Oxidative metabolic status of blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages in the spectrum of human pulmonary tuberculosis.

The oxidative metabolic status of blood monocytes (BM) and alveolar macrophages (AM) in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) (n = 40) and in successfully treated patients (n = 40) was assessed and compared with that of healthy control subjects (n = 40). Oxygen free radical (OFR) generation, measured by chemiluminescence (CL) and cytochrome c reduction assay and confirmed by using scavengers of different OFR, was suppressed in AM of the pulmonary TB group compared with healthy controls, whereas it was enhanced in BM. Successfully treated patients showed partial recovery of CL and cytochrome c reduction in AM. There was no significant change in BM of patients after having been treated. The overall capacity to generate OFR was markedly suppressed upon in vitro stimulation with latex in both BM and AM of TB patients. The observed suppressed oxidative metabolic activity in BM and AM was further elucidated by studying the molecular mechanism of respiratory burst. The activities of NADPH oxidase and enzymes of the hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt were significantly (p less than 0.05) decreased in BM and AM of pulmonary TB patients compared with healthy controls. Patients who had been treated showed marked recovery of NADPH oxidase and HMP shunt activity. The present study suggests that tubercle bacilli escape the microbicidal action of macrophages as a result of suppressed OFR generation caused by decreased activity of HMP shunt, leading to decreased levels of NADPH, thereby preventing NADPH oxidase from working at its full capacity.     

Circulating immune complexes in chronic myeloid leukemia: Studies on 37 K protein antigen

The 37 K protein, earlier found to be present in 3.75% PEG-precipitates from sera of untreated patients with CML, was further characterized. Gel filtration at neutral pH resolved the PEG-precipitate into a non-IgG containing protein peak-I and a IgG containing peak-II. Immunoprecipitation of peak-II with antihuman IgG antiglobulin and subsequent 2D-SDS-PAGE analysis of the immunoprecipitate revealed the presence of 37 K protein in peak-II confirming its association with IgG.

¹²⁵I-37 K protein was found to interact with antibodies isolated from autologous and allogenic CML-CIC samples but not with similarly isolated antibodies from normal subject, and patients with AML, ALL, MF, and HD. Peptide maps generated by tryptic digestion of 37 K protein (from five different CML patients) were found to be identical.

Specific interaction of 37 K protein with the autologous and allogenic antibodies and identity of peptide maps lead to the conclusion that the 37 K protein is a CML-associated antigen appearing in CIC.     

Reduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium Difficile</Emphasis> and vancomycin-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus</Emphasis> contamination of environmental surfaces after an intervention to improve cleaning methods

Background  

Contaminated environmental surfaces may play an important role in transmission of some healthcare-associated pathogens. In this study, we assessed the adequacy of cleaning practices in rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization or infection and examined whether an intervention would result in improved decontamination of surfaces.     

Vergence-adaptive change with a prism-induced noncomitant disparity

Oculomotor adaptation to a magnified motor field in one eye can occur as a result of the vergence system responding either to (1) the magnification of the field, or (2) via small adaptive fields. This was investigated by monitoring adaptation with the whole oculomotor field magnified in one experiment, and just the central motor field magnified in another experiment. It was shown that adaptation in the periphery occurred at a much slower rate when it was occluded. It is concluded that adaptation in the periphery occurs via adaptive spread from central positions and not via a direct response to the magnification of the oculomotor field.     

Distribution of Müller cells in the turtle retina: an immunocytochemical study

Summary Müller cells are the major type of glial cell in the vertebrate retina, and appear to participate in important structural and metabolic functions. Although the morphological features of Müller cells have been extensively studied, their topographic distribution across the retina has not been previously reported. We have used a Müller cell-specific monoclonal antibody, 19–33, to study the distribution of Müller cells in turtle retina. The antibody was obtained during a search for cell type-specific monoclonal antibodies in the rat retina. Immunoblotting studies show that 19–33 reacts with a 58 KDa protein that is present in Müller cells. Immunocytochemical studies withen face sections of turtle retina show that the density of Müller cells is fairly uniform across the retina although there are small regional differences. We estimate that the mean Müller cell density is about 1600 cells mm^–2 of turtle retina and that each turtle retina contains about 54 000 Müller cells.     

Preparation and Characterization of Freeze-dried Chitosan-Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Hydrogels for Site-Specific Antibiotic Delivery in the Stomach

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop novel drug delivery systems with pH-sensitive swelling and drug release properties for localized antibiotic delivery in the stomach. Methods. The drug delivery systems were synthesized by crosslinking chitosan and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in a blend to form semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN). Scanning electron microscopy was used to compare the surface and bulk morphology of the freeze-dried and air-dried chitosan-PEO semi-IPN. The hydrogels were allowed to swell and release the antibiotics—amoxicillin and metronidazole—in enzyme-free simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1.2) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.2) at 37°C. Results. Freeze-dried chitosan-PEO semi-IPN with a porous matrix had swollen extensively as compared to the air-dried hydrogel. The swelling ratio of freeze-dried and air-dried chitosan-PEO semi-IPN after 1 h in SGF was 16.1 and 2.30, respectively. More than 65% of the entrapped amoxicillin and 59% of metronidazole were released from the freeze-dried chitosan-PEO semi-IPN after 2 h in SGF. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that freeze-dried chitosan-PEO semi-IPN could be useful for localized delivery of antibiotics in the acidic environment of the gastric fluid.     

Fasting Plasma Glucose in the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus: A Study from Southern India

The usefulness of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was assessed in Asian Indians in South India. Oral GTT values in 570 newly screened adults were studied. Taking the WHO criteria of 2 h plasma glucose (PG) of ≥ 11.1 mmol l^?1 for diagnosis of diabetes, the validity of a FPG of ≥ 7.8 mmol l^?1 cut off value for diabetes was assessed. Using the regression analysis, the correlations of the FPG to 2 h PG were examined. Among the 268 with 2 h PG value of ≥ 11.1 mmol l^?1, 205 (76.5 %) had FPG ≥ 7.8 mmol l^?1. Sensitivity of FPG was 76.5 % for diagnosis of diabetes and its specificity was 99 %. An exponential regression model gave the best fit for FPG vs 2 h PG and using the regression equation, the predicted FPG for a 2 h PG of 11.1 mmol l^?1 was 7.05 mmol l^?1. Sensitivity increased to 90.3 % with FPG of 7.05 mmol l^?1 while the specificity remained at 92 %. It is concluded that in the south Indian subjects, the sensitivity for diagnosis of diabetes with FPG of ≥ 7.8 mmol l^?1 was 76.5 %; and it increased to 90.3 % with FPG of ≥ 7.05 mmol l^?1.