Objective. To analyze the expression of 15 genes encoding receptors and enzymes associated with the molecular mechanism of the tocolytic drugs atosiban (oxytocin receptor antagonist), nifedipine (calcium channel blocker), and celecoxib (selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor) in pre-term labor patients with premature rupture of fetal membranes in relation to symptoms of intrauterine ...

Anterior vaginal wall prolapse is the most common type of pelvic organ prolapse. Vaginal wall samples were obtained from women with (n =12) and without (n =12) anterior vaginal wall prolapse. No reports have been published on the content of fibulin-3 in the vaginal walls of patients with prolapse; thus, ...

During pregnancy, uterine quiescence is maintained by increased progesterone receptor (PR) activity, but labor is facilitated by a series of events that impair PR function. Previously, we discovered that miR-200 family members serve as progesterone (P(4))-modulated activators of contraction-associated genes in the pregnant uterus. In this study, we identified a ...

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to compare the expression of microRNA (miR)-221, miR-222, and estrogen receptor α (ERα) in the uterosacral ligaments of women with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP). METHODS: Histologically confirmed full-thickness uterosacral ligament biopsies were procured during hysterectomies from 40 POP patients ...

Transcription factors (TFs) can direct cell fate by binding to DNA and regulating gene transcription. Controlling the intracellular levels of specific TFs can therefore enable reprogramming of cellular function and differentiation. Direct delivery of recombinant TFs to target cells can thus have widespread therapeutic value, but has remained challenging due ...

Background/Aims: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. PE is defined clinically as the onset of maternal hypertension and proteinuria following 20 weeks of gestation. It is associated with altered maternal uterine decidual spiral artery remodelling, which may lead to reduced blood ...

Altered elastin metabolism has been documented in pelvic tissues from women with pelvic floor dysfunction. This study was conducted to quantify the expression of elastolytic enzymes in uterine cervix and uterosacral ligaments from women with uterine prolapse compared to asymptomatic normal controls. Paired tissues of uterosacral ligament and cervical tissues ...

Cervical cancer remains persistently the second most common malignancies among women worldwide, responsible for 500,000 new cases annually. Only in Brazil, the estimate is for 18,430 new cases in 2011. Several types of molecular markers have been studied in carcinogenesis including proteins associated with apoptosis such as BAG-1 and PARP-1. ...

Preterm labor is associated with both localized inflammation of the uterus and elevated proinflammatory cytokines. Recently, specific roles have been suggested for distinct monocyte subsets and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine whether specific monocyte subsets and increased TLR4 expression in ...

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Although many previous reports have examined the function of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on gap junctions and non-differentiated stem cells, its effects on the reciprocal action of connexin (Cx) isoforms and undifferentiation in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of PGE2 on Cx isoforms ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Prostaglandins (PG) are widely employed to induce cervical remodelling (CR) in pregnancy. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Tight junctions (TJ) and gap junctions (GJ) regulate paracellular and intercellular solute transport respectively but their role in the process of CR remains unexplored. We hypothesized that ...

The mechanisms of cervical ripening and dilation in mammals remain obscure. Information about the localization of PGE(2)-producing cells and prostaglandin E(2) receptors (EP) in intrapartum cervix and evidences on whether cervical dilation at parturition is an active process are still insufficient. To reveal these mechanisms, immunolocalization of EP1-EP4 (official gene ...

The imprinting and transcription of the 500-kb genomic region surrounding mouse Peg3 is predicted to be regulated by the Peg3-DMR (Differentially Methylated Region). In the current study, this prediction was tested using a mutant mouse line lacking this potential ICR (Imprinting Control Region). At the organismal level, paternal and maternal ...

Both the uterus and vagina develop from the Müllerian duct but are quite distinct in morphology and function. To investigate factors controlling epithelial differentiation and cell proliferation in neonatal uterus and vagina, we focused on Hedgehog (HH) signaling. In neonatal mice, Sonic hh (Shh) was localized in the vaginal epithelium ...

This study characterises HERV-W (syncytin 1) expression in normal and pathologic placenta and in BeWo cells. HERV-W mRNA levels were higher in the first trimester than at term, and similar patterns were observed with another retrovirally-derived mRNA species, ERV-3. N-glycosylated syncytin 1 precursor (73 kDa) is cleaved to surface-associated (SU) and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Placental malfunction in preeclampsia is believed to be a consequence of aberrant differentiation of trophoblast lineages and changes in utero-placental oxygenation. The transcription factor Snail, a master regulator molecule of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in embryonic development and in cancer, is shown to be involved in trophoblast differentiation as well. ...

Prostaglandins, pro-inflammatory cytokines, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling enzymes and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) are involved in the mechanisms of term and preterm parturition. Recent studies have reported an increase in angiogenesis-related genes during term and preterm labour, including placental growth factor (PLGF). In non-gestational tissues, PLGF induces inflammation via nuclear factor-κB ...

