In this study, we report quantity, solubility and molecular polymorphism of collagen, proportional relationships between various types of collagen, ultrastructure of collagen fibres, the amounts of various glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proportional relationships between them in Wharton’s jelly of normal umbilical cords. We compare the extracellular matrix components in Wharton’s jelly with those in the umbilical cord artery. Collagen of the Wharton’s jelly demonstrates some specific features. It is very insoluble in neutral salt and in a slightly acidic solution and appears to be resistant to the action of depolymerizing agent (EDTA-Na₂). Only 50% of total collagen may be solubilized by pepsin digestion and fractionated by differential salt precipitation. Four collagen fractions were obtained. Three of them were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as type I, type III, and type V collagen and proportional relationship between them was calculated. Hyaluronic acid is the most abundant component of GAGs contained in Wharton’s jelly. The amounts of sulphated GAGs – keratan sulphate, heparan sulphate, chondroitin-4-sulphate, chondroitin-6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and heparin – are distinctly lower. Each of them constitutes only a few percent of total GAGs.

Abstract:Abstract: Abstract: Abstract: Abstract: Mononuclear phagocytes represent a heterogeneous population of cells with individual subpopulations exerting different pro-or anti-inflammatory functions. CD163 is a monocyte/macrophage specific marker expressed predominantly on cells which possess strong anti-inflammatory potential. The expression of CD163 is strongly induced by anti-inflammatory mediators such as glucocorticoids and interleukin-10, while being inhibited by pro-inflammatory mediators such as interferon-gamma. CD163-expressing mononuclear phagocytes, as well as soluble CD163, may both take part in downregulating an inflammatory response. It seems, therefore, that CD163 may be an interesting target for therapeutic modulation of the inflammatory response. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011, Vol. 49, No. 3, 365-374)

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

These results support the hypothesis linking the 4G/4G PAI-1 genotype with an increased risk of allergic asthma, bronchial hyperreactivity, and increased tsIgE levels.

The study was aimed at investigating the association between MDR-1 genetic polymorphisms [C1236T, G2677T(A), C3435T] and parameters describing the clinical course and treatment response of childhood steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). Three MDR-1 genetic markers were analyzed in 108 children diagnosed with SRNS and in 135 healthy controls with neither allergic nor renal disease. All subjects were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, and an EM algorithm-based analysis was utilized to estimate haplotype frequencies. As expected, there was no difference in genotypic and allelic distribution between and among SRNS patients and healthy children. However, all individual polymorphisms were strongly associated with time to response to initial prednisone therapy. The frequencies of the mutated alleles were higher in late responders (time to remission: >7 days) to oral prednisone (0.53, 0.52,0.66) than in early responders (time to remission: <7 days; 0.24, 0.19, 0.32), with all p values <0.001 for positions 1236, 2677 and 3435, respectively). Odds ratios (ORs) reflecting the strength of the associations were as follows: 6.79 (95% CI:1.96- 23.54) for 1236 T/T, 13.7 (95% CI:2.78-67) for 2677 T/T and 9.92 (95% CI: 3.01-32.71) for 3435 T/T as compared to the respective-wild type homozygotes. The TTT haplotype was similarly found to be significantly associated with late oral steroid response (0.49 vs. 0.19, p=0.0003). Variants 1236T, 2677TA and 3435T identify patients that respond slower to oral prednisone. Although the functional properties of the substitutions investigated here are still to be determined, our findings may be a small step toward the optimization of immunosuppressive therapy in SRNS children.

This study was conducted to evaluate the significance of circulating free DNA (CFDNA), p53 antibody (p53-Ab) and mutations of KRAS gene in the development of endometrial cancer (EC). A total of 109 patients with EC (87 patients with Type I and 22 patients with Type II) took part in this study. KRAS mutations and CFDNA were detected by means of the PCR-RFLP and enriched by the PCR-RFPL method. ELISA was used to analyze plasma p53-Ab. Tissue expression of P53 protein was evaluated immunohistochemically (IHC). The frequency of KRAS mutations was especially high in Grade 2 of Type I EC. CFDNA was frequently detected in patients with early stage of Type II EC at a low level of grade. It is noteworthy that the p53-Ab positive rate increased in the higher grade of Type I tumors. A significant difference in the number of cases with the p53-Ab was found in the advanced stage of Type I tumors. The frequency of KRAS and p53-Ab correlates with tumor stage only in the Type I EC. Plasma CFDNA and p53-Ab offer a chance to develop a procedure for EC Type II diagnosis. The association between tumor cells related to CFDNA and p53-Ab with Type II tumor suggests that it might potentially serve as a marker in predicting the prognosis and offers a possibility to individualize treatment regimen.