TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: Accumulation in the brain of small aggregates of amyloid beta-protein 42 (Abeta42) is the major pathogenic event of Alzheimer disease (AD). In familial early-onset AD this event is likely the result of Abeta42 overproduction; in the most common sporadic late-onset form of the disease the mechanisms of Abeta42 accumulation are unknown.', 'To address this issue the authors analyzed plasma levels of Abeta42 in 88 elderly patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), chosen as paradigm of preclinical sporadic AD.', 'The authors found a significant increase of Abeta42 plasma levels in women with MCI, in comparison to the affected men and 72 cognitively normal age-matched subjects. The levels were independent of variables in education, apolipoprotein E genotype, cholesterol, and creatinine plasma concentrations, as well as hemoglobin content.\Question: Are plasma levels of amyloid beta-protein 42 increased in women with mild cognitive impairment?

SOLUTION: The elevation of Abeta42 plasma levels in women with MCI may represent a biologic explanation for the sex-dependent increased incidence of late-onset AD in women identified by epidemiologic studies.

PROBLEM: Context: To examine whether trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), can induce up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) and to see whether LG100268, a retinoid X receptor (RXR) ligand, can inhibit proliferation of endometriotic cells alone or in synergy with ciglitazone, a PPAR gamma agonist.', 'One endometrial stromal cell line and two endometriotic cell lines used as a model system: Western blot analysis to determine whether TSA can up-regulate PPAR gamma expression, and MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) proliferation assay to see whether ciglitazone and LG100268 have any antiproliferative effects individually or jointly.', 'Academic.', 'None.', 'Culture of immortalized endometrial and endometriotic cell lines with TSA, or ciglitazone or LG100268.', 'PPAR gamma protein expression levels in cells treated with or without TSA, and number of viable cells treated with or without ciglitazone, LG100268, or both.', 'The TSA treatment resulted in up-regulation of PPAR gamma expression in all cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion. Both ciglitazone and LG100268 inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, and the antiproliferative effects appeared to be synergistic. In addition, endometriotic cells were more sensitive than endometrial stromal cells to LG100268 treatment.\Question: Do peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and retinoid X receptor agonists synergistically suppress proliferation of immortalized endometrial stromal cells?

SOLUTION: The up-regulation of PPAR gamma induced by TSA indicates that the action of HDACIs also includes the PPAR gamma signaling pathway, suggesting that the activation of PPAR gamma is a desirable way to contain endometriosis phenotypes. The higher sensitivity of endometriotic cells than their endometrial counterpart to LG100268 treatment suggests that the sensitivity differential could be exploited effectively to eradicate unwanted ectopic endometrial tissues while minimizing the collateral damage to the normal endometrial tissues.

PROBLEM: Context: To evaluate the relationship between serum interleukin (IL)-6 and cachexia in patients with prostate cancer.', 'Serum levels of IL-6, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, and hemoglobin concentration were determined in 164 blood samples from patients with prostate cancer. The body mass index and performance status were also determined.', 'The serum total protein, albumin, and cholesterol levels, hemoglobin levels, and body mass index of the patients whose serum IL-6 level was 7 pg/mL or greater were significantly lower (P <0.05) than the corresponding values in patients with a serum IL-6 level of less than 7 pg/mL. The serum IL-6 level of patients with a serum albumin level of less than 3.5 g/dL, serum total protein level of less than 7.0 g/dL, serum total cholesterol level of less than 180 mg/dL, hemoglobin level of less than 11.0 g/dL, and body mass index of less than 21 kg/m2 were significantly greater (P <0.05) than the values in their respective counterparts. A significant correlation was found between the elevation of serum IL-6 and performance status (P <0.05). The mortality rate of patients with greater serum IL-6 levels was significantly greater than that of those with lower serum IL-6 levels in patients with untreated disease, patients in remission, and patients with relapse (all P <0.05).\Question: Is interleukin 6 associated with cachexia in patients with prostate cancer?

SOLUTION:
These findings suggest that IL-6 may be one of the factors contributing to the complex syndrome of cachexia in patients with prostate cancer (all P <0.05).