bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing population characteristics, effect-measure modification, and cancer risk factor identification
Authors: Slattery Martha L , Murtaugh Maureen A , Quesenberry Charles , Caan Bette J , Edwards Sandra , Sweeney Carol
Published: October 2007

Epidemiologic studies have identified a number of lifestyle factors, e.g. diet, obesity, and use of certain medications, which affect risk of colon cancer. However, the magnitude and significance of risk factor-disease associations differ among studies. We propose that population trends of changing prevalence of risk factors explains some of the variability between studies when factors that change prevalence also modify the effect of other risk factors. We used data collected from population-based control who were selected as study participants for two time periods, 1991–1994 and 1997–2000, along with data from the literature, to examine changes in the population prevalence of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) use, obesity, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) over time. Data from a population-based colon cancer case-control study were used to estimate effect-measurement modification among these factors. Sizeable changes in aspirin use, HRT use, and the proportion of the population that is obese were observed between the 1980s and 2000. Use of NSAIDs interacted with BMI and HRT; HRT use interacted with body mass index (BMI). We estimate that as the prevalence of NSAIDs use changed from 10% to almost 50%, the colon cancer relative risk associated with BMI >30 would change from 1.3 to 1.9 because of the modifying effect of NSAIDs. Similarly, the relative risk estimated for BMI would increase as the prevalence of use of HRT among post-menopausal women increased. In conclusion, as population characteristics change over time, these changes may have an influence on relative risk estimates for colon cancer for other exposures because of effect-measure modification. The impact of population changes on comparability between epidemiologic studies can be kept to a minimum if investigators assess exposure-disease associations within strata of other exposures, and present results in a manner that allows comparisons across studies. Effect-measure modification is an important component of data analysis that should be evaluated to obtain a complete understanding of disease etiology.
Management of small bowel volvulus in a patient with simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT): a case report
Authors: Aydin Unal , Yazici Pinar , Toz Huseyin , Hoscoskun Cuneyt , Coker Ahmet
Published: September 2007

There are several surgical complications which can occur following simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT). Although intestinal obstruction is known to be a common complication after any type of abdominal surgery, the occurrence of small bowel volvulus, which is one of the rare causes of intestinal obstruction, following SPKT has not been published before. A 24-year-old woman suffering from type I diabetes mellitus with complications of nephropathy resulting in end stage renal disease (ESRD), neuropathy and retinopathy underwent SPKT. On the postoperative month 5, she was brought to the emergency service due to abdominal distention with mild abdominal pain. After laboratory research and diagnostic radiological tests had been carried out, she underwent exploratory laparotomy to determine the pathology for acute abdominal symptoms. Intra-operative observation revealed the presence of an almost totally ischemic small bowel which had occurred due to clockwise rotation of the mesentery. Initially, simple derotation was performed to avoid intestinal resection because of her risky condition, particularly for short bowel syndrome, and subsequent intestinal response was favorable. Thus, surgical treatment was successfully employed to solve the problem without any resection procedure. The patient's postoperative follow-up was uneventful and she was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 7. According to our clinical viewpoint, this study emphasizes that if there is even just a suspicion of acute abdominal problem in a patient with SPKT, surgical intervention should be promptly performed to avoid any irreversible result and to achieve a positive outcome.
The interaction with Sp1 and reduction in the activity of histone deacetylase 1 are critical for the constitutive gene expression of IL-1α in human melanoma cells
Authors: Enya Kazuaki , Hayashi Hidetoshi , Takii Takemasa , Ohoka Nobumichi , Kanata Shinya , Okamoto Takashi , Onozaki Kikuo
Published: September 2007

A375-6 human melanoma cells are sensitive to the antiproliferative effect of IL-1. After a long period of culturing, we have obtained cells resistant to IL-1. The resistant clone A375-R8 constitutively produced IL-1α. In this study, we identified a sequence, CGCC, located at −48 to −45 upstream of the transcription start site, to be essential for the constitutive IL-1α gene activation. Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) and Sp3 bound to the nucleotide containing the sequence. Although the binding level to the nucleotide and expression level of Sp1 and Sp3 are comparable in A375-R8 and A375-6 cells, transactivation activity of Sp1 is higher in A375-R8 cells as compared with A375-6 cells. Sp3 could not transactivate the IL-1α promoter. These results suggest that Sp1 but not Sp3 is important for IL-1α gene activation. Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC), greatly augmented the IL-1α promoter activity in A375-6 cells to the level comparable with that in A375-R8 cells. TSA also induced IL-1α mRNA expression in A375-6 cells. Sp1 and Sp3 bound to HDAC1 in A375-R8 and A375-6 cells. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed the binding of Sp1 and HDAC1 to the promoter region of the IL-1α gene. The activities of HDAC bound to Sp1 and Sp3, and that of HDAC1 was lower in A375-R8 cells as compared with A375-6 cells. These results indicate that the reduction in the activity and interaction of HDAC1 with Sp1 are critical for the constitutive IL-1α gene expression.
A regulatory role of interleukin 15 in wound healing and mucosal infection in mice
Authors: Kagimoto Yoshiko , Yamada Hisakata , Ishikawa Takahiro , Maeda Naoyoshi , Goshima Fumi , Nishiyama Yukihiro , Furue Masutaka , Yoshikai Yasunobu
Published: September 2007

