Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has been suggested as a plausible candidate gene for human longevity due to its modulation of cardiovascular disease risk, by preventing oxidation of atherogenic low-density lipoprotein. The role of the PON1 192 Q/R polymorphism has been analyzed for association with survival at old age in several populations, albeit with controversial results. To reconcile the conflicting ...

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains are a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans and farm animals. E. coli fimbriae, or colonization factor antigens (CFAs), and enterotoxins, including heat-labile enterotoxins (LT) and heat-stable enterotoxins (ST), are the key virulence factors in ETEC diarrhea. Unlike fimbriae or LT, STa has not often been included as an antigen in development...

The immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin, produced by coupling the ribosome-inactivating protein saporin to the monoclonal 192 IgG antibody against the low-affinity p75 NGF receptor (NGFr), was injected into the cerebral ventricle, septal area, and substantia innominata of adult rats. Injections into the cerebral ventricle induced a complete loss of NGFr-positive basal forebrain neurons and their axons....

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell disorder which constitutes the second most common hematological malignancy, and remains an incurable tumor with poor survival. Recently, interleukin-17 (IL-17), produced locally in the tumor microenvironment, has been reported to play a crucial role in tumor immunity. In this study, we determined that exposure of MM cells to IL-17 had various promot...

Kv1.3 potassium channels maintain the membrane potential of effector memory (T(EM)) T cells that are important mediators of multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis. The polypeptide ShK-170 (ShK-L5), containing an N-terminal phosphotyrosine extension of the Stichodactyla helianthus ShK toxin, is a potent and selective blocker of these channels. However, a stability...

Aim: Extended spectrum β-lactamases are transferable plasmid mediated resistance mechanisms found mainly among Enterobacteriaceae which confer resistance to numerous β-lactam antibiotics. The aim of the study was to determine the rate of rectal colonization of surgical patients with Escherichia coli carrying extended spectrum β-lactamases. Subjects and methods: We collected and cultured rectal ...

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