We report a preclinical study of a pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamide that targets the human transforming growth factor (hTGF)-β1 gene as a novel transcriptional gene silencer in a common marmoset primate model. We designed and then synthesized PI polyamides to target the hTGF-β1 promoter. We examined effects of seven PI polyamides (GB1101-1107) on the expression of hTGF-β1 mRNA stimulated with p...

The parapoxvirus orf virus (ORFV) encodes several immunomodulatory proteins (IMPs) that modulate host innate and pro-inflammatory responses to infection. Using the ORFV IA82 strain as parental virus, recombinant viruses with individual deletions in genes encoding IMPs chemokine binding protein (CBP; ORFV112), inhibitor of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor IL-2 (GIF, ORFV117) interl...

Alpha, antitrypsin deficiency is one of the most common metabolic disorders, frequently associated with obstructive lung disease and occasionally with childhood liver cirrhosis. Prenatal diagnosis of this deficiency has been accomplished using a DNA polymorphism detected by the restriction enzyme A vall. A unique haplotype ofDNA fragments is observed in deficient (PI type ZZ) subjects. Diagnosi...

In order to clarify the mode of inactivation of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI) in pneumonia, 21 immunocompetent patients and 19 immunocompromised patients with acute pneumonia (Groups I and II) were studied. Nine patients successfully treated for pneumonia and 10 healthy volunteers served as controls (Groups III and IV, respectively). The concentrations of alpha 1-PI, elastase and mye...

Four populations of Pratylenchus penetrans did not differ (P > 0.05) in their virulence or reproductive capability on Lahontan alfalfa. There was a negative relationship (r = -0 .7 9 ) between plant survival and nematode inocula densities at 26 +/- 3 C in the greenhouse. All plants survived at an inoculum level (Pi) of 1 nematode/cm(3) soil, whereas survival rates were 50 to 55% at 20 nematodes...

OBJECTIVE To define the contribution of maternal variables that influence the measured uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) in screening for pregnancy complications. METHODS Maternal characteristics and medical history were recorded, and UtA-PI was measured, in women with a singleton pregnancy attending for three routine hospital visits at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks, 19 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks a...

OBJECTIVES To examine the performance of screening for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy by a combination of the maternal factor-derived a-priori risk with the uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI) and to determine whether it is best in such screening to use the mean PI of the two arteries, the highest PI or the lowest PI. METHODS This was a prospective screening study for pre-eclamps...

BACKGROUND Analysis of spontaneous fluctuations in systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and pulse interval (PI) reveals the occurrence of sequences of consecutive beats characterized by SAP and PI changing in the same (+PI/+SAP and -PI/-SAP) or opposite (-PI/+SAP and +PI/-SAP) direction. Although the former reflects baroreflex regulatory mechanisms, the physiological meaning of -PI/+SAP and +PI/-SA...

The role of proteinase inhibitor (PI)-9 in hematopoietic cells remains unclear. To clarify the role of PI-9 in these cells, we compared the expressions of PI-9 mRNA and antigen with those of granzyme B (GrB). While the strongest expression of PI-9 mRNA was observed in a NK cell line YT-N10, it was also expressed in a B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line U-Tree02, an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)...

OBJECTIVES To examine the performance of screening for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at 11-13 weeks by a combination of the maternal history, uterine artery Doppler imaging and blood pressure. METHODS This was a prospective screening study for pre-eclampsia (PE) requiring delivery before 34 weeks (early PE), late PE and gestational hypertension (GH) in women attending for their routine ...