Preterm Life in Sterile Conditions: A Study on Preterm, Germ-Free Piglets.

Preterm infants born with immature organ systems, which can impede normal development, can also be highly sensitive to different biological and/or environmental factors. Animal models could aid in investigating and understanding the effects of different conditions on the health of these immunocompromised infants. The epitheliochorial placentation of the pig prevents the prenatal transfer of protective colostral immunoglobulins.

Why Differentiation Therapy Sometimes Fails: Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance to Retinoids.

Retinoids represent a popular group of differentiation inducers that are successfully used in oncology for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia in adults and of neuroblastoma in children. The therapeutic potential of retinoids is based on their key role in the regulation of cell differentiation, growth, and apoptosis, which provides a basis for their use both in cancer therapy and chemoprevention. Nevertheless, patients treated with retinoids often exhibit or develop resistance to this therapy.

[Tumor microenvironment - possibilities of the research under in vitro conditions].

Tumorigenesis is always accompanied by alterations of the microenvironment in the respective tissue. The tumor microenvironment represents a heterogeneous complex, in which cell proliferation, differentiation, necrosis or apoptosis are regulated by various extracellular stimuli, and it can also lead to development of an aggressive phenotype of tumor cells. Influence of tumor microenvironment is also often connected with resistance to frequently used therapeutic procedures.

Anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha activity in Ixodes ricinus saliva.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is one of the most prominent inflammatory mediators playing a central role in starting off the inflammatory reactions of the innate immune system. We identified a TNF-alpha-inhibitory activity in the saliva and salivary gland extract (SGE) from partially fed Ixodes ricinus ticks. Using mouse and human TNF-alpha specific ELISA, we showed that tick saliva or SGE markedly reduced the level of detectable cytokine.

[Diagnosis of beta-thalassemia on the basis of HbA2 determination].

The increased level of HbA2 is a reliable marker of heterozygous beta-thalassaemia. The levels of HbA2 measured by three different methods were compared and the ranges for the normal and for the heterozygous beta-thalassaemia were assessed. The levels of HbA2 2.