The CTLA-4 gene region of chromosome 2q33 is linked to, and associated with, type 1 diabetes. Belgian Diabetes Registry

Susceptibility to autoimmune insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus is determined by a combination of environmental and genetic factors, which include variation in MHC genes on chromosome 6p21 (IDDM1) and the insulin gene on chromosome 11p15 (IDDM2). However, linkage to IDDM1 and IDDM2 cannot explain the clustering of type 1 diabetes in families, and a role for other genes is inferred. In the present report we describe linkage and association of type 1 diabetes to the CTLA-4 gene (cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated-4) on chromosome 2q33 (designated IDDM12). CTLA-4 is a strong candidate gene for T cell- mediated autoimmune disease because it encodes a T cell receptor that mediates T cell apoptosis and is a vital negative regulator of T cell activation. In addition, we provide supporting evidence that CTLA-4 is associated with susceptibility to Graves' disease, another organ- specific autoimmune disease.      

细胞因子对肾小球系膜细胞合成PAF的影响

本文首先建立了血小板活化因子（ＰＡＦ）的生物活性检测法，并通过体外细胞培养技术，测定了肾小球系膜细胞在经ＬＰＳ、ＩＬ-１β、ＩＬ-６和ＴＮＦα的短暂刺激后，其培养上清中ＰＡＦ的活性。结果发现，它们均能诱导系膜细胞合成和分泌ＰＡＦ，ＩＬ-１β、ＩＬ-６和ＴＮＦα的诱生作用并呈一定的剂量依赖关系。实验提示上述因子在肾小球免疫病理损伤中，除直接作用外，也可通过诱生ＰＡＦ而间接发挥作用。应用ＰＡＦ拮抗剂来阻断这一途径，可能具有一定的临床应用价值。     

Immunopathologic Role of Proteoglycan Antigens in Rheumatoid Joint Disease

Cell-mediated immunity to proteoglycan antigens was assessed by leucocyte migration inhibition and by lymphocyte stimulation tests in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or with ankylosing spondylarthritis, in patients with relapsing synovitis after a single trauma to their knee joints, and in healthy donors. Both tests revealed a sensitization in most of the patients examined with various proteoglycan antigens derived from human cartilaginous tissues, rheumatoid synovial fluid, and species-common antigen of bovine nasal cartilage. Anybodies against proteoglycan antigens of human articular cartilage were detected by solid-phase radioimmunoassay in eleven out of twenty-nine sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in four out of six rheumatoid synovial fluids. The results suggest that the cartilage antigenic components released by an inflammatory process or trauma may trigger a vicious circle of chronic inflammation and joint destruction.     

谷氨酸脱羧酶65片段与IL－10双基因真核表达载体的构建与鉴定

 目的 优化以往构建的以预防 1 型糖尿病为目的的全长谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）65 DNA疫苗，尝试构建GAD 65片段与IL-10双基因真核表达载体。方法 从GAD65质粒中扩增出GAD190-315片段和GAD490-570片段的cDNA，以overlap PCR法将之分别与hIL-2信号肽cDNA拼接，得到SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因。以p43.2-mIL-10质粒为模板，用PCR方法扩增出IL-10基因。将SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因分别与IL-10基因依次克隆入双启动子真核表达载体pBudCE4.1中，构建出2种双基因重组真核表达载体pBud-SGAD190-315/IL-10和pBud-SGAD490-570/IL-10。2种重组真核表达载体经测序鉴定正确后，用脂质体介导的方法转染COS-7细胞，转染后48和72 h以蛋白质印迹法检测细胞裂解产物及上清液中SGAD190-315和SGAD490-570融合基因的表达，ELISA方法检测细胞上清液中IL-10的表达。结果　核酸序列测定表明克隆的SGAD190-315、SGAD490-570融合基因和IL-10基因序列与报告序列一致。蛋白质印迹法和ELISA方法均检测到SGAD190-315/IL-10和SGAD490-570/IL-10重组真核表达载体在COS-7细胞中的表达。结论　成功构建了2种GAD65片段与IL-10双基因真核表达载体，为1型糖尿病的基因疫苗预防研究提供了实验基础。     

Immunohistochemical detection of XIAP and p63 in adenomatous hyperplasia, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma.

