Nuclear Factor-κB Clinical Significance in Breast Cancer: An Immunohistochemical Study.

Objectives: Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a superfamily of transcription factors that plays a key role in cancer genesis and progression. The present study aimed to examine the expression of NF-κB/p65 in breast cancer and its relationship with prognostic markers such as tumour grade, tumour size, hormone receptors, and HER-2.

Methods: Ninety-nine unselected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded invasive ductal and lobular tissue sections were evaluated by immunohistochemistry methods to measure the expression of NF-κB/p65, oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2), and Ki-67.

Characterization and Roles of Membrane Lipids in Fatty Liver Disease.

Obesity has reached global epidemic proportions and it affects the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and other metabolic diseases. Membrane lipids are important structural and signaling components of the cell membrane. Recent studies highlight their importance in lipid homeostasis and are implicated in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease.

Camel Urine Promotes Sensitization to Doxorubicin by Inhibiting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Modulating NF-κB-Snail Signaling Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells.

Background: Camel urine (CU) has been used as traditional treatment in the Arabian Peninsula for centuries. Although, researchers have reported CU anti-cancer effects, the exact mechanism(s) of action involved has not been fully elucidated. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition EMT is a phenotypic switch that promotes the acquisition of a fibroblastoid-like morphology by epithelial tumor cells, resulting in enhanced tumor cell motility and invasiveness.

Appropriateness of Using Vitamin K for the Correction of INR Elevation Secondary to Hepatic Disease in Critically ill Patients: An Observational Study.

Background: Using vitamin K for correction of coagulopathy in critically ill patients is controversial with limited evidence. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin K in the correction of international normalized ratio (INR) elevation secondary to liver disease in critically ill patients.

Method: A retrospective study of critically ill patients with coagulopathy secondary to liver disease.

Clinical features and outcomes of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A multicenter cohort study.

Background: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) manifested by a broad spectrum of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic manifestations to severe illness and death. The purpose of the study was to extensively describe the clinical features and outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

Method: This was a multicenter, non-interventional cohort study for all critically ill patients aged 18 years or older, admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between March 1 to August 31, 2020, with an objectively confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.

Influence of MX1 promoter rs2071430 G/T polymorphism on susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus.

The expression of interferon inducible genes are reported to be heightened in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); nevertheless, not much is known regarding the genetic variants underlying these genes and their role in the pathogenesis of disease. Herein, we aim to explore the potential association and contribution of polymorphisms in MX1 gene (i) promoter with part of exon 1 (ii) intron 6, and (iii) their resulting haplotypes, with susceptibility to SLE. A total of 306 subjects, 152 SLE and 154 healthy controls (HC), were screened by direct sequencing method.

Hepatic mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 selectively regulates glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis.

The liver plays a critical role in glucose metabolism and communicates with peripheral tissues to maintain energy homeostasis. Obesity and insulin resistance are highly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the precise molecular details of NAFLD remain incomplete.

The effect of UGT1A1 promoter polymorphism in the development of hyperbilirubinemia and cholelithiasis in hemoglobinopathy patients.

Present study was aimed to explore the effect of (TA)n UGT1A1 gene promoter polymorphism on bilirubin metabolism, bilirubinaemia, predisposition to cholelithiasis and subsequent cholecystectomy, in Sickle-Cell Anemia (SCA) and beta-Thalasemia major (bTH) in Kuwaiti subjects compared to other population. This polymorphism was analyzed and correlated to total bilirubin and cholelithiasis in 270 age, gender, ethnically matched subjects (92 bTH, 116 SCA and 62 Controls) using PCR, dHPLC, fragment analysis and direct sequencing. Four genotypes of UGT1A1 were detected in this study (TA6/6, TA6/7, TA6/8 and TA7/7).

MAP kinase phosphatase-2 plays a critical role in response to infection by Leishmania mexicana.

In this study we generated a novel dual specific phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) deletion mouse using a targeted deletion strategy in order to examine the role of MAP kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) in immune responses. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced a rapid, time and concentration-dependent increase in MKP-2 protein expression in bone marrow-derived macrophages from MKP-2(+/+) but not from MKP-2(-/-) mice. LPS-induced JNK and p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation was significantly increased and prolonged in MKP-2(-/-) macrophages whilst ERK phosphorylation was unaffected.

Over-expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-2 enhances adhesion molecule expression and protects against apoptosis in human endothelial cells.

Background And Purpose: We assessed the effects of over-expressing the dual-specific phosphatase, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2), in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on inflammatory protein expression and apoptosis, two key features of endothelial dysfunction in disease.

Experimental Approaches: We infected HUVECs for 40 h with an adenoviral version of MKP-2 (Adv.MKP-2).

Differential regulation of MAP kinase activation by a novel splice variant of human MAP kinase phosphatase-2.

MAP kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) is a member of the family of dual specificity phosphatases that functions to inactivate the ERK and JNK MAP kinase signalling pathways. Here, we identify a novel human MKP-2 variant (MKP-2-S) lacking the MAP kinase binding site but retaining the phosphatase catalytic domain. Endogenous MKP-2-S transcripts and proteins were found in PC3 prostate and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and also human prostate biopsies.