PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Link between cholesterol compound and multiple sclerosis unlikely, researchers say

2010-12-16
(Press-News.org) New research findings appearing in the January Journal of Lipid Research indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic.

Oxysterols are somewhat controversial in science; while some laboratory experiments suggest these steroid molecules may be biologically important, they are present in only trace amounts in the blood, and studies in living animals or humans have not convincingly proven a definitive role.

Therefore, there was great interest when a study published last year in the journal Nature Immunology reported that two oxysterols, known as 15HC and 15KC, were increased more than three-fold in the blood of MS patients, and that these oxysterols could be associated with the development of the disease.

Spurred by those findings, Ingemar Björkhem and colleagues at Sweden's prestigious Karolinska Institutet decided to perform their own analysis of blood samples using a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which vaporizes the samples and separates the component parts to allow for a thorough separation of all molecules; thus they could identify 15HC and 15KC levels even at low concentrations.

Despite numerous efforts, though, Björkhem and colleagues failed to find any meaningful 15HC or 15KC oxysterol levels in blood of healthy individuals or MS patients.

To ensure the oxysterols were not being lost or metabolized somewhere along the experimental chain, they also ran blood samples with pre-loaded oxysterols and recovered almost 100 percent of the loaded amount, demonstrating that the protocol was not the problem; any 15HC or 15KC present in the patient samples would have been found.

Björkhem notes that given the conflicting results of recent studies, the potential role of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis needs to be reconsidered.

In a commentary accompanying the new paper by Björkhem's team, William Griffiths and Yuqin Wang of the U.K.'s Swansea University, who were not involved in either study, said they suspect the original research team who reported the oxysterol discovery in 2009 "incorrectly identified [the compounds] in plasma, in which case their data would suggest that some unidentified lipids are increased in the circulation of patients with (MS)."

"It is important that these compounds are now identified," they added.

### From the article:

High levels of 15-oxygenated steroids in circulation of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Fact or fiction? by Ingemar Björkhem et al. Link: http://www.jlr.org/content/early/2010/10/07/jlr.D011072.abstract

Includes companion editorial, Are 15-oxygenated sterols present in the human circulation? by William Griffiths and Yuqin Wang. Link: http://www.jlr.org/content/early/2010/10/18/jlr.E012088.abstract

Corresponding Author: Ingemar Björkhem, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Email: ingemar.bjorkhem@karolinska.se
Phone: +46-8-58581235 or +46-708 754434.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Seaweed as biofuel? Metabolic engineering makes it a viable option

2010-12-16
URBANA – Is red seaweed a viable future biofuel? Now that a University of Illinois metabolic engineer has developed a strain of yeast that can make short work of fermenting galactose, the answer is an unequivocal yes. "When Americans think about biofuel crops, they think of corn, miscanthus, and switchgrass. ln small island or peninsular nations, though, the natural, obvious choice is marine biomass," said Yong-Su Jin, a U of I assistant professor of microbial genomics and a faculty member in its Institute for Genomic Biology. Producers of biofuels made from terrestrial ...

Census analysis: Nation's diversity grows, but integration slows

2010-12-16
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Despite increased racial and ethnic diversity, American neighborhoods continue to be segregated, and some of the progress made toward integration since 1980 has come to a halt this decade, according to a new report by Brown University sociologist John Logan. The report, co-authored by Florida State University sociologist Brian Stults, marks the launch of the US2010 project, a program of research on changes in American society, supported by the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University. "This is a surprising result," said Logan, ...

SIDS spikes on New Year's Day

2010-12-16
Not a happy holiday thought, but an important one: The number of babies who die of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, surges by 33 percent on New Year's Day. The suspected reason? Alcohol consumption by caretakers the night before. Led by sociologist David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, the study documenting the dramatic rise in SIDS deaths on New Year's is published in the journal Addiction. The spike, write Phillips and his coauthors, is beyond the normal winter increase in SIDS. The study examined 129,090 SIDS cases from 1973 to 2006 using ...

