Increased islet antigen presentation leads to type-1 diabetes in mice with autoimmune susceptibility

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is frequently used in preclinical and clinical protocols to modulate autoimmune responses, bone marrow transplants, and recovery from immune ablative therapies. The immunological outcome of such therapies is not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that GM-CSF would enhance the maturation of antigen-presenting cells, facilitating presentation of beta-cell autoantigens to autoreactive T cells. We found that islet expression of GM-CSF greatly enhanced disease in male mice. Islet-derived APC but not splenic APC showed markedly enhanced capacity to stimulate in vitro proliferative responses of islet-antigen-specific autoreactive T cells. In vivo transfer of CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells demonstrate that autoreactive T cells undergo extensive division in pancreatic lymph nodes of GM-CSF-transgenic mice compared with wild-type NOD male mice. Together, the results presented here demonstrate that expression of GM-CSF in the pancreas can enhance autoimmunity in disease-susceptible mice.     

Malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the gallbladder

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) of the gallbladder are representative of an extremely rare group of tumors. We have encountered a patient with a malignant GIST of the gallbladder and presented it with a review of some articles. A 72-yr-old woman initially presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever and chills. Emergency cholecystectomy was performed under the impression of gallbladder empyema. Liver metastasis was found at 7 months postoperatively and the patient expired 9 months after the surgery. At the time of cholecystectomy, the gallbladder showed a necrotic serosal surface with an irregular thickened wall. A mass, 6 cm in length and 3 cm in width, encircled the whole wall of the neck and upper body of the gallbladder. Microscopic findings revealed frequent mitotic figures (more than 20/50 HPF) and tumor necrosis. Hyperchromatic, pleomorphic and spindle shaped neoplastic cells that were arranged in a pattern of short fascicles infiltrated the entire layer of the gallbladder. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for CD117 antigen (c-kit protein) and vimentin. They were negative for desmin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. Mutations of the c-kit proto-oncogene were not found in this case. These findings were sufficient to provide enough clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical evidence in diagnosing our case as a malignant GIST.     

细胞因子E-cadherin、CD34在肝细胞肝癌患者预后评价中的价值

目的研究肝细胞肝癌（hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC）组织中上皮钙黏蛋白（E-cadherin）和血管内皮因子CD34的表达情况,探讨二者之间及与临床病理之间的关系及其对HCC患者预后的评价.方法应用免疫组织化学PV-6000两步法检测41例HCC组织标本中E-cadherin和CD34的表达,并与临床病理学指标和术后生存期进行比较分析.结果41例HCC组织中E-cadherin和CD34表达阳性率分别为48.8%和100%.E-cadherin蛋白的表达在大肝癌、侵袭性高危组和癌组织Edmondson分级Ⅲ、Ⅳ级的HCC患者中明显降低（x^2=4.1881、4.8118、6.2695;P均＜0.05）.E-cadherin表达阴性的患者肝切除术后2年复发率较阳性表达组明显增加,5年生存率明显降低.CD34的表达与HCC患者年龄、侵袭性呈显著负相关（t=1.9371、1.9010;P＜0.05）,CD34阳性表达[微血管密度（MVD）≤40]组的2年复发率和5年生存率与MVD＞40组相比,差异无统计学意义.E-cadherin与CD34的表达不相关.结论HCC组织中E-cadherin表达阴性的患者预示着较差的预后,CD34的阳性表达与肿瘤复发和患者生存率无相关关系,HCC组织中E-cadherin和CD34的共同表达无相关性.     

TAP and TAP-like — Brothers in arms?

The transporter associated with antigen processing like (TAPL, ABCB9) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family. Moreover, TAPL belongs to the TAP family due to its high sequence homology to TAP1 and TAP2. TAPL forms a homodimer which is localized in lysosomes with a minor fraction in the ER. It functions as an ATP-dependent peptide transporter which shows a broad peptide specificity ranging from 6-mer up to 59-mer peptides. In contrast to TAP, TAPL transports peptides with low affinity but high efficiency. This review will briefly summarize current knowledge about the structural organization and possible physiological function of TAPL in antigen processing and presentation.     

