Relationship of aging and nutritional status to innate immunity in tube-fed bedridden patients.

Background And Objectives: Aging and malnutrition are known to influence immune functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of aging and malnutrition to innate immune functions in tube-fed bedridden patients.

Methods And Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was performed in 71 tube-fed bedridden patients aged 50-95 years (mean age±SD, 80.

Long-term enteral immunonutrition containing lactoferrin in tube-fed bedridden patients: immunological and nutritional status.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of a novel immune-enhancing enteral formula, Prem-8, which contains lactoferrin as an immunonutrient.

Design, Setting, Patients: A multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 5 hospitals in Japan, and 71 tube-fed bedridden patients with serum albumin concentrations between 2.5 and 3.

Co-expression of urokinase with haptoglobin in human carcinomas.

Background: We have shown that colon and breast cancer contains large amounts of urokinase (uPA), and that these cells are the actual sites of its synthesis. We isolated a large complex molecule consisting of the beta-chain of uPA, both chains of haptoglobin (Hp), and part or all of an NCAM-like molecule. The question arose whether it would be possible to show the presence of Hp in the same cells where uPA was found.

Plasminogen activator system localization in 60 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ.

Background: The lack of prognostic factors in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) that reliably identifies biologically aggressive tumors adversely affects optimal management. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system, comprised of its receptor, uPAR, and its inhibitor (PAI-1), are critical elements for tumor invasion and their expression in invasive breast cancer can predict clinical outcome. Expression of the uPA system in DCIS may be relevant in defining histological subsets of DCIS with invasive potential.