A surface molecule on guinea pig lymphocytes involved in adhesion and homing

A monoclonal antibody, CT 4, which recognizes an antigenic determinant on the majority of guinea pig lymphocytes, was tested for its ability to interfere with adherence and homing capacity of lymphocytes. Incubation with F(ab')2 fragments of the antibody blocks the in vitro binding to high endothelial venules (HEV) of both peripheral lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. When tested in vivo using a short-term homing assay with radiolabeled cells also a reduction of migration into the spleen was observed. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of lymph node cells showed a separation into duller and brightly positive cells whereas in the thymus the bright population is absent. Thymus cells adhere less effectively to HEV and this binding can only marginally be blocked by CT 4 incubation. The results suggest a role of CT 4 in adhesion processes.     

显性遗传性聋─大家系研究

本文报告江苏省淮阴县运南地区方氏家族六代６８３人的系谱、皮纹学、染色体和ＡＢＯ血型等遗传学方法的调查与检测，确定属常染色体显性遗传性聋患者１３７例。经检索这是我国首例显性遗传性聋大家系，亦是国际上的第三例聋人大家系的报告。     

狗颌面高速投射伤区小血管病理改变

用光镜、电镜观察狗颌面高速投射伤区小血管的病理变化。实验发现:伤区小血管可见内皮细胞缺失、管壁断裂及细胞内的变性、坏死等病理变化,外径1.0～2,5mm的小血管损伤可远达距伤缘3.0cm处,该处血管7d后基本恢复。提示:临床运用血管化游离组织移植修复颌面部火器伤后的组织缺损时,其血管蒂应与距伤缘3.0cm以外的受区血管吻合,手术最好在伤后7d进行。     

Nucleation of calcium phosphate by surface-bound extracellular matrix

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) laid down on silicon and titanium surfaces by osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells was exposed by selective removal of cells. This type of material surface ECM-Si, ECM-Ti was shown to promote the nucleation of calcium phosphate from a simulated body fluid (SBF). Microscopic and spectroscopic results revealed the effect was associated with a collagen fiber-free extracellular matrix.     

Induktion von endogenem Pyrogen und Interferon durch Newcastle Disease-Virus in vivo

Zusammenfassung Die Ausbildung von endogenem Pyrogen und Interferon wurde nach der Injektion von NDV im Kaninchen untersucht. Das Auftreten und das Verschwinden beider Substanzen stimmte nicht nur zeitlich, sondern auch quantitativ überein. Zudem verliefen die Bildungskurven von endogenem Pyrogen und Interferon sowohl im Blut als auch in den Organen weitgehend gleichsinnig. Eine Abweichung von diesem Verhalten wurde lediglich in der Milz beobachtet, indem hier das endogene Pyrogen bereits nach 1 Stunde, das Interferon jedoch erst nach 3 Stunden den höchsten Gipfel erreichte. Dieser Befund deutet daraufhin, daß das endogene Pyrogen und das Interferon zwei verschiedene Substanzen sind.Die Exstirpation der Milz hatte ein gleichzeitiges Absinken des endogenen Pyrogens und des Interferons im Blut, jedoch nicht in der Leber, der Lunge und der Niere zur Folge. Hinsichtlich der Entstehung der partiellen bzw. kompletten Toleranz gegenüber dem NDV bzw. Influenza Virus A (PR8) dürften die beiden Substanzen demselben Mechanismus unterliegen.

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Induction of endogenous pyrogen and interferon by newcastle disease virus in vivo

Summary Endogenous pyrogen and interferon induced by injection of rabbits with NDV were investigated. The appearance and disappearance of both substances were in parallel in time as well as in quantity. The curves of endogenous pyrogen and interferon in the blood and in various organs tested usually were also parallel. Only in spleen highest titers of endogenous pyrogen were found already 1 hour after inoculation, whereas interferon activity reached its peak only after 3 hours. This finding indicated that endogenous pyrogen and interferon may be different substances.In splenectomized animals the blood levels of endogenous pyrogen and interferon were lower than those found in intact animals, while the titers in liver, lung and kidneys were identical. In respect to the formation of partial or complete tolerance to NDV and influenza virus A (PR8), respectively, both substances appear to be subjected to the same mechanism.

     

Follow-up study of acute hepatitis C

Summary An extended follow-up study of hepatitis C virus (HVC) infection was conducted in Guangzhou and its nearby regions on patients hospitalized with acute hepatitis. Routine screening of blood donors for HCV was not yet instituted at the time of this study. HCV was found to be a common cause of the disease, and the infection had a close association with recent histories of blood transfusion. Sequential sera obtained from patients during hospitalization and after discharge were tested for the presence of HCV antibodies by the first and the second generation of commercial test kits, for levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and for the presence of HCV-RNA. The development of HCV antibodies in some of the patients may be delayed for protracted period following clinical onset. HCV-RNA was only intermittently detectable both before and after seroconversion. Six of 33 patients studied showed seroreversion and 5 of them were accompanied by loss of HCV-RNA and serum ALT returned to normal levels. The disease persisted in 24 of 27 patients without seroreversion, accompanied by intermittent detection of HCV-RNA throughout the protracted course of the infection. Our results indicate that both EIA for detection of HCV antibodies and PCR for serum HCV-RNA should be used in combination for reliable diagnosis of HCV infection and screening of blood for transfusion.     

