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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Dual Engagement Of The Nlrp3 And Aim2 Inflammasomes By Plasmodium-Derived Hemozoin And Dna During Malaria, Parisa Kalantari, Rosane B. Deoliveira, Jennie Chan, Yolanda Corbett, Vijay A. K. Rathinam, Andrea Stutz, Eicke Latz, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Douglas T. Golenbock, Katherine A. Fitzgerald Dec 2014

Dual Engagement Of The Nlrp3 And Aim2 Inflammasomes By Plasmodium-Derived Hemozoin And Dna During Malaria, Parisa Kalantari, Rosane B. Deoliveira, Jennie Chan, Yolanda Corbett, Vijay A. K. Rathinam, Andrea Stutz, Eicke Latz, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Douglas T. Golenbock, Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Hemozoin (Hz) is the crystalline detoxification product of hemoglobin in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. We previously proposed that Hz can carry plasmodial DNA into a subcellular compartment that is accessible to Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), inducing an inflammatory signal. Hz also activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in primed cells. We found that Hz appears to colocalize with DNA in infected erythrocytes, even before RBC rupture or phagolysosomal digestion. Using synthetic Hz coated in vitro with plasmodial genomic DNA (gDNA) or CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, we observed that DNA-complexed Hz induced TLR9 translocation, providing a priming and an activation signal for inflammasomes. After phagocytosis, Hz and …


Xk Aprosencephaly And Anencephaly In Sibs, Phillip Townes, Karen Reuter, E. Rosquete, B. Magee Nov 2014

Xk Aprosencephaly And Anencephaly In Sibs, Phillip Townes, Karen Reuter, E. Rosquete, B. Magee

B. Dale Magee

Recent studies have suggested a causal and pathogenetic relationship between holoprosencephaly and anencephaly. In support of the proposed relationship we report a sibship that includes anencephalic male twins and a female infant with a severe form of alobar holoprosencephaly, radial aplasia, and oligodactyly. The upper limb and brain malformations are considered to represent aprosencephaly syndrome. The coexistence of anencephaly and aprosencephaly within a sibship suggests that XK aprosencephaly syndrome may be an autosomal recessive disorder.


Imp3 Expression Is Associated With Poor Outcome And Epigenetic Deregulation In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Yuanyuan Gao, Michelle Yang, Zhong Jiang, Bruce A. Woda, Arthur M. Mercurio, Jianjie Qin, Xinli Huang, Feng Zhang Nov 2014

Imp3 Expression Is Associated With Poor Outcome And Epigenetic Deregulation In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Yuanyuan Gao, Michelle Yang, Zhong Jiang, Bruce A. Woda, Arthur M. Mercurio, Jianjie Qin, Xinli Huang, Feng Zhang

Arthur M. Mercurio

IMP3 is a fetal protein not expressed in normal adult tissues. IMP3 is an oncoprotein and a useful biomarker for a variety of malignancies and is associated with reduced overall survival of a number of them. IMP3 expression and its prognostic value for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have not been well investigated. The molecular mechanism underlying IMP3 expression in human cancer cells remains to be elucidated. Here we investigated IMP3 expression in ICC and adjacent nonneoplastic liver in 72 unifocal primary ICCs from a single institute by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. IMP3 was specifically expressed in …


30-Year Trends In Patient Characteristics, Treatment Practices, And Long-Term Outcomes Of Adults Aged 35 To 54 Years Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Mayra Tisminetzky, David Mcmanus, Joel Gore, Jorge Yarzebski, Andrew Coles, Darleen Lessard, Robert Goldberg Nov 2014

30-Year Trends In Patient Characteristics, Treatment Practices, And Long-Term Outcomes Of Adults Aged 35 To 54 Years Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Mayra Tisminetzky, David Mcmanus, Joel Gore, Jorge Yarzebski, Andrew Coles, Darleen Lessard, Robert Goldberg

Jorge L. Yarzebski

Much of our knowledge about the characteristics, clinical management, and postdischarge outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is derived from clinical studies in middle-aged and older subjects with little contemporary information available about the descriptive epidemiology of AMI in relatively young men and women. The objectives of our population-based study were to describe >3-decade-long trends in the clinical features, treatment practices, and long-term outcomes of young adults aged 35 to 54 years discharged from the hospital after AMI. The study population consisted of 2,142 residents of the Worcester (Massachusetts) metropolitan area who were hospitalized with AMI at all central Massachusetts …


