Assessment of Thymic Activity in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative and -Positive Adolescents by Real-Time PCR Quantitation of T-Cell Receptor Rearrangement Excision Circles

Development of real-time PCR for quantitation of simian immunodeficiency virus 2-LTR circles.

BACKGROUND Non-human primates infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) represent a robust model to evaluate pre-clinical efficacy of HIV-1 preventive strategies and to determine the size of reservoir. METHODS We developed a real-time qPCR assay to specifically quantify episomal 2-LTR circular DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and brain tissues from SIV-infected macaques. RE...

Reevaluation of T cell receptor excision circles as a measure of human recent thymic emigrants.

The human thymus exports newly generated T cells to the periphery. As no markers have been identified for these recent thymic emigrants (RTE), it is presently impossible to measure human thymic output. T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) have been recently used to assess thymic output during both health and disease. Using a mathematical model, we quantify age-dependent changes both in the n...

Thymic Emigrants Circles as a Measure of Human Recent Reevaluation of T Cell Receptor Excision

ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTIVITY IN ESTROGEN RECEPTOR POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELL LINES

 ABSTRACT Background: The aims of this study were to assay the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in estrogen receptor positive (MCF-7) and negative (MDA-MB468) breast cancer cell lines. Methods: MDA-MB468 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were cultured in complete medium, striped serum with and without 0.0 1~-LM diethylstilbestrol (DES), complete medium in the presence and absence of 111M ...

Thymus activity measured by T-cell receptor excision circles in patients with different severities of respiratory syncytial virus infection

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of hospitalization in previously healthy infants. Immunological mechanisms predisposing infants to severe disease are poorly understood. Early biomarkers for disease severity may assist clinical decisions. We investigated T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC), episomal DNA made during thymic T-cell receptor rearrange...