Quantification of Human Central Adipose Tissue Depots: An Anatomically Matched Comparison Between DXA and MRI.

Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and VAT volume relative to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) are associated with elevated health risks. This study compares fat measurements by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In total, 21 control subjects (Control) and 16 individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) were scanned by DXA and MRI.

Specificity rescue and affinity maturation of a low-affinity IgM antibody against pro-gastrin-releasing peptide using phage display and DNA shuffling.

The objectives of the present study were to use phage display to rescue the specificity of an IgM antibody and by the use of DNA shuffling to construct a sublibrary from which mutants with higher affinity could be selected. As a test system, a hybridoma cell line producing low-affinity IgM against recombinant pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) was chosen as starting material for construction of a single-chain Fv (scFv) phage library. One clone, pGRP5, demonstrating affinity for the antigen, was selected for the study.

Rearrangement of squamous cell carcinoma antigen genes--detection of SCCA fusion transcripts.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family, is a tumor-associated antigen and a serological marker for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Elevated serum levels are correlated with the clinical stage of the disease. Gene cloning has previously revealed two tandemly arrayed genes, SCCA1 and SCCA2.