Binge Ethanol And Liver: New Molecular Developments, Shivendra Shukla, Stephen Pruett, Gyongyi Szabo, Gavin Arteel Sep 2014

Binge Ethanol And Liver: New Molecular Developments, Shivendra Shukla, Stephen Pruett, Gyongyi Szabo, Gavin Arteel

Gyongyi Szabo

Binge consumption of alcohol is an alarming global health problem. Binge (acute) ethanol (EtOH) is implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). New studies from experimental animals and from humans indicate that binge EtOH has profound effects on immunological, signaling, and epigenetic parameters of the liver. This is in addition to the known metabolic effects of acute EtOH. Binge EtOH alters the levels of several cellular components and dramatically amplifies liver injury in chronically EtOH exposed liver. These studies highlight the importance of molecular investigations into binge effects of EtOH for a better understanding of ALD and also …


Another Armed Cd4(+) T Cell Ready To Battle Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Roniel Cabrera, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Another Armed Cd4(+) T Cell Ready To Battle Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Roniel Cabrera, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

No abstract provided.


Human Ezrin-Moesin-Radixin Proteins Modulate Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Terence Bukong, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Human Ezrin-Moesin-Radixin Proteins Modulate Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Terence Bukong, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Host cytoskeletal proteins of the ezrin-moesin-radixin (EMR) family have been shown to modulate single-stranded RNA virus infection through regulating stable microtubule formation. Antibody engagement of CD81, a key receptor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry, induces ezrin phosphorylation. Here we tested the role of EMR proteins in regulating HCV infection and explored potential therapeutic targets. We show that HCV E2 protein induces rapid ezrin phosphorylation and its cellular redistribution with F-actin by way of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK). Therapeutically blocking the functional roles of SYK or F-actin reorganization significantly reduced Huh7.5 cell susceptibility to HCV J6/JFH-1 infection. Using gene regulation, …


Differences In Innate Immune Signaling Between Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, Jan Petrasek, Timea Csak, Michal Ganz, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Differences In Innate Immune Signaling Between Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, Jan Petrasek, Timea Csak, Michal Ganz, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

The similar histopathological characteristics of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and the crucial role of the innate immune response in both conditions may lead to the assumption that ASH and NASH represent the same pathophysiological entities caused by different risk factors. In this review paper, we elaborate on the pathophysiological differences between these two entities and highlight the disease-specific involvement of signaling molecules downstream of the Toll-like receptor 4, and the differential mechanism by which the inflammasome contributes to ASH versus NASH. Our findings emphasize that ASH and NASH have disease-specific mechanisms and therefore represent distinct biological entities. …


Human Type 2 Myeloid Dendritic Cells Produce Interferon-Lambda And Amplify Interferon-Alpha In Response To Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Shuye Zhang, Karen Kodys, Kui Li, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Human Type 2 Myeloid Dendritic Cells Produce Interferon-Lambda And Amplify Interferon-Alpha In Response To Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Shuye Zhang, Karen Kodys, Kui Li, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

BACKGROUND and AIMS: The type III interferons (IFN-lambdas: interleukin [IL]-28a, IL-28b, and IL-29) have important roles in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but little is understood about what cells produce these cytokines or how production is activated. We investigated whether human immune cells recognize HCV-infected cells and respond by producing IFN-lambda. METHODS: We cultured healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with different populations of immune cells and Japanese fulminant hepatitis-1 (JFH-1) HCV-infected Huh7.5 (cell culture-derived HCV particles [HCVcc]/Huh7.5) cells. RESULTS: Human PBMCs recognized HCVcc/Huh7.5 cells and responded by producing IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IFN-lambda. A rare subset of myeloid dendritic …


Toll-Like Receptors In Liver Disease, Jan Petrasek, Timea Csak, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Toll-Like Receptors In Liver Disease, Jan Petrasek, Timea Csak, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Activation of inflammatory signaling pathways is of central importance in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Recent studies demonstrated that Toll-like receptors, the sensors of microbial and endogenous danger signals, are expressed and activated in innate immune cells as well as in parenchymal cells in the liver and thereby contribute to ALD and NASH. In this review, we emphasize the importance of gut-derived endotoxin and its recognition by TLR4 in the liver. The significance of TLR-induced intracellular signaling pathways and cytokine production as well as the contribution of individual cell types to the inflammation is …


