Comparison between ovalbumin and ovalbumin peptide 323-339 responses in allergic mice: humoral and cellular aspects.

Ovalbumin (OVA) is widely used in allergy research. OVA peptide 323-339 has been reported to be responsible for 25-35% of isolated BALB/c mouse T-cell response to intact OVA. An investigation of whether OVA and OVA 323-339 molecules can induce equivalent in vivo and in vitro immune responses was conducted.

Airway inflammation and bronchial remodelling in toluene diisocyanate-exposed BALB/c mouse model.

Unlabelled: Toluene diisocyanate (TDI), a highly reactive industrial chemical, is one of the leading causes of occupation-related asthma in industrialized countries. The pathogenesis of TDI-induced asthma, however, remains not fully understood, in part due to lack of appropriate animal models. Twenty five female BALB/c mice (age: 8 weeks) were randomly divided into 5 groups: Ovabumin (OVA); OVA peptide amino acid residues No.

Myofibroblasts are responsible for the desmoplastic reaction surrounding human pancreatic carcinomas.

Background: The cell type responsible for the desmoplastic reaction surrounding human pancreatic carcinoma is unknown. Hepatic stellate cells, which activate to a myofibroblast-like form, are responsible for collagen deposition in cirrhosis and around hepatocellular carcinomas. Recently, pancreatic stellate cells have been described and implicated in the fibrosis of chronic pancreatitis.

The value of ultrasonography in predicting autoimmune thyroid disease.

Ultrasonography (US) may demonstrate a diffuse reduction in thyroid echogenicity (low-amplitude echoes) in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), which includes chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and Graves' disease, as well as in subacute thyroiditis. The reported occurrence of this finding in AITD varies from 19% to 95%. To assess the validity of diffuse reduction in thyroid echogenicity as a predictor of AITD, 3,077 patients referred for US of the thyroid were examined prospectively with regard to reduced versus normal thyroid echogenicity.

Human pheochromocytoma: different patterns of catecholamines and chromogranins in the intact tumour, urine and serum in clinically unsuspected cases.

Clinically unsuspected pheochromocytoma is usually discovered either at autopsy or during surgical intervention for unrelated conditions, despite often enormous neoplastic masses producing and storing catecholamine (CA). In order to assess whether these tumours share some common features we have compiled data for six patients admitted to hospital without previous diagnosis of their pheochromocytoma. The clinical variables and the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumours revealed that these cases represented quite different expressions of adrenomedullary neoplasms.

Frequency of pulmonary embolism in patients with circulatory disturbances of the lower limb or intestine. An autopsy study.

The frequency of pulmonary embolism in patients with circulatory disturbances in the lower limbs (CDLL) or intestine (CDI) were investigated in an autopsy series. Pulmonary embolism was seen more frequently in patients with CDLL than in patients with CDI. This difference was maintained irrespective of duration of last admission.

[Fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast. A simple method?].

During the period 1981-85, 3,743 fine-needle aspiration cytologies of breast tissue from 3,188 patients were reported by the Gade Institute, Department of pathology. Subsequent histologic examination was performed in the case of 798 patients. Among 421 histologically proven carcinomas after previous fine-needle aspiration, there were no false positive and 13 false negative cytological diagnoses.

[Breast sarcoma. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems].

From 1981 to 1988 six patients, five females and one male, with breast sarcoma were treated in the Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Bergen. Four of them had phyllodes tumour, one a malignant myoepithelioma and one a liposarcoma. Metastases to axillary lymph nodes or distant metastases were not observed.

Circannual variations of circadian periodicity in murine colony-forming cells.

The circadian and circannual rhythms of committed stem cells (CFUc) were investigated by using the agar colony technique. There was a marked circadian rhythmicity, with variations between maximum and minimum colony yields of 2-5.5 times; such variations could also be seen throughout the year.

Circadian variations in mouse bone marrow.

Circadian variations in mouse hemopoiesis were investigated in the early spring and summer using spleen colony assay, agar colony technique and differential counting. The multipotent stem cells and committed stem cells as well as the numbers of myelopoietic cells/femur underwent strong circadian variations with similar type of rhythmicity. In both types of stem cells (CFUS, CFUC) the rhythm was correlated to the variations in the numbers of myeloid cells/femur.

Circadian variations in the committed stem cell responsiveness to granulopoiesis inhibitory factor (chalone) in vitro.

The effect of inhibitory extracts of human granulocytes (chalone) on the circadian rhythm of myelopoietic colony formation in soft agar (CFUc) was studied over one year. Normally, the number of bone marrow CFUc shows a strong circadian rhythm. Preincubation of the cells with the extracts before plating modulated this rhythm with phase shifts and modifications of amplitude.

Biological properties of partially purified granulocyte extract (chalone) assayed in soft agar culture.

The inhibitory effects of partly purified low molecular weight granulocyte extracts (GE) from human peripheral blood were investigated on mouse myelopoietic cells in agar cultures. By repeated freezing and thawing the inhibitory effect of the extract was lost, and instead a stimulatory effect was seen. The stimulation was seen mainly as an increase of colonies and clusters from the sixth day of culture.

Sequential flow cytometric analysis of cellular DNA-content in peripheral blood during treatment for acute leukaemia.

Sequential flow cytometric analysis (FCM) of relative nuclear DNA content per cell was done in peripheral blood of 12 patients during treatment for acute leukaemia. A marked increase of cells with S-phase DNA-content during the first hours of treatment was found in patients responding favorably to treatment. One patient with increase of 'S-phase cells' died before clinical improvement could be evaluated.

Inhibition of agar colony formation by partially purified granulocyte extracts (chalone).

Granulocytic extracts (GE) of different sources, presumably containing the granulocytic chalone, were prepared in different laboratories and purified to some extent. They specifically inhibited the formation of granulocyte and macrophage colonies in agar. The effect was however most pronounced on granulocyte and mixed granulocyte-macrophage colonies, and less on macrophage types.

Atraumatic rupture of the kidney. A case report with autopsy.

A case of atraumatic rupture of the parenchyma of the right kidney with gross retroperitoneal haemorrhage is reported in an old woman. The underlying vascular lesion was probably arteriosclerotic and associated with hypertension.