HeberNasvac: Development and Application in the Context of Chronic Hepatitis B.

Unlabelled: The immune system plays a central role in controlling acute hepatitis B infection and in patients resolving chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Given that 221 million (75%) of CHB patients reside in low- and middle-income countries, the development of a vaccine with therapeutic properties represents a rational and cost-effective approach more than a romantic endeavor. This review systematically analyzes the key variables related to the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of CHB treatments.

Low pre-pregnant body mass index is a risk factor for the decrease of postpartum bone mineral density in systemic lupus erythematosus patients received glucocorticoid therapy.

Objectives: This study investigated postpartum bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) receiving long-term glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, assessed risk factors for decreased postpartum BMD, and evaluated change of BMD after postpartum initiation or restarting of osteoporosis drugs.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 30 SLE patients who gave birth and 31 non-pregnant SLE patients. In the postpartum SLE patients, BMD was measured after delivery and 1 year later.

Anterior colporrhaphy and sacrospinous hysteropexy in women with pelvic organ prolapse: Urodynamic findings and functional outcomes.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to evaluate urodynamic effects and functional outcomes after anterior colporrhaphy and bilateral sacrospinous hysteropexy (SSH) in patients with stages II-IV pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Study Design: This is a single-centre prospective study. Sixty-two women affected by anterior/central compartment prolapse of stage II-IV u ndergoing anterior colporrhaphy and bilateral SSH were recruited from our pelvic center.

Autonomic nervous system function in adolescent migraineurs.

Background: Migraine is a common and disabling neurological disorder. Studies on the relationship between migraine and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have been inconclusive. Moreover, pediatric studies are extremely limited.

Differential sensitivity to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and growth suppression in paclitaxel-resistant cell lines established from HEC-1 human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells.

To investigate acquired paclitaxel (PTX) resistance in cancer cells, we established five monoclonal PTX-resistant cell lines from HEC-1 human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells by means of long-term PTX-exposed cultures and limiting dilution cultures. The established PTX-resistant subclones showed apparent resistance to PTX-induced DNA fragmentation but not to PTX-induced growth suppression. None of the five PTX-resistant subclones showed apparent resistance to other anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, pirarubicin-HCl, 4-hydroxy-cyclophosphamide or mitomycin C.

Impaired death-associated protein kinase-mediated survival signals in 5-fluorouracil-resistant human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells.

A recent study showed that both 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-stimulated apoptosis and Fas-mediated apoptosis in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells are enhanced by targeted knockdown of endogenous death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) with DAPK small-interfering RNAs. Therefore, we investigated the DAPK survival signals in three 5FU-resistant subclones. DAPK knockdown did not enhance 5FU-stimulated or Fas-mediated apoptosis in any of the three 5FU-resistant subclones, but the subclones acquired resistance to VP16-stimulated cell death that was DAPK-independent.

Demethylation restores SN38 sensitivity in cells with acquired resistance to SN38 derived from human cervical squamous cancer cells.

Using seven monoclonal SN38-resistant subclones established from ME180 human cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells, we examined the demethylation effects of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) on the SN38-sensitivity of the cells as well as the expression of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) in the SN38-resistant cells. The DAPK expression levels were evaluated among parent ME180 cells, SN38-resistant ME180 cells and cisplatin-resistant ME180 cells by methylation-specific DAPK-PCR, quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis. The SN38-resistant cells co-treated with SN38 and 5-aza-CdR strongly exhibited enhanced SN38-sensitivities resembling those found in the parent cells.