As HB-EGF has also been linked to epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, it may also function in the de-differentiation of epithelial cells that seems likely to occur prior to mucosal hyperplasia. Given the close similarity between OM in animals and humans, our results have potentially important implications in the treatment of this disease. Our data also have implications for other respiratory epithelial sites at which mucosal growth contributes to pathology, including the lung and nasopharynx. Administration of anti-HB-EGF compounds or BIBW2992 blockage of EGF receptors may mitigate mucosal growth and survival of hyperplastic tissue in the ME, thereby reducing irreversible complications of OM. In the future, studies with HB-EGF-null animals may further elucidate HB-EGF function in OM. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial proliferation and damage of the affected joints. In spite of current treatment advances including the use of tumor necrosis factor-a inhibitors, early diagnosis of RA using reliable biomarkers is important for early intervention. Rheumatoid factor, a well-known biomarker for RA, is not useful for specific diagnosis of RA because RF is also detected in various other rheumatic and nonrheumatic disorders such as infection and malignancy, and even in normal individuals. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies have SB431542 purchase Recently received much attention as a valuable tool to differentiate RA from other kinds of arthritis in the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria. However, not all RA patients are seropositive for ACPA, and the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria does not satisfactorily rule in RA for patients with seronegative arthritis, especially involving only one joint. Therefore, more reliable biomarkers with diagnostic capabilities are still needed for RA. Recently, omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have been increasingly exploited for the discovery of disease biomarkers, including those for RA.