Examination of the dermal lymphatics in psoriasis⋆

In recent years, research on the aetiology of psoriasis has focused on immune aetiopathogenesis. However, in the last few years, research on the immunoloogical changes in psoriasis has failed to mention the lymphatics. Also, studies emphasizing the importance of the dermal lymphatics have neglected the lymphatic changes seen in psoriasis. Therefore, we decided to put this matter back on the agenda. Skin biopsies from 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were examined lymphatically by light microscopy using the orcein stain. We found a considerable increase in both number and dilatation in the lymphatics of psoriatic plaques, compared with both the clinically uninvolved skin of the psoriatic patients and also the skin of the control group.     

Adenosine deaminase activity in serum of patients with hepatitis -- a useful tool in monitoring clinical status.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The evaluation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in sera of patients with hepatitis should be considered a useful tool in the monitoring of their clinical status. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between viral load, transaminase levels, and serum ADA levels in hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. METHODS: Seventy three patients with hepatitis B, 71 patients with hepatitis C and 40 healthy individuals were included. Patients with HBV and HCV infections were classified into 3 groups according to viral load. Serum ADA levels were investigated by colorimetric assays. RESULTS: Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and ADA levels of HBV- and HCV-infected patients were higher than those of the control group. These differences were statistically significant for the levels of all enzymes in HCV-infected patients (p<0.05), and all except AST (p>0.05) in HBV-infected patients. ADA levels of HBV-infected patients with high viral loads were higher than those in HBV-infected patients with intermediate and low viral loads, and the difference was detectably significant between patients with high and intermediate viral loads. Evaluation of HCV-infected patients according to viral load showed no statistically significant relationship between viral load and serum ADA, ALT, and AST levels (p>0.05). HBV- and HCV-infected patients with high ALT and AST levels showed statistically significantly higher levels of ADA than patients with normal ALT and AST levels (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that serum ADA levels are associated more with the level of serum transaminases than viral load in HBV- and HCV-infected patients. In the treatment of patients with hepatitis, serum ADA levels should be considered a useful tool for the monitoring of liver condition.     

Action of allogeneic and syngeneic splenic extracts on primary cell cultures from inbred mice

The effect of allogeneic and syngeneic extracts from the spleens of male and female inbred mice on primary cultures of fibroblasts obtained from the subcutaneous connective tissues of fetuses of CBA and C57BL/6J mice was studied. The cytotoxic and growth-inhibiting action on the cultures was successively enhanced by the use of extracts from syngeneic male and allogeneic female and male tissues. Consequently, an increase in the degree of antigenic difference between the target cells and extracts led to enhancement of the phenomenon of allogeneic inhibition. It was shown for the first time that in a syngeneic system extracts from male tissues (containing the weak H-Y antigen) have a cytotoxic action on cells from female inbred mice, i.e., that they induce a reaction of the allogeneic inhibition type.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi biologii i meditsiny, Vol. 86, No. 10, pp. 486–488, October, 1978.     

Contradictory effects of chlorpromazine on endothelial cells in a rat model of endotoxic shock in association with its actions on serum TNF-alpha levels and antioxidant enzyme activities.

We examined the effects of the phenothiazine derivative, chlorpromazine on thoracic aortic endothelial cell histology (14 h after LPS challenge) in a model of endotoxic shock in rats. Since excessive formation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and oxygen-derived free radicals contribute to endothelial injury in endotoxemia, we also evaluated the effect of the drug on the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in liver tissue in this model and tried to find out whether this possible effect was associated with a change in serum TNF-alpha levels (measured 90 min after chlorpromazine administration). Endotoxemia was induced by a single i.p. injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg kg(-1) in 1.5 ml of saline; LPS from Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5, L-2880, Sigma Chemical Company). Electron microscopic evaluation of the aortas revealed that chlorpromazine (administered 30 min prior to LPS challenge), in smaller doses (3 mg kg(-1)) ameliorated the endothelial cell injury caused by LPS, whereas it caused deterioration of endothelial cell morphology in higher doses (10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Chlorpromazine administration caused a significant reduction in serum TNF-alpha levels, which was correlated well with an increase in SOD activity in all drug doses (3, 10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Catalase activity was increased only in the 25 mg kg(-1) chlorpromazine group.     