Muscle-specific expression of the smyd1 gene is controlled by its 5.3-kb promoter and 5'-flanking sequence in zebrafish embryos.

Zebrafish SmyD1 is a SET and MYND domain-containing protein that plays an important role in myofiber maturation and muscle contraction. SmyD1 is required for myofibril organization and sarcomere assembly during myofiber maturation. Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that smyd1 mRNAs are specifically expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles in zebrafish embryos. However, it is unknown if smyd1 is expressed in other striated muscles, such as cranial and fin muscles, and moreover, the regulatory elements required for its muscle-specific expression. We report here the analyses of smyd1 expression using smyd1-gfp transgenic zebrafish. smyd1-gfp transgenic zebrafish were generated using the 5.3-kb smyd1 promoter and its 5'-flanking sequence. GFP expression was found in the skeletal and cardiac muscles of smyd1-gfp transgenic embryos. GFP expression appeared stronger in slow muscles than fast muscles in transgenic zebrafish larvae. In addition, GFP expression was also detected in cranial and fin muscles of smyd1-gfp transgenic zebrafish larvae. In situ hybridization confirmed smyd1 mRNA expression in these tissues, suggesting that the expression of the smyd1-gfp transgene recapitulated that of the endogenous smyd1 gene. Deletion analysis revealed that the 0.5-kb sequence in the proximal promoter of smyd1 was essential for its muscle specificity. Together, these data indicate that smyd1 is specifically expressed in most, if not all, striated muscles, and the muscle specificity is controlled by the 5.3-kb promoter and flanking sequences.     

Multilocular renal cyst. A hamartoma with potential for neoplastic transformation?

Multilocular renal cyst is a pathologically distinctive lesion of uncertain pathogenesis that usually presents as a large abdominal mass in male infants or middle-aged women. We performed detailed light and electron microscopic studies of three nephrectomy specimens that contained multilocular cysts and attempted to correlate their morphology with various theories of pathogenesis. In one of our cases, a microscopic focus of clear cells that resembled renal cell adenocarcinoma was observed in the wall of one locule. Although such a finding has been reported previously, the lack of well-documented cases with metastases suggests that the prognosis for patients with this lesion remains uniformly excellent.     

The ability of heat-killed Mycobacterium vaccae to stimulate a cytotoxic T-cell response to an unrelated protein is associated with a 65 kilodalton heat-shock protein

Exogenous antigens are generally presented by Class II major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules. When administered with an adjuvant, however, they are capable of inducing a CD8+ T-cell response where antigen recognition is associated with Class I MHC. Accordingly, immunization with soluble ovalbumin (OVA) alone does not activate CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTL) but when given in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), or in formulations of a number of novel adjuvants, an OVA-specific CD8+ CTL response can be detected. We show in this report that immunization with soluble OVA mixed with heat-killed Mycobacterium vaccae, but not with other common pathogenic and saprophytic mycobacteria, can activate OVA-specific CD8+ CTL. An OVA-specific CTL response is detected when mice are immunized by either the intraperitoneal or intranasal route and their spleen cells are re-stimulated in vitro. Adjuvant activity of heat-killed M. vaccae is present in M. vaccae culture filtrate, in soluble protein components of whole M. vaccae and in the 65 kDa heat-shock protein (hsp) of M. vaccae. Mycobacterium vaccae has previously been shown to have no adverse side-effects in humans. The current results suggest that M. vaccae may be useful as an adjuvant for vaccines and other immunotherapies where CD8+ CTL responses to exogenous proteins are crucial.     

Nipah virus glycoprotein: production in baculovirus and application in diagnosis

A method for serological diagnosis of Nipah virus (NiV) is described. DNA encoding truncated G protein of NiV was cloned into the pFastBac HT vector, and the fusion protein to His-tag was expressed in insect cells by recombinant baculovirus. The resulting His-G recombinant fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography and used as the coating antigen for serological testing by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). When tested against a panel of swine serum samples, the recombinant G protein-based ELISA successfully discriminated all 40 samples previously determined to be serum neutralizing test (SNT) positive from 11 SNT negatives samples. The data show that the recombinant G protein exhibits the antigenic epitopes and conformation necessary for specific antigen-antibody recognition. The main advantage of the recombinant G protein-based NiV ELISA compared to an ELISA using whole virus antigen is the use of a single antigenic protein instead of inactivated whole virus which is required to be prepared under high risk and cost. This test is suitable for routine diagnosis of NiV and also for epidemiological surveys as it allows highly reliable testing of a large number of sera rapidly.