Corticoliberin, somatocrinin and amine contents in normal and parkinsonian human hypothalamus

We have compared hypothalamic contents of various neurotransmitters (dopamine (DA), norepinephrine and serotonin) and their metabolites (dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid, homovanilic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) in post-mortem human controls and parkinsonian hypothalami. Neurotransmitters and their metabolites were measured in 0.1 N HCl hypothalami extracts using electrochemical detection after high performance liquid chromatography. Using specific radioimmunoassays we have also measured corticoliberin and somatocrinin contents in these hypothalami. Despite a 50% decrease of DA contents in parkinsonian hypothalami, no variations of corticoliberin and somatocrinin contents were found: 16.6 +/- 1.78 pg/mg tissue in Parkinson disease vs 16.71 +/- 1.89 in controls for human corticotropin-releasing factor (hCRF 1-41) and 37.38 +/- 11 vs 45.16 for human growth-hormone-releasing factor (hGRF 1-44).     

Thrombopoietin receptor (Mpl) expression by megakaryocytes in myeloproliferative disorders

The thrombopoietin receptor (Mpl) is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD). In this study, we determined Mpl expression by bone marrow cells and megakaryocytes in CMPD by applying laser microdissection, real-time RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Mpl mRNA expression was significantly increased up to 9-fold in total bone marrow cells (p < 0.001) and up to 4-fold in megakaryocytes in chronic myeloproliferative disorders (n = 73) compared to normal controls (n = 26, p = 0.01). Immunohistochemistry revealed heterogeneous Mpl expression by megakaryocytes in CMPD with a stronger accentuation in idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) in comparison to polycythaemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). In addition to megakaryocytes, the erythropoietic lineage was prominently labelled by Mpl antiserum, with considerably stronger staining in polycythaemia vera. We conclude that, in CMPD, megakaryocytes and erythroid cells exhibit increased Mpl expression levels which may contribute to the sustained proliferation of both cell lineages in CMPD.     

Giant ragweed specific immunotherapy is not effective in a proportion of patients sensitized to short ragweed: analysis of the allergenic differences between short and giant ragweed

BACKGROUND: Short ragweed and giant ragweed pollen allergens are considered largely cross-reactive, and it is generally believed that 1 species is sufficient for skin testing and immunotherapy. However, in the area north of Milan (a zone widely invaded only by short ragweed), about 50% of patients submitted to injection specific immunotherapy with giant ragweed showed little or no clinical response, but showed an excellent outcome if they were shifted to short ragweed specific immunotherapy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate allergenic differences between short and giant ragweed. METHODS: IgE reactivity to short ragweed of sera from 16 patients allergic to ragweed was assessed by immunoblot before and after absorption with short and giant ragweed. Moreover, 41 ragweed-monosensitive patients underwent skin prick test with both ragweed species. RESULTS: In several cases, preabsorption of sera with giant ragweed extract was unable to inhibit IgE reactivity fully against both a 43-kd allergen and other allergens at different molecular weights in short ragweed. On skin prick test, short ragweed induced larger wheals than giant ragweed in the majority of patients, and 6 of 41 (15%) patients were strongly short ragweed-positive but giant ragweed-negative. The immunoblot with the serum from 1 of these subjects showed a strong IgE reactivity to short ragweed at about 43 kd in the absence of any reactivity to giant ragweed. CONCLUSION: Short and giant ragweed are not allergenically equivalent. Allergenic differences involve both the major allergens Amb a 1-2/Amb t 1-2 and some minor allergens. In patients allergic to ragweed, both diagnosis in vivo and immunotherapy should always be performed by using the ragweed species present in that specific geographic area.     

Epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacter isolates in a Spanish hospital during a 12-year period

Fifteen Enterobacter clinical isolates (11 Enterobacter cloacae isolates, 3 Enterobacter aerogenes isolates, and 1 Enterobacter gergoviae isolate), representing 0.4% of all Enterobacter isolates recovered in our hospital from 1989 to 2000, were suspected of harboring an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). These isolates were recovered from 14 different patients. ESBLs were transferred by conjugation into an Escherichia coli recipient strain. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed a single clone of E. aerogenes and six different clones of E. cloacae. Four of these E. cloacae clonal types were represented by only one isolate each, but the other two were represented by three and four isolates, respectively. Isoelectric focusing, susceptibility phenotyping, PCR analysis, and sequencing demonstrated the presence of three different ESBLs. The most frequent was the recently characterized CTX-M-10 ESBL, which was found in the E. gergoviae isolate and in all but one of the E. cloacae isolates. The remaining E. cloacae isolate harbored a TEM-27 ESBL, and the three E. aerogenes isolates harbored a TEM-24 ESBL. PFGE revealed that our E. aerogenes strain was indistinguishable from the French TEM-24-producing E. aerogenes endemic clone. Although a low prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacter isolates was found in our institution over a 12-year period, a diversity of nonepidemic E. cloacae clones was detected, as was the persistence of the CTX-M-10 beta-lactamase. The presence of the TEM-24-producing E. aerogenes French clone in our institution also demonstrates the intercountry dissemination of ESBL-producing isolates.     

