Monochloramine enhances Fas (APO-1/CD95)-induced apoptosis in Jurkat T cells

Monochloramine derivatives are physiological oxidants produced by activated neutrophils. We report the effects of chemically prepared monochloramine (NH2Cl) on Fas-induced apoptosis in Jurkat T cells. When the cells were pretreated with NH2Cl (20-70 microM), subsequent addition of apoptosis-inducing anti-Fas antibody resulted in a synergistic enhancement of apoptosis. Treatment of NH2Cl (50-70 microM) alone resulted in a slight but definite apoptosis. Caspase activities, as measured by DEVD and IETD cleavage activities, were also elevated synergistically by NH2Cl + anti-Fas antibody stimulation. Moreover, a broad caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk, almost completely inhibited the apoptosis induced by NH2Cl and/or anti-Fas antibody. Fas expression on the Jurkat cell surface was not affected by the NH2Cl treatment. After 3 h of NH2Cl treatment, when the apoptosis was beginning to increase, the cells showed cytochrome c release from mitochondria, proteolytic activation of caspase 9, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, regardless of Fas stimulation. Z-VAD-fmk almost completely inhibited this poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, but not cytochrome c release. By contrast, Fas stimulation alone resulted in neither cytochrome c release nor caspase 9 activation at 3 h, and the increase in the DEVD cleavage activity and apoptosis became evident at later time points. These results suggested that NH2Cl enhanced Fas-induced apoptosis through the cytochrome c release and caspase 9 activation at the early stage of apoptosis. Chloramines derived from acute inflammation may modify immune reactions, such as cell-mediated cytotoxicity and some autoimmune diseases, by the enhancement of Fas-induced apoptosis.     

Unsupervised children in vehicles: a risk for pediatric trauma

In this study, a series of instances of children injured by a motor vehicle set in motion by an unsupervised child are reviewed. During a 24-month period, nine such children were identified through a multihospital and coroner's office monitoring system in a single urban county. Injuries ranged from multiple abrasions and contusions to serious leg and head injuries. Three children died. The typical circumstance involved a child releasing the brake or placing the vehicle in gear in a private driveway which resulted in the vehicle striking or rolling over the victim. In four of the nine cases, the child who set the vehicle in motion fell or jumped from the vehicle and then became the injured victim. The extent of these unusual motor vehicle-related injuries is unknown because they are unlikely to be reported in official police statistics. According to the study findings, there is a need to educate the public and health professionals about the risks associated with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle and the hazardous environment of the private driveway. Preventive measures would include not leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, locking unattended vehicles to prevent access, and redesigning of private driveways.     

Prenatal diagnostic criteria for body stalk anomaly

Body stalk anomaly results in a severe body wall defect, maldevelopment of the hindgut, and the presence of a very rudimentary umbilical cord. A case of prenatally diagnosed body stalk anomaly is presented along with the discussion of the essential diagnostic criteria.     

Does pregnancy alter the rate of progression of diabetic nephropathy?

The effect of gestation on the rate of decline in renal function was studied in 11 pregnancies complicated by diabetic nephropathy. For each pregnancy, serum creatinine levels were available within 4 years before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and within 4 years after delivery. Although all of these patients were hypertensive and had increased proteinuria during pregnancy, the mean serum creatinine just prior to conception (1.3 +/- 0.5 mg/dl) and the last follow-up value (1.2 +/- 0.3 mg/dl) were not significantly different. When the inverse of serum creatinine (1/Scr) was used to estimate creatinine clearance, the renal function was either improved or remained stable in the majority of the pregnancies (7 of 11). The observed decline in renal function through the end of follow-up appeared to be consistent with the expected natural course of diabetic nephropathy in the absence of pregnancy. Furthermore, the slope for inverse serum creatinine before and after pregnancy was not significantly different. In conclusion, pregnancy in patients with mild to moderate diabetic nephropathy does not seem to accelerate the rate of decline in renal function.     

