Influence of SNPs in cytokine-related genes on the severity of food allergy and atopic eczema in children

Although many single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) studies have reported an association of atopy, allergic diseases and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, almost all of these studies sought risk factors for the onset of these allergic diseases. Furthermore, many studies have analyzed a single gene and hardly any have analyzed environmental factors. In these analyses, the results could be masked and the effects of other genes and environmental factors may be decreased. Here, we described the correlation between four genes [interleukin (IL)-4 (C-590T), IL-4 receptor (A1652G), FCER1B (G6842A) and STAT6 (G2964A)] in connection with IgE production; the role of IL-10 (C-627A) as a regulatory cytokine of allergy; and the severity of food allergy (FA) and atopic eczema (AE) in 220 Japanese allergic children. In addition to these SNPs, environmental factors, i.e., patient's attitude, indoor environment, and so on, were also investigated in this study. Our study was retrospective, and the correlation was analyzed by our defined clinical scores divided into three terms: worst symptoms, recent symptoms and general amelioration at the most recent examination during the disease course. Our results indicated that IL-10 AA, the genotype with lower IL-10 production, is associated with higher IgE levels in the serum (p < 0.0001, estimate; 0.912). Marginal liver abnormalities were observed in the subject group with both FA and AE (p < 0.1191, estimate; 0.1490). Our defined clinical scores enabled evaluation of various aspects of disease severity. Based on the scores, while no single SNP selected in this study determined severity, the combination of the SNP with laboratory data and environmental factors appeared to determine severity.     

Characteristics and course of bone mineral densities among fast bone losers in a rural Japanese community: the Miyama Study

The aim of this study was to clarify and compare the temporal course of bone mineral density (BMD) between fast bone losers and normal residents in Miyama Village, a rural Japanese community. BMD was measured over a 10-year period in a cohort study in Miyama Village, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, to provide information on rate of bone loss in the mature and elderly population. Subjects (n=400) were selected by sex and age stratum from the full list of residents born in 1910–1949, with 50 men and 50 women in each age decade. Baseline BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2000. In the cohort, 171 men and 189 women completed the follow-up survey performed in 1993. After calculating the rate of bone loss between 1990 and 1993, the greatest tertile from the distribution of bone loss was categorized as fast bone losers, with the remainder considered as normal subjects. Changes in BMD were compared between normal subjects and fast bone losers over the 10-year period. Mean rate of change for BMD at both lumbar spine and femoral neck in fast bone losers recovered to levels similar to those in normal subjects over 7 years of observation. By contrast, BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck decreased steeply over the 10-year period in both groups, and mean BMD for fast bone losers was significantly lower than that of normal subjects (P<0.05). These differences were apparent only at the lumbar spine in both men and women, even after adjusting for age. These results indicate that fast bone loss is a transient phenomenon rather than a fixed status, although individuals who have been categorized as fast bone losers at some stage continue to display low BMD in the lumbar spine.     

Lymphoepithelial (branchial) cyst and amylase

A case of a branchial cyst with a high amylase activity of the cyst fluid was found in a 58-year-old female. The literature on branchial cysts with high amylase activity is reviewed. Amylase that showed high activity in the cystic fluid was revealed to be due to the salivary isoenzymes (S3 and S4) which migrated more to the anodic side on electrophoresis.     

The effects of perioperative portal venous inoculation with donor lymphocytes on renal allograft survival in the rat. II. Phenotypic and functional analyses of graft-infiltrating cells

