Measurement of vitamin B12-binding proteins of plasma. II. Interpretation of patterns in disease

The technique described in the preceding paper was applied to 12 abnormal sera selected for their increase in one or more B12-binding proteins. Even in the presence of large amounts of R-type binder, the ammonium sulfate technique gave a reliable separation of R binding proteins from TC II. Measurement of the TC II in abnormal sera gave results identical to those obtained by the more standard gel filtration. The R binders of four subjects with myeloproliferative disease were further separated into alpha2-R and alpha1-R. The pattern of B12 binding of polycythemia vera (PV) was an exaggeration of the normal pattern. Binding to alpha2-R was three to four times that to alpha1-R, although the total amounts bound to both were increased. In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), both alpha2-R and alpha1-R were also increased, but in contrast to binding in normal sera, alpha1-R predominated. In order to interpret the findings, either whole serum R or alpha1-R and alpha2-R from patients with myeloproliferative disease were subject to isoelectric focusing. Alpha2-R consisted pricipally of components isoelectric at pH 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1. These components were present in only minor amounts in normal serum and were somewhat increased in the serum of PV. These components were very much increased in the serum of CML and predominated. Alpha2-R consisted of those components isoelectric at pH 3.4,3.6, and 4.0. These components predominated in the unsaturated binding capacity of normal sera and that of PV. It was concluded that the division of plasma R binders into alpha1-R and alpha1-R by the technique described provided information useful in the study of myeloproliferative diseases.     

经心内膜右房线形消融治疗心房颤动的安全性评价

为探讨经心内膜右房线形消融治疗心房颤动（简称房颤）的安全性，１２只犬以乙酰胆碱静脉滴注和（或）电刺激建立房颤模型，观察射频导管消融前、后实验犬的病理生理变化。结果显示：①与消融前相比，消融后窦性心率（１５０．８２±３６．７１ｂｐｍｖｓ１６３．６７±３０．９９ｂｐｍ）、窦性Ｐ波时限（７３．６４±１６．８０ｍｓｖｓ６９．５８±１２．１４ｍｓ）、ＰＲ间期（１２０．７３±２６．２９ｍｓｖｓ１１４．０２±１９．２１ｍｓ）、校正窦房结恢复时间（７６．２５±１８．８７ｍｓｖｓ７２．５０±１１．９０ｍｓ）、右房压力（０．４９±０．０６ｋＰａｖｓ０．４６±０．０８ｋＰａ）以及血浆心钠素（０．４８±０．１１ｎｇ／ｍｌｖｓ０．５０±０．０７ｎｇ／ｍｌ）变化均无显著性差异（Ｐ均＞０．０５）。血清磷酸肌酸激酶于消融后即刻明显升高（５２５．９５±４２６．４９Ｕ／Ｌｖｓ１１５．２７±２８．７０Ｕ／Ｌ，Ｐ＜０．０１），但术后１４日与消融前相比已无显著性差异（１１４．０２±２３．３５Ｕ／Ｌｖｓ１１５．２７±２８．７０Ｕ／Ｌ，Ｐ＞０．０５）。②４只犬发生并发症，其中１只损伤窦房结，２只发现心脏巨大附壁血栓，另１只术后出现一过性房性早搏、短阵房?     

An arginine to cysteine amino acid substitution at a critical thrombin cleavage site in a dysfunctional factor VIII molecule

We have analyzed the factor VIII (FVIII) protein and the nucleotide sequence around two thrombin cleavage sites, at arginine 372 in the FVIII heavy chain and arginine 1689 in the FVIII light chain in a naturally occurring dysfunctional FVIII variant, FVIII Okayama. The patient was a 42-year-old hemophiliac with a FVIII coagulant activity of 0.03 U/mL and a FVIII antigen level of 0.8 U/mL. The patient's FVIII was not thrombin activatable to levels seen in normal plasma. Immunoblotting of partially purified FVIII Okayama and normal FVIII showed that thrombin cleavage of the 92 kilodalton (Kd) heavy chain was impaired in the mutant protein. The patient's genomic DNA was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction with two sets of synthetic oligonucleotide primers spanning amino acid residues 319 to 400 and 1630 to 1720. Sequence analysis of the amplified DNA fragments revealed a cytosine to thymine transition, converting an arginine to a cysteine codon at residue 372. No abnormality was found in the FVIII light chain region analyzed. The patient's hemophilic brother and carrier mother revealed the same mutation. We conclude that the pathogenesis of hemophilia A in this patient is probably due to an arginine to cysteine substitution at a thrombin cleavage site in the FVIII heavy chain.     

Genetically determined polymorphism of the circulating human breast cancer-associated DF3 antigen

The murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) DF3 was prepared against a human breast carcinoma. Previous studies have demonstrated that DF3 antigen levels are elevated in plasma of patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, MAb DF3 reacts with circulating glycoproteins of different molecular weights ranging from approximately 300 to 450 kd. The present study demonstrates that plasma DF3 antigen is comprised of at least four moieties with slow (S), intermediate (I), rapid (R) and very rapid (VR) electrophoretic mobilities. The electrophoretic mobility patterns for circulating DF3 antigen differ among individuals. Moreover, DF3 antigen is detectable in urine, and the electrophoretic mobility of the urinary moieties is similar, but not identical, to that in the plasma. Studies in family members suggest that the electrophoretic heterogeneity of plasma DF3 antigen is determined by codominant expression of multiple alleles at a single locus. This locus may code for the core protein of DF3 antigen. These findings thus identify a genetically determined polymorphism of a circulating tumor-associated glycoprotein.     

