Platelet antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the precise cause of the thrombocytopenia is unknown. Since platelet associated IgG is increased in many patients, it has been suggested that the destruction of platelets might be dependent on specific antibodies. In nine patients with SLE, platelet associated immunoglobulins were found together with free serum antibody which bound to platelets from all normal subjects. Using an immunoblotting technique with membrane proteins from normal platelets incubated with patient sera, target antigens were localized on a band of mol wt 108,000 in two cases (B. and N.) and on a band of mol wt 66,000 in a third (M.). When the same technique was applied to autologous platelets of patient N., autoantibody binding to the protein of mol wt 108,000 was demonstrated. The antigenic determinants were not removed from the platelets by enzyme treatment or by disulphide bond reduction, and were localized in the cytoplasmic fraction of the platelets.     

Prospective randomized comparison of mezlocillin therapy alone with combined ampicillin and gentamicin therapy for patients with cholangitis

Forty-six patients with cholangitis were randomized to receive therapy with mezlocillin sodium (24 patients) or a combination of ampicillin sodium--gentamicin sulfate (22 patients). The biliary concentration of mezlocillin was 112 times higher than that of ampicillin and 778 times higher than that of gentamicin. The ratio of the concentration in serum or bile over the minimum inhibitory concentration against aerobic gram-negative bacilli (therapeutic index) was higher for mezlocillin than for either ampicillin or gentamicin. Twenty (83%) of 24 patients were cured following mezlocillin therapy compared with 9 (41%) of 22 patients after ampicillin-gentamicin therapy. The 3 patients with superinfection were in the ampicillin-gentamicin arm of the study. Fewer toxic or adverse effects occurred in association with mezlocillin treatment than with ampicillin-gentamicin treatment. Mezlocillin therapy was more effective, less toxic, and less expensive than treatment with ampicillin and gentamicin for patients with cholangitis.     

In VivoStudies of Adenovirus-Based p53 Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer

Objectives.To test the safety, efficacy, and toxicity of gene therapy using wild-type p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-CMV-p53) in a nude mouse model with intraperitoneal (ip) 2774 human ovarian cancer cell line that contains a p53 mutation.Study design.An initial study of adenovirus tolerance was determined in nude mice by a single ip injection of increasing doses of Ad-CMV-p53. Nude mice were implanted with an LD₁₀₀dose of 1 × 10⁷cells. To study the efficacy and specificity of Ad-CMV-p53 treatment, the mice received treatment with different adenovirus constructs. One group received Ad-CMV-p53 and another group received a control adenovirus construct, Ad-CMV-βgal. To study the treatment response to Ad-CMV-p53, the mice were divided into groups and received various treatment schedules of 1 × 10⁸pfu of Ad-CMV-p53.Results.The mice tolerated Ad-CMV-p53 without adverse effects at doses of 1 × 10⁸pfu. The response to Ad-CMV-p53 showed significant survival duration in each dose regimen, with a survival time greater than that of untreated animals (P= 0.0173). However, no statistically significant survival advantage was observed between Ad-CMV-p53- and Ad-CMV-βgal-treated mice.Conclusions.These studies show that at the adenovirus dose and administration regimen used, there is effective but not specific 2774 tumor growth inhibitionin vivo.Efficient introduction of biologically active genes into tumor cells would greatly facilitate cancer therapy. Thus, although promising, these results caution that much effort will be required to realize the potential for clinical application of adenovirus-based ovarian cancer gene therapy.     

Structured treatment and teaching of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired cognitive function--the DICOF trial.

