TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage with a context and an answer, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
PROBLEM: Context: Interferon regulatory factor 5 is a transcription factor involved in type I interferon (IFN) secretion. This study was undertaken to investigate whether a 5-bp (CGGGG insertion/deletion) promoter polymorphism is involved in genetic predisposition to primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and to assess the functional consequences of this polymorphism.", 'The exploratory cohort consisted of 185 patients with primary SS and 157 healthy controls, and the replication cohort consisted of 200 patients with primary SS and 282 healthy controls. Levels of IRF5 messenger RNA (mRNA) were assessed at baseline and after in vitro infection with reovirus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 patients with primary SS and from salivary gland epithelial cells that had been cultured for 4 weeks from patients with primary SS or sicca symptoms.', 'Carriage of the IRF5 4R CGGGG allele was associated with a greatly increased risk of primary SS in both cohorts (odds ratio 2.00 [95% confidence interval 1.5-2.7], P = 6.6 x 10(-6)). The CGGGG insertion/deletion polymorphism alone was sufficient to explain the association of primary SS with IRF5. The level of IRF5 mRNA in PBMCs depended significantly on genotype (P = 0.002) and was correlated with the levels of mRNA for the IFN-induced genes MX1 and IFITM1. Cultured salivary gland epithelial cells from patients carrying the 4R CGGGG IRF5 allele showed a high level of IRF5 mRNA (P = 0.04), which was amplified after reovirus infection (P = 0.026).
Answer: Our findings indicate an association of the CGGGG insertion/deletion polymorphism of the IRF5 promoter with primary SS. Patients carrying the 4R CGGGG IRF5 allele had a high level of mRNA for IRF5 in PBMCs and salivary gland epithelial cells, mainly after in vitro viral infection. Patients with high levels of mRNA for IRF5 also had high levels of mRNA for type I IFN-induced genes in PBMCs.

SOLUTION: Is the CGGGG insertion/deletion polymorphism of the IRF5 promoter a strong risk factor for primary Sjogren 's syndrome?

PROBLEM: Context: Intermountain Risk Score (IMRS) uses the admission complete blood count and basic metabolic profile to predict mortality. Intermountain Risk Score has been validated in medical patients but has not been evaluated in trauma. This study tested whether IMRS is predictive of mortality in a trauma population at a level I trauma center.', 'Admitted trauma patients with complete blood count and basic metabolic profile from October 2005 to December 2011 were evaluated. Thirty-day and 1-year IMRS were calculated using multivariable modeling. Mortality was determined using the medical record and Social Security Administration death data.', 'Three thousand six hundred thirty-seven females and 5901 males were evaluated. Intermountain Risk Score was highly predictive of death at 30 days (c-statistics, c = 0.772 for females; c = 0.783 males) and 1 year (c = 0.778 for females; c = 0.831 males). Cox regression analysis, adjusted for injury severity score, blunt vs penetrating, and length of stay, showed increased mortality risks among patients in the moderate- and high-risk IMRS-defined groups at both 30 days and 1 year, with hazard ratios ranging from 4.96 to 57.88 (all P < .001).
Answer: Intermountain Risk Score strongly predicts mortality in trauma patients at this single level I trauma center. The ability to accurately determine a patient's mortality risk at admission makes IMRS a potentially clinically important tool.

SOLUTION: Does the Intermountain Risk Score predict mortality in trauma patients?

PROBLEM: Context: Maternal serum concentrations of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) have recently been reported to be elevated in cases with preeclampsia. These findings may be important in increasing our understanding of the underlying events leading to the development of preeclampsia, as this cytokine is also expressed in the placenta, where it has been shown to possess immunemodulatory activities. For this reason we attempted to independently verify this report.', 'Plasma levels of MIF were assessed by ELISA in plasma samples collected from normal healthy male and female blood donors (n=20 per group), as well as healthy normal pregnant women in all three trimesters of pregnancy (n=60). In addition, MIF levels were examined from cases with mild and severe preeclampsia (n=20 per study cohort) and matched normotensive pregnancies (n=20).', 'MIF levels were found to be elevated in pregnancy (median=10.1 ng/ml) when compared to non-pregnant controls (median=1.7 ng/ml). A moderate, but not significant, elevation was found to occur from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. No significant difference was found to occur between the two preeclampsia study groups when compared to the normotensive control group.
Answer: Our data suggest that circulatory MIF concentrations are elevated throughout pregnancy, but are not further increased in preeclampsia.

SOLUTION:
Is macrophage migration inhibition factor elevated in pregnancy , but not to a greater extent in preeclampsia?