High levels of the soluble form of CD30 molecule in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are expression of CD30+ T cell involvement in the inflamed joints.

The CD30 is a surface molecule expressed by Th2-type lymphokine-producing T cells upon activation. CD30-expressing activated T cells release a soluble form of the molecule, which can be detectable both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, high levels of soluble CD30 were found in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from patients with RA. However, CD30+ CD3+ cells, either CD4+ or CD8+, were significantly present in synovial fluid, but not in peripheral blood, of RA patients. Serum values of soluble CD30 were higher in active than inactive RA patients and directly correlated with rheumatoid factor serum titres. These data strongly support an involvement of CD30+ T cells in the immune processes of rheumatoid synovitis, and may suggest a relationship between Th2-type cytokine-secreting T cells and the pathological response in RA.     

Role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as adjunct therapy for septicemia in children with acute leukemia

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been shown to accelerate recovery from severe neutropenia and to decrease the incidence of documented infections after intensive chemotherapy in cancer patients. However, the routine prophylactic use of G-CSF is expensive. This study was conducted to determine the role of G-CSF as adjunct therapy for septicemia following neutropenia caused by chemotherapy in children with acute leukemia. Fifty consecutive episodes of septicemia were studied involving 34 episodes of Gram-negative, 7 episodes of Gram-positive, 5 episodes of polymicrobial bacterial septicemia, one episode of fungemia, and 3 episodes of disseminated fungal infection. In the first 25 episodes, G-CSF was not used (group A). For the next 16 episodes, G-CSF 200 μg per square meter per day subcutaneously was given immediately after the septicemia was documented until the absolute neutrophil count was maintained at more than 1,500 per cubic millimeter (group B). Thereafter, G-CSF at the same dose as that of group B was prophylactically used in all the children who received high-dose cytosine arablnc-side-containing regimens. Nine episodes of septicemia occurred (group C). The incidences of mortality per episode of septicemia in groups A, B, and C were 12.0% (3/25), 12.5% (2/16) and 0% (0/9), respectively. Statistically, there was no difference between the three groups overall and in pair-wise comparisons (all P > 0.5). The durations of G-CSF administration in group B ranged from 6 to 26 days with a median of 12 days and the durations of G-CSF administration in group C ranged from 10 to 23 days with a median of 19 days. With or without G-CSF, there may be no significant difference in the mortality of septicemia following neutropenia caused by chemotherapy in children with acute leukemia.     

Urinary bladder carcinoma producing granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF): A case report with immunohistochemistry

A rare case of urinary bladder carcinoma with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) production was reported. In an 83-year-old female, marked neutrophilia in the peripheral blood decreased from 132,500/mm³ to 3,300/mm³ after tumour resection. The tumour was a transitional cell carcinoma. The serum G-CSF level reduced from 238 pg/ml pre-operatively to normal (60 pg/ml) after the operation. Immunohistochemical investigation of the resected tumour with monoclonal antibody specific for G-CSF revealed positive staining in the carcinoma cells, confirming G-CSF secretion.     

Elevation of plasma thioredoxin levels in HIV-infected individuals

Thioredoxin (Trx), a ubiquitous protein intimately involvedin redox and protein disulfide reductions, has been shown tobe released from cells and to have cytokine-like activities.In addition, Trx has been implicated in the redox regulationof immunological responses and shown to be deficient in tissuesfrom AIDS patients. In studies presented here, plasma Trx levelswere measured by ELISA in plasma samples from HIV-infected individuals(n = 136) and HIV-negative controls (n = 47). To account forthe release of Trx into plasma due to hemolysis, the Trx measurementswere corrected according to the level of hemoglobin in the plasmasample. Data presented show that, in contrast to tissue Trxlevels, corrected plasma Trx levels are significantly higherin HIV-infected individuals than in controls (P < 0.0001).Furthermore, {small tilde}25% of the HIV-infected individualsstudied have plasma Trx levels greater than the highest levelfound in controls (37 ng/ml). Detailed multiparameter FACS analysisof peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the infectedindividuals demonstrates that those with higher plasma Trx levels(37 ng/ml or greater) tend to have lower overall CD4 counts.In addition, increases in plasma Trx levels correlate with decreasesin monochlorobimane staining (indicative of lower intracellularglutathione levels in PBMC) and with changes in surface antigenexpression (CD62L, CD38 and CD20) that occur in the later stagesof HIV infection. These correlations suggest that elevationof plasma Trx levels may be an important component of advancedHIV disease, perhaps related to the oxidative stress that oftenoccurs at this stage.     

