Influence of monoclonal antibodies against HLA class I and class II antigen on interferon-gamma and -alpha induction.

The effects of several monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against different epitopes of HLA class I and class II antigens on interferon (IFN)-gamma and IFN-alpha production were studied. The results indicate that: these MAbs have a marked inhibitory effect on the production of IFN-gamma induced by alloantigens and microbial antigens; they influence only to a lesser extent staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)- and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced IFN-gamma production; such effects parallel inhibition of lymphoproliferation except for PHA-induced blastogenesis, which is not affected; on the other hand, these MAbs have no effect on the production of IFN-alpha induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or viruses.

Risk of iron overload and 'hemochromatosis allele(s)' in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

In the present study, we have evaluated the relationship between serum ferritin (SF) levels, 'hemochromatosis allele(s)', blood transfusions and iron parenteral administration in 69 hemodialysis patients. We demonstrated significantly higher SF levels in patients with hemochromatosis allele(s) (HA+) than in patients without hemochromatosis alleles (HA-). In addition, HA+ patients who had received blood transfusions up to 15 months prior to the study had SF levels even higher than those without blood transfusions.

Identification of factors interacting with a subset of T8+ cells.

In a previously work we have reported that T8+ lymphocytes decrease can be obtained by incubation of lymphocytes from normal blood donors with serum taken from patients in the acute phase of the disease. In this paper is described a partial characterization of the masking serum factor present in the acute phase of the disease. It displays a m.

Clinical evaluation of biofiltration in uremic patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

The clinical efficiency of biofiltration (BF) was evaluated in six hemodialysis patients with poor clinical tolerance for standard hemodialysis. Three were adults (mean age 34 years, mean body weight 67 kg) and three adolescents (mean age 17 years, mean body weight 38 kg). Mean maintenance hemodialysis time was 90.

Correction of uremic acid-base imbalance in biofiltration: standardization of the amount of bicarbonate infused.

Beneficial effects of biofiltration on acid-base balance have been described, especially in patients showing poor tolerance to standard hemodialysis. This study was designed to standardize the amounts of bicarbonate to be infused for optimal control of the acid-base balance, without the adverse reactions of symptomatic metabolic alkalosis. In three adult patients (body weight greater than 55 kg) a 300 mEq.

T-lymphocyte subsets modifications in multiple sclerosis: correlation with clinical disease activity.

Serial analyses of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets were performed in 280 samples collected over a 27 months period from 14 multiple sclerosis patients. A significant decrease of T8+ cells was found in 47.1% (47/87) of blood samples collected within four weeks of onset of a relapse opposed to 2.

Proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by Candida albicans and its cell wall fractions.

Glutaraldehyde-inactivated cells and cell-wall fractions of Candida albicans were studied for their capacity to induce or inhibit the in-vitro proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), as measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Both the intact cells (CA) and a phosphorylated gluco-mannan-protein complex of the cell wall (GMP), in microgram doses, were strong inducers of PBMC proliferation, with a peak of activity at 6-9 days of culture and varying with the PBMC donor. A significant but much lower proliferation was observed on exposure of PBMC to a low-protein (less than 3% by weight) mannan component (M) of the cell wall.

In vivo effects of chloroquine treatment on spontaneous and interferon-induced natural killer activities in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Chloroquine is a primary amine which inhibits in vitro cell-mediated cytolysis, probably by affecting the lysosomal system. Spontaneous and interferon (INF)-induced natural killer (NK) activities were studied in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing chloroquine therapy. In all chloroquine-treated patients spontaneous and IFN-induced NK activities were decreased, as compared with healthy controls or RA patients, not treated with chloroquine.

Relationship between red blood cell lipid peroxidation, plasma hemoglobin, and red blood cell osmotic resistance before and after vitamin E supplementation in hemodialysis patients.

It has been reported that increased peroxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the erythrocyte membranes is one of the causes of chronic hemolysis in uremic patients on hemodialysis and that therapeutic doses of vitamin E are effective in reducing peroxidation, improving the hematocrit. The present study shows how the reduced peroxidation, induced by a course with therapeutic doses of vitamin E, is paralleled by a significant reduction of plasma hemoglobin concentrations at the end of the dialysis and by a significant improvement of erythrocyte osmotic resistance. The findings lead to the suggestion that the administration of tocopherol to patients on chronic hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease may be beneficial in improving anemia, acting via a reduction of lipid peroxidation of the red blood cell membranes.

Genetic markers of cluster headache and the links with the lithium salts therapy.

The existing relationship between genetic markers of the cluster headache and the efficacy of lithium salts therapy was described in the present study. Thirty-five patients suffering from cluster headache, who were already typed for the HLA antigens, were studied. Typing was carried out with the microlymphocytotoxicity technique used by US National Institutes of Health.

Dialysis leukopenia and hypoxemia in a patient without measurable complement activity.

We have studied complement activity, total leukocyte counts, PO2 and acid-base balance during a single hemodialysis with cuprophan membranes in a patient with hereditary angioedema and C3NeF-positive chronic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Before, during and after the dialytic procedure plasma complement activity (total hemolytic complement, classical and alternative pathway activities) was not detectable and no C3-conversion occurred, while profound leukopenia (from 8,500 to 1,800 leukocytes/microliter) and hypoxemia (from 101.8 to 86 mmHg PO2) were found within 20 min from the initiation of hemodialysis.

Boerhaave syndrome: a report of two cases.

Two cases of Boerhaave's syndrome are reported. They were treated by surgery within 12 hours from the onset of symptoms. In both cases the perforation was located on the anterior wall of the distal third of the thoracic esophagus.

HLA sharing in couples with recurrent abortion.

To investigate the interactions between HLA region and recurrent abortion we examined the HLA-A and HLA-B antigen frequencies, the degree of HLA sharing, and the incidence of anti-HLA antibodies in 18 recurrent abortion and in 23 control couples. HLA antigens with low distribution (less than 25% of phenotype frequencies in the general population) represent 38.5% of the HLA antigens shared between recurrent abortion partners.