Gender-specific differences in the urinary expression of aldosterone, IL-1α and IL-1β.

Aims: This pilot investigation examined the possibility of using urine specimens to explore the difference between the expression of several biomarkers based on gender. These biomarkers include several associated with cardiac damage, oxidative stress and inflammation.

Materials & Methods: Urine specimens were assayed for total protein, aldosterone, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase and IL-1α and -1β using ELISA.

Red tide toxin produces in vitro depolarization of human airway smooth muscle.

Background: Brevetoxin (PbTx), taken from the earlier species name Ptychodiscus brevis, is a red algae toxin. It has been associated with clinically observed bronchoconstriction in nonasthmatics. In asthmatics, similar exposures may produce severe transient effects, sometimes requiring emergency treatment, thus suggesting that asthmatics are more sensitive to this toxin.

A correlation of allergic contact dermatitis with allergen type and patient categorical variables.

Allergic contact dermatitis is a very treatable disease once it is diagnosed. In this study, statistical analysis was done on 105 patients with allergic contact dermatitis and the data were correlated with allergen type and patient categorical variables. Once allergens were identified, patients were advised to practice avoidance of the identified allergens.

Formalin produces depolarizations in human airway smooth muscle in vitro.

Respiratory irritants may result in airway smooth muscle (ASM) depolarization and bronchoconstriction. We examined the effect of formalin on membrane potentials in human ASM in two types of in vitro preparations: strip preparations, which contain functional sensory and motor nerve endings and cultured cells, which lack these nerve endings due to the tissue dissociation process. Depolarizations occurred in atropine-treated strip preparations in response to formalin exposures, but not in similarly-treated cultured cells, suggesting a role for non-cholinergic mediators in formalin-induced depolarization.