Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among low-income, African American women with a history of intimate partner violence and suicidal behaviors: self-esteem, social support, and religious coping

There is a dearth of research on risk/protective factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among low-income African American women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV), presenting for suicidal behavior or routine medical care in a large, urban hospital. We examined self-esteem, social support, and religious coping as mediators between experiences of child maltreatment (CM) and IPV and symptoms of PTSD in a sample (N = 134) of low-income African American women. Instruments used included the Index of Spouse Abuse, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Taylor Self-Esteem Inventory, the Multidimensional Profile of Social Support, the Brief Religious Coping Activities Scale, and the Davidson Trauma Scale. Both CM and IPV related positively to PTSD symptoms. Risk and resilience individual difference factors accounted for 18% of the variance in PTSD symptoms over and above IPV and CM, with self-esteem and negative religious coping making unique contributions. Both variables mediated the abuse-PTSD symptom link. In addition, we tested an alternate model in which PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between abuse and both self-esteem and negative religious coping.     

高压培养对血管内皮细胞t-PA和PAI-1的影响及卡托普利干预的效果

目的：高血压常伴有纤溶功能的异常,但其机制尚不清楚。本研究拟观察高静水压培养对人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVECs）t-PA和PAI-1的影响以及卡托普利的干预效果,并探讨其可能的作用机制。方法：选用第4～6代HU-VECs,接种于24孔培养板中。依培养压力分为3组：大气压组（0mmHg）,中压组（90mmHg）,高压组（180mmHg）。在同一压力组,根据不同药物干预又分为两个亚组。即对照组（Ctrl）和卡托普利组（Cap,10^-5mol/L）。每组6份标本。采用ELISA法测定上清液t-PA和PAI-1的抗原浓度,并用细胞内总蛋白进行标化（单位：ng/μg proteins）。同时测定细胞内Ca^2＋浓度（nmol/L）。结果：与大气压组相比,中压和高压组t-PA浓度均显著降低,PAI-1浓度显著增高,t-PA/PAI-1比值显著降低,[Ca^2＋]i也显著增高。卡托普利对大气压组的t-PA、PAI-1和[Ca^2＋]i无显著影响,但在两个高压组,卡托普利显著升高t-PA浓度,显著降低PAI-1浓度,t-PA/PAI-1比值显著升高,[Ca^2＋]i显著地降低。结论：高静水压可损害内皮细胞的纤溶功能,而卡托普利的干预可降低高压所升高的[Ca^2＋]i,并改善高静水压对内皮细胞纤溶功能的影响。     

The immunohistology of follicle lysis in lymph node biopsies from homosexual men

Follicle lysis is a characteristic alteration of B cell follicles described recently in lymph node biopsies from homosexual men. It consists of disruption of germinal centers by aggregates of small mature lymphocytes variably associated with erythrocyte extravasation. We studied the immunohistology of follicle lysis identified in lymph node biopsies from 11 homosexual men. The results indicate that follicle lysis has two principal immunohistologic features: (1) intrafollicular aggregates of small lymphocytes predominantly of polytypic mantle B cell phenotype (T015+/Leu-8+/mu+/delta+/k+ or lambda+), and (2) disruption of the normal, unified follicular meshwork of R4/23+ dendritic reticulum cells by these B cell aggregates. These structural alterations may affect the functional integrity of the germinal center as it pertains to the abnormal B cell effector function and the increased prevalence of B cell lymphoma recently documented in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and related disorders. Because dendritic reticulum cells weakly express the Leu-3 (T4) antigen, which is known to be an essential component of the receptor for human T- lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV- III/LAV) retrovirus infection, it is possible that retroviral infection of dendritic reticulum cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of follicle lysis.     

Marrow transplantation with or without donor buffy coat cells for 65 transfused aplastic anemia patients

Sixty-five multiply transfused patients with severe aplastic anemia were given cyclophosphamide followed by grafts anemia were given cyclophosphamide followed by grafts from HLA-identical siblings. The effect of the administration of viable donor buffy coat cells following the marrow inoculum was evaluated with regard to graft rejection and survival. Results in 43 patients so treated are presented along with those in 22 concurrent patients given marrow alone. Most patients given buffy coat had positive in vitro tests of sensitization indicating a high risk for graft rejection, while all but one of the patients given marrow alone had negative tests. Thirty of the 43 (70%) patients given marrow and buffy coat are alive between 10 and 61 mo (median 36) after grafting; 4 died after graft rejection and 6 with acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Eleven of the 22 (50%) patients given marrow alone are alive between 29 and 65 mo (median 52); 7 died after graft rejection and 3 with GVHD. The addition of buffy coat cell infusions to the marrow inoculum reduced the risk of rejection and increased survival in the currently reported transfused patients when compared to patients grafted before 1976. However, there was an increased risk of chronic GVHD. Recipients of marrow from female donors survived slightly better (73%) than recipients of male marrow (58%).     

Human Leukocyte Antigens and Cellular Immune Responses to Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed

Interindividual variations in vaccine-induced immune responses are in part due to host genetic polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and other gene families. This study examined associations between HLA genotypes, haplotypes, and homozygosity and protective antigen (PA)-specific cellular immune responses in healthy subjects following immunization with Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA). While limited associations were observed between individual HLA alleles or haplotypes and variable lymphocyte proliferative (LP) responses to AVA, analyses of homozygosity supported the hypothesis of a “heterozygote advantage.” Individuals who were homozygous for any HLA locus demonstrated significantly lower PA-specific LP than subjects who were heterozygous at all eight loci (median stimulation indices [SI], 1.84 versus 2.95, P = 0.009). Similarly, we found that class I (HLA-A) and class II (HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1) homozygosity was significantly associated with an overall decrease in LP compared with heterozygosity at those three loci. Specifically, individuals who were homozygous at these loci had significantly lower PA-specific LP than subjects heterozygous for HLA-A (median SI, 1.48 versus 2.13, P = 0.005), HLA-DQA1 (median SI, 1.75 versus 2.11, P = 0.007), and HLA-DQB1 (median SI, 1.48 versus 2.13, P = 0.002) loci, respectively. Finally, homozygosity at an increasing number (≥4) of HLA loci was significantly correlated with a reduction in LP response (P < 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner. Additional studies are needed to reproduce these findings and determine whether HLA-heterozygous individuals generate stronger cellular immune response to other virulence factors (Bacillus anthracis LF and EF) than HLA-homozygous subjects.