Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays are increasingly being used in clinical routine for genetic analysis of pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias (BCP ALL). Because constitutional DNA is not readily available as a control at the time of diagnosis, it is important to be able to distinguish between acquired and constitutional aberrations in a diagnostic setting. In the pre

Retinoic acid-inducible gene 1-like receptors (RLRs) are a novel family of pattern recognition receptors that include retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-1), melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA-5), and laboratory of genomics and physiology 2 (LGP-2). The knowledge of RLRs and their function in the human airway is limited. This study explores the role of RLRs in the upper respiratory tr

POU5F1 has two alternatively spliced transcripts: a long (variant 1, NM_002701) and a short (variant 2, NM_203289) transcript. Only variant 1 is a key regulator of pluripotency. Hence, it is important to be able to distinguish this transcript from variant 2 and from the many pseudogenes present in the genome. Previous studies on the expression of POU5F1 were, however, usually carried out without c

The prevailing view that eukaryotic cells are restrained from intercellular exchange of genetic information has been challenged by recent reports on nanotubes, exosomes, apoptotic bodies, and nucleic acid-binding peptides that provide novel pathways for cell-cell communication, with implications in health and disease.

The kallikrein, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is one of the world's most frequently used disease biomarkers. After almost two decades of research and clinical experience, the diagnostic and monitoring limitations of PSA are beginning to be understood. Most physicians are aware of PSA's low specificity for cancer among older men with benign prostatic conditions; fewer are aware of recent data, w

The muscles of the pharynx are controlled by networks of neurons under the control of specific regions in the brain stem, which have been fairly well studied. However, the transmission between these neurons and the pharyngeal muscles, at the motor end plates, is less well understood. Therefore, an in vitro model for the study of neuromuscular transmission in the pharyngeal muscle of the mouse was

Breast cancer is a very heterogeneous disease and some patients are cured by the surgical removal of the primary tumour whilst other patients suffer from metastasis and spreading of the disease, despite adjuvant therapy. A number of prognostic and treatment predictive factors have been identified such as tumour size, oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptor status, human epidermal growth fac

It has often been recognized that a discrepancy exists during the clinical consultation between the chronological age of a patient on the one hand with the signs and symptoms of biological age that can be recorded on the other hand. In cardiovascular medicine this is obvious when a heavy smoker presents with features of early biological aging, for example skin appearance and impaired lung function

The moral philosophy of Levinas offers a stark prospectus of impossibility for corporate ethics. It differs from most traditional ethical theories in that, for Levinas, the ethical develops in a personal meeting of one with the Other, rather than residing in some internal deliberation of the moral subject. Levinasian ethics emphasises an infinite personal responsibility arising for each of us in t

PURPOSE: To measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of hyperpolarized (HP) (3)He gas using diffusion weighted MRI in healthy volunteers and patients with emphysema and examine the reproducibility and volume dependency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of eight healthy volunteers and 16 patients with emphysema were examined after inhalation of HP (3)He gas mixed with nitrogen (N(2)) during b

We investigated causal effect of completed growth, measured by adult height, on coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and cardiovascular traits, using instrumental variable (IV) Mendelian randomization meta-analysis.

Case volume per 100 000 population and perioperative mortality rate (POMR) are key indicators to monitor and strengthen surgical services. However, comparisons of POMR have been restricted by absence of standardised approaches to when it is measured, the ideal denominator, need for risk adjustment, and whether data are available. We aimed to address these issues and recommend a minimum dataset by

OBJECTIVES: In previous trials, patients with type 2 diabetes using calcium channel blockers (CCB) have suffered a less favourable outcome when compared with patients on other treatments. The present study was designed to compare mortality in type 2 diabetes patients using either CCB or beta blockers (BB) as antihypertensive agents. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. Patients were followed

Educational software in the form of games or so called “computer assisted intervention” for young children has become increasingly common receiving a growing interest and support. Currently there are, for instance, more than 1,000 iPad apps tagged for preschool. Thus, it has become increasingly important to empirically investigate whether these kinds of software actually provide educational benefi

Most couples therapy theories are developed and tested in the USA. In this clinical study, we investigated such therapies in a Swedish context. Over 300 couples were enrolled in the study of whom just under half completed the end-of-treatment assessment and just over 40 per cent a two-year follow-up. At the start, the study group displayed severe problems in marital adjustment, dyadic interactions

BACKGROUND: Alteration in respiratory activity and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) transcription seems to be an important feature of cancer cells. Leukotriene D(4) (LTD(4)) is a proinflammatory mediator implicated in the pathology of chronic inflammation and cancer. We have shown earlier that LTD(4) causes translocation of beta-catenin both to the mitochondria, in which it associates with the survival p