BACKGROUND Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) of the lung is a relatively rare disease. As little is known about the natural clinical course if left untreated, all patients undergoing a watch-and-wait policy at our institution were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis identified a total of 11 patients with MALT lymphoma of the lung who did not un...

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cerebrovascular disease. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in matrix degradation within the atherosclerotic lesion leading to plaque destabilization and ischemic stroke. We hypothesized that MMP-7 could be involved in this process. METHODS Plasma levels of MMP-7 were measured in 182 consecutive patients with moderate (50-69%...

INTRODUCTION Activation of the endothelin (ET) system promotes inflammation and fibrosis in various tissues including the kidney. Male ET-1 transgenic mice are characterized by chronic kidney inflammation and renal scarring. We hypothesized that this renal phenotype might be modulated by androgens. Thus the aim of our study was to elucidate the impact of gonadectomy in ET-1 transgenic mice on k...

Chronic high flow can induce arterial remodeling, and this effect is mediated by endothelial cells (ECs) responding to wall shear stress (WSS). To assess how WSS above physiological normal levels affects ECs, we used DNA microarrays to profile EC gene expression under various flow conditions. Cultured bovine aortic ECs were exposed to no-flow (0 Pa), normal WSS (2 Pa), and very high WSS (10 Pa)...

BACKGROUND Metastasis and recurrence are the most common reasons for treatment failure of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Vasculogenic mimicry (VM, blood supply formation often seen in highly aggressive tumors), Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1, a biomarker of cancer stem cells), KAI1 (a suppressor gene of tumor metastasis) are all valuable factors for metastasis and prognosis in diverse human cance...

BACKGROUND Recent studies revealed that autophagy is up-regulated in obese individuals, as evidenced by increased expression of autophagy related genes. As argued elsewhere, it is possible that initially insulin resistance functions as an adaptive mechanism to increase autophagy in order to protect cells against death. We have shown that Wistar Ottawa Karlsburg W (RT1(u)) rats (WOKW) develop a ...

Attractive therapeutic strategies to enhance post-stroke recovery of aged brains include methods of cellular therapy that can enhance the endogenous restorative mechanisms of the injured brain. Since stroke afflicts mostly the elderly, it is highly desirable to test the efficacy of cell therapy in the microenvironment of aged brains that is generally refractory to regeneration. In particular, s...

BACKGROUND Accurate lymph node staging is essential for adequate prognostication and therapy planning in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). FDG-PET/CT is a sensitive tool for the detection of metastases, including non-palpable supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) metastases. Histological proof of metastatic spread and mutation analysis is crucial for optimal staging and therapy. The...

Background High tumor levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)-plasminogen inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) heteromers independently predict poor survival in early breast cancer. The pathogenetic role this protein complex, however, remains largely obscure. Material and Methods Neutrophil trafficking was analyzed orthotopic (multi-channel flow cytometry) heterotopic (ear; multi-channel vivo micro...

Abstract Background and Aims Kidney function, as well its morphology, changes markedly with age disorders such diabetes. This process is associated structural functional alterations in cortical juxtamedullary glomeruli. Currently, data on differences glomeruli sex, age, genetic factors, diabetes are limited. In this study, we investigated the abundance morphometry of podocytes mice different ag...