Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

From preclimacteric women (n = 10, 45-50 years of age) with gross cystic breast disease, levels of beta-endorphin, estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, cortisol and prolactin were assayed radiochemically in the breast cyst fluid and in plasma. The beta-endorphin concentration (fmol/ml) was increased more than fourfold in the breast cyst fluid (17.6 +/- 4.6 SEM) than in plasma (4.2 +/- 0.5 SEM). In the breast cyst fluid, estradiol was increased 41-fold (1738.2 +/- 350.5 SEM pg/ml), and progesterone 47-fold (65.47 +/- 8.25 SEM ng/ml) more than in plasma. The significantly increased values of beta-endorphin, estradiol and progesterone in the breast cyst fluid and the identification of beta-endorphin in cyst-lining epithelia demonstrate the local synthesis. Growth factor-like properties of beta-endorphin and estradiol are accountable for the propagation of cystic changes. The autonomic formation and function of beta-endorphin, estradiol and progesterone in cyst compartments can not be related with the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone and cortisol, which were significantly higher in plasma than in the breast cyst fluid. In the breast cyst fluid, prolactin could not detected to be significantly higher than in plasma. In addition the plasma-concentration of testosterone, androstenedione, thyroxin, triiodothyronine, thyroid-binding globulin, sexual-hormone-binding-globulin could be detected within the normal range. In this study we could demonstrate the synergism of beta-endorphin, steroid hormones and peptide hormones which advance the growth of gross cystic disease of preclimacteric women. Beta-endorphin was also examined by immunocytochemical assays (fluorescence, alkaline phosphatase and horseradish peroxidase method), in 11 women with pure fibrocystic disease, in 7 women with fibrocystic disease combined with a carcinoma in situ and in 15 women with fibrocystic disease combined with invasive carcinoma of the breast. Sections of frozen and paraffin embedded tissue of the same patient were reacted with anti-beta-endorphin antiserum. The immunoreactivity of beta-endorphin was intense in normal, proliferative altered and cyst-lining epithelia of fibrocystic disease and decreased in atypical epithelia and carcinoma cells of the breast. The degree of beta-endorphin staining is related to the degree of cell differentiation. In addition, nuclear receptors for estrogen and progesterone were assayed by peroxidase antiperoxidase technique.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:[Interaction between beta-endorphin, steroids and peptide hormones in fibrocystic lesions of the female breast]. 164 46

Seventy-two long-surviving liver transplant recipients were evaluated prospectively, including a baseline allograft biopsy for weaning off of immunosuppression. Thirteen were removed from candidacy because of chronic rejection (n = 4), hepatitis (n = 2), patient anxiety (n = 5), or lack of cooperation by the local physician (n = 2). The other 59, aged 12-68 years, had stepwise drug weaning with weekly or biweekly monitoring of liver function tests. Their original diagnoses were PBC (n = 9), HCC (n = 1), Wilson's disease (n = 4), hepatitides (n = 15), Laennec's cirrhosis (n = 1), biliary atresia (n = 16), cystic fibrosis (n = 1), hemochromatosis (n = 1), hepatic trauma (n = 1), alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (n = 9), and secondary biliary cirrhosis (n = 1). Most of the patients had complications of long-term immunosuppression, of which the most significant were renal dysfunction (n = 8), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 2) or verruca vulgaris of skin (n = 9), osteoporosis and/or arthritis (n = 12), obesity (n = 3), hypertension (n = 11), and opportunistic infections (n = 2). When azathioprine was a third drug, it was stopped first. Otherwise, weaning began with prednisone, using the results of corticotropin stimulation testing as a guide. If adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed, patients reduced to < 5 mg/day prednisone were considered off of steroids. The baseline agents (azathioprine, cyclosporine, or FK506) were then gradually reduced in monthly decrements. Complete weaning was accomplished in 16 patients (27.1%) with 3-19 months drug-free follow-up, is progressing in 28 (47.4%), and failed in 15 (25.4%) without graft losses or demonstrable loss of graft function from the rejections. This and our previous experience with self-weaned and other patients off of immunosuppression indicate that a significant percentage of appropriately selected long-surviving liver recipients can unknowingly achieve drug-free graft acceptance. Such attempts should not be contemplated until 5-10 years posttransplantation and then only with careful case selection, close monitoring, and prompt reinstitution of immunosuppression when necessary.
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PMID:Weaning of immunosuppression in long-term liver transplant recipients. 783 42