Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immune Responses in Patients Receiving an Allogeneic Stem Cell or Organ Transplant.

Patients after autologous (autoSCT) and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) are at an increased risk of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality, compounded by an immune system weakened by the underlying malignancy and prior treatments. Allogeneic transplantation, including stem cell and solid organ transplants, requires intensive immunosuppressive prophylaxis, which may further undermine the development of a protective vaccine-induced anti-viral immunity. Herein, we report on short- and long-term antiviral immune responses in two peri-stem cell transplant recipients and a third patient who received a COVID-19 vaccination after kidney transplantation.

Decrease of circulating SAA is correlated with reduction of abdominal SAA secretion during weight loss.

Objective: The study goal was to determine the effect of weight loss (WL) alone and with aerobic exercise (WL + AEX) on serum amyloid A (SAA) levels and adipose SAA secretion from gluteal and abdominal depots.

Methods: Ninety-six overweight or obese postmenopausal women undertook a 6-month WL alone (n = 47) or with AEX training (n = 49) (6 months WL and WL + AEX are considered WL when groups were combined). Their serum SAA levels, body weight, and adipose SAA secretion ex vivo from gluteal and abdominal depot were measured before and after WL interventions.

Omentin plasma levels and gene expression are decreased in obesity.

Central obesity and the accumulation of visceral fat are risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Omentin is a protein expressed and secreted from visceral but not subcutaneous adipose tissue that increases insulin sensitivity in human adipocytes. To determine the impact of obesity-dependent insulin resistance on the regulation of two omentin isoforms, gene expression and plasma levels were measured in lean, overweight, and obese subjects.

Trends in utilization: has extremity MR imaging replaced diagnostic arthroscopy?

Objective: To examine the relative change in utilization of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the extremities versus diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy.

Design And Patients: Using the 1993, 1996, and 1999 nationwide Medicare Part B databases, utilization rates (per 100000) were determined for upper and lower extremity MR imaging, diagnostic arthroscopy and therapeutic arthroscopy using CPT-4 codes. Utilization of extremity MR imaging was compared with that of diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy in 10 geographic regions of the United States and tracked over time.

Characterization of the rhesus monkey ghrelin gene and factors influencing ghrelin gene expression and fasting plasma levels.

Ghrelin stimulates release of GH from the pituitary, stimulates appetite, and may influence metabolic processes in other tissues expressing the GH secretagogue receptor. Ghrelin can thus influence behaviors and endocrine pathways contributing to weight gain. In this study we characterized the ghrelin gene from the rhesus monkey and analyzed the association of plasma ghrelin levels with metabolic and endocrine markers.

A continuous fluorescence assay for sulfhydryl oxidase.

Flavin-dependent sulfhydryl oxidases represent a newly discovered family of proteins with a range of cellular locations and putative roles. The avian and mammalian proteins can catalyze the direct oxidation of protein cysteine residues to disulfides with the reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Although thiols interfere with the peroxidase-mediated quantitation of hydrogen peroxide, a very sensitive, continuous fluorescence assay of the sulfhydryl oxidases can be devised with careful selection of thiol substrate concentration and fluorogen.

Sulfhydryl oxidases: emerging catalysts of protein disulfide bond formation in eukaryotes.

Members of the Quiescin-sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX) family utilize a thioredoxin domain and a small FAD-binding domain homologous to the yeast ERV1p protein to oxidize sulfhydryl groups to disulfides with the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. QSOX enzymes are found in all multicellular organisms for which complete genomes exist and in Trypanosoma brucei, but are not found in yeast. The avian QSOX is the best understood enzymatically: its preferred substrates are peptides and proteins, not monothiols such as glutathione.