Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Utilization Of Hiv-1 Envelope V3 To Identify X4- And R5-Specific Tat And Ltr Sequence Signatures., Gregory C Antell, Will Dampier, Benjamas Aiamkitsumrit, Michael R Nonnemacher, Jeffrey M Jacobson, Vanessa Pirrone, Wen Zhong, Katherine Kercher, Shendra Passic, Jean W Williams, Gregory Schwartz, Uri Hershberg, Fred C Krebs, Brian Wigdahl

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: HIV-1 entry is a receptor-mediated process directed by the interaction of the viral envelope with the host cell CD4 molecule and one of two co-receptors, CCR5 or CXCR4. The amino acid sequence of the third variable (V3) loop of the HIV-1 envelope is highly predictive of co-receptor utilization preference during entry, and machine learning predictive algorithms have been developed to characterize sequences as CCR5-utilizing (R5) or CXCR4-utilizing (X4). It was hypothesized that while the V3 loop is predominantly responsible for determining co-receptor binding, additional components of the HIV-1 genome may contribute to overall viral tropism and display sequence signatures …

Reduction Of Ctrp9, A Novel Anti-Platelet Adipokine, Contributes To Abnormal Platelet Activity In Diabetic Animals., Wenqing Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Yajing Wang, Xin-Liang Ma, Rong Li

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Platelet hyper-reactivity is a crucial cause of accelerated atherosclerosis increasing risk of thrombotic vascular events in diabetic patients. The mechanisms leading to abnormal platelet activity during diabetes are complex and not fully defined. The current study attempted to clarify the role of CTRP9, a novel adiponectin paralog, in enhanced platelet activity and determined whether CTRP9 may inhibit platelet activity. Adult male C57BL/6 J mice were randomized to receive high-fat diet (HFD) or normal diet (ND). 8 weeks after HFD, animals were sacrificed, and both plasma CTRP9 and platelet aggregation were determined. HFD-fed animals increased weight gain significantly, and became hyperglycemic …

Chimeric Cells Of Maternal Origin Do Not Appear To Be Pathogenic In The Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies Or Muscular Dystrophy., Carol M Artlett, Sihem Sassi-Gaha, Ronald C Ramos, Frederick W Miller, Lisa G Rider

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Microchimeric cells have been studied for over a decade, with conflicting reports on their presence and role in autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. To determine whether microchimeric cells were pathogenic or mediating tissue repair in inflammatory myopathies, we phenotyped and quantified microchimeric cells in juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM), muscular dystrophy (MD), and noninflammatory control muscle tissues.

METHOD: Fluorescence immunophenotyping for infiltrating cells with sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed on muscle biopsies from ten patients with JIIM, nine with MD and ten controls.

RESULTS: Microchimeric cells were significantly increased in MD muscle (0.079 ± 0.024 microchimeric cells/mm(2) …

Kallikrein Family Proteases Klk6 And Klk7 Are Potential Early Detection And Diagnostic Biomarkers For Serous And Papillary Serous Ovarian Cancer Subtypes., Ayala Tamir, Ushma Jag, Sreeja Sarojini, Craig Schindewolf, Takemi Tanaka, Rajendra Gharbaran, Hiren Patel, Anil Sood, Wei Hu, Ruzeen Patwa, Patrick Blake, Polina Chirina, Jin Oh Jeong, Heejin Lim, Andre Goy, Andrew Pecora, K Stephen Suh

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Early detection of ovarian cancer remains a challenge due to widespread metastases and a lack of biomarkers for early-stage disease. This study was conducted to identify relevant biomarkers for both laparoscopic and serum diagnostics in ovarian cancer.

METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis and expression screening in ovarian cancer cell lines were employed. Selected biomarkers were further validated in bio-specimens of diverse cancer types and ovarian cancer subtypes. For non-invasive detection, biomarker proteins were evaluated in serum samples from ovarian cancer patients.

RESULTS: Two kallikrein (KLK) serine protease family members (KLK6 and KLK7) were found to be significantly overexpressed relative to normal …

Biosynthetic Pathways And The Role Of The Mas Receptor In The Effects Of Angiotensin-(1-7) In Smooth Muscles., Marcio Augusto Fressatto De Godoy, Larissa Pernomian, Ana Maria De Oliveira, Satish Rattan

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Ang-(1-7) is produced via degradation of Ang II by the human angiotensin converting enzyme, also known as ACE2. In the cardiovascular system, Ang-(1-7) has been shown to produce effects that are opposite to those of Ang II. These include smooth muscle relaxation and cardioprotection. While the roles of Ang-(1-7) in other systems are currently topic of intense research, functional data suggest a relaxation action in gastrointestinal smooth muscles in a way that corroborates the results obtained from vascular tissues. However, more studies are necessary to determine a relevant role for Ang-(1-7) in the gastrointestinal system. The Ang-(1-7) actions are mediated …