HIV-1-specific cell-mediated immune responses induced by DNA vaccination were enhanced by mannan-coated liposomes and inhibited by anti-interferon-gamma antibody.

The adjuvant effect of mannan-coated liposomes on human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) DNA vaccine and the mechanism of this enhancement were studied. Coating of cationic liposomes with mannan significantly enhanced the ability of this vaccine to induce an HIV-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response. HIV-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) activity elicited by DNA vaccination was also significantly enhanced with the mannan-liposome cocktail. This mannan-liposome-mediated activity was greatly inhibited by in vivo injection of anti-interferon (IFN)-gamma antibody, which suggests that IFN-gamma plays an important role in this HIV-specific immune response. The results of both isotype-specific antibody and cytokine analysis revealed that mannan-liposome-mediated DNA vaccination enhances Th1-mediated immunity.     

Decrease of lymphokine (interleukin-2)-activated killer activity in peripheral blood after administration of natural interferon-gamma

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) acts on a large array of different types of cell and has potent immunomodulatory activities besides cytotoxic effects on tumors. In a phase I study, some immunologic parameters of blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers who received intramuscular injections of natural human IFN-gamma were analyzed. The percentage of Leu-11a positive cells, natural killer (NK) activity, lymphokine (interleukin-2)-activated killer (LAK) activity and monokine production were measured either in blood mononuclear cells or in purified samples of lymphocytes or monocytes of the donors before and 24 h after IFN-gamma injection. After IFN-gamma injection, the percentage of Leu-11a positive cells and the LAK activity in the blood were significantly reduced, but NK activity and monokine production remained unchanged. These findings suggest that in vivo IFN-gamma acts directly or indirectly on Leu-11a positive cells and reduces LAK activity by changing the recruitment of LAK precursors in the blood.     

Use of a pericardial fat pad flap for preventing bronchopleural fistula: An experimental study focusing on the angiogenesis and cytokine production of the fat pad

An experimental study was conducted to determine whether pericardial fat tissue could induce neovascularization and produce cytokines related to tissue repair. Neovascularization was examined using chick chorioallantoic membranes. Pieces of pericardial fat tissue, omentum, and intercostal muscle were individually placed on a number of chorioallantoic membranes and neovascularization induced by each material was assayed 6 days after the implantation. The intensity of neovascularization was in the order of pericardial fat omentum > muscle. Cytokines, such as interleukin 1 (IL-1) and , tumor necrosis factor- (TNF), interferon- (IFN-), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were assayed in a culture supernatant of pericardial fat tissue. The latter was obtained 24h after the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following various incubation times. All cytokines other than IFN are known to play a part in tissue repair, whereas IFN is negatively related to tissue repair because it inhibits fibroblast growth. The pericardial fat tissue incubated with LPS produced a certain amount of IL-1 on day 1, and TNF on days 1 and 8, whereafter these values decreased to an undetectable level. Irrespective of the addition of LPS, a large amount of IL-6 was observed in the supernatant of pericardial fat tissue and it was detectable until day 29. On the contrary, INF was not detected at any assay time. These observations suggest that a pericardial fat pad flap could possibly be beneficial in the prevention of bronchopleural fistula after pulmonary resection.     

Measurement of protein C inhibitor in seminal plasma is useful for detecting agenesis of seminal vesicles or the vas deferens

Protein C inhibitor (PCI), a plasma serine protease inhibitor of activated protein C, is present at high concentrations in the seminal plasma of normal subjects and is decreased in some infertile patients. We measured the concentrations of PCI, prostate-specific antigen, and fructose in the seminal plasma of infertile patients (n = 125) and of normal subjects (n = 13). We also measured time-dependent changes in the concentrations of PCI and fructose in seminal plasma after ejaculation. A weak correlation was found between the levels of PCI and fructose (r = 0.268, P = 0.016). The PCI level in seminal plasma of patients with seminal vesicle and/or vasal agenesis was significantly lower (P < .01) than in normal subjects. The level of fructose in seminal plasma decreased in vitro in a time-dependent manner after ejaculation, whereas the concentration of PCI was stable at 48 hours after ejaculation. These data suggest that PCI in seminal plasma, as well as fructose, may become one of the markers for agenesis of seminal vesicles and/or the vas deferens.     

