A number of different isoforms of CD44 generated by alternative splicing have been isolated and sequenced. There have been several reports that CD44v plays a role in the steps of the metastatic ...process. We examined the role of the variant CD44v8-10 in metastases of human colon cancer cell line HT29m using a monoclonal antibody reactive with the v9 product (mAb 44-1V). Pretreatment with mAb 44-1V prevented the formation of liver metastases. In addition, we found that the attachment of HT29m cells to the basement membrane matrix was inhibited by mAb 44-1V. Several reports have shown correlations between metastatic potential and expression of CD44v in human colorectal cancer. We demonstrated that CD44v8-10 and CD44v6 RNA expression was higher in carcinomas associated with liver metastases than in those without by Northern blotting. We analyzed the expression of the CD44v8-10 product in colorectal cancer immunohistochemically using mAb 44-1V, and evaluated its prognostic significance. There were significant correlations between CD 44v8-10 immunoreactivity and both lymph node and liver metastases. Patients with CD44v8-10-positive tumors had a greater relative risk of death compared with those whose tumors were CD44v8-10 negative. These results suggest that CD44v8-10 may play an important role in the adhesion of tumor cells to the capillaries of distant organs in the metastatic process, and that immunohistochemical detection of CD44v8-10 may be a biologic marker of prognostic significance.
d -dimer is a potential biomarker for the detection of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the mechanisms that trigger elevation of d -dimer in TBI remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to ...evaluate the reliability of d -dimer in blood as a biomarker for TBI and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating its blood levels. Nine patients with moderate to severe isolated TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale GCS score 7–13) were admitted to our hospital from May 2013 to June 2014. Blood samples were collected from systemic arteries on arrival and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after injury. Blood levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE), d -dimer, and soluble tissue factor (sTF) were measured. NSE (33.4 ng/ml: normal <12.0 ng/ml) and d -dimer (56.1 μg/ml: normal <1.0 μg/ml) were elevated at admission and declined on day 1 after injury. At admission, there were significant correlations of d -dimer levels with NSE (R = 0.727, P = 0.026) and sTF (R = 0.803, P = 0.009) levels. The blood level of d -dimer accurately reflects the degree of brain tissue damage indicated by NSE levels. Our data suggest that release of sTF induced by brain tissue damage may activate the coagulation cascade, leading to elevation of d -dimer.
The K
L and muon detection subsystem (KLM) of the BELLE experiment at the KEK-B asymmetric B-factory is described. The system consists of glass-electrode resistive plate counters installed within the ...segmented flux return iron of the BELLE superconducting solenoid. The design and construction of the detectors, including the gas distribution system and readout electronics, are described in detail. The operating characteristics and performance with cosmic rays and e
+e
− collision data are presented.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The skeletal mesenchymal cells including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, muscle cells and adipocytes are believed to be derived from the common mesenchymal progenitors. Using various cell lines, ...multipotential mesenchymal progenitors capable of differentiating into these cell lineages have been demonstrated to be present in the skeletal tissues. The developmental potential of the progenitors becomes more restricted according to their maturation stages in the specialized cell lineages. Among the various growth factors, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), which belongs to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, plays an important role in the regulation of the differentiation pathway of these mesenchymal cells. BMP-2 induces the undifferentiated mesenchymal progenitors to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes. BMP-2 also stimulates the committed osteo-chondroprogenitors to differentiate into more mature cell types, but inhibits myogenic cells to differentiate into myotubes. BMP-2 converts the differentiation pathway of C2C12 myoblasts into the osteogenic lineage associating with decreases in the expression levels of the muscle specific regulatory factors such as myogenic and MyoD. TGF-β inhibits myotube formation in myogenic cell lines, but does not stimulate osteoblast differentiation. The TGF-β superfamily plays important roles in the differentiation process of the skeletal mesenchymal cells.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