Thermogenic effect of adrenaline: interaction with insulin

Summary The contribution of insulin (3.6 pmol sd kg body mass^–1·min^–1 to adrenaline-induced (0.164 nmol · kg fat free mass^–1·min^–1) thermogenesis was studied in ten postabsorptive healthy volunteers using two sequential protocols. Variables considered were oxygen consumption as well as carbon dioxide production, heart rate, blood pressure, plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, glycerol, free fatty acids,-HO-butyrate and lactate. Adrenaline increased plasma concentrations of glucose, glycerol, free fatty acids, and-HO-butyrate, and heart rate and metabolic rate during normo-insulinaemia [61.3 (SEM 6.6) pmol·^–1]. Similar effects were observed during hyperinsulinaemia [167.9 (SEM 18.7) pmol·^–1], but the effect of adrenaline on oxygen consumption was reduced. On average, metabolic rate increased by 12.9% during normo-insulinaemia and by 8.9% during hyperinsulinaemia. We concluded that relative hyperinsulinaemia resulted in decreased adrenaline-induced thermogenesis and therefore increased whole body anabolism.     

Detection of genetic alterations in primary bladder carcinoma with dual-color and multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization

Cytogenetic studies of bladder cancer have shown several nonrandom aberrations. Numerical aberrations of both sex chromosomes were investigated in 32 primary bladder tumors with bicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Loss of chromosome Y and overrepresentation of chromosome X were observed in subgroups of male patients. Chromosome X was represented normally in female patients. Two of the above primary bladder tumors, a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and an adenocarcinoma, were further analyzed with both multiplex FISH (24-color M-FISH) and G-banding. Both cases exhibited 1) common breakpoints on 5q11 approximately q12 and 15q24; 2) involvement of the pericentromeric area of chromosome 13; 3) structural abnormalities of chromosomes 8 and 17, with loss of material on the short arm; 4) structural abnormalities involving chromosome 11; and 5) loss of chromosome Y. The TCC case also exhibited structural abnormalities of chromosome 9, resulting in loss of 9q. The combined G-banding and M-FISH findings could help reveal regions potentially involved in bladder tumorigenesis.     

External quality control assessment in PCR diagnostics of dengue virus infections

BACKGROUND: Increased travelling to countries endemic for dengue fever (DF) demands efficient laboratory diagnostics. Nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) are now frequently used for rapid diagnosis of imported viral diseases. Different PCR systems are available. OBJECTIVES: In order to assess the quality of molecular diagnostics of dengue virus infections, an external quality assurance (EQA) in PCR diagnostics was conducted. Study design: A panel of 10 human plasma samples was prepared and spiked with dengue virus types DEN-1 to DEN-4. In addition, a 10-fold dilution series (1:10-1:10(4) ) of DEN-3 virus was included. The panel was pre-tested by nested RT-PCR, in-house real-time PCR, and a commercial real-time PCR kit. The samples were inactivated by gamma irradiation and shipped in freeze dried state. Thirteen laboratories, within the European network for the diagnostics of imported viral diseases (ENIVD) took part using either single-round, nested, or real-time RT-PCR methods. Two laboratories used two methods in parallel, summarising up to 15 comparable results. RESULTS: 33-100% correct results were achieved. All laboratories detected DEN-2 correctly, followed by DEN-1 (14 positive results of 15), DEN-3 (12/15) and DEN-4 (11/15). Testing of the serial dilution revealed low sensitivity in many labs, with results ranging from 33 to 80% of correctly tested samples. CONCLUSION: The EQA gives a feedback of the quality of the RT-PCR system used by each respective laboratory. The different test systems and amplification conditions demonstrate the importance of external quality control measures.     

Differentiation of Streptococcus uberis from Streptococcus parauberis by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA.

Streptococcus uberis type II has been proposed recently as a separate species designated Streptococcus parauberis (A. M. Williams and M. D. Collins, J. Appl. Bacteriol. 68:485-490, 1990). Differentiation of S. parauberis from S. uberis has been possible only by DNA-DNA hybridization or 16S rRNA sequencing, since the biochemical and serological characteristics of the two species are indistinguishable. A simple and reliable technique was developed for differentiating S. parauberis (S. uberis type II [ATCC 13386]) from S. uberis (S. uberis type I [ATCC 9927, ATCC 13387, and ATCC 27958]) by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of 1.4-kb 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Oligonucleotide primers complementary to 16S rRNA genes were used to amplify 16S ribosomal gene fragments from genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction. The 1.4-kb 16S rDNA fragment was digested with ScaI, NspI, DdeI, and AvaII restriction endonucleases. Restriction fragments produced by all four restriction endonucleases were characteristic for each species. RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA from 24 "S. uberis" isolates obtained from mammary secretions of dairy cows indicated that all 24 isolates were indeed S. uberis.     

Treatment options for severe lupus nephritis

Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus is a common complication that significantly worsens morbidity and mortality. Landmark trials conducted by the National Institutes of Health established cyclophosphamide as the mainstay of therapy. Since then, the prognosis of patients with lupus nephritis has markedly improved, and 10-year survival rates now surpass 75%.These superior outcomes have come at the expense of adverse events such as serious infections and gonadal failure in a significant number of patients,and the relapsing nature of the disease continues to pose a problem. For thesereasons, new treatment protocols, such as mycophenolate mofetil induction or sequential therapies using azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil in the maintenance phase, have been developed in recent years with the goal to maintain remission and reduce adverse events. In addition, ongoing research into the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis has confirmed the importance of B and T cell activation, leading to the identification of potential new therapeutic targets. This article discusses established and novel treatment options for patients with severe lupus nephritis corresponding to WHO classes III, IV, and V withIII or V with IV.