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Association Of Ace Polymorphism And Diabetic Nephropathy In South Indian Patients, Vijay Viswanathan, Yanqing Zhu, Karthik Bala, Stephen Dunn, Chamukuttan Snehalatha, Ambady Ramachandran, Muthu Jayaraman, Kumar Sharma

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Objective: To study the association of ACE gene polymorphism and diabetic nephropathy in South Indian subjects.

Setting: Outpatient clinic of a specialized hospital.

Patients: The study included 109 South Indian type 2 diabetic patients (72 males and 37 females; age 56.7±9.0 years, mean±SD). The patients were subdivided into two groups: nephropathic (n=86) and normoalbuminuric patients (n=23).

Interventions: Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood leukocytes. To determine the ACE genotype, genomic DNA was amplified by PCR initially using a flanking primer pair and, subsequently when necessary, with a primer pair that recognizes the insertion specific sequence for confirmation of …

Assessment Of Immune System Involvement In Tourette Syndrome, Ashley Dawn Levine

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tourette syndrome (TS) is currently hypothesized to be the result of genetic and immunological components. This study investigated whether TS subjects produce IgG and IgA antibodies that bind to caudate nucleus, hippocampus, frontal cortex, cerebellum, thalamus, globus pallidus interior, exterior and putamen. Thirty- two children (14 TS, 7 family control, and 11 non-family control) and thirty-nine adults (11 TS, 14 family control, and 14 non-family control) were studied. Immunofluorescent studies were performed on basal ganglia tissue using serum from TS children and their family members. Brain antigens were prepared as two fractions (supernatant and pellet) and used as targets for …

Arsenic Alters The Function Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor As A Transcription Factor, Ronald C. Kaltreider, Alisa M. Davis, Jean P. Lariviere, Joshua W. Hamilton

Dartmouth Scholarship

Chronic human exposure to nonovertly toxic doses of arsenic is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Although its carcinogenic mechanism is still unknown, arsenic does not directly cause DNA damage or mutations and is therefore thought to act principally as a co-mutagen, co-carcinogen, and/or tumor promoter. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that effects of low-dose arsenic (III) (arsenite) on expression of the hormone-regulated phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene were strongly associated with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated regulatory pathway. We therefore examined specifically the effects of arsenite on the biochemical function of GR in hormone-responsive H4IIE rat hepatoma cells. Completely …

Enhanced Expression Of Human Platelet-Derived Growth Factor In Pichia Pastoris, David M. Kaetzel

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Patents

Enhanced yields of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B-chain are obtained using the Pichia pastoris yeast system. Yields of both wild-type and mutant human proteins are enhanced when the yeast is transformed with a vector containing the yeast mating factor promoter fused to a sequence encoding the mature protein. The secreted wild-type protein is indistinguishable from mature 29-32 kDa protein isolated from human and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. An RKK→EEE mutant exhibited reduced association with the cell surface and accumulated in the culture medium as 29-32 kDa forms. Stable transfection of U87 astrocytoma cells with RKK→EEE mutants of either …

Teratogen Update: Reproductive Risks Of Leflunomide (Arava); A Pyrimidine Synthesis Inhibitor: Counseling Women Taking Leflunomide Before Or During Pregnancy And Men Taking Leflunomide Who Are Contemplating Fathering A Child, Robert L. Brent

The Selected Works of Robert Brent

Arava™ (leflunomide) is a pyrimidine synthesis inhibitor used in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The chemical name for leflunomide is N- (4’-trifluoromethylphenyl)-5-methylisoxazole-4-carboxamide. Because the drug has been successful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it is being widely prescribed. In spite of the clear warning that the drug should not be prescribed for pregnant women, approximately 30 women have become pregnant while taking leflunomide as of December 1999. This commentary was prepared to aid teratology counselors and genetic counselors that might be contacted by physicians or patients about the risk of leflunomide exposure during pregnancy. Before the …

Characterization Of Sarr, A Modulator Of Sar Expression In Staphylococcus Aureus, Adhar Manna, Ambrose L. Cheung

