G/T Substitution in Intron 1 of the UNC13B Gene Is Associated With Increased Risk of Nephropathy in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE— Genetic and environmental factors modulate the susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy, as initiating and/or progression factors. The objective of the European Rational Approach for the Genetics of Diabetic Complications (EURAGEDIC) study is to identify nephropathy susceptibility genes. We report molecular genetic studies for 127 candidate genes for nephropathy

Maternal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and the secondary sex ratio: an occupational cohort study

Though commercial production of polychlorinated biphenyls was banned in the United States in 1977, exposure continues due to their environmental persistence. Several studies have examined the association between environmental polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and modulations of the secondary sex ratio, with conflicting results. Our objective was to evaluate the association between maternal preconceptional occupational polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and the secondary sex ratio. We examined primipara singleton births of 2595 women, who worked in three capacitor plants at least one year during the period polychlorinated biphenyls were used. Cumulative estimated maternal occupational polychlorinated biphenyl exposure at the time of the infant's conception was calculated from plant-specific job-exposure matrices. A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between maternal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and male sex at birth (yes/no). Maternal body mass index at age 20, smoking status, and race did not vary between those occupationally exposed and those unexposed before the child's conception. Polychlorinated biphenyl-exposed mothers were, however, more likely to have used oral contraceptives and to have been older at the birth of their first child than non-occupationally exposed women. Among 1506 infants liveborn to polychlorinated biphenyl-exposed primiparous women, 49.8% were male; compared to 49.9% among those not exposed (n = 1089). Multivariate analyses controlling for mother's age and year of birth found no significant association between the odds of a male birth and mother's cumulative estimated polychlorinated biphenyl exposure to time of conception. Based on these data, we find no evidence of altered sex ratio among children born to primiparous polychlorinated biphenyl-exposed female workers

Porous Glass Microspheres from Alkali-Activated Fiber Glass Waste

Fiber glass waste (FGW) was subjected to alkali activation in an aqueous solution with different concentrations of sodium/potassium hydroxide. The activated materials were fed into a methane–oxygen flame with a temperature of around 1600 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of several hydrated compounds, which decomposed upon flame synthesis, leading to porous glass microspheres (PGMs). Pore formation was favored by using highly concentrated activating alkali solutions. The highest homogeneity and yield of PGMs corresponded to the activation with 9 M KOH aqueous solution

Differential sensitivity of in vivo TNF and IL-6 production to modulation by anti-inflammatory drugs in mice

: The effect of dexamethasone and two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents ibuprofen and indomethacin on the production of serum interleukin 6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels in mice treated with endotoxin (2.5 micrograms/mouse, i.p.) was investigated. Pretreatment of mice with dexamethasone (0.3-30.0 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min before endotoxin) completely blocked TNF production but did not affect that of IL-6. Conversely, pretreatment with indomethacin (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or ibuprofen (30 mg/kg, i.p.) potentiated the production of both IL-6 (+ 80% with INDO; + 100% with IBU) and TNF (+ 500% with INDO; + 50% with IBU). In the case of IL-6, the two anti-inflammatory drugs were able per se to induce significant levels of this cytokine even in the absence of LPS. These data indicate that IL-6 and TNF production are differently susceptible to glucocorticoids, and that prostaglandins can physiologically provide a negative feedback regulation of IL-6 and TNF synthesis

Genetic approach to study a link between maternal androgens and immunoprotective components in the egg of Japanese quail

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