Time collection and storage conditions of lipid profile.

The stability of samples is crucial for getting reliable concentrations of many analytes, including lipid profile. Thus, the goal of this study was to analyze lipid profile under different storage and temperature conditions. This was a prospective study with 809 patients of both genders. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein were measured within 1 h from collection at room temperature, after 2-3 h of refrigeration (8°C) and after 4-5 h at room temperature. The processing time and storage conditions did not affect the analytes measured. These findings are important for multicenter studies, because of the difficulties related to centrifugation and freezing of samples immediately after collection.

Peptidomic analysis of the anterior temporal lobe and corpus callosum from schizophrenia patients.

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder hypothesized to develop from a combination of genetic, neurodevelopmental, and environmental factors. Molecules that are directly involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and may serve as biomarker candidates can be identified with "omics" approaches such as proteomics and peptidomics. In this context, we performed a peptidomic study in schizophrenia postmortem brains, to our knowledge the first such study in schizophrenia patients. We investigated the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) and corpus callosum (CC) by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and a label-free ion quantification technique based on data-dependent acquisition (DDA). Results indicated alterations in a specific intracellular neurogranin peptide in both the ATL and CC and a decrease of PepH, a fragment of histone H2B type 1-H intracellular peptide, in the ATL. PepH was tested in serum-deprived Neuro2A cells and showed a protective effect against cell death. Cells were also challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and PepH was able to prevent the endotoxic effects of LPS. Our data suggest that specific intracellular peptides are altered in schizophrenia patients. The potential biological activity of PepH supports intracellular peptides as novel targets in the study not only of schizophrenia but also of other neuropsychiatric diseases. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Psychiatric disorders are considerably more difficult to diagnose in their early stages. Usually, by the time the diagnosis is clear and clinical treatment can be started, the disorder is already established and thus of greater severity. Consequently, the scientific community has been searching for biomarker candidates that can aid the early detection of such disorders and for novel therapeutics to improve treatment or at least delay disease progression. Moreover, key molecules involved in the establishment of psychiatric diseases may help the understanding of their pathogenesis and thus drive the development of more effective treatments. The present work screened peptides that might be possible novel targets to control cell machinery in schizophrenia and identified an intracellular peptide with potential cytoprotective activity. To our knowledge, this is the first peptidomic study in schizophrenia patients.

Peptidomic analysis of the anterior temporal lobe and corpus callosum from schizophrenia patients

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder hypothesized to develop from a combination of genetic, neurodevelopmental, and environmental factors. Molecules that are directly involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and may serve as biomarker candidates can be identified with "omics" approaches such as proteomics and peptidomics. In this context, we performed a peptidomic study in schizophrenia postmortem brains, to our knowledge the first such study in schizophrenia patients. We investigated the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) and corpus callosum (CC) by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and a label-free ion quantification technique based on data-dependent acquisition (DDA). Results indicated alterations in a specific intracellular neurogranin peptide in both the ATL and CC and a decrease of PepH, a fragment of his tone H2B type 1-H intracellular peptide, in the ATL. PepH was tested in serum-deprived Neuro2A cells and showed a protective effect against cell death. Cells were also challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and PepH was able to prevent the endotoxic effects of LPS. Our data suggest that specific intracellular peptides are altered in schizophrenia patients. The potential biological activity of PepH supports intracellular peptides as novel targets in the study not only of schizophrenia but also of other neuropsychiatric diseases. Biological significance: Psychiatric disorders are considerably more difficult to diagnose in their early stages. Usually, by the time the diagnosis is clear and clinical treatment can be started, the disorder is already established and thus of greater severity. Consequently, the scientific community has been searching for biomarker candidates that can aid the early detection of such disorders and for novel therapeutics to improve treatment or at least delay disease progression. Moreover, key molecules involved in the establishment of psychiatric diseases may help the understanding of their pathogenesis and thus drive the development of more effective treatments. The present work screened peptides that might be possible novel targets to control cell machinery in schizophrenia and identified an intracellular peptide with potential cytoprotective activity. To our knowledge, this is the first peptidomic study in schizophrenia patients.

The Functionality and Evolution of Eukaryotic Transcriptional Enhancers.

Enhancers regulate precise spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression in eukaryotes and, moreover, evolutionary changes in these modular cis-regulatory elements may represent the predominant genetic basis for phenotypic evolution. Here, we review approaches to identify and functionally analyze enhancers and their transcription factor binding sites, including assay for transposable-accessible chromatin-sequencing (ATAC-Seq) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9, respectively. We also explore enhancer functionality, including how transcription factor binding sites combine to regulate transcription, as well as research on shadow and super enhancers, and how enhancers can act over great distances and even in trans. Finally, we discuss recent theoretical and empirical data on how transcription factor binding sites and enhancers evolve. This includes how the function of enhancers is maintained despite the turnover of transcription factor binding sites as well as reviewing studies where mutations in enhancers have been shown to underlie morphological change.

Immediate effects of submaximal effort on pulse wave velocity in patients with Marfan syndrome.

