CCL2-independent role of CCR2 in immune responses against Leishmania major.

The chemokine CCL2 (MCP-1) and its receptor CCR2 modulate leucocyte migration and T helper differentiation. CCL2 or CCR2 knockout (KO) mice have divergent phenotypes following infection with the intracellular parasite Leishmania major (L. major).

Acid has antiproliferative effects in nonneoplastic Barrett's epithelial cells.

Objectives: For patients with Barrett's esophagus, physicians commonly prescribe antisecretory medications in dosages above those required to heal reflux esophagitis because acid has been shown to have proproliferative and antiapoptotic effects on Barrett's cancer cells and on Barrett's mucosal explants. For a number of reasons, these model systems may not be ideal for determining the effects of acid on benign Barrett's epithelial cells, however. We studied the effects of acid on proliferation and apoptosis in a nonneoplastic, telomerase-immortalized Barrett's epithelial cell line.

Expectations of obese trainees: how stigmatized trainee characteristics influence training effectiveness.

This study identifies stigma as a potential precursor to self-fulfilling prophecies in training interactions. Expectations held by leaders often result in actions that elicit expectancy-confirming behaviors from their subordinates. The results of the present study suggest that trainee weight (manipulated with a photograph depicting the trainee as either obese or average weight for height) influenced female trainer expectations and evaluations of the training and trainee.

Hypertriglyceridemia and Recurrent Pancreatitis following Splenectomy.

Hyperlipoproteinemia represents a constellation of clinical syndromes that frequently includes hypertriglyceridemia. Because of the degree of elevation in the triglyceride levels frequently seen in these syndromes, they are associated with complications not generally observed among those patients with essential hypertriglyceridemia, including as in this case report, recurrent pancreatitis. Here, we present a case of a patient with hyperlipoproteinemia who developed acute worsening of his hypertriglyceridemia and onset of acute panceatitis that became recurrent following elective splenectomy for suspected lymphoma.

Incrimination of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) rangeli and An. (Nys.) oswaldoi as natural vectors of Plasmodium vivax in Southern Colombia.

Malaria transmission in the Southern Colombian state of Putumayo continues despite the absence of traditional vector species, except for the presence of Anopheles darlingi near the southeastern border with the state of Amazonas. In order to facilitate malaria vector incrimination in Putumayo, 2445 morphologically identified Anopheles females were tested for natural infection of Plasmodium vivax by ELISA. Specimens tested included An.

LexA represses CTXphi transcription by blocking access of the alpha C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase to promoter DNA.

CTXPhi is a Vibrio cholerae-specific temperate filamentous phage that encodes cholera toxin. CTXPhi lysogens can be induced with DNA damage-inducing agents such as UV light, leading to the release of CTXPhi virions and the rapid dissemination of cholera toxin genes to new V. cholerae hosts.

Development of a synthetic promoter for macrophage gene therapy.

Macrophages have the potential to deliver therapeutic genes to many target tissues. Macrophage-specific synthetic promoters (SPs) generated by random ligation of myeloid/macrophage cis elements had activity up to 100-fold that of a native macrophage promoter in macrophage cell lines, but were minimally active in nonmyeloid cells. Mouse bone marrow cells (BMCs) transduced ex vivo with lentivectors expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven either by an SP (SP-GFP) or a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (CMV-GFP) were used for syngeneic transplantation of lethally irradiated mice.

Improvement in coronary vascular dysfunction produced with euglycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To determine the effect of plasma glucose lowering on coronary circulatory function in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and 18 weight-matched controls were studied. At baseline, myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured with [(13)N]ammonia and positron emission tomography at rest, during cold pressor testing (CPT), and during adenosine hyperaemia.

Genetic effects on obesity assessed by bivariate genome scan: the Mexican-American coronary artery disease study.

Objective: To identify the genetic determinants of obesity using univariate and bivariate models in a genome scan.

Research Methods And Procedures: We evaluated the genetic and environmental effects and performed a genome-wide linkage analysis of obesity-related traits in 478 subjects from 105 Mexican-American nuclear families ascertained through a proband with documented coronary artery disease. The available obesity traits include BMI, body surface area (BSA), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and trunk fat mass as percentage of body weight.

Modelling entomological-climatic interactions of Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in two Colombian endemic-regions: contributions to a National Malaria Early Warning System.

Background: Malaria has recently re-emerged as a public health burden in Colombia. Although the problem seems to be climate-driven, there remain significant gaps of knowledge in the understanding of the complexity of malaria transmission, which have motivated attempts to develop a comprehensive model.

