IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) and IL1beta (IL1β), members of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL1) family, play a potential role against infection and in the pathogenesis of cancers. The variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the second intron of the IL1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1-RN) and a polymorphism in exon 5 of IL1B (IL1B+3954C>T, rs1143634) have been sug...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1-ra) would affect amniotic fluid concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and prostaglandins or clinical or microbiological outcomes in a model of ascending bacterial infection in pregnancy. METHODS Timed pregnant New Zealand white rabbits at 70% of gestation underwent endoscopic inoculation o...

BACKGROUND During adolescence, peer victimization is a potent type of social stressor that can confer enduring risk for poor mental and physical health. Given recent research implicating inflammation in promoting a variety of serious mental and physical health problems, this study examined the role that peer victimization and cognitive vulnerability (i.e. negative cognitive styles and hopelessn...

We aimed to evaluate the microbial and inflammatory characteristics associated with Denture Stomatitis (DS) analyzing: l) Levels of salivary cytokines and cultivable C. albicans; 2) DNA-DNA checkerboard on biofilm associated with mucosal tissue-bearing denture surfaces; 3) Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Thirty-two subjects were enrolled in the study with control (n = 17) and DS types II...

The U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) forms the heart of the spliceosome which is required for intron removal from pre-mRNA. The proteins Prp8, Snu114 and Brr2 all assemble with the U5 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) to produce the U5 snRNP. Successful assembly of the U5 snRNP, then incorporation of this snRNP into the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP and the spliceosome, is essential for produci...

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL1) are considered as master cytokines in chronic, destructive arthritis. Therapeutic approaches in rheumatic arthritis (RA) patients so far mainly focused on TNF. Although TNF is a major inflammatory mediator in RA and a potent inducer of IL1, anti-TNF treatment is not effective in all patients, nor does it fully control the arthritic process in...

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), an eicosanoid with both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties, is the most abundantly expressed prostaglandin in the brain. Here we show that PGD2 signaling through the D-prostanoid receptor 1 (DP1) receptor is necessary for optimal microglia/macrophage activation and IFN expression after infection with a neurotropic coronavirus. Genome-wide expression analyses indicate...

OBJECTIVE To review publications relating to the blocking of interleukin 1 (IL1) as a strategy for treating human disease, ranging from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to Alzheimer's disease. METHODS The National Library of Medicine's PubMed database was searched for articles about pharmaceutical agents that reduce the biological actions of IL1. RESULTS Fish oils and corticosteroids were identifi...

SEX-DEPENDENT ROLE OF INTERLEUKIN-1 SIGNALING IN EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIORS IN MICE: PHENOTYPING MALE AND FEMALE 1L1-R1 NULL MUTANT MICE by Jennifer A. Johnson Adviser: Adjunct Associate Professor Susan D. Croll IL1-R1 null mutant mice (IL1-R1 KO) have reduced signaling in the interleukin-1 (IL-1) pathway, making them a convenient model for testing the importance of IL-1 in either the de...