Dartmouth Scholarship

The expression of virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by global regulatory loci (e.g., sar and agr). The sar locus is composed of three overlapping transcripts (sar P1, P3, and P2 transcripts from P1, P3, and P2 promoters, respectively), all encoding the 372-bp sarA gene. The level of SarA, the major regulatory protein, is partially controlled by the differential activation of sar promoters. We previously partially purified a ∼12 kDa protein with a DNA-specific column

Truncated Forms Of The Dual Function Human Asct2 Neutral Amino Acid Transporter/Retroviral Receptor Are Translationally Initiated At Multiple Alternative Cug And Gug Codons, Chetankumar S. Tailor, Mariana Marin, Ali Nouri, Michael Kavanaugh, David Kabat

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporter type 2 (ASCT2) was recently identified as a cell surface receptor for endogenously inherited retroviruses of cats, baboons, and humans as well as for horizontally transmitted type-D simian retroviruses. By functional cloning, we obtained 10 full-length 2.9-kilobase pair (kbp) cDNAs and two smaller identical 2.1-kbp cDNAs that conferred susceptibility to these viruses. Compared with the 2.9-kbp cDNA, the 2.1-kbp cDNA contains exonic deletions in its 3′ noncoding region and a 627-bp 5′ truncation that eliminates sequences encoding the amino-terminal portion of the full-length ASCT2 protein. Although expression of the truncated mRNA caused enhanced amino …

Health Professions Division Catalog Academic Year 2001-2002, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

The Process Of Clinical Trials: A Model For Successful Clinical Trial Participation, Cecile A. Lengacher, Lois L. Gonzalez, Rosemary Giuliano, Mary P. Bennett, Charles E. Cox, Douglas S. Reintgen

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Eye Position Sense Contributes To The Judgement Of Slant., F M James, S Whitehead, G K Humphrey, M S Banks, T Vilis

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We measured monocular judgements of the slant of a cube face while varying eye position in the absence of stereoscopic and external lighting cues. Errors were found to be small, only 10% on average of the cube's eccentricity. Two factors appear to have contributed approximately equally to this error: an underestimate of cube slant as seen by the eye and an underestimate of eye position. When prism adaptation altered the sensed eye position, the pattern of slant judgements changed to reflect the altered sense of eye position.

Cationic Surfactant Mediated Hybridization And Hydrophobization Of Dna Molecules At The Liquid/Liquid Interface And Their Phase Transfer, Murali Sastry, Ashavani Kumar, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Vidya Ramakrishnan, Krishna N. Ganesh

Faculty Works

Hybridization of complementary oligonucleotides mediated by a cationic surfactant at the water/hexane interface leads to hydrophobic, double-helical DNA which may be readily phase transferred to the organic phase and cast into thin films on solid substrates.

Guanylyl Cyclase C (Gc-C) Inhibits Human Colon Carcinoma Cell Growth, Giovanni Mario Pitari

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

This is the presentation given for the 2001 Presidential Trainee Young Investigator Award, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. An abstract of the presentation has been published in Clin. Pharmacol. Ther., 69(2):P62, 2001. The presentation illustrates the role of the intestinal GC-C receptor as a negative regulator of cell proliferation and cell cycle kinetics in colorectal cancer. It suggests that paracrine GC-C hormones guanylin/uroguanylin are physiological inducers of the proliferation-to-differentiation transition along the intestinal crypt-villus axis. Importantly, the bacterial enterotoxin ST, a potent exogenous GC-C agonist, is offered as a potential cytostatic agent for the prevention and treatment of …

The Surveillance Of T-Lymphocytes In The Human Blood Stream, Ivan Temesvari

Masters Theses

T-Lymphocytes (T-cells), one of the many different lymphocytes, are the precursors of disease detection. Their primary purpose is to maintain a healthy immune system. They use the blood vasculature (blood stream) and lymphatic system to circulate throughout the body. Study of a T-cells journey throughout the human blood stream is useful to understand how they can detect disease, such as cancer, in an efficient and effective manner. T-cells are to be thought of as the good cells in our body searching to destroy the bad cells (cancer/infectious cells). The thymus lies in the anterior mediastinum, which is directly behind the …

