Human Renal Allograft Rejection Despite the Absence of Allogeneic Passenger Leukocytes

Passenger leukocytes have been suggested to be both pro-tolerant and immunogenic. The opportunity to evaluate the role of allogeneic passenger leukocytes in humans was presented by a 47-year-old man who donated bone marrow to his HLA-identical leukemic sister. Eleven years later he developed renal failure. The sister's marrow was noted to be 100% XY karyotype and free of malignancy. She donated a kidney to her brother. Immunosuppression was tapered following transplantation. After 6 months, the recipient was on monotherapy sirolimus, 1 mg every third day. A surveillance biopsy was normal and sirolimus was stopped. Eight weeks later, he presented with severe rejection that reversed with Thymoglobulin. Renal function returned to baseline and has been stable on conventional immunosuppression.     

Effect of Kang''''ai Injection(康艾注射液) on Serum Level of Soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma during Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy(RT)is an important ap-proach for treatment of esophageal carcinoma(EC),especially for patients who have missedthe chance of surgical section.The efficacy ofRTis not satisfactory for its1-year,3-year and5-year survival rates being merely50%,20%,and10%respectively(1).Researches in recent years showed thatbetter efficacy can be obtained by combiningRTwith Chinese herbal medicines for EC thatincapable to be resected.Kang ai Injection(康艾注射液,KAI)is a Chinese herbal prep-arati…     

PCR-SSP法HLA-A、B基因分型与血清学分型的比较

目的比较聚合酶链反应-序列特异性引物(PCR-SSP)进行HLA-Ⅰ类A、B抗原位点分型的准确性,并探讨血清学分型错误发生的原因。方法用PCR-SSP以及单克隆抗体血清学分型技术对HLA-A、B分型并比较。结果34例样本PCR-SSP基因分型无假阳性和假阴性出现。PCR-SSP法与血清学比较,血清学检出错误或漏检率分别为HLA-A位点23.5%,B位点26.5%。血清学发生错误或易混淆的抗原有:A2和A68、A32和A33,B5、B60和61。结论PCR-SSP法进行HLA-A、B抗原等位基因分型具有分辨率高、特异性强、重复性好、实验过程简捷快速、分型结果较血清学更加准确可靠的优点。     

伴重症肌无力的胸腺瘤HLA类分子表达强度分析

目的 通过比较伴重症肌无力(MG)的胸腺瘤、单纯胸腺瘤和正常胸腺中HLA类分子表达强度的差异，探讨伴MG胸腺瘤内异常微环境因素。方法 采用免疫组化方法检测HLA-Ⅰ(A、B、C)和HLA-DR表达，光镜下扫描图像入计算机，处理后得HLA类分子染色的积分光密度以分析其表达强度。结果 皮质型胸腺瘤HLA-DR表达强度减弱，伴MG皮质型胸腺瘤HLA-DR表达强度减弱程度更甚。结论 伴MG的皮质型胸腺瘤表达HLA-DR强度减弱可能是其内的胸腺细胞分化、发育异常的原因，可能与MG发病相关。     

Kawasaki Disease in a Father and Son

The pathogenesis and etiology of Kawasaki disease are unknown, but some studies suggest increased genetic susceptibility. The case is presented of an infant with Kawasaki disease whose father suffered from the same illness 21 years previously. The A, B and C loci of the HLA antigens were examined.     

造血系统恶性肿瘤患者血清sIL—2R检测的临床意义

使用ＥＬＩＳＡ双抗夹心法对临床４３例造血系统恶性肿瘤患者及２０例健康体检人员的血清ｓＩＬ－２Ｒ进行检测，并对ＡＬＬ和ＡＮＬＬ复发与未复发患者的血清ｓＩＬ－２Ｒ水平进行了比较分析。实验结果表明，血清ｓＩＬ－２Ｒ水平的升高是造血系统恶性肿瘤的重要标志之一；测定血清ｓＩＬ－２Ｒ水平对造血系统恶性肿瘤的辅助诊断、疗效观察及预后估计具有重要意义。     

