National Jewish Health

About: National Jewish Health is a healthcare organization based out in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Asthma & T cell. The organization has 883 authors who have published 833 publications receiving 79201 citations. The organization is also known as: National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Allergen immunotherapy: Where is it now?

Abstract: The scientific basis and the proof of clinical effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy administered by subcutaneous injection (SCIT) are well established. It is effective treatment for sensitivity to Hymenoptera venom and for allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. SCIT administered in the proper setting reduces the development of new sensitivities and progression from rhinitis to asthma. Further, the beneficial effects persist long after completion of a course of treatment. Although many people enjoy the benefits of SCIT, extension of its use to the many others who might be candidates for this treatment is limited by its drawbacks of safety concerns and the inconvenience of repeated clinic visits over several years to receive the injections. There are many attempts underway to improve on the safety and convenience while still retaining the benefits of SCIT. These include approaches using current allergen extracts, especially by administering them sublingually. Alternatively, through recombinant technology, extracts are being modified to reduce their allergenicity without reducing their immunogenicity. They are being linked to immunostimulatory DNA sequences that will modify their in vivo processing resulting in an enhanced nonallergic response or they are being incorporated into fusion proteins with inhibitory properties for mast cells and basophils.

Pharmacokinetics of isoniazid under fasting conditions, with food, and with antacids.

Abstract: OBJECTIFS: Determiner les variabilites intra- et inter sujets dans la pharmacocinetique de l'isoniazide (INH), et les effets de l'alimentation et des anti-acides sur celle-ci SCHEMA: Etude de phase I, randomisee, en quatre periodes avec permutation croisee parmi 14 volontaires bien portants des deux sexes Les sujets ont ingere a deux reprises des doses uniques de 300 mg d'INH dans des conditions de jeune ainsi qu'avec un repas riche en graisses et avec un anti-acide a base d'aluminium-magnesium Ils ont recu egalement des doses standard de rifampicine, de pyrazinamide et d'ethambutol RESULTATS : Le serum a ete preleve pendant 48 heures et examine par HPLC Les donnees ont ete analysees en employant des methodes non compartimentales ainsi qu'une analyse compartimentale utilisant la maximisation des attentes non parametriques L'on a obtenu des resultats similaires dans les deux situations de jeune : un C max moyen pour l'INH de 5,53 ± 2,92 μg/ml, un T max de 1,02 ± 1,10 hr, et une AUC 0- ∞ de 20,16 ± 12,45 μg * hr/ml Ces observations sont similaires a celles rapportees anterieurement Les anti-acides n'alterent pas significativement ces parametres (C max de 5,62 ± 2,53 μg/ml, T max de 0,71 ± 0,56 hr, et AUC 0- ∞ de 20,27 ± 11,39 μg * hr/ml) Au contraire, le repas FDA riche en graisses a reduit la C max de l'INH de 51% (2,73 ± 1,70 μg/ml), a presque double le T max (1,93 ± 1,61 hr), et a reduit de 12% l'AUC 0- ∞ (17,72 ± 10,32 μg * hr/ml) CONCLUSIONS: Ces modifications du C max , du T max et de l'AUC 0- ∞ peuvent etre evitees en administrant l'INH a jeun chaque fois que c'est possible

Cardiovascular and immune responses to acute psychological stress in young and old women: a meta-analysis.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To describe the relationships between cardiovascular and natural killer (NK) cell number changes on acute psychological stress in women. METHOD Data from eight different studies were analyzed. A total of 128 healthy female subjects, 85 younger (18-45 years) and 43 older (49-87 years), had been subjected to a speech stressor (N = 80) or a mental effort stressor (N = 48), mental arithmetic, or the Stroop test. Correlations between changes in NK cell numbers, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, and heart rate (HR) were computed. Meta-analysis programs were used to study correlations across studies and to examine whether correlations differed with stressors or age. RESULTS In all studies, significant increases over baseline were observed for each variable. Across studies, the mean weighted r between changes in HR, DBP, and SBP was medium (rw = .25) to large (rw = .64). A medium to large average correlation between HR and NK changes (rw = .37) was observed, whereas average correlations of changes in NK cell numbers with blood pressure changes were small to medium (rw < or = .23). Correlations between changes in NK cell numbers and cardiovascular variables were homogeneous across studies, whereas mutual correlations between cardiovascular variables were heterogeneous. One moderator variable showed itself: correlations between HR and DBP reactions were larger in studies with older than younger subjects. CONCLUSION NK cell changes and HR responses induced by acute stress in women are regulated, to some extent, by the same mechanisms. Neither the type of stressor nor age seem to be very important when considering correlations between NK cell and cardiovascular changes. This study integrates information about NK cell and cardiovascular responses in women that can be used as reference material in future studies.

Downregulation of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-α Gene Expression in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Is Dependent on Reactive Oxygen Species and Prevents Lipotoxicity

Abstract: Background— The peroxisome proliferators–activated receptor-α (PPARα), a transcription factor that modulates fatty acid metabolism, regulates substrate preference in the heart. Although in acute ischemia there is a switch in substrate preference from fatty acids to glucose, metabolic gene expression in repetitive ischemia is not well described. In a mouse model of ischemic cardiomyopathy induced by repetitive ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), we postulated that downregulation of PPARα is regulated by reactive oxygen species and is necessary for maintaining contractile function in the heart. Methods and Results— Repetitive closed-chest I/R (15 minutes) was performed daily in C57/BL6 mice, mice overexpressing extracellular superoxide dismutase, and mice treated with the PPARα agonist-WY-14,643. Echocardiography, histology, and candidate gene expression were measured at 3, 5, 7, and 28 days of repetitive I/R and 15 and 30 days after discontinuation of I/R. Repetitive I/R was associated with a downregulation of PPA...