Significance of resistin expression in acute pancreatitis.

The aim of the present study was to detect the expression of resistin in rats with acute pancreatitis (AP) and investigate its significance in the pathogenesis of AP. In total, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=10), including the normal control, sham-operated, acute edematous pancreatitis (AEP) and acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) groups. Following the establishment of animal models, the levels of serum resistin, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured using ELISA.

Associations between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and susceptibility to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: Several polymorphisms have been identified in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, while their roles in the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are conflicting. This meta-analysis was designed to clarify the impact of these polymorphisms on UC and CD risk.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched from February 1995 to August 2011 for studies on the four VDR polymorphisms: TaqI, BsmI, FokI, and ApaI.