IL-15 plays a critical role in the development and maturation of γδ intraepithelial T lymphocytes (IEL), which are known to play important roles in wound healing and resolving inflammation in mice. In this study, we found that IL-15 transgenic (Tg) mice, under the control of a MHC Class I promoter, exhibited accelerated wound healing but were highly susceptible to genital infection with HSV-2. The IEL in the skin and reproductive organs of IL-15 Tg mice produced an aberrantly higher level of TGF-β1 upon TCR triggering than in control mice. In vivo neutralization of TGF-β ameliorated the susceptibility of IL-15 Tg mice to genital HSV-2 infection. Taken together, overexpression of IL-15 may stimulate IEL to produce TGF-β1, promoting wound healing but impeding protection against genital HSV-2 infection.
Chronic alcohol consumption perturbs the balance between thymus-derived and bone marrow-derived natural killer cells in the spleen
Authors: Zhang Hui , Meadows Gary G
Published: September 2007

Alcohol consumption reduces peripheral NK cell numbers and compromises NK cell cytolytic activity; however, the underlying mechanism is not understood completely. It was found recently that the peripheral NK cell pool consists largely of bone marrow (BM)-derived and thymus-derived cells, which are phenotypically and functionally different. The effects of alcohol consumption on these subpopulations have not been studied previously. Using a well-established alcohol-feeding model, we found that chronic alcohol consumption decreases the percentage and number of peripheral NK cells, especially those expressing a mature phenotype. Alcohol consumption did not alter NK cells in the thymus. NK cells in the BM were increased significantly; however, proliferation rate was not altered by alcohol consumption, which increased CD127+ and decreased Ly49D+ NK cells in the spleen but not in the BM. Chronic alcohol consumption increased IFN-γ-producing NK cells and GATA-3 expression in splenic NK cells. Collectively, these results indicate that chronic alcohol consumption perturbs the balance between thymus-derived and BM-derived NK cells. The increased proportion of thymus-derived NK cells in the spleen likely results from impaired NK cell release from the BM.
The X Chromosome in Female‐Predominant Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: INVERNIZZI PIETRO
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 5% of the population in Western countries, with high female predominance. Family and twins studies have demonstrated that genetic factors are crucial determinants of susceptibility to autoimmune disease, but no specific genes have yet been identified. Recent studies indicate that X chromosome abnormalities, such as monosomy rates and inactivation patterns, occur in a number of female‐predominant autoimmune diseases. We will review herein the most recent evidence on the role of the X chromosome in loss of tolerance and discuss its potential implications. Future studies will identify the X chromosome regions containing candidate genes for autoimmune susceptibility.
PolyI:C Induction of Diabetes Is Controlled by Iddm4 in Rats with a Full Regulatory T Cell Pool
Authors: HORNUM LARS , LUNDSGAARD DORTHE , MARKHOLST HELLE
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  The Iddm4 gene controls diabetes in rats depleted of regulatory T cells (Treg) and immune‐activated via treatment with the toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR‐3) ligand, polyI:C. Both diabetes‐resistant (BBDR) and diabetes‐prone (BBDP) BB rats carry dominant permissive alleles of Iddm4, while the recessive Wistar Furth (WF) rat allele is protective. Iddm4 is positioned close to Iddm2 on chromosome 4, but when we introgressed BBDP‐derived parts of this region—either containing both genes or Iddm2 alone—into the WF genome, none of these congenic strains developed spontaneous diabetes. Although both strains harbor two copies of the recessive Iddm2 allele of the BBDP rat, making these animals devoid of Treg cells, immune activation in itself via polyI:C treatment did not induce overt diabetes. Interestingly, TLR‐3 ligation without depletion of Tregs resulted in diabetes and insulitis development in nonlymphopenic F1‐offspring of mating the Iddm4+Iddm2 congenic strain to WF. This demonstrates that the diabetogenic allele of Iddm4 is able to confer diabetes susceptibility even in a nonlymphopenic host with a full Treg pool, and that homozygosity for Iddm2—although responsible for an almost total lack of Tregs—delays the disease process. Finally, we have confirmed the position of Iddm4 in truly congenic strains.
Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus with Adult Onset and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children Have Different Genetic Predispositions
Authors: CERNA MARIE , KOLOSTOVA KATARINA , NOVOTA PETER , ROMZOVA MARIANNA , CEJKOVA PAVLINA , PINTEROVA DANIELA , PRUHOVA STEPANKA , TRESLOVA LUDMILA , ANDEL MICHAL
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Type 1 diabetes with manifestation after 35 years of age is defined by CP <200 pmol/L and institution of insulin therapy within 6 months after diagnosis. Latent autoimmune diabetes mellitus in adults (LADA) manifesting after 35 years of age is defined by minimum 6 months after diagnosis without insulin therapy and C peptide (CP) >200 pmol/L and antiGAD > 50 ng/mL. We aimed to find a possible genetic discrimination among different types of autoimmune diabetes. To accomplish this goal, we analyzed DNA samples from 31 LADA patients, 75 patients with adult‐onset type 1 diabetes mellitus, 188 type 1 diabetic children, and 153 healthy adult individuals. We studied five genetic loci on chromosomes 6, 11, 4, and 14: HLA DRB1 and DQB1 alleles, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I–related gene‐A (MIC‐A) microsatellite polymorphism, interleukin (IL)‐18 single nucleotide polymorphism, the microsatellite polymorphism of nuclear factor kappa B gene (NF‐κB1), and the single nucleotide polymorphism of a gene for its inhibitor (NF‐κBIA). HLA‐DR3 was detected as the predisposition allele for LADA (OR = 4.94, P < 0.0001). Further we found a statistically significant increase of NF‐κBIA AA genotype (OR = 2.68, P < 0.01). On the other hand, DRB1*04, which is linked with DQB1*0302, was observed as a risk factor in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) onset after 35 years of age (OR = 10.47, P < 0.0001 and OR = 9.49, P < 0.0001, respectively). There was also an association with MIC‐A5.1 (OR = 2.14, P < 0.01). Statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of IL‐18 promoter –607 (C/A) polymorphism between LADA and T1DM in adults (P < 0.01). We conclude that all subgroups of autoimmune diabetes have partly different immunogenetic predisposition.
Genetic Dissection of Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type 2
Authors: BALLARINI ANNALISA , LEE‐KIRSCH MIN AE
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Autoimmune diseases constitute a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by the loss of immune tolerance to self‐antigens. Despite their distinct clinical picture, there is growing evidence that common molecular mechanisms may contribute to the whole spectrum of autoimmune diseases. This theory is strongly supported by the existence of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (APS). Thus, the clinical diagnosis of APS1 is made in an individual who presents with at least two out of three cardinal symptoms, namely autoimmune Addison's disease, autoimmune hypoparathyroidism, and mucocutaneous candidiasis. APS1 is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. APS2, which occurs at a much higher frequency, is classically defined as the coexistence of autoimmune Addison's disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, and/or type 1 diabetes. In contrast to APS1, the precise modes of inheritance and the genetic causes underlying APS2 remain unknown. Identification of genetic factors predisposing to this syndrome may contribute to our understanding of common mechanisms involved in autoimmunity.
Genotypic Approaches to Therapy in Children
Authors: ROSS COLIN J.D. , CARLETON BRUCE , WARN DANA G. , STENTON SUNITA B. , RASSEKH SHAHRAD ROD , HAYDEN MICHAEL R.
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  A striking failure of modern medicine is the debilitating and lethal consequences of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which rank as one of the top 10 leading causes of death and illness in the developed world with direct medical costs of 137–177 billion annually US$ in the USA. Although many factors influence the effect of medications (e.g., age, organ function, drug interactions), genetic factors account for 20% to 95% of drug response variability and play a significant role in the incidence and severity of ADRs. The field of pharmacogenomics seeks to identify genetic factors responsible for individual differences in drug efficacy and ADRs. Pharmacogenomics has led to several genetic tests that provide clinical dosing recommendations. The Genetic Approaches to Therapy in Children (GATC) project is a national project established in Canada to identify novel predictive genomic markers for severe ADRs in children. An ADR surveillance network has been established in eight of Canada's major children's hospitals, serving up to 75% of all Canadian children. The goal of the project is to identify patients experiencing specific ADRs and matched controls, collect DNA samples, and apply genomics‐based technologies to identify ADR‐associated genetic markers with the goal of preventing serious ADRs in susceptible children.
