We wish to retract the article titled “HLA-B35 Upregulates Endothelin-1 and Downregulates Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response in Endothelial Cells” by Stefania Lenna, Danyelle M. Townsend, Filemon K. Tan, Bagrat Kapanadze, Malgorzata Markiewicz, Maria Trojanowska, and Raffaella Scorza, The Journal of Immunology, 2010, 184: 4654–4661.
The Investigative Committee of the Boston University determined that a number of Western blot images in Figs. 2, 4, and 6 had been inappropriately altered, including image manipulation such as altering image dimension, image duplication, and image mislabeling. A full list of the findings is below.
In Fig. 2A, row 1, ET1 10MOI and 15MOI, there was image duplication and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 2A, row 3, eNOS 10MOI and 15MOI, there was image duplication, mislabeling, and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 2B, row 1, ET-1 10MOI, and Fig. 2C, row 1, ET-1 5MOI, there was image duplication and mislabeling. In Fig. 2B, row 2, β-actin 5MOI and 10MOI, there was image duplication and mislabeling. In Fig. 2C, row 1, ET-1 10MOI, there was image duplication and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 2C, row 2, β-actin 5MOI and 10MOI, there was image mislabeling. In Fig. 2C, row 4, β-actin 5MOI Ad-B8, 10 MOI control, 10 MOI Ad-B35, and 10MOI Ad-B, there was image mislabeling.
In Fig. 4A, row 3, HSP40 10MOI, 15MOI, and the control image for both, there was image mislabeling, image duplication, and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 4A, row 4, β-actin 10MOI and 15MOI, and Fig. 4B, row 4, β-actin 5MOI, there was image mislabeling, image duplication, and manipulation. In Fig. 4A, row 1, HSP70 10MOI and 15MOI appear to be manipulated and there was image duplication and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 4B, row 3, HSP40 5MOI and 10MOI appear to be manipulated and there was image mislabeling. In Fig. 4C, row 2, β-actin 5MOI and 10MOI appear to be similar and there was image mislabeling. In Fig. 4C, row 3, HSP40 5MOI and 10MOI, the control image for both; Ad-B35 5MOI and Ad-B8 10 MOI, there was image mislabeling, image duplication, and manipulation of image dimensions. In Fig. 4C, row 4, β-actin 5MOI Ad-B35 and Ad-B8, and b-actin 10MOI control and Ad-B35, there was image mislabeling.
In Fig. 6A, row 3, CHOP 10MOI and 15MOI, 15MOI Ad-B8 and control images, there was image mislabeling, image duplication, and manipulation of image dimension. In Fig. 6B, rows 1–4, 5MOI and 10MOI, the control images for all and rows 2 and 4 β-actin, there was image mislabeling. In Fig. 6C, row 1, BiP, there was image duplication and manipulation of image dimensions.
The authors are not able to provide the original data for these figures. Given these serious concerns, we would like to retract this research paper.
Contributor Information
Stefania Lenna, Medical University of South, Carolina, Charleston, SC.
Filemon K. Tan, University of Texas, Houston, TX
Maria Trojanowska, Boston University, Boston, MA.