Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
 44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Public health authorities have long believed that the preponderance of AIDS cases in Africa are attributable to 'heterosexual transmission'; most people silently assume this rubric to indicate penile-vaginal intercourse only. Recent epidemiologic analyses suggest that the majority of HIV cases in sub-Saharan Africa may be due to non-sterile health care practices. The present paper reviews the anthropological, proctologic, and infectious disease literature, and argues that both homosexuality and heterosexual anal intercourse are more prevalent in Africa than has traditionally been believed. The authors hypothesize that perhaps the majority of HIV transmission not accounted for by iatrogenic exposure could be accounted for by unsuspected and unreported penile-anal intercourse. Given the authors' findings, properly conducted studies to measure this HIV transmission vector, while controlling for iatrogenic exposure confound, are clearly warranted in Africa and in countries with similar epidemiologic characteristics.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Jul
PMID:Assessing the role of anal intercourse in the epidemiology of AIDS in Africa. 1467 97

The demographic, risk-taking, psychological, and social network characteristics of HIV+ patients receiving and not receiving antiretroviral therapy were compared to those characteristics in HIV+ and HIV- persons who are not in care. In this cohort study, we enrolled patients from the Grady Infectious Disease Program (IDP) Clinic in Atlanta, GA, defining group membership by their use of antiretroviral therapy at the time of ascertainment. We also enrolled HIV+ and HIV- persons from inner city neighbourhoods of Atlanta. We collected extensive survey information from both groups, as well as clinic and follow-up information from the Clinic groups. We attempted to interview each participant four times over a period of two years. We used scores for Risk, for Social Stress and for Psychological Distress to compare the groups. Persons receiving antiretroviral therapy continued to display risky behaviour and to experience a substantial degree of social stress and psychological distress. HIV+ persons in the community, however, had the most prominent profile for HIV-transmission risk, social stress, and psychological distress and display considerable cross-over in their patterns of risk-taking. Men who have sex with men appear to play a dominant role, through their risk behaviour and network affiliations, in the maintenance of HIV endemicity. Current approaches fail to give sufficient attention to the admixture of risk that occurs in inner city communities. Reaching HIV+ persons with antiretroviral therapy in such communities faces considerable social, structural, and psychological barriers that may be more important than simple adherence to medication.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Jul
PMID:Once and future HIV treatment: a comparison of clinic and community groups. 1286 22

The metabolic syndrome in association with obesity is a major clinical problem inducing hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. Leptin induces angiogenesis by its proliferative effects on endothelial cells (ECs) via OB receptor (OB-Rb) gene. We evaluated the growth of ECs and intracellular signalings in response to leptin in vitro and the angiogenic effects of leptin in the cornea in vivo with and without adenovirus-mediated transfer of the OB-Rb gene in Zucker fatty (ZF) rats as a model for the metabolic syndrome. Recombinant adenovirus vector encoding rat OB-Rb (Ad.OB-Rb) or Escherichia coli. LacZ (Ad.LacZ) was transfected into cultured ECs from Zucker lean (ZL) rats and ZF rats. Leptin increased DNA synthesis dose-dependently in ECs from ZL rats but not ZF rats. Infection with Ad.OB-Rb, but not with Ad.LacZ, improved the growth effects of leptin in ECs from ZF rats. Leptin induced phosphorylation of Janus kinase (JAK)2, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in ECs from ZL rats but not ZF rats. Infection with Ad.OB-Rb restored phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in ECs from ZF rats. Leptin induced angiogenesis in cornea from ZL rats, but not from ZF rats. Coadministration of leptin and Ad.OB-Rb induced angiogenesis in cornea from ZF rats. Ad.LacZ did not influence the angiogenic effects of leptin. The impaired endothelial function with the leptin resistance may be one of causes of the atherosclerosis in the metabolic syndrome.
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PMID:Effects of leptin on endothelial function with OB-Rb gene transfer in Zucker fatty rats. 1292 73

This study looked at inmates' self-reported data on prior treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS risk among a sample of inmates in a medium security prison. Contingency tables were used and risk ratios were computed to provide an estimate of relative risk for inmates with a history of being treated for TB in opposition to inmates without a history of being treated for TB. Findings suggest that inmates who reported being treated for TB were more likely to have had sex with a man while in prison and to report that, while in prison, they had a main sex partner. They were also 1.15 times more likely to have had sex with a person from the transgender community while in prison and 2.53 times more likely to report having been forced to have sex while in prison than those without a past history of being treated for TB. Future studies should attempt to determine the extent to which having an infectious disease such as TB impacts behavioural change with respect to behaviours practised by inmates.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Aug
PMID:History of prior TB infection and HIV/AIDS risk behaviours among a sample of male inmates in the USA. 1293 79