Allô allô! Mom's voice plays special role in activating newborn's brain

Allô allô! Moms voice plays special role in activating newborns brain
2010-12-16
A mother's voice will preferentially activate the parts of the brain responsible for language learning, say researchers from the University of Montreal and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre. The research team made the discovery after performing electrical recordings on the infants within the 24 hours following their birth. The brain signals also revealed that while the infants did react to other women's voices, these sounds only activated the voice recognition parts of the brains. "This is exciting research that proves for the first time that the newborn's ...

Study shows caffeine negatively affects children

2010-12-16
Cincinnati, OH, December 16, 2010 -- Caffeine consumption in children is often blamed for sleep problems and bedwetting. Information on childhood caffeine consumption is limited, and many parents may not know the amount or effects of their child's caffeine consumption. In a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that 75% of children surveyed consumed caffeine on a daily basis, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept. Dr. William Warzak and colleagues from the University of Nebraska Medical Center surveyed the parents ...

Bioethics Commission calls for enhanced federal oversight in new field of synthetic biology

2010-12-16
Washington, DC – The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today released its first report—a wide-ranging review of the emerging field of synthetic biology—issuing 18 recommendations including a call for coordinated federal oversight of scientists working in both large institutions and smaller settings. The panel, comprised of 13 scientists, ethicists, and public policy experts, said that the very newness of the science, which involves the design and construction of laboratory-made biological parts, gives regulators, ethicists and others time to identify ...

Novosoft Released a Complex Data Protection Solution - Handy Backup Disaster Recovery 1.2

2010-12-16
Novosoft, one of the leading backup solution providers worldwide, has announced the release of the new version for innovative disaster recovery utility (http://www.handybackup.net/disaster-recovery.shtml ) - Handy Backup Disaster Recovery. The new version represents a complex data protection solution and includes tools for operation system and file recovery, antivirus protection and partition edition. "The new version of Handy Backup Disaster Recovery was developed with the idea of generalization now that it's rapidly seizing influence, - said Alexandr Prichalov, head ...

Y & S Auto Body Remodels Vehicle Repair Shop Website for Their Customers

2010-12-16
Y & S Auto Body (http://www.YandSAutoBody.com), a car repair shop with locations in San Pedro, Ca and Torrance, Ca is proud to introduce their website's new layout and design which will be both interactive and user friendly. With many new features and functionality to the newly rebuilt website makes customer interaction simple. With the website completed a few months ago, the new website feature's tips, techniques, and advice for customers. The brand new website will have a new, up to date feel and look to it. It will be extremely user friendly and easy to navigate ...

iFunia launches 2010 holiday special offer

2010-12-16
iFunia, a professional developer of Mac multimedia software, today has just launched special promotions with 4 discounted packs, targeting the 2010 holiday season. The iFunia discounted software packs should be very useful for users who would like to convert holiday video(including HD!) or movie into any formats and enjoy the video entertainment on iPad, iPhone, iPod or other portable device, This software packs also includes a FlashGallery Suite to help users keep the happy and carefree Christmas Day memory with Stunning Flash photo gallery maker. Hightlights of ...

Church Banners from Signazon.com Help Send a Spiritual Message to the Colorado Community

2010-12-16
Signazon.com joins in holiday celebration with the Christian Fellowship Center in Aurora, Colorado. As the church is preparing for their annual Christmas festivities and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Signazon is actively participating with custom church banners and signs for their holiday decorations. Celebrating the true meaning of the Christian holiday is very important to the Christian Fellowship Center as they strive to put community focus back on the act of love shown in the birth of our savior. Pastor Michaels of Christian Fellowship Center contacted ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Wildlife monitoring technologies used to intimidate and spy on women, study finds

Around 450,000 children disadvantaged by lack of school support for color blindness

Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows

Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois

Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning

New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability

#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all

Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands

São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems

New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function

USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery

Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance

3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts 

Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study

In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon

Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals

Caste differentiation in ants

Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds

New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA

Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer

Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews

Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches

Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection

Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system

A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity

A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain

ECOG-ACRIN appoints seven researchers to scientific committee leadership positions

[Press-News.org] Link between cholesterol compound and multiple sclerosis unlikely, researchers say