The key parameter for diagnosis and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is HCV RNA. Standardization of HCV RNA assays to IU is mainly based on genotype 1 panels. Little is known about the variability of commercially available HCV RNA assays for quantification of different genotypes. Two real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays (COBAS TaqMan HCV Test for use with the High-Pure...

The recently described adherens junction-specific 135-kD protein (Volk, T., and B. Geiger, 1984, EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J., 3:2249-2260) was localized along cardiac muscle intercalated discs by immunogold labeling of ultrathin frozen sections. Analysis of this labeling indicated that the 135-kD protein, adherens junction-specific cell adhesion molecule (A-CAM), is tightly associated with...

BACKGROUND Agiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculatures. Although essential in the physiological process, it becomes pathological in various diseases including cancer. Preventing the formation of new blood vessels causes reductions in tumor size and metastasis. This study has been undertaken to elucidate the anti-angiogenesis effects of ICD-85 (derived pept...

In this study the irritation phenomena at the chorioallantoic membrane of incubated hen's eggs as an in vitro model (HET-CAM assay) were investigated in comparison to the in vivo croton oil test by including hydrocortisone, indomethacin, phenylbutazone, acetylsalicylic acid, rutin, quercetin, apigenin, and p-coumaric acid as steroidal and non-steroidal test substances. For the first time the tw...

Among the most intriguing forms of Ca(2+) channel modulation is the regulation of L-type and P/Q-type channels by intracellular Ca(2+), acting via unconventional channel-calmodulin (CaM) interactions. In particular, overexpressing Ca(2+)-insensitive mutant CaM abolishes Ca(2+)-dependent modulation, hinting that Ca(2+)-free CaM may "preassociate" with these channels to enhance detection of local...

Owing to subtle but potentially crucial structural and functional differences between calmodulin (CaM) of different species, the biochemical study of low-affinity CaM-binding proteins from Dictyostelium discoideum likely necessitates the use of CaM from the same organism. In addition, most of the methods used for identification and purification of CaM-binding proteins require native CaM in nonl...

The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is commonly used as an experimental in vivo assay to study both angiogenesis and antiangiogenesis in response to tissues, cells or soluble factors. This article summarizes literature data about the use of the CAM in the study of tumor angiogenesis and particularly our experimental data concerning the study of angiogenesis in multiple myeloma and i...

BACKGROUND Chorioamnionitis (CAM) is an important risk factor for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of CAM on the development of BPD using interleukin 6 (IL-6), Krebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in the amniotic fluid as markers for inflammation, lung injury, and fibrosis/remodeling...