15 is expressed primarily in the basal keratinocytes of stratified tissues, including the fetal epidermis and fetal nail. Although K15 in normal hair follicles was virtually absent from hair bulbs, it was expressed by a subset of keratinocytes in the outer root sheath.

Evaluation of two commercial kits and arbitrarily primed PCR for identification and differentiation of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Haemophilus aphrophilus, and Haemophilus paraphrophilus.

The closely related species Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Haemophilus aphrophilus, and Haemophilus paraphrophilus are common findings in oral microbiota. The aims of this study were to evaluate the applicability of the Rapid NH and API ZYM kits and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) in the identification and differentiation of the three species from each other. The material included 62 clinical isolates and three reference strains of A.

Isolation, sequence and expression of the gene encoding human keratin 13.

Keratins are a family of highly homologous proteins expressed as pairs of acidic and basic forms which make intermediate filaments in epithelial cells. Keratin 13 (K13) is the major acidic keratin, which together with K4, its basic partner, is expressed in the suprabasal layers of non-cornified stratified epithelia. The mechanism which allows mucosal-specific expression of this keratin remains unknown.

A case of coumarin necrosis with penile and pedal involvement.

A 57-year-old male patient with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung, who was administered oral anticoagulant therapy because of pulmonary embolism, developed coumarin necrosis confined to the penis and feet. To our knowledge, this patient showing acral involvement is the seventh case of coumarin-induced penile necrosis reported to date.

Male involvement in family planning in Turkey.

Many men in Turkey are motivated to use contraception and to share responsibility for family planning with their wives. About half the couples practising family planning use male-dependent methods. Men commonly use traditional methods, predominantly withdrawal, and should be treated as a specific target group in family planning programmes in order to motivate them to use modern methods.

Intradermal antigen tests and the Koebner phenomenon in psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is one of several dermatologic conditions in which nonspecific irritation may elicit the disease where it was not previously present. In this study we aimed to assess the cutaneous cellular immune reaction with intradermal antigen tests and the relation between Koebner's phenomenon and intradermal antigens.

Methods: Thirty psoriasis patients and 20 control subjects were tested with 0.

Intralesional alfa-2a interferon therapy for basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is an epithelial tumour of the skin that arises from basal cells of the epidermis and its appendages. There are some therapeutic models for BCC, and one of these is intralesional interferon. Thirteen patients with histopathologically-proven BCC on their faces or trunk were treated with intralesional interferon alfa-2a.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis in an adult.

We present the case of a 27-year-old Caucasian woman who suffered from Langerhans cell histiocytosis with axillary and scalp involvement. She also developed diabetes insipidus after 2 years of skin lesions. Topical nitrogen mustard therapy was performed for the skin lesions, but we had to stop this therapy because of severe local irritation and systemic urticaria.