Reduced expression of CD69 and adhesion molecules of T lymphocytes in asthmatic children receiving immunotherapy

T lymphocytes play a fundamental role in the initiation and regulation of chronic inflammatory responses in patients with asthma. CD69 is an early marker of T‐cell activation. The levels of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1, CD54) and L ‐selectin have been reported to increase in patients with allergic diseases and asthma. The present study was therefore undertaken to investigate the expression of CD69, CD54, and L ‐selectin by T lymphocytes of children with asthma, before and after immunotherapy. Eighteen children newly diagnosed with asthma, 11 good and nine poor responders to immunotherapy, and 16 normal subjects, were enrolled in this study. The percentages of CD69⁺, CD54⁺, and CD62L⁺ cells in T lymphocytes were measured by using flow cytometry. The levels of CD69, CD54, and CD62L in serum and culture supernatants were determined by using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of CD69 and CD54 on CD3⁺ T lymphocytes was significantly higher in children with asthma than in control patients. All the patient groups expressed (spontaneously and following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin together with mite‐extract proteins) greater amounts of CD69 and CD54 than did control subjects. With long‐term immunotherapy, the percentages of CD69⁺ and CD54⁺ T lymphocytes were significantly lower in patients with a good response to immunotherapy. Our results also showed significantly lower serum L ‐selectin levels following immunotherapy. In conclusion, successful immunotherapy resulted in decreased expression and production of CD69 and CD54. These results may explain, in part, the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy.     

小包装全氟丙烷气体动力学实验研究

为检验塑料小包装全氟丙烷气体（C3F8）在不同包装和储存方法时浓度变化，将装有5～7mlC3F8的聚氯乙烯小袋，根据不同储藏温度和外包装方法随机分成四组：（1）22℃聚乙烯外包装，（2）36℃聚乙烯外包装，（3）22℃铝箔真空外包装，（4）-29℃聚乙烯外包装；每一组C3F8小袋气体存放一定时间后，应用气相色谱分析方法进行浓度测量。结果：第3组C3F8浓度最高和稳定，第2组浓度随放置时间降低最明显，第4组是临床应用气体的储藏和包装方法，其30天样本浓度和第3组相等，但放置一年时浓度降低。结果显示：塑料小包装C3F8予以铝箔真空外包装是一种可行的方法，利于C3F8运输和普及；聚乙烯外包装的C3F8，应放在-29℃保存，时间不超过一年。     

Generation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cell lines from naive precursors

The conditions required for sensitizing naive T cells to nominal antigen are poorly understood. In this report we describe an in vitro system for generating antigen-specific CD4⁺ T cells from previously unprimed individuals. Freshly isolated CD4⁺ T cells were cultured with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), sperm whale myoglobin (SWM), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gp 160, antigens to which most persons have not been sensitized, in the presence of either dendritic cells (DC) or macrophages (MΦ). In short-term (< 8 days) cultures, CD4⁺ T cells or their CD4⁺, CD45RA (naive) subpopulation mounted significant proliferative responses to KLH, SWM, and HIV gp160, but only if the antigens were presented by DC. In contrast, CD4⁺, CD45RO (memory) T cells responded poorly to these antigens, although they responded vigorously to tetanus toxoid, a recall antigen, presented by either DC or MΦ. KLH- and SWM-specific CD4⁺ T cell lines were established from the starting population that had been sensitized in vitro, following repeated stimulation with antigen and MΦ in medium supplemented with interleukin-2 and interleukin-4. Despite the continued presence of these cytokines during T cell expansion, the expanded lines retained their ability to respond to the priming antigen in the absence of exogenous cytokines. When the CD45RA and CD45RO subpopulations were sensitized and expanded separately, the CD45RA cells alone gave rise to antigen-specific T cell lines, while the CD45RO cells proliferated nonspecifically. These results demonstrate that human naive CD4⁺ T cells can be sensitized in vitro to nominal antigens presented by DC and that the sensitized cells can be expanded into long-term lines that retain their antigen specificity.     

微小病变型肾病综合征患者IL－2的检测及其意义

３２例微小病变型肾病综合征（ＭＣＮＳ）患者，采用￣３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入法测定其外周血Ｔ淋巴细胞产生白介素２（ＩＬ＿２）的浓度，结果显示本病患者Ｔ细胞产生ＩＬ＿２的能力显著降低，与对照组相比差异非常显著（Ｐ＜０．０１），故认为ＭＣＮＳ的发生与Ｔ细胞功能异常有关。     

Ontogeny and thymus-dependence of T cell surface antigens in Xenopus : flow cytometric studies on monoclonal antibody-stained thymus and spleen

Recently generated anti-Xenopus T cell monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the 120 kDA XTLA-1 determinant and against the putative CD5 and CD8 homologues, together with anti-IgM and anti-MHC class II mAbs, are used in dual colour flow cytometric experiments to characterize cell surface antigenic expression on lymphocytes in thymus and spleen of Xenopus laevis during larval and early adult life and also in metamorphosis-inhibited animals. Histological confirmation of T cell emergence early in larval ontogeny is supplied by cryostat sections stained for CD8. Five-day thymectomy i.e. prior to T-lineage cell differentiation in the thymus, abolishes T cell marker expression in the spleen for up to 1 year. Moreover, late larval (20 days) or early adult (3 months) thymectomy (i.e. removal after peripheralization of T cells has occurred) also leads to severe depletion of mAb-defined T cells in the spleen.     