This document is an updated version of that produced in October 2001 and addresses medical workforce needs for the speciality of genitourinary medicine (GUM) for the next 10 years. Data on current consultant numbers, working patterns and retirement are based on information from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Workforce Unit annual census undertaken on 30 September 2001. Information on specialist registrars (SpRs) is from the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training and the GUM Specialist Registrars Group. Senior house officer data are from the RCP's General Professional Training department. Data on non-consultant career grade doctors is from the Association of Genitourinary Medicine Survey and the GUM Non-Consultants Career Grade Group. Data on incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are from KC60 returns on STIs collected from GUM clinics by the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre. There is considerable movement of doctors in GUM between countries in the UK both during progression from SpR to consultant and at the consultant level. Data are therefore presented as amalgamated UK data and also by country (Table 1). It is essential that workforce planning takes this lateral movement into consideration when undertaking calculations for future workforce requirements. The speciality continues to have inadequate consultant numbers and funding is also required to provide adequate number of non-consultant career grade sessions.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Oct
PMID:Medical workforce speciality review for genitourinary medicine 2002/2003: England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. 1459 67

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the major preventable causes of cancer world-wide. Rapid increase in cervical cancer incidence also in some western countries with cervical cancer screening programmes is probably due to increase in background exposure to HPV in the young. HPV vaccines are in clinical trials and the results have been promising, but due to assortative transmission of the infection and multiple HPV types the effect of large-scale immunization on their spread will vary between different populations and by HPV type. Thus, it is difficult to predict the effect of vaccination on cancer incidence on the basis of efficacy trials only. In the following evaluation of population level, effectiveness of vaccination on cervical cancer incidence (1) and HPV prevalence (2) by combined cluster/individually randomized trials (1) and cluster/community randomized trials (2) are described.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Dec
PMID:Effectiveness of preventive human papillomavirus vaccination. 1467 83

In this case study authors presented the clinical characteristics of X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) associated with agranulocytosis diagnosed in a 2-year-old boy. Affected child lacked circulating mature B cells, presented low levels of serum immunoglobulins, but did not suffer from recurrent bacterial infections. XLA is a primary immunodeficiency caused by a defective tyrosine kinase (Btk) in B cells. Our patient and his mother have a mutation in the BTK gene, described as W281X. During therapy with intravenous gammaglobulin, the boy has not experienced agranulocytosis. It is important to consider a primary immunodeficiency diagnosis when a child presents agranulocytosis or neutropenia and a recurrent infectious disease.
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PMID:[X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) associated with agranulocytosis--case report]. 1496 69

Since the advent of antiretroviral treatment against HIV, their use as post-exposure prophylaxis, in health care workers as well as after non professional exposures, is still increasing. Although their efficacy is well documented in selected indications, one should always keep in mind that in most exposures, the risk of side effects and the cost of such an intervention is probably much higher than the low probability of HIV transmission. By balancing the risks and the potential benefits of post-exposure prophylaxis against HIV after a given exposure, if needed with help from a specialist, overprescription can in this way be avoided. The patient's fear about having contracted HIV should finally not drive one to forget the risk of transmission of other communicable disease, like viral hepatitis, tetanus and STD.
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PMID:[Prophylaxis after HIV exposure]. 1509 1

Elevations in matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 have been found in patients with Lyme arthritis and in in vitro models of Lyme arthritis using cartilage explants and chondrocytes. The pathways by which B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, induces the production of MMP-1 and MMP-3 have not been elucidated. We examined the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathways in MMP induction by B. burgdorferi. Infection with B. burgdorferi results in rapid phosphorylation of p38 and JNK within 15 to 30 min. Inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK significantly reduced B. burgdorferi-induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression. Inhibition of ERK1/2 completely inhibited the expression of MMP-3 in human chondrocytes following B. burgdorferi infection but had little effect on the expression of MMP-1. B. burgdorferi infection also induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT-3 and STAT-6 in primary human chondrocytes. Expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 was significantly inhibited by inhibition of JAK3 activity. Induction of MMP-1 and -3 following MAPK and JAK/STAT activation was cycloheximide sensitive, suggesting synthesis of intermediary proteins is required. Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) significantly reduced MMP-1 but not MMP-3 expression from B. burgdorferi-infected cells; inhibition of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) had no effect. Treatment of B. burgdorferi-infected cells with JAK and MAPK inhibitors significantly inhibited TNF-alpha induction, consistent with at least a partial role for TNF-alpha in B. burgdorferi-induced MMP-1 expression in chondrocytes.
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PMID:Borrelia burgdorferi-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinases from human chondrocytes requires mitogen-activated protein kinase and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathways. 1510 98

The design and implementation of an employee health program for people who work with mountain gorillas in Rwanda is described. This program aims to improve worker health and to reduce human-to-gorilla transmission of infectious disease. The program covered approximately 111 workers, generally healthy men and women 25-45 years old, including essentially all people in Rwanda who have regular contact with gorillas. Initial assessment included a questionnaire, medical examination, and local tests. U.S. laboratory facilities were utilized to confirm some results and for serologic testing for zoonotic (simian) viruses. Initial interventions included STD/HIV prevention health education, tetanus immunization, and anthelminthic treatment. Local physicians continue to provide health services, including follow-up testing and treatment. Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) veterinarians assist in planning and implementing continuing program components in collaboration with local health authorities and the other employing organizations.
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PMID:Occupational health and gorilla conservation in Rwanda. 1547 88


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