Prediction of nodal metastasis by comparative genomic hybridization in biopsy specimens from patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Selection of appropriate protocols for treatment of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC) is dependent on lymph node metastasis status. Therefore, it is important to know whether lymph node metastasis is present before treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In this study, we examined the relation between DNA sequence copy number aberrations detected by comparative genomic hybridization and lymph node metastasis in 26 surgically resected SESCCs (training samples). We then assessed whether the genetic information is predictive for nodal status in biopsy specimens from eight newly enrolled patients with SESCC (blinded samples). RESULTS: Pathological examination revealed that 17 of 26 training samples (65.4%) did not have associated lymph node metastasis. Gains of 8q24 and/or 20q12-qter were observed in 12, including all (nine of nine) with nodal metastasis. Fourteen training samples did not have gain of either 8q24 or 20q12-qter. Of the blinded samples, two showed no gain of 8q24 or 20q12-qter, and as anticipated the postoperative pathological examination revealed no nodal metastasis. The remaining six blinded samples had gains of 8q24 and/or 20q12-qter, and lymph node metastasis was detected by postoperative examination in four of these tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of gains of 8q24 and/or 20q12-qter appears to be associated with absence of lymph node metastasis in patients with SESCC; therefore, less invasive surgery can be chosen.     

Localization of l-afadin at puncta adhaerentia-like junctions between the mossy fiber terminals and the dendritic trunks of pyramidal cells in the adult mouse hippocampus

We have recently found a novel cell-cell adhesion system at cadherin-based adherens junctions. This system consists of at least two components: nectin, an immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecule with Ca(2+)-independent homophilic binding activity, and l-afadin, an actin filament-binding protein that connects nectin to the actin cytoskeleton. In the present study, we investigated immunocytochemically the localization of l-afadin in the mouse hippocampus. At the light microscopic level, l-afadin immunoreactivity was demonstrated as flattened disks in the stratum lucidum of the CA3 area. By immunoelectron microscopy, signals for l-afadin were highly concentrated in a symmetrical manner at the puncta adhaerentia-like junctions between the mossy fiber terminals and the dendritic trunks of pyramidal cells. We furthermore immunostained the hippocampus with antibodies recognizing both l-afadin and s-afadin, a small splicing variant of l-afadin that is identical to AF-6. Immunoreactivity for l- and s-afadins was demonstrated not only as the flattened disks similar to that for l-afadin, but also as numerous fine dots widely distributed in all synaptic layers of the CA1 and CA3 areas. The latter finding may correspond with the recent report by Buchert et al. (1999, J. Cell. Biol. 144:361-371), who found that s-afadin (AF-6) and/or l-afadin was localized at the postsynaptic membranes of asymmetric synaptic junctions. Our present results indicate that l- and s-afadins are differentially distributed in the hippocampus and suggest that l-afadin localized at the puncta adhaerentia-like junctions in the mossy fiber terminals may regulate the structural and functional organization of these complex synaptic structures.     

Effect of Host Structure on Optical Freedericksz Transition in Dye-Doped Liquid Crystals

The optical Freedericksz transition (OFT) can reversibly control the molecular orientation of liquid crystals (LCs) only by light irradiation, leading to the development of all-optical devices, such as smart windows. In particular, oligothiophene-doped LCs show the highly sensitive OFT due to the interaction between dyes and an optical-electric field. However, the sensitivity is still low for the application to optical devices. It is necessary to understand the factors in LCs affecting the OFT behavior to reduce the sensitivity. In this study, we investigated the effect of the host LC structure on the OFT in oligothiophene-doped LCs. The threshold light intensity for the OFT in trifluorinated LCs was 42% lower than that in LCs without fluorine substituents. This result contributes to the material design for the low-threshold optical devices utilizing the OFT of dye-doped LCs.