Immunopathology of ocular sarcoidosis

Summary Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by enhanced immune responses at sites of involvement. To elucidate the immunopathogenesis of ophthalmic lesions, cell infiltrates in biopsies from conjunctiva and other tissues involved (lungs, lymph nodes, skin) were studied in 26 patients with active sarcoidosis in order to define the surface phenotype and the distribution of cells in granulomatous lesions. Biopsy specimens were also stained for detection of immunoglobulins, complement and fibrinogen deposits. The data demonstrate a lymphocytes/macrophages interaction in the central core of granulomatous areas as the crucial event that initiates the maintains the state of inflammation: at all sites of disease activity is present a compartmentalization of T-cells expressing a helper-related phenotype which account for the great majority of infiltrating cells both in the early lesions (aggregate of macrophages surrounded by lymphocytic infiltrate) and in well-organized sarcoid granulomata. The presence of plasma cells and immunoglobulin deposits may represent an epiphenomenon in line with the helper infiltration, suggesting a local hyper-reactivity of the B-cells immune system. This study suggests some immunopathogenetic mechanisms leading to the formation and growth of conjunctival sarcoid granulomata.     

The mitogenic effect of KGF and the expression of its cell surface receptor on cultured normal and malignant human oral keratinocytes and on contiguous fibroblasts

This study examined the mitogenic response to keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) of normal and tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes in which the degree of cellular differentiation was known and in contiguous fibroblast cultures derived from the malignant epithelial cultures. Keratinocytes, but not fibroblasts, were stimulated by KGF. There by demonstrating epithelial target cell specificity of the ligand. KGF-induced stimulation of the tumour-derived keratinocytes cultured in the absence of the 3T3 fibroblast support broadly correlated with the degree of cellular differentiation; well-differentiated keratinocytes were stimulated more by KGF than their less differentiated counterparts. Malignant oral keratinocytes expressed KGF cell surface receptors (K_D 451-709 pM; receptors/cell 2306-413645), but KGF receptor mRNA did not correlate with either KGF-induced mitogenesis or the degree of epithelial cell differentiation. When the tumour-derived keratinocytes were cultured in the presence of 3T3 fibroblasts, the mitogenic response to KGF was comparable to normal epithelial cells. The results suggest that KGF-mediated growth stimulation may not be significant in providing a selective advantage for the growth of malignant keratinocytes.     

Cell surface phenotype of in vitro proliferating lymphocytes in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP)

The in vitro proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) without any mitogenic stimulation is one of the hallmarks of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. Recent evidence suggests a difference in the degree of the phenomenon between HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers (AC). In this article, we demonstrated several alterations in the features of the in vitro transformed lymphocytes between patients with HAM/TSP (n = 16) and AC (n = 8). The percentages of total CD8+ and CD8+CD28+ cells were significantly increased in the in vitro proliferating T lymphocytes derived from the patients with HAM/TSP when compared to those from AC. HAM/TSP was segregated from AC by the high degree of the proliferation of CD8+CD28+ cells. The expression of HTLV-I-specific antigens on the cultured PBLs was detected only in the subjects which showed low CD8+CD28+/CD4+ ratio of the in vitro proliferating lymphocytes. These findings suggest that this phenomenon distinguishes HAM/TSP from AC, not only in quantity but also in quality.     

Endolymphatic sac surgery: analysis of 100 operations*

One hundred endolymphatic mastoid shunt operations in 89 patients with classical Menière's disease were analysed. The disease was bilateral in 18 patients (20%). The patients were carefully pre-selected by a comprehensive protocol of audiovestibular and metabolic investigations. All patients had definite electrophysiological evidence of endolymphatic hydrops with an enhanced negative summating potential on transtympanic electrocochleography. The surgical results were analysed both by the original American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Guidelines (AAOO, 1972) and the more recent modifications of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (AA-HNS, 1985). Control of the vertigo was achieved in 81% of the patients overall, in 88% of the patients with unilateral disease and in 63% of the patients with bilateral disease. A significant hearing improvement was obtained in 19% of patients, no change in 55% and hearing became worse in 26%. Tinnitus improved in 38% of patients, was unchanged in 52% and became worse in 10%. Disability was assessed and there was no disability in 44% of the patients post-operatively, some degree of disability in 48% but only 8% were severely disabled and unable to sustain gainful employment.