Objective(s): MicroRNA-21 (miR21) is aberrantly elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, the significance of this microRNA in RA pathogenesis and treatment, however, has not been investigated. In this study, by using RA-derived fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cells as a model, we investigated the effect and corresponding mechanism of miR21 inhibition on FLSs invasion. Materials and Met...

The up-regulation of cellular retinoic acid binding protein-H (CRABPII) has been invoked as an important mechanism of clinically acquired resistance to u\\-irnii\ retinoic acid (RA) therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). To test this hypothesis, we used quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and fast performance liquid chromatography proce dures to examine the levels of CRABP-II niKNA a...

BACKGROUND Even after achieving tremendous advances in diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), many of the patients undergo delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment, which leads to worsening of the condition and poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to perform a literature review to quantify the lag times in diagnosis and treatment of RA and study the ...

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the processes controlling the distribution and behavior of the longerlived Ra isotopes in continuous Paleozoic carbonate aquifers of parts of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Activities of (Ra) and (Ra) were analyzed in fresh and saline ground waters, brines, and rocks. The ̄uids have a wide salinity range (200±250,000 mg lÿ1 total dissolved solids). Th...

Background: The role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis is under investigation. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between serum values of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients according to Disease Activity Score 28 joints and ESR (DAS28ESR). Methods: Ninety-nine patients according to ACR classification crit...

background and objectives: the linear epitopes of gp46-i, gp46-ii, gp21 and p19 are used in diagnosis of htlv-i/-ii infections. the aims of this study was to obtain high-level expression and purification of recombinant antigen (ra) containing these epitopes. large-scale preparation of such antigen probably worths for diagnostic purpose. materials and methods: the synthetic dna encoding ra was s...

AIM To evaluate the validity of cumulative rim/disc area (RA/DA) curve analysis as a clinical tool for the identification of glaucoma induced optic disc pathology. METHODS 71 normal and 83 glaucomatous eyes were evaluated from a series of 154 subjects recruited for this study. For each eye, the cumulative distribution of RA/DA was calculated from 36 equally spaced rim sectors of each optic di...

Background and Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by swelling, stiffness and pain in body joints. Based on the epidemiological studies, RA is less severe in Southern Mediterranean regions, where fish, olive oil, fruits and vegetables are consumed in great quantities. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in a case-control desig...

Diastolic dysfunction, a leading cause of heart failure in the US, is a complex pathology which manifests morphological and hemodynamic changes in the heart and circulatory system. Recent advances in time-resolved phase-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (4D Flow) have allowed for characterization of blood flow in the right ventricle (RV) and right atrium (RA), including calculation of...