http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Feeding an intestinal enzyme to mice kept on a high-fat diet appears to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome – a group of symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver – and to reduce symptoms in mice that already had the condition. In their report published online in PNAS Early Edition, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators describe how dietary supplementation with intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) reduced the inflammation believed to underlie metabolic syndrome by blocking a toxic molecule found on the surface of many bacteria. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-adding-intestinal-enzyme-diets-mice.html Medical research Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:00:13 EST news284644422 Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia. They reported their findings today in Nature Immunology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-immunity-protein-ramps-inflammation-agents.html Immunology Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:00:01 EST news283951880 Infections, as the news has shown time and again, can be deadly. Periprothesthetic joint infection (PJI) is the infection of grave concern to the orthopedic community, especially in its growingly common antibiotic-resistant form. This all-too-common infection can be found deep inside the joint prosthesis following joint replacement surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-optimal-esr-crp-cut-off-values.html Surgery Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:00:01 EST news283024687 The powerful master regulatory transcription factor called Bcl6 is key to the survival of a majority of aggressive lymphomas, which arise from the B-cells of the immune system. The protein has long been considered too complex to target with a drug since it is also crucial to the healthy functioning of many immune cells in the body, not just B cells gone bad. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-shutdown-cancer-powerful-master-protein.html Immunology Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:00:24 EST news281519760 Texas Biomed scientists in San Antonio have found that moderate gum disease in an animal model exposed to an AIDS- like virus had more viral variants causing infection and greater inflammation. Both of these features have potential negative implications in long term disease progression, including other kinds of infections, the researchers say in a new report. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-gum-disease-worsen-infection-animal.html HIV & AIDS Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:30:01 EST news278852643 Maternal inflammation during early pregnancy may be related to an increased risk of autism in children, according to new findings supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Researchers found this in children of mothers with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-established marker of systemic inflammation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-prenatal-inflammation-linked-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:40:44 EST news278257235 (Medical Xpress)—Investigators from 15 children's medical centers, including Nationwide Children's Hospital, observed and evaluated critically ill children with influenza to evaluate the relationships between levels of systemic inflammation, immune function and likelihood to die from the illness. The study appears in the January issue of Critical Care Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-immune-function-critically-ill-children.html Immunology Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:04:56 EST news277625082 Elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammatory disease, appear to be associated with increased risk of psychological distress and depression in the general population of adults in Denmark, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-elevated-c-reactive-protein-psychological-distress.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:00:01 EST news275576704 Six weeks of weight training can significantly improve blood markers of cardiovascular health in young African-American men, researchers report in the Journal of Human Hypertension. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-strength-vascular-function-young-black.html Cardiology Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:55:11 EST news275316901 (HealthDay)— Overweight or obese people who lose weight through a low-carb or low-fat diet can also significantly reduce inflammation throughout their body, which could help lower risks for heart disease, a new study says. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-weight-cardiac.html Health Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:00:01 EST news271358694 Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is currently classified as a subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis but with the addition of systemic inflammation often resulting in fever, rash and serositis. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that the arthritic and systemic components of SJIA are related, but that the inflammatory pathways involved in SJIA are different from those in the more common polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (POLY). Of particular interest, distinct pathways involved in the arthritis of early and established SJIA raise the possibility that the immune system alters its behaviour over the course of this disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-juvenile-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:00:01 EST news270137458 (Medical Xpress)—A new study has outlined for the first time a biological mechanism by which zinc deficiency can develop with age, leading to a decline of the immune system and increased inflammation associated with many health problems, including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease and diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-zinc-deficiency-mechanism-linked-aging.html Medical research Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:53:08 EST news268325577 As part of their ongoing research investigating the biology of aging, the greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases, scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a new factor—microRNA processing in fat tissue—which plays a major role in aging and stress resistance. This finding may lead to the development of treatments that increase stress resistance and longevity and improve metabolism. The findings appear in the September 5 online edition of Cell Metabolism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-scientists-molecular-fat-cells-stress.html Medical research Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:18:45 EST news267891514 Adolescent smokers have thicker artery walls indicative of early development of atherosclerosis, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress. The findings from the Sapaldia Youth Study were presented by Dr Julia Dratva from Switzerland. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-adolescent-smokers-artery.html Cardiology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:57:29 EST news265280241 Inflammation and cell stress play important roles in the death of insulin-secreting cells and are major factors in diabetes. Cell stress also plays a role in Wolfram syndrome, a rare, genetic disorder that afflicts children with many symptoms, including juvenile-onset diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-treatment-diabetes-wolfram-syndrome.