A scale for the assessment of object relations: reliability, validity, and factorial invariance

Factor analysis of the Bell Object Relations Inventory items produced four subscales interpreted to be underlying dimensions of object relations. Replication factor analysis confirmed the factor structure. Subscales had high internal consistency and were free of age, sex, or social desirability response bias. Subscales had low intercorrelations with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) sum scores, Global Assessment Scale scores, and most BPRS symptoms. Subscales appear to represent common features of personality and to sample a domain that is distinct from symptomatology, but related to variations in psychopathology. Percentage of high scoring subjects and subscale mean values are compared for seven criterion groups. High scores were least frequent among community active adults and most frequent among borderlines. Selected findings from the group comparisons are discussed to illustrate the potential of the instrument for empirical examination of theoretical assumptions about the object relations ego function and its components.     

Actions of the protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride on neutrophil granule enzyme secretion and superoxide production induced by fMet-Leu-Phe and phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate

The protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride inhibits granule enzyme release and, above 1 mM, superoxide production from rabbit peritoneal neutrophils induced by the chemotactic peptide, fMet-Leu-Phe. At concentrations below 1 mM, it enhances superoxide production. Superoxide generation stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate is increased by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride at all concentrations studied. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride has no effect on the rise in intracellular calcium or the depolarization induced by fMet-Leu-Phe but does decrease the extent of repolarization and abolishes hyperpolarization. It depresses actin polymerization and abolishes cytoplasmic alkalinization caused by fMet-Leu-Phe. The increased phosphorylation induced by phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate in four of the five proteins studied was not affected by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, but the increased phosphorylation of the fifth, a 21-kD protein was enhanced. We conclude that phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride acts on inhibitory and enhancing processes or steps induced by fMet-Leu-Phe which are subsequent to or independent of calcium mobilization and protein kinase C activity.     

Human heat shock protein 60 (409-424) fragment is recognized by serum antibodies of patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including unstable angina (UA) and acute myocardial infarction (MI), are clinical manifestations of a progressive atherosclerotic process. Antibodies (Ab) to heat shock proteins (hsp) have been reported to be associated with atherosclerosis. Blood samples from 35 patients with ACS and 20 healthy volunteers were tested for Ab to human hsp60 by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of specific serum Ab against hsp60 were significantly elevated in patients with ACS when compared to clinically healthy subjects. To determine the antigenic determinants recognized by these Ab, antibody binding to seven peptides, selected from the hydrophilic and acrophilic regions of the human hsp60 molecule, was assessed. Despite the individual variation in the immune response among patients, one immunodominant region was revealed corresponding to the hsp60 (409-424) peptide. The identification of this epitope may be important for understanding the function of this protein in the atherosclerotic process.     

CYFIP2 is highly abundant in CD4+ cells from multiple sclerosis patients and is involved in T cell adhesion

DNA microarray profiling of CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells from non-treated relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients determined that the cytoplasmic binding partner of fragile X protein (CYFIP2, also called PIR121) was increased significantly compared to healthy controls. Western analysis confirmed that CYFIP2 protein was increased approximately fourfold in CD4(+) cells from MS compared to inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) patients or healthy controls. Because CYFIP2 acts as part of a tetrameric complex that regulates WAVE1 activation we hypothesized that high levels of CYFIP2 facilitate T cell adhesion, which is elevated in MS patients. Several findings indicated that increased levels of CYFIP2 facilitated adhesion. First, adenoviral-mediated overexpression of CYFIP2 in Jurkat cells increased fibronectin-mediated adhesion. Secondly, CYFIP2 knock-down experiments using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides reduced fibronectin-mediated binding in Jurkat and CD4(+) cells. Thirdly, inhibition of Rac-1, a physical partner with CYFIP2 and regulator of WAVE1 activity, reduced fibronectin-mediated adhesion in Jurkat and CD4(+) cells. Finally, inhibition of Rac-1 or reduction of CYFIP2 protein decreased fibronectin-mediated adhesion in CD4(+) cells from MS patients to levels similar to controls. These studies suggest that overabundance of CYFIP2 protein facilitates increased adhesion properties of T cells from MS patients.     

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are morphologically similar malignant tumors arising in intracranial and peripheral sites of the nervous system, showing varying degrees of cellular differentiation with a tendency to disseminate along cerebrospinal fluid pathways. They occur primarily in children and young adults. Under the designation primitive neuroectodermal tumors are included medulloblastomas and tumors that may differentiate in other directions, such as medulloepithelioma, neuroblastoma, polar spongioblastoma, pineoblastoma, ependymoblastoma, retinoblastoma, and olfactory neuroblastoma. From a practical, histologic point of view, these tumors are often indistinguishable from one another and are best thought of as primitive neuroectodermal tumors with or without differentiating features.     

Increased multiclonal antibody-forming cell activity in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE

21 patients with criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 12 normal controls were studied for their spontaneous circulating IgM and IgG plaque-forming cells (PFCs) reactive against sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and against a panel of five haptens. Quantitatively defined active and mildly active SLE patients had significantly elevated IgM- and IgG-producing PFCs in their peripheral blood reactive with the panel of five chemically defined haptens. Those patients having inactive SLE also showed increased circulating IgM PFCs. Significant elevations in circulating hapten-reactive PFCs were found to correlate progressively with disease activity in the inactive, mildly active, and active SLE patient groups. Circulating IgM- and IgG-secreting PFC reactive against SRBC were both significantly elevated only in those patients with active SLE. The data support the concept that SLE patients have a generalized increase in B cell activity against a broad repertoire of determinants, even those ostensibly unrelated to natural tissue antigens.