Molecular Genetics Of Breast Cancer, Emel Ergül, Ali̇ Sazci

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Recent advances in molecular biology enable researchers to understand the basis of breast cancer much better and show that hereditery breast cancer may result from mutations on several specific gene loci including BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, ATM and PTEN. These genes are tumor supressor genes and although their functions are different, they are all involved in the maintenance of genomic stability after DNA damage. Mutations that impair the function of these genes may adversely affect the manner in which DNA damage is processed. It is likely that the risk of breast cancer development is increased through this mechanism. Moreover, there are …

Efficacy Of Some Disinfectants On Embryonated Eggs Of Toxocara Canis, Hasan Ayçi̇çek, Ender Yarsan, H. Oğuz Sarimehmetoğlu, Mehmet Tanyüksel, Nogay Gi̇rgi̇nkardeşler, Mustafa Özyurt

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of various disinfectants in different concentrations against embryonated Toxocara canis eggs. For this purpose, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% iodine, 2% glutaraldehyde, 10% benzalkonium chloride, 7% sodium hypochloride, 1% potassium permanganate, 70% ethyl alcohol, 10% potassium hydroxide and 3% phenol solutions were used as the disinfectants. This study was performed both in vitro and in-vivo. In the in vitro experiment, T. canis eggs were treated with disinfectant solutions in different time intervals, and larval motility was observed under X400 magnification with an inverted microscope. Microscopic examinations revealed that T. canis …

Relationship Between Aging And Susceptibility To Oxidative Damage: An Assessment By Erythrocyte Membrane Proteins And Lipids, Ahmet Özaydin, İlhan Onaran, Kadi̇r Avşar, Vecdet Tezcan, Gönül Sultuybek

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Contradictory results have been reported from various studies regarding the effect of age on susceptibility to oxidative damage. Using different parameters, we carried out a comparative study on the erythrocytes and erythrocyte membranes of healthy elderly and young adults to determine how resistance to oxidative damage is affected by aging. Thin layer chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions were used to estimate changes in membrane phospholipids and cytoskeletal proteins, respectively. Our results showed that these components of intact erythrocytes incubated with cumene hydroperoxide (CumOOH), a powerful oxidising agent, remained unchanged in both age groups. However, exposure of erythrocyte …

Department Of Radiation Oncology And Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, The Intronic G13964c Variant In P53 Is Not A High-Risk Mutation In Familial Breast Cancer In Australia., Anna Marsh, Amanda B Spurdle, Bruce C Turner, Sian Fereday, Heather Thorne, Gulietta M Pupo, Graham J Mann, John L Hopper, Joseph F Sambrook, Georgia Chenevix-Trench

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for approximately 50% of breast cancer families with more than four affected cases, whereas exonic mutations in p53, PTEN, CHK2 and ATM may account for a very small proportion. It was recently reported that an intronic variant of p53--G13964C--occurred in three out of 42 (7.1%) 'hereditary' breast cancer patients, but not in any of 171 'sporadic' breast cancer control individuals (P = 0.0003). If this relatively frequent occurrence of G13964C in familial breast cancer and absence in control individuals were confirmed, then this would suggest that the G13964C variant plays a role in …

Are Inflammatory Cytokines Potential Mediators Of Phenytoin-Induced Gingival Overgrowth?, Nurcan Buduneli̇, Gül Ati̇lla, Neci̇l Kütükçüler

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The levels of interleukin-1beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin 6 in gingival crevicular fluid of phenytoin-treated patients (from sites exhibiting overgrowth and sites not exhibiting overgrowth) and control subjects were investigated. Six epileptic patients exhibiting severe phenytoin-induced gingival overgrowth, 12 patients with chronic gingivitis and 11 subjects with clinically healthy periodontium were included in the study. The cytokine levels were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and expressed as ng/2 sites. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kruskall-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation were used for statistical analysis of the data. Overgrown sites showed significantly higher levels of interleukin-1beta compared to the …

The Effect Of Moderate +Gz Force On The Cervical Spine Bone Mineral Density In Raaf Pc-9 Pilots, Meghan C. Grant

Theses : Honours

Previous research on exercise and bone mineral density (BMD) has established that increases in BMD are site specific, responding to unusual strain and particularly to high magnitude loading. The positive Gz forces generated during high performance flying provide all three variables. Naumann, Bennell and Wark (2000) investigated the effects of moderate gravitational force on the BMD of fighter pilots. The pilots in this study had significant increases in BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) for the thoracic spine, pelvis and total body. However, it is now suspected that the cervical spine, which was unable to be analysed at that time …

