Assessment of heavy metal pollution in marine sediments from southwest of Mallorca island, Spain.

Anthropogenic activities in urban, agrarian, or industrial areas are the main cause of heavy metals in sediments worldwide. Since the 1960s, there have been submarine discharges through outfalls of poorly treated or untreated wastewater on the south coast of Mallorca island (Mediterranean Sea). In this study, the pollution of marine sediments is analyzed at a great number of points on the south of the seacoast.

The HOG MAPK pathway in Candida albicans: more than an osmosensing pathway.

In 1993, Brewster and Gustin described the existence of a kinase whose activity was essential for Saccharomyces cerevisiae to grow in environments with high osmolarity. This led to the discovery of the HOG pathway, a MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway that has been revealed to be crucial to respond to a wide range of stress conditions frequently encountered by fungi in their common habitats. MAPK signaling is initiated at the plasma membrane, where triggering stimuli lead to a phosphorylation cascade that ultimately activates transcription factors to ensure an appropriate adaptive response.

Influence of interleukin-10 genetic polymorphism on survival rates in melanoma patients with advanced disease.

Individual ability to produce interleukin-10 (IL-10) may be of relevance in the development and evolution of cutaneous melanoma, probably due to its immunosuppressor and anti-angiogenic properties. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -1082 (G/A), -819 (C/T) and -592 (C/A) in the IL-10 gene promoter were analysed in 100 healthy individuals and 98 melanoma patients using fluorogenic hybridization-specific probes in a 'real-time' thermocycler. Polymorphic frequencies were correlated with various prognostic factors and overall survival.

Interindividual variations in constitutive interleukin-10 messenger RNA and protein levels and their association with genetic polymorphisms.

Background: Genetic variations in the interleukin (IL)-10 gene promoter have been associated with levels of induced production of IL-10, disease susceptibility, and allograft rejection. Small amounts of this cytokine are constitutively produced and are important in maintaining the physiologic function of the cytokine network. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of IL-10 basal levels and its genetic regulation in a healthy Spanish population.

Optimization of the RT-PCR technique to detect melanoma cells in peripheral blood.

Detection of melanoma cells in the peripheral blood of melanoma patients by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction techniques has demonstrated varying detection rates. This study examined the sensitivity of the technique by employing a modification of the currently used protocols to detect mRNA markers. RT-PCR of tyrosinase and MART-1 was performed after poly A+-RNA isolation from unmanipulated whole blood lysed in the presence of nuclease inhibitors.