Breast cancer is a global public health burden. The stage at diagnosis is an important predictor of patient outcome. Thus there is an urgent need for developing more robust biomarkers. The discovery of circulating microRNAs along with their important role in cancer initiation and progression highlights their potential use as a non-invasive biomarker for cancer detection, evaluation, and follow-up. MicroRNA-21, in particular, has attracted a great deal of attention, since it is one of the most highly up-regulated microRNAs in many cancers. Herein, serum microRNA-21 levels were assessed in...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disorder rated among the top 10 most important conditions contributing to the worlds disease burden. It is a heterogeneous multi-factorial disease, results from interaction between both genetic and environmental factors. The pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of OA. One of its natural inhibitors, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. IL-1Ra cytokine binds to IL-1 receptors and inhibits the binding of IL-1 without signal transduction, thus acting as an inhibitor of cartilage...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and represents a huge and growing economic and social burden. COPD is a multi-factorial disorder caused by environmental determinants and genetic risk factors. The beta2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) mediates various physiologic responses of the airways. Alterations in the ADRB2 gene have a significant physiologic role in regulating responses to exogenous β2-agonists. Understanding the genetic predisposition of COPD is essential to develop personalized treatment regimens.