NR4A2 haploinsufficiency is associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.

NR4A2, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is involved in modulation of target gene transcription, regulating several developmental processes such as regulation of cellular homeostasis, neuronal development, inflammation and carcinogenesis. 2q24.1 deletions are extremely rare, and only 1 patient with a de novo deletion encompassing only NR4A2 gene was reported so far.

[Association between the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder in childhood].

Objectives: To evaluate the association between the presence of antiphospholipid (APL) antibodies and the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in childhood.

Methods: A prospective, monocentric case-control study from February 2012 to August 2014 comparing the APL antibodies of children with ASD (group 1) and children without ASD (group 2).

Results: Group 1 consisted of 44 children with ASD defined by clinical, genetic, metabolic, and morphological criteria.

Purification from human plasma of a tetrapeptide that potentiates insulin-like growth factor-I activity in chick embryo cartilage.

Human plasma has been shown to contain a low molecular weight factor that potentiates human IGF-I stimulation of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in chick embryo cartilage. The peptide was purified and characterized by Edman degradation and electrospray mass spectrometry. The primary structure determined was: Trp-Gly-His-Glu.

Application of preparative high-performance liquid chromatography to the purification of a fetal ovine insulin-like growth factor II: N-terminal sequence determinations using two different carriers.

A highly efficient procedure for the purification to homogeneity of an ovine fetal insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) is described. Fetal sheep serum was used as the source material, and the bioactivity was followed throughout purification by an IGF II radioreceptor assay. Ovine IGF II was isolated by a combination of gel permeation, ion-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.