Selective stimulation by B lymphocytes in the syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction

T and B lymphocytes from spleen and thoracic duct have been separated by preparative electrophoresis and their ability to stimulate syngeneic and allogeneic thymic cells in mixed lymphocyte cultures has been studied. In syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), thymus cells from neonatal mice can only be stimulated by B lymphocytes from adult mice, whereas T and B lymphocytes are stimulatory for allogeneic thymus cells from neonatal and adult mice. The role of the syngeneic MLR as an example of self recognition and as a screening mechanism for depression of self-reactive cells is discussed.     

Enhancement of protective efficacy following intranasal immunization with vaccine plus a nontoxic LTK63 mutant delivered with nanoparticles

Most vaccines are still given parenterally. Mucosal vaccination would offer different advantages over parenteral immunization, including blocking of the pathogens at the portal of entry. In this paper, nontoxic Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) mutants and Supramolecular Biovector systems (SMBV) were evaluated in mice as mucosal adjuvants and delivery systems, respectively, for intranasal immunization with the conjugated group C meningococcal vaccine. The conjugated vaccine formulated together with the LT mutants and the SMBV induced very high titers of serum and mucosal antibodies specific for the group C meningococcal polysaccharide. This vaccination strategy also induced high titers of antibodies with bactericidal activity, which is known to correlate with efficacy. Importantly, the mucosal vaccination, but not the conventional parenteral vaccination, induced bactericidal antibodies at the mucosal level. These data strongly support the feasibility of development of intranasal vaccines with an enhanced protective efficacy against meningococci and possibly against other encapsulated bacteria.     

Synthetische lineare polymere XV.: Die abhängigkeit einiger spezifischer eigenschaften polymerhomologer oligomerverbindungen von der molekülgröße

Between the molecular weight of the members of polymerhomologous series and such specific properties which are derived from additive quantities the following relation exists: \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\Phi _{{\rm sp}} = \frac{a} {m} + b$\end{document} where Φ_sp is any specific property, i.e. \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}${\rm z}.{\rm B}.\frac{{\gamma ^{1/4} }}{d}$\end{document} = specific parachor, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$- \frac{{\gamma ^{1/4} }} {d}\ {\rm log (}n\ { - 1)}$\end{document} = specific refrachor, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\frac{x} {d}$\end{document} = specific magnetic susceptibility, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\frac{{2,9\ {\rm log}\ {\rm log }\ \eta { }}} {{\rm d}}$\end{document} = specific viscosity number, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\frac{{v^{1/3} }} {d}$\end{document} = specific sound velocity, n = refractive index, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\frac{{n^2 + 1}} {{n^2 + 2}} \cdot \frac{1} {d}$\end{document} = specific refraction, and M the molecular weight is a and b are constants the values of which can be used for the evaluation of the increments of the atoms of the base mole. Some of these specific properties are suitable for determination of molecular weights in the range of 10³?10⁵, i.e. in polymer plasticizer and synthetic fibers as polymides and polyesters.     

Über aromatische polyamide mit heterocyclischen ringsystemen

In the production of high molecular weight aromatic polyamides which are soluble in polar solvents, novel aromatic diamines with oxdiazole, triazole, thiadiazole, thiazole, hydantoin, quinazolone and quinazolinedione ring systems – some of the novel aromatic diamines contain ether or sulfone groups – are reacted with aromatic dicarboxylic acid dichlorides (e.g. iso- or terephthaloyl dichloride) in polar organic solvents (e.g. N.N-dimethylacetamide or N-methyl-pyrrolidone). Filaments and fibres which possess a very good strength and a high thermal stability can be produced. Polyamides of diamines with quinazolinedione ring systems are most stable to high temperatures and are further distinguished by being only slightly liable to combustion. The new polyamides dissolved in polar solvents are suitable in the production of flexible films which are stable to high temperatures.     

Dissociation of the anti-hapten and anti-carrier responses of mice injected with dinitrophenylated lipopolysaccharide.

The quantitative and qualitative nature of the antibody responses of euthymic (normal, RML) and athymic (nude) mice injected with dinitrophenylated (DNP) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated. Antibody responses to both the haptenic (DNP) and carrier (LPS) determinants were measured. On a quantitative basis, RML and nude mice stimulated with DNP-LPS produced only primary anti-DNP responses, whereas both primary and secondary anti-LPS responses were elicited by this conjugate. The failure of DNP-LPS to trigger secondary anti-DNP responses was not dependent on the amount of DNP-LPS given in the primary or secondary doses and could not be overcome by repeated injections of DNP-LPS. Also, the anti-DNP responses of RML mice injected repeatedly with DNP-LPS were restricted to immunoglobulin M antibodies whereas both immunoglobulin M and G anti-LPS responses were elicited. Nude mice also produced immunoglobulin G antibodies to the LPS determinants. These data showed a dissociation of the anti-hapten and anti-carrier antibody responses and suggested that different immunological signals were functioning in the respective anti-DNP and anti-LPS responses.     

