RATIONALE Vascular alteration of small pulmonary vessels is one of the characteristic features of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The in vivo relationship between pulmonary hypertension and morphological alteration of the small pulmonary vessels has not been assessed in patients with severe emphysema. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the correlation of total cross-sect...

BACKGROUND Ceragenins, synthetic mimics of endogenous antibacterial peptides, are promising candidate antimicrobial agents. However, in some settings their strong bactericidal activity is associated with toxicity towards host cells. To modulate ceragenin CSA-13 antibacterial activity and biocompatibility, CSA-13-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNP-CSA-13) were synthesized. Transmission electron ...

Cyclosporin A (CsA) has been used as an immunosuppressive drug to prevent organ transplant rejection and to treat autoimmune diseases. CsA has a proliferative effect on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) in vitro. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CsA-induced proliferation in HGF remain to be elucidated. This study was aimed to investigate the CsA responsive proteins in HGF using syste...

The prognosis of dermatomyositis (DM)-associated progressive interstitial pneumonia (IP) has recently been improved by steroids/cyclosporine-A (CSA) combination therapy, but treatment outcomes varied. One reason for this variation is thought to be differences in CSA regimen. There is marked interpatient variability in CSA absorption. However, the pharmacokinetics of CSA has rarely been studied....

BACKGROUND Pulmonary vascular remodeling is essential for understanding the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The total cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels has been reported to correlate with the pulmonary artery pressure, and this technique has enabled the assessment of pulmonary vascular involvements. We investigated the contribution of morphologi...

T HE PROCESS of cellular uptake and metabolism of cyclosporine (CsA) is poorly understood. Previously, we have shown that the transport of CsA in blood occurs in association with plasma Iipoproteins,l with low-density lipoprotein (LOL), and with highdensity lipoprotein, each transporting about 32% of the total amount of CsA in blood. This observation raises the possibility that further cellular...

Many lay persons and professionals believe that child sexual abuse (CSA) causes intense harm, regardless of gender, pervasively in the general population. The authors examined this belief by reviewing 59 studies based on college samples. Meta-analyses revealed that students with CSA were, on average, slightly less well adjusted than controls. However, this poorer adjustment could not be attribu...

BACKGROUND Cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced hepatotoxicity could be due to a reduction in α2β1 integrin expression that may either be from the direct effect of CsA itself or from reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. OBJECTIVES In this study we aimed to identify the cellular mechanisms underlying CsA-induced hepatic injury by investigating the activation patterns of the antioxidant enzyme...

BACKGROUND Women who report childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood. What is the diagnostic specificity and cause of this association? METHODS In a population-based sample of 1411 female adult twins, 3 levels of CSA were assessed by self-report and cotwin report: nongenital, genital, and intercourse. Interviews with twins and parent...