Acute exercise and T-lymphocyte expression of the early activation marker CD69

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of acute exercise on the proliferation and expression of activation markers on T-lymphocytes. METHODS: Seventeen well-trained male endurance runners completed 60 min of treadmill running at 95% of ventilatory threshold and a resting, no exercise, control session at the same time of day. Five blood samples were collected at each session: before exercise, mid-exercise, immediately after exercise, and 30 min and 60 min after exercise. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were stimulated with the mitogen PHA. Activation was measured using the expression of CD69 (assessed by three-color flow-cytometry), and cellular proliferation was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethlthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye uptake. RESULTS: At all sampling points, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the percentage of CD4 and CD8 cells that became activated (CD69+) after mitogen stimulation (68% of CD4 compared with 45% of CD8 cells). Exercise had no effect on the percentage of cells that became activated in response to mitogen. There was a significant exercise-induced decrease in lymphocyte proliferation of PBMC, but when expressed per-T-cell (CD3+), there was no difference between the exercise and control condition. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that on an individual cell basis 1 h of exercise at 95% of ventilatory threshold did not alter the ability of T-lymphocytes (CD3+) or T-lymphocyte subsets (CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+) to become activated and did not alter the ability of T-lymphocytes to proliferate.     

The combination of cognitive testing and an informant questionnaire in screening for dementia

Aim: A cognitive test and an informant report questionnaire were used together to investigate whether their combined use could improve the accuracy of detecting dementia in a memory clinic, compared with either test used alone. METHOD: The subjects were 323 patients assessed at a memory clinic. The Mini-Mental State Examination and the short form of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly were used. A method of combining the test scores developed by Mackinnon and Mulligan [Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155: 1529-35] was used. Dementia was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised criteria. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that the combination of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly produced a slightly more accurate prediction of dementia caseness than either test used alone. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis the performance of the combination of the tests according to a weighted sum rule was compared with the performance of either test used alone. This way of combining the tests resulted in a more accurate screening for dementia than when the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly was used alone. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the Mini-Mental State Examination combined with the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly was 0.89 compared with 0.82 for the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly alone (chi-square = 10.63; P = 0.0011). However, there was no improvement in screening performance when the combination of Mini-Mental State Examination and Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly was compared with the Mini-Mental State Examination used alone (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.89 versus 0.86; chi-square = 3.54; P = 0.060). CONCLUSION: The combination of cognitive testing and an informant report according to a weighted sum rule in this population did not result in any advantage over the use of the Mini-Mental State Examination alone. The mixed results of this study contrast with those of Mackinnon and Mulligan.     

An unusual case of intrapulmonary granulocytic sarcoma presenting as interstitial pneumonitis following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia and responding to donor lymphocyte infusion.

We report a 45-year-old female with AML who underwent a T cell-depleted sibling allograft and relapsed a year later with extramedullary disease involving the lung parenchyma and presenting with the clinical and radiological features of interstitial pneumonitis. The patient was treated with donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) resulting in complete resolution of the radiological signs. The unusual presentation and the management options are discussed.     

Fucose in 1H COSY spectra of plasma membrane fragments shed from human malignant colorectal cells.

The methyl-methine cross peak of bound fucose has been assigned in the COSY spectrum of plasma membrane shed from human malignant colorectal cells. This cross peak (1.33-4.27 ppm), which is superimposed on the methyl-methine cross peak of threonine, was assigned following hydrolysis of the sample. Acid hydrolysis led to a 28 +/- 5% reduction in the intensity of the cross peak and the appearance of the alpha and beta forms of fucose. Chemical analysis confirmed the release of free fucose. Lactate anion, which was not perturbed by the hydrolysis, was used as an internal standard.     

Functional Recovery Following an End to Side Neurorrhaphy of the Accessory Nerve to the Suprascapular Nerve: Case Report

The use of end-to-side neurrorhaphy remains a controversial topic in peripheral nerve surgery. The authors report the long-term functional outcome following a modified end-to-side motor reinnervation using the spinal accessory to innervate the suprascapular nerve following a C5 to C6 avulsion injury. Additionally, functional outcomes of an end-to-end neurotization of the triceps branch to the axillary nerve and double fascicular transfer of the ulnar and medial nerve to the biceps and brachialis are presented. Excellent functional recoveries are found in respect to shoulder abduction and flexion and elbow flexion.     

Self-evaluation of walking-track measurement using a Sciatic Function Index

Recovery of function is of prime importance after peripheral nerve injury and repair. This paper describes a method of obtaining and measuring walking-tracks and generating a Sciatic Function Index (SFI) to quantify functional sciatic nerve recovery in the rat. The reader is provided with a series of walking-tracks to measure, analyze and compare to those analyzed by experienced observers.     

The Parental Bonding Instrument: a measure of perceived or actual parental behavior?

In the investigation of the relationship between childhood adversity and adult psychopathology, scales that require retrospective reports of parental style are often employed. Controversy exists as to whether these scales reflect the actual behavior of the parents concerned or reflect the perceptions of the child. One such scale, the Parental Bonding Instrument, was completed by a volunteer sample of 672 twins. For females, agreement between twins was generally high and a shared environment model fitted all scales except maternal care. This is consistent with the view that the ratings reflect the behavior of the parents. Agreement between male twins was substantially lower and well-fitting models did not include a shared environment component. It is argued that the scales may be affected by competition between twins or comparisons made by the respondent with his or her co-twin.