Mycophenolate Mofetil and Atherosclerosis
Authors: GIBSON WILLIAM THOMAS , HAYDEN MICHAEL REUBEN
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  The immunosuppressive agent mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has beneficial effects in cardiac transplant patients beyond the suppression of tissue rejection. Patients with regimens containing MMF experience diminished intimal thickening and cardiac allograft vasculopathy compared to patients treated with azathioprine. Studies have shown that diet‐induced atherosclerosis (a related vasculopathy) is a chronic inflammatory process, and so MMF has also been used to reduce atherosclerosis in a rabbit model of hyperlipidemia. These data hold out the intriguing possibility that MMF might be a viable primary or secondary preventive agent in people at significant risk for atherosclerosis.
Human Immunoglobulins in Intraocular Inflammation
Authors: TELLIER ZÉRA
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Chronic intraocular inflammation (IOI) is a heterogeneous group of rare diseases, which represents one of the leading causes of acquired and treatable blindness in adults. The main anatomical site of inflammation is the uveal tract, which is the vascular organ of the eye, but uveitis is now used to describe IOI more globally. In around 40% of the cases of uveitis an underlying systemic disease, often of autoimmune origin, can be identified. In autoimmune diseases with IOI, uveitis may be the first clinical manifestation and may represent the most severe sign. Studies in animal models, especially in experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), offer the opportunity to investigate the pathogenicity of these disorders. The conventional treatment of IOI includes corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, which are efficient in around one‐half of the patients, but their effectiveness is also limited by their iatrogenicity. The effects of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) on ocular inflammation have been investigated in a wide spectrum of autoimmune/systemic diseases. Most of the publications are case series or open trials. They show favorable results in a subset of indications, including mainly ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP), Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) syndrome, or birdshot disease. Efficacy results are more debated in other conditions such as inflammatory demyelinating optic neuritis. In other diseases with IOI only case reports are available, suggesting that IVIGs may be of some interest. These observations support the need for controlled trials to demonstrate the efficacy of IVIGs and assess their potential steroid‐sparing effect.
Fermented Wheat Germ Extract (Avemar) Inhibits Adjuvant Arthritis
Authors: TELEKES ANDRAS , RESETAR AKOS , BALINT GEZA , BLAZSO GABOR , FALKAY GYORGY , LAPIS KAROLY , RASO ERZSEBET , SZENDE BELA , EHRENFELD MICHAEL , SHOENFELD YEHUDA , HIDVEGI MATE
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Anti‐inflammatory efficacy of the fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE, Avemar) in the rat adjuvant arthritis (AA) model was examined. To Wistar rats with AA, different doses of FWGE and anti‐inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, dexamethasone) as monotherapies were administered and FWGE and either diclofenac or dexamethasone were also given in combination. Besides plethysmographies of the paws, histological investigations of synovial tissues were also performed along with detection of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Gene expressions of COX‐1 and 2 were determined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). FWGE monotherapy significantly inhibited the development of the secondary (immune‐mediated) response in AA, and dexamethasone and indomethacin exerted inhibitory effects in a degree comparable to that of FWGE. Histological analysis of the affected joints confirmed the results. FWGE inhibited COX‐1 and ‐2, while indomethacin enhanced COX‐2 gene expressions. FWGE had an additive interaction with diclofenac. It is concluded that FWGE has significant anti‐inflammatory efficacy confirmed by plethysmography, histology, and real‐time PCR.
Harnessing Autoimmunity (Vitiligo) to Treat Melanoma
Authors: RAM MAYA , SHOENFELD YEHUDA
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Melanoma is a highly malignant tumor derived from skin melanocytes (pigment‐producing cells), which is associated with a significant rate of systemic metastases and death. Various therapeutic approaches for melanoma have been attempted in recent years, including the use of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and ablative surgical and radiation treatments. However, in many cases these treatments fail as the tumor becomes resistant to the treatment and rapidly spreads and causes death. Reports in the medical literature have documented the unique immunogenic nature of melanoma where antigens, antibodies, and immune complexes seem to play a major role in the course of the disease. Anti‐melanoma antibodies can cross‐react with antigens on normal melanocytes, therefore causing the appearance of an associated hypopigmentation that resembles vitiligo. Vitiligo is a dermatological disorder characterized by local, dispersed, or diffuse white patches on the skin as a result of the destruction of melanocytes. This disease is believed to be an autoimmune disorder since autoantibodies against membrane components of melanocytes are found in the sera of patients with vitiligo. Melanoma triggers an anti‐tumor response in many patients. Unfortunately, such anti‐tumor response is insufficient to elicit tumor regression and the tumor continues to proliferate. Since the prognosis of melanoma in patients and animals with vitiligo is more favorable than in the general population, it was hypothesized that sera from patients with vitiligo may react against melanoma cells. Such studies have demonstrated that exposure of tumor cells to the sera resulted in inhibition of proliferation of the melanoma cells in vitro and in regression of melanoma metastases in mice presumably on account of the presence of the high titer of anti‐melanoma antibodies in the sera used in these studies. In this review we discuss the known data and hypothetical assumptions related to the use of vitiligo‐associated antibodies against melanoma, as well as characterize the immune mechanisms involved in this process.
Role of Mycophenolate Mofetil in the Treatment of Lupus Nephritis
Authors: GRCEVSKA L. , POPOVSKA M. MILOVANCEVA , DZIKOVA S. , RISTOVSKA V. , POLENAKOVIC M.
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressive drug successfully used for the prevention of acute and chronic rejection of renal allografts, as well as in the therapy of glomerular disorders. We treated three groups of patients with lupus nephritis: the first group of patients had a high histologic activity index (AI), 13.4 ± 2.34; the second group of patients had a high histologic chronicity index (CI), 6.0 ± 0.7; and the third group consisted of only two patients, one with low AI (3.5) and another with low CI (1.5). The patients were treated for 2 years. MMF was initiated at a dose of 2  g/daily for the first 6 months and the dose was decreased to 1.5  g/daily for the further 18 months. Steroids, 0.4  mg/kg/day, were the concomitant therapy for the first 6 months, with slow tapering for the further 18 months. Patients with high AI presented significant decrease of serum creatinine after 2 years, 286 ± 112.95 to 131.2 ± 44.65 μmol/L. Two of the patients, with acute oligoanuria, were withdrawn from dialysis treatment. Significant improvement was also noted, 6.97 ± 1.81 to 0.9 ± 0.31  g/day. Patients with high CI had nonsignificant decrease of serum creatinine, 178.5 ± 47.73 to 129.25 ± 22.88 μmol/L, and significant improvement of proteinuria, 4.63 ± 1.57 to 1.14 ± 0.39  g/day. The patient with low AI showed recovery of renal function (serum creatinine from 196 to 72 μmol/L) and alleviation of proteinuria, 7.93 to 3.4  g/day. The patient with low CI did not respond to the therapy and renal function slowly worsened. MMF has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for both the induction and maintenance phase in patients with lupus nephritis.
Fetomaternal Alloimmunization with Antenatal Glomerulopathies
Authors: DEBIEC HANNA , RONCO PIERRE
Published: October 2007

