Tumor necrosis factor alpha induced protein 3, interleukin 10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin 17 F genes polymorphisms in Algerian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation. Its pathogenesis involves immunological, genetic, and environmental factors. We investigate the association between Tumor Necrosis Factor α Protein 3 (TNFAIP3), Interleukin 10 (IL10), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF α), and Interleukin 17 F (IL17F) polymorphisms with susceptibility to RA.

Screening and kinetic studies of catharanthine and ajmalicine accumulation and their correlation with growth biomass in Catharanthus roseus hairy roots.

Context Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is still one of the most important sources of terpene indole alkaloids including anticancer and hypertensive drugs as vincristine and vinblastine.

Purification and partial characterization of camel (Camelus Dromedarius) ceruloplasmin.

Adult and young camel ceruloplasmin (Cp) were isolated and purified using the single-step chromatography on amino ethyl-activated sepharose. There are no differences between the adult and the young camel protein. The molecular mass of the protein, as estimated by SDS-PAGE (denaturant conditions), was approximately 130000 Da.

Genetic relationships between southeastern Spain and Morocco: New data on ABO, RH, MNSs, and DUFFY polymorphisms.

The genetic polymorphism of four blood group systems (ABO, RH, MNSs, and DUFFY) was analyzed in two well-defined population samples coming from south-central Morocco and southeastern Spain. Both a controversial ancient common substrate and the long period of coexistence between North Africa and southern Spain during the eight centuries of the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula suggest a particular genetic relationship between northwestern Africa and southern Spain. Allele distributions in each sample are in general agreement with that expected according to the geographical and historical characteristics in the Mediterranean region.

Phenobarbital increases DNA adduct and metabolites formed by ochratoxin A: role of CYP 2C9 and microsomal glutathione-S-transferase.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin that induces nephrotoxicity and urinary tract tumors, is genotoxic and can be metabolized not only by different cytochromes P450 (CYP) but also by peroxidases involved in the arachidonic cascade, although the exact nature of the metabolites involved in the genotoxic process is still unknown. In order to establish the relation between OTA genotoxicity and the formation of metabolites, we chose three experimental models: kidney microsomes from rabbit, human bronchial epithelial cells, and microsomes from yeast that specifically express the human cytochrome P450 2C9 or 2B6 genes. OTA-DNA adducts were analyzed by (32)P postlabeling and the OTA derivatives formed were isolated by HPLC after incubation of OTA in the presence of: (1) kidney microsomes from rabbit pretreated or not with phenobarbital (PB); (2) human pulmonary epithelial cells simultaneously pretreated (or not) with PB alone or in the presence of ethacrynic acid (EA); (3) microsomes expressing CYP 2B6 and 2C9.

Red cell enzyme polymorphisms in Moroccans and southern Spaniards: new data for the genetic history of the western Mediterranean.

Population samples from Morocco (El Jadida, south Atlantic coast) and La Alpujarra (Granada mountains, Spain), located on both shores of the western Mediterranean, were typed for 8 erythrocyte genetic markers: ACP1, ESD, PGD, AK1, GLO1, PGM1, SODA, and DIA. Genetic heterogeneity within western Mediterranean groups was investigated on the basis of allele frequencies of these 8 polymorphisms plus ABO and Rh (CDE). Only slight peculiarities for the ACP1, GLO1, and AK1 systems were observed in the 2 samples compared with other Mediterranean data.

Digital dermatoglyphic patterns of Moroccan Arabs: relationships with Mediterranean populations.

Dermatoglyphic finger patterns and pattern intensity were examined in a sample of 204 (105 males and 99 females) adults from the authochthonous Arab population of south central Morocco. No significant sex differences were found for the overall finger pattern incidence or for the pattern intensity index. A high incidence of arches is the most remarkable characteristic of this population as compared to other Mediterranean groups.

Cost effectiveness of noninvasive oxygen saturation measurement during exercise for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

We assessed (1) the sensitivity and specificity of exercise oxygen saturation measurement (EOS) for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP); and (2) the cost of introducing this indirect diagnostic test compared with that of standard diagnostic strategies for PCP. In a prospective study, 85 HIV-infected patients with suspected PCP underwent EOS, followed by induced sputum (IS) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) if IS was negative for P. carinii.

Effects of carotid denervation and decerebration on ventilatory response to CO.

To clarify the mechanisms involved in the ventilatory response to the inhalation of low concentrations of CO (0.18-0.22% in air), the roles of the arterial chemoreceptors and the forebrain structures have been investigated in unanesthetized adult cats.

Cell cycle-specific variation of intracellular plasminogen activator activity in cultured human alveolar epithelial carcinoma and rat hepatoma cells.

Plasminogen activator activity was demonstrated in two carcinoma cell lines: A549 cells derived from a human alveolar epithelial carcinoma; and ZHC cells derived from a rat hepatoma. Both cells had intracellular plasminogen activator activity throughout their cell cycles and in each case this activity reached a maximum. For A549 cells the maximal activity took place either during the G2 phase or in the course of the S to G2 transition, suggesting that plasminogen activator might play a role in cell division.

Influence of halothane on control of breathing in intact and decerebrated cats.

The effects of halothane anesthesia have been investigated in intact and in decerebrated cats. Pulmonary ventilation and breathing pattern were studied during room-air breathing, hypercapnia, and O2 inhalation. The following results have been demonstrated.

Smoking does not reduce the functional activity of serum alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor. An epidemiologic study of 719 healthy men.

The present study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that smoking, the major risk factor for the development of pulmonary emphysema, impairs the functional activity of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-antitrypsin). We used a population of 719 apparently healthy subjects. The serum concentrations of immunoreactive and functionally active alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor were measured by radial immunodiffusion and inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase, respectively.

A simple spectrophotometric assay of plasminogen activator: comparison with the fibrinolytic method.

We describe a simple assay of plasminogen activator in which the enzyme reacts with a mixture of plasminogen and H-D-valyl-L-leucyl-L-lysine-p-nitroanilide for 1 h at 37 degrees C after which the absorbance is measured at 405 nm. The method detects as little as 2 CTA milliunits of activator and is linear over a 100-fold range of enzyme concentration. The new procedure has been used successfully for the assay of activator in breast tumor cytosols, cell culture supernatants, and pleural or ascitic fluids.

Gas exchanges during exercise in normoxia and hyperoxia.

Exercises of constant workload (90 watt) have been carried out during normoxia or hyperoxia FIO2 = 0.45). It has been shown that, in spite of a significant dispersion in the values of O2 deficit and O2 debt calculated, these values are related to the increased blood lactate level which contributes to the marked acidosis observed in both conditions of oxygenation.