Ectopic expression of rhombotin-2 causes selective expansion of CD4-CD8- lymphocytes in the thymus and T-cell tumors in transgenic mice

Although the proto-oncogene rhombotin-2 (RBTN-2) is widely expressed in most tissues, it is not expressed in T cells. We investigated the potential for overexpression of RBTN-2 to cause tumors in T cells and other tissues by constructing transgenic mice that expressed RBTN-2 under control of the metallothionein-1 promoter. Despite overexpression of RBTN-2 in all tissues, transgenic mice developed T-cell tumors only, thus indicating that tumorigenesis caused by RBTN-2 is T-cell-specific. Thymic tumors were found between 37 and 71 weeks and were invariably associated with metastasis to nonlymphoid organs. Thymuses from apparently healthy transgenic mice were also examined. In some mice there was an 10-fold increase in the CD4-CD8- thymocyte subset, yet the total number of thymocytes was the same as that in wild-type mice. Thymic homeostasis was maintained by a compensatory reduction in the CD4+CD8+ subset. The expansion of CD4-CD8- thymocytes was associated with increased expression of RBTN-2 and with increased cell proliferation. No differences were found in the proportion of thymocytes undergoing apoptosis in transgenic mice. Furthermore, RBTN-2- induced expansion of CD4-CD8- cells did not block differentiation of these cells. Thymuses with 30% CD4-CD8- cells were essentially monoclonal, indicating that all thymic immunophenotypes were derived from a single clone. Overall, our data are consistent with the following scenario: (1) RBTN-2 expression in T cells causes selective and polyclonal proliferation of CD4-CD8- thymocytes accompanied by a compensatory decrease in other thymocyte subsets; (2) a clone with growth advantage and differentiation potential is selected and populates the thymus; and (3) this clone eventually breaches homeostasis of the thymus, accompanied or followed by metastasis to other organs.     

Unrelated donor marrow transplantation in children

Eighty-eight children 0.5 to 17 years of age (median, 9 years of age) received an unrelated donor marrow transplant for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; n = 16), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first or second remission (n = 15) or more advanced stage (n = 28), acute myeloid leukemia (AML; n = 13), or other hematologic diseases (n = 16) between June 1985 and April 1993. All patients were conditioned with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation and received a combination of methotrexate and cyclosporine as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Fourty-six patients received transplants from HLA-identical donors and 42 patients received transplants from donors who were minor-mismatched at one HLA-A or B or D/DRB1 locus. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of disease-free survival and relapse were 75% and 0% for patients with CML, 47% and 20% for ALL in first or second remission, 10% and 60% for ALL in relapse or third remission, 46% and 46% for AML in first remission (n = 1) or more advanced disease (n = 12), and 29% and 69% for other diseases. HLA disparity was not significantly associated with lower disease-free survival, but the results suggest more relapses in HLA-matched recipients and there was significantly more transplant-related mortality in mismatched recipients (51% v 24%, P = .04). Most deaths were due to infections associated with acuteor chronic GVHD and occurred within the first 2 years after transplantation. Granulocyte engraftment occurred in all evaluable patients. Sixty-three percent of HLA-matched and 57% of HLA- mismatched recipients were discharged home disease-free at a median of 98 and 103 days, respectively, after transplantation (P = not significant [NS]). The incidence of grades II-IV acute GVHD was 83% in HLA-matched and 98% in HLA-mismatched recipients (P = .009). The incidence of chronic GVHD was 60% in HLA-matched and 69% in HLA- mismatched recipients (P = NS). One or multiple late adverse events such as cataracts, osteonecrosis of the hip or knee, restrictive or obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypothyroidism have occurred in 11 of 33 (33%) surviving patients. Immunosuppression was discontinued in 58% of surviving patients, including all 12 patients surviving more than 3.2 years, all of whom have a Lansky or Karnofsky score of 100%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Hematopoietic growth factors for graft failure after bone marrow transplantation: a randomized trial of granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF) versus sequential GM-CSF plus granulocyte- CSF