Abstract: 
Fetomaternal alloimmunization with antenatal glomerulopathies (FMAIG) is a recently described alloimmune disorder, which results from maternal antibodies that cross the placenta, bind to fetal glomerular podocytes, and mediate renal disease. The pathogenic antibodies are directed against neutral endopeptidase (NEP). The infant's mother is NEP‐deficient and thus she becomes immunized during pregnancy against NEP expressed by placental cells. Because future pregnancies in NEP‐immunized mothers are at high risk for the fetus, detection of anti‐NEP antibodies in pregnant mothers and antigen‐driven therapies including induction of mucosal tolerance, are urgently needed. This ideally requires identification of the pathogenic epitopes born by the antigen. We have recently characterized two linear B cell epitopes on the NEP that are specifically recognized by the mother's antibodies. The identification of these B cell epitopes is useful for diagnostic tests and may lead to future development of new therapeutic approaches based on peptide‐specific immune intervention.
Effective Therapy with Anti‐TNF‐α in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis Is Associated with Decreased Levels of Metalloproteinases and Angiogenic Cytokines in the Sera and Skin Lesions
Authors: CORDIALI‐FEI PAOLA , TRENTO ELISABETTA , D'AGOSTO GIOVANNA , BORDIGNON VALENTINA , MUSSI ANNA , ARDIGÓ MARCO , MASTROIANNI ANTONIO , VENTO ANTONELLA , SOLIVETTI FRANCESCO , BERARDESCA ENZO , ENSOLI FABRIZIO
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) plays a central role in sustaining the inflammatory process in the skin as well as in the joints of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In fact, biological therapies based on monoclonal antibodies against TNF‐α have been proven to be effective on both the arthropathy and the cutaneous symptoms of the disease. Among the several effects produced by TNF‐α on keratinocytes there is the induction of expression of MMP‐9, a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) produced mainly by monocytes and macrophages. In this article we refer to the results of a study on the behavior of MMP‐9 in the sera and in the lesional skin in association with effective therapy with infliximab. Measurements of TNF‐α, MMP‐2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and E‐selectin were also performed in the same samples. Eleven psoriatic patients included in a therapeutic protocol based on the administration of infliximab monotherapy were collected before treatment and after 6 and 12 weeks of therapy. Significant decrease of MMP‐9 and MMP‐2 levels in the sera was associated with clinical improvement and with the decrease of TNF‐α, VEGF, and E‐selectin, angiogenic molecules already known to be implicated in the clinical expression of psoriasis. The clinical amelioration of the cutaneous expression of psoriasis was significantly associated with the decrease of MMP‐9, TNF‐α, and E‐selectin levels, spontaneously released by lesional biopsy samples before and after therapy, measured in the culture supernatants by immunoenzymatic assays. In addition, significant correlations were found between the clinical score and TNF‐α, MMP‐9, and E‐selectin lesional production. MMP‐9 levels were significantly correlated with those of TNF‐α. Our findings show the existence of a direct relationship between MMP‐9 and TNF‐α production, strongly suggesting that MMP‐9 may play a key role in the skin inflammatory process in psoriasis, while a different role may be attributed to MMP‐2.
Treatment of BXSB‐Yaa Mice with IL‐21R‐Fc Fusion Protein Minimally Attenuates Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: BUBIER J.A. , BENNETT S.M. , SPROULE T.J. , LYONS B.L. , OLLAND S. , YOUNG D.A. , ROOPENIAN D.C.
Published: October 2007

