X-linked carriers of chronic granulomatous disease: Illness, lyonization, and stability.

Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is characterized by recurrent life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections and aberrant inflammation. Mutations in CYBB cause X-linked CGD and account for 65% to 70% of cases in Western countries.

Objective: We sought to understand the clinical manifestations associated with the X-linked CGD carrier state.

Reducing obesity prejudice in medical education.

Background: Healthcare worker attitudes toward obese individuals facilitate discrimination and contribute to poor health outcomes. Previous studies have demonstrated medical student bias toward obese individuals, but few have examined effects of the educational environment on these prejudicial beliefs. We sought to determine whether an innovative educational intervention (reading a play about obesity) could diminish obesity prejudice relative to a standard medical lecture.

B-cell activating factor (BAFF) is elevated in chronic granulomatous disease.

Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) is an inherited defect in superoxide production leading to life-threatening infections, granulomas, and, possibly, abnormal immunoglobulin concentrations. We investigated whether factors controlling antibody production, such as B-cell activating factor (BAFF), were altered in CGD. CGD subjects had significantly increased mean (2.

Medical students' attitudes toward gay men.

Background: Healthcare providers' attitudes toward sexual minorities influence patient comfort and outcomes. This study characterized medical student attitudes toward gay men, focusing on behavior, personhood, gay civil rights, and male toughness.

Methods: A cross-sectional web-based anonymous survey was sent to medical students enrolled at the University of California, Davis (N = 371) with a response rate of 68%.

Vaccine-induced antibody isotypes are skewed by impaired CD4 T cell and invariant NKT cell effector responses in MyD88-deficient mice.

The requirement for TLR signaling in the initiation of an Ag-specific Ab response is controversial. In this report we show that a novel OVA-expressing recombinant Salmonella vaccine (Salmonella-OVA) elicits a Th1-biased cell-mediated and serum Ab response upon oral or i.p.

Toll-like receptor 4-mediated regulation of spontaneous Helicobacter-dependent colitis in IL-10-deficient mice.

Background & Aims: The commensal microbiota is believed to have an important role in regulating immune responsiveness and preventing intestinal inflammation. Intestinal microbes produce signals that regulate inflammation via Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, but the mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. We investigated the role of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in this signaling pathway using a mouse model of colitis.

VEGF and TGF-beta are required for the maintenance of the choroid plexus and ependyma.

Although the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in developmental and pathological angiogenesis is well established, its function in the adult is less clear. Similarly, although transforming growth factor (TGF) beta is involved in angiogenesis, presumably by mediating capillary (endothelial cell [EC]) stability, its involvement in quiescent vasculature is virtually uninvestigated. Given the neurological findings in patients treated with VEGF-neutralizing therapy (bevacizumab) and in patients with severe preeclampsia, which is mediated by soluble VEGF receptor 1/soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor 1 and soluble endoglin, a TGF-beta signaling inhibitor, we investigated the roles of VEGF and TGF-beta in choroid plexus (CP) integrity and function in adult mice.

Prevalence of treatment choices for snoring and sleep apnea in an Australian population.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of treatment and diagnosis of snoring and sleep apnea in the population of New South Wales Australia.

Methods: Postal survey of 10,000 people randomly selected from the electoral roll, half aged 18 to 24 and half aged 25 to 64, with telephone follow-up for some nonresponders. Weighted prevalences are reported.

Effect of vitamin B6 availability on serine hydroxymethyltransferase in MCF-7 cells.

Folate-activated one-carbon units are derived from serine through the activity of the pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP)-dependent isozymes of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT). The effect of vitamin B(6) availability on the activity and expression of the human mitochondrial and cytoplasmic SHMT isozymes was investigated in human MCF-7 cells. Cells were cultured for 6 months in vitamin B(6) replete (4.