Background and Aims: Involvement of matrix metalloproteinases 3 (MMP3) in breast cancer tumor progression and metastasis has been revealed. MMP3 -1171 5A/6A and 5A/5A polymorphisms in the gene  promoter increase expression of the enzyme. The possible relationship of these polymorphisms and serum levels of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A and B (MICA/B) in br...

ackground: knowing the human platelet antigens (hpa) and genes frequency in different populations is important not only for population studies but also for clinical transfusion practice. hpa genes frequency in iran is not evaluated, so we investigated the hpa-2, hpa-3, and hpa-5 frequency and their polymorphism. materials and methods: dna from 120 iranians (99 iranian blood donors and 21 patien...

ackground: Knowing the human platelet antigens (HPA) and genes frequency in different populations is important not only for population studies but also for clinical transfusion practice. HPA genes frequency in Iran is not evaluated, so we investigated the HPA-2, HPA-3, and HPA-5 frequency and their polymorphism. Materials and Methods: DNA from 120 Iranians (99 Iranian blood donors and 21 patie...

Objective(s) Four novel losartan analogues 5a-d were synthesized by connecting a dihydropyridine nucleus to imidazole ring. The effects of 5a and 5b on angiotensin receptors (AT') and L-type calcium channels were investigated on isolated rat aorta. Materials and Methods Aortic rings were pre-contracted with 1 pM Angiotensin II or 80 mM KCl and relaxant effects of losartan, nifedipine, 5a and...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Evidence has shown that matrix metalloproteinases-3 (MMP3) is important for cancer progression. Recent studies about the association between the -1171(5A>6A) polymorphism in MMP3 promoter region and cancer risk have yielded conflicting results. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We performed a meta-analysis of 41 studies including 11112 cases and 11091 controls to determi...

Wnt-5a is a non-transforming Wnt protein. Since Wnt-5a mRNA and protein levels differ within and between tumours, the potential of Wnt-5a as a prognostic factor has been debated. We have previously shown that the lack of Wnt-5a protein is a predictor of shorter disease-free survival in human breast cancer. Recently, however, we also showed that the breast tumours lacking Wnt-5a protein had a hi...

Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) is the only protein in nature that contains hypusine, an unusual amino acid residue formed posttranslationally by deoxyhypusine synthase and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase. Although the eIF-5A gene is essential for cell survival and proliferation, the precise function and localization of eIF-5A remain unclear. In this study, we have determined the subcellular...

Wnt-5a is a representative ligand that activates a beta-catenin-independent pathway in Wnt signalling. In the present paper, the roles of the post-translational modifications in the actions of Wnt-5a were investigated. We found that Wnt-5a is modified with palmitate at Cys104 and glycans at Asn114, Asn120, Asn311 and Asn325. The palmitoylation was not essential for the secretion of Wnt-5a, but ...

WNT-5A, a key player in embryonic development and post-natal homeostasis, has been associated with a myriad of pathological conditions including malignant, fibroproliferative and inflammatory disorders. Previously, we have identified WNT-5A as a transcriptional target of TGF-β in airway smooth muscle cells and demonstrated its function as a mediator of airway remodeling. Here, we investigated t...

This study presents a detailed morphological analysis of a new species belonging to the blind trilobite Trimerocephalus McCoy, 1849, T. chopini n. sp., based on exceptionally well preserved articulated specimens from the Late Devonian (Early Famennian) of the Holy Cross Mountains in central Poland. The occurrence of this taxon in Kowala Quarry near Kielce has been reported previously, with spec...