Methods: The mathematical tool was applied to represent Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in two endemic-areas.

Effects of selective matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (PG-116800) to prevent ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction: results of the PREMIER (Prevention of Myocardial Infarction Early Remodeling) trial.

Objectives: We sought to determine whether matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor, PG-116800, reduced left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).

Background: PG-116800 is an oral MMP inhibitor with significant antiremodeling effects in animal models of MI and ischemic heart failure.

Methods: In an international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 253 patients with first ST-segment elevation MI and ejection fraction between 15% and 40% were enrolled 48+/- 24 h after MI and treated with placebo or PG-116800 for 90 days.

Chronic heart failure: a report from the Dartmouth Diastole Discourses.

On February 28, 2004, a group of investigators and clinician scientists with expertise in the field of heart failure met for 2 days in Woodstock, VT, to discuss the status of the current heart failure nomenclature and to seek a consensus on whether and how this nomenclature might be changed. Despite a wide diversity of expressed opinions, several areas of discussion ultimately led to the consensus expressed in this document.

CC chemokine receptor (CCR)-2 prevents arthritis development following infection by Mycobacterium avium.

The host factors that influence autoimmune arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis have not been fully elucidated. We previously found that genetic inactivation of CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) in the arthritis-prone DBA/1j mouse strain significantly increases the susceptibility of this strain to autoimmune arthritis induced by immunization with collagen type II (CII) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Here, we show that following intradermal infection with Mycobacterium avium, a similar arthritis phenotype was detected in Ccr2-null mice in the DBA/1j, but not in the BALB/c background.

Comparative cost-effectiveness of B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiography for predicting outcome in patients with congestive heart failure.

Two-dimensional echocardiographic and Doppler variables and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict outcomes in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, there is a paucity of data on the relative cost-effectiveness of these modalities in predicting outcome. One hundred sixteen patients hospitalized with CHF underwent simultaneous BNP and Doppler echocardiographic examinations once ready for discharge.

Activation of the Vibrio cholerae SOS response is not required for intestinal cholera toxin production or colonization.

Cholera toxin, one of the main virulence factors of Vibrio cholerae, is encoded in the genome of CTXphi, a V. cholerae-specific lysogenic filamentous bacteriophage. Although the genes encoding cholera toxin, ctxAB, are known to have their own promoter, the toxin genes can also be transcribed from an upstream CTXphi promoter, PrstA.

The reliability of echocardiographic left ventricular wall motion index to identify high-risk patients for multicenter studies.

Objective: To study whether the use of echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) wall motion index (WMI) is a dependable parameter for identifying patients with LV dysfunction to be enrolled in multicenter trials.

Methods: Videotaped echocardiographic examinations from 200 randomly selected patients that were screened for inclusion into the DIAMOND-CHF and DIAMOND-MI trials were reevaluated by an external expert echocardiographer. WMI was calculated using the 16-segment LV model.

The predictive role of blood glucose for mortality in subjects with cardiovascular disease.

Using the Framingham Heart Study data (United States, 1948-1978), the authors examined the association of blood glucose with 2-year all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality in subjects with documented cardiovascular disease. After adjustment for systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and use of antihypertensive agents, they found that glucose was a strong, independent predictor of mortality. However, the relations for men and women were qualitatively different.

Percent change in B-type natriuretic peptide levels during treadmill exercise as a screening test for exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.

Background: Myocardial ischemia leads to changes in regional wall stress. Induction of ischemia during a treadmill exercise, although brief, may lead to transient elevation in the plasma level of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) from baseline levels, which could serve as a biochemical marker of myocardial ischemia.

Methods: Sixty subjects (mean age 57, 41 men) undergoing myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in conjunction with Bruce protocol treadmill exercise for evaluation of chest pain or screening for ischemia had their BNPs measured (Triage Biosite Test) at baseline, immediately postexercise, and 10 to 15 minutes after exercise.

Laboratory estimation of the effects of increasing temperatures on the duration of gonotrophic cycle of Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae).

The increase of malaria transmission in the Pacific Coast of Colombia during the occurrence of El Niño warm event has been found not to be linked to increases in the density of the vector Anopheles albimanus, but to other temperature-sensitive variables such as longevity, duration of the gonotrophic cycle or the sporogonic period of Plasmodium. The present study estimated the effects of temperature on duration of the gonotrophic cycle and on maturation of the ovaries of An. albimanus.