Collagen for brain repair:therapeutic perspectives

Biomaterials have increasingly become a focus of research on neuroprotection and neuroregeneration.Collagen,in terms of brain repair,presents many advantages such as being remarkably biocompatible,biodegradable,versatile and non-toxic.Collagen can be used to form injectable scaffolds and micro/nano spheres in order to:(i) locally release therapeutic factors with the aim of protecting degenerating neurons in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases,(ii) encapsulate stem cells for safe delivery,(iii) encapsulate genetically modified cells to provide a long term source of trophic factors,(iv) fill in the voids from injury to serve as a structural support and provide a permissive microenvironment to promote axonal growth.This mini-review summarizes different applications of collagen biomaterial for central nervous system protection and repair,as well as the future perspectives.Overall,collagen is a promising natural biomaterial with various applications which has the potential to progress the development of therapeutic strategies in central nervous system injuries and degeneration.     

Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and thrombin-antithrombin-III-complex levels in patients with gastric cancer

The relation between cancer and coagulation is the subject of investigation since a relation between tumor and thrombosis has been determined. Antithrombin III is an important thrombin inhibitor, and increased thrombin?Cantithrombin (TAT) complex levels activate coagulation. Activated thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) inhibits the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. In addition, it directly inactivates plasmin. Defective fibrinolysis increases the risk of thrombosis. In this study, we evaluated homeostatic parameters, TAFI, and TAT levels in patients with gastric cancer applying to the medical oncology outpatient clinic. Fifty-two patients and 35 healthy controls were included. ELISA was used to measure TAFI and TAT complex levels. These were statistically higher in the patient group (p?<?0.05 and p?=?0.001, respectively). D-dimer levels were higher in stage IV (p?=?0.05). Correlations between lymph nodes and TAFI and TAT levels were examined. Weak but positive correlation between lymph nodes and TAFI was detected (R?=?0.452, p?=?0.027). TAFI and TAT levels were evaluated using relative operating characteristic analysis to differentiate the disease. TAT was more specific than TAFI according to this analysis (TAFI area under curve (AUC), 0.676; TAT AUC, 0.874). Thrombotic events and bleeding disorders need to be borne in mind in gastric cancer. This situation is due to the impairment of the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis. Further studies are now needed to evaluate the effects of TAFI and TAT on survey and prognosis as well as the potential of these parameters as tumor markers for gastric cancer.     

Correction to: Molecular characterization of a human group C rotavirus detected first in Turkey

Virus Genes - This article was unintentionally published twice in this journal, by the same authors. Following should be considered the version of record and used for citation purposes:...     

Association of the angiotensinogen M235T and angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene polymorphisms in Turkish type 2 diabetic patients with and without nephropathy

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested an association between a deletion variant of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and diabetic nephropathy. However, this finding has not been confirmed by all investigators. Furthermore, an M235T variant of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene has been associated with hypertension, an important risk factor for the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We investigated the relationship of the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) and AGT M235T gene polymorphisms in Turkish patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with and without diabetic nephropathy. A total of 102 individuals were screened for the presence of the ACE I/D and AGT M235T polymorphism: 46 individuals who had type 2 DM with diabetic nephropathy and, as controls, 56 individuals who had type 2 DM without diabetic nephropathy. Gene polymorphisms were determined by the specific melting temperature (T(m)) values of the resulting amplicons after real-time online polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis. RESULTS: The frequencies of the ACE DD, ID, and II genotypes were 34.8%, 37.0%, and 28.3%, respectively, among type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy, and 33.9%, 42.9%, 23.2%, respectively (P=.788), in the control subjects without diabetic nephropathy. On the other hand, the frequencies of the AGT MM, MT, and TT genotypes among the same groups were 26.1%, 52.2%, 21.7% and 26.8%, 57.1%, 16.1%, respectively (P=.758). CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in the frequencies of the AGT M235T and ACE I/D genotypes between Turkish patients with type 2 DM with and without nephropathy.     

Investigation of perfusion defects by Q-SPECT/CT in patients with mild-to-moderate course of COVID-19 and low clinical probability for pulmonary embolism

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - Pulmonary embolism is a severe source of mortality and morbidity in patients with severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019. It is not yet clear whether the tendency...