Microsoft word - cusjexamplemanuscriptspr06-df_3-14.doc
Example Research Article Submission Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal Gabriel Morris
To the Founding Editor: Please find attached our original manuscript, "Do PAF-acetylhydrolase al elic variants affect
plasma PAF-acetylhydrolase activity?", for your consideration for publication as a Research
Article in the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. This work was completed when I was a student at White Station High School. No portion of this manuscript has been
previously published or is under consideration for publication in another undergraduate
This manuscript represents my contribution to the work of my faculty advisor on anti-inflammatory applications for platelet activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase, particularly how al elic variants of this enzyme may differ in anti-PAF activity. This manuscript should be of broad interest to the Columbia University community, with its use of biological
Gabriel Morris
Example Research Article Submission Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal Do PAF-acetylhydrolase allelic variants affect plasma PAF-acetylhydrolase activity?
White Station High School, Memphis, TN; 3Department of Pharmacy, University of
Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.
Present address, Address for Correspondence: Department of Pharmacy, Columbia
University, New York, NY. [email protected].
Example Research Article Submission Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal
Plasma platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a pro-inflammatory phospholipid mediator.
Plasma PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is an enzyme that degrades extracel ular PAF. Three
al elic variants have been described for the PAF-AH gene: Arg92His, Ile198Thr, and
Ala379Val. Genomic DNA was amplified in a newly developed, al ele specific real-time
PCR-based genotyping method. Enzyme activity levels were determined using a fluorescence
substrate. Therefore, in this study, PAF-AH specific genomic DNA al elic variants were
analyzed and compared to plasma PAF-AH activity in controls and ARDS patients to
determine if these variants affected plasma PAF-AH activity. Preliminary results indicate that
PAF-AH activity is lower in ARDS patients (n=61) than in healthy controls (n=5), that
PAF-AH is an indicator for ARDS severity, and the Arg92His variant leads to a reduced
PAF-AH activity. This study has implications for better treatment of diseases such as ARDS,
asthma, and other cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.
Key words: Clinical investigation; inflammation; plasma platelet activating factor; polymerase
Example Research Article Submission Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal Citation Format (Using EndNote)
(Kruse et al., 2000) / (Stafforini et al., 1999) / (McIntyre et al., 1999)
Example Research Article Submission Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal
Kruse, S, Mao, X, Heinzmann, A, Blattman, S, Roberts, M, et al. (2000) The ile198thr
and ala379val variants of plasmatic paf-acetylhydrolase impair catalytic activity
and are associated with atopy and asthma. American Journal of Human Genetics66 1422-1530.
McIntyre, T, Zimmerman, G, Makino, S, and Prescott, S (1999) Deficiency of platelet-
activating factor acetyhydrolase is a severity factor for asthma. Journal of Clinical
Investigation102 989-997.
Stafforini, D, Numan, T, Tsodikov, A, Vaitkus, D, Fukuda, T, et al. (1999) Deficiency of
platelet-activating factor acetyhydrolase is a severity factor for asthma. Journal of
Clinical Investigation102 989-997.
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