Molecular monitoring of the intestinal flora by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography.

Gut flora analysis is hampered by the complexity of the intestinal microbiota and by inherent limitations of culture-based approaches. Therefore, culture-independent molecular methods based upon 16S rRNA gene analysis were applied successfully for the analysis of complex microbial communities. However, generally accepted and validated profiling methods such as denaturing and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE/TGGE) are still laborious and time consuming.

The Leu554Phe polymorphism in the E-selectin gene is associated with blood pressure in overweight people.

Background: Associations between circulating concentrations of E-selectin, blood pressure and obesity, and between the Leu554Phe (L/F554) polymorphism and blood pressure have been documented.

Objectives: To investigate how the E-selectin L/F554 polymorphism is involved in longitudinal blood pressure changes, and how this polymorphism interacts with body mass index (BMI) on blood pressure.

Design And Participants: For this study, 478 men and 546 women were selected from the Stanislas cohort, a French longitudinal study of volunteers for a free health check-up.