Open-loop accommodation in emmetropia and myopia

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of method of measurement and refractive error on the open-loop accommodation response. METHODS: Open-loop accommodation was measured in darkness (dark accommodation, DA) and using a pinhole pupil (pinhole accommodation, PA) in emmetropic subjects (EMMs, n = 63), subjects with late-onset myopia (LOMs, n = 50) and subjects with early onset myopia (EOMs, n = 51). Further a control experiment examined the differences between DA and bright-field accommodation (BA) conditions in a subset of subjects. All measurements of open-loop accommodation were carried out monocularly using a Canon R1 infra-red optometer in static recording mode. All myopic subjects were fully corrected using soft contact lenses. RESULTS: A significant variation (p < 0.001) in open-loop accommodation was found between DA and PA, but no variation in open-loop level was observed between the three refractive groups. There was no interaction between these two factors. No significant difference was found between the BA level and DA level in any of the refractive groups. CONCLUSIONS: Open-loop accommodation response positions vary according to the experimental conditions employed during measurement. No refractive group differences in the open-loop response were apparent.     

Beta lactoglobulin homologue placental protein 14 (PP14) in serum of patients with trophoblastic disease and non-trophoblastic gynecologic malignancy

Summary Serum levels of beta lactoglobulin homologue placental protein 14 (PP14) were measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in various trophoblastic diseases and non-trophoblastic gynecologic malignancies. While trace amounts of protein were detected in sera of non-pregnant subjects (22.3±13.7 g/l), during first half of normal pregnancy a dramatic rise of serum-PP14 levels was demonstrable with a peak-value at 7th–10th week of gestation, followed by a decline thereafter. Serial determinations of PP14 have been performed in 31 patients with trophoblastic tumour (20 hydatidiform moles, 4 invasive moles and 7 choriocarcinomas). In patients with hydatidiform moles and invasive moles (273.5±106.5g/l and 162.2±109.6g/l) respective values before therapy were much exceeding the nonpregnant controls. After therapy there was a rapid decline of the serum-PP14 levels within two weeks. In patients with choriocarcinoma the PP14 values were moderately elevated (66.4±25.7g/l), and declined following the remission of disease. In 32 gynecological tumours (21 carcinomas of the cervix, 4 endometrial carcinomas, 5 ovarian carcinomas, 2 carcinomas of the vulva) the pretreatment levels were not different to normal controls.     

Severe Takayasu's arteritis in pregnancy: the role of central hemodynamic monitoring

Maternal cardiovascular complications have been attributed to the dramatic hemodynamic changes associated with labor and delivery in patients with Takayasu's arteritis. The role of central hemodynamic monitoring in the management of a pregnant patient with severe Takayasu's arteritis is discussed.     

Idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis: a cause of obstructive jaundice in childhood

Idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis is a chronic process of unknown etiology characterized by extensive infiltration of the pancreatic parenchyma by fibrous tissue [1, 2]. This disease process is uncommon in the pediatric patient and is consequently rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain and jaundice in the child. The sonographic demonstration of a dilated biliary tree and common bile duct compressed by an enlarged pancreas may be the first suggestion of this entity. Two patients with idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis and obstructive jaundice are reported with a review of the clinical, radiographic, and pathologic findings.     

Placental protein 10 (PP10) in the serum of patients with trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic gynaecological tumours

Summary Serum levels of placental protein 10 (PP10) were measured by radioimmunoassay in patients with trophoblastic (n=23) and non-trophoblastic (n=122) gynaecological tumours before, during and after treatment. Elevated levels (>2.0 g/l) were found in 96% of patients with an untreated trophoblastic tumour, and in 22%, 20% and 12% of patients with endornetrial, cervical and ovarian carcinoma, respectively. After treatment the levels fell in patients with trophoblastic disease. Although PP10 may be tumour-associated in such cases, it is premature to assume any significance for PP10 as a tumour marker in clinical practice, because changes in serum hCG levels are much more informative.