米非司酮对绒癌细胞体外增殖及对非经典人类白细胞Ⅰ类抗原表达的影响

 目的 探讨米非司酮对绒癌细胞JEG 3体外增殖及对非经典人类白细胞I类抗原HLA G、HLA E表达的影响。方法 体外培养高表达HLA G、HLA E的绒癌细胞株JEG 3，采用MTT法检测米非司酮对细胞增殖的影响，分别通过RT PCR技术和流式细胞分析技术观察其对细胞中HLA G、HLA E mRNA和蛋白水平表达的影响。结果 米非司酮对JEG 3细胞的增殖表现出浓度信赖性的抑制作用，高浓度米非司酮能明显下调JEG 3细胞中HLA G、HLA E mRNA和蛋白水平。结论 米非司酮抗肿瘤的机制之一可能是其可以打破机体对肿瘤的免疫耐受，从而遏制肿瘤的生长。     

CA_(125)、CA_(199)及CA_(153)联合检测对肺癌的诊断价值

目的 :评价血清 CA12 5、CA199、CA153联合检测对肺癌诊断及分期的临床价值。方法 :用免疫放射分析法测定 72例不同类型及分期的肺癌患者 ,46例肺良性疾病患者及 38例健康体检者血清 CA12 5、CA199、CA153水平的变化。结果 :肺癌组血清 CA12 5、CA199、CA153水平均高于正常对照组及肺良性疾病患者 ,有显著性差异 ,且 TNM分期越晚 ,其水平越高。 3项肿瘤标志联合检测可提高敏感性及准确性。结论 :CA12 5、CA199、CA153联合检测可以为肺癌的诊断及分期提供有价值的实验室依据。     

Evaluation of the operative parameters for a human prolactin radioimmunoassay in serum

Summary A sensitive homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human prolactin (hPRL) was evaluated. The experimental parameters of this double antibody solid phase (DASP)-hPRL-RIA are described. The RIA measures concentrations of hPRL as low as 1 ng/ml of human serum and allows repetitive measurements and accurate delineation of serum hPRL. The assay is specific for hPRL; only HGH shows a weak cross-reaction. The antigen recovery tests are quantitative. The serum concentrations of hPRL in a group of randomly selected male and female individuals averaged 6.7±3.3 ng/ml and 7.4±3.3 ng/ml, respectively. In a chronobiological study performed on 21 subjects (5 male and 16 female), a statistically significant rhythm with a 24-h period was detected. Presented at the First European Congress of Nuclear Medicine Society, May 1976.     

Rapid clearance of HBe antigen and development of anti-HBe antibody in acute viral hepatitis

Summary The behaviour of the HBe/anti-HBe system in AVH was evaluated, using Magnius technique, by testing serum samples from 47 patients; 29 of them were followed during the clinical evolution of the disease until complete remission was achieved. HBe was more frequent in samples taken from patients in the first 7 days after the onset of jaundice (18/33=54%) than in samples collected later (3/14=21%). During the clinical evolution of the disease we could always demonstrate the disappearance of HBe not later than 12 days after the onset of jaundice. In one patient studied from the incubation period HBe disappeared before any clinical or laboratory evidence of disease. In 8/29 cases (27%) anti-HBe developed starting from the 15th day of illness, but 4 of these had had no detectable HBe during the acute phase. No significant difference could be demonstrated between HBe +ve and −ve cases in the maximum values of SGPT and bilirubin and the duration of the disease. The changing pattern of the HBe/anti-HBe system could account for the different incidences of these markers reported by many authors in AVH. Our findings support the hypothesis that HBe develops in every HBsAg +ve AVH case. Therefore, it is not the presence of HBe in the early stage, but the persistence of this marker that might be important in predicting progression to chronicity. This work was supported by research contract no. 77.00295.84, ?Progetto finalizzato virus? of theConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Roma, Italy.