BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to identify key genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in autoantibody-mediated arthritis (AMA). METHODS A time-course microarray data (ID: GSE27492) of peripheral blood leukocytes, ankle tissue, and synovial fluid from K/BxN mouse serum-transferred mice were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Those samples were collected at days 0, 1, 3, 7, 12, an...

RNA viruses show the highest mutation rate in nature. It has been extensively demonstrated that, in the absence of purifying selection, RNA viruses accumulate deleterious mutations at a high rate. However, the parameters describing this accumulation are, in general, poorly understood. The present study reports evidences for fitness declines by the accumulation of deleterious mutations in the ba...

PURPOSE Currently, serum biomarkers that are sufficiently sensitive and specific for early detection and risk classification of gastric adenocarcinomas are not known. In this study, ten serum markers were assessed using the Luminex system and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of gastric cancer and analysis of the relation between prognosis and metastases. PATIENTS AND METHOD...

The cellular prion protein (PrP (C) ) is subjected to various processing under physiological and pathological conditions, of which the α-cleavage within the central hydrophobic domain not only disrupts a region critical for both PrP toxicity and PrP (C) to PrP (Sc) conversion but also produces the N1 fragment that is neuroprotective and the C1 fragment that enhances the pro-apoptotic effect o...

Experimental evolution of bacteriophage provides a powerful means of studying the genetics of adaptation, as every substitution contributing to adaptation can be identified and characterized. Here, I use experimental evolution of MS2, an RNA bacteriophage, to study its adaptive response to a novel environment. To this end, three lines of MS2 were adapted to rapid growth and lysis at cold temper...

OBJECTIVE To identify, localize, and determine M1/M2 polarization of epidydimal adipose tissue (eAT) macrophages (Phis) during high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Male C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD (60% fat kcal) or low-fat diet (LFD) (10% fat kcal) for 8 or 12 weeks. eATMPhis (F4/80(+) cells) were characterized by in vivo fluorescent labeling, immunohistochemistry...

and The National Graduate School for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering ACADEMIC DISSERTATION To be publicly discussed with the permission of the Medical Faculty of the University of Helsinki, in the large lecture hall (Iso luentosali) Work hard and try your best! If you then fail I am not angry.-my father-This thesis is based on the following original publications. They are referred to in the...