bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Different states of clinical control are associated with changes in IGF‐I and IGFBPs in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21‐hydroxylase deficiency
Authors: Cunha Heloisa Marcelina , Elias Lucila Leico Kagohara , Camacho‐Hübner Cecilia , Moreira Ayrton Custódio , Martinelli Carlos Eduardo 
Published: June 2004

Summaryobjective  Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21‐hydroxylase deficiency (21‐OHD) is characterized by high androgen levels, ambiguous genitalia or premature pubarche, increased height velocity and skeletal maturation. Considering the possibility of changes in the IGF system components depending on the state of clinical control, the objective of the present study was to analyse serum IGF‐I, IGF‐II and IGFBP levels in children with 21‐OHD under two states of clinical control.patients and design  We studied 12 prepubertal children with 21‐OHD CAH aged 4·0 ± 0·7 years. They were classified as good (GC) or poor control (PC) based on growth rate, signs of adrenal insufficiency or Cushing syndrome, progression of sexual characteristics and serum androgens levels. Blood samples were obtained from each patient in two different states of clinical control (GC and PC) for biochemical measurements.measurements  IGF‐I, IGF‐II, IGFBP‐1, IGFBP‐2 and IGFBP‐3 were determined by immunoassays. IGFBPs were also analysed by Western ligand blotting (WLB).results  Levels of IGF‐I (P = 0·03) and IGFBP‐3 (P = 0·01) were higher in GC than in PC while IGFBP‐1 (P = 0·004) concentrations were lower in GC patients. A trend towards higher levels of IGF‐II (P = 0·08) and lower levels of IGFBP‐2 (P = 0·08) was observed in GC children. Increased IGFBP‐4 band intensity was observed in GC children (P = 0·03).conclusion  Higher levels of IGF‐I, IGFBP‐3 and IGFBP‐4, but lower levels of IGFBP‐1, were associated with better control in children with 21‐OHD CAH. These findings are different from those observed in children with other causes of increasing androgens levels and are likely to be related to the insufficient glucocorticoid status.
Localization of Transforming Growth Factors, TGFβ1 and TGFβ3, in Hypothalamic Magnocellular Neurones and the Neurohypophysis
Authors: Fèvre‐Montange M. , Dumontel C. , Chevallier P. , Isnard A. K. , Guigard M.‐P. , Trouillas J. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractThe distribution of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) in the rat and human hypothalamus and neurohypophysis was investigated by immunocytochemical techniques using rabbit polyclonal antisera against TGFβ1 and TGFβ3. Colocalization of TGFβ1 or TGFβ3 and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the rat hypothalamus was studied by double immunolabelling in light microscopy, while their subcellular localization in the rat neurohypophysis was investigated by immunoelectron microscopy. TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the cell bodies and processes of neurones in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The TGFβ‐immunoreactive cells were more numerous in the SON compared to the PVN. TGFβ/AVP double‐labelled cells were seen in both nuclei, but some neurones in the SON were labelled for TGFβ1 or TGFβ3, although not for AVP. In the rat and human neurohypophysis, TGFβ3 immunolabelling was more diffuse and stronger than TGFβ1 immunolabelling. TGFβ1 expression was seen in axonal vesicles and in neurosecretory granules of the axonal endings, while TGFβ3 was observed in axonal fibres. Colocalization of TGFβ3 or TGFβ1 and AVP was observed in some neurosecretory granules, but many were either single‐labelled for TGFβ or AVP or unlabelled. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the colocalization of TGFβ and neurohypophysial hormones in magnocellular neurones. We suggest that TGFβ secreted by the neurohypophysis regulates the proliferation and secretion of certain anterior pituitary cells.
Cellular Localization of GABAA Receptor α Subunit Immunoreactivity in the Rat Hypothalamus: Relationship With Neurones Containing Orexigenic or Anorexigenic Peptides
Authors: Bäckberg M. , Ultenius C. , Fritschy J.‐M. , Meister B. 
Published: June 2004