Delay in hematologic recovery after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) can extend and amplify the risks of infection and hemorrhage, compromise patients' survival, and increase the duration and cost of hospitalization. Because current studies suggest that granulocyte- macrophage (GM) colony-stimulating factor (CSF) may potentiate the sensitivity of hematopoietic progenitor cells to G-CSF, we performed a prospective, randomized trial comparing GM-CSF (250 micrograms/m2/d x 14 days) versus sequential GM-CSF x 7 days followed by G-CSF (5 micrograms/kg/d x 7 days) as treatment for primary or secondary graft failure after BMT. Eligibility criteria included failure to achieve a white blood cell (WBC) count > or = 100/microL by day +21 or > or = 300/microL by day +28, no absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > or = 200/microL by day +28, or secondary sustained neutropenia after initial engraftment. Forty-seven patients were enrolled: 23 received GM-CSF (10 unrelated, 8 related allogeneic, and 5 autologous), and 24 received GM- CSF followed by G-CSF (12 unrelated, 7 related allogeneic, and 5 autologous). For patients receiving GM-CSF alone, neutrophil recovery (ANC > or = 500/microL) occurred between 2 and 61 days (median, 8 days) after therapy, while those receiving GM-CSF+G-CSF recovered at a similar rate of 1 to 36 days (median, 6 days; P = .39). Recovery to red blood cell (RBC) transfusion independence was slow, occurring 6 to 250 days (median, 35 days) after enrollment with no significant difference between the two treatment groups (GM-CSF: median, 30 days; GM-CSF+G- CSF; median, 42 days; P = .24). Similarly, platelet transfusion independence was delayed until 4 to 249 days (median, 32 days) after enrollment, with no difference between the two treatment groups (GM- CSF: median, 28 days; GM-CSF+G-CSF: median, 42 days; P = .38). Recovery times were not different between patients with unrelated donors and those with related donors or autologous transplant recipients. Survival at 100 days after enrollment was superior after treatment with GM-CSF alone. Only 1 of 23 patients treated with GM-CSF died versus 7 of 24 treated with GM-CSF+G-CSF who died 16 to 84 days (median, 38 days) after enrollment, yielding Kaplan-Meier 100-day survival estimates of 96% +/- 8% for GM-CSF versus 71% +/- 18% for GM-CSF+G-CSF (P = .026). These data suggest that sequential growth factor therapy with GM-CSF followed by G-CSF offers no advantage over GM-CSF alone in accelerating trilineage hematopoiesis or preventing lethal complications in patients with poor graft function after BMT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Awareness of HIV/AIDS among primary school pupils in north central region of Nigeria

ObjectiveTo determine the knowledge of HIV/AIDS among primary school pupils in north central area of Nigeria.Methods2000 randomly selected primary school pupils in and around eastern part of Idoma area of Benue state were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire. Data analysis was done with EPI-INFO 2000. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis and the 0.05 level of significance was adopted.ResultsA totle of 1010 males and 990 females at ages between five and sixteen years were drawn from 10 primary schools in the area. Pupils in the higher classes were more knowledgeable and sex difference was not statistically significant. Certain misconceptions were noted.ConclusionsThere is need for health education for all cadres of primary school pupils in the area, which will increase the awareness of the disease.     

Translocation breakpoints are clustered on both chromosome 8 and chromosome 21 in the t(8;21) of acute myeloid leukemia

The t(8;21)(q22;q22) is consistently associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) M2. Recent data have suggested that breakpoints on chromosome 21 are clustered within a single intron of a novel gene, AML1, just downstream of a region of homology to the runt gene of D melanogaster. In this report, we confirm rearrangement at the same location in at least 12 of 18 patients with t(8;21). Furthermore, we have isolated recombinant clones spanning the breakpoint regions on both the der(8) and the der(21) from one patient. By using a chromosome 8 probe derived from these clones, we show that t(8;21) breakpoints are also clustered on chromosome 8.     

幽门螺杆菌cagⅡ对胃上皮细胞IL-8基因转录的影响及机制

目的探讨HpcagⅡ对胃上皮细胞IL-8基因转录的影响及信号传导机制。方法构建 cagⅡ基因位点缺失Hp突变株及带有IL-8报告基因的人胃癌细胞系L5F11,用液体闪烁计数仪测定荧光素酶(IL8转录)活性,用ELISA法测定IL8蛋白浓度。结果所有Hp突变株诱导荧光素酶活性与IL8蛋白浓度较亲代菌株26695均降低[(0．13±0．01)×cpm比(0．59±0．05)×(P<0．01);(0．73±0．13)ng／ml比(2．22±0．65)ng／ml,(P<0．05)]。PTK抑制剂herbimycinA不仅抑制Hp诱导的荧光素酶活性[(0．71±0．18)×cpm比(1．51±0．23)×cpm,(P<0．05)],而且抑制IL-8蛋白表达[(0．83±0．41)ng／ml比(3．22±0．59)ng／ml,(P<0．05)],但herbimycinA对TNFα诱导的荧光素酶活性及IL8蛋白表达均无影响(P均>0．05);PKA抑制剂H7抑制TNFα诱导的荧光素酶活性[(0．74±0．16)×cpm比(2．62±0．26)×cpm,(P<0．001)]及IL8蛋白表达[(1．45±0．38)ng／ml比(4．12±0．43)ng／ml,(P<0．01)],而对Hp诱导的荧光素酶活性无影响(P>0．05)。结论HpcagⅡ中的多基因能够调节胃上皮细胞IL-8基因转录,且这一作用主要经蛋白酪氨酸激酶途径。     

