Macrophages of subcutaneous connective tissue after treatment with α-tocopherol and dehydration

Morphological aspects of macrophage restructuring in rat subcutaneous connective tissue after treatment with α-tocopherol and alimentary dehydration are studied. The antioxidant did not cancel the response of macrophages to changes in water-salt homeostasis (increased number, ultrastructural changes, or metabolic activity), but modified it by decreasing the effect of dehydration stress. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 5, pp. 587–591, May, 1998     

Morphofunctional characteristics of connective tissue in emotionally stressed august and wistar rats

August rats, which are predisposed to emotional stress, are shown to differ from Wistar rats, which are not so predisposed, in the morphofunctional organization of lymphoid and connective tissues. In August as compared to Wistar rats, the lymphoid tissue of the spleen, trachea, bronchi, intestine, and lymph nodes is less abundant, the pancreatic insular apparatus is developed much better, and loose connective tissue contains more mast cells without signs of degranulation. Emotional stress leads, in both strains, to strong connective tissue congestion, massive hemorrhages, edema of loose connective tissue in the renal medullary substance and in the liver, focal or focal/confluent connective tissue metachromasia, and progressive mast cell degranulation. These changes are all more pronounced in August rats. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 6, pp. 571–573, June, 1995     

Rhythmic changes of morphometric parameters of rat cardiac scar connective tissue

Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 115, N ^o 2, pp. 213–214, February, 1993     

The diagnosis and classification of undifferentiated connective tissue diseases

The term undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) refers to unclassifiable systemic autoimmune diseases which share clinical and serological manifestations with definite connective tissue diseases (CTDs) but not fulfilling any of the existing classification criteria. In this review we will go through the more recent evidence on UCTD and we will discuss in what extent the availability of new criteria for the CTDs could interfere with the “UCTD concept”. The development of criteria able to identify early phases of defined CTD, may help in the differentiation of stable UCTD form their early stages and may offer a valuable guide to the treating physician to set up appropriate follow up schedules as well as therapeutic protocols. This simplified subset of CTD could offer a model to study clinic pathological correlations as well as the role of possible environmental factors in the development of autoimmunity.     

Biodegradation and restitution of the intercellular matrix in preserved fragments of dense fibrous connective tissue after their grafting into the recipient

Results are presented from a study in which the structural arrangement of the intercellular matrix was examined in preserved connective tissue fragments (allografts) after their implantation into rabbits to repair posttraumatic space-occupying defects in the capsular-ligamentous complex of the knee joint. Stages of biodegradation and restitution undergone by the interstitial substance of connective tissues after the implantation of allografts are identified. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, N ^o 1, pp. 20–23, January, 1996 Presented by G. N. Kryzhanovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Change in the titers of serum IgG-class autoantibodies to some nervous tissue proteins in patients with life-threatening arrhythmias

Titers of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor, water-soluble astrocytic protein S-100, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and MP-65 membrane protein of the nervous cell superfamily of integrins was determined by solid-phase immunoenzyme assay in healthy children and in children with the Romano-Ward and sick sinus syndromes. Immunoreactivity to these antigens was either increased or decreased in 20% of sick children in comparison with that of healthy children of the same age. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 6, pp. 677–679, June, 1998     

SS-B/La antigen purification, and ELISA detection of anti-SS-B/La antibodies in sera from patients with inflammatory connective tissue diseases

SS-B/La antigen was purified by immunoadsorbent columns with immunoglobulin from a patient with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Monitoring of the purification was facilitated by the fused rocket-immunoelectrophoresis technique. Technical ELISA variables for the detection of serum antibodies against the SS-B/La antigen were evaluated, and a recommended procedure is described. Prospective investigation of anti-SS-B/La antibodies in 103 blood donors and 131 patients with chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases, including 43 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome was performed. Anti-SS-B/La antibody concentrations were above normal in 65% of the patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (verified by the strictly objective Copenhagen criteria for keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia) and 9% of patients with other chronic connective tissue diseases. The predictive value for primary Sjögren's syndrome among patients with increased levels of the anti-SS-B/La antibodies attending a rheumatology clinic was 78%.     

