Pref-1, a preadipocyte secreted factor that inhibits adipogenesis

Preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref-1) belongs to the Notch/Delta/Serrate family of epidermal growth factor-like repeat-containing proteins. Pref-1 is highly expressed in 3T3-L1 cells but is extinguished during adipocyte differentiation. Pref-1 serves as an excellent marker for preadipocytes. Furthermore, Pref-1 is an inhibitor of adipogenesis. Constitutive expression of Pref-1 inhibits, whereas antisense Pref-1 enhances, 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. We found that Pref-1 is synthesized as a transmembrane protein but processed to generate soluble forms, including a large 50-kDa soluble form and the small soluble forms. Furthermore, only the large soluble form, but not the small soluble or the transmembrane forms of Pref-1, is biologically active to inhibit adipogenesis. We recently elucidated that the 50-kDa soluble form of Pref-1 is released by an ADAM family member, tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme (ADMA 17). In vivo, mice lacking Pref-1 show accelerated fat deposition; conversely, mice overexpressing soluble Pref-1 in adipose tissue show a decrease in fat mass, reduced expression of adipocyte markers, and lower adipocyte-secreted factors. These findings clearly demonstrate the inhibitory effect of Pref-1 on adipogenesis in vivo.     

Single strand DNA breaks in T- and B-lymphocytes and granulocytes in workers exposed to benzene

Comet assays were carried out to evaluate DNA damage in T- and B-lymphocytes and granulocytes from 41 workers exposed to benzene in a printing company and 41 unexposed donors. In T-lymphocytes, DNA damage was slightly higher in exposed workers than in controls. The tail moments in the two groups were 1.75+/-0.29 and 1.47+/-0.41, respectively (P<0.0006). DNA damage of B-lymphocytes in the two groups showed the most significant difference among the three cell types. The tail moments were 3.86+/-0.71 and 1.51+/-0.39, respectively (P<0.0001). In granulocytes, DNA damage was also different, the tail moments being 3.61+/-0.75 and 2.60+/-0.59, respectively (P<0.0001). The comparison of DNA damage in both groups shows that B-lymphocytes could be a useful target in biomonitoring of human exposure to low levels of benzene.     

Risk factors for progression from cytomegalovirus viremia to cytomegalovirus disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is a major cause of infectious complications in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Although patients undergoing allo-HSCT receive prophylactic and preemptive treatment for CMV, a subset of patients experience clinically significant CMV disease. This study investigated the risk factors for progression from CMV viremia to CMV disease during or after preemptive therapy in patients undergoing allo-HSCT. Between January 2006 and August 2010, 43 patients received preemptive therapy for CMV viremia after allo-HSCT. These patients experienced 74 episodes of CMV viremia. Nine of the patients (21%) and 12 of the episodes (16%) progressed to CMV disease. Univariate analysis identified several risk factors for progression to CMV disease, including high initial viral load (P?=?.020), leukopenia (P = .012), and neutropenia (P = .033) at the time of detection of CMV viremia. On multivariate analysis, leukopenia remained an independent predictor (hazard ratio, 4.347; P = .045). The rate of failure to clear CMV viremia after 1 cycle of preemptive therapy was higher in the leukopenia group than in the non-leukopenia group (60.0% versus 16.9%; P = .002). This indicates that leukopenia initially?documented with CMV viremia is related to lower viral response to preemptive therapy and is a notable risk factor for progression from CMV viremia to CMV disease.     

The impact of nurse practitioner regulations on population access to care

Background

By 2025, experts estimate a significant shortage of primary care providers in the United States, and expansion of the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce may reduce this burden. However, barriers imposed by state NP regulations could reduce access to primary care.

Development of the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K): clinical and neuropsychological assessment batteries.

A Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K) was created. The English-American version of CERAD clinical and neuropsychological assessment batteries was translated into Korean, and the psychometrical properties of the cognitive tests in the CERAD-K were established. In the translation, including back-translation, the basic structures of all measures in the original CERAD batteries were maintained. The CERAD-K was administered in a standardized manner to 106 dementia patients (aged 70.4 +/- 8.1 years), including 78 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and 186 controls (aged 68.4 +/- 4.6 years) who were recruited from 3 university hospitals and 2 elderly welfare centers. The cognitive tests in the CERAD-K successfully differentiated controls from the dementia patients and from the AD patients. They also showed substantial interrater reliability and 1-month test-retest reliability. The CERAD-K is an equally reliable and valid equivalent for the English version of the CERAD clinical and neuropsychological assessment batteries.