A thermostable endo‐1,5‐α‐l‐arabinanase ABN‐TS from Bacillus thermodenitrificans TS‐3 with a molecular weight of 35 kDa was crystallized by the hanging‐drop vapour‐diffusion method using sodium ...citrate as a precipitant. The crystals were loop‐mounted in a cryoprotectant solution containing 28%(w/v) sucrose and 1 M sodium citrate pH 6.0 and flash‐cooled. Sucrose was selected as the most suitable cryoprotectant. The crystal belonged to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit‐cell parameters a = 40.3, b = 77.8, c = 89.7 Å. The calculated VM based on one molecule per asymmetric unit was 2.0 Å3 Da−1. A complete data set from a frozen crystal was collected to 1.9 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation at SPring‐8. A molecular‐replacement solution was obtained using the structure of α‐arabinanase 43A from Cellvibrio japonicus.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Endovascular stent grafts (SGs) comprise a novel therapeutic approach to repairing aortic aneurysms. However, endovascular repair of the aortic arch remains challenging. Generally, the repair of ...sites with SGs requires an extra-anatomical bypass. We introduced SG repair of the aortic arch with strategically positioned fenestrations for each arch branch in 2006. An extra-anatomical bypass is not required for this procedure. This study evaluates the early and mid-term outcomes of fenestrated SG treatment.
We retrospectively analysed the early and mid-term outcomes of 24 of 80 repairs with fenestrated SG among 383 single thoracic aortic aneurysm repairs that were undertaken at our department between January 2006 and March 2012.
Technical success was obtained in 100% of the patients. However, there was a 30-day perioperative mortality rate of 4.1% (1 of 24) due to a shower embolism. One patient developed a Type 2 endoleak without aneurysm enlargement within a median follow-up time is 25.1 months. However, migrations or device-related complications requiring additional procedures did not arise.
Treatment with fenestrated SGs does not require surgical transposition of the arch branches. The procedure is widely applicable and less invasive and outcomes are excellent.
To search for the pruritogen of atopic dermatitis, a characteristic symptom in atopic dermatitis patients, we examined interleukin-31 (IL-31) mRNA expression in NC/Nga mice as an animal model of ...atopic dermatitis. The expression of IL-31 mRNA in the skin of NC/Nga mice with scratching behavior was significantly higher than that in NC/Nga mice without scratching behavior. Our findings suggest that IL-31 may participate in the cause of itch sensation and promote scratching behavior in NC/Nga mice with atopic dermatitis.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The AcrAB−TolC system exports a wide variety of drugs and toxic compounds, and confers intrinsic drug tolerance on Escherichia coli. The crystal structures suggested that AcrB and TolC directly dock ...with each other. However, biochemical and biophysical evidence of their interaction has been contradictory until recently. In this study, we examine the interaction sites by means of in vivo disulfide cross-linking between cysteine residues introduced by site-directed mutagenesis at the tops of the vertical hairpins of AcrB and the bottoms of the coiled coils of polyhistidine-tagged TolC molecules, which are structurally predicted docking sites. The AcrB−TolC complex formed through disulfide cross-linking was detected when a specific pair of mutants was coexpressed in E. coli. Our observations suggested that the AcrB−TolC complex may be formed through a two-step mechanism via transient tip-to-tip interaction of AcrB and TolC. The cross-linking was not affected by AcrA, the substrate, or a putative proton coupling site mutation.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Abstract Incontinentia pigmenti (IP ; OMIM# 308300) is a rare inherited disease caused by a mutation of IKBKG, which is also known as NEMO, located on Xq28. IP patients usually present with ...abnormalities of skin, eyes, nails and central nervous system. The neurological damege, which occur usually from neonatal through the early infantile period, leads to neulogical complication such as development retardation, motor paralysis and epilepsy. However, there has been little study done concerning the effect of therapy for the neural abnormalities. We have investigated the clinical findings in a female IP case with a novel mutation of IKBKG for six years due to disclosing the neurological prognosis and the immunological features. It is hoped that the present study will contribute to a better management of IP patients.
PDF
