Importance of NK Cells in Cellular and Humoral Responses Triggered by Pneumococcus Vaccination.

Introduction: Despite the success of vaccination in reducing overall rate of pneumococcal pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae is still held responsible for high mortality and modality rates worldwide. Our study aimed to investigate the potential role played by NK cells in immune response generated by pneumococcal vaccination, which could contribute to the development of more effective vaccines.

Methods: The study included mice with and without NK cell depletion which were immunized with pneumococcus polysaccharide-conjugated vaccine followed by pneumococcus polysaccharide vaccine (PPV).

Comparison of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 and brachial hemodynamic parameters between dialysis modalities in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Purpose: Major cardiovascular events (MACE) are the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Although hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are comparable in survival, patients with HD have a significantly higher risk of developing MACE. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is a cardiac biomarker, that does not vary with age, gender, and kidney function.

Effects of medium cut-off dialysis membranes on inflammation and oxidative stress in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Purpose: Medium cut-off membranes were developed for providing increased clearance of larger middle-molecule uremic toxins. We compared the effect of low-flux, medium cut-off, and high-flux membranes on chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with maintenance hemodialysis.

Methods: A total of 42 patients were enrolled in this study.

Nitric oxide effects depend on different mechanisms in different regions of the rat heart.

The important role of nitric oxide (NO) in regulating cardiac functions has been investigated in prior research. However, NO-induced signaling mechanisms in the different regions of the heart have not been explored until now. In this study, the mechanism of NO effects on the spontaneously beating right atrium and left papillary muscle isolated from the rat heart was examined.