Molecular Biomarkers & Diagnosis

Hiroshi Nojima

Publications

• Research Article
  Ficolin 1 Expression is Elevated in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Takayasu's Vasculitis Patients
  Author(s): Daisuke Okuzaki, Shigeto Kobayashi, Minami A. Sakurai, Kosuke Torigata, Ayumi Okamoto, Toshiharu Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Daida, Akihiko Ito and Hiroshi NojimaDaisuke Okuzaki, Shigeto Kobayashi, Minami A. Sakurai, Kosuke Torigata, Ayumi Okamoto, Toshiharu Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Daida, Akihiko Ito and Hiroshi Nojima
  
  Takayasu’s arteritis (TA), a form of vasculitis (angiitis), is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the large blood vessels. This study reports the identification of genes showing increased mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from TA patients regardless of symptoms or disease activity/inactivity. Of these, mRNA for Ficolin 1 (FCN1) showed a four-fold increase in all eight TA patients examined. Increased FCN1 mRNA levels observed in cDNA microarrays were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Increased FCN1 protein expression was also observed in inflamed regions of the surgical aorta specimens. Moreover, most FCN1-positive cells were also positive for CD68, indicating the presence of monocytic cells, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, which attack infectious agents within the inflamed regions. Taken together, the.. Read More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2155-9929.1000125

  Abstract PDF