Immunohistochemical differentiation between lymphangiographically verified lymphatic vessels and blood vessels

Summary In order to investigate the antigen profile in human lymphatic vessels when compared with blood vessels, postmortem retrograde lymphangiography was done via the thoracic duct on six patients. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue was stained immunohistochemically for Factor VIII-Related antigen (F VIII R:Ag), with Ulex Europaeus 1 lectin (UEA-1) and for laminin. The results show that the endothelium of blood vessels and lymphatics at all levels of the lymphatic system react positively following staining for Factor VIII-R:Ag and with UEA-1 lectin. The staining for F VIII R:Ag was generally weaker in the endothelial cells lining lymphatic vessels. Staining for the basement membrane component laminin can be used to distinguish lymphatic capillaries and smaller lymphatic collecting vessels from blood vessels.     

APO-1(CD95)-dependent and -independent antigen receptor-induced apoptosis in human T and B cell lines

Certain B and T cell lines respond to activation signals, e.g.through the antigen receptor, by undergoing apoptotlc cell death.In T cells it has been recently shown that TCR-mediated apoptosisinvolves APO-1/Fas (CD95) receptor-ligand interaction. To investigatewhether the TCR-CD3 complex can trigger alternative apoptosispathways we generated subclones of the T cell line Jurkat whichwere completely resistant towards APO-1-mediated apoptosis.These Jurkat^R cells differed phenotypically from sensitive parentalJurkat^S cells only by the lack of APO-1 protein expression.Although Jurkat^R cells responded normally to anti-CD3 stimulationby expression of APO-1 ligand they failed to undergo anti-CD3-inducedapoptosis. Thus, in Jurkat cells APO-1 -mediated apoptosis wasthe main, and might be the only, mechanism for anti-CD3-inducedcell death. However, BL-60 B cells, highly sensitive to anti-IgM-inducedapoptosis, did not use the APO-1 receptor-ligand system becausethey failed to express APO-1 ligand mRNA. Taken together, ourresults suggest that malignant T and B cell lines may use APO-1receptor-ligand-dependent and -independent antigen receptor-inducedapoptosis pathways respectively. Similarly, differential pathwaysmay be used by T and B cell subsets.     

Anti-inflammatory activity of salmeterol: down-regulation of cytokine production.

Elevation of intracellular cAMP levels has been shown previously to inhibit cytokine secretion by various cell types in vitro. Since salmeterol is a beta 2-agonist which activates adenylate cyclase, its ability to inhibit cytokine production was evaluated. Though salmeterol, and the related drug albuterol, did not inhibit IL-1 beta production in vitro, both drugs did inhibit tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated THP-1 cells with similar IC50s of approximately 0.1 microM. This inhibition was effectively reversed by the beta 2-antagonist oxprenolol, indicating that the inhibition was mediated through the beta 2-adrenergic receptor. A strikingly different reactivity profile was seen with T cells. Salmeterol was able to inhibit the activation of both mouse and human T cells, as measured by proliferation and IL-2 secretion in response to anti-CD3 antibody, whereas albuterol was completely inactive in these assays. This T cell inhibition by salmeterol was about 10-fold less potent than that for TNF-alpha production, and was not reversed by a beta 2-antagonist, indicating that a different mechanism was involved in the effect of salmeterol on T cells. Paralleling the TNF-alpha inhibitory activity in vitro, oral dosing of salmeterol and albuterol inhibited LPS-induced increase in murine serum TNF level in vivo, with ED50s of approximately 0.1 mg/kg. This inhibition could be abrogated by dosing orally with the beta-blocker propranolol. The long-acting pharmacological profile of salmeterol was apparent in that it maintained its efficacy for 3 h, while albuterol had a much shorter duration of action. Salmeterol also had some protective effects in the galactosamine/LPS model of endotoxic shock, which is dependent upon TNF-alpha production. Though salmeterol inhibited serum TNF-alpha levels by up to 94% in this assay, it protected less than 50% of the animals from the lethal effects of the LPS/galactosamine mixture. This observation suggests that functional levels of TNF-alpha localized in tissues may not be accurately reflected by serum levels.     

Natural killer (NK) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activities can be differentiated by their different sensitivities to interferon and prostaglandin E1

Though purported to be identical cells (or in identical populations of cells), the natural killer (NK) cell mediating spontaneous natural cytotoxicity and the killer (K) cell mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) may not be totally identical, at least in susceptibility to regulation by the immunomodulators prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) and interferon (IFN). We demonstrate here that NK cells are always enhanced by IFN, while K cells are inhibited from binding targets, resulting in fewer effectors at optimal concentrations of antibody. Only at 10- to 100-fold suboptimal concentrations of antibody is ADCC activity enhanced. As measured by magnitude of inhibition and dose-response titration, ADCC activity is less sensitive to the effects of PGE₁ than is NK activity in the⁵¹Cr release assay and single-cell assay. After overnight incubation with or without PGE₁, whatever sensitivity ADCC activity had to PGE₁ is lost. However, NK cells incubated in the presence of PGE₁ overnight are still sensitive to inhibition. Indomethacin boosts NK activity without having any effect on ADCC activity. Finally, NK activity is substantially reduced by overnight incubation of cells at room temperature, which has no effect on K cells.     

Comparison of radioimmunoassay and ELISA methods for detection of antibodies to chromatin components

A solid phase radioimmunoassay has been compared with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for efficacy in measuring anti-chromatin antibodies. The low backgrounds achieved with the radioimmunoassay method produced a high signal-to-noise ratio and enabled detection of the human test antiserum at a dilution of 1:102,400. By contrast, the ELISA could detect the same antiserum only at a dilution of 1:3200 and above. The radioimmunoassay was consistently more sensitive than the ELISA for detection of anti-chromatin antibodies in a number of human and mouse sera and ascites fluid containing a monoclonal antibody. Factors affecting sensitivity in both assays are discussed.     