Abstract: 
Interleukin‐21 (IL‐21) is a pleiotropic cytokine whose function is only now being unraveled. Abundant evidence indicates that activated CD4 T cells are the primary, if not the only, source of IL‐21. While it is clear that IL‐21 is actively transcribed by naïve activated T cells, recent studies have shown that IL‐21 potentially promotes a developmental shift of naïve T cells toward the Th2 phenotype. BXSB‐Yaa mice develop an autoimmune syndrome similar to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affecting males earlier than females on account of the presence of the Yaa (Y‐linked autoimmune acceleration) locus. Previous results indicate the elevation of IL‐21 expression by BXSB‐Yaa mice at an age when the early characteristics of autoimmune processes first become evident. We set out to determine whether IL‐21 was necessary for disease progression in BXSB‐Yaa mice. Mice were treated for 24 weeks with soluble IL‐21R‐Fc in order to therapeutically neutralize the IL‐21 present. The results overall suggest a biphasic effect of IL‐21, negatively influencing survival early on and positively influencing survival at later stages. We propose that IL‐21 exerts a pleiotropic effect in which it promotes the protective effects of CD8+ suppressor cells in the early disease phase and then promotes the humoral components of SLE in the later disease stages. This experiment provides preliminary evidence for a role of IL‐21 in modulating the severity of SLE in BXSB‐Yaa mice.
Applying Embryo‐Derived Immune Tolerance to the Treatment of Immune Disorders
Authors: BARNEA EYTAN R.
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Pregnancy is a unique immune state in which both mother and embryo/fetus tolerate and interact with one another through term, without interfering with the mother's native immunity. When the embryo is viable, it initiates maternal immune tolerance (IT)—but not immune suppression. The balance is complex: some immune disorders are ameliorated during pregnancy, despite the presence of an “inflammatory” environment. We have identified a pregnancy viability biomarker—preimplantation factor (PIF)—secreted only by viable embryos, which helps to initiate this maternal tolerance and uterine receptivity. Using anti‐PIF antibodies, we have detected PIF in the fetus and placenta. Beyond enhancing uterine receptivity locally, PIF has also been detected in maternal circulation, and may promote peripheral tolerance. In the fetus, PIF may help avoid a “graft‐versus‐host”‐type reaction PIF exhibits unique potent immune‐modulatory effects and its synthetic analogue has been shown to exert significant protection in diverse immune scenarios. Nontoxic, low‐dose, short‐term PIF administration has led to long‐term effects in preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS), juvenile diabetes mellitus (JDM), and graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), in a manner enabling its translation into a clinical setting. Further investigation of this compound is warranted.
Statins as Immunomodulators in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: ABOU‐RAYA ANNA , ABOU‐RAYA SUZAN , HELMII MADIHAH
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has the highest case‐specific mortality among the rheumatic diseases. Vascular dysfunction and structural wall abnormalities are among the earliest and fundamental alterations in SSc. Statins have a number of immunomodulating effects on vascular wall cells, which may modify the progression of vascular injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential efficacy of statin therapy in ameliorating endothelial dysfunction (ED) in SSc by investigating the effect of statins on some markers that reflect endothelial activation in SSc. Forty patients with SSc were randomized into two groups to receive 6 months' treatment with atorvastatin (n= 20; dose, 40 mg/day) or placebo (n= 20) as an adjuvant to existing therapy. Markers of ED including ET‐1, plasma nitrate levels, and thrombomodulin (TM) were evaluated by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Fibrinogen, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), ESR, lipid peroxide (LP), and malonylaldehyde (MDA) levels were also assessed. Brachial flow‐mediated vasodilatation was assessed by ultrasonography. Patients were studied at base line and after 6 months of statin therapy. After 6 months of therapy, ET‐1, ICAM‐1, sE‐selectin, vWF, fibrinogen, ESR, hsCRP as well as LP and MDA levels declined and NO increased significantly in the statin‐treated SSc group when compared to the placebo‐treated group. Endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation (EDV) improved significantly in the atorvastatin‐treated group. The findings of this study demonstrated statin‐mediated improvements in the endothelial function of SSc patients as well as immunomodulating effects. Statins may thus prove to be an invaluable addition to the therapy of the vasculopathy of SSc.
A Critique of a Method to Determine Long-Term Decline of Coral Reef Ecosystems
Authors: Ridd Peter V.
Published: September 2007

