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Biomedical subjects

A Puig

Publications and source records attributed to A Puig.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Protein disulfide isomerase exhibits chaperone and anti-chaperone activity in the oxidative refolding of lysozyme.

Reduced, denatured lysozyme tends to aggregate at neutral pH, and competition between productive folding and aggregation substantially reduces the efficiency of refolding (Goldberg, M.E., Rudolph, R., and Jaenicke, R. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 2790-2797). Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a catalyst of oxidative protein folding, has a variety of effects on the yield of native lysozyme during the oxidative refolding of the reduced, denatured protein. Depending on the concentration of lysozyme, the concentration of PDI, and the order in which lysozyme and PDI are added to initiate folding, PDI can produce a substantial increase or a substantial decrease in the recovery of native lysozyme, when compared with the uncatalyzed reaction. In the presence of a glutathione redox buffer, denatured lysozyme (1-10 microM) partitions almost equally between productive folding leading to native lysozyme (50-63%) and non-productive fates including the formation of disulfide cross-linked aggregates. At the higher lysozyme concentrations examined (5-10 microM), substoichiometric concentrations of PDI (0.5-1 microM) exhibit "anti-chaperone" activity; PDI actively diverts most of the denatured lysozyme away from productive folding so that only 17 +/- 9% of the lysozyme is recovered as native enzyme. PDI's anti-chaperone activity results in extensive intermolecular disulfide crosslinking of lysozyme into large, inactive aggregates. On the other hand, if PDI is initially present at a large molar excess (5-10-fold) when denatured lysozyme is diluted to initiate folding, PDI demonstrates a chaperone-like activity that prevents aggregate formation and promotes correct folding. When PDI's chaperone activity is dominant, virtually all of the denatured lysozyme is correctly folded. The schizophrenic chaperone/anti-chaperone nature of PDI activity accounts for a number of observations on in vivo protein folding, including the necessity for maintaining a high concentration of PDI in the endoplasmic reticulum and the formation of disulfide cross-linked aggregates in the endoplasmic reticulum during the expression of disulfide-containing proteins (deSilva, A., Braakman, I., and Helenius, A. (1993) J. Cell. Biol. 120, 647-655).

Animals↗

New alleles at microsatellite loci in CEPH families mainly arise from somatic mutations in the lymphoblastoid cell lines.

In the analysis of 40 CEPH families, under the EUROGEM project, with a total of 29 microsatellites (26 CA-repeats, a TCTA-repeat within the vWFII-3 gene, a TTA-repeat within the PLA-2 gene, and an AAAT-repeat intragenic to the NF1 gene) from human chromosomes 12, 17, and 21, we have detected 21 cases of abnormal segregation of alleles in 16 pedigrees for a total of 14 markers (48%). In 11 cases, the abnormal transmissions were of somatic origin, 10 of which (91%) occurred in the lymphoblastoid cell lines. In 9 other cases, it was not possible to determine if the origin of the new alleles was somatic or germline, and in one case hemizygosity in several family members was observed, so its origin was germline. The 20 new mutations detected in the 22,852 meioses analysed represent a mutation frequency of 8.7 x 10(-4) per locus per allele. The germline mutation rate could be as high as 3.9 x 10(-4) per locus per gamete (from 0 to 3.9 x 10(-4)), but the rate of somatic mutations detected in the study was much higher (4.8 x 10(-4) to 8.7 x 10(-4) per locus per allele). Individual mutation rates ranged from 0 to 3.8 x 10(-3). Among the markers analysed, all three that were tri- or tetranucleotide repeats showed one or two new alleles, compared to only 10 of the 26 (38%) CA-repeats showing mutations. Three CEPH families (102, 45 and 1333) each had several mutational events, and one individual (10210) had somatic mutations for two microsatellites from different chromosomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with porphyria].

Hepatitis C virus antibodies were studied in sera coming from 39 patients with porphyria (cutanea tarda in 17, variegate in 8, intermittent acute in 4, coproporphyria in 2 and protoporphyria in 8). Nine of 17 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda had positive antibodies, but none of the patients with other types of porphyria. All subjects with porphyria cutanea tarda had histological or laboratory liver abnormalities. There was no relationship between the presence of antibodies and frequency of alcoholism, diabetes, or carbohydrate intolerance. Family background of porphyria was significantly less frequent among patients with positive hepatitis C virus antibodies. In 13 patients, a liver biopsy was performed, always showing signs of chronic hepatitis, whose magnitude was higher in those with positive antibodies. It is concluded that, as reported previously, hepatitis C virus may be an activating factor for porphyria cutanea tarda or may potentiate its accompanying liver disease.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗

[Report of a new case of small cell carcinoma of the oat-cell type in the bladder and review of the literature].

We report an additional case of small cell carcinoma of the bladder with oat cell features in a 67-year-old male patient. This tumor, recently described at this site, has clinico-pathological features that make it distinct from other bladder tumors. Histologically, it closely resembles its pulmonary counterpart with positive results for epithelial markers and neuroendocrine differentiation. The latter has been confirmed by the observation of the typical neurosecretory granules at ultrastructural level. It generally presents in the elderly male patients. It is extremely aggressive and responds poorly to the commonly used treatment. The histogenesis of this rare tumor of the bladder has, as yet, not been elucidated. The different hypotheses that have been put forward are discussed.

Aged↗

[Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the bladder].

A case of primary signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder is described. The etiopathogenesis, pathological and clinical features, prognosis and treatment of this tumor type are discussed and the literature reviewed.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Diaper dermatitis. Value of vitamin A topically applied.

The role of vitamin A in preventing diaper dermatitis was evaluated in a double-blind, randomized, prospective study in which 114 newborns were enrolled over an 11-month period. Patients in Group A (58 infants) were treated with a cream that contained 1,000 IU/g of vitamin A, whereas patients in Group B (56 infants) were treated with a cream that had the same composition, but it did not contain vitamin A. Each participant returned once every 15 days for six follow-up visits.

Administration, Topical↗

Poland-Möbius syndrome associated with dextrocardia.

A newborn male with Möbius syndrome, Poland anomaly, and dextrocardia is described. This is the second case reported of Poland-Möbius syndrome associated with dextrocardia. The patient presented with strabismus, facial diplegia, difficulty in swallowing, hypoplasia of the left pectoralis major muscle, partial absence of the upper costal cartilages, absence of the left areola, hypoplasia of the left forearm and hand, and dextrocardia without murmurs.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

[Primary nursing].

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Nursing Assistants↗