Soluble CD30 in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease in which a pathogenetic role of Th2 cells has been supposed. This study investigated the presence of soluble CD30 (sCD30), an activation marker of T-cell clones able to produce Th2-type cytokines, in sera from pediatric patients affected by AD ( n =25) with no symptoms of asthma or rhinitis. The severity of the disease was graded by both the SCORAD and Costa et al. clinical scoring systems. Serum levels of sCD30 were significantly higher in patients with AD in respect to both normal donors ( n =20) and urticaria patients ( n = 10), and a positive correlation between serum sCD30 and clinical score was found ( r =0.508; P =0.01) when AD patients were evaluated by Costa et al.'s method. Furthermore, a significant association ( r -=0.443; P =0.027) between sCD30 and serum levels of the soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was observed in AD. The presence of high amounts of sCD30 in atopic patients seems to confirm the role of this molecule as an activation marker useful for in vivo evaluation of a Th2 immune response, and the correlation observed with both clinical score and sIL-2R levels indicates the role of sCD30 as an additional marker of disease activity in pediatric patients with AD.     

Identification of Babesia bigemina infected erythrocyte surface antigens containing epitopes conserved among strains

The presence of previously uncharacterized antigens (new antigens) on the surface of intact erythrocytes infected with three strains of Babesia bigemina from Kenya and one each from Puerto Rico, Mexico, St. Croix, and Texcoco-Mexico was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) reactions. These antigens were not strain specific because antibodies in bovine immune serum to either the Mexico or Kenya isolates reacted with all seven strains tested. Homologous and heterologous immune serum antibodies bound a maximum of 83% and 55%, respectively, of intact erythrocytes infected with the Kenya-Ngong strain but not uninfected erythrocytes. Both sera caused agglutination of only infected erythrocytes. Antibodies eluted from the surface of glutaraldehyde (0.25%) fixed infected erythrocytes had IFA reaction patterns among strains similar to those of immune sera before elation. Eluted antibodies were used to determine if these antigens were protein and encoded by B. bigemina. Eluted antibodies bound seven parasite-encoded proteins of 240, 220, 66, 62, 58, 52 and 38 kDa in an erythrocyte surfacespecific immunoprecipitation reaction of ³⁵-methionine labelled proteins. It was concluded that the surface of B. bigemina infected erythrocytes had parasite-encoded proteins and that these proteins had surface exposed epitopes that were conserved among the seven strains examined which were from two continents.     

Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Surface Antigen Expression and Prognosis in Myeloma: Australian Leukaemia Study Group Study

The Australian Leukaemia Study Group myeloma study (MM1) aimed to determine the prognostic significance of clinical and immunophenotypic markers in patients with multiple myeloma. All patients were treated with standard dose melphalan and prednisone. Seventy-four patients were entered and the median survival was 27 months. Serum beta 2-microglobulin (βM) and albumin levels were the only significant clinical factors influencing survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.008, respectively). Patients with raised levels of CD38+ lymphocytes at presentation had a significantly shorter survival than patients with normal levels (p = 0.01, logrank test, median 19 months vs 33 months). CD38 antigen expression was independent of β2M but patients with raised levels of CD38 had significantly lower levels of albumin than patients with normal levels (p = 0.001) which may explain their poorer survival. Salmon and Durie stage was not associated with antigen expression. No other B-cell antigens (CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, FMC1 or FMC7) or plasma cell antigens tested (PCA-1) were found to be associated with prognosis. Patients who achieved plateau phase had a better prognosis than those who did not (p = 0.04 in a landmark analysis). Patients who achieved plateau phase following an objective response appeared to have a better prognosis than those who were in plateau phase at presentation (p = 0.09 in a landmark analysis). Light chain isotype suppression (LCIS) was not associated with a significant survival advantage and did not correlate with any known prognostic indicator. We conclude that phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes for CD38 antigen at diagnosis may be useful as a prognostic indicator in patients with myeloma.