as a dominant environmental factor and has been shown to influence biological systems at numerous levels of organization (Cossins and Bowler, 1987; Johnston and Bennett, 1996). The pervasive effects of temperature on living systems range from influencing the biogeographical distribution of ectothermic organisms (Hubbs, 1948; Fields et al., 1993; Marko, 1998; Sanford, 1999) to influencing the st...

In all organisms studied, elevated temperatures induce the expression of a variety of stress proteins, among them small Hsps (sHsp). sHsps are chaperones that prevent the unspecific aggregation of proteins by forming stable complexes with unfolded polypeptides. Reactivation of captured proteins requires the assistance of other ATP-dependent chaperones. How sHsps and ATP-dependent chaperones wor...

OBJECTIVES To assess the opinions, attitude, and preferences of Nigerian women to the presence of chaperones during pelvic examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey of first time gynecology clinic attendees on their opinions, attitudes, and preferences with respect to the presence of chaperones during their pelvic examinations. The interview was conducted with the aid of se...

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones (e.g., calreticulin, heat shock proteins, and isomerases) perform a multitude of functions within the ER. However, many of these chaperones can translocate to the cytosol and eventually the surface of cells, particularly during ER stress induced by e.g., drugs, UV irradiation, and microbial stimuli. Once on the cell surface or in the extracellular space, th...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the presence of autoantibodies against mammalian chaperones of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in patients with RA and other immune-mediated diseases. METHODS Sera from healthy donors, from early RA patients with two follow-up samples, patients with SLE, SSc and IBD were collected and analysed for anti-ER chaperone antibodies. Detection of serum IgG antibodies against...