Role of interleukin-8 and growth-regulated oncogene-alpha in the chemotactic migration of all-trans retinoic acid-treated promyelocytic leukemic cells toward alveolar epithelial cells.

Objective: Although all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), it also causes retinoic acid syndrome with presentations similar to acute respiratory distress syndrome. We investigated the role of interleukin (IL)-8 and growth-regulated oncogene (GRO)-alpha in the chemotactic transmigration of ATRA-treated NB4 (ATRA-NB4) APL cells toward A549 alveolar epithelial cells.

Design: An in vitro human cell culture study.

Effect of ingestion of cow's milk protein hydrolysate formulas on alpha-casein-specific immunoglobulin E and G1 antibody responses in naïve and sensitized mice.

Objectives: Cow's milk protein hydrolysate formulas are widely used for genetically predisposed atopic infants. Whether hydrolysate formulas can induce oral tolerance to alpha-casein was studied for the first time in naive and sensitized mice.

Methods: Using immunoblotting, residual antigenicity to alpha-casein was examined for in animals fed hydrolysate formulas.

Increased seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 in patients with hematological disorders.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) has been consistently linked to Kaposi's sarcoma and many hematological diseases such as pleural effusion lymphoma, multicentric Castleman's disease, some lymphoproliferative diseases and posttransplantation bone marrow failure. However, whether patients with hematological disorders are at a higher risk of HHV8 infection has not been determined. In this study, indirect immunofluorescence was used to detect antibodies against lytic antigens of HHV8 in 265 patients with hematological disorders.

Detection of bcr-abl gene expression at a low level in blood cells of some patients with essential thrombocythemia.

The major bcr-abl fusion gene is seen as a major marker of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, whether the bcr-abl transcript can be detected in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) is still a matter of controversy. We detected the messenger RNA expression of the bcr-abl gene using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in peripheral-blood leukocytes (PBLs) from 63 patients with myeloproliferative disorders (including CML, ET, and polycythemia vera [PV]) and 51 normal, healthy volunteers.

Moscatilin from the orchid Dendrobrium loddigesii is a potential anticancer agent.

The Dendrobrium species have been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic to nourish the stomach, replenish body fluid, and reduce fever. However, their application as possible therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancers has not been examined. In this study, we want to examine the efficacy of using moscatilin, a natural antiplatelet agent extracted from the stems of Dendrobrium loddigesii, as an anticancer agent.

Parvovirus B19 infection in Taiwanese patients with hematological disorders.

Human parvovirus B19 has a strong tissue tropism for erythroid progenitor cells and is a causative agent for anemia. However, it remains unclear whether patients with hematological disorders are at a higher risk of B19 infection. In the present study, we evaluated the prevalence of B19 infection in 278 patients with hematological disorders by indirect antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Garcinone E, a xanthone derivative, has potent cytotoxic effect against hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines.

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with chemotherapy has generally been disappointing and it is most desirable to have more effective new drugs. We extracted and purified 6 xanthone compounds from the rinds (peel) of the fruits of Garcinia mangostana L., using partitioned chromatography and then tested the cytotoxic effects of these compounds on a panel of 14 different human cancer cell lines including 6 hepatoma cell lines, based on the MTT method.

Circulating levels of thrombopoietic and inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Background: The regulation of megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis appears to be under the control of an array of hematopoietic growth factors. The regulatory mechanism of endogenous cytokines in circulating platelet counts of thrombocytopenic patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is still not clear.

Methods: We measured the serum levels of both thrombopoietic and inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood and bone marrow samples collected from 52 patients with either AML or MDS along with 35 normal control samples.

Bone marrow samples from patients with aplastic anemia are not infected with parvovirus B19 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The majority of patients with aplastic anemia (AA) have an idiopathic form of the disease. The aim of this study was to detect the presence of parvovirus B19 DNA and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) assays in the bone marrow biopsy samples from 30 patients with idiopathic AA. Serologic assays for parvovirus B19 were based on indirect antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.