Search results for "Calcitonin gene-related peptide"

Procalcitonin and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children

2015

The role of procalcitonin (PCT) as a biomarker for sepsis in adults is well documented, while its role in infections affecting neonatal children remains controversial. Among these infections, Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been studied extensively, because it's the second cause of death in children in developing countries, and one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization in industrialized countries. The PubMed database and the Cochrane Library were used to search for the following keywords: CAP, procalcitonin, and children. Thirteen articles were studied to determine the role of PCT in CAP management, specifically its usefulness for distinguishing pneumococcal infections from …

Procalcitonin levels in plasma in oncohaematologic patients with and without bacterial infections.

2004

Abstract Background: The flogosis markers currently in use show both low sensitivity and specificity, particularly in neoplastic and degenerative diseases. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a pro-peptide of calcitonin produced mainly but not only in the C-cells of the thyroid glands and, as several studies show, PCT levels in plasma increase during infections. Bacterial infections are also the main cause of death in oncological patients. Furthermore, in patients with leukaemia in chemotherapy recovery, infections often induce relapses. The aim of the present study is to detect PCT levels in plasma in oncohaematologic patients with and without infections. Methods: The study was carried out on 54 patien…

Procalcitonin as a marker of Candida species detection by blood culture and polymerase chain reaction in septic patients

2014

Background: The aim of our study is to test procalcitonin (PCT) as surrogate marker of identification of Candida spp. by blood culture (BC) and real-time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), whether alone or in association with bacteria, in septic patients.Methods: We performed a single-centre retrospective study. We reviewed the clinical charts of patients with a diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock treated at our general intensive care unit from March 2009 to March 2013. We analysed all diagnostic episodes consisting of BC, real-time PCR assay and dosage of PCT. We registered age, sex, white blood count, sequential organ failure assessment score and type of admission between medical or …

Immunfluorescence study of neuropeptides in identified neurons of the rat auditory superior olivary complex.

1999

The present study was conducted to investigate the distribution and immunohistochemical characteristics of ascending and descending projection neurons of the rat superior olivary complex (SOC), a group of interrelated brainstem nuclei. Ascending neurons were identified by injection of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) into the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (IC), descending neurons were labeled by application of Fluoro-Gold (FG) into the scala tympani of the cochlea, ipsilaterally to the IC injection. In accordance with the literature, we observed neurons innervating the IC located in the lateral superior olivary nucleus (LSO) and dorsal periolivary groups (DPO) on both sides, in th…

The Tachykinin Neuroimmune Connection in Inflammatory Pain

1991

Apoptosis induced in vascular smooth muscle cells by oxidative stress is partly prevented by pretreatment with CGRP.

2003

Modification of the rat aortic wall during ageing; possible relation with decrease of peptidergic innervation.

2002

Structural changes of the male rat aorta were followed from birth to old age in male and female rats. In males, the vessel media width and area progressively increase concomitantly with a decrease of nuclei density during ageing, suggesting an hypertrophy of the smooth muscle cells. These correlations were however not evidenced in females. TUNEL-positive cells were found in media of 4 and 6 months in both sexes, mainly on the luminal side and in the adventitia. When biochemical markers were investigated with immunohistochemistry, media was uniformly stained by the anti-vimentin and anti-alpha-smooth actin at all stages investigated. On the contrary, the surface of media stained with anti-de…

Changes in pulmonary calcitonin gene-related peptide and protein gene product 9.5 innervation in rats infected with Mycoplasma pulmonis.

1996

Changes in the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and polyneural protein gene product 9.5 (PGP) in hilar peribronchial innervation was investigated by immunohistochemistry in specific pathogen-free rats chronically infected with Mycoplasma pulmonis. Image analysis of immunostained sections revealed a reduction of approximately 62% in the amount of CGRP- and PGP-immunoreactive innervation of the peribronchial area in the infected animals. The portion of the total bronchial perimeter occupied by bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue was increased six-fold. The decrease in the CGRP-immunoreactive area could be the result either of an enhanced CGRP release or of a loss of nerve …

Motoneurons of the stapedius muscle in the guinea pig middle ear: Afferent and efferent transmitters

2008

The objective of the present study was to identify efferent and afferent transmitters of motoneurons of the stapedius muscle of the middle ear in order to gain more insight into the neuronal regulation of the muscle. To identify motoneurons, we injected the fluorescent neuronal tracer Fluorogold (FG) into the muscle after preparation of the middle ear in adult guinea pigs. Upon terminal uptake and retrograde neuronal transport, we observed FG in neurons located medial and ventral to the nucleus of the facial nerve ipsilateral to the injection site. Immunohistochemical studies of these motoneurons showed that the majority contains calcitonin gene-related peptide. Our data further demonstrate…

Calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in spinal cord and superior cervical ganglion of the djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus)

1993

The indirect immunofluorescent method was employed to investigate the distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI) in the spinal cord and superior cervical ganglion of the Djungarian hamster Phodopus sungorus. In cross-sections of the spinal cord, immunoreactive fibres and terminals were found in laminae 1 and 2 in high density, in the dorsolateral (Lissauer's) tract, in ventral and lateral horns, and in the area surrounding the central canal. A few CGRP-LI perikarya were seen in the ventral but not the dorsal horn. CGRP-LI was further observed in preganglionic sympathetic neurons which were labelled by retrograde axonal transport of fluoro-gold (FG) follo…