Thigh-length compression stockings and DVT after stroke

Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite randomised controlled trials of more than 3000 patients. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of such treatment on survival in patients with this disease

Routes in Innate Immunity Evolution: Galectins and Rhamnose-binding Lectins in Ascidians

none4The term ‘lectin’ is commonly used to encompass a wide variety of carbohydrate-binding proteins, widely distributed in viruses, prokaryotes and eucaryotes (Vasta & Ahmed, 2008). The first animal lectins were isolated by Noguchi in early 1900 from Limulus polyphemus and Homarus americanus; many years later, Watkins & Morgan (1952) proposed a sugar-specific binding (l-fucose) property for the eel lectin. Animal lectins are grouped in various molecular families, differing in carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) structure and organization (Gabius, 1997; Kilpatrick, 2002; Loris, 2002; Vasta et al., 2004). They are involved in a variety of key biological processes, ranging from development (Kaltner & Stierstorfer, 1998; Kilpatrick, 2002) to immune responses (Arason, 1996; Vasta et al., 1994). Protein–carbohydrate interactions are the basis of a mechanism for signaling functions, cell communication and self–non-self recognitions and are critical in the establishment and maintenance of highly specific mutualistic associations in organism–microbe complexes (Sharon & Lis, 1993). In this respect, mutual benefit (symbiosis or commensalism) depends on the maintenance of a tightly regulated balance, whereas colonization of tissues beneficial to the microbe can lead to the loss of host fitness (pathogenesis), unless host-defense responses are able to eliminate the foreignness (Casadevall & Pirofski, 2000). Microheterogeneity, originating from multiple lectin gene copies, allelic variation or post-translational modifications of the gene products, expands the molecular diversity and recognition capabilities. The molecular repertoire may provide a broad non-self-recognition capacity for an efficient innate immune recognition system based on recognition of carbohydrate moieties. Galectins, rhamnose-binding lectins, C-type lectins, fucolectins, P-type lectins and L-type lectins are some examples of animal lectins (Kilpatrick, 2002; L´opez et al., 2011; Shirai et al., 2009).openLoriano Ballarin;Matteo Cammarata;Nicola Franchi;Nicolò ParrinelloBallarin, Loriano; Matteo, Cammarata; Franchi, Nicola; Nicolò, Parrinell