The supposedly already-degraded state of coral reef ecosystems is sometimes claimed to be a reason why anthropogenic global warming will have a major impact on the reefs, i.e. they are already close to extinction and can easily be tipped over the edge. Recently published work by Pandolfi et al. (2003) in Science has outlined a method for measuring the decline of coral reef ecosystems throughout the world according to which the outer and inner Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are claimed to be 28% and 36% respectively, down the path towards ecological extinction. This is a highly significant claim given the important status of the GBR, so the result deserves attention and objective scrutiny.

This paper sets out to scrutinise the methodology used by Pandolfi et al. (2003) under four headings: (i) the guilds are poorly weighted and focus largely on human target species, rather than species that are ecologically important to reefs; (ii) the numerical scale used to “measure” the state of the reefs is not well-founded and hence distorts the result; (iii) the analysis fails to recognize that the GBR is of relatively recent origin and therefore never existed in the pre-human/pristine cultural period as defined by PAN; and (iv) in many cases it is doubtful that the literature cited demonstrates the claimed decline in ecological state.

It is concluded that the work of Pandolfi et al. (2003) cannot be used as justification that the Great Barrier Reef has lost significant resilience, or that it is particularly susceptible to global warming because of its present supposedly degraded state.
Design and Development of Utilization Factor for Solar Absorption Cooling System
Authors: Mittal V. , Thakur N.S.
Published: September 2007

One approach to the problem of determining economic solar air conditioning/heating system designs is to use computer simulations directly as a design tool. However, the use of computer simulations to aid in the design of every solar air conditioning/heating application is not satisfactory for those engineers and designers who do not have access to computer facilities. As a result, a simplified design procedure will be required for use by the engineers and designers when dealing with solar air conditioning/heating systems.

In this paper a utilization factor which reflects the long term performance of a solar absorption cooling has been defined and developed and then simulation studies are performed to develop a correlation between the utilization factor for cooling and the important parameters of the solar air conditioning system. The result is a simple method requiring only monthly average meteorological data which can be used to estimate the utilization factor for cooling of a solar air conditioning system as a function of the major system design parameters.
The Economy-Wide Effects in the United States of Replacing Crude Petroleum with Biomass
Authors: Dixon Peter B. , Osborne Stefan , Rimmer Maureen T.
Published: September 2007

Part of President Bush's energy policy is to encourage research aimed at reducing the cost of biomass-based motor fuels to become competitive with petroleum-based fuels. We use a dynamic, CGE model to investigate the economy-wide implications of successful implementation of this policy. We find in the long-run, 2020, that the U.S. would experience significant benefits arising from: (1) substitution of biomass whose price is likely to fall in the long-run for crude petroleum whose price is likely to rise; (2) reduction in the world price of crude petroleum; (3) increased employment; and (4) higher export prices.
Global Warming: The Social Construction of a Quasi-Reality?
Authors: Ambler Dennis
Published: September 2007

The pressure to prove that anthropogenic global warming is real, and happening now has become so strong, that in spite of major and irresolvable uncertainties in climate models, there is a daily renewal and re-inforcement of the idea of scientific certainty in the mainstream media. Whilst uncertainties are often acknowledged in the body of scientific reports, they are rarely seen in press releases and executive summaries.

