Clinical outcomes revealed that the majority of

these cases were unrecognized multifetal pregnancies, ongoing or vanishing twins, with a small number of triploid pregnancies also detected. The ability to detect vanishing twin pregnancies is clinically important as it will reduce the number of false-positive results and thereby reduce unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures. Future longitudinal studies, designed to evaluate the typical selleck compound time period for which residual fetal cfDNA from vanishing twins remains detectable, may provide greater insight into appropriate clinical care in these patients. “
“LOX-1 is a lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor (also known as oxidized LDL receptor 1—OLR1), which was initially described in endothelial cells by Sawamura et al. [1]. LOX-1 expression has subsequently been described in both smooth muscle cells and macrophage in atherosclerotic plaques [2] as well as check details in other cell types including adipocytes [3], platelets [4], and chondrocytes [5]. LOX-1 expression can be induced or up-regulated by a number of processes many of which are involved in the atherosclerotic process, including hypertension, sepsis, inflammatory mediators, dyslipidemia, advanced

glycation end products, and fluid shear stress (reviewed in Ref. [6]). LOX-1 performs a number of functions in addition to oxidized LDL (oxLDL) binding, such as binding of apoptotic cell bodies and aged red blood cells [7] and acting as a leukocyte adhesion molecule [8]. Binding of oxLDL to LOX-1 induces endothelial dysfunction and apoptosis, stimulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and NFκB activation [9], strongly linking LOX-1 with the process of atherosclerosis because [6] and [10]. Several studies in hyperlipidemic mice have demonstrated a link between LOX-1 and atherosclerosis. Mehta et al. [11] created a LOX-1−/−/LDLR−/− mouse, which on high-fat diet exhibited reduced plaque development in the aorta compared to controls. In addition, the LOX-1−/−/LDLR−/− mice also

demonstrated a number of anti-atherosclerotic features, e.g., increased IL-10 levels and eNOS activity, with a concomitant reduction in MAPK p38 and NFκB activation. Inoue et al. [12] created a bovine LOX-1 transgenic mouse, where LOX-1 was overexpressed in multiple cell types including vascular and cardiac tissue. Among the pathologies displayed in this transgenic mouse was an increase in ox-LDL uptake and atheroma-like lesions in coronary arteries. In addition, Ishigaki et al. [13] used an adenoviral vector to overexpress LOX-1 in the liver, enhancing hepatic uptake of ox-LDL and reducing atheroma in the aorta. Taken together, these experiments clearly demonstrated a role for LOX-1 in atherosclerosis, although the contribution of endothelial vs. smooth muscle cell or macrophage expression has yet to be determined.