Search results for "Polymerase"
showing 10 items of 2127 documents
IL-21 regulates experimental colitis by modulating the balance between Treg and Th17 cells
2007
Regulatory T (T(reg)) cells play a key role in the maintenance of the immune system homeostasis. T(reg) cells can be generated in the periphery under control of TGF-beta, a cytokine involved in the negative control of the immune system. However, TGF-beta cooperates with IL-6 in the generation of Th17 cells, a novel class of effector cells involved in numerous inflammatory diseases, including colitis. Therefore, TGF-beta emerges as a mediator of both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory processes, depending on the local cytokine milieu. Here we demonstrate that IL-21, a type-1 cytokine produced by T cells and involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, prevents the TGF-beta-d…
Endometrial receptivity revisited: endometrial transcriptome adjusted for tissue cellular heterogeneity
2018
Study question Does cellular composition of the endometrial biopsy affect the gene expression profile of endometrial whole-tissue samples? Summary answer The differences in epithelial and stromal cell proportions in endometrial biopsies modify the whole-tissue gene expression profiles and affect the results of differential expression analyses. What is already known Each cell type has its unique gene expression profile. The proportions of epithelial and stromal cells vary in endometrial tissue during the menstrual cycle, along with individual and technical variation due to the method and tools used to obtain the tissue biopsy. Study design, size, duration Using cell-population specific trans…
A Comparison of Aspergillus and Mucorales PCR Testing of Different Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Fractions from Patients with Suspected Invasive Pulmo…
2018
ABSTRACT In patients with hematological malignancies, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens are commonly used for the diagnosis of mold infections. However, it is not clear whether the cell pellet (P) or the supernatant fraction (S) of the BALF specimen is optimal for molecular diagnostic testing. Thus, 99 BALF specimens were collected from 96 hematology patients with or without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The cell pellets and supernatants were processed alone and in combination (S/P) for testing by two fungus-specific real-time PCR assays compliant with international recommendations. The results achieved with S/P were revealed to be superior in comparison to thos…
Diagnostic problems and postnatal follow-up in congenital toxoplasmosis
2007
Aim. In order to assess the consequences of different clinica] approaches in the prenata] management of congenital toxoplasmosis, we retrospectively reviewed 58 pregnant women with Toxoplasma seroconversion and prospec tively enrolled their 59 infants, referred to us from 1999 to 2004. Metbods. Data on clinica!, laboratocy and de mographic characteristics of the pregnant women were collected. Their children were entered intoa 48-month follow-up progcamme in which clinica , instrumental, ophthalmo logic and serologic evaluations were carried out at birth, at 1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 18, 24, 36 and at 48 months of life. Paediatric treatment with Spiramycin alone or alternated with Pyrime thamine-S…
β-Adrenoceptor stimulation up-regulates phosphodiesterase 4 activity and reduces prostaglandin E 2 -inhibitory effects in human neutrophils
2000
Human neutrophils were treated for 4 h with a combination of salbutamol (1 µM), a β2-adrenoceptor agonist, and rolipram (30 µM), a selective phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, to investigate whether this treatment produces up-regulation of phosphodiesterase activity with functional consequences. Anion-exchange chromatography coupled with the use of selective activators and inhibitors demonstrated that a phosphodiesterase activity with characteristics of the isoenzyme type 4 was increased in drug-treated cells. Kinetic analysis showed a ~1.5-fold increase in V max without alteration of K m values. The augmented phosphodiesterase activity in drug-treated cells was abolished by actinomycin D. Cycl…
Erratum: By promoting cell differentiation, miR-100 sensitizes basal-like breast cancer stem cells to hormonal therapy
2019
Basal-like breast cancer is an aggressive tumor subtype with a poor response to conventional therapies. Tumor formation and relapse are sustained by a cell subset of Breast Cancer Stem Cells (BrCSCs). Here we show that miR-100 inhibits maintenance and expansion of BrCSCs in basal-like cancer through Polo-like kinase1 (Plk1) down-regulation. Moreover, miR-100 favors BrCSC differentiation, converting a basal like phenotype into luminal. It induces the expression of a functional estrogen receptor (ER) and renders basal-like BrCSCs responsive to hormonal therapy. The key role played by miR-100 in breast cancer free-survival is confirmed by the analysis of a cohort of patients' tumors, which sho…
Expression of host defense scavenger receptors in spondylarthropathy
2001
Objective Reactive arthritis (ReA) is postulated to be caused by a defective host defense against gram-negative bacteria. HLA–B27 could play a role in this process, but does not account for the many HLA–B27 negative patients. The objective of this study was to test the expression of 3 macrophage scavenger receptors (SRs) that are responsible for innate immunity against gram-negative bacteria: SR class A type I (SR-AI), SR-AII, and the macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO). We postulate that defects in such receptors might also contribute to the host risk factors that increase the predisposition to ReA and perhaps other subtypes of spondylarthropathy (SpA). Methods Periphera…
Potential involvement of IL-22 and IL-22-producing cells in the inflamed salivary glands of patients with Sjogren's syndrome.
2012
OBJECTIVES: In chronic inflammatory disorders, interleukin (IL)-22 may act either as a protective or as a pro-inflammatory cytokine. At mucosal sites, IL-22 is mainly produced by CD4(+) T cells and by a subset of mucosal natural killer (NK) cells expressing the receptor NKp44 (NKp44(+) NK cells). The aim of this study was to investigate the IL-22 expression in the salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Minor salivary gland biopsies were obtained from 19 patients with pSS and 16 with non-specific chronic sialoadenitis. Quantitative gene expression analysis by TaqMan real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for IL-17, IL-22, IL-23 and STAT3 (signal transduce…
Loss of interferon-gamma inducibility of the MHC class II antigen processing pathway in head and neck cancer: evidence for post-transcriptional as we…
2008
Summary Background Abnormalities of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens by tumour cells impair the cellular immune response and promote tumour evasion from immune surveillance. So far, studies analysing the MHC class II expression levels in head and neck cancer have been limited. Objectives Therefore, we investigated the constitutive and interferon (IFN)-γ-regulated expression profiles of MHC class II antigen processing machinery (APM) in various head and neck cancer cell lines and also analysed the MHC class II expression in head and neck cancer lesions. Methods Using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses we in…
The transcription factor ZEB1 (deltaEF1) promotes tumour cell dedifferentiation by repressing master regulators of epithelial polarity.
2007
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in the progression of primary tumours towards metastasis and is likely caused by a pathological activation of transcription factors regulating EMT in embryonic development. To analyse EMT-causing pathways in tumouri-genesis, we identified transcriptional targets of the E-cadherin repressor ZEB1 in invasive human cancer cells. We show that ZEB1 repressed multiple key determinants of epithelial differentiation and cell–cell adhesion, including the cell polarity genes Crumbs3, HUGL2 and Pals1-associated tight junction protein. ZEB1 associated with their endogenous promoters in vivo, and strongly repressed promotor activities in reporter …