Testis Lesions and Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses Induced in Rats by Immunization With Laminin

ABSTRACT: Sixty-six percent of rats immunized with laminin isolated from a mouse Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) sarcoma developed moderate lesions in the testis characterized by multiple foci of seminiferous tubules with different degrees of sloughing of the germinal epithelium or atrophy intermingled with normal histological areas. Interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrates were seen in the epididymis. By electron microscopy, pathological changes in the basement membranes of the seminiferous tubules, such as splitting and focal thickenings of knob-like projections toward the epithelium, were observed. Moreover, Sertoli cell cytoplasm showed dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum and large vacuoles. By electron microscopy with the immunoper-oxidase technique, staining for in vivo-bound rat IgG was detected along the walls of the seminiferous tubules as a bright linear immunofluorescence and as a dense reaction product on the basal lamina. High titers of circulating antilaminin antibodies were detected by ELISA in all the rats immunized with laminin. As revealed by the skin test, a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to laminin was observed in these rats.     

ANTIBODY TO GASTRIC INTRINSIC FACTOR IN BLOOD DONORS AND HOSPITAL PATIENTS

Antibody to gastric intrinsic factor was detected in the serum of five of 700 hospital patients (0·7%) aged over 50 years, but in none of 400 hospital patients aged below 50 years and in none of 500 blood donors aged below 60 years. Four of these five patients were further investigated : all four had latent pernicious anæmia and two of the patients had extremely low serum levels of vitamin B₁₂ (30 and 60 pg. per millilitre). It is suggested that the presence of circulating intrinsic factor antibody in five of 700 hospital patients could indicate an overall incidence of latent pernicious anæmia in the vicinity of 1% in hospital patients aged over 50 years.     

PERNICIOUS ANIEMIA: INCIDENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF CIRCULATING ANTIBODIES TO INTRINSIC FACTOR AND TO PARIETAL CELLS

Intrinsic factor antibody was present in 54% and parietal cell antibody in 91% of 95 patients (26 men and 69 women) with Addisonian pernicious anæmia. The incidence of intrinsic factor antibody of 82% in 17 patients tested more than 10 years after diagnosis was significantly higher than the incidence of 47% in 78 patients tested within 10 years of diagnosis. The incidence of parietal cell antibody showed no significant variation with the duration of diagnosed pernicious anæmia. It is suggested that given sufficient time all patients with pernicious anæmia may develop detectable circulating antibody to intrinsic factor.     

Long‐Term Clinical Follow‐Up after Drug‐Eluting Stent Implantation for Bare Metal In‐Stent Restenosis

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the long‐term safety and efficacy of drug‐eluting stent (DES) implantation in the treatment of diffuse bare metal stent (BMS) restenosis as compared to the treatment of de novo coronary lesions in high restenosis risk patient population.

Background

To date limited long‐term data are available about the treatment of BMS restenosis with DES.

Methods

Five hundred and fourteen consecutive patients who underwent DES implantation between January 2003 and October 2006 at our institute were studied: 201 patients received DES for treatment of BMS restenosis and 313 patients received DES for high restenosis risk de novo lesions. Outcomes were calculated using propensity score adjustment. Mean follow‐up length was 45.6 ± 21.5 months.

Results

The rates of acute coronary syndrome, three‐vessel disease, and diabetes were high in both restenosis and de novo groups: 44.8% versus 46.3%, 20.9% versus 28.7%, and 34.3% versus 38.9%, respectively. The incidence of ischemia‐driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) yielded similar results in the restenosis group and de novo group at 4 years (10.4% vs 12.4%, P = 0.490). All‐cause mortality was lower in the restenosis group at 4 years (7.4% vs 14.7%, P = 0.032); however, the incidence of definite and probable stent thrombosis did not differ (1.9% vs 1.6%, P = 0.708) between the 2 groups.

Conclusions

DESs are safe in the treatment of diffuse BMS restenosis and the rate of additional TLR is acceptable as compared to the use of DES in de novo lesions. (J Interven Cardiol 2013;26:271–277)