Abstractγ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, acts via two different type of GABA receptors. GABAA receptors are composed of five subunits that belong to eight different classes. Depending on their subunit composition, distinct pharmacological and electrophysiological properties are obtained. GABA is produced in certain hypothalamic neurones known to be involved in control of feeding behaviour. We report the detailed immunohistochemical localization of four GABAAR α subunits in hypothalamic regions associated with the regulation of feeding behaviour. Immunoreactive structures for all studied GABAAR α subunits were observed in the hypothalamus, but with subunit‐specific staining patterns. GABAAR α1 immunoreactivity was most prominent in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus and in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), whereas GABAAR α2, α3 and α5 subunits exhibited particularly strong immunoreactivity in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. In comparison, GABAAR α subunit immunoreactivities were generally weak in the arcuate nucleus. In the ventromedial part of the arcuate nucleus, neuropeptide Y‐ and agouti‐related peptide‐containing cell bodies, which also are known to be GABAergic, were immunoreactive for only the GABAAR α3 subunit, whereas pro‐opiomelanocortin‐ and cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript‐ containing cell bodies located in the ventrolateral subdivision of the arcuate nucleus, showed GABAAR α1, α2 and α3 subunit immunoreactivity. In the LHA, GABAAR α3 subunit immunoreactivity was demonstrated in both melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH) and orexin‐containing neurones. In addition, MCH neurones contained GABAAR α2 immunoreactivity. In neurones of the tuberomammillary nucleus, GABAAR α2 and α5 subunits were colocalized with histidine decarboxylase, a marker for histamine‐containing neurones.
Neuromedin U Neurones in the Rat Nucleus of the Tractus Solitarius are Catecholaminergic and Respond to Peripheral Cholecystokinin
Authors: Ivanov T. R. , Le Rouzic P. , Stanley P. J. , Ling W.‐Y. , Parello R. , Luckman S. M. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractCentrally administered neuromedin U (NMU) has profound effects on food intake and energy expenditure. In the rat, central expression of NMU mRNA is confined to the brainstem and the hypothalamus/pituitary, while mRNA for the receptor NMU2R is expressed in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, as well as in the lining of the ventricular system, but not in the brainstem. We demonstrate that a subpopulation of catecholaminergic neurones in the brainstem nucleus of the tractus solitarius contain NMU and are activated by the gut‐derived peptide, cholecystokinin. This is consistent with NMU neurones having an anorectic action, probably via their interaction with other neurones in the paraventricular hypothalamus.
Role of Candida albicans polymorphism in interactions with oral epithelial cells
Authors: Villar C. C. , Kashleva H. , Dongari‐Bagtzoglou A. 
Published: June 2004

Background:  Candida albicans is a polymorphic organism which undergoes morphologic transition between yeast, pseudohyphal and hyphal forms. The ability of C. albicans to change from yeast to filamentous types is a major virulence determinant of this organism. However, the exact role of hyphal transformation in establishing oral mucosal infection is still poorly understood.Methods:  In this study we used mutants with defects in filamentation, as well as oral strains, which differ in their capacity to form true hyphae, to examine the role of hyphal transformation in the interactions of C. albicans with oral epithelial cells in vitro. These interactions included the ability of these strains to adhere to and injure epithelial cells, as well as their ability to trigger a proinflammatory cytokine response.Results:  We found that strains SC5314 and ATCC28366 formed true hyphae on epithelial cells, whereas strain ATCC32077 and the tup1/tup1 mutant formed only pseudohyphae. Double mutant efg1/efg1cph1/cph1 grew exclusively as blastospores. We also found that yeast and pseudohyphal strains showed reduced adherence capacity to oral keratinocytes and caused minimal cell damage. Moreover, we showed that both yeast and pseudohyphal forms have a strongly attenuated proinflammatory phenotype, since they failed to induce significant interleukin (IL)‐1α and IL‐8 responses by oral epithelial cells.Conclusions:  Germination of C. albicans into true hyphae is particularly important in the interactions with oral epithelial cells in vitro.
Sigmoidoscopy in children with chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Mandhan P 
Published: June 2004

