Angiodysplasia as the cause of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a young adult

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to clarify the importance of bleeding vascular ectasia of the colon as the etiology of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients 40 years of age or younger. METHODS: An otherwise healthy 21-year-old male was admitted to a tertiary medical center with massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Technetium-labeled red blood cell scan, selective visceral angiography, and colonoscopy identified the source of bleeding as vascular abnormality of the descending colon. Segmental colonic resection was performed. RESULTS: Histologic review of the specimen demonstrated a vascular ectasia. The patient recovered uneventfully and has had no further stigmata of hemorrhage. A review of the literature was undertaken to make clear the significance of vascular ectasia as the source for massive colonic hemorrhage in the young adult. CONCLUSION: This is the first report that documents histologically a vascular ectasia as the source of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in an otherwise healthy patient less than 40 years of age. Vascular ectasia is an uncommon cause of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the young adult.The Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department, Washington, DC, Clinical Investigation Program sponsored this report #84-16-1968-532, as required by HSETCINST 6000.41A. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.     

Reduced oligomeric and vascular amyloid-β following immunization of TgCRND8 mice with an Alzheimer's DNA vaccine

Immunization with amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide reduces amyloid load in animal studies and in humans; however clinical trials resulted in the development of a pro-inflammatory cellular response to Aβ. Apoptosis has been employed to stimulate humoral and Th2-biased cellular immune responses. Thus, we sought to investigate whether immunization using a DNA vaccine encoding Aβ in conjunction with an attenuated caspase generates therapeutically effective antibodies. Plasmids encoding Aβ and an attenuated caspase were less effective in reducing amyloid pathology than those encoding Aβ alone. Moreover, use of Aβ with an Arctic mutation (E22G) as an immunogen was less effective than wild-type Aβ in terms of improvements in pathology. Low levels of IgG and IgM were generated in response to immunization with a plasmid encoding wild-type Aβ. These antibodies decreased plaque load by as much as 36 ± 8% and insoluble Aβ42 levels by 56 ± 3%. Clearance of Aβ was most effective when antibodies were directed against N-terminal epitopes of Aβ. Moreover, immunization reduced CAA by as much as 69 ± 12% in TgCRND8 mice. Finally, high-molecular-weight oligomers and Aβ trimers were significantly reduced with immunization. Thus, immunization with a plasmid encoding Aβ alone drives an attenuated immune response that is sufficient to clear amyloid pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.     

Hyper-IgM syndrome with CHARGE association

A girl with coloboma of the iris, sensorineural deafness, growth delay, distinctive face, and cranial nerve dysfunction was diagnosed of CHARGE association in the first year of life. She presented with repeated otitis. At 3 yr of age, the patient suffered a septicemia ( Streptococcus pneumoniae , Corynebacterium sp.). The immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA serum levels were decreased, IgM increased and cellular immunity parameters were normal, supporting the diagnosis of hyper-IgM (HIM) syndrome. The sequence of CD40 ligand and cytidine deaminase genes were normal. From then on, she was receiving immunoglobulin intravenously with an excellent outcome . Here, we report the first case of CHARGE association and HIM syndrome in the same patient. Although the cause could not be identified, a non-random link is likely.     

LHRH-PE40识别结肠癌细胞膜表面蛋白的研究

目的探讨人结肠癌细胞系Lovo及人白血病细胞系Jurket细胞膜表面蛋白能否识别LHRH-PE40及是否存在竞争性抑制。方法将结肠癌细胞系Lovo及白血病细胞系Jurket制备成细胞膜,利用125I标记的LHRH-PE40与两种细胞膜进行放射性配基分析,与LHRH进行竞争结合分析。结果人结肠癌细胞系Lovo的结合竞争符合特异性配基-受体结合、竞争;而白血病细胞系Jurket未见配基-受体特异性结合。其中LHRH-PE40与Lovo细胞的亲和力:Kd=10·6±2·33nmol/L,容量Bmax=345±7·59pmol/mg。结论LHRH是结肠癌免疫治疗的有效靶点,LHRH-PE40对过度表达LHRH受体的结肠癌具有特异性杀伤作用,而对无LHRH表达的肿瘤无杀伤作用,对于药物的临床应用有着指导意义。     

Development of intestinal epithelial cell lines using a transgenic mouse

The epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa of the animal have proved impossible to culture using standard tissue culture techniques. Immortalization of adult colonic epithelial cells has been unsuccessful due to the lack of DNA synthesis in these cells once they are isolated from the tissue. Recently an unique transgenic mouse bearing a temperature sensitive mutant of the known immortalizing gene, SV40 large T has become available. The advantage of this mouse is that the SV40 large T gene is expressed in every cell. Active immortalizing protein is produced in each cell at the permissive temperature. We have used colonic mucosa from these mice to initiate cultures of epithelial cells from the colon of adult mice. The cells grow readily at the permissive temperature but die within 7 days at the non-permissive temperature. The methods used to develop these cultures are described.     

