Regulation of MMPs during melanoma progression: from genetic to epigenetic.

Melanoma is the most severe skin cancer characterized by a bad prognosis at metastatic stages due to resistance to most classical chemotherapies. Invasion of melanoma cells into the surrounding microenvironment locally and at distance of the primary tumour, is facilitated by expression of proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) have been long thought as potential therapeutic targets as they are involved in several steps of tumour progression.

Usefulness of skin testing in cutaneous drug eruptions in routine practice.

Background: Cutaneous drug eruptions are common side-effects. The imputation score combining intrinsic (chronology, clinical and paraclinical signs) and extrinsic criteria used in Pharmacovigilance Centres is insufficient alone to identify with certainty a responsible drug.

Objective: To evaluate the imputation score before and after performing skin testing in patients with cutaneous drug eruptions.

Cyclic AMP antagonizes adenosine-induced inhibition of ganglionic transmission.

The mechanism of adenosine-induced inhibition of ganglionic transmission was investigated in the isolated superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of the rat. The inhibitory effect of adenosine on the postganglionic compound action potential (CAP) was antagonized by pretreatment of ganglia with forskolin, isoproterenol (IPNE), arginine vasopressin (AVP), or papaverine, all of which are known to increase tissue cAMP level by different mechanisms. Furthermore, pretreatment of ganglia with the adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ 22, 536, or the phosphodiesterase activator imidazole reversed the effects of IPNE and forskolin.

An IgM specific ELISA for the serodiagnosis of viral bovine respiratory infections.

A capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies to Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and to Bovine Respiratory Syncytial (BRS) viruses was developed. In these assays, the first monoclonal antibody to bovine IgM is used as the catching antibody while the second monoclonal detects specific antiviral antibodies. The test was evaluated on serum samples originating from both experimentally and naturally infected animals.

Detection of antibodies to bovine leukemia virus in bovine milk samples with an ELISA involving two monoclonal antibodies.

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibody to bovine leukemia virus (BLV). In the assay the gp51 antigen was selectively adsorbed to the solid phase using a monoclonal capture antibody. Specific antibodies in milk or serum samples were revealed by the addition of a monoclonal antibovine IgG 1 conjugated to peroxidase.

Alteration in the behavior of a colon carcinoma cell line by extracellular matrix components.

It was previously demonstrated that substrata derived from well differentiated colon carcinoma cell lines induced a more benign program in a separate malignant colon cell line, MOSERsf. This study attempts to define a role for extracellular matrix components in the biological events of MOSERsf cells. Alterations in morphology, secreted carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and urokinase brought about by individual components were determined.

Modulation of the urokinase receptor in human colon cell lines by N,N-dimethylformamide.

The present study documents the effect of the planar, polar differentiation promoter N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on urokinase binding to colon carcinoma cells. Exposure of the colon carcinoma cell lines to the agent resulted in enhanced specific binding of radioactive urokinase to all cells tested. Insulin binding to the cells was, however, unaffected by DMF.

Determination of the levels of urokinase and its receptor in human colon carcinoma cell lines.

At present, there is a lack of availability of differentiation markers for colon carcinoma. This may, in part, be a consequence of the diversified function of the normal human colon. This study addresses the possibility that the expression of urokinase and its receptor is inversely related to differentiation in colon carcinoma.

Alterations of the biological characteristics of a colon carcinoma cell line by colon-derived substrata material.

This study documents the ability of substrata material derived from well but not poorly differentiated colon carcinoma cells to alter the biological characteristics of a separate colon carcinoma cell line (MOSERSF). To assess changes induced by the presence of these substrata, MOSERSF cells were screened for (a) morphological features, (b) secretion of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), (c) alteration of urokinase levels, and (d) sensitivity to the growth-inhibitory peptide transforming growth factor beta. Morphologically, MOSERSF cells grown on plastic displayed a rounded shape and could be detached by agitation.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay used to monitor serum antibodies to bovine respiratory disease viruses.

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to the detection of serum antibodies against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza-3 (PI3), adenovirus type 3 (adeno 3) and bovine respiratory syncytial (BRS) viruses. Paired serum samples from calves vaccinated with live attenuated virus vaccines were tested. The ELISA compared favorably with the virus neutralization test for detecting serologic responses to IBR, BRS, and adeno 3 viruses or with the hemagglutination inhibition test for PI3 virus.

Clinical evaluation of a temperature-sensitive bovine viral diarrhea vaccine strain.

A naturally occurring strain of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus was chemically treated to produce a genetically stable, temperature-sensitive mutant, designated RIT 4350. The RIT 4350 strain had a restrictive growth temperature of 39.5 C, so that systemic replication or fetal infection was not detected after parenteral administration in cattle.

Comparison of the Urabe Am 9-Schwarz and Jeryl Lynn-Moraten combinations of mumps-measles vaccines in young children.

Two mumps-measles vaccine combinations were evaluated for their reactogenicity and immunogenicity in children aged 14 to 20 months. The Urabe Am 9-Schwarz combination vaccine was given to 108 double seronegative children. The seroconversion rate at six weeks after vaccination was 99.

Evaluation in young children of the Urabe Am 9 strain of live attenuated mumps vaccine in comparison with the Jeryl Lynn strain.

Urabe Am 9, a new strain of mumps vaccine, originally developed in Japan, was evaluated in children 14 to 20 months of age in a comparative trial with the Jeryl Lynn strain. Both vaccines performed well. The antibody responses were measured using a neutralization test and a haemolysis-in-gel test.

[Reasons for repeated serologically unsuccessful (HAI-HIG test) rubella vaccination (author's transl)].

Following vaccination against rubella, persons are sometimes detected who, despite repeated rubella vaccinations (Cendehill strain), show absence of seroconversion in the HAI or HIG test. Eighteen female probands, showing no serological antibody response on two occasions, by the above test methods after vaccination, demonstrated seroimmunity before vaccination documented by neutralising antibodies against rubella virus in serum samples, or a booster effect induced by the vaccination. The reason for these apparent vaccination failures could be a residual immunity following either rubella infection in utero or in earliest childhood.

Decrease of the lymphoproliferative response to varicella-zoster virus antigen in the aged.

Humoral antibodies and specific cellular immune reactions (proliferative immune response in the lymphocyte transformation test) to varicella-zoster virus antigen were measured in children, young adults, and elderly people. In children and young adults, the humoral varicella-zoster-specific antibodies and the virus-specific cellular immune response generally coincided. In the over-60 age group, however, a discrepancy was often observed between these parameters.

Gene constellation of live influenza A vaccines.

The genotypic composition of several H3N2 vaccinal strains made from PR/8/34 and different wild isolates has been determined. The results suggested that specific gene constellations at the level of the 3 largest RNA fragments, coding the 3 "polymerase proteins" are responsible for their consistent attenuation.

Genotypic characterization and clinical evaluation of an influenza A/Texas/1/77 (H3N2)-like recombinant: RIT 4199.

The RIT 4199 (H3N2) strain was obtained by recombination of PR/8/34 (H0N1) and A/Alaska/5/77 (H3N2) isolates. Its genetic composition was determined by RNA-RNA hybridization and by identification by gel electrophoresis of the double-standard RNA formed. The RIT 4199 was inoculated intranasally to 27 seronegative volunteers at a dose of 10(7.