Difficulties Associated With The Study Of Action Potential After-Potentials In Rat Cultured Sensory Neurones, Ahmet Ayar, Roderick H. Scott

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

We investigated the properties of action potential after-potentials in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones from neonatal rats using the whole cell patch clamp technique. The aims of this study were to characterize after-potentials and investigate the possible influences of Ca^{2+}-induced Ca^{2+}release (CICR) on neuronal excitability. The reversal potentials of action potential after-depolarizations and after-hyperpolarizations were estimated. Although evidence for both Ca^{2+}-activated chloride and potassium conductances was obtained, the data indicated that the after-potentials were contaminatied by a variety of distinct ionic events. Apamin was used to attenuate potassium conductances and appeared to enhance the after-depolarizations due to Ca^{2+}-activated chloride conductances. …

Sandwich-Type Enzyme Immunoassay For Amyloid A4 Protein In Cerebrospinal Fluid From Patients With Head Trauma, İbrahi̇m Pi̇ri̇m

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The aim of this study was to design a simple method for detecting the amyloid A4 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients who had severe brain trauma caused by traffic or other accidents and to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value. For this purpose, a sandwich type ELISA assay was used. A4, a 4kDa protein of 39-43 amino acids, is a metabolic product of a membrane-spanning, 695-770 aa, precursor molecule, the b-amyloid precursor protein (b-APP). The polyclonal rabbit antibody against synthetic A4 protein (1-40 residues) was used as an immobilized antibody. A mouse monoclonal antibody against synthetic A4 …

Effects Of The Use Of Hypochlorite As A Cleaning Substance On Pulmonary Functions, Rezan Demi̇ralay

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of a low hypochlorite concentration as a cleaning substance on pulmonary functions. For this purpose, 23 cleaning workers from the Faculty of Medicine of Suleyman Demirel University were selected as the study group and 14 people from technical personnel as the control group. The study group consisted of 17 females and 6 males with a mean age of 26.4±5.6 years and the mean duration of exposure to the substance in question was 10.3±10.7 months without any atopy history. The control group consisted of 12 females and 2 males with a mean …

A Cadaveric Study Of The Anatomic Variations Of The Brachial Plexus Nerves In The Axillar Region And Arm, Z. Asli Aktan, Lokman Öztürk, Okan Bi̇lge, Mehmet Asim Özer, Yelda Atamaz Pinar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Forty-eight upper limbs were dissected in order to study the courses and relations of the brachial plexus nerves in the axilla. Connections between the musculocutaneous and median nerves were found in five arms. There was a suprascapular nerve arising from the union of C4 and C5 directly in one cadaver. A branch from the median nerve extending to the brachial artery was determined. In one of the cadavers the radial nerve arose only from the union of posterior divisions of the inferior and middle trunks.

Comparison By Magnetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Effects Of Two Different Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs On Edema Following The Surgical Extraction Of Impacted Third Molars, Mehmet Yaltirik, C. Korhan Oral, Okhan Oral, Çeti̇n Kasapoğlu, Vedat Çebi̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are continuously being developed for use as therapeutic agents for inflammatory diseases. The NSAI agents are commonly used in the control of pain by their effects on suppressing the inflammatory reaction. Pain and edema are universal complications following the surgical extraction of impacted third molars. Felden (piroxicam) and Tilcotil (felden) were used in this study for comparing the antiinflammatory effects of two different chemical agents on the control of pain and inflammation following the surgical extraction of bilaterally impacted mesio-angullary positioned lower third molars. A total of 10 patients aged from 20 to 24 attending our clinic …

Distribution Of Some Extracellular Matrix Proteins And Ultrastructural Findings In Sural Nerve Biopsy In Demyelinating Disease, Egemen İdi̇man, Göksemi̇n Demi̇r, Ü. Ali̇ Kayişli, İ. Ş. Şengün, Necdet Demi̇r, Ramazan Demi̇r

