BACKGROUND Obesity is considered as a strong risk factor of inflammatory periodontal tissue destruction. The purpose of this study is to determine presence of progranulin (PGRN) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs CRP) levels in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in obese subjects with chronic periodontitis and to find an association, if any. MATERIAL AND METHODS 40 subjects (2...

Protein vaccines were prepared from the serotype antigen of group B Neisseria meningitidis strain M986. The detergents Triton X-100, Emulphogene BC-720, and deoxycholate were used to removed the toxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) portion of the serotype antigen. The LPS was most preferentially solubilized by Emulphogene. Guinea pigs were immunized with one or two doses of vaccine given intramuscula...

Circulating levels of maternal erythropoietin (EPO) rise during gestation due to increased biosynthesis of the hormone. Our objective was to investigate the human placenta as a potential extrarenal site of EPO production. Using two monoclonal antibodies recognizing different antigenic determinants, we identified immunoreactive EPO associated with villous cytotrophoblast, endovascular and intrav...

BACKGROUND Myofibroblasts play an important role in the development of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). In the current study, we investigate the effect of curcumin on growth and apoptosis of myofibroblasts derived from human oral mucosa. METHODS Myofibroblasts were generated by incubating fibroblasts, obtained from human oral mucosa, with transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1). MTT, PI staini...

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)supports and maintains the neuromuscular system duringdevelopment and through adulthood by promoting neuro-plasticity. The aim of this study was to determine if differentmodes of exercise can promote changes in GDNF expres-sion and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) morphology inslowand fast-twitch muscles. Rats were randomly<l...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In addition to being antagonists of histamine receptors, some antihistamines modulate the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation by reducing mediator release, adhesion molecule expression and, consequently, recruitment of inflammatory cells. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of 2 second-generation antihistamines, cetirizine and loratadine, on granulocyte-mac...

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are important for the prevention of serious illness and death among infants. Factors associated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunogenicity have not been explored. METHODS Children <24 months of age received 2, 3, or 4 doses of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PnCRM7) or control vaccine depending on age at enrollment. Serum samples wer...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays multifunctional roles in vascular permeability, repair and remodelling processes, in addition to the maintenance of vascular structure and function. In the present study, the potential of airway epithelial cell lines, BEAS-2B cells and A549 cells, to release and express VEGF in unstimulated and stimulated conditions was evaluated. The secretion an...

BACKGROUND The CombiMatrix ElectraSense microarray is a highly multiplex, complementary metal oxide semiconductor with 12,544 electrodes that are individually addressable. This platform is commercially available as a custom DNA microarray; and, in this configuration, it has also been used to tether antibodies (Abs) specifically on electrodes using complementary DNA sequences conjugated to the A...