  The potential application of mRNA for the identification of biological fluids using molecular techniques has been a recent development in forensic serology. Constitutively expressed housekeeping genes can assess the amount of mRNA recovered from a sample, establish its suitability for downstream applications, and provide a reference point to corroborate ...

Reasons for performing the study: Ascending placentitis results in premature birth and high foal mortality. By understanding how placentitis induces premature delivery, it may be possible to develop diagnostic markers and to delay premature delivery pharmacologically, thereby decreasing perinatal foal mortality. Objective: To identify relationships between bacterial infection, inflammation and ...

Ascending placentitis results in premature birth and high foal mortality. By understanding how placentitis induces premature delivery, it may be possible to develop diagnostic markers and to delay premature delivery pharmacologically, thereby decreasing perinatal foal mortality. To identify relationships between bacterial infection, inflammation and premature parturition in mares with experimentally ...

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the expression of IL-18 mRNA and protein in the chorioamniotic membranes of pregnant women with PPROM and correlate expression with histological chorioamnionitis. STUDY DESIGN: A case control study that included 42 pregnant women not in labor in the following groups: PPROM (n=28) and controls with intact membranes ...

OBJECTIVES: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a key regulator of nitric oxide production. Elevations of ADMA have previously been associated with endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclamptic women. ADMA is degraded mainly by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), which is also expressed in placental tissue. Therefore, we measured placental DDAH expression and activity in pre-eclampsia ...

Spontaneous preterm birth (SPB, before 37 gestational weeks) is a major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. Studies on SPB have been hampered by the limited availability of markers for SPB in predelivery clinical samples that can be easily compared with gestational age-matched normal controls. ...

Objective. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a key component of the innate arm of the immune system that mediates inflammatory responses following exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharides. In doing so, TLR4 may contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). We sought to assess the spatio-temporal expression of TLR4 and its negative ...

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) is considered to be a key mediator in migraine pathophysiology. PGE(2) acts via four receptors (EP(1)-EP(4)) but their distribution in the brain districts implicated in migraine has yet to be delineated. We quantified amount of mRNA and protein expression for the EP receptors in both peripheral and ...

Based on Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to gain further insight in the pathway from eating regulation to bulimic symptoms by (a) examining diet-specific need frustration as an intervening mechanism, (b) investigating the associations between different types of goals underlying eating regulation and diet-specific need frustration and bulimic symptoms, and ...

(Headache 2011;51:905-922) A number of pain conditions, acute as well as chronic, are much more prevalent in women, such as temporomandibular disorder (TMD), irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and migraine. The association of female sex steroids with these nociceptive conditions is well known, but the mechanisms of their effects on pain ...

Analyses of the tumour immunoglobulin (Ig) gene (IG) heavy (H) and light chains show heterogeneity of mutational status, but reveal common features of ongoing IGH isotype-switching with multiple IGH isotype expression and preference of IG lambda (IGL) light chain with selective use of IGLJ3. Phenotypic and immunogenetic analyses were performed ...

Environmental contaminant exposure can influence gonadal steroid signaling milieus; however, little research has investigated the vulnerability of non-steroidal signaling pathways in the gonads. Here we use American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) hatched from field-collected eggs to analyze gonadal mRNA transcript levels of the activin-inhibin-follistatin gene expression network and growth differentiation factor ...

MicroRNAs are short ribonucleic acids (RNAs) that play an important role in many aspects of cellular biology such as differentiation and apoptosis, due to their role in the regulation of gene expression. Using microRNA microarrays, we characterized the microRNA gene expression of 27 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with ...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are postulated to be important regulators in various cancers, including leukemia. In a large-scale miRNA expression profiling analysis of 435 human miRNAs in 52 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples, we found that miR-126 and its minor counterpart in biogenesis, namely, miR-126*, were specifically aberrantly overexpressed in core ...

Several studies have examined facial expression recognition in pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), including autism and Asperger's disorder, but the results have been inconsistent. We investigated the relationship between facial expression recognition and age, face recognition, and symptom severity. Subjects were 28 individuals with mild PDD subtypes and 28 age- and ...

The association between azacitidine (AZA) and valproic acid (VPA) has shown high response rates in high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) cases with unfavorable prognosis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying this therapy, and molecular markers useful to monitor the disease and the effect of the treatment are needed. ...

Constitutive activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling has been observed in up to 70% of acute myeloid leukemia. Class I(A) PI3K consists of a catalytic subunit (p110α, p110β, p110δ) and an adapter subunit (p85α, p55α, p50α, p85β, p55γ). The p85α adapter subunit stabilizes the catalytic p110 subunit and recruits p110 ...

