Complement activation by artificial blood substitute Fluosol: in vitro and in vivo studies

A perfluorocarbon blood substitute, Fluosol, is undergoing clinical trials as an adjunct to chemotherapy. The adverse effects associated with its administration have been postulated to result from complement activation. When gel electrophoresis and Western blotting of Fluosol are used after its incubation with serum, activated C3 and factors Bb and H are bound to the Fluosol particles in a time-dependent fashion, which suggests that complement activation with Fluosol, as does that with zymosan, occurs on the surface of the particles. Paradoxically, it is found, both by the measurement of Fluosol-bound C3d and by fluid-phase C5a, that lower concentrations of Fluosol cause greater amounts of complement activation, which suggests a complex interaction of activators and inhibitors that changes as the available surface area is decreased. Studies performed with bystander red cell-bound C3d demonstrated in vivo complement activation occurring in six patients receiving Fluosol as an adjunct to chemotherapy for colon cancer. In two patients, there was a marked increase in red cell-bound C3d after Fluosol infusion; these two patients also developed adverse reactions during Fluosol infusion. These studies suggest that the Fluosol surface plays a major role in the initiation and regulation of complement activation that is seen during Fluosol infusion.     

冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内-中膜厚度的相关性

目的:观察冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病(简称冠心病)患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生的相关性。方法:于2005-08/2006-04选择石河子大学医学院第一附属医院心内科行冠状动脉造影检查患者97例,根据冠状动脉造影结果分为正常对照组41例和冠心病组56例,对两组患者进行超声检查,分别测量升主动脉扩张性D、僵硬度指数β、测量升主动脉前壁收缩期S波以及舒张期E波、A波的速度、颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生率。僵硬度指数β=In(收缩压/舒张压)/[(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/舒张期内径]。动脉扩张性D=2(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/[舒张期内径(收缩压-舒张压)]×10-3m2/N。结果:纳入患者97例,均进入结果分析。①冠心病组升主动脉扩张性D低于正常对照组,差异有显著性意义[分别为(15.02±9.99)×10-4,(34.75±20.80)×10-3m2/N,P=0.001];僵硬度指数β高于正常对照组(分别为28.20±21.06,15.23±25.32,P=0.001);升主动脉前壁S波和E波速度低于正常对照组[分别为(0.08±0.01),(0.10±0.03)m/s;(0.05±0.01),(0.07±0.02)m/s,P=0.001];颈动脉内膜-中层厚度和颈动脉斑块发生率高于正常对照组[分别为(0.90±0.15),(0.66±0.09)mm;41.03%,5.88%,P=0.001]。②升主动脉前壁S波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.43,P=0.003),与僵硬度指数呈负相关(r=-0.47,P=0.002)。升主动脉前壁E波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.47,P=0.002),与僵硬度指数无相关性。升主动脉前壁A波速度与扩张性和僵硬度指数均无相关性。③升主动脉扩张性D与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度呈负相关(r=-0.49,P=0.004),而僵硬度指数β与内膜-中层厚度则呈正相关(r=0.46,P=0.003)。S波速度与内膜-中层厚度无相关性(r=-0.26,P=0.15)。结论:冠心病患者升主动脉弹性降低即动脉扩张性降低、僵硬度指数升高、升主动脉前壁S波速度下降,颈动脉内膜-中层厚度增厚及粥样斑块发生率增高,将这些参数结合可作为冠心病很有价值的预测指标。     

Demonstration by the monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens assay that a new red cell antigen belongs to the Kell blood group system

BACKGROUND: The Kell blood group system comprises 21 antigens residing on a red cell membrane glycoprotein of apparent M(r) 93,000. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Serologic techniques were used to identify a new red cell antigen. The monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens (MAIEA) assay was used to identify the red cell membrane component carrying that antigen. RESULTS: A new high-frequency red cell antigen was identified and provisionally named RAZ. RAZ is absent from K.o red cells and from red cells treated with 2-amino- ethylisothiouronium bromide and is expressed weakly on McLeod phenotype cells. It differs from all other Kell system antigens, and no depression of other Kell system antigens on RAZ+ red cells was noticed. The RAZ antigen was shown by the MAIEA assay to be located on the Kell glycoprotein. CONCLUSION: RAZ is a new high-frequency antigen located on the Kell glycoprotein. The MAIEA assay is a very effective method of demonstrating the membrane structure carrying a red cell antigen.     

