Introduction: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a strong predictive factor for morbidity and mortality in haemodialysis (HD) patients. However, there is no consensus for its assessment. The present study aimed to assess the nutritional status of patients on chronic HD by use of different nutritional assessment parameters, and at verifying which can identify the greatest number of HD patients with PEW.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: The Maghreb region is considered to be an endemic area for classical Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) but the few published reports have focused on clinical descriptions. We report here the clinical, virological and pathological features of 26 KS cases, including 17 classic forms, eight epidemic forms and one case of post-transplant KS.
Methods: Evidence of human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 infection was detected by serology, immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction.
Northern hybridizations were used to evaluate the modulated action of retinoic acid (R.A.) in presence of dexamethasone (Dex) and/or calcitriol (1,25-(OH)2D3) on calcitonin (CT) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) mRNA steady state levels in the murine CA-77 C cell line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe used the CA-77 cell, a murine C-cell line derived from a medullary thyroid carcinoma, to study the effects of glucocorticoids, calcium, and vitamin D metabolites on calcitonin (CT) gene expression. Total RNA was isolated, and CT and CT gene-related peptide (CGRP) mRNAs were measured by Northern hybridizations using specific probes. A control mRNA probe (cyclophilin) was used to quantitate the specificity of the changes in CT and CGRP mRNAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe physiological effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on the regulation of calcitonin (CT) secretion was studied by measuring plasma CT levels and CT mRNAs extracted from thyroid glands of normal (D+) or partially vitamin D-depleted rats (D-). In both groups, acute 1,25-(OH)2D3 administration of 0.1 microgram/kg b.
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