Objective:  This study was done to assess the role of rigid sigmoidoscopy in diagnosis and prognosis of children with chronic and minor lower gastrointestinal bleeding.Methods:  Retrospective review of the clinical notes of children under 15 years of age with minor and chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding who had rigid sigmoidoscopy and biopsy between October 1998 and April 2002 at Liaquat Medical College Hospital, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Demographic data, clinical presentation, morbidity, sigmoidoscopic and histopathological findings were analysed to determine the role of rigid sigmoidoscopy in the management of rectal bleeding in children.Results:  A total of 229 sigmoidoscopic examinations were carried out in 207 children with a mean age of 6 years. Seventy‐seven per cent (160) of children were symptomatic for a year or more. Causes of bleeding were juvenile colorectal polyps (155 cases; 75%), non‐specific proctitis (38 cases; 18%), solitary rectal ulcer (seven cases; 3.5%), lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (six cases, 3%) and foreign body (betel nuts) impaction (one case; 0.5%). Polyps were mostly in the rectosigmoid region and solitary in 136 (88%) children. All polyps were removed by rigid sigmoidoscopy. Histological examination of 137 polyps revealed juvenile type in 136 (99%) cases and low‐grade dysplastic changes in one patient. Non‐specific proctitis (n = 38) was confirmed histologically in 92% (n = 35) of cases and it was self‐limiting in 86% of cases. Other findings include solitary rectal ulcer in seven, lymphoid nodular hyperplasia in six and telangiectasic (pyogenic) granuloma in one patient.Conclusion:  Rigid sigmoidoscopy was useful in diagnosis, treatment and prognostic evaluation of children with chronic and minor lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Final diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology.
Measurement of resting energy expenditure in infants
Authors: Bines JE , Truby HD 
Published: June 2004

Objective:  The method for measurement of basal metabolic rate (BMR) using indirect calorimetry in adults is well established but is impractical in infants.Methods:  In this prospective study energy expenditure was measured using indirect calorimetry in 14 infants when sleeping and when lying quietly awake.Results:  Sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) was lower than energy expenditure (EE) measured in the same infants in a quiet resting state (mean difference [SD]: 297 [162] kJ/d; P < 0.005; 55 [33.4] kJ/kg per day; P < 0.005). The correlation within individuals suggests that these differences are related to the level of arousal. Awake EE, but not SMR, was significantly greater than estimated BMR using the FAO/WHO/UNU predictive equation.Conclusions:  In infants, the level of arousal during measurement of EE can significantly impact on the interpretation of EE results. A standardized method for the measurement of EE in infants using indirect calorimetry is proposed.
Intussusception in neonates: Analysis of 14 Japanese patients
Authors: Ueki I , Nakashima E , Kumagai M , Tananari Y , Kimura A , Fukuda S , Hashimoto T 
Published: June 2004

Objective:  To clarify the clinical features and pathogenesis of intussusception in neonates.Methods:  Fourteen neonates were diagnosed with intussusception between June 1974 and January 2001. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not signs were present on the first day of life. The clinical features were interrelated with the pathological findings.Results:  All six patients in the group whose signs were present on the first day of life also had intestinal atresia or malrotation. Among patients whose signs began less than 24 h after birth, five of eight patients suffered hypoxia. Moreover, it was very difficult to establish the diagnosis of intussusception, particularly in the group of late‐onset type intussusception.Conclusions:  Hypoxic events may play a crucial aetiologic role in the pathogenesis of late‐onset neonatal intussusception.
Personality disorder comorbidity among patients with bipolar I disorder in remission
Authors: Tamam Lut , Ozpoyraz Nurgul , Karatas Gonca 
Published: June 2004

