IL-17 is a newly described, T cell-derived cytokine with ill-defined physiologic properties. As such, we examined the release of proinflammatory mediators by human macrophages in response to recombinant human (rh) IL-17. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expression and synthesis were up-regulated by rhIL-17 in a dose (ED50 was 50 +/- 9 ng/ml)- and time-dependent fashion, with cytokine accumulation reachin...

BACKGROUND Soluble fibrin (sFn) is a marker for disseminated intravascular coagulation and may have prognostic significance, especially in metastasis. However, a role for sFn in the etiology of metastatic cancer growth has not been extensively studied. We have reported that sFn cross-linked platelet binding to tumor cells via the major platelet fibrin receptor alphaIIb beta3, and tumor cell CD5...

The mechanisms of homing of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to sites of ischemia are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that ex vivo-expanded EPCs as well as murine hematopoietic Sca-1+/Lin- progenitor cells express beta2-integrins, which mediate the adhesion of EPCs to endothelial cell monolayers and their chemokine-induced transendothelial migration in vitro. In a murine model of hind limb isc...

The time course of methemoglobin reduction by ascorbic acid under anaerobic conditions was analyzed by using isoelectric focusing on Ampholine plate gel in order to compare results obtained by studies of the changes in absorption during the reaction. The intermediate hemoglobin which appeared all through the reaction was single and identified as the alpha3+beta2+ valency hybrid. In the presence...

Long-acting inhaled beta2-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids are classes of drugs with different mechanisms of action that are commonly used to provide effective long-term control of persistent asthma. Scientific and clinical data support the complementary mechanisms of action of the inhaled corticosteroids and the long-acting beta2-agonists in achieving a superior level of asthma control. In...

During retinocollicular map development, spontaneous waves of action potentials spread across the retina, correlating activity among neighboring retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To address the role of retinal waves in topographic map development, we examined wave dynamics and retinocollicular projections in mice lacking the beta2 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. beta2(-/-) mice la...

Abstract Background and Aims End-stage renal disease patients are characterized by immune dysfunction. Natural killer (NK) cells area lymphocytes of innate system that play a key role in an response towards viral infections tumors. We aimed to analyze clinical factors related the NK cell activity chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Method Clinically stable 196 who were treated HD for more than ...

designing and producing a proper fusion construction is the most important problem of producing large quantities of a properly folded functional protein. this construction should have all necessary components of a real gene. a good designed fusion gene construction could be cloned into a good and suitable host. clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen of humans and livestock and produce...