The polymeric immunoglobulin A receptor is present on hepatocytes in human liver.

A monoclonal antibody raised against human colostrum secretory component produced even staining of hepatocyte plasma membranes, as well as bile duct lining cells, in all sections examined from eight normal and three abnormal human livers. Human bile samples incubated with free secretory component degraded it to varying extents, probably proteolytically; true levels of free secretory component will therefore often be higher than those reported. It seems likely that human liver resembles that of other mammals in transferring polymeric IgA through hepatocytes to the bile by means of the polymeric IgA receptor.     

Regulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by CD4+, CD25+ and CD8+ T cells: analysis using depleting antibodies

Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) can be induced in mice of the C57BL/6 strain by subcutaneous immunization with myelin/oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide p35-55 in CFA, administered twice at an interval of one week and supplemented with Bordetella pertussis toxin given IV. Here, we studied the effect on the induction of EAE of depleting antibodies to CD4, CD8, or CD25 administered before either the first or the second dose of MOG p35-55. We found that anti-CD4 abolished EAE when given before the first immunization; anti-CD4 did not affect the disease when it was given before the second immunization. Anti-CD8 enhanced EAE induction when given before either of the two immunizations. Anti-CD25 enhanced EAE to the same degree as anti-CD8 when given before the first immunization, but anti-CD25 was even more effective in enhancing EAE when given before the second immunization. The anti-CD25 treatment led to significantly enhanced IFNgamma production by T cells responding to MOG p35-55 and persisting anti-MOG antibodies detectable 56 days after the first immunization. Administration of anti-CD8 or anti-CD25 abolished the need for pertussis toxin to induce EAE. These findings are compatible with the idea that CD4 T cells are required for the initial induction of EAE and that the disease is down-regulated by T cells expressing CD8 or CD25. These regulatory T cells exist prior to MOG immunization, but the CD25+ regulators appear to be further amplified by immunization.     

Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases in Latin America: First Report from Eight Countries Participating in the LAGID

The Latin American Group for Primary Immunodeficiencies, formed in 1993, presently includes 12 countries. One goal was to study the frequency of primary immunodeficiencies in various regions of the American continent and to enhance knowledge about these diseases among primary-care physicians, as well as allergist–immunologists. Important for this purpose was the development of a registry of primary immunodeficiencies using a uniform questionnaire and computerized database. To date, eight countries have collected information on a total of 1428 patients. Predominantly antibody deficiencies were reported in 58% of patients, followed by cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies associated with other abnormalities in 18%, immunodeficiency syndromes associated with granulocyte dysfunction in 8%, phagocytic disorders in 9%, combined cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies in 5%, and complement deficiencies in 2% of patients. The information gathered from this initial analysis of data will serve to expand the patient database to more areas within participating countries and to new countries and to increase collaboration toward better diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.     

Protein kinase A activity in platelets from patients with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND: Abnormal levels of protein kinase A (PKA) were found in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Since altered levels are generally accompanied by functional modifications, the purpose of this study was to investigate PKA activity in patients with BD. METHODS: PKA activity was assessed in platelets from 20 drug-free bipolar patients and 19 controls. RESULTS: The cAMP-stimulated PKA activity was significantly increased in bipolar patients compared with controls. LIMITATIONS: This study made use of platelets, which may not fully represent changes occurring in specific brain regions. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the growing evidence suggesting that abnormalities of PKA are associated with BD.     

Stability of Th1 and Th2 populations

Using an in vitro model for the development of IFN-y-producIng(Th1) and IL-4-produclng (Th1) cells from CD4 T lymphocytesexpressing a transgenlc TCR, we show that IL-12 and IL-4 arethe most potent stimuli for the differentiation of naive T cellsto effector populations. When combinations of cytokines arepresent during T cell priming, the effect of IL-4 Is dominant.Furthermore, differentiated Th1 cells can be converted intoIL-4 producers by exposure to IL-4, but the Th2 phenotype Isnot reversible. The stability of Th2 populations may limit theability to regulate Th2-domlnant responses In pathologic situations.     

Laser tomography of heterogeneous scattering media using spatial and temporal resolution

Time-resolved tomography is performed in transillumination by using 527 nm picosecond pulses from a passively mode-locked doubled Nd/glass laser and a streak camera to select photons according to their flight time. This work reports on the increase in contrast of a time-resolved profile of a 2 mm radius opaque object embedded in a scattering medium, constituted of diluted milk in a 30 mm thick cell. For spatial analysis, the emerging photons are detected through a 6 mm slit at the outlet face of the cell. Transmission profiles obtained as a function of time show that the contrast is enhanced for the shortest flight times, while the ‘shadow’ of the object is no longer detected after about 100 ps. Moreover, improvements in contrast are studied for different configurations of the model, to analyse separately the role of collimated and scattered photons. It is expected that such a tomographic method based on time-resolved absorption could be applied to imaging for more complex biological structures in the red and near-infra-red range.     