Background:Comorbid personality disorders have been shown to be a prominent factor affecting symptom severity and course in bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Bipolar patients with personality disorder had more relapses, poorer prognosis and worse treatment response than those without an axis II diagnosis.Objective:We evaluated the prevalence rate of comorbid personality disorder in 74 bipolar I disorder cases who were in remission and tried to elucidate the possible relationship between comorbid axis II disorders and prognosis, severity and treatment features of BD cases.Methods:Diagnosis of all personality disorder comorbidities was evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis-II Disorders (SCID-II), while the general psychopathology level was assessed using the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). A questionnaire for acquiring sociodemographic and clinical variables was also used.Results:Sixty-two per cent of bipolar I patients in this sample had at least one comorbid axis II disorder. The most common comorbid cluster of personality disorder was cluster C (48.6%), followed by cluster A (25.7%) and cluster B (20.3%) personality disorders. Assessment of demographic and clinical variables revealed that bipolar patients with comorbid personality disorder were mainly female, had multiple affective episodes, and had attempted suicide more often than patients without personality disorder.Conclusions:The results of this study suggest that comorbid personality disorder might alter the course of BD and result in a poorer prognosis and more severe psychopathology. Further prospective controlled studies minimizing the bias of interviewers and other confounding factors would help us to understand the pure impact of personality disorder on the course of BD, its prognosis and response to treatment.
Simultaneous Deficiency in CD28 and STAT6 Results in Chronic Ectoparasite-Induced Inflammatory Skin Disease
Authors: Liu Qian , Arseculeratne Cristin , Liu Zhugong , Whitmire Jeannette , Grusby Michael J. , Finkelman Fred D. , Darling Thomas N. , Cheever Allen W. , Swearengen James , Urban Joseph F. , Gause William C. 
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACTA mouse lacking CD28, a T-cell costimulatory molecule, and STAT6, a transcription factor that mediates interleukin-4 (IL-4) signaling, was developed from parental CD28- and STAT6-deficient mice. STAT6/CD28−/−BALB/c mice that were 8 weeks old had a normal phenotype, and IL-4 production was induced following infection with nematode parasites. Unexpectedly, when they were between 4 and 8 months old, all mice examined spontaneously developed severe chronic dermatitis associated with pronounced numbers ofDemodexectoparasites. In addition, pronounced CD4 and CD8 T-cell infiltrates in the dermis and subcutaneous fat, increased serum immunoglobulin G2a levels, and lymphadenopathy associated with increased gamma interferon and IL-12 expression were observed. Single-knockout siblings lacking either CD28 or STAT6 had a phenotype similar to that of BALB/c wild-type controls. To distinguish whether the ectoparasiteDemodexor the Th1 immunity was the proximal cause of the inflammatory skin disease, STAT6/CD28−/−mice were treated with a miticide that eliminated the ectoparasites. This treatment markedly reduced the severity of the dermatitis and the associated lymphoid infiltrates. These findings suggest that ubiquitous ectoparasites, which are generally considered to be commensal, may contribute to disease when specific molecules required for an effective Th2 response are blocked.
Identification of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Genes Specifically Expressed in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells by Using Differential Display Reverse Transcription-PCR
Authors: Park Yoonsuk , Yilmaz Özlem , Jung Il-Young , Lamont Richard J. 
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT

Porphyromonas gingivalis
, one of the causative agents of adult periodontitis, can invade and survive within host epithelial cells. The molecular mechanisms by which
P. gingivalis
induces uptake and adapts to an intracellular environment are not fully understood. In this study, we have investigated the genetic responses of
P. gingivalis
internalized within human gingival epithelial cells (GECs) in order to identify factors involved in invasion and survival. We compared the differential display of arbitrarily PCR-amplified gene transcripts in
P. gingivalis
recovered from GECs with the display of transcripts in
P. gingivalis
control cultures. Over 20 potential differentially expressed transcripts were identified. Among these,
pepO
, encoding an endopeptidase, and genes encoding an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter and a cation-transporting ATPase were upregulated in GECs. To investigate the functionality of these gene products, mutants were generated by insertional inactivation. Compared to the parental strain, mutants of each gene showed a significant reduction in their invasion capabilities. In addition, GEC cytoskeletal responses to the mutants were distinct from those induced by the parent. In contrast, adhesion of the mutant strains to GECs was not affected by lack of expression of the gene products. These results suggest that PepO, a cation-transporting ATPase, and an ABC transporter are required for the intracellular lifestyle of
P. gingivalis
.
A Limited Antigen-Specific Cellular Response Is Sufficient for the Early Control of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in the Lung but Is Insufficient for Long-Term Survival
Authors: Turner Joanne , Dobos Karen M. , Keen Marc A , Frank Anthony A. , Ehlers Stefan , Orme Ian M. , Belisle John T. , Cooper Andrea M. 
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT

