Response patterns of purified myeloma cells to hematopoietic growth factors

Tumor cells were isolated from the bone marrow of seven patients with multiple myeloma and from the peripheral blood of three patients with plasma cell leukemia using Ficoll-Hypaque (FH) density sedimentation followed by immune rosette depletion of T, myeloid, monocytoid, and natural killer (NK) cells. Enrichment to greater than or equal to 93% plasma cells was confirmed with Wright's-Giemsa staining, with intracytoplasmic immunoglobulin staining, and with staining using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed at B, T, myeloid, monocytoid, and myeloma antigens in indirect immunofluorescence assays. Myeloma cells neither proliferated nor secreted Ig in response to G/M-CSF, G- CSF, M-CSF, interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-2 (IL-2), or interleukin-4 (IL-4). Significant proliferation (SI greater than or equal to 3.0) was induced by interleukin-6 (IL-6) in six of ten patients (SI of 31 and 43 in two cases); and to interleukin-3 (IL-3) and interleukin-5 (IL-5), independently, in two patients each. Peak proliferation to IL-5 or IL-6 and to IL-3 occurred in cells pulsed with 3[H] thymidine at 24 and 48 hours, respectively; and proliferation to combinations of factors did not exceed that noted to IL-6 alone; Ig secretion was not documented under any culture conditions. Three myeloma-derived cell lines similarly studied demonstrated variable responses. The heterogeneity in the in vitro responses of myeloma cells and derived cell lines to exogenous growth factors enhances our understanding of abnormal plasma cell growth and may yield insight into the pathophysiology of plasma cell dyscrasias.     

Abdominal tuberculosis: CT evaluation

The computed tomography (CT) scans of 27 patients with abdominal tuberculosis were reviewed retrospectively to determine the range of abdominal involvement. Most patients had been at increased risk because of intravenous drug abuse, alcoholism, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), cirrhosis, or steroid therapy. The etiologic agent was Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 23 patients and M. avium-intracellulare in four patients with AIDS. In five patients, tuberculosis was limited to the abdomen. CT findings included adenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, ascites, bowel involvement, pleural effusion, intrasplenic masses, and intrahepatic masses. Characteristic features were a tendency for adenopathy to prominently involve peripancreatic and mesenteric compartments, low-density centers within enlarged nodes, complex nature of the ascites, and adenopathy adjacent to sites of gastrointestinal tract involvement. Recognition of these manifestations and maintenance of an index of suspicion, especially in patients at risk, should help optimize the correct diagnosis and management of intraabdominal tuberculosis.     

Prevalence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II in volunteer blood donors and high-risk groups in northwestern Greece

BACKGROUND: In addition to human immunodeficiency virus, human T- lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) is prevalent among blood donors in the United States. In Greece, there are no epidemiologic data regarding the prevalence of HTLV-I/II among volunteer blood donors and high-risk groups. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: To determine the prevalence of HTLV-I/II infections in northwestern Greece, a seroepidemiologic study was conducted among volunteer blood donors, multiply transfused patients, heroin addicts, and chronic hemodialysis patients. The subjects were tested for serologic evidence of HTLV-I/II infection by enzyme immunoassays and specific protein immunoblot confirmatory test. RESULTS: None of the volunteer blood donors and heroin addicts had detectable antibodies to HTLV-I/II. Only 1 (1.45%) of the 69 multiply transfused patients had indeterminate results, while 2 (1.2%) of 163 hemodialysis patients were positive. CONCLUSION: In northwestern Greece, routine screening for HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections does not appear to be required. However, the finding of seropositivity among hemodialysis patients requires further evaluation of the origin of the infection, as its zero prevalence in this population seems to exclude transfusion transmission.     

Identification, chromosomal mapping and tissue-specific expression of hREV3 encoding a putative human DNA polymerase zeta

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae REV3 gene encodes the catalytic subunit of a non-essential DNA polymerase zeta, which is required for mutagenesis. The rev3 mutants significantly reduce both spontaneous and DNA damage- induced mutation rates. We have identified human cDNA clones from two different libraries whose deduced amino acid sequences bear remarkable homology to the yeast Rev3, and named this gene hREV3. The hREV3 gene was mapped to chromosome 1p32-33 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The hREV3 encodes an mRNA of >10 kb, and its expression varies in different tissues and appears to be elevated in some but not all of the tumor cell lines we have examined. In light of recent reports of a putative mouse REV3, these results indicate that mammalian cells may also contain a mutagenic pathway which aids in cell survival at the cost of increased mutation.      

Fundus imaging with a nasal endoscope

Wide field fundus imaging is needed to diagnose, treat, and follow-up patients with retinal pathology. This is more applicable for pediatric patients as repeated evaluation is a challenge. The presently available imaging machines though provide high definition images, but carry the obvious disadvantages of either being costly or bulky or sometimes both, which limits its usage only to large centers. We hereby report a technique of fundus imaging using a nasal endoscope coupled with viscoelastic. A regular nasal endoscope with viscoelastic coupling was placed on the cornea to image the fundus of infants under general anesthesia. Wide angle fundus images of various fundus pathologies in infants could be obtained easily with readily available instruments and without the much financial investment for the institutes.