Comparison of leptin protein levels in Prader-Willi syndrome and control individuals.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is characterized by early childhood obesity, mental deficiency, hypogonadism, hypotonia, hypopigmentation, short stature, small hands and feet, and a characteristic face. It is the most common genetic cause of obesity and obesity is the most significant health problem for PWS patients. Ob protein (leptin), which is produced by adipose tissue, is thought to play a significant role in obesity; thus, unusually low plasma leptin levels, or relative loss of sensitivity to leptin in PWS subjects, could be an important factor in their obesity.

Evidence that plasma leptin and insulin levels are associated with body adiposity via different mechanisms.

Objective: Like insulin, the adipocyte hormone, leptin, circulates at levels proportionate to body adiposity. Because insulin may regulate leptin secretion, we sought to determine if plasma leptin levels are coupled to body adiposity via changes in circulating insulin levels or insulin sensitivity and whether leptin secretion from adipocytes is impaired in subjects with NIDDM.

Research Design And Methods: We used multiple linear regression to analyze relationships between BMI (a measure of body adiposity) and fasting plasma levels of leptin and insulin in 98 nondiabetic human subjects (68 men/30 women) and 38 subjects with NIDDM (27 men/11 women).

Serum leptin concentration, obesity, and insulin resistance in Western Samoans: cross sectional study.

Objective: To measure serum leptin concentrations in the Polynesian population of Western Samoa and to examine epidemiological associations of leptin with anthropometric, demographic, behavioural, and metabolic factors in this population with a high prevalence of obesity and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Design: Cross sectional study, leptin concentration being measured in a subgroup of a population based sample.

Subjects: 240 Polynesian men and women aged 28-74 years were selected to cover the full range of age, body mass index, and glucose tolerance.

Growth factors in porcine full and partial thickness burn repair. Differing targets and effects of keratinocyte growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-BB, epidermal growth factor, and neu differentiation factor.

The topical application of recombinant growth factors such as epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-BB homodimer (rPDGF-BB), keratinocyte growth factor (rKGF), and neu differentiation factor has resulted in significant acceleration of healing in several animal models of wound repair. In this study, we established highly reproducible and quantifiable full and deep partial thickness porcine burn models in which burns were escharectomized 4 or 5 days postburn and covered with an occlusive dressing to replicate the standard treatment in human burn patients. We then applied these growth factors to assess their efficacy on several parameters of wound repair: extracellular matrix and granulation tissue production, percent reepithelialization, and new epithelial area.

Surface topography of immunoglobulin molecules. I. Accessibility of aromatic chromophores of rabbit IgG.

Non-ionic detergent, Tween-20, was used in solvent perturbation studies of accessibility of aromatic amino acid residues in rabbit IgG molecules. It has been found that surface aromatic residues are localized in cervices inaccessible to perturbant molecules larger than ca. 10 A in diameter.

Interaction of human erythrocyte MN glycoprotein with rabbit IgG immunoglobulins.

The interaction of rabbit non-specific IgG and human erythrocyte glycoprotein was investigated using the solvent perturbation difference spectroscopy method. This interaction manifested itself by decreasing accessibility of chromophores to perturbants. Masking of the chromophores was abolished by low detergent concentrations and by changes of native IgG structure by 3 M urea.