[Important contribution to tissue donation and transplantation by departments of forensic medicine (DFM) in Sweden 2011-16].

The number of organ donors in Sweden is not enough to cover the need of tissues for transplant purposes. Other sources have to be defined. Young and healthy potential donors can be identified within DFM.

Antinuclear antibodies: a contemporary nomenclature using HEp-2 cells.

The choice of terms used to describe indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) staining patterns of autoantibodies binding to HEp-2 cells is at present quite varied and disordered because no accurate consensus on names and descriptions exist. The aim of our study was to propose a logical and ordered IIF classification taxonomy based on 29 different selected IIF patterns. In a preliminary project carried out at Statens Serum Institut it was first shown by use of a software programme named DOORS developed by Percepton Ltd, that reading of digitized images of HEp-2 patterns on an LCD monitor could be used instead of traditional microscopy.

Treatment with tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonists in patients with rheumatoid arthritis induces anticardiolipin antibodies.

Objective: To determine the frequency and clinical impact of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with infliximab and etanercept.

Methods: 121 patients from the Stockholm tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) follow up registry (STURE) treated with infliximab or etanercept were studied.

Results: At baseline 9/65 (14%) infliximab and 10/56 (18%) etanercept treated patients had positive aCL.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies induce decreased CD62L expression and enhanced metabolic activity in monocytes.

Monocyte in vitro activation by antimyeloperoxidase (anti-MPO)- and antiproteinase-3 (anti-PR3)-positive sera, corresponding immunoglobulin G (IgG) fractions and monoclonal antibodies against MPO and PR3 was evaluated. The expression of adhesion molecules, l-selectin (CD62L) and CR3 (CD11b), involved in leucocyte endothelial adhesion, and metabolic activity, measured as the production of hydrogen peroxide, were analysed. Decreased expression of CD62L was demonstrated in monocytes after incubation with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-positive sera.

Granulocyte function in elderly patients receiving chemotherapy for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is given in order to mitigate chemotherapy-induced granulocytopenia and the risk of infectious complications, which constitute a major threat to elderly patients, in particular, with malignant disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether G-CSF therapy would improve granulocyte defence mechanisms against infectious agents in this elderly, high-risk patient population. METHODS: Fourteen elderly (>60 years) patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were enrolled in the study.

Repeated renal biopsy in proliferative lupus nephritis--predictive role of serum C1q and albuminuria.

Objective: Proliferative (WHO III/IV) nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe disease manifestation for which treatment with cyclophosphamide and high dose corticosteroids is generally recommended. We investigated the effect of this standard treatment on renal histopathology and clinical and serological findings to determine if the therapeutic response could be predicted by these variables.

Methods: We studied 18 patients with SLE and proliferative nephritis in whom repeated renal biopsy was performed after termination of induction therapy with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids.

Longitudinal study of interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, anti-U1-snRNP antibody levels and disease activity in patients with mixed connective tissue disease.

Objective: To investigate the levels and relationship between IL-10, TNF-alpha, anti-U1snRNP antibodies and disease activity in longitudinally collected serum samples from patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).

Methods: Six patients followed for 17-138 months were investigated with ELISA for estimation of cytokine levels and antibodies to the different epitopes of the U1snRNP. Disease activity was assessed by systemic lupus activity measure (SLAM).

Development of lupus-related side-effects in patients with early RA during sulphasalazine treatment-the role of IL-10 and HLA.

Objective: The development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related syndromes during treatment with sulphasalazine has been described and demonstrated to be influenced by genetic factors. The prevalence of this drug-induced condition and the immunological mechanisms involved are less known. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sulphasalazine-induced lupus-like reactions in a well-defined early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort and to analyse the roles of HLA haplotypes, autoantibodies and the B-cell stimulating cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) as possible underlying risk factors.

Enhanced generation of interleukins 1 beta and 6 may contribute to the cachexia of chronic disease.

The cachexia of disease may be promoted by proinflammatory cytokines, eg, interleukin (IL) 1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and IL-6. These, as well as some antiinflammatory cytokines, eg, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), were analyzed in serum (IL-6, IL-1ra, IL-10, TGF-beta 1) and stimulated blood monocytes (IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, IL-6) obtained from elderly patients with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Twenty-one uninfected malnourished patients aged 75 +/- 1 y (mean +/- SD), with a body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) of 17.

Studies of neutrophil and monocyte oxidative responses in polycythaemia vera and related myeloproliferative disorders.

We have previously reported that polymorphonuclear granulocyte (PMN) chemiluminescence (CL) and superoxide anion production are abnormally low in patients with polycythaemia vera (PV) after simulation with n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), but normal when elicited by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). This study documents that both fMLP and PMA induced CL was normal in PMN from patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and essential thrombocythaemia (ET). Furthermore, we monitored intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in PMN and monocytes from patients with PV, CML and ET by flow cytometry.

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies in healthy young persons and adults, comparing rat liver tissue sections with HEp-2 cells as antigen substrate.