004 静脉注射Dofetilide迅速终止心房纤颤与心房扑动的疗效和安全性

研究心房纤颤/心房扑动[(atrial fibrillation;AF)/(atrial flutter;AFI)]患者69例,男46、女23,平均年龄60岁(25～75岁),随机分成4组(即输注Dofetilide 2μg/kg组、4μg/kg组、8μg/kg组和安慰剂对照组)。 研究结果,转律的成功率分别为：2μg/kg组为25％(4/16)、4μg/kg组为29％(5/17)、8μg/kg组为39％(7/18);对照组为6％(1/18)。 AF/AFI持续时间决定着转律的成功率,持续时间＜24小时者,成功率为67％(4/6)、1～7天者为36％(4/11)、7天以上者为24％(8/34)。 输注Dofetilide总的转律成功率,单剂一次输注为31％(16/51;p=0.03;95％CI 19～46);二次输注为38％(26/68;p=0.009;95％CI 27～51)。安慰剂对照组则为6％(1/18;95％CI0～27)。转为窦律的平均时间是从开始输注起的22分钟(5-49分钟)。     

Cytokine production by primary bone marrow megakaryocytes

Primary human bone marrow megakaryocytes were studied for their ability to express and release cytokines potentially relevant to their proliferation and/or differentiation. The purity of the bone marrow megakaryocytes was assessed by morphologic and immunocytochemical criteria. Unstimulated marrow megakaryocytes constitutively expressed genes for interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Northern blot analysis. At the protein level, megakaryocytes secreted significant amounts of IL-1 beta (53.6 +/- 3.6 pg/mL), IL-6 (57.6 +/- 15.6 pg/mL), and GM-CSF (24 +/- 4 pg/mL) but not TNF-alpha. Exposure of human marrow megakaryocytes to IL-1 beta increased the levels of IL-6 (87.3 +/- 2.3 pg/mL) detected in the culture supernatants. Transforming growth factor- beta was also able to stimulate IL-6, IL-1 beta, and GM-CSF secretion, but was less potent than stimulation with phorbol-12-myristate-13- acetate (PMA). The secreted cytokines acted additively to maintain and increase the number of colony-forming unit-megakaryocytes colonies (approximately 35%). These studies demonstrate the production of multiple cytokines by isolated human bone marrow megakaryocytes constitutively or stimulated in vitro. The capacity of human megakaryocytes to synthesize several cytokines known to modulate hematopoietic cells supports the concept that there may be an autocrine mechanism operative in the regulation of megakaryocytopoiesis.     

Ca2+ and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) activity is not necessarily required for secretion by human neutrophils

Ca2+-dependent and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC) is a receptor for and is activated by phorbol esters. This enzyme is reportedly involved in the mechanism of superoxide anion (O2-) production and the release of intracellular granule contents from human neutrophils. As previously reported by others, we found that greater than 75% of the total cellular PKC activity existed in a soluble form in untreated neutrophils and that this activity was enhanced in a dose- dependent manner by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu). Furthermore, mezerein, an analogue of PMA that is thought to be a competitive inhibitor, did not activate PKC, and on the contrary, inhibited PMA-stimulated activity in a dose- dependent manner. Pretreatment of intact neutrophils with PMA or PDBu caused the "translocation" of PKC activity to the insoluble cell fraction; PKC translocation was not detected after mezerein stimulation at any of the tested concentrations. Neither did mezerein cause an increase in intracellular Ca2+, as monitored by Quin 2 fluorescence. Both phorbol esters and mezerein stimulated intact neutrophils to generate O2- and release lysosomal enzymes into the extracellular medium. Finally sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis demonstrated key differences in the patterns of endogenous phosphoproteins of neutrophils stimulated with phorbol as compared with mezerein. We therefore suggest that PKC activation may not be the only pathway required to elicit neutrophil responses.