The critical distinction of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC), well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (WDAC) of lung, adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), is based on morphological criteria alone, and is therefore potentially subjective. We examined expression of two markers, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), the most potent of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, and p63, a marker of bronchial reserve cells (BRC) and squamous cells, in these entities. H&E slides of 37 tissue blocks from 27 patients were reviewed and classified as AH (n=7), AAH (n=8), BAC (n=9) and WDAC (n=13). Immunostaining was performed on 4 mum sections with monoclonal anti-XIAP and monoclonal anti-p63. Granular or heterogeneous cytoplasmic staining for XIAP and nuclear staining for p63 were considered positive. Neither XIAP nor p63 were detected in normal lung alveolar cells. All seven AHs were negative for XIAP and negative or focally positive for p63. All eight AAHs were positive for XIAP and displayed p63 positivity in scattered cells. All BACs displayed XIAP positivity, which ranged from focal/weak to diffuse/strong. p63 was negative in seven and focally positive in two of nine BACs. Twelve of 13 WDACs showed XIAP positivity in a similar pattern to BAC; all were negative for p63. One aberrant case diagnosed on H & E as WDAC was negative for XIAP but strongly positive for p63. Significant XIAP expression appears to be useful for distinguishing AAH from AH. Commonality of XIAP staining in AAH, BAC and WDAC supports the possibility that AAH may be a pre-malignant lesion. The rarity of p63 expression confirms previous reports and supports a nonbronchial histogenesis of these entities. In contrast, diffuse p63 staining may facilitate the identification of rare cases that may have been misclassified as alveolar in origin based on morphology but may be of BRC origin.     

Correlations of Monocyte Phagocytic Receptor Expressions with Serum Immune Complex Level in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The expression of FcγRI, FcγRII, and FcγRIII (the IgG receptors CD64, CD32, CD16) as well as CR3 (the C3bi receptor, CD11b) on monocytes in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was investigated. The relationship between the receptor expression and the serum immune complex (IC) concentration was analysed. The decrease in mean fluorescence intensity (FI) of the FcγRII of patients' monocytes stained by specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAb IV3) was very close to statistical significance ( P = 0.052). The expression (FI) of CR3 (using MoAb OKM1) on monocytes of patients was also decreased, but not significantly. The detected decrease of FcγRII and CR3 was inversely correlated with the high circulating immune complex level in patients' sera. At the same time, FcγRI expression on SLE monocytes (using MoAb 32) was significantly elevated and this change was in parallel with the serum IC concentration.     

The pattern and frequency of t(14;18) translocation and immunophenotype in Asian follicular lymphoma

AIMS: Follicular lymphoma is frequently associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation. This study was undertaken to determine the pattern of Bcl-2, CD10 and Bcl-6 expression in relation to t(14;18) translocation in follicular lymphoma from a cohort of a multi-ethnic Asian population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-two cases of follicular lymphoma were retrieved for immunohistochemistry, and t(14;18) translocation analysis by polymerase chain reaction and fluorescent in-situ hybridization techniques. Bcl-2 expression was present in 74% of the cases. CD10 expression was also relatively low (61%), with decreasing frequency of expression in high-grade tumours. Bcl-6 protein was expressed in most of the tumours (88%) regardless of the tumour grade. The t(14;18) translocation was detected in 46 cases (74%) with an extremely high rate of t(14;18) translocation in ethnic Indian cases (100%). CONCLUSION: The frequency of t(14;18) translocation in this series of follicular lymphomas was higher when compared with previous Asian reports, but in accordance with European and North American findings. CD10 expression is strongly associated with a t(14;18) translocation event, but the overall CD10 expression was relatively low, possibly due to the high proportion of high-grade tumours in the series. t(14;18) translocation was not associated with Bcl-2 or Bcl-6 expression.