The relative contribution of direct and indirect antigen recognition pathways to the alloresponse and graft rejection depends upon the nature of the transplant

In this study, we measured direct and indirect T-cell alloresponses mediated by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in three mouse transplantation models: skin, cornea, and retina. We show that the contribution of direct and indirect antigen recognition pathways to the alloresponse to fully allogeneic grafts varies depending upon the nature of the tissue/organ transplanted. The implications of this finding for understanding the cellular mechanisms by which rejection is mediated in different transplant models are discussed.     

Identical abnormality of the short arm of chromosome 18 in two Philadelphia-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia patients with erythroblastic transformation,resulting in duplication of BCR-ABL1 fusion

Two patients with Ph-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia in erythroblastic transformation and rearrangement of the short arm of chromosome 18 are reported. Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies showed that the 18p rearrangement resulted from translocation of the main part of chromosome 22 long arm to 18p, including BCR-ABL1 fusion. The 18p abnormality resulted, thus, in loss of 18p and duplication of BCR-ABL1 in both patients. The possible relation to the erythroblastic type of blastic phase is briefly discussed. In addition an apparently intact germline ABL1 gene was duplicated and inserted into chromosome 6 at band p21 in one of these patients.     

Training to yoga respiration selectively increases respiratory sensation in healthy man

Because yoga practitioners think they are benefiting from their breath training we hypothesized that yoga respiration training (YRT) could modify the respiratory sensation. Yoga respiration (YR) ("ujjai") consisted of very slow, deep breaths (2-3 min(-1)) with sustained breath-hold after each inspiration and expiration. At inclusion in the study and after a 2-month YRT program, we determined in healthy subjects their eupneic ventilatory pattern and their capacity to discriminate external inspiratory resistive loads (respiratory sensation), digital tactile mechanical pressures (somesthetic sensation) and sound-pressure stimulations (auditory sensation). Data were compared to a gender-, age-, and weight-matched control group of healthy subjects who did not undergo the YRT program but were explored at the same epochs. After the 2-month YRT program, the respiratory sensation increased. Thus, both the exponent of the Steven's power law (Psi=kPhin) and the slope of the linear-linear plot between Psi and mouth pressure (Pm) were significantly higher, and the intercept with ordinate axis of the Psi versus Pm relationship was lower. After YRT, the peak Pm developed against inspiratory loads was significantly lower, reducing the load-induced activation of respiratory afferents. YRT induced long-lasting modifications of the ventilatory pattern with a significant lengthening of expiratory duration and a modest tidal volume increase. No significant changes in somesthetic and auditory sensations were noted. In the control group, the respiratory sensation was not modified during a 15-min period of yoga respiration, despite the peak Pm changes in response to added loads were then significantly reduced. These data suggest that training to yoga respiration selectively increases the respiratory sensation, perhaps through its persistent conditioning of the breathing pattern.     

Electron microscopic analysis of two-dimensional crystals of the Ca2+-transport ATPase — a freeze-fracture study

Summary Two distinct forms of Ca²⁺-ATPase crystals have been analysed in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes. The E₁-type crystals, induced by Ca²⁺ or lanthanide ions, consist of single chains of ATPase monomers, and the E₂-type crystals, induced by vanadate ions, consist of dimer chains. Using improved freeze-fracture techniques we have obtained high-resolution images of complementary surface replicas of SR membranes containing these crystal forms. In E₁ crystals, the concave fracture (P) faces display obliquely oriented rows of intramembrane particles (IMPs) spaced at - 6–7 nm along both crystal axes, while the convex fracture (E) faces show corresponding rows of pits. In E₂ crystals, regular arrays of oblique parallel ridges with spacing of - 10.5–11 nm appear on the P-faces and complementary grooves or furrows on the E-faces. In many instances the ridges break up into elongated particles repeating every 5.5 nm. When the direction of the shadow is almost parallel to the axis of the ridges, these 9.5 nm particles can be resolved into two domains, which represent intramembranous contacts between the two monomers of the two adjacent dimer chains. Complementary grooves on the E-faces can also be resolved into rows of pits complementary to the particles of the ridges on the P-faces. In the control SR membranes, randomly dispersed IMPs and corresponding pits are observed on the P- and E-faces, respectively. The data suggest that transport of Ca²⁺ involves significant structural changes of the enzyme molecule, reflected in the ATPase-ATPase interactions both on the cytoplasmic surface and in the lipid bilayer.     

Recurring bone epithelioid hemangioma

Bone vascular tumors are very rare. Epithelioid types are described according to their architecture, their degree of vascular differentiation, and their cytonuclear atypia. The include epithelioid hemangioma, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, and angiosarcoma. We report a case of L4 corpus vertebral bone epithelioid hemangioma. The patient was a 25-year-old man with a tumor that recurred twice. The lesion was characterized by a vascular lumen lined by cells with regular nuclei and inflammatory infiltrates. Capillaries were lined by prominent epithelioid endothelial cells, associated with CD31+ and cytokeratin-.     

