Mycophenolate mofetil reduces myofibroblast infiltration and collagen III deposition in rat remnant kidney.

Background: Myofibroblasts have been shown to play a pivotal role in the synthesis of extracellular matrix components in several animal models of renal fibrosis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) reduces interstitial myofibroblast infiltration and collagen III deposition in 5/6 nephrectomized rats.

Methods: Forty-five Wistar rats underwent 5/6 renal ablation and received by daily oral gavage either vehicle (N = 20) or MMF (N = 25) during the 60 days following surgery.

IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors in canine polyarthritis.

IgM and IgA rheumatoid factor (RF) were detected by ELISA using a purified dog IgG as antigen in normal controls (N = 84), dogs with unclassified polyarthritis (N = 95), dogs with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (N = 22), dogs with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (N = 35), dogs with leishmaniasis or heart worm disease (N = 20) and dogs with pyometra (N = 16). Frequency and titre of IgM and IgA RF are low and comparable (P < 0.05) in dogs with unclassified polyarthritis or RA: respectively 24.

Connective tissue changes in rheumatic heart disease.

The connective matrix of 17 surgically excised mitral complexes from patients with clinical diagnosis of rheumatic carditis was evaluated by semi-quantitative histopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural parameters. Different and concomitant patterns of loose and dense fibrosis were observed with variable constitution and organization of collagen I, III, IV, procollagen III, laminin, fibronectin and elastin. Loose fibrosis exhibited codistribution of all matrix components, Initial phase of fibrosis was characterized by deposition of all matrix components organized in a network pattern.

[Evaluation of a fast test for direct research on streptococcal group A from pharyngeal samples].

Importance of streptococcal pharyngitis rapid diagnosis is increasing. 645 patients with pharyngoamygdalitis were tested. The correlation between bacteriologic culture and rapid test is 86%, the sensibility of the test is 68%, its specificity is 92%, while the predictive positive and negative values are 75% and 90%.

Discrepancies between two procedures for ds-DNA antibody detection: Farr test and indirect immunofluorescence on Crithidia luciliae.

Of the 54,911 sera routinely tested for anti-double stranded-DNA antibodies (Ab), 2,297 gave a positive reaction with both indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on Crithidia luciliae (CL) and the Farr test, or with only one of the two tests. Of the sera giving positive reactions, only 1,499 (65.3% of the positive sera) were positive with both reactions.