Statistics. We used JMP software from SAS (versions 13 or 14) for all analyses. Data are presented with all data points plotted. Overlayed diamonds represent mean, 95% CI, and overlap marks (horizontal lines above and below the mean line), which define statistical significant difference between groups if not overlapping (P < 0.05). Groups were compared with 1-way ANOVA, applying a Tukey-Kramer posttest correcting for multiple comparisons. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Study approval. All animal studies were approved by the cantonal veterinary authorities "Kantonale Tierversuchskommission Zürich." The clinical study (CSF sampling) was approved by the local ethical review board of the Kanton of Zurich, and written consent was obtained from all patients or their legal representatives.

Rationale: Hemolysis occurs not only in conditions such as sickle cell disease and malaria but also during transfusion of stored blood, extracorporeal circulation, and sepsis. Cell-free Hb depletes nitric oxide (NO) in the vasculature, causing vasoconstriction and eventually cardiovascular complications. We hypothesize that Hb-binding proteins may preserve vascular NO signaling during hemolysis.Objectives: Characterization of an archetypical function by which Hb scavenger proteins could preserve NO signaling during hemolysis.Methods: We investigated NO reaction kinetics, effects on arterial NO signaling, and tissue distribution of cell-free Hb and its scavenger protein complexes.Measurements and Main Results: Extravascular translocation of cell-free Hb into interstitial spaces, including the vascular smooth muscle cell layer of rat and pig coronary arteries, promotes vascular NO resistance. This critical disease process is blocked by haptoglobin. Haptoglobin does not change NO dioxygenation rates of Hb; rather, the large size of the Hb:haptoglobin complex prevents Hb extravasation, which uncouples NO/Hb interaction and vasoconstriction. Size-selective compartmentalization of Hb functions as a substitute for red blood cells after hemolysis and preserves NO signaling in the vasculature. We found that evolutionarily and structurally unrelated Hb-binding proteins, such as PIT54 found in avian species, functionally converged with haptoglobin to protect NO signaling by sequestering cell-free Hb in large protein complexes.Conclusions: Sequential compartmentalization of Hb by erythrocytes and scavenger protein complexes is an archetypical mechanism, which may have supported coevolution of hemolysis and normal vascular function. Therapeutic supplementation of Hb scavengers may restore vascular NO signaling and attenuate disease complications in patients with hemolysis.

The prevalence of oral candidiasis is higher in psoriatic patients and is associated with disease severity. It is not exactly clear whether oral candidiasis can aggravate psoriasis or if psoriasis can predispose patients to oral candidiasis.

Background:The prevalence rate of gastric infections caused by Helicobacter pylori is different in between as well as within various countries, including Iran.Objectives:This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori in Iranian adult patients with dyspepsia.Patients and Methods:A total of 548 patients with dyspepsia referred to Namazi Hospital, a referral center for gastrointestinal diseases in Shiraz, south of Iran, were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The diagnosis of dyspepsia was based on clinical findings. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed for all the patients and two antral biopsies were taken from all the included ones. The patients were categorized based on the endoscopic findings, to four groups:normal,abnormal nonulcerative,ulcerative, andcombination of 2 and 3.Two positive test results (Gram staining, rapid urease test, and culture) was considered as a positive-definite H. pylori infection for each patient.Results:From the 548 included patients (238 males and 310 females), H. pylori was detected in 170 (31.2%). The mean age was 40.38 ± 15.39 years old. H. pylori infection was detected in 26.1% of male and 34.8% of female patients and its prevalence increased with age. Eighty three (48.8%) patients were positive for H. pylori infection, of which, 12.4% had normal and 36.4% had abnormal nonulcerative endoscopic findings; 17.1% of patients were ulcerative and 34.1% had ulcer with or without concurrent abnormality.Conclusions:Findings from this study showed a lower prevalence of H. pylori infection than other studies and its prevalence increased with age. There was no association between sex and infection. The most common endoscopic abnormality in H. pylori-positive patients was ulcerative lesion.