胃癌根治术病人围术期异体输血后外周血单核细胞CD40L表达的变化

目的 研究胃癌根治术病人围手术期异体输血外周血单核细胞(PBMCs)白细胞分化抗原40配体(CD40L)表达的变化。方法 胃癌根治术病人30例,随机分为3组,每组10例。A组围术期不输血,B组围术期输入去白细胞的全血,C组围术期输入异体全血。另选10例健康人作为对照。分别在手术前、术后2、5、10 d采外周静脉血5 ml,用Ficoll分离液梯度离心法分离出PBMCs和血浆,将PBMCs置于自身血浆环境中,并在植物血凝素(PHA,20 mg/L)的刺激下进行培养,48 h后收获细胞,用流式细胞术检测CD40L表达。结果 健康人外周血未受PHA刺激时检测不到CD40L的表达,经PHA刺激后CD40L 细胞占CD4 T细胞的百分数为1.7％±0.4％,与三组胃癌病人术前比较差异无显著性(P>0.05)。与术前比较,B组术后2 d PBMCs CD40L表达升高(P<0.05),C组术后各时点升高(P<0.05);与A组比较,B组术后2 d升高(P<0.05),C组术后各时点升高(P<0.05);与B组比较,C组术后各时点升高(P<0.05)。结论 围手术期异体输血可造成免疫抑制,输异体血后CD40L表达增加,且输全血比输去白细胞的全血更明显。围手术期成分输血优于输注全血。     

尿转化生长因子-β1和细胞外基质在慢性肾小球肾病中的变化

目的：探讨尿中转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）和细胞外基质（ECM）在各种慢性肾小球肾病患者中的变化及其临床意义。方法：将105例慢性肾小球患者进行临床和病理分组,采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）分别检测各组的尿TGF-β1水平,同时采用放射免疫分析法（RIA）检测尿中的各种ECM,所有检测值均用尿肌酐（Cr）浓度进行校正。结果：在不同临床分组中,尿TGF-β1/Cr和LN/Cr、PCⅢ/Cr、Ⅳ-C/Cr水平明显高于对照组（P〈0.05）,尿HA/Cr水平则在Ⅲ、Ⅳ组中出现下降。而在不同的病理分组中,肾小球轻微病变（GML）组尿中TGF-β1、ECM与对照组比较无统计学意义,其他各病理分组则出现不同的变化。相关性分析尿TGF-β1/Cr与LN/Cr、PCⅢ/Cr、Ⅳ-C/Cr正相关,与HA/Cr无相关性。结论：通过尿TGF-β1和ECM在慢性肾小球肾病患者中的联合检测,对评价慢性肾小球肾病的进展和预后判断提供一定的临床价值。     

血清胱抑素C对高血压和糖尿病早期肾功能损伤的诊断价值

目的探讨血清胱抑素C(Cys-C)水平对高血压、糖尿病早期肾功能损害的临床价值。方法收集22例高血压患者、28例糖尿病患者及44例肾病患者的血清标本,用酶法测定血清肌酐、尿素氮,用颗粒增强免疫比浊法测定血清Cys-C,放射免疫法测定β2-微球蛋白。结果血清Cys-C和β2-微球蛋白的异常检出率显著高于血清肌酐、尿素氮;高血压及糖尿病两组患者血清Cys-C水平均较正常对照组明显升高(P<0.01);肾病组各项检测指标均显著高于高血压组、糖尿病组和正常对照组。结论对早期肾功能损害的诊断价值,血清Cys-C测定敏感性稍次于β2-微球蛋白,但其特异性优于血清β2-微球蛋白,综合比较,血清Cys-C可作为高血压及糖尿病早期肾功能损害的辅助诊断指标之一。     

The immunohistology of CD40 in human oral epithelium in health and disease

BACKGROUND: CD40 has a role in the regulation of immune responses, cell proliferation and migration, and apoptosis. Little is known of its distribution in oral mucosal pathology. METHODS: Oral keratinocyte lines were tested for CD40 protein by Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was used to stain paraffin sections of oral mucosa in health and in inflammatory, reactive, dysplastic and malignant disease. RESULTS: Western blotting confirmed the presence of CD40 in oral keratinocytes. CD40 was generally expressed by keratinocytes in the basal layer, with variable parabasal expression. Langerhans cells also stained positively. Expression was lost in nine of 33 (27%) epithelial dysplasias, seven of which were severe. Eighty-one percent of well, 69% of moderately and 50% of poorly differentiated oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) expressed CD40. Overall, 45 of 65 (69%) OSCC were positive. The pattern of expression was unrelated to tumour differentiation. CONCLUSION: CD40 expression by basal and parabasal oral keratinocytes is physiological. Expression is lost in approximately one-third of oral epithelial dysplasias and OSCC. The significance of such loss remains unknown, but may be related to immunological or other abnormalities of keratinocyte homeostasis.