In this study we used feathers to biomonitor exposure to the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1268 congener mixture in clapper rails (Rallus longirostris). This species has been used as an indicator species of environmental damage for the LCP superfund site located in Brunswick, GA, USA which is contaminated with Aroclor 1268, a congener mixture that has been used in limited amounts elsew...

Serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and transferrin (Tf) were measured in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the correlations of these parameters with disease activity were investigated. Serum sICAM- 1 levels were determined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) in serums from 42 patients with RA and 30 healthy cont...

AIM In this study, the prevalence of C. difficile, from patients with gastrointestinal complaints and its association with other enteropathogen microbes were investigated. BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen associated with outbreaks of pseudomembranous colitis and other intestinal disorders, such as diarrhea. PATIENTS AND METHODS Enterotoxin and cytotoxin (toxin A and...

BACKGROUND Merozoite surface protein (MSP) 5 is a candidate antigen for a malaria vaccine. In cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, we measured MSP5 antibody responses in Papuans with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria, Plasmodium vivax malaria, and mixed P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria and in those with past exposure. METHODS Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to quan...

In the current study, the hepatotoxic peptide microcystins, were measured in the zooplankton community of Jacarepaguá Lagoon during a 6-month period. Concurrent phytoplankton and seston samples were obtained. Microcystins were measured in seston and phytoplankton by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and in zooplankton by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA). Zooplankton com...

OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We aimed to investigate the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) level and MMP-9 gene polymorphism in sleep apnea patients with or without cardiovascular disease. STUDY DESIGN Case-control study. MATERIAL AND METHODS Two hundred nine patients [Mean age (±SD), 47 (±12) yrs; M/...

INTRODUCTION Chlamydia is an important cause of sexually transmitted diseases leading to tubal factor infertility. BACKGROUND This study aims to define the role of chlamydial antibody detection in predicting presence, nature and type of tubal pathology in laparoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study was conducted on 200 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopy as a part of infe...

Rationale: Airway epithelial cells (AECs) are critical regulators of inflammatory, immune and injury responses to allergens that contribute to asthma pathogenesis. The response of AECs to allergens requires an integrated-complex, extracellular receptors and intracellular organelle interaction to achieve secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitoc...

Doxycycline is an antibiotic used in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis. Apart from its antimicrobial properties, this drug also has independent anti-inflammatory effects at sub-antimicrobial doses. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of low-doses of doxycycline (LDD) on cytokine production by human monocytic cells challenged with the p...

No biological marker is currently available for the routine diagnosis of stroke. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether heart-fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) could be used as a valid diagnostic biomarker for stroke, as compared with neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B proteins. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis separation of cerebrospinal fluid proteins and mass sp...