Enhanced expression of β3-adrenoceptors in cardiac myocytes attenuates neurohormone-induced hypertrophic remodeling through nitric oxide synthase.

Background: β1-2-adrenergic receptors (AR) are key regulators of cardiac contractility and remodeling in response to catecholamines. β3-AR expression is enhanced in diseased human myocardium, but its impact on remodeling is unknown.

Methods And Results: Mice with cardiac myocyte-specific expression of human β3-AR (β3-TG) and wild-type (WT) littermates were used to compare myocardial remodeling in response to isoproterenol (Iso) or Angiotensin II (Ang II).

Transmission network of an HIV type 1 strain with K103N in young Belgian patients from different risk groups.

Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) influencing nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) activity is increasing among new HIV-1 patients in several countries. As we recently observed an increase of K103N prevalence among new diagnoses in Belgium, we mined the Belgian national sequence database for homologous sequences. The earliest reverse transcriptase (RT) sequences available for drug-naive patients as well as sequences related to treatment failure were included.

Upregulation of IL-17, but not of IL-9, in circulating cells of CIS and relapsing MS patients. Impact of corticosteroid therapy on the cytokine network.

The concomitant production of IL-17A and IL-9, both Th17 cytokines, has not been compared in MS patients. We show that IL-17A but not IL-9 expression by CD3(+) cells was increased during a MS relapse. Co-expression of IL-17A and IL-9 was marginal.

Genotypic evaluation of etravirine sensitivity of clinical human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates carrying resistance mutations to nevirapine and efavirenz.

Background: Etravirine is a second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with a pattern of resistance mutations quite distinct from the current NNRTIs.

Methods: We collected all routine samples of HIV-1 patients followed in the AIDS reference laboratory of UCLouvain (in 2006 and 2007) carrying resistance-associated mutations to nevirapine (NVP) or efavirenz (EFV). The sensitivity to Etravirine was estimated using three different drug resistance algorithms: ANRS (July 2008), IAS (December 2008) and Stanford (November 2008).

Comparative evaluation of the VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 kinetic PCR molecular system (kPCR) for the quantification of HIV-1 plasma viral load.

Background: New automated and ultrasensitive assays are becoming available to monitor HIV-1 plasma viral load, which is an essential marker for the clinical follow-up.

Objectives: To evaluate the performances of the VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 (kPCR) automated assay in a clinical laboratory setting.