Eosinophil involvement in atopic dermatitis as reflected by elevated serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein.

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), one of the eosinophil granule proteins, is released during allergic reactions. We investigated the possibility of correlations among the serum levels of ECP, clinical activity, and eosinophil number in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Forty-four patients with AD and 25 normal, non-atopic subjects were studied. ECP was quantitated by a double antibody radioimmunoassay. The levels of serum ECP correlate with the grading of severity of clinical evaluations in AD. The patients with severe and moderate AD had significantly higher ECP concentrations than normal controls (p less than 0.001); mild AD had levels identical with those of control groups. A positive correlation was observed between the number of peripheral blood eosinophils and serum ECP levels in the severe cases (r = 0.67, p less than 0.05). Furthermore, these ECP levels significantly decreased in response to either improvement of clinical severity of AD or decreased numbers of blood hypodense eosinophils in anti-allergic drug-treated patients. No coefficient of correlation was observed between serum ECP and IgE levels. These findings indicate that eosinophils may release their granular contents, including ECP, into the peripheral circulation and/or inflammatory skin lesions and subsequently provoke a clinical exacerbation by stimulating allergic reactions.     

Survey of knowledge and practice on oral contraceptive and emergency contraceptive pills of drugstore personnel in Hat Yai, Thailand

In Thailand, oral contraceptive (OC) and emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) are available as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and drugstores share 30% of services. While the rate of dispensing contraceptive pills has increased, the knowledge and awareness of ECP use is limited among users and providers. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and practice of drugstore personnel on providing OC and ECP, in order to improve the quality of services. Drugstores located in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand, were the accessible population. There were 109 drugstores, half of them owned by pharmacists. The population was stratified by owner (pharmacist or non-pharmacist) and randomly selected to obtain a sample size of 30 drugstores for each class. Two study methods, questionnaire interview and secret shopping, were used to measure knowledge, and practice, respectively. History-taking, drug-choosing, and advice-giving were the domains measured. The results demonstrated that knowledge on OC was fair, but that on ECP was poor. Pharmacists had better knowledge of proper history taking and ECP indication than non-pharmacists. OC and ECP provision were inappropriately practised in drugstores in the study area. A majority of drugstores were mainly owned by non-pharmacists. For OC practice, drug-choosing was good, but history-taking and advice-giving were poor in both groups. Although both groups dispensed ECP poorly, pharmacists dispensed significantly better than non-pharmacists. Among non-pharmacist staff, the average scores of OC advice-giving, and ECP dispensing, were statistically significantly better among those working in pharmacist-owned drugstores. Both knowledge and practice on OC and ECP should be improved in both types of drugstores in the study area.     

体外反搏治疗病毒性肝炎800例临床观察

目的:总结体外反博(ECP)治疗各型病毒性肝炎800例。方法:以一般治疗加ECP治疗的为对照组。结果:通过治疗观察2周肝炎的主要症状乏力、纳差、恶心、失眼的消失分别为81.4,85.1％,79.7％和95.6％,明显优于对照组的53.1％,67.4％,62.3％租25.8％。治疗4周总有效率82.4％也较对照组52.7％显著提高。治疗前后55例肝血流图明显改善76.4％。结论:ECP治疗各型肝炎有效,其机理在于增加了肝脏的血流量,改善了肝脏的微循环,增进了肝细胞的代谢,促进了癌变肝细胞的恢复。     

Eosinophil activation in preterm infants with lung disease

AIM: We investigated the role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. METHODS: Fifteen preterm infants with BPD were compared to 13 preterms with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and to 16 healthy preterms. We assessed total eosinophil and neutrophil counts in venous blood samples and the levels of the eosinophilic activity markers eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and the cellular surface antigen (CD9). RESULTS: The eosinophil count was greater in BPD compared with RDS and healthy infants (1414 vs. 797 and 471 cells per microlitre, respectively, p = 0.03). ECP levels were elevated (34 vs. 12.8 and 9.8 microg/L, respectively, p = 0.002) and CD9 levels reduced (75 vs. 94 and 86 mean fluorescence intensity units, respectively, p = 0.01) in BPD compared with RDS and healthy infants, suggesting eosinophilic activation in BPD. These findings were not solely explained by differences between gestational age or birth weight of the different groups. ECP levels were positively correlated with the duration of oxygen supplementation in the BPD group. The eosinophil count fell promptly after steroid treatment was commenced in the BPD group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that BPD is linked to eosinophil activation, which might contribute to the pathogenesis.     

PPD反应与发作期哮喘患儿ECP IgE及细胞因子表达的关系

目的：探讨PPD反应与发作期哮喘患儿ECP,IgE及细胞因子表达的关系。方法：实验分健康对照组和哮喘发作组,均进行结核菌素纯蛋白衍化物(PPD)试验。观察PPD反应与哮喘临床症状、肺通气功能测定。血清ECP、IgE等的关系以及PPD试验后哮喘患儿外周血IFN-γ,IL-4,IL-12P40 mRNA的表达。结果：哮喘患儿PPD阴性者(24/32例)明显多于阳性者(8/32例),且PPD反应阴性患儿哮喘中/重度发作(16/24例)较PPD阳性患儿(2/8例)多,P<0.05。PPD阴性的哮喘患儿血嗜酸性细胞阳离子蛋白(ECP)及IgE较PPD阳性的哮喘患儿明显增高(P<0.05)。哮喘患儿PPD试验后IL-12 P40 mRNA,IFN-γ mRNA无明显变化,而IL-4 mRNA升高较对照组明显(P<0.05),致IFN-γ/IL-4 mRNA比值下降。结论：PPD反应阴性的哮喘患儿可能存在着细胞免疫功能低下。PPD正向免疫刺激作用在哮喘患儿中受到抑制。[中国当代儿科杂志,2003,5(1):20-22]     