Cytotoxic T cell responses to haptenated cells III. Isolation and specificity analysis of continuously growing clones

Various procedures were used to derive continuously growing cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones from a primary culture containing responder cells from immunized mice and 3-(p-sulfophenyldiazo)-4-hydroxylphenyl acetic acid (SP)-or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FL)-coupled stimulator cells. It seems likely that CTL have to undergo some change, possibly genetic, to be able to grow continuously in T cell growth factor conditioned medium in the absence of any stimulator or filler cells. The most convenient and reliable procedure to generate CTL clones with different specificities was to establish from several aliquots of a primary culture cell populations continuously growing in medium conditioned with T cell growth factor(s). Clones with different specificities segregated in the different populations. SP-and FL-specific CTL clones restricted to H-2K^k, and H-2D^d and two FL-specific CTL clones with no apparent H-2 restriction are described.     

Behavioural factors associated with symptom outcomes in a primary care-based depression prevention intervention trial

BACKGROUND: A randomized trial of a primary care-based intervention to prevent depression relapse resulted in improved adherence to long-term antidepressant medication and depression outcomes. We evaluated the effects of this intervention on behavioural processes and identified process predictors of improved depressive symptoms. METHOD: Patients at high risk for depression recurrence or relapse following successful acute phase treatment (N=386) were randomly assigned to receive a low intensity 12-month intervention or continued usual care. The intervention combined education about depression, shared decision-making regarding use of maintenance pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioural strategies to promote self-management. Baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12-month interviews assessed patients' self-care practices, self-efficacy for managing depression and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Intervention patients had significantly greater self-efficacy for managing depression (P<0.01) and were more likely to keep track of depressive symptoms (P<0.0001), monitor early warning signs (P<0.0001), and plan for coping with high risk situations (P<0.0001) at all time points compared to usual care control patients. Self-efficacy for managing depression (P<0.0001), keeping track of depressive symptoms (P=0.05), monitoring for early warning signs (P=0.01), engaging in pleasant activities (P<0.0001) and engaging in social activities (P<0.0001) positively predicted improvements in depression symptom scores. CONCLUSIONS: A brief intervention designed to target cognitive-behavioural factors and promote adherence to pharmacotherapy in order to prevent depression relapse was highly successful in changing several behaviours related to controlling depression. Improvements in self-efficacy and several self-management behaviours that were targets of the intervention were significantly related to improvements in depression outcome.     

Prognostic value of the combined assessment of proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining and nuclear DNA content in invasive human mammary carcinomas

The expression of theS-phase associated, nuclear protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was investigated in routinely paraffin-embedded surgical specimens from 209 breast cancer patients. Cytometric DNA assessments were performed on fine-needle aspirates, upon which the primary diagnosis of breast cancer had been based. The mean clinical follow-up was 16 years (range 13–20 years). The percentage of PCNA immunoreactive tumour cells ranged between less than 5 to 60% (mean value 13.34%). There was a direct association between PCNA expression, high histological tumour grade (p<0.01), and DNA aneuploidy (p=0.009). In a subgroup of 22 patients with near-diploid DNA distribution patterns the PCNA expression yielded additional prognostic information. Patients with tumours of near-diploid DNA histograms and more than 20% of PCNA immunoreactive neoplastic cells had a significantly worse clinical course, than patients with neardiploid tumours containing less than 20% PCNA immunoreactive cells (p=0.0001). In contrast, the PCNA immunoreactivity did not yield additional prognostic information for patients with distinctly diploid or highly aneuploid tumour variants. In a multivariate analysis comprising all 209 patients, nodal status (p<0.01), tumour size (p<0.01), and DNA ploidy (p<0.01) were found to have significant prognostic effect. The findings indicate that carcinomas characterised by high proliferative activity and near-diploid DNA distribution patterns can show rapid tumour progression. The combined assessment of the PCNA immunoreactivity and of the nuclear DNA content in routinely processed surgical specimens of breast cancer patients appears to be of prognostic value.     

Immunohistochemical localization of pepsinogen A and C containing cells in Barrett's oesophagus

Summary No data are available on the localization of Pepsinogen A (PGA=PG I) and Pepsinogen C (PGC=PG II) positive cells in Barrett's epithelium. Endoscopic biopsy specimens were taken from the columnar epithelium from 23 patients (n=93), and in addition from the cardia from eight healthy control subjects (n=38). The tissue was stained by the immunoperoxidase technique with specific anti-pepsinogen antisera, and double immunostained for PGA and PGC. In the Barrett's epithelium PGA was found in 28 out of 93 biopsy specimens (30.1%) and PGC in 55 out of 93 (59.1%). Chief cells always stained both for PGA and PGC, while clear mucous cells were often PGA– and PGC+. PGA+ and PGC+ cells were found each in 100% of the biopsy specimens with fundic type epithelium, in 21.7% and 70.7% of biopsy specimens with junctional type, in 0% and 26.1% of biopsy specimens with specialized epithelium and in 12.5% and 43.5% of biopsy specimens with mixed junctional/specialized features respectively. Dysplastic epithelium stained always negatively with both anti-pepsinogen antisera. In most control cardia biopsy specimens PGA as well as PGC were demonstrable; occasionally clear mucous glands were PGA– and PGC+.It is concluded that pepsinogen-containing cells can be accurately identified in the Barrett's epithelium; their presence seems related to the histological cell type. Identification of pepsinogen positive cells may contribute to a more accurate morphological classification of the Barrett's epithelium.Presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association, San Francisco, May 1986