SP-A (surfactant protein A) is a membrane-associated SP that helps to maintain the lung in a sterile and non-inflamed state. Unlike SP-As from other mammalian species, human SP-A consists of two functional gene products: SP-A1 and SP-A2. In all the functions examined, recombinant human SP-A1 invariably exhibits lower biological activity than SP-A2. The objective of the present study was to inve...

Beta-casein (BC) is frequently expressed as BC A2 and BC A1 in cow's milk. Gastrointestinal digestion of BC A1 results in the release of the opioid peptide beta-casomorphin 7 (BCM7) which is less likely to occur from BC A2. This work was aimed to produce milk containing BC A2 with no BC A1 (BC A2 milk) using genetically selected CSN2 A2A2 Jersey cows. Additionally, we aimed to develop an infant...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Glycoprotein IIIa (GpIIIa) is a platelet membrane receptor for fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor. It plays a key role in platelet aggregation. Previous studies in stroke patients, without analysis based on specific subtypes of stroke cause, have not shown any link between GpIIIa A1/A2 polymorphism and stroke risk. We studied the significance of the GpIIIa gene A1/A2 po...

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and -A2 (PAPP-A and -A2) are proteases that cleave insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs), resulting in local activation of IGF signaling pathways. Here, we examined PAPP-A and -A2 mRNA and protein levels in placenta and maternal sera from women with pre-eclampsia and compared them with samples from uncomplicated pregnancy. PAPP-A2 but not PAP...

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A2 (PAPP-A2, also known as pappalysin-2) is a large metalloproteinase that is known to be required for normal postnatal growth and bone development in mice. We here report the detection of zebrafish papp-a2 mRNA in the chordamesoderm, notochord and lower jaw of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, and that papp-a2-knockdown embryos display broadened axial mesoder...

Commercial microcolumns introduced in 1976 by Helena Laboratories ("Hb A2 Quik Column") and by Isolab, Inc. ("Quik-Sep") provide a rapid, simple, accurate method for quantitation of hemoglobin A2 (Hb A2). However, these kits cannot be used for the quantitation of Hb A2 in the presence of slow-moving variants such as Hb S. Recently, Isolab, Inc., produced a new kit ("Quik-Sep Improved Hb A2 Test...

As compared with the vigorous T cell response normally observed against allogeneic MHC molecules, T cells recognize xenogeneic MHC molecules poorly. To define structural features of the MHC molecule important for such species-specific recognition, HLA-A2(A2)-specific murine CTL were examined for their recognition of transfected cell lines expressing the class I molecules A2 or A2/H-2Kb(A2/Kb). ...

Human pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) is encoded by two genes, SP-A1 and SP-A2, that exhibit coding sequence (allelic) and 5' splicing variability. In this report we determine the effect of the genetic variability within the SP-A1 and SP-A2 genes on the level of SP-A mRNAs and on the SP-A2 splicing variants in different individuals. We analysed mRNA specimens from 23 unrelated adults usin...

Calcium dependent phospholipase A2 activity in the mixed micelles of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol and cholate was measured in sera of 39 patients with Crohn's disease, 40 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 40 healthy controls. The phospholipase A2 activity was significantly raised in those sera of the patients with active Crohn's disease and those with moderate and severe ulcera...