Analysis of the potential of cancer cell lines to release tissue factor-containing microvesicles: correlation with tissue factor and PAR2 expression

BackgroundDespite the association of cancer-derived circulating tissue factor (TF)-containing microvesicles and hypercoagulable state, correlations with the incidence of thrombosis remain unclear.MethodsIn this study the upregulation of TF release upon activation of various cancer cell lines, and the correlation with TF and PAR2 expression and/or activity was examined. Microvesicle release was induced by PAR2 activation in seventeen cell lines and released microvesicle density, microvesicle-associated TF activity, and phoshpatidylserine-mediated activity were measured. The time-course for TF release was monitored over 90 min in each cell line. In addition, TF mRNA expression, cellular TF protein and cell-surface TF activities were quantified. Moreover, the relative expression of PAR2 mRNA and cellular protein were analysed. Any correlations between the above parameters were examined by determining the Pearson’s correlation coefficients.ResultsTF release as microvesicles peaked between 30–60 min post-activation in the majority of cell lines tested. The magnitude of the maximal TF release positively correlated with TF mRNA (c = 0.717; p

Overexpression of orphan receptor tyrosine kinase Ror1 as a putative tumor-associated antigen in Iranian patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a group of enzymes involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. The human Ror1 is a member of the RTK family with unknown ligand and biological function. Overexpression of Ror1 has recently been reported in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The aim of this study was to explore the expression profile of Ror1 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. Therefore, leukemic cells were isolated from the bone marrow and/or peripheral blood (PB) of 57 ALL patients. Immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry and mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. Overexpression of Ror1 mRNA was detected in 23 of 57 (40) ALL patients. A similar expression pattern was observed in ALL cell lines, with 4 of 12 (33) being positive. Stimulation of normal PB mononuclear cells with pokeweed mitogen and phorbol myristate acetate induced substantially higher Ror1 mRNA expression compared to unstimulated cultured cells. There has been neither a significant association between Ror1 expression and the immunophenotypic profile of the leukemic cells, nor with other clinical or hematological features of the patients. In conclusion, our findings propose Ror1 as a new tumor-associated antigen and a potential tool for targeted immunotherapy and monitoring of minimal residual disease in ALL. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG

Fabrication and precipitation hardening characterization of nanostructure A17075 alloy

30-34<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt" lang="EN-US">In this paper the fabrication and precipitation hardening behavior of bulk nanostructure A17075 alloy is investigated. In order to produce this alloy, the elemental powder based on the nominal composition of conventional A17075 alloy is milled up to 15 h and then hot pressed. The milled and hot pressed samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results show that after 15 h of milling, the alloying elements are dissolved in Al matrix and a supersaturated solid solution with average crystallite size of about 30±5 nm is obtained. Hot pressing the powder samples at 500°C under 400 MPa led to the fully dense bulk nanostructure A17075 alloy. The consolidated sample has a hardness value of 165 HV which increases to 240 HV after appropriation hardening. </span

Colour M-mode superiority in evaluation of improvement in myocardial performance indices following successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the early effects of successful elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on systolic and diastolic function. Methods: We consecutively studied the systolic and diastolic function in 21 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > 40 before and 48 hours after successful elective PCI. Results: Tei index and systolic indices (LVEF, regional wall motion abnormality score, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and peak systolic velocity of mitral and tricuspid annulus) did not change significantly. Among the diastolic indices, only velocity propagation (Vp) improved significantly (from 42.9 ± 10.8 to 51.8 ± 10.7, p-value = 0.008) following PCI. Diastolic velocities, E/A ratio, deceleration time (DT), early and late diastolic velocities of mitral annulus in TDI, pulmonary vein systolic (PVs) and diastolic flow velocity (PVd) did not show significant improvement. Conclusion: Propagation velocity of mitral inflow was the earliest index to recover following successful PCI in patients with stable CAD

Maternal cultural participation and child health status in a Middle Eastern context: evidence from an urban health study

BACKGROUND: The negative effect of poverty on child health has been well established. However, rapid urbanization in developing countries prompts new research questions relating to socio-cultural practices and other related variables in these settings. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between maternal cultural participation and child health status in impoverished neighbourhoods of Beirut, Lebanon. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1,241 mothers with children under 5 years was conducted from randomly selected households in three impoverished neighbourhoods of diverse ethnic and religious make-up. The outcome variable was child health status (good/bad) as assessed by the mother. Maternal variables, including cultural participation, education, demographic, and environmental/structural factors were studied. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations were provided using Pearson’s χ(2) tests. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were then obtained from binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: Two indicators of maternal cultural participation, namely watching entertaining television and attending movies/art exhibitions, were found to be significantly associated to child health status after controlling for other risk factors. The quality of water, the quality of local health services, and maternal education were also significantly associated with child health status. Household income, child gender, and household dampness had no significant association with child health status in this context. CONCLUSION: Maternal cultural participation was a significant predictor of child health status in impoverished urban communities. Improving child health through culturally focused interventions for mothers, especially in deprived areas, may be great