In vitro identification and verification of inflammatory biomarkers in swine.

Currently there are no non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) approved for the control of inflammation in swine due to a lack of validated animal models and suitable biomarkers to assess drug efficacy. This study investigates the differential expression of genes altered in response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation which may serve as indicators of NSAID efficacy. Unstimulated whole blood from swine was mixed with tissue culture media, stimulated with LPS, and RNA extracted at the following time points 0h, 1h, 3h, 24h and 48h.

Exploring exposure--response for magnetic fields and childhood leukemia.

For 30 years, there have been suggestions that extremely low frequency magnetic fields such as those are produced by electric power systems may be associated with elevated risks of childhood leukemia. These suggestions are driven by epidemiological evidence, and it has been common to characterize that evidence as showing a threshold effect, with no increase in risk below a threshold, often 0.3 or 0.

Damage extent and predictors in adult and juvenile dermatomyositis and polymyositis as determined with the myositis damage index.

Objective: We undertook this study to validate the Myositis Damage Index (MDI) in juvenile and adult myositis, to describe the degree and types of damage and to develop predictors of damage.

Methods: Retrospective MDI evaluations and prospective assessment of disease activity and illness features were conducted. Patients with juvenile-onset disease (n = 143) were evaluated a median of 18 months after diagnosis; 135 patients were assessed 7-9 months later, and 121 were last assessed a median of 82 months after diagnosis.

Occupational electromagnetic fields and leukemia and brain cancer: an update to two meta-analyses.

Objective: To update past meta-analyses on occupational electromagnetic fields (EMF) and adult brain cancer and leukemia.

Methods: We collected and evaluated all relevant 1993 to 2007 publications. Summary estimates were obtained using various weighting schemes.

Immunogenetic risk and protective factors for juvenile dermatomyositis in Caucasians.

Objective: To define the relative importance (RI) of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles and peptide binding motifs as risk or protective factors for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM), and to compare these with HLA associations in adult DM.

Methods: DRB1 and DQA1 typing was performed in 142 Caucasian patients with juvenile DM, and the results were compared with HLA typing data from 193 patients with adult DM and 797 race-matched controls. Random Forests classification and multiple logistic regression were used to assess the RI of the HLA associations.

Proteasome inhibition induces both pro- and anti-cell death pathways in prostate cancer cells.

The proteasome-mediated protein degradation is critical for regulation of a variety of cellular processes, including cell cycle, cell death, differentiation and immune response. Proteasome inhibitors have recently been shown to be potent anti-cancer agents against a variety of cancer cells. Our study demonstrated that proteasome inhibitor MG132 (carbobenzoxy-L-leucyle-L-leucyl-L-leucinal) was a potent death-inducing agent for PC3 prostate cancer cells.

Thyroid carcinoma in the McCune-Albright syndrome: contributory role of activating Gs alpha mutations.

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is defined by the triad of café-au-lait skin pigmentation, polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, and hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies, such as precocious puberty, hyperthyroidism, GH excess, and Cushing's syndrome. This disorder is caused by sporadic, postzygotic activating mutations in the GNAS1 gene, which codes for the G(s)alpha protein in the cAMP signaling cascade. Nodular and diffuse goiters (with and without hyperthyroidism), as well as benign thyroid nodules, have been reported in association with MAS.

Patterns of mitochondrial inheritance in the myxogastrid Didymium iridis.

Seven strains of the Central American A1 mating series of Didymium iridis were crossed in all possible combinations. Individual plasmodia were isolated and grown to a stage where total DNA could be isolated for DNA-DNA hybridization with cloned mitochondrial DNA probes to determine the pattern of mitochondrial inheritance. Random, biased, and dominant patterns of uniparental mitochondrial inheritance were observed, as well as rare cases of biparental inheritance, depending on the particular parental strains mated.