Search results for "Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction"
showing 10 items of 591 documents
COMT genotype predicts BOLD signal and noise characteristics in prefrontal circuits.
2006
Abstract Objective: Prefrontal dopamine (DA) is catabolized by the COMT (catechol- O -methyltransferase) enzyme. Literature suggests that the Val/Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the COMT gene predicts executive cognition in humans with Val carriers showing poorer performance due to less available synaptic DA. Recent fMRI studies are thought to agree with these studies having demonstrated prefrontal hyperactivation during n -back and attention-requiring tasks. This was interpreted as “less efficient” processing due to impaired signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of neuronal activity. However, electrophysiological studies of neuronal SNR in primates and humans imply that prefrontal cortex…
Differential regulation of Fas-mediated apoptosis in both thyrocyte and lymphocyte cellular compartments correlates with opposite phenotypic manifest…
2001
Several mechanisms are probably involved in determining the evolution of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) towards either hypothyroidism and the clinical syndrome known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) or toward hyperthyroidism and the symptoms of Graves' disease (GD). To gain further insight into such mechanisms we performed an exhaustive comparative analysis of the expression of key molecules regulating cell death (Fas, Fas ligand [FasL], Bcl-2) and apoptosis in both thyrocytes and thyroid infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from patients with either GD or HT. GD thyrocytes expressed less Fas/FasL than HT thyrocytes, whereas GD TILs had higher levels of Fas/FasL than HT TILs. GD thyrocytes exp…
Epigenetic differences arise during the lifetime of monozygotic twins.
2005
Monozygous twins share a common genotype. However, most monozygotic twin pairs are not identical; several types of phenotypic discordance may be observed, such as differences in susceptibilities to disease and a wide range of anthropomorphic features. There are several possible explanations for these observations, but one is the existence of epigenetic differences. To address this issue, we examined the global and locus-specific differences in DNA methylation and histone acetylation of a large cohort of monozygotic twins. We found that, although twins are epigenetically indistinguishable during the early years of life, older monozygous twins exhibited remarkable differences in their overall…
Effectiveness of the 2010–2011 seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing confirmed influenza hospitalizations in adults: A case–case comparison, case-…
2012
Highlights ► We perform a case–case comparison as an improvement of the test-negative design. ► We report IVE estimates with a low probability of bias. ► Influenza vaccination halved the risk of confirmed influenza hospitalization. ► This effect was consistent regardless of age over 60. ► The measured effect was specific for confirmed influenza hospitalizations.
Amplification of human β-glucoronidase gene for appraising the accuracy of negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results in upper respiratory tract specimens
2020
Real-time reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the mainstay of Covid-19 diagnosis. False-negative RT-PCR results may hamper clinical management of patients and hinder the adoption of epidemiological measures to control the pandemic. The current study was aimed at assessing whether amplification of β-glucoronidase (GUSB) gene would help estimate the accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative results in upper respiratory tract (URT) specimens. URT specimens that tested negative by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR displayed higher GUSB RT-PCR cycle thresholds (CT) (P=0.070) than those testing positive (median, 30.7; range, 27.0-40.0, and median 29.7; range 25.5-36.8, respectively), this re…
Aetiology and epidemiology of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in Catalonia (Spain) in 2004-2005.
2007
Abstract Background Acute infectious gastroenteritis causes substantial morbidity and economic loss. Objective The aetiology, epidemiology, and clinical features of acute viral gastroenteritis outbreaks reported during 1 year in Catalonia were investigated. Study Design This was a population-based study in which enzyme immunoassay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques were used to determine the presence of virus in stool specimens from outbreaks clinically and epidemiologically compatible with a viral aetiology and negative for bacteria, parasites and toxins. Results Sixty outbreaks affecting 1791 people were evaluated. Fifty-five outbreaks were positive fo…
Evidence for association between structural variants in lissencephaly-related genes and executive deficits in schizophrenia or bipolar patients from …
2008
There is evidence for an association between structural variants in genes for lissencephaly, which are involved in neuronal migration, and prefrontal cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and bipolar patients. On the basis of these intriguing findings, we analyzed 16 markers located in the lissencephaly critical region (LCR in chromosome 17p13.3) in 124 schizophrenic, 56 bipolar, and 141 healthy individuals. All recruits were from a Spanish population isolate of Basque origin that is characterized by low genetic heterogeneity. In addition, we examined whether structural genomic variations in the LCR were associated with executive cognition. Twenty-three patients (12.8%), but none of the contr…
Enhanced reduction in oxidative stress and altered glutathione and thioredoxin system response to unsaturated fatty acid load in familial hypercholes…
2014
Abstract Objectives Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by increased oxidative stress (OS) levels. In the postprandial state, lipids and lipoproteins modulate OS status through their impact on pro-oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms. The objective of this study was to evaluate in patients with FH the response to an unsaturated oral fat load test (OFLT) by analyzing the mRNA levels of genes involved in the glutathione and thioredoxin antioxidant systems. Design and Methods We analyzed 14 FH patients and 20 normolipidemic and normoglycemic controls. In both groups, mRNA values of antioxidant enzyme genes (glutathione and thioredoxin systems) were determined at baseline and at 2…
Medium chain acylcarnitines dominate the metabolite pattern in humans under moderate intensity exercise and support lipid oxidation.
2010
BACKGROUND: Exercise is an extreme physiological challenge for skeletal muscle energy metabolism and has notable health benefits. We aimed to identify and characterize metabolites, which are components of the regulatory network mediating the beneficial metabolic adaptation to exercise. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: First, we investigated plasma from healthy human subjects who completed two independent running studies under moderate, predominantly aerobic conditions. Samples obtained prior to and immediately after running and then 3 and 24 h into the recovery phase were analyzed by a non-targeted (NT-) metabolomics approach applying liquid chromatography-qTOF-mass spectrometry. Under t…
Effects of exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle exercise on muscle blood flow during exercise
2006
Aim: The influence of exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle exercise (SSC) on skeletal muscle blood flow (BF) during exercise is currently unknown. Methods: Quadriceps femoris (QF) BF was measured in eight healthy men using positron emission tomography before and 3 days after exhaustive SSC exercise. The SSC protocol consisted of maximal and submaximal drop jumps with one leg. Needle biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscles were taken immediately and 2 days after SSC for muscle endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) mRNA level determinations. Results: All subjects reported subjective muscle soreness after SSC (P < 0.001), which was well in line with a decre…