This paper examines how an almost mass acceptance of imminent and potentially catastrophic global warming by politicians, the media and the public, has come about and highlights the role of various UK agencies such as the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the Met Office in producing this result.
The Potential for Wind Energy Meeting Electricity Needs on Vancouver Island
Authors: Prescott Ryan , van Kooten G. Cornelis , Zhu Hui
Published: September 2007

In this paper, an in-depth analysis of power supply and demand on Vancouver Island is used to provide information about the optimal allocation of power across ‘generating’ sources and to investigate the economics of wind generation and penetrability into the Island grid. The methodology developed can be extended to a region much larger than Vancouver Island. Results from the model indicate that Vancouver Island could experience blackouts in the near future unless greater name-plate capacity is developed. While wind-generated energy has the ability to contribute to the Island's power needs, the problem with wind power is its intermittency. The results indicate that wind power may not be able to prevent shortfalls, regardless of the overall name-plate capacity of the wind turbines. Further, costs of reducing CO2 emissions using wind power are unacceptably large, perhaps more than $100 per tCO2, although this might be attributable to the mix of power sources making up the Island's grid.
Experiment Setup for Shear Wave and Electrical Resistance Measurements in an Oedometer
Authors: Lee Changho , Lee Jong-Sub , Lee Woojin , Cho Tae-Hyeon
Published: October 2007

The development of a new laboratory oedometer cell, which includes bender elements and an electrical resistance probe, is documented. The apparatus is used to evaluate consolidation characteristics such as primary consolidation, anisotropy, void ratio, and the preconsolidation stress by using the elastic and electromagnetic waves. Bender elements are installed on the top cap and the bottom plate and are also mounted on the wall of the oedometer cell. The electrical resistance probe is positioned onto the top cap of the oedometer cell. The primary consolidation time can be assessed with the evolution of shear wave velocity and the slope of the resistance-log time curve. The increment of the shear wave velocity, which propagates along the long axis of particles, is higher when the vertical effective stress is higher than the preconsolidation stress. The preconsolidation stress is confirmed by the relationship between the void ratio and the electrical resistance, and cementation and stress controlled regions are confirmed with the shear wave velocity. The electrical resistance linearly increases with the vertical effective stress in the stress controlled region. This study suggests that the shear wave velocity and electrical resistance provide complementary information about primary consolidation, anisotropy, void ratio, and the preconsolidation stress.
Into Great Silence: William Johnson on Philip Gröning's Absorbing Documentary of Monastic Life in a Remote Corner of the Alps
Authors: Johnson William
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT A review of Philip Gröning's documentary about the Grande Chartreuse monastery in France. Particular attention is paid to the film's use of available light and speech (and other sounds) in its successful attempt, in a manner that arguably evokes Bresson and Dreyer, to depict the day-to-day experience of Carthusian monks.
The Longue Durée of Racial Fixity and the Transformative Conjunctures of Racial Blending
Authors: Whitten Norman E.
Published: September 2007

The new human beings of the modern world—español, indio, negro, mestizo, mulato, sambo—were born out of the same upheaval that made "nations," "bureaucrats," "slavers," "global merchants," and "colonies." It was the modern world's signature to etch economic dominance and political supremacy into a radical cultural design. It was also its signature to hide the social relations that were brewing supremacy and conflict behind a semblance of "race things".

Irene Silverblatt (2004:5)

As tends to happen with martyrs and saints, any undercurrent of doubt is usually excised from the biographies of key figures associated with the defense of Latin America's unique mesticity.

Marilyn Grace Miller (2004:14)
Los desafíos de integración indígena frente a los Estados Republicanos en América Latina
Authors: Shawit Gil Inoach
Published: September 2007

Gil Inoach Shawit, nacido (17 de junio de 1967) en el oriente peruano del Departamento de Loreto, procede del pueblo Awajún.Asumió funciones de dirigente en su comunidad desde 1986 y culminó su periodo como dirigente a nivel nacional en el año 2002 a través del movimiento indígena agrupado en la Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP). Actualmente, desempeña su labor como Especialista Indígena en la World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (WWF), a través del cual promueve alianzas estratégicas entre los organismos internacionales de conservación y los pueblos indígenas con el afán de establecer intereses comunes y velar por la conservación, la protección de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en la defensa de sus territorios y la gestión de sus recursos naturales.
Book Reviews
Authors: Almer Marisabel
Published: September 2007

Cuba Represent! Cuban Arts, State Power, and the Making of New Revolutionary Cultures. Sujatha Fernandes, Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2006. 218 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: Anderson Mark
Published: September 2007