Parental Mastery Of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Skills And Glycemic Control In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Kathleen Mitchell, Kimberley Johnson, Karen Cullen, Mary M. Lee, Olga T. Hardy Sep 2014

Parental Mastery Of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Skills And Glycemic Control In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Kathleen Mitchell, Kimberley Johnson, Karen Cullen, Mary M. Lee, Olga T. Hardy

Mary M. Lee

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether parental knowledge of the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) device affects glycemic control as measured by hemoglobin A1c (A1C) level. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using CSII completed a 14-item questionnaire. Questions 1-10 were knowledge-based questions that required the parent to extract specific information from their child's CSII device. Questions 11-14 asked parents to provide a self-assessment of their CSII knowledge. RESULTS: Twenty-two parents of youth with T1DM participated in the study. Ten of the youth were in the Low-A1C group (A1C/=8%). Parents …


Classification Of Dengue Illness Based On Readily Available Laboratory Data, James Potts, Stephen Thomas, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Pra-On Supradish, Wenjun Li, Ananda Nisalak, Suchitra Nimmannitya, Timothy Endy, Daniel Libraty, Robert Gibbons, Sharone Green, Alan Rothman, Siripen Kalayanarooj Aug 2014

Classification Of Dengue Illness Based On Readily Available Laboratory Data, James Potts, Stephen Thomas, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Pra-On Supradish, Wenjun Li, Ananda Nisalak, Suchitra Nimmannitya, Timothy Endy, Daniel Libraty, Robert Gibbons, Sharone Green, Alan Rothman, Siripen Kalayanarooj

Alan Rothman

The aim of this study was to examine retrospective dengue-illness classification using only clinical laboratory data, without relying on X-ray, ultrasound, or percent hemoconcentration. We analyzed data from a study of children who presented with acute febrile illness to two hospitals in Thailand. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to distinguish: (1) dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) versus dengue fever (DF), (2) DHF versus DF + other febrile illness (OFI), (3) dengue versus OFI, and (4) severe dengue versus non-severe dengue + OFI. Data from the second hospital served as a validation set. There were 1,227 patients in the analysis. The …


Angiographic Recognition Of Ostial Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Case Report., R M Macmillan, Bruce Feldman, V Maranhao Mar 2014

Angiographic Recognition Of Ostial Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Case Report., R M Macmillan, Bruce Feldman, V Maranhao

Bruce A. Feldman DO

Ostial left main coronary stenosis has a poor prognosis and increased mortality rate with coronary arteriography. Due to its anatomic location, visualization of the stenosis may be difficult. A high index of suspicion based upon only a few signs should prompt the physician to perform certain maneuvers to obtain the correct diagnosis. Four illustrative cases are presented and discussed.


Prediction Of Dengue Disease Severity Among Pediatric Thai Patients Using Early Clinical Laboratory Indicators, James A. Potts, Robert V. Gibbons, Alan L. Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Stephen J. Thomas, Pra-On Supradish, Stephenie C. Lemon, Daniel H. Libraty, Sharone Green, Siripen Kalayanarooj Jan 2014

Prediction Of Dengue Disease Severity Among Pediatric Thai Patients Using Early Clinical Laboratory Indicators, James A. Potts, Robert V. Gibbons, Alan L. Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Stephen J. Thomas, Pra-On Supradish, Stephenie C. Lemon, Daniel H. Libraty, Sharone Green, Siripen Kalayanarooj

Sharone Green

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus is endemic in tropical and sub-tropical resource-poor countries. Dengue illness can range from a nonspecific febrile illness to a severe disease, Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS), in which patients develop circulatory failure. Earlier diagnosis of severe dengue illnesses would have a substantial impact on the allocation of health resources in endemic countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We compared clinical laboratory findings collected within 72 hours of fever onset from a prospective cohort children presenting to one of two hospitals (one urban and one rural) in Thailand. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to develop diagnostic algorithms using different …