The investigation of familial isolated hyperparathyroidism (FIHP) has been greatly facilitated in recent years by the identification of the genes responsible for most cases of syndromic familial hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Kindreds with apparently isolated hyperparathyroidism have been evaluated with clinical, biochemical, imaging and gene mutational tests designed to recognize multiple endocrin...

Haptoglobin (Hpt) was previously found to bind the high density lipoprotein (HDL) apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and able to inhibit the ApoA-I-dependent activity of the enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), which plays a major role in the reverse cholesterol transport. The ApoA-I structure was analyzed to detect the site bound by Hpt. ApoA-I was treated by cyanogen bromide or hydrox...

Introduction: Chronic pain and pain sensitivity are complex traits with a variety of potential determinants. Although not yet fully elucidated, pain sensitivity and the risk for chronic pain are thought to be partly genetic. In our study, we attempt to further elucidate the genetic predisposition of pain sensitivity. Methods: In a total number of 3,795 participants from the Rotterdam study (a l...

The goal of the present study was to evaluate mean values and heritability estimates of 3 global and 11 regional obesity measures in siblings with (HPT, n=209) or without (non-HPT, n=91) early-onset (age </=55 years) hypertension who originated from the same families. Sixty-one sibships, each having at least 2 HPT siblings, were selected from a French-Canadian population with a known founder ef...

The expression of glutathione (GSH)-dependent enzymes and cytochrome P450 (P450) proteins in freshly isolated proximal tubular cells from human kidney (hPT), and the effect of primary culture on these enzymes, were determined. Freshly isolated hPT cells had relatively high activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione di...

BACKGROUND The regulation of PTH secretion by calcium is altered in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). A similar abnormality may occur in secondary HPT, but comparisons of PTH secretion in normal subjects and those with secondary HPT have given contrasting results. Differences in baseline serum ionized calcium (ICa) may partly account for these conflicting results. The aim of the ...

Alteration in cholesterol metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the major component of brain lipoproteins supporting cholesterol transport. We previously reported that the acute-phase protein Haptoglobin (Hpt) binds ApoE, and influences its function in blood cholesterol homeostasis. Major aim of this study was to in...

A biologically based dose-response (BBDR) model was developed for dietary iodide and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in adult rats. This BBDR-HPT axis model includes submodels for dietary iodide, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and the thyroid hormones, T(4) and T(3). The submodels are linked together via key biological processes, including (1) the influence of T(4) on TSH prod...

Chronic uraemia is associated with severe disturbances in the calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D homeostasis, leading to the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) with increased biosynthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is a frequent and serious complication in chronic uraemic patients, which in a ma...