Lipoxygenase-3 (ALOXE3) and 12(R)-lipoxygenase (ALOX12B) are mutated in non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (NCIE) linked to chromosome 17p13.1.

We report the identification of mutations in lipoxygenase-3 (ALOXE3) and 12(R)-lipoxygenase (ALOX12B) genes in non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (NCIE) linked to chromosome 17. Linkage disequilibrium analysis of six families affected by NCIE permitted us to reduce a recently reported interval of 8.4 cM on chromosome 17p13.1 to a 600 kb region around the marker D17S1796, which contains LOX genes. LOX products have long been implicated in skin disorders. Two point mutations and one deletion were found in ALOXE3 and three point mutations were found in ALOX12B in these consanguineous families from the Mediterranean basin. ALOXE3 and ALOX12B are two genes which are physically linked and functionally related. They are separated by 38 kb, have one more exon than the other LOX genes and are mainly expressed in epithelial cells including keratinocytes. Although the main substrate(s) of the two enzymes is (are) still unknown, the products of ALOX12B obtained in experimental systems have been demonstrated to be of R-chirality. It seems likely that the product of one of these enzymes may be the substrate of the other, and that they belong to the same metabolic pathway.     

Monosomy 9q and trisomy 16q in a case of congenital solitary infantile myofibromatosis

Although infantile myofibromatosis (IM) is the most common fibrous proliferation of infancy, many aspects of this benign lesion have not been explored. IM histogenesis is still poorly understood, despite immunohistochemical staining and ultrastructural features that suggest a myofibroblastic origin. IM diagnosis is often made difficult by the predominance of small primitive spindle cells over myofibrobasts and the presence of intravascular growth. Genetic information is scarce, with only one karyotyped case. Here we describe a case of solitary IM discovered at birth in an otherwise healthy girl. The tumor was well circumscribed, arranged in nodules and made up of ovoid cells without atypia, in a myxoid background. Immunohistochemical evaluation indicated a myofibroblastic differentiation. The cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses revealed an abnormal chromosome 9, derived from an unbalanced whole-arm translocation between chromosomes 9 and 16. On both chromosomes, the breakpoints were located in the pericentric heterochromatic region. This clonal abnormality has not been reported in other tumors and is different from the chromosome 6q deletion reported in the single previous reported IM karyotype.     

Hepatitis E in the south west of France in individuals who have never visited an endemic area

A total of 431 consecutive patients from the Midi Pyrenees area with acute hepatitis with unknown etiology in 2001-2002 were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G-class (IgG) anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies. Forty-six (10.7%) had anti-HEV IgG, and the results were questionable for a further 17 (3.9%). Real time PCR based on TaqMan detection was used to identify HEV genome fragments in the serum of patients with positive or questionable anti-HEV serology. HEV RNA was found in 25.4% of cases. All amplification products were sequenced and analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the strains were genotype 3. In conclusion, virological and epidemiological data indicate that genotype 3 viruses are circulating in the south west part of France (Midi-Pyrenees) in patients with acute hepatitis and who have not visited recently areas in which HEV is endemic.     

"Hemicrania continua": The first bilateral case?

The patient reported had had a continuous headache involving the whole skull for 7 years. Many drugs had failed to relieve the pain, but with indomethacin the headache completely disappeared within 3 days. Nine months later the treatment was discontinued without any relapse. This variety of headache, not previously reported, was quite similar to the "hemicrania continua" except for its localization.     

The toxicity of copper to the adult and early life stages of the freshwater clam,Corbicula manilensis

The copper sensitivity of adult and larval stages of the freshwater clamCorbicula manilensis was evaluated. In addition, copper concentrations were determined in adult clams exposed for 4 to 10 weeks to copper in a high-volume, flow-through bioassay. All bioassay systems utilized water that was low in total hardness and alkalinity.The response of the clams to copper depended on life stage. Copper sensitivity of larvae decreased markedly in successive developmental stages. LC50₂₄'s of veliger and juvenile larvae were 28 and 600 g Cu/L, respectively. The mortality of trochophore larvae exposed to 10 g Cu/L for one hr was 91.5%. The sensitivity to copper decreased with increased amounts of larval shell deposition.Adult clams were resistant to copper; the LC50₉₆ was greater than 2,600 g Cu/L. By comparison, the incipient lethal concentration (ILC, was lowless than 10 g Cu/L. Adult clams accumulated more copper as concentrations in the water increased. Evidence was obtained for copper loss near or at death.Labile and total copper, as well as the coppercomplexing capacity, in the bioassay water were determined; the majority of copper was present as labile species. Toxicity was related to the quantities of labile copper in the water.This work was supported by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy) and by the U.S. Department of Energy (contract number W-7405-ENG-48).