Detection of nephritogenic antigen from the Lewis rat renal tubular basement membrane

Immunopathogenicity of trypsin-solubilized or non-solubilized renal tubular basement membrane (TBM) of the Lewis (LEW) rat was investigated. Autoimmune tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) was induced in BALB/c mice by immunization with trypsin-solubilized LEW rat TBM, while immunization with non-solubilized TBM did not produce the disease. Based on this preliminary experiment we studied the characterization of immunogenic and nephritogenic TBM antigen of the LEW rat. TIN was characterized by severe mononuclear cell infiltrates with multi-nucleated giant cells in the interstitium, tubular destruction and intensive IgG and C3 deposits along the TBM. Anti-TBM antisera and eluate from the nephritic mouse kidneys reacted with the TBM of normal LEW rat kidney by immunofluorescence. LEW rat TBM was also detected immunofluorescently by using antisera from BALB/c mice immunized with autologous trypsin-solubilized TBM. A competitive inhibition test revealed a higher titer of anti-TBM antibody in the eluate than in the adsorption-treated antisera per microgram IgG. Immunoblotting showed one reactive band with a molecular weight of 45,000 daltons, and the blotting patterns in tryptic TBM of the Brown Norway (BN) and LEW rats appeared similar. Amino acid analysis of nephritogenic LEW rat tryptic TBM showed that it contained no hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, suggesting that this TBM preparation was not collagenous. These findings suggest that tryptic digestion contributes to the release of nephritogenic antigen from the LEW rat TBM and that this antigen system might participate in the immune system involved in the anti-TBM associated TIN that is well known to be induced by non-digested TBM of TBM antigen positive animals.     

An infertile man with a 45X karyotype

We describe an infertile man with normal secondary sexual characteristics and a 45X karyotype. Physical examination showed bilateral soft small testes and the semen contained no sperm. Serum testosterone, estrogen and gonadotropin levels were within normal range. Biopsy of the testis showed germinal aplasia.     

Clinical and pathological evaluations of methotrexate, vinblastine, Adriamycin and cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced urothelial cancers

We have treated advanced transitional-cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract with methotrexate, vinblastine, Adriamycin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) chemotherapy since July of 1985. We analyzed the effect of that chemotherapy in 26 patients with advanced urothelial cancer who were treated in our hospital and followed up. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 15 patients with distant metastases. In all, 11 of them received M-VAC as adjuvant chemotherapy for metastatic lesions after surgical removal of the primary lesion, and the remaining 4 patients were not operable since they had very advanced-stage tumors; they received only M-VAC chemotherapy. Group 2 contained 11 patients who received M-VAC neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. In group 1, the overall response rate was 57.1% and the mean duration of response was 12.6 months. In the 11 patients who had received M-VAC as adjuvant therapy after surgical removal of the primary tumor, the mean duration of response was 14.1 months. After M-VAC chemotherapy, six patients underwent surgical resection of metastatic lesions and restaging was done pathologically in these cases. The clinical response coincided with the pathological response in all six cases. In group 2,5 of 11 patients experienced histological downstaging of the resected bladder. M-VAC chemotherapy combined with surgical resection of residual tumors has proved to be an effective option against advanced urothelial cancer.Presented at the 4th International Conference on Treatment of Urinary Tract Tumors with Adriamycin/Farmorubicin, 16–17 November 1990, Osaka, Japan     

骨髓移植诱导免疫耐受家兔全耳同种移植

目的　为了减轻免疫诱导过程中对受体的侵袭 ,进一步探讨以家兔为动物模型 ,通过异体骨髓移植诱导同种皮肤移植免疫耐受。方法　通过骨髓腔内直接注射异体骨髓细胞 ,进行骨髓移植。结果　皮片的平均存活时间是 (88.0± 6 .0 )天 (P <0 .0 0 1 )。为了探讨其普遍性 ,我们用此诱导方法 ,还进行了同种全耳移植。平均存活时间是 (1 4 6 .0± 1 5 .1 )天 ,并有 1只移植耳存活时间已超过 1年 ,未见任何排斥反应。结论　本研究证明了以家兔为动物模型 ,在不使用免疫抑制剂的情况下 ,通过骨髓腔内直接注射异体骨髓细胞 ,进行骨髓移植的方法 ,不仅在皮肤移植上可以诱导长期稳定的特异性免疫耐受 ,而且在实质性器官耳的同种移植上取得了良好的效果     

Uterus didelphys with unilateral imperforate vagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis

Uterus didelphys with unilateral imperforate vagina is rare. Interestingly, in all reported cases in which the urinary tract was investigated renal agenesis was found on the side of the obstructed hemivagina. We report 2 cases of this unusual and interesting condition, and review the embryogenesis of müllerian duct abnormalities associated with renal agenesis, as well as the clinical findings, diagnosis and management. We stress the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis, and treatment as a means to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.     

Complement-mediated lysis of K562 human leukemic cells by antibodies to phosphotyrosine and identification of cell surface proteins phosphorylated on tyrosine

Intact K562 human leukemic cells showed bright membrane immunofluorescence after staining with monoclonal antibody to O-phosphotyrosine (PTyr). Up to 60% of the cells were lysed with mouse, rabbit, or human antibodies to PTyr by a complement-mediated mechanism. A new method has been developed for identifying proteins that have PTyr residues on the outside of cell membrane, and at least two species of PTyr-containing proteins with the molecular weights of 45,000 and 36,000 were identified as the most probable candidates of the antigens responsible for the membrane fluorescence and cell lysis.     

Inferior vena caval stent filter

New inferior vena caval filters for percutaneous placement were made by attaching filter wires similar to those in the bird's nest inferior vena caval filter onto expandable metallic stents. These stents formed a base on which to anchor the filter to the wall of the inferior vena cava. The stent filter can be introduced through a 12- to 13-French catheter sheath system. The system was successfully tested in 13 dogs.     

Mitogenic activity and receptor reactivity of hybrid molecules containing portions of the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-II, and insulin molecules

Insulin and the insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II are thought to exert their mitogenic effects in cultured chick embryo fibroblasts and human skin fibroblasts via IGF receptors rather than via insulin receptors. These effects appear to be mediated by the type I subtype of IGF receptor, which is structurally similar to the insulin receptor and exhibits significant cross-reactivity with insulin. As a first step in our long-range goal of defining those features of the IGF-I and IGF-II molecules that confer enhanced mitogenic activity and reactivity with these mitogenic type I IGF receptors, we have prepared two hybrid insulin-IGF molecules and examined their mitogenic and binding activities: (1) A27-insulin, containing an elongated 27-residue A-chain (in which the 6-residue D-domain of IGF-II was added to the carboxy-terminus of the 21-residue A-chain of insulin) combined with the B-chain of insulin; and (2) A insulin-B IGF-1, containing the A-chain of insulin and the synthetic 30-residue B-domain of IGF-I. Both hybrid molecules stimulated DNA synthesis and inhibited 125I-IGF-I binding to type I IGF receptors in both chick embryo and human fibroblast cultures. A27-insulin had considerably greater mitogenic potency and binding potency than A insulin-B IGF-I. Neither hybrid molecule was more potent in these assays than insulin, indicating that the presence of D IGF-II or B IGF-I by itself was not sufficient to increase the mitogenic potency of insulin in fibroblasts. By contrast, A insulin-B IGF-I showed enhanced reactivity with an antiserum to IGF-I. A27-insulin retained significant insulin-like metabolic activity despite the presence of the D-domain of IGF-II.