BACKGROUND: Patient education is integral part of any diabetes therapy in Germany, but elderly patients are not able to follow the variety of topics comprising standard treatment and teaching programmes (TTP), primarily due to impaired neuropsychological function. This leads to deficits in diabetes knowledge and hindered ability for diabetes self-management. AIM: To evaluate structured TTP for geriatric patients with impaired cognitive function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A neuropsychological examination was performed on all patients over 54 years [n=102, age 68.6 +/- 8.7 years, diabetes duration 10.3 (0.03-35.4) years, HbA1c 10.3 +/- 1.7% (HPLC, Diamat, NR 4.5-6.3%), cognitive function 87.7 +/- 12.3 IQ points] who took part in TTP for insulin therapy. Patients with impaired cognitive function participated either in the standard TTP of Berger [n = 35, age 67.6 +/- 8.9 years, diabetes duration 9.9 (0.04-35.4) years, HbA1c 10.3 +/- 2.0%] or in the specialized structured geriatric DICOF-TTP [n=33, age 70.4 +/- 8.2 years, diabetes duration 10.4 (0.03-24.9) years, HbA1c 10.7 +/- 1.8%]. RESULTS: After TTP there were no differences in knowledge and ability for diabetes self-management (standard/DICOF: knowledge 11.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 12.2 +/- 2.7 points, P = 0.11; handling 14.9 +/- 3.3 vs. 15.9 +/- 2.5 points, P = 0.18). However, patients who took part in the DICOF programme showed better scores in satisfaction with the education programme [standard/DICOF 44.7 (31-57) vs. 52.5 (45-59) points, P < 0.001]. Six months later the DICOF participants showed better results regarding diabetes self-management (standard/DICOF: handling 12.5 +/- 4.1 vs. 15.9 +/- 3.1 points, P = 0.001). Both groups showed HbA1c decrease (8.3 +/- 1.4 vs. 8.5 +/- 1.3%, P=0.62) and similar incidence of acute complications. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with impaired cognitive function should take part in specialized structured TTP. This leads to both better satisfaction with the education programme and an improved ability for diabetes self-management.     

Effects of long-term moderate food restriction on growth, serum factors, lipogenic enzymes and adipocyte glucose metabolism in lean and obese Zucker rats

The effects of long-term moderate food restriction were assessed in lean and obese male Zucker rats. A 30% reduction in food intake from 5 to 68 wk of age resulted in parallel lowering of body weight in both lean and obese rats compared to their respective ad libitum-fed control groups. In lean rats, epididymal and retroperitoneal fat pad weights and cell size were lowered by food restriction. In obese rats there was an effect of food restriction on growth of the epididymal pad but not the retroperitoneal pad. Hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia and elevated serum albumin levels, as well as higher activity of lipogenic enzymes, were also not affected by food restriction in the obese rat. In a second experiment, long-term food restriction resulted in greater glucose conversion to CO2 in response to insulin in adipocytes from lean rats but not obese rats compared to their respective control groups. These results indicate that food restriction throughout the first year of life in the obese Zucker rat does not alter the development of hyperplastic obesity and insulin resistance.     

Recruiting future neuroscientists: what asking the recruits can teach us.

Many different strategies are used to recruit students into scientific research careers, including neuroscience research. These strategies are rarely based on knowledge about students; instead, activities are selected based on their ease of implementation. The goal of the LEARN Project is to encourage high school students into mental health science research using the theme of learning and memory. One intervention the authors developed is five Web-based biographies introducing students to contemporary neuroscientist role models studying learning and memory. To guide the design of this intervention, the authors created a survey to determine where students obtain career information and who and what influences their career selection. In a convenience sample of 124 students, the authors found that almost all students use the Internet for information about careers, in addition to consulting family members and teachers. Students' career selections are influenced most by family members, teachers, and people already in the field. The most important factors students look for in their future career are money, fun, and a good match between current interests and future careers. The data affirm the value of outreach efforts that go beyond students to include a broader audience of parents and teachers who play a critical role in career selection.     

Pituitary responsiveness to GH-releasing hormone, GH-releasing peptide-2 and thyrotrophin-releasing hormone in critical illness

