Cytokine-specific regulation of urokinase receptor (CD87) expression by U937 mononuclear phagocytes

Mononuclear phagocytes concentrate urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) at the cell surface by expressing membrane uPA receptors (uPAR). This study examines the ability of exogenous cytokines to alter expression of membrane-associated uPA and uPAR in U937 mononuclear phagocytes. Cells were stimulated with recombinant interferon gamma (IFN gamma) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), followed by immunolabeling for uPA or uPAR and flow cytometry. IFN gamma increased surface uPA 2.2-fold relative to unstimulated controls (P < .001), whereas TNF alpha had no significant effect. Likewise, maximal uPA binding capacity was increased 2.8-fold by IFN gamma (P < .02), but was not affected by TNF alpha. In unstimulated cells, 50% of receptors were occupied by endogenously generated uPA, and this proportion was not affected by either cytokine. IFN gamma upregulated uPAR 2.1-fold relative to unstimulated controls (P < .001), whereas TNF alpha had no effect. In contrast to effects on surface protein, TNF alpha induced a substantial increase in uPAR mRNA, equaling the effect of IFN gamma. In addition, both cytokines doubled the intracellular uPAR pool (P < .01). By contrast, TNF alpha induced a 2.5-fold increase in the level of uPAR protein released into conditioned medium (compared with unstimulated cells), whereas IFN gamma had no effect. These results indicate that uPAR expression is regulated in a cytokine-specific fashion. Some stimuli, such as TNF alpha, may increase uPAR synthetic activity without a corresponding change in membrane expression, because of enhanced release of uPAR from the cell. Cytokine-specific modulation of uPAR may be important in regulating the function of mononuclear phagocytes in inflammation and tissue repair.     

Molecular analysis of the litaf/simple and prx genes in patients with demyelinating charcot‐marie‐tooth (CMT) disease

Mutations in the GJB1/Cx32 gene (Xq13.1) cause the most common X‐linked form of CMT (CMTX1) and are the most frequent cause of CMT disease after the CMT1A duplication. The disorder is characterized by a moderate‐to‐severe neuropathy in affected males and mild‐to‐no symptoms in carrier females. We report here a CMT1A‐negative family in which 4 females and 2 males were affected, exhibiting different disease severity. Molecular analysis of the GJB1/Cx32 gene uncovered a nonsense mutation (Arg22stop) in exon 2. The mutation, which had been previously described by others and observed by us in numerous other families, occurred in heterozygous form in the 4 females. However, while one of the two male patients was severely affected and shown to be hemizygous, as expected, the other was mildly affected and found to carry the mutation in heterozygous form. Genotyping at the SRY (Yp11.3) and DMD (Xp21) loci suggested the occurrence of the XXY genotype associated with Klinefelter syndrome. Microsatellite analysis indicated that the nondysjunctional error was of paternal origin, as it is usually observed in about half the cases. The patient had no children. At clinical examination, he exhibited a very mild neurologic phenotype and showed signs of hypogonadism (mild gynecomastia and small testes) as well as moderate cognitive impairment. Electrophysiologic, cytogenetic and endocrinologic investigations are in progress in order to define the unusual phenotype in this patient.     

Intramuscular bipenicillin vs. intravenous penicillin in the treatment of erysipelas in adults: randomized controlled study

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of intramuscular penicillin: mixture of benzyl penicillin and procain penicillin (2 MU x 2 times daily) and intravenous benzyl penicillin (4 MU x 6 times daily) in the treatment of hospitalized adult patients with erysipelas. A prospective randomized unicentric trial was conducted. In total, 112 patients entered the study; 57 in the intramuscular group and 55 patients in the intravenous group completed the trial. The failure rate was 14% for intramuscular group and 20% for the intravenous group (P = 0.40). Local complications such as of the leg abscesses were observed in the two groups (intravenous 9.1%, intramuscular 7%; P = 0477). Of the patients treated with intravenous benzyl penicillin, 25.5% presented complications related to the route (venitis). Intramuscular penicillin should be considered an effective and well-tolerated treatment of erysipelas in adult patients.     

