Macrolidic antibiotics: effects on primary in vitro antibody responses

The effect of two macrolidic antibiotics, josamycin and erythromycin, on the primary immune response in cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), were studied using a soft agar hemolytic plaque assay. Both compounds induced an appreciable reduction in the primary antibody response in total PBMC cultures. The removal of plastic-adherent cells, however, profoundly modified the effect of macrolides on the immune response. Both josamycin and, to a lesser extent, erythromycin enhanced, rather than suppressed, the antibody response. Furthermore, the macrolide-induced immunodepression in cultures of total PBMC was completely reversed by the addition of catalase (8000 U/ml). Taken together, these findings suggest that the macrolide-induced depression of the antibody response depends upon the presence of adherent monocytic cells and is mediated by the production of hydrogen peroxide.     

Predicting inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrievability using positional parameters: A comparative study of various filter types

Purpose

To compare changes in inferior vena cava (IVC) filter positional parameters from insertion to removal and examine how they affect retrievability amongst various filter types.

Les fentes médianes de la main : comment les analyser et quel traitement proposer ?

Cleft hand is an uncommon congenital malformation, which is defined as a deficiency of the central part of the hand. It results from the absence or alteration of development of the central rays. Although the function of the hand is often excellent, the cosmetic appearance drives parents to seek consultation. The goal of this article is to define the different factors that dictate the classification of this anomaly and to facilitate choosing among many surgical procedures. Treatment improves aesthetic aspect of the hand and maintains excellent function. A retrospective review of 33 operated cases is presented.     

Alternative sources of neurons and glia from somatic stem cells

Stem cell populations have been shown to be extremely versatile: they can generate differentiated cells specific to the tissue in which they reside and descendents that are of different germ layer origin. This raises the possibility of obtaining neuronal cells from new biological source of the same adult human subjects. In this study, we found that epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) cooperated to induce the proliferation, self-renewal, and expansion of neural stem cell-like population isolated from several newborn and adult mouse tissues: muscle and hematopoietic tissues. This population, in both primary culture and secondary expanded clones, formed spheres of undifferentiated cells that were induced to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Brain engraftment of the somatic-derived neural stem cells generated neuronal phenotypes, demonstrating the great plasticity of these cells with potential clinical application.