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The integrin β1 subunit and its downstream molecule focal adhesion kinase have been identified as critical molecules for the inhibition of postinfarction cardiac remodeling, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. However, as a component of the integrin pathway, it is still unclear whether Dock180 (dedicator of cytokinesis 1) protein is expressed in the noninfarcted myocardium of the peri-i...

BACKGROUND Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) infection is associated with Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and other neoplastic and non-neoplastic manifestations. A strong association between HHV-8 and KS has been evidenced in transplant recipients, particularly kidney recipients. METHODS We have investigated the HHV-8 seroprevalence by an immunoenzymatic assay in 408 patients awaiting kidney transplantation a...

BACKGROUND Determination of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) treatment success is hampered by current assessment methods, which involve a single post-treatment measurement only. Therefore, we evaluated Ct detection by applying multiple laboratory measures on time-sequential post-treatment samples. METHODS A prospective cohort study was established with azithromycin-treated (1000 mg) Ct patients (44...

Respiratory dysfunction after cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) has not been examined experimentally using conscious animals, although clinical SCI most frequently occurs in midcervical segments. Here, we report a C5 hemicontusion SCI model in rats with abnormalities that emulate human post-SCI pathophysiology, including spontaneous recovery processes. Post-C5 SCI rats demonstrated deficits in ...

Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in chickens leads to tracheitis, airsacculitis, poor feed conversion and reduced egg production, resulting in considerable economic hardship on the poultry industry. The chemokines and cytokines responsible for recruitment, activation and proliferation of leukocytes in affected tissues have not been described. In the current study, chemokine and cytokine gene ...

In chronic heart failure (CHF), sympathetic activity increases in parallel with the impairment of left ventricle (LV) function, and sympathetic hyperactivity has been postulated to contribute to the progression of heart failure. In the brain, compounds with ouabain-like activity ("ouabain," for brevity) and the renin-angiotensin system contribute to sympathetic hyperactivity in rats with CHF af...

BACKGROUND The lack of specific and sensitive serum and radiographic biomarkers for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) as well as for monitoring subtle changes in disease activity in clinical trials has hampered the development of treatments for OA. We previously showed that 1-11E, a human single chain fragment variable (scFv) specific to collagen type II that has been post-translationally ...

PURPOSE the relationship between physical activity and airway health in children is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether 8 wk of high-intensity exercise training would improve airway responsiveness in prepubescent, nonasthmatic, inactive children. METHODS 16 healthy, prepubescent children were randomized [training group (TrG) n = 8, control group (ConG) n = ...