Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) could be considered as potential biomarkers in atopic dermatitis (AD), while its level could be influenced by cytokine single gene polymorphisms (SNP). This study was performed in 89 pediatric patients with AD and 137 controls to assess polymorphisms of the TNF-α gene at positions -308 and -238, using the polymerase chain reaction and the sequence-specific pr...

The purpose of this study is to compare changes in biochemical markers for the skeletal muscles, hepatic metabolism, and renal function based on extreme long-distance running.Among healthy amateur endurance athletes who participated in a marathon, 100 km-, or 308 km ultramarathon, 15 athletes with similar physical and demographic characteristics were chosen to be the subjects in this study, upo...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1)-4533/8092, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-238/308 polymorphisms, and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Guangxi Zhuang population of China. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to detect the ERCC1-4533/8092 and TNF-α-238/30...

Immunocompetence of the 2001 Ross 308 broiler strain and the 1957 Athens Canadian Randombred Control (ACRBC) strain was compared when they were given diets representative of those that were being used in 1957 and 2001. Antibody response against SRBC, in vivo lymphoproliferation against Phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), and inflammatory and phagocytic responses of the macrophages were measured. The ...

Aurora-A/BTAK/STK15 localizes to the centrosome in the G(2)-M phase, and its kinase activity regulates the G(2) to M transition of the cell cycle. Previous studies have shown that the BRCA1 breast cancer tumor suppressor also localizes to the centrosome and that BRCA1 inactivation results in loss of the G(2)-M checkpoint. We demonstrate here that Aurora-A physically binds to and phosphorylates ...

Activation of the CB2 receptor is apparently an endogenous protective mechanism. Thus, it restrains inflammation and protects the skeleton against age-related bone loss. However, the endogenous cannabinoids, as well as Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main plant psychoactive constituent, activate both cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. HU-308 was among the first synthetic, selective CB2 agonists...