Patterns of basement membrane laminin distribution in nonneoplastic and neoplastic thyroid tissue.

Laminin, a major basement membrane component, is typically absent or partially lost around the epithelial elements of most invasive carcinomas. To evaluate the distribution of laminin in both primary and metastatic thyroid tumors, we studied 14 benign thyroid lesions (eight adenomas, two Graves' disease, two Hashimoto's thyroiditis, one adenomatous hyperplasia, one nodular goiter), 20 carcinomas (seven papillary, six tall cell variant, four follicular, three Hürthle), and eight metastases (five tall cell variant, three follicular) utilizing a polyclonal antibody against highly purified, nidogen-free laminin. All benign lesions showed positive, linear immunostaining along basement membranes. Partial loss or absence of laminin was seen in the solid areas of all types of thyroid carcinomas examined; well-differentiated papillary and follicular tumors, as well as papillary and follicular areas of more poorly differentiated neoplasms, maintained linear laminin immunostaining in the papillary cores beneath the epithelial cells and around follicles. A similar correlation between laminin deposition and architectural organization was seen in metastatic lesions. Hürthle cell carcinomas had a unique fragmented, pericellular immunostaining pattern around individual tumor cells, suggesting uncontrolled laminin synthesis. Our findings suggest that preservation of laminin production in thyroid tumors reflects their degree of differentiation and that absence of laminin correlates with lack of structural organization rather than reflecting invasive and metastatic potential.     

Effects of overexpansion on stents' recoil, symmetry/asymmetry, and neointimal hyperplasia in aortas of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether overexpansion modifies stent recoil, symmetric distribution of struts, and neointimal hyperplasia. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were (a) to evaluate whether stent overexpansion modifies the geometric configuration of the stent in the arterial wall, (b) to determine the relationship between overexpansion and stent recoil, and (c) to evaluate the relationship between the distribution of struts and neointimal hyperplasia. METHODS: Twenty tubular stainless steel 316L stents (3.0 and 3.5 mm in diameter) were implanted at 20 and 10 atm, respectively, in the abdominal aorta of New Zealand rabbits fed a hypercholesterolemic diet (1% cholesterol). Sham operations were also performed in seven animals. Eight weeks after implantation or sham operation, an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) study was performed to measure stent recoil and aid in stent classification (symmetric or asymmetric) according to strut distribution. The degree of injury and neointimal hyperplasia were also evaluated in hematoxylin-eosin stained sections. RESULTS: The symmetry/asymmetry of stents assessed by IVUS, as well as the neointimal hyperplasia, was similar in both groups. Stent recoil was significantly greater in the 3.0-mm stent (overexpanded) group (0.28+/-0.02 mm), as compared with stent recoil in the 3.5-mm stent group (0.10+/-0.01 mm, P<.05). The neointimal hyperplasia in histological slices, independent of the implant technique, was predominantly in zones with higher strut concentration as compared with zones with fewer struts. CONCLUSIONS: Stent overexpansion enhanced stent recoil and did not modify symmetric and asymmetric strut distribution. Neointimal hyperplasia was not modified by the implant technique. Interestingly, significant hyperplasia was observed in locations with greater strut concentration, independent of overexpansion.     

Relative frequency of rotavirus subgroups 1 and 2 in Venezuelan children with gastroenteritis as assayed with monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies recently developed against the 42,000-dalton protein of two rotavirus strains were used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the subgroup specificity of 252 specimens collected during a 45-month period from Venezuelan children with rotavirus gastroenteritis. Subgroup 2 rotavirus was shed by 85% of the children, whereas only 14% shed subgroup 1 rotavirus (one-half of them in a 3-month period). No differences were found in the occurrence of fever and vomiting between children shedding either rotavirus subgroup, but it appeared that the syndrome tended to last longer in children shedding subgroup 2 rotavirus. The monoclonal subgrouping enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay seemed to be more sensitive than an immune adherence hemagglutination assay, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with polyclonal antibodies, or the electrophoretic analysis of RNA extracted from the virus. Overall, 99% of the specimens could be subgrouped by this assay.