Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

Intravenous magnesium sulfate may relieve restless legs syndrome in pregnancy.

Abstract: We report a case of restless legs syndrome that improved after intravenous magnesium sulfate administration. A 34-year-old gravida 1 para 0 woman, with a 13-year history of restless legs syndrome, was prescribed bed rest due to pre-term labor at 26 weeks. While at rest, the subject experienced severe restless legs syndrome. The subject was later admitted to the hospital for pre-term labor. Treatment for pre-term labor included intravenous magnesium sulfate. RLS symptoms completely resolved during treatment, beginning the first day of administration. Studies involving intravenous magnesium treatment for restless legs syndrome have not included pregnant women. The authors propose that intravenous magnesium sulfate may alleviate restless legs syndrome in some pregnant women.

Autoimmune manifestations in large granular lymphocyte leukemia.

Abstract: Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia features a group of indolent lymphoproliferative diseases that display a strong association with various autoimmune conditions. Notwithstanding, these autoimmune conditions have not been comprehensively characterized or systematized to date. As a result, their clinical implications remain largely unknown. The authors offer a comprehensive review of the existing literature on various autoimmune conditions documented in the course of T-cell LGL (T-LGL) leukemia. Though some of them are thought be secondary to the LGL leukemia, others could be primary and might even play a role in its pathogenesis. A considerable clinico-laboratory overlap between T-LGL leukemia associated with rheumatoid arthritis and Felty's syndrome suggests that they are just different eponyms for the same clinical entity.

Retinoic acid stimulates the transcription of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-6 in skeletal cells

Abstract: Retinoic acid has important actions on cell differentiation and osteoblastic function, and some of these actions may be mediated by changes in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis. Skeletal cells synthesize IGF I and II and the six known IGF binding proteins (IGFBP). IGFBP-6 binds IGF II with high affinity and prevents IGF II-mediated effects. In fibroblasts, IGFBP-6 levels are regulated by retinoic acid, and we postulated that retinoic acid may regulate IGF II in bone by altering IGFBP-6 synthesis. We examined the effect of retinoic acid on IGFBP-6 expression in cultures of osteoblast-enriched cells from 22-day fetal rat calvariae (Ob cells). Retinoic acid caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in IGFBP-6 mRNA levels, as determined by Northern blot analysis. The effect was maximal after 48 h of treatment and observed with retinoic acid at concentrations of 10 nM to 1 microM. Retinoic acid increased IGFBP-6 polypeptide levels in the culture medium, as determined by Western immunoblot analysis. Cycloheximide at 3.6 microM slightly decreased IGFBP-6 transcripts but did not prevent the stimulatory effect of retinoic acid. The decay of IGFBP-6 mRNA in transcriptionally arrested Ob cells was similar in control and retinoic acid-treated cells, and retinoic acid increased the rates of IGFBP-6 transcription, as determined by nuclear run on assays. In conclusion, retinoic acid enhances IGFBP-6 expression in Ob cells by transcriptional mechanisms. Since IGFBP-6 prevents the effects of IGF II, increased synthesis of IGFBP-6 could mediate selected actions of retinoic acid in bone.