Establishing a cord blood banking and transplantation program in Mexico: a single institution experience.

Background: Over the past decade, umbilical cord blood (UCB) banking and transplantation have increased significantly worldwide. The experience in developing countries, however, is still limited. In January 2005 the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) initiated its UCB banking and transplantation program.

C-reactive protein induces matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -10 in human endothelial cells: implications for clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Objectives: We examined the effect of C-reactive protein (CRP) on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and inhibitor expression in endothelial cells and in patients with clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Background: In addition to predicting atherosclerotic vascular disease, CRP may directly promote a proinflammatory/proatherosclerotic phenotype.

Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were incubated in the presence or absence of CRP (50 mug/ml).

The decrease in plasma ghrelin concentrations following bariatric surgery depends on the functional integrity of the fundus.

Background: Gastric bypass surgery, which involves the production of a reduced stomach pouch,has been shown to markedly suppress circulating ghrelin concentrations. Since bypassing the ghrelin-producing cell population may be relevant to the disruption of fundic-derived factors participating in food intake signaling, the effect of weight loss induced by either adjustable gastric banding (AGB), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) or biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) was studied.

Methods: 16 matched obese patients [35.