Afro Central Americans in New York City: Garifuna Tales of Transnational Movements in Racialized Space. Sarah England, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2006. 273 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: Goldin Liliana R.
Published: September 2007

Guatemala's Masks and Drama. Jim Pieper, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006. 283 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: McKillop Heather
Published: September 2007

Ancient Maya Commoners. Jon Lohse andFred Valdez, Jr., eds. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2004. 311 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: Perry Keisha‐Khan Y.
Published: September 2007

Negras in Brazil: Re‐envisioning Black Women, Citizenship, and the Politics of Identity. Kia Lilly Caldwell, New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007. 226 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: Wolseth Jon
Published: September 2007

Sleeping Rough in Port‐au‐Prince: An Ethnography of Street Children and Violence in Haiti. J. Christopher Kovats‐Bernat, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2006. 233 pp.
Film Reviews
Authors: Abrams Leonard
Published: September 2007

The Cross and the Crossroads, 2004. A film by Brian Brazeal. 30 min. Color. Lala and Bala Productions in association with Wunderlicious Entertainment.
Folkvine.org: Ethnographic Storytelling in Folk Art Web Design
Authors: UNDERBERG NATALIE M. , CONGDON KRISTIN G.
Published: October 2007

This article examines an innovative website documentary project about folk art called Folkvine.org, from the perspective of ethnographic storytelling. Folkvine.org explores ways to create in the navigation structure of the site itself an enactment of the ethnographic process, and the stories of various cultures. In this article we consider the ways in which the project employs contemporary techniques for effective ethnographic storytelling such as inventiveness, persuasiveness, enacting metaphor and ethnographic process, and immersion. The article concludes with a discussion of the way Folkvine.org reflects recent changes in the role of media in creating social meaning.
Rinometria acústica: correlação anatômica dos dois primeiros entalhes encontrados no rinograma
Authors: Nigro Carlos Eduardo Nazareth , Nigro Josiane Faria de Aguiar , Voegels Richard Louis , Mion Olavo , Mello Junior João Ferreira
Published: September 2007

O gráfico obtido pela rinometria acústica em indivíduos adultos, caucasianos, sem alterações nasais, mostra, com clareza, dois entalhes no início do rinograma; porém, na literatura existe controvérsia sobre sua correlação anatômica. OBJETIVO: Realizamos este estudo com o objetivo de obtermos dados que contribuam para a correlação anatômica destes dois entalhes. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico prospectivo. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODO: Foram analisados os rinogramas de 35 indivíduos em condição basal, após o uso de vasoconstritor tópico nasal e após obliteração da válvula nasal com algodão embebido em vaselina. RESULTADOS: Identificou-se diminuição e aumento, estatisticamente significante, da área de secção transversal apenas do segundo entalhe após obliteração da válvula nasal e após o uso de vasoconstritor tópico nasal, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: A análise dos resultados sugeriu que o primeiro entalhe do rinograma se refere à narina e o segundo à válvula nasal como um todo.
Descrição das lesões microscópicas das pregas vestibulares de adultos autopsiados e sua relação com as causas de óbito e doença de base
Authors: Rossi Renata C. , Salge Ana. K. M. , Correa Rosana R. M. , Ferraz Mara L. F. , Teixeira Vicente P. A. , Reis Marlene A. , Castro Eumenia C. C.
Published: September 2007

Com o aumento dos métodos invasivos que são utilizados para o diagnóstico de doenças do trato respiratório é de se esperar que as alterações das pregas vestibulares (PV) sejam mais freqüentes. Além disso, recentemente tem sido discutida a importância das PV na proteção do organismo contra agentes infecciosos e pouco se sabe sobre as lesões microscópicas em pacientes autopsiados, pois o estudo das cordas vocais não é rotina no exame post mortem. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as alterações microscópicas das pregas vestibulares e realizar a sua relação com as causas de óbito e doença de base de adultos autopsiados. FORMA DE ESTUDO: coorte transversal. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram estudadas microscopicamente 82 laringes coletadas de adultos autopsiados sendo realizada a coloração da Hematoxilina-eosina para visualizar as alterações morfológicas microscópicas das PV. RESULTADOS: Das 82 PV analisadas, observamos que 42 (51%) apresentaram reação inflamatória, sendo esta a única lesão encontrada. Quinze (18,3%) casos apresentaram hiperplasia dos folículos linfóides, onze (13,4%) casos infiltrado inflamatório difuso intenso e 16 (19,5%), reação inflamatória aguda. As doenças de base mais freqüentemente encontradas foram as do grupo de doenças do aparelho circulatório 31 (37,8%) e nestas 20 (67,8%) apresentavam reação inflamatória das PV. As doenças infecciosas foram a causa de morte mais freqüente nos pacientes com reação inflamatória das pregas vestibulares. CONCLUSÃO: Além da função anatômica as PV parecem possuir uma função imunológica em relação à infeccção das vias aéreas inferiores. Nosso estudo demonstrou a presença de reação inflamatória nas cordas vocais em pacientes com doenças infecciosas como causa de morte, podendo este achado estar relacionado com o processo séptico generalizado que levou o indivíduo à morte ou ser uma das formas do organismo prevenir a penetração de agentes infecciosos.