Marriage and Health: Selection, Protection, and Assortative Mating.

Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we analyze the health gap between married and unmarried individuals of working-age. Controlling for observables, we find a gap that peaks at 10 percentage points at ages 55-59 years. The marriage health gap is similar for men and women.

Histological and Immunological Description of the Leishmanin Skin Test in Ibizan Hounds.

The leishmanin skin test (LST), a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to Leishmania infantum, can specifically identify dogs that have made a cell-mediated immune response to L. infantum infection. The Ibizan hound appears to be more resistant to L.

Canine Leishmaniasis Progression is Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency.

The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of suffering from a plethora of health disorders, ranging from autoimmune processes to infectious diseases has been widely described. Nonetheless, the potential role of vitamin D in visceral leishmaniasis remains uncharacterized. In the Mediterranean basin, where the dog is leishmania's main peri-domestic reservoir, control measures against the canine disease have shown beneficial effects on the incidence of human leishmaniasis.

The inflammatory cytokine effect of Pam3CSK4 TLR2 agonist alone or in combination with Leishmania infantum antigen on ex-vivo whole blood from sick and resistant dogs.

Background: A wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and immune responses exist in canine L. infantum infection. Ibizan hounds are more "resistant" to disease than other dog breeds.