Role of the connective tissue matrix in thermomechanical reactions of the aortic wall

Mechanical thermosensitivity of the aortic wall is studied using transverse and longitudinal preparations. The major contribution of the connective tissue matrix to the heat-induced contraction is demonstrated. Transverse preparations develop greater tension than longitudinal preparations. A model with two active elements is proposed. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 3, pp. 357–360, March, 1997     

Clinical implication of autoantibodies in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases

Autoantibodies have been used extensively as a useful biomarker in systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Antinuclear antibodies by immunofluorescence are a standard clinical test to screen for evidence of systemic autoimmunity. Different specific autoantibodies are associated with particular diagnoses, symptoms, unique syndromes, subsets of the disease and clinical activity. They are produced prior to the onset of clinical manifestations and have predictive value. This review focuses on a critical re-evaluation of the clinical significance of autoantibodies. Disease subsets defined by autoantibodies, coexistence of disease marker antibodies, and problems in testing and interpreting results are examined. Clinical approaches in differential diagnosis of antinuclear antibodies and the significance of antinuclear antibodies in healthy individuals are also discussed.     

IgA autoreactivity: a feature common to inflammatory bowel and connective tissue diseases

The immunopathogenic mechanisms in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not yet fully established. The aim of this study was to determine the profile and magnitude of IgA and IgG autoantibodies in IBD patients. The autoantigen profile defined by IgA and IgG antibodies from 24 IBD (14 Crohn's disease CD], 10 ulcerative colitis UC]), three coeliac, 12 connective tissue disease (CTD) patients and 10 healthy individuals was studied in human cellular extracts by Western blotting. The magnitude of the IgA and IgG1-4 subclass responses was measured by ELISA. IBD patients could not be distinguished from healthy individuals on the basis of IgG autoantibodies to Western blotted proteins. IgG subclass analysis indicated no clear bias towards Th1 or Th2 immune responses in IBD or CTD. In accordance with previous work, we found that IgA autoreactivity was strongest in coeliac disease patients. Unexpectedly, IBD as well as CTD patients exhibited strong IgA autoantibody reactivities to components of similar molecular weights (16-80 kD) in intestinal and non-intestinal epithelial cell lines. Our data indicate immunopathogenic similarities between IBD and CTD.     

Microflora in patients with systemic connective tissue diseases

The study of microflora of skin, mucous tunic of nose and mouth, and the quantitative and qualitative structure of the intestinal and urinal microflora in cases of systemic connective tissues diseases, are reproduced. The decrease of the dominant state of typical representatives, and the increase of the role of pseudopathogenic bacteria in various biotypes, were observed. The frequency of S. aureus detection increased in skin, mucous tunic of nose and mouth. Pseudopathogenic microbes acquired greater significance in the forming of microbiocenosis of intestine, while the number of E. coli, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacterium decreased. The frequency of detection of microbes in urine decreased. The comparative analyses of the microflora in patients with systemic lupus erythromatosis and progressive systemic sclerosis demonstrated the common peculiarities for microflora character change.     

DNA-hydrolyzing antibodies in lymphoproliferative diseases

Natural catalytic antibodies are known to be autoantibodies and are found in patients with different autoimmune diseases. The production of catalytic autoantibodies against DNA is demonstrated for a number of lymphoproliferative diseases. The statistical analyses performed show that this production is related to the chronic proliferation of mature B lymphocytes and correlates with the corresponding autoimmune disorders. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, N ^o 2, pp. 204–206, February, 1996 Presented by A. I. Vorob'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Cellular composition of the lymphoid tissue of splenic structural components in mice during exercise

Experiments with BALB/c mice demonstrated that dosed exercise (swimming) induced changes at the organ and tissue level indicative of weakening of the immunity system. Changes in the cytoarchitectonics of various structural components of the spleen point to a more intensive development of the adaptation processes during vigorous exercise in comparison with moderate exercise Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 8, pp. 166–168, August, 1994 Presented by M. R. Sapin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Connective tissue generates mechanical tension during contraction of the vascular wall

It is shown that the contractions of isolated aorta strips, induced by phorbol ester (phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate), a synthetic diacylglycerol mimetic, are not attended by changes in the rigidity of the strips. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, No 3, pp. 252–254, March, 1994     

