[Pulmonary and pleural localizations of Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS].

Intrathoracic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in AIDS is remarkable for its frequency and severity. It is responsible for 10% of "pneumonias" and almost 50% of pleurisies observed in these patients. The time elapsed between the discovery of the lesion and the patient's death does not exceed a few months on average.

[Activity of 5 fluoroquinolones on hospital Gram-negative bacilli with different sensitivities to pefloxacin].

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 5 fluoroquinolones, fleroxacin (FLE), ciprofloxacin (CIP), ofloxacin (OFL), enoxacin (ENO) and norfloxacin (NOR) have been determined by the agar dilution method towards 140 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and 146 Enterobacteriaceae showing different sensitivities to pefloxacin (PEF). The strains were isolated in 1988 at the Bellevue Hospital. The modal MIC is 0.

Identification and characterization of a BCG antigen expressed at the membrane surface of in vitro infected mouse peritoneal macrophages.

A murine monoclonal antibody to Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) (230A4A6) was used to identify an antigenic determinant expressed at the surface of murine peritoneal macrophages infected in vitro. This determinant was shown to be expressed with a delay in infected macrophages following in vitro infection. Isolation of the 230A4A6 reactive antigen showed that it was part of a 12-kD molecule.

Cell-mediated suppression of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

CTL specific for HIV have been described in lungs of infected patients at early stages of HIV disease. In order to characterize the evolution over time of HIV-specific CTL, we have analyzed the cytotoxic function and the cell surface phenotype of the alveolar lymphocytes from 41 patients at various stages of HIV disease. We demonstrated a progressive decline of alveolar anti-HIV CTL activity and detected Ts cells from the lungs of patients with advanced HIV disease.

Human neutrophils activated by interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha kill Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites in vitro.

The interaction between cytokine-activated human neutrophils and Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites was studied as well as the mechanism(s) involved. Treatment of neutrophils with rIFN-gamma alone allowed them to kill 30% of E. histolytica trophozoites; however, rIFN-gamma and rTNF-alpha pretreatments in combination increased neutrophil killing to 70%.

Structural differences between the glucocorticoid, dioxin and oxysterol receptors from rat liver cytosol.

The rat hepatic glucocorticoid, dioxin and oxysterol receptors were subjected to high performance liquid chromatography on size-exclusion and anion-exchange columns. Both the glucocorticoid receptor and the dioxin receptor had a Stokes radius Rs approximately 7.5 nm, expected value for heteromeric complexes containing a dimer of the Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein, hsp90 (Rs approximately 7.

Cytokine activation of murine macrophages for in vitro killing of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

Macrophage-mediated effector mechanisms against the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica were studied. Unstimulated macrophages were inefficient at killing E. histolytica trophozoites in vitro and were killed by the trophozoites.

Macrophage killing of human papillomavirus type 16-transformed cells.

Papillomaviruses (HPV) are involved in proliferation of epithelial cells and are implicated in several human malignancies. We determined the capability of activated macrophages to exert cytostatic and/or cytolytic activities against HPV type 16 DNA-transformed cells. Both NIH-3T3 and A31-3T3 cells transformed with HPV DNA were susceptible to killing by activated macrophages; however, transformed and nontransformed cells were not susceptible to killing by soluble mediators.

Translation of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in vitro yields a nonactivated protein.

The glucocorticoid receptor is present in cytosol prepared from cell extracts of nonhormone-treated cells as a large nonactivated (i.e. non-DNA binding) 9 S heteromeric complex which contains the Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein, hsp90.

The Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein: an important modulator of ligand and DNA-binding properties of the glucocorticoid receptor.

This brief report deals with some recent observations relating to the assoclation of the Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein (hsp90) with the glucocorticoid receptor. In its nonactivated state, stabilized by sodium molybdate, the glucocorticoid receptor exists as a 9S heteromeric complex containing a single Mr approximately 94,000 steroid-binding unit and a dimer of hsp90. Monospecific antibodies raised against the purified rat glucocorticoid receptor-associated hsp90 interact with the molybdate-stabilized receptor.

Anti-interleukin 2 receptor monoclonal antibody in the treatment of ongoing acute rejection episodes of human kidney graft--a pilot study.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against human interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2-R) have been shown to prevent early kidney rejection in animals and humans. We report here the effect of an anti-IL-2-R MoAb (33B3.1) inhibiting IL-2 binding high-affinity sites on activated lymphocytes in 10 declared acute rejection episodes of first cadaveric kidney grafts.

Salt requirements in the denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas nautica 617.

Pseudomonas nautica 617, which was isolated from superficial marine sediment, was found to require sodium for growth. Growth also appeared to be sensitive to the divalent cation, Mg2+, the presence of which, together with that of Na+, was necessary for achieving maximal growth. We investigated cell capacity to resist lysis after washing with either 0.

Murine T-cell clones against Entamoeba histolytica: in vivo and in vitro characterization.

Eleven T-cell clones were raised from the spleens of BALB/c mice hyperimmunized against a crude soluble extract of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites. Seven clones were of the Lyt-1+, and four of the Lyt-23+ phenotype. All clones proliferated in the presence of E.

Anaerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbons.

The anaerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbons has long been a subject of controversy but enough data have now been accumulated to support the view that hydrocarbons can be metabolized in the natural environment in the absence of molecular oxygen. For a limited number of molecules, anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolism has been demonstrated under fermentative or denitrifying conditions with samples collected from several different biotopes. However, the micro-organisms responsible for anaerobic metabolism generally still need to be isolated and identified and the biochemical mechanisms of the strictly anaerobic strains which carry out hydrocarbon metabolism are still unknown.

The non-activated glucocorticoid receptor: structure and activation.

Glucocorticoid hormone receptors are present in the soluble fraction of target cell homogenates as large entities (Mr approximately 300,000) that are unable to interact with DNA. These large complexes contain an Mr approximately 94,000 steroid- and DNA-binding polypeptide, in association with an Mr approximately 90,000 non-ligand-binding entity, which has been identified as a heat shock protein, hsp90. This protein has been purified to near homogeneity as a component of the non-activated receptor complex.

Occurrence of glucocorticoid binding sites in solubilized microsomes from rat liver.

Recent studies suggested the presence of specific glucocorticoid binding sites on rat liver microsomal membranes. We report here a new solubilization procedure which allows the physicochemical characterization of the microsomal glucocorticoid binding sites. Solubilization was achieved with 2 mM CHAPS in the presence of 5 mM benzamidine.

Ligand-dependent interaction of the dioxin receptor with target DNA.

Wild type and nuclear transfer deficient mouse hepatoma cell lines were used to study the specific DNA binding of a dioxin inducible factor. This factor interacts with XRE only after dioxin treatment and is absent in receptor mutant containing cells even after treatment. Thus, evidence is provided to substantiate the claim that the dioxin receptor is involved in the specific DNA interaction with dioxin response enhancer elements.