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) was studied in 290 healthy adults, aged 20-88 years, and in 219 children, aged 1 month to 15 years. Two antigen substrates, rat liver tissue sections and HEp-2 cells, were compared at different serum dilutions. At titre 1/40, the number of positive adult samples was 6.

Metabolic activity in human alveolar macrophages increases after cessation of smoking.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) were recruited by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from human smokers before and one, three, and six months after smoking cessation. The metabolic activity of the AM was quantified as luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) both at rest and after in vitro stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The resting CL values did not differ before and after smoking cessation.

Increased expression of adhesion proteins (MAC-1) and altered metabolic response in human leukocytes exposed to surfactant in vitro.

In this study the modulatory effects of a well-defined surfactant preparation on blood leukocytes were investigated. The expression of the cell surface receptor MAC-1 was analyzed by flow cytofluorometry, and the metabolic response was measured by a chemiluminescence technique. An increase (p less than 0.

The inhibition of CR1 mobilization of human granulocytes by the presence of erythrocytes. A possible mechanism for intravascular regulation of granulocyte modulation.

In this study we show a spontaneous mobilization at 37 degrees of the complement receptor for C3b (CR1) of granulocytes prepared by a method in which erythrocytes were removed by specific lysis, as well as a method where granulocytes were prepared by dextran sedimentation at low temperature without using centrifugation. This increase of CR1-expression was not obtained when erythrocytes were present during the incubation. This inhibitory effect of erythrocytes was maximal at an erythrocyte:granulocyte ratio of 600:1 or more and was not caused by interference with the fluorescence of the immunoassay.

Quenching of intracellular autofluorescence in alveolar macrophages permits analysis of fluorochrome labelled surface antigens by flow cytofluorometry.

We report a new technique in which the autofluorescence of alveolar macrophages from smokers is quenched by crystal violet. This technique permits immunostaining of surface antigens of these cells and enables the stained cells to be analysed by flow cytofluorometry. The variable solubility of crystal violet makes it important to characterize the crystal violet solution by its quenching properties and not rely on the assumed concentration of dissolved dye.

Erythrocyte-mediated scavenging of reactive oxygen metabolites generated by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes during phagocytosis: comparison between normal and Down's syndrome blood cells.

The phagocytosis of complement-opsonized yeast particles by polymorphonuclear leukocytes from normal and Down's syndrome subjects was compared in the absence and presence of erythrocytes. Granulocytes from children with Down's syndrome showed a large increase of metabolic activity, as measured with chemiluminescence. This was not associated with autooxidative damage in the presence of erythrocytes.

The expression of CR1 and CR3 on non-modulated and modulated granulocytes of healthy blood donors as measured by flow cytofluorometry.

Complement receptors, CR1 and CR3, on neutrophils increase their cellular spontaneously at 37 degrees C or after mechanical stress during the cell preparation. We have established a cell preparation procedure and a cytofluorometric immunoassay method to evaluate the receptor expression in vivo in this study. The expression of CR1 and CR3 was studied after haemolysis in NH4Cl at different temperatures and incubation intervals.

Hydrocortisone both decreases the up-regulation of complement receptors CR1 and CR3 and the ingestion process of human granulocytes.

We have studied the effect of hydrocortisone on the complement receptor expression (CR1 and CR3) of human granulocytes during the up-regulation phase and the following stable period when exposed to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or the medium alone at 37 degrees C. The receptor expression was also correlated to the C3bi-mediated phagocytosis with special reference to attachment and ingestion. The results showed that after incubation with fMLP the increased expression of CR1 and CR3 is accompanied by an increased ingestion, but not attachment, of complement-opsonized yeast particles.

Erythrocyte enhancement of C3b-mediated phagocytosis by human neutrophils in vitro: a combined effect of the erythrocyte complement receptors CR1 and erythrocyte scavengers to reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM).

Human erythrocyte CR1 receptors have been shown to bind complement-fixing immune complexes and, thus, facilitate their elimination from the circulation. The autotoxic effect of free radicals released from phagocytes during phagocytosis can be alleviated by scavengers like catalase and superoxide dismutase. Erythrocytes are known to contain these antioxidants.

The effect of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) on the attachment and ingestion phases of C3b- and IgG-mediated phagocytosis by macrophages.

The effects of enzymatically produced reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) on the attachment and ingestion phases of C3b- and IgG-mediated phagocytosis by cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPM) was investigated using a hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase ROM-generating system. ROM-exposure at a dose which did not affect cell viability caused a slight decrease in the percentage of phagocytosing cells. The total number of cell-associated (attached and ingested) C3b- and IgG-coated particles initially decreased in relation to controls.

In vitro effect of hydrocortisone on the attachment and ingestion phases of immunoglobulin G- and complement component 3b-mediated phagocytosis by human neutrophils.

The fluorescence quenching method (FQ method) was used to investigate the effect of hydrocortisone on the attachment and ingestion phases of immunoglobulin G (IgG)- and complement component 3b (C3b)-mediated phagocytosis by human neutrophils (PMNs). The results were compared with metabolic activity (O2- release) of the phagocytes. When the PMNs were treated with 5 X 10(-5) M hydrocortisone or more, both IgG-mediated and C3b-mediated interactions decreased.