Marfan syndrome (MS) is a dominant autosomal disease caused by mutations in chromosome 15, the locus controlling fibrillin 1 synthesis, and may exhibit skeletal, ocular, cardiovascular, and other manifestations. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is used to measure arterial elasticity and stiffness and is related to the elastic properties of the vascular wall. Since the practice of exercise is limited in MS patients, it was of interest to analyze the acute effect of submaximal exercise on aortic distensibility using PWV and other hemodynamic variables in patients with MS with either mild or no aortic dilatation. PWV and physiological variables were evaluated before and after submaximal exercise in 33 patients with MS and 18 controls. PWV was 8.51 + or - 0.58 at rest and 9.10 + or - 0.63 m/s at the end of exercise (P = 0.002) in the group with MS and 8.07 + or - 0.35 and 8.98 + or - 0.56 m/s in the control group, respectively (P = 0.004). Comparative group analysis regarding PWV at rest and at the end of exercise revealed no statistically significant differences. The same was true for the group that used beta-blockers and the one that did not. The final heart rate was 10% higher in the control group than in the MS group (P = 0.01). Final systolic arterial pressure was higher in the control group (P = 0.02). PWV in MS patients with mild or no aortic dilatation did not differ from the control group after submaximal effort.

Immediate effects of submaximal effort on pulse wave velocity in patients with Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MS) is a dominant autosomal disease caused by mutations in chromosome 15, the locus controlling fibrillin 1 synthesis, and may exhibit skeletal, ocular, cardiovascular, and other manifestations. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is used to measure arterial elasticity and stiffness and is related to the elastic properties of the vascular wall. Since the practice of exercise is limited in MS patients, it was of interest to analyze the acute effect of submaximal exercise on aortic distensibility using PWV and other hemodynamic variables in patients with MS with either mild or no aortic dilatation. PWV and physiological variables were evaluated before and after submaximal exercise in 33 patients with MS and 18 controls. PWV was 8.51 ± 0.58 at rest and 9.10 ± 0.63 m/s at the end of exercise (P = 0.002) in the group with MS and 8.07 ± 0.35 and 8.98 ± 0.56 m/s in the control group, respectively (P = 0.004). Comparative group analysis regarding PWV at rest and at the end of exercise revealed no statistically significant differences. The same was true for the group that used â-blockers and the one that did not. The final heart rate was 10 percent higher in the control group than in the MS group (P = 0.01). Final systolic arterial pressure was higher in the control group (P = 0.02). PWV in MS patients with mild or no aortic dilatation did not differ from the control group after submaximal effort.

Constituents of Caesalpinia pyramidalis.

Two new glycosyl phenylpropenoid acids, 4-O-beta-glucopyranosyloxy-(Z)-7-hydroxycinnamic acid (1) and 4-O-beta-glucopyranosyloxy-(Z)-8-hydroxycinnamic acid (2), besides lupeol and aghatisflavone, were isolated from the leaves of Caesalpinia pyramidalis.

Indirect immunofluorescence determination of the frequency of anti-H. pylori antibodies in Brazilian blood donors.

1. The accuracy of an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for the serodiagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection was evaluated in adult patients and compared with culture, preformed urease test and smears stained with carbolfuchsin. 2. We studied 80 consecutive patients submitted to gastroduodenoscopy (17 of whom were found to have duodenal ulcer) plus 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. 3. H. pylori was identified by microbiological methods in 65 of the 80 consecutive patients and in all 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. 4. Among the 74 patients with duodenal ulcer, 71 presented antibody titers > or = 1:20 and 46 of the 48 H. pylori-positive patients without duodenal ulcer presented antibody titers > or = 1:20. 5. Thirteen of the 15 H. pylori-negative patients presented antibody titers < or = 1:10. 6. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the IIF test were 95.9%, 88.8% and 98.4%, respectively. 7. The seroprevalence of H. pylori in 380 asymptomatic Brazilian blood donors was also studied by the IIF test. The presence of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was observed in 62.1% of the individuals. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age and no difference was observed between males (60.3%) and females (66.6%).

Indirect immunofluorescence determination of the frequency of anti-H. pylori antibodies in brazilian blood donors

The accuracy of an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for the serodiagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infections was evaluated in adult patients and compared with culture, preformed urease test and smears stained with carbolfuchsin. We studied 80 consecutive patients submitted to gastroduodenioscopy (17 of whom were found to have duodenal ulcer) plus 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. H. pylori was identified by microbiological mehtods in 65 of the 80 consecutive patients and in all 57 patients with duodenal ulcer. Among the 74 patients with duodenal ulcer, 71 presented antibody titers *1:20 and 46 of the 48 H. pylori-positive patients without duodenal ulcer presented antibody titers *1:20. Thirteen of the 15 H. pylori-negative patients presented antibody titers *1:10. The sensitivity,m specificity and positive predictive value of the IIF test were 95.9%, 88.8% and 98.4%, respectively. The seroprevalence of H. pylori in 380 asymptomatic Brazilian was also studied by the IIF teset. The presence of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was observed in 62.1% of the individuals. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age and no difference was observed between males (60.3%) and females (66.6%)