The immature laminin receptor (iLR) is a tumor-associated antigen. We analyzed the expression of iLR on malignant B cells of 134 unselected patient samples with CLL and hypothesized that iLR expression would have prognostic significance due to a differential expression pattern. High ILR expression (cut-off value 30%) was correlated with ...

Pediatric mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL)-rearranged acute monoblastic leukemia with t(9;11)(p22;q23) has a favorable outcome compared with other MLL-rearranged AML. The biologic background for this difference remains unknown. Therefore, we compared gene expression profiles (GEPs; Affymetrix HGU133 + 2.0) of 26 t(9;11)(p22;q23) patients with 42 other MLL-rearranged AML patients to identify differentially ...

Expression of microRNAs, a new class of noncoding RNAs that hybridize to target messenger RNA and regulate their translation into proteins, has been recently demonstrated to be altered in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Distinctive patterns of increased expression and/or silencing of multiple microRNAs (microRNA signatures) have been associated with specific ...

B-cell activating factor belonging to tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) is essential for B-cell survival and function through interaction with its receptors BAFF receptor 3 (BR3), B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and/or transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI), though BCMA and/or TACI can also bind to a ...

Core-binding factor leukemia (CBFL) is a subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by genetic mutations involving the subunits of the core-binding factor (CBF). The leukemogenesis model for CBFL posits that one, or more, gene mutations inducing increased cell proliferation and/or inhibition of apoptosis cooperate with CBF mutations for leukemia ...

Early B cell factor (EBF) is a transcription factor essential for specification and commitment to the B cell fate. In this study, we show downregulation of a developmentally regulated cluster of hoxa genes, notably hoxa9, coincides with induction of EBF at the Pro-B cell stage of B cell differentiation. Analysis ...

Dengue is a pantropic public health problem. In children, dengue shock syndrome (DSS) is the most common life-threatening complication. The ability to predict which patients may develop DSS may improve triage and treatment. To this end, we conducted a nested case-control comparison of the early host transcriptional features in 24 ...

Npm1(+/-) heterozygous mice develop a haematological disorder with features resembling human myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Promoter hypermethylation of the NPM1 gene may lead to suppressed gene transcription and hence functional haploinsufficiency, which contributes to the development of MDS. Thirty-one patients with MDS and eight normal individuals were studied for promoter methylation ...

To determine if myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) mRNA is related to clinical disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Baseline MxA mRNA levels were measured in a prospective cohort of 116 untreated patients with early MS and were related to clinical relapses and MRI at baseline and at follow-up. Low ...

Ectopic expression of CAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) in p210BCR/ABL-expressing cells induces granulocytic differentiation, inhibits proliferation, and suppresses leukemogenesis. To dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying these biological effects, C/EBPα-regulated genes were identified by microarray analysis in 32D-p210BCR/ABL cells. One of the genes whose expression was activated by C/EBPα in a ...

Activating mutations in signaling molecules, such as JAK2-V617F, have been associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Mice lacking the inhibitory adaptor protein Lnk display deregulation of thrombopoietin/thrombopoietin receptor signaling pathways and exhibit similar myeloproliferative characteristics to those found in MPN patients, suggesting a role for Lnk in the molecular pathogenesis of ...

Activation of the EVI-1 oncogene has been reported in acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast crisis, and less commonly, in chronic-phase CML patients. We screened an unselected cohort of 75 chronic-phase CML patients who had failed imatinib for expression of EVI-1 and sought a correlation with subsequent ...

A defining feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the occurrence of clinical relapses separated by periods of clinical stability. Better understanding of the events underlying clinical relapse might suggest new approaches to treatment. The objective of this study was to measure changes in the expression of RNA in the blood ...

Here, we report that primary leukemic cells from infants with newly diagnosed B-precursor leukemia express a truncated and functionally defective CD22 coreceptor protein that is unable to transmit apoptotic signals because it lacks most of the intracellular domain, including the key regulatory signal transduction elements and all of the cytoplasmic ...

Megakaryoblastic leukemia protein-1 (MKL1), also termed MAL, MRTF-A, and BSAC, belongs to the MRTF family of transcription factors that share evolutionary conserved domains required for actin-binding, homo- and heterodimerization, high-order chromatin organization and transcriptional activation. MKL1 regulates many processes, including muscle cell differentiation, cardiovascular development, remodeling of neuronal networks in ...

Induction of terminal differentiation is a conceptually attractive approach for the therapy of neoplastic diseases. Although vitamin D derivatives (deltanoids) can induce differentiation of AML cells in vitro, so far deltanoids have not been successfully brought to the clinic, due to the likelihood of life-threatening hypercalcemia. Here, we incubated freshly ...