肥大性下橄榄核变性的MRI表现

目的 总结肥大性下橄榄核变性(hypertrophic olivary degeneration，HOD)的MRI特征.方法 搜集继发于脑干和小脑病变的HOD病例15例，原发病变位于脑干9例，其中血管畸形出血4例，高血压脑干出血2例，梗死2例，脑干挫伤1例；原发病变位于小脑6例，其中小脑半球出血4例，小脑第4脑室肿瘤术后1例，小脑转移瘤1例。15例均做了MR平扫，2例做了增强扫描。结果 HOD表现为延髓腹外侧局部体积稍增大(共6例)，T1WI表现为等或稍低信号(15例)，在T2WI为高信号(15例)。原发性病变导致中脑红核或桥脑被盖束受损者，发生同侧HOD(8例)；原发病变导致小脑齿状核受损者并引起对侧HOD(4例)，双侧中央被盖束受损(1例)或双侧小脑齿状核受累及者(2例)，发生双侧HOD。结论 MRI能非常清晰地显示下橄榄核的继发性变性病变，可以提高对该变性的认识，避免误诊的发生.     

先天性胆管扩张症的MRCP诊断及意义

目的 探讨MRCP对先天性胆管扩张症的诊断价值及意义。方法 回顾性分析13例先天性胆管扩张症的MRCP影像资料，并与B超、ERcP或手术结果进行对照分析。结果 13例MRCP表现均有不同程度的胆管扩张，直径1．5～10．0cm。其中，单纯胆总管扩张8例，肝内，肝外胆管同时扩张2例，单纯肝内胆管扩张3例。与B超，ERCP或手术结果基本一致。结论 MRCP能清楚显示扩张胆管的部位，形态及与周围组织结构的关系，优于其他影像学检查，为临床手术提供可靠依据。     

Cyclophosphamide in the male rat: cerebral biochemical changes in progeny

Adult male Wistar rats were treated with cyclophosphamide either alone or with both cyclophosphamide and vinblastine. They were then mated with virgin non-treated females. Examination of their offspring showed an increased post-natal mortality rate; and diminished learning capacity and spontaneous activity in the adults. These disorders were also found in the second generation, resulting from mating between animals of the first generation. Biochemical analyses of the brains of the offspring of treated males in the first and second generations showed a diminished activity of hippocampal choline acetyl-transferase. Moreover, the second generation showed a diminution of fronto-parietal cortex norepinephrine. These biochemical results may correspond to the observed behavioral deficits. Furthermore, by studying experimental mutation, they add to our knowledge of the consequences of certain cytostatic treatments.     

腹部超低磁场磁共振胃肠道充液利弊的探讨

本文回顾性总结分析100例腹部ULF-MRI检查,阐述胃肠道人为充盈准备和不准备,与使用弹力腹带紧裹季肋部等措施．对图像分析的利弊关系。介绍了所用设备、方法、资料和结果,用不同内含的水模(白开水、铁剂、牛奶等)．寻得信号规律,与临床实践比较．讨论三种液体作为人为充盈液的优缺点．有利于正确判别组织．有利于临床诊断。     

Ontogeny of B-lymphocyte function. III. In vivo and in vitro studies on the ease of tolerance induction in B lymphocytes from fetal, neonatal, and adult mice

The ease of tolerance induction in B lymphocytes from fetal, neonatal, and adult mice was studied in vivo, in a cell transfer system, and in vitro. Three different tolerogens were used: ultracentrifuged BGG, DNP(6)-D-GL, and ultracentrifuged DNP(22)-BGG. Irradiated thymectomized mice were reconstituted with B cells from fetal or neonatal liver or adult spleen or bone marrow. The mice were injected with tolerogen 1 day later. They were given normal thymus cells and challenged with either BGG or DNP(44)-BGG between 4 and 14 days after tolerance induction. With BGG no difference in ease of B-cell tolerance induction was observed in mice reconstituted with B cells from 17-day fetal liver, neonatal liver, 8- day-old spleen, adult spleen, or adult bone marrow. B cells from 14-day fetal donors are relatively resistant to tolerance induction. In contrast, with DNP(6)-D-GL and DNP(22)-BGG B cells from neonatal donors were clearly more susceptible to tolerance induction than were B cells from adult donors. Comparable results were obtained in studies on tolerance induction in vitro. Neonatal B cells were more susceptible than adult B cells to tolerance induction upon culture with DNP(6)-D-GL or DNP(22)-BGG. However, neonatal and adult B cells were identical with respect to ease of tolerance induction in vitro with deaggregated BGG. The results suggest that there are multiple mechanisms for B-cell tolerance induction. Immature B cells appear to be more susceptible to tolerance induction by some mechanisms but not by others. It is suggested that immature B cells are more susceptible to tolerance induction with moderately polyvalent antigens such as hapten-carrier conjugates. With antigens like BGG which do not haverepeated epitopes no difference between mature and fetal B cells in regard to ease of tolerance induction is observed. These observations raise questions about the importance of relative ease of tolerance induction in immature B cells as a mechanism controlling the normal induction of self tolerance.