In vivo anti-melanoma activities of the Melan-A/MART-1101–115 T CD4+ cell peptide

Malignant melanoma causes significant health problems. The identification of tumour-associated antigens has led to novel approaches to increase T cell mediated anti-tumour immune response. Melan-A/MART-1 has been use as target antigen for several T cell based immunotherapeutic treatments. More recently, the critical role of CD4+ T cells in inducing and maintaining anti-tumour immunity has been increasingly recognized. In order to optimize tumour immunotherapy, greater efforts have been concentrated on the identification of tumour antigens presented by MHC class II molecules to CD4+ T cells. In a publication, Tiwari et al. (2004) [1] have identified by a computational approach the 15-mer amino-acid sequence 101–115 (PPAYEKLSAEQSPPP) of the Melan-A/MART-1 as a good target for a vigorous and safe immunotherapy. Therefore, we have investigated the in vivo anti-tumour activity of this peptide in a murine melanoma model. For the prophylactic treatment, 20 μg or 50 μg peptide was subcutaneously injected in mice once a week during 3 weeks before tumour induction. Treatment with 50 μg peptide significantly affected tumour development. Thus, our preliminary data demonstrate potential in vivo prophylactic activity of the 101–115 peptide-based vaccine to control melanoma growth.     

Breast milk donors in France: a portrait of the typical donor and the utility of milk banking in the French breastfeeding context.

Although information regarding attitudes and characteristics of human blood donors has been researched, little is known about the motivations and demographic and personality characteristics of women who choose to donate their breast milk. Eight milk banks in France participated in a study examining donor characteristics, providing data on 103 women. The results showed that the donors were women of average childbearing age with strong support at home. Almost half did not work outside of the home, compared to the national average of 80% of women in this age group; similarly, a large number (currently working or not) were from the health and social services fields. Reasons for donation were largely altruistic, and a general optimistic attitude prevailed within the participants. The results of this study provide useful information for the recruitment of potential donors as well as information on how to facilitate and provide optimal service through milk donation.     

Description and prognostic value of cerebellar MRI lesions in children with severe acute ataxia]

The aim of this work was to evaluate NMR cerebellar abnormalities in children with severe acute ataxia. Among 8 consecutively observed children, NMR performed in 6 during the acute phase was pathological in 4, demonstrating hyperintense signal in the T2-weighed sequences of dentate nuclei (2 cases, associated in 1 with hyperintense signal in the medium cerebellar peduncle) or of the cerebellar cortex associated with cerebellar swelling (2 cases). NMR performed in 7 cases after at least 1 month of evolution showed cerebellar atrophy in 4 cases. After 1 to 6 years of clinical follow-up, 4/8 children had clinical sequellae, including 3 of the 4 children with initially abnormal NMR. Conversely, the 2 patients with initially normal NMR had a good clinical recovery. NMR during the acute phase gives informations on prognosis in patients with severe acute ataxia.     

Patients homozygous for the 17p 11.2 duplication in charcot-marie-tooth type 1A Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A disease is an inherited sensorimotor neuropathy that is most often associated with a duplication of chromosome 17p11.2. This region contains the gene of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22), which is responsible by a gene dosage effect for the Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A phenotype with 17p11.2 duplication. We performed a clinical, electrophysiological, and genetic study of a consanguinous Charcot-marie-Tooth type 1A family with 4 affected siblings, 3 of whom were homozygous for the 17p11.2 duplication, the other a heterozygote. Comparison of phenotypes showed that the severity of the disease was more severely affected than the heterozygous sibling who was pausiymptomatic. These results suggest that the severity of the disease is not determined solely by the number of copies of the PMP22 gene.     

Nouveautés sur la sclérose en plaques de l''enfant

Pediatric MS is better understood after a series of epidemiological studies including the French cohort following almost 500 children since more than 7 years. Pediatric MS may have an onset as early as 2 years but symptoms are different than those at adolescence. Its evolution towards a motor handicap is slower than in adults but cognitive impairment have to be evaluated carefully. Interferon beta treatment can be use, if needed, even before the age of 10. Several environmental factors might increase its risk, especially early EBV infection or passive smoking. HBV vaccination does not increase significantly its risk of occurrence.     