磺化聚乙烯中空纤维膜渗透蒸发分离水／乙二醇混合物的研究

采用异相氯磺化的方法，使聚乙烯（ＰＥ）中空纤维膜进行氯磺化反应，并将反应产物进一步水解和离子交换，可获得具有离子交换功能的磺化聚乙烯（ＳＰＥ）中空纤维离子交换膜。应用渗透蒸发膜分离方法，研究磺化聚乙烯中空纤维离子交换膜对水／乙二醇混合物的分离效果。讨论了反离子的种类、渗透蒸发分离温度和水／乙二醇混合液的组成等对磺化聚乙烯中空纤维离子交换膜的分离效果的影响。     

重组人表皮生长因子对胬肉切除-羊膜移植后眼表上皮愈合速度的影响

目的观察重组人表皮生因子(rhEGF)对眼表上皮修复的影响及羊膜移植治疗翼状肉的疗效。方法对36例患者40眼的翼状肉施行肉切除－羊膜移植术,术后随机分为(rhEF治疗组(20眼)和药物赋型剂对照组(20眼),分别观察两组角膜上皮愈合速度和结膜上皮覆盖羊膜植片的愈合速度,对全部患者随访3-12个月。结果rhEGF治疗组术后角膜上皮愈合速度[(74983±1998)μm/h]显著高于对照组[(59372±17.197)μm/hP＜0.01];rhEGF治疗组结膜上皮愈合速度[(36.584±7.888)μm/h显著高于对照组[(29．181±5.450) μmh,P＜0.01]。随访全部病例未见复发,结论rhEGF可有效促进眼表上皮的损伤修复,羊膜移植为治疗翼状肉的较好方法。     

正常及良性前列腺增生组织中表皮生长因子活性的测定

为了解表皮生长因子在前列腺组织中的作用，利用免疫组织化学方法和竟争放射受体法对人正常和良性前列腺增生组织中表皮生长因子的组织定位和活性进行了检测。结果表明表皮生长因子主要定位于前列腺的分泌上皮细胞，正常前列腺和良性前列腺增生组织中表皮生长因子的活性无显著性差异。提示前列腺组织中表皮生长因子的主要作用可能并非在于调节前列腺上皮细胞的增殖。     

白藜芦醇甙对内毒素刺激小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞产生TNFα和NAG的影响

收集小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞，调整细胞浓度为５×１０￣５／ｍｌ，加入２４孔培养板每孔１ｍｌ，内毒素刺激前后不同时间加入白藜芦醇甙培养，检测上清中肿瘤坏死因子，溶酶体酶（Ｎ－乙酰－β－Ｄ氨基葡萄糖苷酶ＮＡＧ）的变化，结果说明：白藜芦醇甙可减少上清中ＴＮＦ＿α和ＮＡＧ的量，通过此可减少内毒素刺激产生的由ＴＮＦ＿α和ＮＡＧ介导的组织损伤。     

福建省部分县市健康人群发铬调查

本文用气相色谱法对居住福州、长乐、宁化三个地区270名健康人群发铬含量进行调查。结果表明:福州地区发铬值高于其它两地区,并有非常显著性差异。总体发铬算术平均数与国内外部分地区所报导的结果比较接近,但在性别及年龄间差异不明显。对三个地区发铬值与当地土壤铬含量进行相关分析,r=0.9978,二者呈正相关,并有非常显著性意义。     

Effect of exercise on plasma atrial natriuretic factor and cardiac function in men and women

In order to provide an integrated view of the physiology of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) during exercise, we studied changes of its plasma concentrations in 13 normal subjects (seven males, six females) during three graded exercise levels and two periods of recovery (5 and 30 min), concomitantly with an assessment of cardiac function and ventricular volumes by multigated radionuclide angiography. Mean ANF levels (+/- SEM) increased in all patients at the second (P less than 0.002) and third (P less than 0.002) exercise levels, and after 5-min recovery (P less than 0.01): in males from 16 +/- 7 to 30 +/- 11 pg ml-1 at the third level, in females from 27 +/- 12 to 61 +/- 33 pg ml-1. Normal values were observed after 30-min recovery. Even if mean ANF levels were all higher in females, this difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.06). Significant decreases of ventricular volumes, as well as increases of ejection fraction and rate pressure product, were noted during exercise and were similar in both sexes. The kinetics of plasma ANF concentrations, compared with the increase of rate pressure product, was characterized by a latency and a remanence in recovery. This remanence, also present in the changes of ventricular volumes, supports the hypothesis that other factor(s) like catecholamines might still exert their influence after the exercise stops.