Phenotype, donor-specific cytolytic activity, and helper activity to release cytokines of cells infiltrating within renal allografts of hosts rendered unresponsive by perioperative administration of donor lymphocytes via the portal vein (p.v.) were investigated in order to analyze the mechanism of prolongation of allograft survival. Graft-infiltrating cells (GIC) were obtained from Lewis (LEW, RT-1l) hosts inoculated perioperatively with 1 x 10(8) donor Brown-Norway (BN, RT-1n) lymphocytes p.v., a group that displays prolonged renal allograft survival (MST: 22.2 +/- 5.3 days, n = 10) compared with an uninoculated control group (MST: 7.8 +/- 0.6 days, n = 10, P less than 0.01). The percentages of cytotoxic/suppressor T cells (OX-8+) and Ia-positive cells (OX-6+) in GIC (23.1 +/- 4.4% and 9.0 +/- 2.0%, respectively) and in spleen cells (7.5 +/- 2.6% and 8.5 +/- 1.1%, respectively) from p.v.-inoculated LEW hosts on day 6 postgrafting were significantly lower than those of uninoculated control recipients (GIC: OX-8; 39.4 +/- 8.2%, OX-6; 23.0 +/- 1.9%. SP cell: OX-8; 21.6 +/- 9.9%, OX-6; 12.7 +/- 0.4%, P less than 0.05). Cytolytic activity of GIC from tolerant hosts on day 6 postgrafting toward donor blastoid lymphocytes was significantly decreased (19.0 +/- 1.2% at E/T = 50), compared with that from control allografts during ongoing rejection (51.5 +/- 5.3%, P less than 0.01). The amounts of in vitro cytokine production of GIC from tolerant hosts after mitogen stimulation were remarkably decreased (IL-2: 8.7 +/- 1.4 U/ml, IL-3: 15.4 +/- 0.6 U/ml, and BSF-2: 24.6 +/- 3.5 U/ml) than those of uninoculated control hosts during ongoing rejection (IL-2: 19.6 +/- 2.9 U/ml, IL-3: 22.2 +/- 2.7 U/ml, and BSF-2: 67.5 +/- 13.2 U/ml, P less than 0.05). These results demonstrated that activation of both Tc cells and Th cells was inhibited in the spleen and in situ in renal allografts following administration of donor lymphocytes through the portal vein.     

Dual Effects of Hexanol and Halothane on the Regulation of Calcium Sensitivity in Airway Smooth Muscle

Background: Contraction of airway smooth muscle is regulated by receptor-coupled mechanisms that control the force developed for a given cytosolic calcium concentration (i.e., calcium sensitivity). Halothane antagonizes acetylcholine-induced increases in calcium sensitivity by inhibiting GTP-binding (G)-protein pathways. The authors tested the hypothesis that hexanol, like halothane, inhibits agonist-induced increases in calcium sensitivity in airway smooth muscle by inhibiting G-protein pathways.

Methods: Calcium sensitivity was assessed using [alpha]-toxin-permeabilized canine tracheal smooth muscle. In selected experiments, regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation was also determined by Western blotting in the presence and absence of 10 mm hexanol and/or 100 [mu]m acetylcholine.

Results: Hexanol (10 mm) and halothane (0.76 mm) attenuated acetylcholine-induced calcium sensitization by decreasing regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation during receptor stimulation. Hexanol also inhibited increases in calcium sensitivity due to direct stimulation of heterotrimeric G-proteins with tetrafluoroaluminate but not with 3 [mu]m GTP[gamma]S, consistent with prior results obtained with halothane. In contrast, in the absence of receptor stimulation, both compounds produced a small increase in calcium sensitivity by a G-protein-mediated increase in regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation that was not affected by pertussis toxin treatment.     

Growth factors induce actin disruption in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Exposure of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells to platelet-derived growth factor, nerve growth factor or epidermal growth factor resulted in a time- and dose-dependent alteration in the distribution of actin stained by rhodamine-phalloidin. These growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor of 80 ng/ml, nerve growth factor of 10 ng/ml or epidermal growth factor of 10 ng/ml) caused disappearance of actin filaments from the peripheral region of a cell in 1 or 2 h and change of cell configuration to spindle shape in 3 or 4 h. Other growth factors, fibroblast growth factor of 10 ng/ml and insulin of 25 mumol/ml had no effect on actin distribution. The alteration of actin and the change of cellular shape might be associated with stimulation of cell growth and migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells.     

Effects of caffeine, nicotine, ethanol and sodium selenite on pancreatic carcinogenesis in hamsters after initiation with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine.

The modulating effects of caffeine, nicotine, ethanol and sodium selenite on development of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)-amine (BOP)-initiated pancreatic tumors were investigated. Female Syrian golden hamsters were given s.c. injections of BOP (10 mg/kg body weight) or saline alone once a week for 3 weeks and then administered 2000 p.p.m. caffeine, 25 p.p.m. nicotine, 20% ethanol or 4 p.p.m. sodium selenite in their drinking water for the next 37 weeks. Control animals were given tap water alone after BOP initiation. Only the BOP-treated groups developed pancreatic adenocarcinomas and dysplasias. The multiplicity of pancreatic carcinomas was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in animals receiving caffeine than in the controls. In addition, caffeine treatment slightly increased the incidence of carcinomas. Nicotine and ethanol also showed tendencies to enhance pancreatic carcinogenesis, although there were statistically no significant differences regarding lesion development. In contrast, sodium selenite administration was associated with a tendency for a decrease in the number of carcinomas and dysplasias. Thus, among these chemicals of obvious significance to human life-style, caffeine enhanced the development of pancreatic tumors when administered during the post-initiation phase in this hamster model.