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The involvement of both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) in multiple sclerosis is a seldom encountered combination in neurology clinics. In this report, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques were used to analyse the disease course of a patient exhibiting involvement of both systems. In 1980, a 44-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with progressive weakness and decreased sensation of the right lower extremity, and sensory abnormality exhibiting stocking distribution. In electromyolography (EMG), demyelinating sensory motor polyneuropathy was determined. Ten years later, he was admitted again due to progression of weakness in the four extremities. Pyramidal …

The Effects Of Benzo(A) Pyrene Doxorubicin And Paclitaxel On P170 Glycoprotein, Di̇dem Turgut Coşan, Ayşe Başaran

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

B(a)P is a mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic substance. Paclitaxel and doxorubicin are antineoplastic drugs widely used in cancer treatment. The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of doxorubicin and paclitaxel on p170 glycoprotein in rat liver and kidney tissue after administration of B(a)P. As is well known, p170 glycoprotein is an indicator of drug resistance. We hypothesized that a combination of these antineoplastic drugs would cause lower p170 levels and thus would have a stronger effect than single drug administration. For confirmation, a combination of drugs was used to prevent the development of drug resistance. In this …

Protective Effects Of Vitamin E Selenium And Allopurinol Against Stress-Induced Ulcer Formation In Rats, Nai̇me Canoruç, Ramazan Çi̇çek, Aytaç Atamer, Mehmet Dursun, Cengi̇z Turgut, Ensari̇ Güneli̇, Fi̇kri̇ Canoruç

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

This study was carried out in the Health Research Center (DÜSAM) laboratory of Dicle University. Vitamin E, Selenium and Allopurinol were given to counteract gastric damage caused by stress in rats. In the study 64 male Sprague dawley rats were used. They were divided into 8 groups, and protective agents were applied at different doses for 8 weeks. Then, performing cold-restraint stress stomach tissues were taken out and investigated macroscopically to determine mucosal damage. Lipid peroxidation levels in the stomach specimens were determined by identifying Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by the thiobarbituric acid method. These agents have shown protective effects against …

Apolipoprotein-E Genotyping In Patients With Coronary Heart Disease, İbrahi̇m Pi̇ri̇m, Muhammet Fevzi̇ Polat, Ersi̇n Akarsu, Yaşar Nuri̇ Şahi̇n, Engi̇n Bozkurt

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The aim of the study was to establish apolipoprotein E genotype in the patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who are inhabitants of the north-east of Turkey. The study involved 106 patients (70 male, 36 female; ages ranging from 37 to 69 years) who are local people and were angiocardiographically diagnosed for CHD. The risk factors such as smoking, alcohol and obesity were determined and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL were measured in the subjects. Each patient sample was apolipoprotein E genotyped, which was achieved by PCR amplification of the 227 bp region followed by Cfo I digestion …

The Effects Of Tooth Extraction On Cortical Thickness And Bone Mineral Density Of The Mandible: Evaluation With Computerized Tomography, Pinar Polat, Gözlem Ceylan, Selami̇ Suma, Nuran Yanikoğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The cortical thickness of the mandible (CTM) and its bone mineral density may be affected by tooth extraction. There is little knowledge of how the number of teeth in the mandible affect the cortical thickness and bone mineral density of the mandible in 2 different parts. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether there is any relationship between the number of teeth extracted and the cortical thickness and bone mineral density of the mandible. A total of 64 cases were evaluated in this study. The patients were divided into four groups. Group 1 consisted of 24 patients who …

Fine Structural Demonstration Of Anionic Sites On Streptococcal And Staphylococcal Envelopes By Cationic Dyes, Yosun Mater, Sabi̇re Karaçali

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Anionic sites on bacterial envelopes of Streptococcus \beta-haemolyticus and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 P were investigated on materials fixed with Karnovsky fixative containing the cationic dyes ruthenium red (RR) or alcian blue (AB). Electron dense granules and short fibrils were found to be irregularly distributed around the cells on the glycocalyces of both genera. An electron dense stained reaction with RR or AB on the cell membrane and glycocalyx indicates the presence of rich anionic sites on these structures. Electron microscopic observations demonstrate that anionic sites in the glycocalyx are responsible for the adherence phenomenon during the formation of microcolonies. …