FISH deletion mapping defines a single location for the Y chromosome stature gene, GCY

At least 1 in 1000 males lacks part of the long arm of the Y chromosome. This chromosomal aberration is often associated with short stature and infertility. Deletion mapping and genotype-phenotype analysis have previously defined two non-overlapping critical regions for growth controlling gene(s), GCY(s), on the euchromatic portion of the Y chromosome long arm. These initial mapping assignments were based on the analysis of patients carrying a pure 46,XYq- karyotype as defined by classical cytogenetic karyotyping. Four genes have been assigned to the distal one of the two critical regions. To determine whether one or both of these two critical regions harbours GCY and whether one of the four genes assigned to the distal region is involved in determination of stature, nine adult patients with Yq chromosomal abnormalities were studied in detail. By PCR and FISH analysis, we showed that all patients with a previously defined pure 46,XYq- karyotype are actually mosaics with cells containing an idic(Y) or ring(Y) chromosome in association with 45,X0 cells. This leads us to conclude that (1) FISH is an absolute prerequisite for the correct identification of Y chromosomal rearrangements and (2) only patients with interstitial Y deletions are reliable predictors for the physical location of stature gene(s) on Yq. Our molecular analyses of chromosomes from patients with interstitial Yq deletions finally establishes the proximal interval between markers DYZ3 and DYS11 as the only GCY critical interval. No functional gene has so far been identified in this region adjacent to the centromere.     

pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1融合蛋白诱导特应性抗肿瘤免疫应答的研究

目的:构建重组表达载体pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1,研究人B7.2/MAGE-1基因修饰的食管癌细胞作为瘤苗的抗肿瘤作用.方法:通过RT-PCR扩增B7.2和MAGE-1的cDNA,以pEGFP-C3为载体,构建pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1重组载体,通过脂质体转染技术转染人食管癌细胞株EC9706,外周血来源的树突状细胞(DC)负载肿瘤抗原后,与自体T淋巴细胞共培养3天,获得细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(CTL),用四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)法检测CTL对转染和未转染pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1的食管癌细胞EC9706的杀伤活性.结果:CTL对转染pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1的肿瘤细胞的杀伤活性大于转染pEGFP-C3和未转染细胞的杀伤活性(P＜0.05).结论:成功构建了真核共表达载体pEGFP-C3-B7.2-MAGE-1,人B7.2/MAGE-1基因修饰的EC9706肿瘤细胞瘤苗,可诱导出明显的抗EC9706细胞的免疫效应.     

中国苏州地区汉族人群MCP-1基因多态性与急性胰腺炎相关性研究

目的探讨中国苏州地区汉族人群单核细胞趋化因子蛋白-1(monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,MCP-1)基因-2518A/G多态性与急性胰腺炎的相关性。方法采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性方法检测中国苏州汉族人群急性胰腺炎(acute pancreatitis,AP)患者101例[其中包括轻症急性胰腺炎(mildAP,MAP)78例,重症急性胰腺炎(servere AP,SAP)23例]和120名健康对照的MCP-1基因-2518位点基因型分布及基因频率,并评价基因多态性与AP易感性之间的相关性。结果对照组MCP-1-2518A/G位点的AA基因型频率较SAP组和MAP组高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),携AG及GG基因型者患MAP的风险度约是AA基因型的5.896倍(P<0.01,OR=5.896),患SAP的风险度约为7.011倍(P<0.05,OR=7.011)。而在MAP与SAP组间AA基因型频率差异无统计学意义(P=0.997)。对照组G等位基因频率明显低于MAP(P<0.01,OR=0.318)和SAP组(P<0.01,OR=0.309)。但G等位基因频率在MAP与SAP组间基因型分布差异无统计学意义(P=0.623,OR=1.211)。结论中国苏州地区汉族人群MCP-1-2518位点AA基因型可能有助于保护机体避免发生AP,G等位基因频率较高的人可能易患AP。但AA基因型和G等位基因频率不能预测SAP的发生。     

血清内皮素-1作为早期放射性肺损伤标志物的探讨

目的:探讨内皮素-1(ET-1)作为一种早期放射性肺损伤诊断及病情变化的血清学标志物的可能性。方法:将190只雌性SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组(C组)和实验组,即:放射组(R组)、氟代他汀(Flu)干预组(Flu组)、维甲酸干预组(Ra组)及地塞米松(Dex)干预组(Dex组)。实验组大鼠麻醉固定后,用直线加速器全胸照射15Gy1次,剂量率为2Gy/min,距离为1m。从照射后次日开始,Flu组经胃灌服Flu(20mg·kg-1·d-1),Ra组灌服Ra(20mg·kg-1·d-1),Dex组灌服Dex(3.33mg·kg-1·d-1),C及R组均灌服等量的生理盐水。各组分别于照射后5、15、30、60d,将大鼠分批断头或经心内穿刺取血,分离血清;同时切取肺组织,用放射测定法(RIA)分别测定ET1,层黏连蛋白(LN)及透明质酸(HA)的水平;同时观察肺部的病理变化。结果:与C组相比较,R组大鼠血清ET-1的水平于照射后第5天开始升高(P<0.05),尔后随着放射性肺损伤的加重逐渐升高,于照射后60d检测达高峰。R组大鼠血清LN的水平于照射后30d开始升高,HA于照射后60d开始升高。R组大鼠血清ET-1水平的升高明显早于其他各组,且同放射性肺损伤的病理变化的程度相关。结论:血清ET-1可作为放射性肺损伤早期诊断及动态监测病情变化的一种标志物。