Genetic restriction of murine hepatitis virus type 3 expression in liver and brain: comparative study in BALB/c and C3H mice by immunochemistry and hybridization in situ

Summary To study the host-dependent genetic variations in murine hepatitis virus type 3 (MHV 3) induced diseases, we localized the sites of MHV 3 (Mill Hill strain) expression within liver and brain by immunohistochemistry or hybridization in situ. Two strains of mice were studied: BALB/c mice, which develop an acute and lethal hepatitis and C3H mice which develop a chronic brain infection. In BALB/c mice, viral RNA and antigens appeared during the first 24 h post infection (p.i.) in liver, whereas viral RNA was barely detectable in brain, up until death at day 3 p.i. In C3H mice, viral RNA and antigens were detected simultaneously in liver and brain only at day 2 p.i. In brain, the virus was detected in meningeal and ependymal cells and in perivascular cortical areas (days 5 and 7 p.i.). After day 49, the virus was no longer detected in brain parenchyma, but persisted in meningeal cells. Two host-dependent genetic differences in viral processing were observed in the liver: (1) the virus was first detected in Kupffer cells in BALB/c mice and mostly in hepatocytes in C3H mice; (2) in BALB/c mice, the 180 kDa S viral glycoprotein appeared more frequently cleaved in 90 kDa form than in C3H mice.     

To what extent is the tibia-calcaneum angle a reliable measurement of the triceps surae length? Radiological correction of the torque-angle curve (III)

Summary Previous papers gave some methods for the reliable measurement of the tibia-calcaneum angle. It is of common use to evaluate the physical properties of triceps surae on the basis of torque-angle curves. However this method is reliable only if each tibia-calcaneum angle corresponds to a defined distance between the insertions of the muscle in subjects of the same height. Evidence is given by radiological measurements that this correspondance is correct in normal children. However, this is no longer true in certain cerebral palsied children because of abnormal translation of the calcaneum and/or abnormal ratio of bone sizes. In this case the torque-angle curves do not define properly the torque-length curves. A method of correction is given. This correction may be as high as 15.MaÎtre de Recherche INSERM (Paris), grant No. 7411766 and U.E.R. Paris-Ouest     

Home chaos: sociodemographic, parenting, interactional, and child correlates.

We conducted 2 studies to (a) establish the usefulness of the construct of home chaos, (b) investigate its correlates, and (c) determine the validity of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) used to measure the construct in each study. Study 1 relied on a sample of European American preschoolers and their mothers and Study 2 on a sample of African American school-age children and their caregivers. Home chaos was associated with less effective parental discipline; elevated behavior problems, limited attentional focusing, and reduced ability to understand and respond to social cues in children; and reduced accuracy and efficiency in a cooperative parent-child interactional task, after controlling for potential confounds. It is concluded that (a) home chaos is not a proxy for adverse social or psychological circumstances but a useful construct in its own right; (b) home chaos is associated with multiple detrimental correlates in parents and children; and (c) the CHAOS scale provides an adequate and economical measure of home confusion and disorganization that should prove useful in clinical research with diverse populations.     

Mast cell–derived IL-13 downregulates IL-12 production by skin dendritic cells to inhibit the TH1 cell response to cutaneous antigen exposure

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Nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood: quantity and quality of fetal cells in enriched populations

The discovery of nucleated erythrocytes in maternal circulationprovides a potential source for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.We have evaluated the use of a three-stage procedure to determinethe number of cells that are of fetal rather than maternal origin.First, monoclonal antibodies specific for CD45 and CD14 wereused in conjunction with a magnetic (MACS) column to depleteunwanted leukocytes from maternal blood. This was followed bya positive MACS enrichment for nucleated erythrocytes, usingan anti-CD71 (transferrin receptor) monoclonal antibody. Todiscriminate between fetal nucleated erythrocytes and thoseof maternal origin, enriched fractions were simultaneously stainedwith an anti-fetal haemoglobin (HbF) antibody and hybridizedwith probes specific for X and Y chromosomes. Samples were thensubjected to blind analysis along with negative control samplesfrom non-pregnant volunteers. Using this dual analysis, we wereable to determine that less than one nucleated erythrocyte perml of maternal blood was of fetal origin. Small numbers of thesefetal cells were found in 87.5% of pregnancies, ranging from6 to 35 weeks gestational age. Comparison of HbF and X/Y probedata also suggests that the fetal cells are less suitable forfluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis than similarpreparations from other sources. cell separation methods/fluorescence in-situ hybridization/hereditary diseases/polymerase chain reaction/pregnancy