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:44:11 EST news263562230 A new study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, has identified five biomarkers that may predict the progression of structural damage in the spine of patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) who are already at high risk of disease progression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-biomarkers-spinal-patients-ankylosing-spondylitis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:46:41 EST news258198384 A study of U.S. women suggests that vigorous physical activity may be associated with a reduced risk of psoriasis, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-vigorous-physical-psoriasis.html Inflammatory disorders Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:30 EST news256815166 Using the 2008 Beijing Olympics as their laboratory, University of Southern California (USC) researchers and colleagues have found biological evidence that even a short-term reduction in air pollution exposure improves one's cardiovascular health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-beijing-olympics-reveals-biological-link.html Health Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:07 EST news256309474 (HealthDay) -- A Western-style diet is associated with increased levels of endotoxin activity (endotoxemia), and a prudent-style diet (containing moderately greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and vitamin E than the Western-style diet) is linked to reduced endotoxemia, according to a study published in the May issue of Gastroenterology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-endotoxemia-diet.html Health Thu, 03 May 2012 14:50:07 EST news255274618 New research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine reveals that systemic inflammation causes an increase in depressive symptoms and metabolic changes in the parts of the brain responsible for mood and motivation. With this finding, researchers can begin to test potential treatments for depression for patients that experience symptoms that are related to inflammation in the body or within the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-molecular-imaging-links-inflammation-depression.html Neuroscience Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:35:33 EST news252603324 (HealthDay) -- International researchers have uncovered even more healthy properties of flavanols -- the antioxidants found in cocoa beans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-chocolate-sweet-remedy-ills.html Health Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:19:58 EST news252238778 (HealthDay) -- Regardless of exposure to cardiotoxic cancer therapies, survivors of childhood cancers display cardiovascular abnormalities and have markers of increased systemic inflammation and atherosclerotic disease, according to research published online March 5 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-long-term-cardiac-effects-childhood-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:44:19 EST news250350245 Researchers at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, in collaboration with Amgen Inc. and several academic institutions, have discovered a way to block the body's response to cold using a drug. This finding could have significant implications in treating conditions such as stroke and cardiac arrest. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-block-body-response-cold.html Neuroscience Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:16:08 EST news249819363 Sepsis, a form of systemic inflammation, is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Sepsis is linked with massive cell death; however, the specific mechanisms involved in the lethality of sepsis are unclear. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the December 23rd issue of the journal Immunity finds that inhibition of a specific cell death pathway called "necroptosis" protected mice from lethal inflammation. The research may lead to new therapeutic interventions for fatal inflammatory conditions that are notoriously hard to control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-scientists-cell-death-pathway-involved.html Medical research Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:08 EST news243777561 A rise in periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rates has the orthopedic community moving to develop it's first-ever agreed upon definition and diagnostic criteria to help better treat patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-definition-periprosthetic-joint-infection.html Other Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:50:02 EST news239621423 (Medical Xpress) -- Systemic inflammation, the immune system's defense against disease or injury that can contribute to problems like cancer and diabetes over time, increases with age in people with heart-disease symptoms, while inflammation specific to vascular disease does not, a UC Davis study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-inflammation-age-cardiac-linked.html Cardiology Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:54:24 EST news237196396 Although some preliminary reports have indicated an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events with the use of certain biologic therapies to treat chronic plaque psoriasis, an analysis of previous studies finds no significant difference in the rate of these events among patients who received these medications compared to patients who received placebo, according to an article in the August 24/31 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-biologic-therapies-psoriasis-cardiovascular-problems.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:50:36 EST news233336950 The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are quickly reversed when the therapy is withdrawn, according to Swiss research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-cpap-therapy-results-rapid-recurrence.html Sleep apnea Fri, 12 Aug 2011 03:52:42 EST news232339921 Doctors have been dispensing advice to heart failure patients and for the first time researchers have found that it works. While self-care is believed to improve heart failure outcomes, a highlight of the recent American Heart Association scientific statement on promoting heart failure self-care was the need to establish the mechanisms by which self-care may influence neurohormonal, inflammatory, and hemodynamic function. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-heart-failure-doctor.html Cardiology Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:27:28 EST news229793239 Workplace smoking bans are gaining ground globally, and one study has shown that they may have significant health effects. The study, conducted by researchers in Dublin, found that emergency room admissions due to respiratory illness dropped significantly in Ireland after the implementation of a workplace smoking ban, compared to admissions that took place before the ban went into effect. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-emergency-room-admissions.html Health Tue, 17 May 2011 10:24:35 EST news224846637