Forensic usefulness of the silicone rubber cast of the cardiac vessels

Summary Adequate examination of the coronary arteries at forensic autopsy is often difficult. No matter whether the arteries are opened longitudinally or transversely, each method has its disadvantages. A technique making silicone rubber casts of the cardiac vessels providing simultaneous angiography is described. The method allows the three-dimensional precise assessment of stenotic lesions of the coronary arteries. It is concluded that the method examined could be useful for the forensic problems.     

Monocyte chemotaxis and chemotactic cytokine release after exposure to hydroxyethyl starch

Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is commonly used in leukapheresis and infused as an alternative to blood components for the treatment of hypotension due to hemorrhage and trauma. Its prolonged intravascular persistence and retention in tissue raise concerns about possible effects on humoral and cell-mediated immunity and white cell (WBC) locomotion, particularly in volunteer WBC donors or in severely burned individuals with immunologic depression and increased risk for infection. This study evaluated the effect of HES on human monocyte migration and chemotaxis and the production of antigen- and mitogen-induced WBC-derived chemotactic cytokine. A bioassay was developed to quantitate the neutrophil chemotactic activity of a cytokine generated by mononuclear WBCs stimulated in vitro by phytohemagglutinin or tuberculin protein. The time- and dose-dependent generation of the chemotactic cytokine was not affected by the presence of HES. HES by itself did not induce the generation of this cytokine, nor were human monocyte chemotaxis and spontaneous migration significantly changed by exposure to HES. These results, with those of other investigators, suggest that HES is a safe red cell-sedimenting agent for leukapheresis and an alternative to the use of blood components in shock resuscitation.     

甲真菌病治疗指南

该指南是英国皮肤科医师协会针对皮肤科医生制定的 ,反映了当前文献报道中的最新研究资料。在解释这些资料时应慎重 ,因为未来的研究可能会改变现有的结论或推荐方案。在应用该指南时 ,需因人而异 ,因地制宜。遵守指南并不能确保万无一失 ,因此对实施指南时的偏离不应都归咎于疏忽 (该指南并不能保证面面俱到 ,在实际应用中可加以变通 )。简介 :甲真菌病是最常见的皮肤病之一。英国对 10 0 0 0人进行的一项大规模问卷调查显示发病率为 2 71%。芬兰和美国最近的真菌学对照调查表明 ,发病率为 7%～ 10 %。甲真菌病发病率的升高和有效抗真菌新…     

Close mapping of the focal non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) locus associated with oesophageal cancer (TOC)

Focal non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK or palmoplantar ectodermal dysplasia type III) is associated with oesophageal cancer in three families: two large pedigrees located in Liverpool, UK and in the midwestern American states and one smaller family from Germany. In these families, the PPK is inherited as autosomal dominant and has a late onset, usually manifesting between 7 and 8 years of age. The disease is characterised by thickening of the pressure areas of the soles, but is not restricted to the feet and also presents with oral leukokeratosis and follicular hyperkeratosis. The disease locus [previously termed the "tylosis oesophageal cancer gene' (TOC) locus] has been mapped to 17q23-qter by linkage analysis. This region is located telomeric to the keratin 16 gene, in which mutations have been identified in focal PPK families who show no increased cancer risk. We describe the close mapping of this locus to the interval between AFMb054zf9 and D17S1603 using haplotype analysis of additional Genethon markers in the region and show that although the American family is unlikely to be related to either of the other two, the UK and German pedigrees may share a common descent. This work provides a basis for positional cloning and candidate gene analysis in order to identify a gene that may be involved in familial oesophageal cancer.      

Differential production of IL-12 in BALB/c and DBA/2 mice controls IL-4 versus IFN-{gamma} synthesis in primed CD4 lymphocytes

The profile of cytokines produced by CD4 T cells is profoundlyinfluenced by the presence of IL-12. Here we demonstrate thatduring re-stimulation of antigen-specific immune responses invitro, antigen-primed lymph node cells from DBA/2 mice produced3- to 30-fold more IL-12 than did cells from BALB/c mice, whichare identical at the major histocompatibility locus. The straindifferences in IL-12 production were observed only in antigen-drivenresponses (and not in responses induced by bacterial products),and were dependent upon an interaction between CD4 T cells andlymph node adherent cells. In addition, differences in the quantityof IL-12 produced by DBA/2 and BALB/c antigen-presenting cells(APC) was not dependent on differential production of IFN- byT cells, since APC from DBA/2 mice still produced much greaterquantities of IL-12 than did BALB/c APC when each was culturedwith the same H-2^d-restricted T_h2 clones, in the complete absenceof IFN, or when each was cultured with primed (BALB/c x DBA/2)F₁T cells. The level of IL-12 produced in the cultures criticallyaffected cytokine production in CD4 T cells, since neutralizationof endogenous IL-12 in DBA/2 cultures, which are predisposedtowards developing T_h1 responses, reduced IFN- production andenhanced IL-4 synthesis to levels normally seen in BALB/c cultures,which are predisposed toward developing Th2 responses. We proposetherefore that differential production of antigen-driven IL-12is a mechanism by which the genetic background in DBA/2 andBALB/c mice can affect the pattern of cytokine synthesis byT cells during the development of adaptive immune responses.     

Intronic SH2D1A mutation with impaired SAP expression and agammaglobulinemia

X-linked lymphoproliferative (XLP) disease is a primary immunodeficiency syndrome associated with the inability to control Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), lymphoma, and hypogammaglobulinemia. XLP is caused by mutations in the SH2D1A gene, which encodes the SLAM-associated protein (SAP), or in the BIRC4 gene, which encodes the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP).     

Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy: Towards a New Horizon

Food allergy has increased dramatically in prevalence over the past decade in westernized countries, and is now a major public health problem. Unfortunately for patients with food allergy, there is no effective therapy beyond food allergen avoidance, and rapid medical treatment for accidental exposures. Recently, oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been investigated as a treatment for this problem. In this review, we will discuss the progress in developing OIT for food allergy, including a novel approach utilizing Xolair (anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, omalizumab) in combination with OIT. This combination may enhance both the safety and efficacy of oral immunotherapy, and could lead to a widely available and safe therapy for food allergy.     

TIM-4 is the ligand for TIM-1, and the TIM-1-TIM-4 interaction regulates T cell proliferation

The newly identified TIM family of proteins is associated with regulation of T helper type 1 (T(H)1) and T(H)2 immune responses. TIM-1 is genetically linked to asthma and is a receptor for hepatitis A virus, but the endogenous ligand of TIM-1 is not known. Here we show that TIM-4, which is expressed by antigen-presenting cells, is the ligand for TIM-1. In vivo administration of either soluble TIM-1-immunoglobulin (TIM-1-Ig) fusion protein or TIM-4-Ig fusion protein resulted in hyperproliferation of T cells, and TIM-4-Ig costimulated T cell proliferation mediated by CD3 and CD28 in vitro. These data suggest that the TIM-1-TIM-4 interaction is involved in regulating T cell proliferation.