Medical Genetics Commons^™

We Can Do It Together: Par1/Par2 Heterodimer Signaling In Vsmcs., Rafal Pawlinski, Michael Holinstat

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

In this issue, Sevigny and colleagues demonstrate that a protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1)-PAR2 heterodimer regulates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hyperplasia following vascular injury ¹. PARs belong to a family of G-protein coupled receptors that are proteolytically activated by a variety of proteases ^{2, 3}. Cleavage of PARs results in intracellular signaling mediated by activation of various G proteins including G_12/13, G_q, and G_i ^{2, 4-6}. The PAR family consists of 4 members, PAR1-PAR4, with PARs 1, 3, and 4 being primarily activated by thrombin, while PAR2 is activated by trypsin and …

Relationship Of Adipokines With Insulin Sensitivity In African Americans., Maria P Martinez Cantarin, Scott W Keith, Stephanie Deloach, Yonghong Huan, Bonita Falkner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cytokines produced by adipose tissue, including adiponectin, have been associated with metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp with plasma adiponectin and other adipokines in young adult African Americans.

METHODS: Participants were healthy African Americans. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, an oral glucose tolerance test and an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp were performed. Insulin sensitivity measurements were adjusted for percentage of fat mass. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed on plasma from fasting blood samples. Pearson correlation coefficients and …

Health Needs Of Hiv-Infected Women In The United States: Insights From The Women Living Positive Survey., Kathleen E Squires, Sally L Hodder, Judith Feinberg, Dawn Averitt Bridge, Staats Abrams, Stephen P Storfer, Judith A Aberg

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to describe attitudes, opinions, and perceived health needs of HIV-infected women in the United States. In this cross-sectional study, women were invited to participate in the Women Living Positive survey, a structured interview instrument with 45 questions. Collected data were deidentified and the margin of error was calculated as four percentage points. Incoming toll-free phone interviews were conducted from December 21, 2006, through March 14, 2007 among subjects recruited from a U.S. national network of AIDS counseling centers. Seven hundred HIV-infected women (43% African American, 28.5% Hispanic, 28.5% Caucasian; median age, 42.5 years) receiving …

Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (Kim-1) As An Early Detection Tool For Acute Kidney Injury And Other Renal Diseases, John Fontanilla, Md, Won K. Han, M.D

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: Although serum creatinine is the standard metric tool for the detection of renal injury, its lack of sensitivity has made the early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) very difficult. In fact, the absence of sensitive AKI biomarkers has impaired progress in the nephrology field and had a detrimental effect on the design and outcome of AKI clinical trials. Recently, several proteins have shown potential in the early detection of acute and chronic kidney injuries.

Areas covered: This review discusses the current status of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a potential diagnostic tool in patients with various acute …