Mice that were transgenic for a T-cell receptor (TCR) specific for ovalbumin peptide
323-339
(DO11.10) were able to survive an infection with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
for approximately 80 days. This limited early control of infection was associated with gamma interferon production, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression within the lung, and an influx of clonotypic lymphocytes. The control of
M. tuberculosis
was lost in DO11.10 mice bred in a
rag
mutant background, demonstrating that the immune responsiveness was recombinase dependent and likely to be associated with the expression of an alternative α TCR by DO11.10 mice. A characterization of the antigen specificity in DO11.10 TCR transgenic mice demonstrated that the specificity was limited and dominated by the 26-kDa (Rv1411c) lipoprotein of
M. tuberculosis
. This study identifies this lipoprotein as an important and potent inducer of protective T cells within the lungs of mice infected with
M. tuberculosis
and therefore as a possible target for vaccination.
ITIH4 (Inter-Alpha-Trypsin Inhibitor Heavy Chain 4) Is a New Acute-Phase Protein Isolated from Cattle during Experimental Infection
Authors: Piñeiro M. , Andrés M. , Iturralde M. , Carmona S. , Hirvonen J. , Pyörälä S. , Heegaard P. M. H. , Tjørnehøj K. , Lampreave F. , Piñeiro A. , Alava M. A. 
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT

We have isolated from calf serum a protein with an apparent
M
r
of 120,000. The protein was detected by using antibodies against major acute-phase protein in pigs with acute inflammation. The amino acid sequence of an internal fragment revealed that this protein is the bovine counterpart of ITIH4, the heavy chain 4 of the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor family. The response of this protein in the sera was determined for animals during experimental bacterial and viral infections. In the bacterial model, animals were inoculated with a mixture of
Actinomyces pyogenes
,
Fusobacterium necrophorum
, and
Peptostreptococcus indolicus
to induce an acute-phase reaction. All animals developed moderate to severe clinical mastitis and exhibited remarkable increases in ITIH4 concentration in serum (from 3 to 12 times the initial values, peaking at 48 to 72 h after infection) that correlated with the severity of the disease. Animals with experimental infections with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) also showed increases in ITIH4 concentration (from two- to fivefold), which peaked at around 7 to 8 days after inoculation. Generally, no response was seen after a second infection of the same animals with the virus. Because of the significant induction of the protein in the animals in the mastitis and BRSV infection models, we can conclude that ITIH4 is a new positive acute-phase protein in cattle.
Use of a Continuous-Flow Anaerobic Culture To Characterize Enteric Virulence Gene Expression
Authors: Ruiz-Perez Fernando , Sheikh Jalaluddin , Davis Suzanne , Boedeker Edgar C. , Nataro James P. 
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT

We developed an in vitro culture method to characterize the expression of bacterial genes under conditions mimicking the colonic environment. Our culture system (the intestinal simulator) comprised a continuous-flow anaerobic culture which was inoculated with fecal samples from healthy volunteers. As a test organism, we employed enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli
(EAEC), an emerging diarrheal pathogen that is thought to cause infection in both the small and large intestines. After the simulator culture achieved equilibrium conditions, we inoculated the system with prototype EAEC strain 042 and assessed the expression of three EAEC virulence-related genes. We focused particularly on expression of
aggR
, which encodes a global transcriptional regulator of EAEC virulence factors, and two AggR-regulated genes. By using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, we showed that
aggR
expression in the simulator is increased 3- to 10-fold when 042 is grown under low-pH (5.5 to 6.0) conditions, compared with results with neutral pH (7.0). Interestingly, however, this effect was seen only when the strain was grown in the presence of commensal bacteria. We also found that expression of
aggR
is 10- to 20-fold higher at low NaCl concentrations, and this effect was also observed only in the presence of commensal bacteria. Using coculture and conditioned-media experiments, we identified specific strains of
Enterococcus
and
Clostridium
that upregulated
aggR
expression; in contrast, strains of
Lactobacillus
and
Veillonella
downregulated
aggR
expression. Our data provide new insights into regulation of virulence genes in EAEC and suggest the utility of intestinal simulation cultures in characterizing enteric gene regulation.