Alpha2 macroglobulin elevation without an acute phase response in depressed adults with Down's syndrome: implications.

Studies of immune function during depression in persons without intellectual disability (ID) have revealed elevated levels of alpha2 macroglobulin (alpha2M) and an acute phase protein (APP) response. Clinical observation suggests that people with Down's syndrome (DS) may have associated genetic abnormalities in their immune systems. The APP response and alpha2M changes in depressed versus non-depressed adults with DS was the subject of the present study.

Quantifying the process and outcomes of person-centered planning.

Although person-centered planning is a popular approach in the field of developmental disabilities, there has been little systematic assessment of its process and outcomes. To measure person-centered planning, we developed three instruments designed to assess its various aspects. We then constructed variables comprising both a Process and an Outcome Index using a combined rational-empirical method.

Partial impairment of immune functions in peripheral blood leukocytes from aged men with Down's syndrome.

Down's syndrome (DS) has been considered a model of accelerated aging and of Alzheimer's disease. We investigated immunologic functions using peripheral blood leukocytes in order to correlate the production of cytokines and development of neuropathological changes of Alzheimer type in aged persons with DS. Cytokine production (IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha), phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated proliferation of nonadherent monocytes, and superoxide anion production from polymorphonuclear leukocytes were measured.

An endogenous retrovirus and exogenous scrapie in a mouse model of aging.

As we enter the post-genomic era, there is an increasing need for accurate methods of identifying host and pathogen factors that contribute to bacterial, viral and fungal disease. In addition, there is a requirement for fast and precise techniques to evaluate potential therapies for the prevention of infectious diseases. The development of useful and cost-effective model systems will be crucial in advancing our knowledge of all aspects of microbial pathogenesis.