OBJECTIVES To investigate recipient characteristics and rates of index angiography among First Nations (FN) and non-FN populations in Manitoba, Canada. SETTING Population-based, secondary analysis of provincial administrative health data. PARTICIPANTS All adults 18 years or older who received an index angiogram between 2000/2001 and 2008/2009. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Des...

We studied integrins involved in the adhesion of resting and activated megakaryocytes (MK) to fibronectin (FN) and fibrinogen (FGN). Guinea pig MK were isolated and in some experiments were activated by thrombin. MK adhering to FN or FGN coated on coverslips were quantitated by a computerized image analysis program. The binding of soluble human FN to MK was detected by Western blotting. Anti-in...

Defined biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) matrices are needed to decipher the complex cellular signalling during wound healing at high resolution in vitro. Soluble factors like TGF-β1 and adhesion promoting structural components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are known to be key regulators of fibroblast behaviour. The ECM component fibronectin (FN) bears a complex function as adhesion promot...

We investigate n-ary semigroups as a natural generalization of binary semigroups. We refer it as a pair (X ,Fn), where X is a set and an n-associative function Fn : Xn → X is defined on X . We show that if Fn is idempotent, n-associative function which is monotone in each of its variables, defined on an interval I ⊂ R and has a neutral element, then Fn is combination of the minimum and maximum ...

BACKGROUND BBK32 is a surface expressed lipoprotein and fibronectin (Fn)-binding microbial surface component recognizing adhesive matrix molecule (MSCRAMM) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Previous studies from our group showed that BBK32 is a virulence factor in experimental Lyme disease and located the Fn-binding region to residues 21-205 of the lipoprotein. MET...

In diabetic nephropathy the progressive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins results from an imbalance between synthetic and degradative pathways. While the role of the different matrix metalloproteinases in the impaired ECM degradation has been studied in detail, the function of lysosomal cysteine proteinases has not received adequate attention. The aim was to investigate a pote...

The interaction of cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM) form of fibronectin (FN) triggers changes in growth, migration, and cytoskeletal organization that differ from those generated by soluble FN. As cells deposit and remodel their FN matrix, the exposure of new epitopes may serve to initiate responses unique to matrix FN. To determine whether a matricryptic site within the III1 module of...

Adjuvant intravesical Mycobacterium bovis BCG is the treatment of choice for recurrent superficial bladder cancer. Fibronectin (FN) was previously demonstrated to be necessary for the retention of BCG within the bladder and for the expression of antitumor activity. Recent studies have demonstrated that BCG attach and are ingested by bladder epithelial cells, suggesting the existence of a second...

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is the major toxicity of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) regimen in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The prediction of neutropenia and FN is mandatory to continue the planned R-CHOP therapy resulting in successful anti-cancer treatment. The clinical features and patterns of neutropenia and FN from...