The use of a medico economic database as a part of French apheresis registry

An apheresis registry is a part of each learned apheresis society. The interest in this is obvious, in terms of knowledge of the practice of apheresis, adverse events, and technical issues. However, because of the weight of data entry it could never be exhaustive and some data will be missing. While continuing our registry efforts and our efforts to match with other existing registries, we decided to extend the data collection to a medico-economic database that is available in France, the Programme de Médicalisation du Système d'Information (PMSI) that has covered reimbursement information for each public or private hospital since 2007. It contains almost all apheresis procedures in all apheresis fields, demographic patient data, and primary and related diagnoses, among other data. Although this data does not include technical apheresis issues or other complications of the procedures, its interest is great and it is complementary to the registry.From 2003–2014, we have recorded 250,585 apheresis procedures, for 48,428 patients. We showed that the data are reliable and exhaustive. The information shows a perfect real life practice in apheresis, regarding indications, the rhythm and the duration of apheresis treatment. This prospective data collection is sustainable and allows us to assess the impact of healthcare guidelines. Our objective is to extend the data collection and match it to other existing databases; this will allow us to conduct, for example, a cohort study specifically for ECP.     

Purification and characterization of eosinophil cationic protein from normal human eosinophils

ECP (eosinophil cationic protein) was purified in high yield from the granules of human buffy coat eosinophils obtained from healthy individuals. The separation procedure included gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, ion-exchange chromatography on Bio Rex 70, and chelating chromatography on zinc-chelate Sepharose 6B. The normal ECP is a single-chain, highly cationic glycoprotein which separates on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into at least 3 molecular weight forms, with molecular weights of 18.5, 20 and 22 kDa. A heterogeneity in charge was also observed, with the 18.5 kDa form being the most cationic one. The various molecular species of ECP exhibited antigenic identity, identical amino acid compositions, and identical amino-terminal amino acid sequences. The molecular heterogeneity was shown to be caused by differences in glycosylation of the protein.     

Human eosinophil cationic protein enhances stress fiber formation in Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts and differentiation of rat neonatal cardiomyocytes

We found that eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) stimulated the growth of mouse Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts. ECP-treated 3T3 cells were more flattened and exhibited enhanced stress fiber formation. The enhancement of cytoskeleton after addition of recombinant ECP appeared stable and was able to inhibit disassembly of actin filaments that was induced by fibroblast growth factor-2. The ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, abrogated this enhancement on stress fiber formation that was induced by ECP indicating the involvement of Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. The effect of ECP was assessed on the differentiation of primary cardiomyocytes derived from rat neonatal heart since the development of actin filaments is significantly related with organization of stress fibers. As the result, both beating rate and the expression of cardiac muscle specific markers such as atrial natriuretic factor were enhanced in the presence of ECP. Thus ECP may also function as a cardiomyocyte differentiation factor.     

Antimicrobial responses of teleost phagocytes and innate immune evasion strategies of intracellular bacteria

During infection, macrophage lineage cells eliminate infiltrating pathogens through a battery of antimicrobial responses, where the efficacy of these innate immune responses is pivotal to immunological outcomes. Not surprisingly, many intracellular pathogens have evolved mechanisms to overcome macrophage defenses, using these immune cells as residences and dissemination strategies. With pathogenic infections causing increasing detriments to both aquacultural and wild fish populations, it is imperative to garner greater understanding of fish phagocyte antimicrobial responses and the mechanisms by which aquatic pathogens are able to overcome these teleost macrophage barriers. Insights into the regulation of macrophage immunity of bony fish species will lend to the development of more effective aquacultural prophylaxis as well as broadening our understanding of the evolution of these immune processes. Accordingly, this review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of teleost macrophage antimicrobial responses and the strategies by which intracellular fish pathogens are able to avoid being killed by phagocytes, with a focus on Mycobacterium marinum.     

Eosinophil peroxidase induces expression of cholinergic genes via cell surface neural interactions

Eosinophils localize to and release their granule proteins in close association with nerves in patients with asthma and rhinitis. These conditions are associated with increased neural function. In this study the effect of the individual granule proteins on cholinergic neurotransmitter expression was investigated. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) upregulated choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) gene expression. Fluorescently labeled EPO was seen to bind to the IMR-32 cell surface. Both Poly-l-Glutamate (PLG) and Heparinase-1 reversed the up-regulatory effect of EPO on ChAT and VAChT expression and prevented EPO adhesion to the cell surface. Poly-l-arginine (PLA) had no effect on expression of either gene, suggesting that charge is necessary but insufficient to alter gene expression. EPO induced its effects via the activation of NF-κB. MEK inhibition led to reversal of all up-regulatory effects of EPO. These data indicate a preferential role of EPO signaling via a specific surface receptor that leads to neural plasticity.