Search results for " ALPHA"
showing 10 items of 1610 documents
Measuring patient experiences in Fabry disease: validation of the Fabry-specific Pediatric Health and Pain Questionnaire (FPHPQ)
2012
Abstract Introduction Common symptoms for children with Anderson-Fabry Disease (FD) such as acroparaesthesia and gastrointestinal manifestations can only be objectively assessed in patients using a valid instrument. To date, no such instrument exists. Methods A preliminary 40-item measure of symptoms and experience with FD, the Fabry-specific Paediatric Health and Pain Questionnaire (FPHPQ) was developed, but lacked a formal assessment of its measurement properties. The FPHPQ was used in the Fabry Outcome Survey (FOS), a registry for all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of FD who are receiving agalsidase alfa, or are treatment naïve and who are managed by physicians participating in FOS.…
Extended-release guanfacine hydrochloride in 6-17-year olds with ADHD: a randomised-withdrawal maintenance of efficacy study.
2015
Background Extended-release guanfacine hydrochloride (GXR), a selective α2A-adrenergic agonist, is a nonstimulant medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised-withdrawal study evaluated the long-term maintenance of GXR efficacy in children/adolescents with ADHD. Methods Children/adolescents (6–17 years) with ADHD received open-label GXR (1–7 mg/day). After 13 weeks, responders were randomised to GXR or placebo in the 26-week, double-blind, randomised-withdrawal phase (RWP). The primary endpoint was the percentage of treatment failure (≥50% increase in ADHD Rating Scale version IV total score and ≥2-point increase …
PLASMA LEVELS OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR a AND INTERFERON g IN SICILIAN CHILDREN WITH MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED FEVER
1997
The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma were measured in 53 consecutive children with serologically confirmed Mediterranean spotted fever and were found to be increased during the acute phase compared with the convalescent phase (tumor necrosis factor-alpha mean 32.17 vs. 4.12 pg/ml, P < 0.0001; interferon-gamma mean 84.17 vs. 2.65 pg/ml, P = 0.0006). Plasma levels of both cytokines were higher in patients with a typical exanthema rather than those with a very mild or no exanthema; tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were significantly lower in the latter (tumor necrosis factor-alpha 32.17 vs. 9.85 pg/ml, P < 0.0001; interferon-gamma 84.17 vs. 38.14 pg/ml, P = 0…
Nitric oxide is formed in a subpopulation of rat pineal cells and acts as an intercellular messenger.
1998
In the rat pineal, formation of the second messenger cyclic GMP (cGMP) is under adrenergic control. Two important sequential steps mediate adrenergic signal transduction by cGMP, receptor-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) formation by the enzyme NO synthase I (NOS I), and NO-induced cGMP formation by the cytosolic enzyme guanylyl cyclase. With regard to the first step in cGMP transduction (i.e. NO formation) we found, by means of NOS I immunostaining and NADPH-diaphorase staining, that the presence of NOS I was restricted to a subpopulation of pineal cells, generally surrounded by NOS I-negative cells. Considering the fact that NO is able to permeate the cell membrane, the question arises whethe…
Polyunsaturated fatty acids interact with the PPARA-L162V polymorphism to affect plasma triglyceride and apolipoprotein C-III concentrations in the F…
2005
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is a nuclear transcription factor regulating multiple genes involved in lipid metabolism. It was shown that a common leucine to valine (L162V) substitution at the PPARalpha gene (PPARA) is functional and affects transactivation activity of PPARalpha ligands, such as PUFA, on a concentration-dependent basis. The current study examined this gene-nutrient interaction in relation to plasma lipid variables in a population-based study consisting of 1003 men and 1103 women participating in the Framingham cohort and consuming their habitual diets. We found significant gene-nutrient interactions between the L162V polymorphism and total PUF…
The effect of S-(+)-boldine on the α1-adrenoceptor of the guinea-pig aorta
1996
1. The cardiovascular activity of S-(+)-boldine, an aporphine alkaloid structurally related to papaverine, was determined. The work includes functional studies on guinea-pig isolated aorta contracted with noradrenaline, caffeine, KCl or Ca2+, and on guinea-pig trachea contracted with acetylcholine or histamine. 2. S-(+)-boldine inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the contractile response evoked by noradrenaline (10 microM) in guinea-pig aorta (IC50 = 1.4 +/- 0.2 microM) while the KCl depolarizing solution (60 mM)- or the Ca2+ (1 mM)-induced contractions were only partially affected by boldine up to 300 microM. In contrast, papaverine relaxed noradrenaline (NA), KCl or Ca2+ induced…
Liver-specific p38α deficiency causes reduced cell growth and cytokinesis failure during chronic biliary cirrhosis in mice
2012
p38α mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) may be essential in the up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and can be activated by transforming growth factor β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and oxidative stress. p38 MAPK activation results in hepatocyte growth arrest, whereas increased proliferation has been considered a hallmark of p38α-deficient cells. Our aim was to assess the role of p38α in the progression of biliary cirrhosis induced by chronic cholestasis as an experimental model of chronic inflammation associated with hepatocyte proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and fibrogenesis. Cholestasis was induced in wildtype and liver-specific p38α knockout mice by…
The anti-CD14 antibody IC14 suppresses ex vivo endotoxin stimulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with chronic heart failure
2006
Background: Activation of the endotoxin (LPS) receptor, CD14, leads to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) production. Plasma LPS activity is elevated in patients with severe chronic heart failure (CHF). An anti-CD14 antibody, IC14, blocks TNF production in healthy volunteers. It is not known whether IC14 prevents TNF production in CHF patients. Methods and results: Blood from 20 CHF patients (age 64±2.1 years, NYHA class 2.2±0.1, LVEF 27±3%, mean±SEM) was pre-incubated with 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10 and 50 μg/mL IC14 for 1 h followed by incubation with 1 or 10 ng/mL LPS for 6 h. Fourteen subjects served as controls (58±2.4 years). LPS-stimulated TNF release was 76% and 60% greater at 1 and 10 ng/mL …
Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Nutritional Form For the Elderly.
2015
AbstractObjectiveThe present study aimed to translate the English version of the Nutritional Form For the Elderly into Simplified Chinese, as well as to test the reliability (homogeneity and stability) and validity (content and construct validity) of the Chinese version of the Nutritional Form For the Elderly (NUFFE-CHI).DesignThe study adopted a cross-sectional design. The English version of the NUFFE was translated into Simplified Chinese and a questionnaire survey was conducted. The data were analysed with statistical methods to estimate the homogeneity, stability, content and construct validity.SettingJinzhou City, China.SubjectsA total number of 701 community-dwelling older adults answ…
Which patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C can benefit from prolonged treatment with the 'accordion' regimen?
2007
The on-treatment virological response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy is a useful tool in the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The time at which hepatitis C virus RNA becomes undetectable by a sensitive PCR assay has a huge impact on the probability of achieving a sustained virological response, particularly in genotype 1 patients, and may be useful in selecting patients for prolonged therapy. Indiscriminate extension of treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 is not beneficial. However, there is a subgroup of patients – the so-called ‘slow responders’ – who benefit from extending treatment from 48 to 72 weeks and can be readily identified afte…