OBJECTIVE Protein hypercatabolism and preservation of fat depots are hallmarks of critical illness, which is associated with blunted pulsatile GH secretion and low circulating IGF-I, TSH, T4 and T3. Repetitive TRH administration is known to reactivate the pituitary-thyroid axis and to evoke paradoxical GH release in critical illness. We further explored the hypothalamic-pituitary function in critical illness by examining the effects of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and/or GH-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) and TRH administration. PATIENTS AND DESIGN Critically ill adults (n=40; mean age 55 years) received two i.v. boluses with a 6-hour interval (0900 and 1500 h) within a cross-over design. Patients were randomized to receive consecutively placebo and GHRP-2 (n=10), GHRH and GHRP-2 (n=10), GHRP-2 and GHRH+GHRP-2 (n=10), GHRH+GHRP-2 and GHRH+GHRP-2+TRH (n=10). The GHRH and GHRP-2 doses were 1μg/kg and the TRH dose was 200μg. Blood samples were obtained before and 20, 40, 60 and 120 minutes after each injection. MEASUREMENTS Serum concentrations of GH, T4, T3, rT3, thyroid hormone binding globulin (TBG), IGF-I, insulin and cortisol were measured by RIA; PRL and TSH concentrations were determined by IRMA. RESULTS Critically ill patients presented a striking GH response to GHRP-2 (mean±SEM peak GH 51±9 μg/l in older patients and 102±2μg/l in younger patients; P=0.005 vs placebo). The mean GH response to GHRP-2 was more than fourfold higher than to GHRH (P=0.007). In turn, the mean GH response to GHRH+GHRP-2 was 2.5-fold higher than to GHRP-2 alone (P=0.01), indicating synergism. Adding TRH to the GHRH+GHRP-2 combination slightly blunted this mean response by 18% (P=0.01). GHRP-2 had no effect on serum TSH concentrations whereas both GHRH and GHRH+GHRP-2 evoked an increase in peak TSH levels of 53 and 32% respectively. The addition of TRH further increased this TSH response < ninefold (P=0.005), elicited a 60% rise in serum T3 (P=0.01) and an 18% increase in T4 (P=0.005) levels, without altering rT3 or TBG levels. GHRH and/or GHRP-2 induced a small increase in serum PRL levels. The addition of TRH magnified the PRL response 2.4-fold (P=0.007). GHRP-2 increased basal serum cortisol levels (531±29nmol/l) by 35% (P=0.02); GHRH provoked no additional response, but adding TRH further increased the cortisol response by 20% (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS The specific character of hypothalamic-pituitary function in critical illness is herewith extended to the responsiveness to GHRH and/or GHRP-2 and TRH. The observation of striking bursts of GH secretion elicited by GHRP-2 and particularly by GHRH+GHRP-2 in patients with low spontaneous GH peaks opens the possibility of therapeutic perspectives for GH secretagogues in critical care medicine.     

Presence of antibodies to ubiquitin during the autoimmune response associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were shown to react with both ubiquitin and a synthetic fragment of it (residues 22-45) in an ELISA and with ubiquitin in immunoblotting experiments. Close to 80% of lupus patients possessed ubiquitin antibodies, whereas only 55% of them possessed native DNA antibodies, a marker of SLE. Less than 16% of patients with other rheumatic autoimmune diseases possessed antibodies to ubiquitin. Our results indicate that the combined measurement of antibodies to native DNA and to ubiquitin could appreciably increase the detection of SLE cases (up to 85% in our study). It is suggested that ubiquitin, a heat shock protein, could be involved in antibody formation against ubiquitin-protein conjugates present during cellular injury and that this represents a major characteristic of the autoimmune response in SLE.     

The andrology laboratory in an Assisted Reproductive Technologies program. Quality assurance and laboratory methodology.

Assuring the highest possible quality of care to the patient is the first goal of the andrology laboratory. Quality control and quality assurance as they apply to the andrology laboratory are outlined, and special problems in quality control for sperm function assays are addressed. An example of the patient review process is presented. Quality of care also depends on the ability of the laboratory to perform appropriate tests of sperm function that can diagnose sperm defects, predict success or failure of in vitro fertilization, and lead to rational therapies for sperm dysfunctions. Methods for, and diagnostic value of, sperm swim-out, enhanced sperm penetration assays, acrosome reaction assessment, motility analysis of capacitating sperm, and sperm-zona binding assays are reviewed. No single test, other than in vitro fertilization itself, is capable of providing a complete diagnosis or a highly accurate prediction. A battery of sperm function tests, arranged in an algorithm, is presented as a theoretically better approach.