Assessment of the microbial communities and their petroleum hydrocarbon transformation potential in the northern Caspian sea

Marine bacterial biodiversity is an immense library of tools which have a potential in bioremediation of oil spills [1]. Oil industry is flourishing in the Caspian Sea which is effecting local environment and we hypothesize that natural seeps and historical anthropogenic leaks have sustained indigenous microbial communities, including hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms (Picture 1). Indigenous microbial communities of Northern part of the Sea and their overall metabolic potential have not been studied comprehensively. We aim to gain knowledge about the bacterial community, determine specific hydrocarbon degrading species and study their potential in bioremediation of oil-polluted Caspian Sea waters

Effect of serum amyloid A1 treatment on global gene expression in THP-1-derived macrophages

10.1007/s00011-011-0424-4Inflammation Research614391-398INRE

Validation of the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of serum MMP-7 levels in renal cell cancer by using a novel automated fluorescent immunoassay method.

PURPOSE: Despite encouraging results in other cancers, in renal cell cancer, no consensus exists regarding the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of MMP-7. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic potential of serum MMP-7 levels in renal cell cancer. Furthermore, parallel to the widely used ELISA method, we tested a new, fluid-phase, fluorescent immunoassay (B.R.A.H.M.S KRYPTOR(R)) for the quantitation of MMP-7. METHODS: We analyzed the serum samples of 174 individuals (77 patients and 97 age-matched healthy controls) by a commercially available sandwich ELISA and by a novel, automated, fluid-phase immunofluorescent assay (B.R.A.H.M.S KRYPTOR(R)). Results were correlated with the clinicopathological and follow-up data. RESULTS: MMP-7 concentrations showed a high concordance level (R 2 = 0.979) between the two methods (p < 0.001). Serum MMP-7 concentrations were significantly higher in patients compared to controls. At a cutoff value of 3.15 ng/ml, a specificity and a sensitivity of 70 and 82 % for the detection of RCC was found. Patients with metastasis had significantly higher MMP-7 levels as those without metastasis (p = 0.038 by KRYPTOR, p = 0.011 by ELISA). High MMP-7 levels proved to be independently associated with shorter overall, disease-specific and metastasis-free survival, regardless of the analytical method. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, serum MMP-7 levels have both diagnostic and prognostic potential. The KRYPTOR method provided comparable results to the standard ELISA analysis, with a high concordance level and can therefore be considered as a surrogate method. Its flexibility and automated operation make the KRYPTOR MMP-7 assay suitable for routine laboratory use in the daily practice

Small Integrin-Binding Ligand N-Linked Glycoproteins (Siblings): Multifunctional Proteins in Cancer

Numerous components and pathways are involved in the complex interplay between cancer cells and their environment. The family of glycophosphoproteins comprising osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, dentin matrix protein 1, dentin sialophosphoprotein and matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein - small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins (SIBLINGs) - are emerging as important players in many stages of cancer progression. From their detection in various human cancers to the demonstration of their key functional roles during malignant transformation, invasion and metastasis, the SIBLINGs are proteins with potential as diagnostic and prognostic tools, as well as new therapeutic targets