Effect of maternal lifestyle on cord blood IgE factor

During recent decades much interest has been focused on the possibility of predicting and preventing atopic diseases during pregnancy. The idea of being able to detect a predisposition early and take suitable environmental measures in order to avoid overt allergy is an attractive position. Elevated cord IgE of around 1.0 IU/ml has been proposed as a predictor in western children. However, there remains no information about the effect of maternal lifestyle during pregnancy on these levels. Total IgE levels were therefore determined using Pharmacia CAP system and PRIST, with sensitivities of 0.01 kU/l and 0.25 kU/l, respectively, from serum samples taken from 1138 Japanese pairs of cord blood and pregnant women responding to a questionnaire regarding 17 health practices, intake of 32 food allergens and 5 environmental factors. Of these, 28 (2.5%) pairs of samples were excluded from further analysis because of high contamination of IgA (> 15.4 mg/ml) in cord blood. Median cord blood IgE was 0.286 kU/l and geometric mean IgE was 66.25 kU/l in maternal sera using CAP system; there was no significant correlation between maternal log (IgE) and cord blood IgE. Similar results were obtained from PRIST, whose correlation with CAP system was significant (r = 0.884, p < 0.001 for maternal and r = 0.765, p < 0.001 for cord blood). Multiple logistic analysis demonstrated that avoidance of simultaneous exposure to hens' eggs and cow's milk (relative risk = 1.3, p < 0.05) as well as soy beans (relative risk = 2.8, p < 0.01) should be advised to mothers with positive allergic histories and/or high total IgE (> 400 IU/ml), especially in women aged more than 35 years who are pregnant with a male child. However, maintenance of healthy lifestyles, especially taking proper exercise and sleeping, and avoidance of inhalant allergens during late pregnancy may be a more important strategy for the reduction of cord blood IgE levels.     

Increased levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( VCAM-1) in the cerebrospinal fluid and sera of patients with multiple sclerosis and human T lymphotropic virus type-1-associated myelopathy

We evaluated the relationship between the soluble form of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or with human T lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy (HAM), and measured levels of sVCAM-1 in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and sera. Serum and CSF levels of sVCAM-1 were significantly increased in patients with acute relapsing MS during an exacerbation (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001), as well as in chronic progressive MS (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001), compared with healthy individuals and patients with other neurological diseases, respectively. Patients with acute relapsing MS during an exacerbation also exhibited significantly higher serum and CSF levels of sVCAM-1 vs. patients with acute relapsing MS in remission (P < 0.001). Significantly higher serum levels of sVCAM-1 were observed in patients with HAM vs. either healthy individuals (P < 0.01) or non-HAM carriers (P < 0.01). These results suggest that the determination of sVCAM-1 in the sera and CSF may be useful in monitoring the activity of MS and HAM.     

Descending projection of the nucleus tegmentalis latero-dorsalis to the spinal cord; studied by the horseradish peroxidase method following 6-hydroxy-DOPA administration

Descending projection of the nucleus tegmentalis laterodorsalis (TLD) to the spinal cord was investigated using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method following the systemic administration of 6-hydroxy-DOPA (6-OH-DOPA). 6-OH-DOPA pretreatment resulted in an intense labeling of the cell group at the laterocaudal portion of TLD after the injection of HRP to the lower segments of the spinal cord. Whereas in untreated rats, cells at the laterocaudal portion of TLD were faintly labeled. Such indirect effect correlated with a reduction in the number of fluorescent catecholamine nerve terminals in the spinal cord after 6-OH-DOPA injection, suggesting that the descending projection from laterocaudal portion of TLD to the spinal cord might be influenced by the catecholamine neurons in the central nervous system.     

Cell-mediated immunity to measles virus in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Four patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis were investigated for their specific cellular and humoral immunities against measles virus. Lymphocytotoxicity mediated by peripheral blood lymphocytes was evaluated with the colony inhibition test of target cells having measles antigen. The lymphocytes from two patients of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) specifically destroyed the carrier cells; however, no significant lymphocytotoxicity was observed in the other two patients. The result suggests the heterogeneity in cellular immune states in SSPE patients.