Graft failure after T-cell-depleted human leukocyte antigen identical marrow transplants for leukemia: II. In vitro analyses of host effector mechanisms

To identify mechanisms potentially contributing to graft failure, 19 leukemic recipients of T-cell-depleted marrow transplants who failed to engraft following a transplant of HLA identical sibling marrow depleted of T cells by soybean agglutinin (SBA) and sheep erythrocytes (E) were evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated at the time of failure were consistently of host origin, bearing the phenotype of suppressor T cells (CD3+, CD8+, Leu 7+). A direct cytolytic effect on 51Cr-labeled donor-derived target cells was not detected, a finding that contrasts with the donor-specific cytotoxic host T lymphocytes that have been regularly observed in patients rejecting HLA nonidentical SBA -E- BMTs. However, these host T cells did exhibit a strong and specific suppressive activity against the donor marrow CFU- GM in vitro. Furthermore, in contrast to prior findings in durably engrafted recipients of SBA -E- BMTs, the lymphocytes isolated prior to or at the time of graft failure lacked natural killer surface antigen expression and effector function.     

Prolonged subcutaneous administration of recombinant alpha 2b interferon in patients with previously untreated Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia: effect on remission duration and survival: Cancer and Leukemia Group B study 8583 [see comments]

We investigated whether recombinant alpha 2b interferon (r alpha 2bIFN) would reduce the proportion of bone marrow Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) cells in chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) by treating 107 previously untreated patients daily with r alpha 2bIFN at 5 x 10(6)IU/m2 subcutaneously. Patients with complete remission, partial remission, or partial hematologic remission received treatment until progression; those with progressive disease were taken off study and observed for survival. Sixty-three (59%) of the patients achieved at least a partial hematologic remission (24 complete remissions and 39 partial remissions). The median time to response for the 63 responders was 3.4 months, with a median duration of remission of 52 months and with 81% of responders continuing in remission beyond 12 months. The median survival for the 107 patients was 66 months. Of 78 patients with cytogenetic follow-up data, 31 (40%) achieved a partial cytogenetic response (n = 17) or a complete cytogenetic response (n = 14). The percentage of cytogenetic responders among all patients was 29% (31 of 107 patients). The median time to first cytogenetic response was 9 months. A major dose reduction of r alpha 2bIFN (> or = 50%) was required at some time during treatment in 38% of patients, 26% required 10% to 49% dose reductions, and 36% had minor dose reductions of < or = 10%. No association was observed between dose received and the attainment of a cytogenetic response. None of the usual prognostic factors (sex, race, performance status, weight loss, time from diagnosis to treatment, hepatosplenomegaly, age, symptoms, hemoglobin, or platelet, blast, basophil, or white blood cell count) were significantly related to survival. These data provide confirmation that major cytogenetic responses to prolonged administration of subcutaneous r alpha 2bIFN occur in 20% to 38% (95% confidence interval) of chronic- phase Ph-positive patients. Although it is hypothesized that patients achieving major cytogenetic responses to r alpha 2bIFN should have prolonged remission duration and survival compared with nonresponders, analyses of the effect of cytogenetic responders by both "landmark" and time-dependent covariate techniques fail to provide statistically significant evidence for an effect of cytogenetic response on remission duration or survival. This may be due in part to an effect size insufficiently large to be detected with the number of patients treated in this study. Thus, confirmation of remission duration or survival benefit, if any, of r alpha 2bIFN therapy in Ph-positive chronic-phase CML must await the outcome of randomized trials comparing IFN with conventional agents.     

Residual amounts of glycoprotein Ib concomitant with near-absence of glycoprotein IX in platelets of Bernard-Soulier patients

A study of the Bernard-Soulier syndrome in two unrelated families using different polyclonal antibodies in a sensitive immunoblot assay showed residual amounts of platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) lb in the eight homozygotes, as well as the near-absence of GPlb beta and GPIX. The eight heterozygotes studied showed a double band pattern for GPlb and about half the normal level of GPlb beta and GPIX. Therefore, we conclude that the Bernard-Soulier syndrome is heterogeneous and is probably not due to gene deletions.     

Herpesvirus type 6 in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: serologic features and detection by polymerase chain reaction

To evaluate the potential role of human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) infection in patients after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) we sequentially analyzed buffy coat leukocytes, oral lavage fluid, and urine from 57 patients for the presence of HHV-6 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before and after 60 BMTs. Twenty-four patients undergoing autologous BMT and 36 with allogeneic BMT were studied. Thirty-six patients (60%) were PCR positive in one or more tests. The majority of PCR-positive patients had positive results only sporadically, in 1 (n = 23) or 2 weeks (n = 5). Six patients were positive in 3 to 5 weeks. In 2 patients, we found a high frequency of positive tests, in 7 of 7 and 10 of 10 weeks analyzed. Twenty-four patients (40%) remained PCR negative throughout the post-BMT period. There was a significant correlation between the results of HHV-6 PCR and the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). In grade II-IV, 6 of 8 (75%) patients had 2 or more positive PCR tests, compared with 5 of 25 (20%) patients without or with grade I aGVHD (P = .01). There was no difference in the outcome of PCR tests with respect to the type of BMT or pre-BMT HHV-6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers. Restriction enzyme analysis of PCR amplificates from 18 patients showed HHV-6 variant B in 16 (88.9%) and variant A in 2 cases (11.1%). We conclude that HHV-6 DNA can be detected in 60% of the patients after BMT. HHV-6 DNA can be detected more frequently in patients with moderate and severe aGVHD than in patients without aGVHD or with mild aGVHD.