60 research outputs found
Chromosome damage in underground coal miners: detection by conventional cytogenetic techniques and by submitting lymphocytes of unexposed individuals to plasma from at-risk groups
Variant CD44 adhesion molecules are expressed in cholangiocellularcarcinomas but not in hepatocellular carcinomas
No consistent pattern in the distribution of dysplasia in ulcerative colitis: Implications for surveillance
Activation of the macrophage-associated cytokine genes in chronic (duptopenic) rejecting human liver allografts
Expression of clusterin in Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum
Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic
inflammatory intestinal disorder with disturbance and
injury of the intestinal mucosal barrier, in which various
proinflammatory molecules as well as molecules with
antiinflammatory activity and cytoprotective function
are found to be expressed. We investigated whether
clusterin, a multifunctional cytoprotective protein, is
upregulated in Crohn's disease, because augmented
expression of clusterin is seen in many organs following
various forms of tissue injury. Human actively and
inactively inflamed ileal tissues from CD patients as well
as normal intestinal specimens from control patients
(normal ileum) were investigated by Western blot
analysis, immunohistochemisty and in situ hybridization.
As compared with controls, a strongly enhanced
expression of clusterin was found in CD tissues,
correlating with disease activity. Immunohistochemistry
and in situ hybridization analysis revealed foci of crypts
almost completely lined by clusterin expressing
enterocytes in CD, a feature that was never seen in
controls. Such crypts appeared especially within the
morphologically intact mucosa apart from erosive or
ulcerative lesions. Besides epithelia, clusterin was also
expressed by inflammatory mononuclear cells. Enhanced
expression of clusterin by crypt epithelia might reflect a
cytoprotective function of the protein in order to prevent
further injury of the intestinal mucosal barrier in CD
Distinct expression of calnexin in major human salivary glands
Calnexin (Cnx) has been characterized as a
membrane-bound protein that transiently interacts in a
unique chaperone system with newly synthesized
glycoproteins in order to allow the establishment of their
proper tertiary and, in most cases, quarternary structures.
The aim of the study was to identify and to locate the
expression of Cnx in the three major salivary glands of
humans by different methods. Strong expression of Cnx
protein and mRNA were generally found in serous
salivary secretory units. With regard to mucous secretory
units, expression of Cnx was only detectable at a low
level in mucous acinar cells of sublingual glands, but not
of submandibular glands. Expression of Cnx was always
preserved in the surface epithelium of intralobar and
interlobular duct segments. In addition, expression of
Cnx was detected in sebaceous glands of parotid tissues,
with a distribution pattern resembling that seen in
sebaceous glands of the normal skin. In conclusion,
production of saliva is associated with the expression of
Cnx. Synthesis of molecules in mucous secretory units is
not necessarily associated with a strong Cnx expression,
whereas synthesis in serous secretory units apparently is.
The tissue-specific Cnx expression is also paralleled by
the observation that the secretions produced by the major
salivary glands differ in their composition and amoun
Polymer Lab-on-Chip systems with integrated electrochemical pumps suitable for large scale fabrication
A low-cost, polymer-based microfluidic platform is described that not only includes passive microfluidic parts, but also pumps based on an on-chip electrochemical gas generation by electrolysis. A hydrogel is used as electrolyte material, which allows a simple fabrication process by screen printing or stencil printing. Test structures were designed and fabricated to illustrate the feasibility of the approach for batch processing. Microfluidic chips including reservoirs and channel structures were fabricated by microinjection molding and used to demonstrate the movement of liquids inside microchannels by the proposed micropumps. The channel system was furthermore functionalized by a plasma surface treatment to form hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas. For sealing of the channel system, as well as for bonding the microfluidic part to glass-like sensor parts, laser-cut adhesive tapes were applied
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