重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响

目的:研究发现,结缔组织生长因子可促进软骨细胞和成骨细胞的增殖及其表型的发生,在骨骼发育以及骨量维持方面发挥重要作用,但其对成骨细胞的作用机制目前尚不清楚。观察重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。方法:实验于2006-01/2007-01在日照市人民医院完成。①实验材料:外科手术取正常成人髂骨松质骨,患者对试验知情同意。②实验方法:体外培养正常人成骨细胞,用不同浓度0,50,100,200,1000μg/L的重组结缔组织生长因子(0μg/L作为空白对照组)干预48h后,抽提细胞总RNA和总蛋白。③实验评估:采用半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹分析方法观察不同浓度重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。结果:半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹结果显示,50,100,200,1000μg/L重组结缔组织生长因子干预后均可显著上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1的表达,并呈明显剂量依赖关系,与空白对照组比较,差异显著(P<0.01)。结论:重组结缔组织生长因子可剂量依赖性上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因的表达,核结合因子α1可能参与了结缔组织生长因子对成骨细胞增殖和分化的调节。     

Effects of the phytoestrogen genistein on some predictors of cardiovascular risk in osteopenic, postmenopausal women: a two-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

CONTEXT: Genistein, a soy isoflavone, has received wide attention over the last few years because of its potential preventive role for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the effects of genistein administration (54 mg/d) on some predictors of cardiovascular risk in osteopenic, postmenopausal women. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at three Italian university medical centers. INTERVENTION: After a 4-wk stabilization on a standard isocaloric, fat-reduced diet, participants were randomly assigned to receive genistein (n = 198) or placebo (n = 191) daily for 24 months. Both intervention and placebo contained calcium and vitamin D(3). OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood lipid profiles, fasting glucose and insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, fibrinogen, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, F2-isoprostanes, and osteoprotegerin at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of treatment were measured. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, genistein significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin as well as homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance after both 12 and 24 months of treatment. By contrast, genistein administration did not affect blood lipid levels although fibrinogen, F2-isoprostanes, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 decreased significantly compared with placebo after 24 months. Serum osteoprotegerin was higher in the genistein group compared with placebo. At 24 months, the genistein group showed no change in endometrial thickness compared with placebo. Most treatment-related adverse events were moderate and composed of gastrointestinal side effects [genistein, n = 37 (19%); placebo, n = 15 (8%)]. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that 54 mg genistein plus calcium, vitamin D(3), and a healthy diet was associated with favorable effects on both glycemic control and some cardiovascular risk markers in a cohort of osteopenic, postmenopausal women.     

Effects of simvastatin treatment on sICAM-1 and sE-selectin levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects

This study was performed to determine whether the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-l) and soluble endothelial molecule-1 (sE-selectin) were elevated in subjects with hypercholesterolemia who presented with no other risk factors or evidence of atherosclerosis. The effects of administration of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on the serum levels of these molecules were also examined. Forty hypercholesterolemic subjects (HCh) (19 males and 21 females), without hypertension or cardiovascular disease, received placebo for 4 weeks. The patients were then randomized in two groups; 20 of them (simvastatin group) were treated with simvastatin (20 mg/day) and the other 20 (placebo group) continued placebo administration. After 12 and 24 weeks of either simvastatin or placebo treatment, sICAM-1 and sE-selectin levels were measured. The same parameters were measured in 20 control subjects (C) with normal cholesterol levels, matched for sex and age. HCh had sICAM-1 basal values higher than C (352.4+/-57.9 ng/ml versus 114.9+/-89.6 ng/ml; P<0.001); however, sE-selectin basal values were not different in the two groups. No correlation was observed between HCh sICAM-1 levels and cholesterol levels (total and low-density lipoprotein). Furthermore, cholesterol-lowering treatment with simvastatin did not significantly diminish sICAM-1 levels. Our findings would support the hypothesis that patients with isolated hypercholesterolemia and without clinical atherosclerosis may be silent carriers of arterial subendothelial inflammation, expressed as an increase of sICAM-1.