Challenges to Evidence Synthesis and Identification of Data Gaps in Human Biomonitoring.

The increasing number of human biomonitoring (HBM) studies undertaken in recent decades has brought to light the need to harmonise procedures along all phases of the study, including sampling, data collection and analytical methods to allow data comparability. The first steps towards harmonisation are the identification and collation of HBM methodological information of existing studies and data gaps. Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses have been traditionally put at the top of the hierarchy of evidence, being increasingly applied to map available evidence on health risks linked to exposure to chemicals.

"Diabetic nephropathy" in a non-diabetic patient.

Kimmelstiel and Wilson originally described nodular glomerulosclerosis as the pathognomonic lesion of diabetic nephropathy. Nevertheless, nodular glomerulosclerosis pattern can rarely occur in non-diabetic patients. In such cases, the differential diagnosis includes membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, light or heavy chain deposition disease, amyloidosis, fibrillary and immunotactoid glomerulonephritis and chronic hypoxic or ischemic conditions.

A common 'aggregation-prone' interface possibly participates in the self-assembly of human zona pellucida proteins.

Human zona pellucida (ZP) is composed of four glycoproteins, namely ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4. ZP proteins form heterodimers, which are incorporated into filaments through a common bipartite polymerizing component, designated as the ZP domain. The latter is composed of two individually folded subdomains, named ZP-N and ZP-C.

Crescentic glomerulonephritis and membranous nephropathy: a rare coexistence.

Background: The coexistence of crescents and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) is a special characteristic in lupus nephritis. In the absence of the characteristic histological features of lupus nephritis, MGN with crescents should raise the possibility of two other histopathological entities: anti-GBM disease and necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. The last one includes patients with positive ANCA serology or not.

An N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP) 'aggregation-prone' segment involved in isolated atrial amyloidosis.

Isolated atrial amyloidosis (IAA) is a common localized form of amyloid deposition within the atria of the aging heart. The main constituents of amyloid fibrils are atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the N-terminal part of its precursor form (NT-proANP). An 'aggregation-prone' heptapeptide ((114)KLRALLT(120)) was located within the NT-proANP sequence.