Search results for "trap"
showing 10 items of 2144 documents
Differential impact of high and low penetrance TNFRSF1A gene mutations on conventional and regulatory CD4+ T cell functions in TNFR1-associated perio…
2015
Abstract TNFR-associated periodic syndrome is an autoinflammatory disorder caused by autosomal-dominant mutations in TNFRSF1A, the gene encoding for TNFR superfamily 1A. The lack of knowledge in the field of TNFR-associated periodic syndrome biology is clear, particularly in the context of control of immune self-tolerance. We investigated how TNF-α/TNFR superfamily 1A signaling can affect T cell biology, focusing on conventional CD4+CD25− and regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cell functions in patients with TNFR-associated periodic syndrome carrying either high or low penetrance TNFRSF1A mutations. Specifically, we observed that in high penetrance TNFR-associated periodic syndrome, at the molecular le…
Treatment of COVID-19 with MSCs: how does it work?
2021
The infusion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) potentially improves clinical symptoms, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We conducted a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled (29 patients/group) phase II clinical trial to validate previous findings and explore the potential mechanisms. Patients treated with umbilical cord-derived MSCs exhibited a shorter hospital stay (P = 0.0198) and less time required for symptoms remission (P = 0.0194) than those who received placebo. Based on chest images, both severe and critical patients treated with MSCs showed improvement by day 7 (P = 0.0099) and day 21 (P = 0.0084). MSC-treated pat…
Cognitive reserve impacts on inter-individual variability in resting-state cerebral metabolism in normal aging
2012
There is a great deal of heterogeneity in the impact of aging on cognition and cerebral functioning. One potential factor contributing to individual differences among the elderly is the cognitive reserve, which designates the partial protection from the deleterious effects of aging that lifetime experience provides. Neuroimaging studies examining task-related activation in elderly people suggested that cognitive reserve takes the form of more efficient use of brain networks and/or greater ability to recruit alternative networks to compensate for age-related cerebral changes. In this exploratory multi-center study, we examined the relationships between cognitive reserve, as measured by educa…
Co-registering kinematics and evoked related potentials during visually guided reach-to-grasp movements.
2013
Background:In non-human primates grasp-related sensorimotor transformations are accomplished in a circuit involving the anterior intraparietal sulcus (area AIP) and both the ventral and the dorsal sectors of the premotor cortex (vPMC and dPMC, respectively). Although a human homologue of such a circuit has been identified, the time course of activation of these cortical areas and how such activity relates to specific kinematic events has yet to be investigated.Methodology/Principal Findings:We combined kinematic and event-related potential techniques to explicitly test how activity within human grasping-related brain areas is modulated in time. Subjects were requested to reach towards and g…
Nitric oxide synthase in identified olivocochlear projection neurons in rat and guinea pig.
1999
Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be involved in the effects of amino acids at the level of cochlear hair cell afferents. Recently, the isoform of the NO-producing enzyme, neuronal NO synthase (nNOS), has been demonstrated in neuronal structures of the cochlea in rats and guinea pigs histochemically and immunohistochemically. To investigate the sources of cochlear NO, we injected Fluoro-Gold (FG) into the cochlea of rats and guinea pigs. Upon terminal uptake of the tracer and neuronal transport we observed FG in terminals at the base of inner (IHC) and outer hair cells (OHC) and in neurons of the spiral ganglion. Ganglion cells and terminals at the IHC were clearly nNOS-positive, while termin…
Vascular effects and safety of dalcetrapib in patients with or at risk of coronary heart disease: the dal-VESSEL randomized clinical trial
2012
Aims High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is inversely associated with cardiovascular (CV) events and thus an attractive therapeutic target. However, in spite of marked elevations in HDL-C, the first cholesterol transport protein (CETP) inhibitor torcetrapib raised blood pressure (BP), impaired endothelial function, and increased CV mortality and morbidity. Dalcetrapib is a novel molecule acting on CETP with a different chemical structure to torcetrapib. As HDL stimulates nitric oxide (NO), suppresses inflammation, and exerts protective CV effects, we investigated the effects of dalcetrapib on endothelial function, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and lipids in patients with, o…
TGF-β Signaling Pathways in Different Compartments of the Lower Airways of Patients With Stable COPD
2017
Background: The expression and localization of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway proteins in different compartments of the lower airways of patients with stable COPD is unclear. We aimed to determine TGF-β pathway protein expression in patients with stable COPD. Methods: The expression and localization of TGF-β pathway components was measured in the bronchial mucosa and peripheral lungs of patients with stable COPD (n = 44), control smokers with normal lung function (n = 24), and control nonsmoking subjects (n = 11) using immunohistochemical analysis. Results: TGF-β1, TGF-β3, and connective tissue growth factor expression were significantly decreased in the bronchiolar epithelium…
Radiolabelling and preliminary evaluation of 68Ga-tetrapyrrole derivatives as potential tracers for PET
2013
article i nfo Tetrapyrroles are multisided natural products which are of relevance in clinical medicine. Owing to their specific accumulation in tumour tissue, porphyrins, metalloporphyrins and chlorins have been used as in photodynamic therapy and optical imaging. Moreover, their specific uptake into inflammatory atheromatous plaques via LDL endocytosis has been reported. The present study is concerned with the synthesis of 68 Ga labelled porphyrin derivatives and an in vitro assessment of the utility of radiotracers in positron emission tomography. A set of five porphyrin derivatives were labelled using 68 Ga from a commercially obtained radionuclide generator. Dedicated post-processing o…
Deep seroma after incisional hernia repair. Case reports and review of the literature.
2015
Wound-related complications are common after incisional hernia repair with mesh; seroma formation is the most frequent problem. The formation of a deep seroma has been rarely reported in the literature.In one year, September 2012-2013, 136 patients underwent surgery for incisional hernia repair, both elective and urgent.The following complications were observed: one dislocation of polypropylene prosthesis, a massive relapsed seroma and two deep seromas described in this article. A 63- years-old female underwent open incisional hernia repair with an intraperitoneal PTFE patch. She developed recurrent seroma under the mesh drained percutaneously, and finally the prosthesis was removed. A 72- …
Morphological and molecular characterization of tetraphyllidean merocercoids (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) f…
2005
Two types of tetraphyllidean merocercoids, Phyllobothrium delphini and Monorygma grimaldii, are well known from most cetaceans world-wide. The role of cetaceans in the life-cycle of these merocercoids is unclear because their specific identity is as yet unknown. The problem is compounded by poor descriptions of both merocercoids. We used light and scanning electron microscopy, and histological techniques to provide a thorough description of merocercoids collected from 11 striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, from the Spanish Mediterranean. We also described, for the first time, specimens of P. delphini with immature proglottides. Our merocercoids were morphologically similar to those des…