A major positive regulatory region located far upstream of the human alpha-globin gene locus

We have identified a remote, tissue-specific, positive regulatory element that is of major importance in determining the level of human alpha-globin gene expression. Stable transformants containing this DNA segment linked to the alpha gene in mouse erythroleukemia cells expressed human alpha mRNA at levels that are indistinguishable from those seen in interspecific hybrids containing the human alpha genes in their normal context on chromosome 16. Furthermore, all transgenic mice containing the alpha genes linked to this region expressed alpha-globin mRNA at high levels in erythroid tissues; and in one such mouse, readily detectable levels of human alpha-globin chains could be demonstrated in the peripheral blood. There is considerable similarity in the position, structure, and function of this region upstream of the alpha-globin complex with previously described elements within the beta-globin dominant control region (DCR). This is m marked contrast to other structural and functional differences between the two gene clusters. It seems likely that these critical, positive regulatory regions might provide target sequences through which coordinate regulation of the alpha- and beta-like globin genes is achieved.     

Chronic Arsenic Poisoning From Burning High-Arsenic-Containing Coal In Guizhou, China

Optimization of a previously disclosed sorbitol dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDI, II) for potency and duration of action was achieved by replacing the metabolically labile N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl group with a variety of heterocycles. Specifically, this effort led to a series of novel, in vitro potent SDIs with longer serum half-lives and acceptable in vivo activity in acutely diabetic rats (e.g., 62, 67, and 69). However, the desired in vivo potency in chronically diabetic rats, ED90 less than or equal to 5 mg/kg/day, was achieved only through further modification of the piperazine linker. Several members of this family, including 86, showed better than the targeted potency with ED90 values of 1-2 mg/kg/day. Compound 86 was further profiled and found to be a selective inhibitor of sorbitol dehydrogenase, with excellent pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic properties, demonstrating normalization of sciatic nerve fructose in a chronically diabetic rat model for approximately 17 h, when administered orally at a single dose of 2 mg/kg/day.     

Analogues of tamoxifen: the role of the basic side-chain. Applications of a whole-cell oestrogen-receptor binding assay to N-oxides and quaternary salts

Derivatives of tamoxifen (1) and 4-hydroxy-2-methyltamoxifen (2) in which the basic side chain has been modified by N-oxidation or by quaternization have been investigated with respect to the effects on affinity for the oestrogen receptor and on cytostatic activity towards the MCF-7 cell line in vitro. In addition to the conventional cytosol assay for receptor binding affinity (RBA) a recently developed whole-cell assay was employed. N-oxidation (e.g. 2----3) produced no significant alteration in RBA value either in cytosol or in whole cells, nor in activity towards the MCF-7 line. Quaternization with methyl iodide (1----4, 2----6) or ethyl bromide (1----5, 2----7b: the cis isomer 7a also formed) did not alter receptor binding in the cytosol assay but almost abolished binding in the whole cell and cytostatic activity. The whole-cell RBA values for 2 (0.45) and 3 (0.5) were lower than those for 4-hydroxytamoxifen (2.9), suggested to be due to the lower oestrogenicity of the 2-methyl derivatives since activity against MCF-7 cells was unimpaired. The even lower values of whole-cell RBA (0.01-0.02) for the quaternary ethyl bromide derivatives 7a and 7b were ascribed to poor penetration into the cell since these compounds had minimal cytostatic activity.     

Demographic characteristics and prevalence of serologic markers among donors who use the confidential unit exclusion process: the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study

BACKGROUND: Most blood centers utilize a confidential unit exclusion (CUE) process, intended to reduce the risk of transfusion-associated infectious diseases by allowing high-risk donors confidentially to exclude their blood from use for transfusion. The effectiveness of this method remains controversial. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Confirmatory or supplemental test results for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus type I, and hepatitis C virus, as well as hepatitis B surface antigen and syphilis and screening test results for antibodies to hepatitis B core (antigen) and alanine aminotransferase levels were obtained for approximately 1.8 million units donated during 1991 and 1992 at five blood centers within the United States. The prevalences of these infectious disease markers in units that the donors confidentially excluded (CUE+) and units that the donors did not exclude (CUE-) were calculated and examined within demographic subgroups. RESULTS: Units that were CUE+ were 8 to 41 times more likely to be seropositive for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, and syphilis and three to four times more likely to react for antibody to hepatitis B core (antigen) or to have elevated alanine aminotransferase levels than units that were CUE- (p < 0.001). The positive predictive value of CUE (the percentage of CUE+ units that were confirmed seropositive for any marker) was 3.5 percent, and the sensitivity of CUE (the percentage of confirmed-seropositive units that were CUE+) was 2.3 percent. CONCLUSION: The current CUE process has low sensitivity and apparently low positive predictive value, and in many cases, it appeared that donors misunderstood it. Yet, CUE was not a “random process,” as CUE+ units were more likely to be seropositive for any infectious disease marker than CUE- units. This suggests that efforts to improve the CUE system may be warranted. As risk factors for transfusion-transmitted infection become more difficult to identify by history-based screening, however, such efforts may have limited effect.     

Improved survival of children with sepsis and purpura: effects of age,gender, and era

Background  

To gain insight into factors that might affect results of future case-control studies, we performed an analysis of children with sepsis and purpura admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).