Response of different types of connective tissue to hormones

A comparative study was made of the lysosomal glycosidases of the eye tissues (sclera and cornea) and also of bone tissue and cartilage from rabbits. Intraperitoneal injection of thyrocalcitonin (TCT), deoxycorticosterone (DOC), hydrocortisone (HC), and somatotropic hormone (STH) were shown to modify the activity of -galactosidase, -glucosidase, and hyaluronidase and the functional state of the lysosomal membranes in the tissues. HC and STH stabilize, whereas DOC and large doses of TCT labilize the lysosomal membranes. After injection of HC and STH the absolute activity of the enzymes in the tissue homogenates falls, whereas DOC has the opposite action.Helmholtz Research Institute for Eye Diseases, Moscow. N. N Priorov Central Scientific-Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Moscow. (Presented by Academicial of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR M. V. Volkov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 7, pp. 38–41, July, 1977.     

Patterns of tissue transformation after transplantation

Transplantation of fetal tissue in clinical practice in Russia has a solid experimental basis. “Tissue-tissue” relationships that are phylo- and ontogenetically fixed as characteristic of all systems of organs have been described in studies of Zavarzinet al. The method of tissue culture in the organism that was developed by Lazarenko in 1934 makes it possible to study the patterns of growth and transformation of tissues and organs in the living organism. This method has been used in studies of epithelial tissues of ecto-, endo-, and mesodermal origin. Five stages of the transplantation process have been identified: tissue depression, activation, tissue growth and differentiation, the period of functional activity, and atrophy. All tissues, except for endocrine tissue, which can live for a long time without atrophy, go through these stages, but in each tissue this process is genetically determined. This paper is focused on the close “tissue-tissue” relationships and presents characteristics of all epithelial tissues. Special attention is paid to the anterior portion of the gastrointestinal system and to the endocrine glands originating from it: adenohypophysis, thyroid gland, and thymus. The contribution of a normally functioning endocrine system to the successful transplantation of ovarian and mammary tissue is also discussed. After transplantation, epithelial tissues are transformed and assimilated in the recipient's organism. This may provide a basis for a novel approach to the problem of the immunological responsiveness of the organism. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 4, pp. 341–349, April, 1994     

Antinuclear matrix antibody. Hidden antinuclear antibody in patients with connective tissue diseases

A total of 435 serum samples from patients with different rheumatic diseases were screened for the presence of autoantibody to nuclear matrix components by indirect immunofluorescence on 0.1 mol/L HCl extracted HEp-2 cell and WiL2 cell substrates. A total of 28 specimens were positive in this assay. Eighteen of them were from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (18 of 250), 2 from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (2 of 115), and 8 from patients with mixed connective tissue disease (8 of 10). Antigenic material for this antibody is resistant to DNase, partially sensitive to RNase, and sensitive to trypsin. This indicates that the antigen is composed of protein and possibly RNA. In immunoblot analysis, sera positive for this antibody in indirect immunofluorescence assay recognized different peptides. This suggests that protein peptides are the major antigenic material.     

Autoantibodies reactive to PEP08 are clinically related with morbidity and severity of interstitial lung disease in connective tissue diseases

Anti‐Ro52 autoantibodies (Ro52‐autoAbs) appear in the sera of connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Studies using patient sera have shown a correlation between the generation of Ro52‐autoAbs and the clinical morbidity and severity of CTD with ILD. In this study, we used a single B‐cell manipulating technology and obtained 12 different monoclonal Ro52‐autoAbs (mRo52‐autoAbs) from the selected four patients suffering from severe ILD with a high titer of Ro52‐autoAbs in their sera. Western blot analysis revealed that 11 of 12 mRo52‐autoAbs bound to the coiled‐coil domain of Ro52. Competitive ELISA demonstrated that mRo52‐autoAbs competed with each other to bind to Ro52. Epitope mapping showed that two of them specifically bound to a peptide (PEP08) in the coiled‐coil domain. We then examined the titer of Ro52‐autoAbs in the sera of 192 CTD patients and assessed the relationship between the serum levels of Ro52‐autoAbs that were reactive to PEP08 peptide and the clinical morbidity and severity of ILD. Statistical analysis revealed that the production of PEP08‐reactive Ro52‐autoAbs correlated with the morbidity and severity of ILD in CTD. Assessment of the production of PEP08‐reactive Ro52‐autoAbs in autoimmune diseases is useful for predicting the clinical morbidity of ILD.