'Multicenter studies involving both large and small centers separated by significant distances pose unique challenges to biological sample collection. The objective of this study was to evaluate protocols for determining inflammatory biomarkers that are cost and manpower efficient for handling blood destined for a sample repository. Tempus (Applied Biosystems) and ... More
Peripheral blood gene expression: it all boils down to the RNA collection tubes.
AuthorsMenke A, Rex-Haffner M, Klengel T, Binder EB, Mehta D
JournalBMC Res Notes
PubMed ID22214347
'Gene expression profiling from peripheral blood is a valuable tool for biomarker discovery in clinical studies. Different whole blood RNA collection and processing methods are highly variable and might confound comparisons of results across studies. The main aim of the study was to compare genome-wide gene expression profiles obtained from ... More
High alpha-defensin levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AuthorsSthoeger ZM, Bezalel S, Chapnik N, Asher I, Froy O
JournalImmunology
PubMed ID19191901
'Innate immunity plays a role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our objective was to determine the levels of defensins, which are antimicrobial and immunomodulatory polypeptides, in SLE. Sera from SLE patients and healthy controls were tested for pro-inflammatory human beta-defensin 2 (hBD-2) and for alpha-defensin human neutrophil peptide 1 (HNP-1). ... More
Abnormalities in the circadian clockwork often characterize patients with major depressive and bipolar disorders. Circadian clock genes are targets of interest in these patients. CRY2 is a circadian gene that participates in regulation of the evening oscillator. This is of interest in mood disorders where a lack of switch from ... More
Differential gene expression profiles are dependent upon method of peripheral blood collection and RNA isolation.
AuthorsAsare AL, Kolchinsky SA, Gao Z, Wang R, Raddassi K, Bourcier K, Seyfert-Margolis V
JournalBMC Genomics
PubMed ID18847473
RNA isolation and purification steps greatly influence the results of gene expression profiling. There are two commercially available products for whole blood RNA collection, PAXgene and Tempus blood collection tubes, and each comes with their own RNA purification method. In both systems the blood is immediately lysed when collected into ... More
Analysis of whole genome biomarker expression in blood and brain.
AuthorsRollins B, Martin MV, Morgan L, Vawter MP
JournalAm J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet
PubMed ID20127885
The consistency of peripheral gene expression data and the overlap with brain expression has not been evaluated in biomarker discovery, nor has it been reported in multiple tissues from the same subjects on a genome wide transcript level. The effects of processing whole blood, transformation, and passaged cell lines on ... More
An interferon-inducible neutrophil-driven blood transcriptional signature in human tuberculosis.
AuthorsBerry MP, Graham CM, McNab FW, Xu Z, Bloch SA, Oni T, Wilkinson KA, Banchereau R, Skinner J, Wilkinson RJ, Quinn C, Blankenship D, Dhawan R, Cush JJ, Mejias A, Ramilo O, Kon OM, Pascual V, Banchereau J, Chaussabel D, O'Garra A
JournalNature
PubMed ID20725040
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Efforts to control it are hampered by difficulties with diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Most people infected with M. tuberculosis remain asymptomatic, termed latent TB, with a 10% lifetime risk of developing active TB ... More