Physicochemical characterization of artificial nanoerythrosomes derived from erythrocyte ghost membranes.

Colloidal stabile nanoerythrosomes with 200 nm average diameter were formed from hemoglobin-free erythrocyte ghost membrane via sonication and membrane extrusion. The incorporation of extra lipid (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, DPPC), added to the sonicated ghosts, caused significant changes in the thermotropic character of the original membranes. As a result of the increased DPPC ratio the chain melting of the hydrated DPPC system and the characteristic small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of the lipid bilayers appeared.

Familial occurrence of the May-Hegglin anomaly: is the accompanying renal failure part of a new subentity?

We present two cases of the May-Hegglin anomaly discovered in a patient and one of her two sons. The female patient was known to have proteinuria from the age of 14 and was hospitalized in 1980, at the age of 25 years, because of hypertension and proteinuria (1.5 g/day).

[T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia associated with pure red cell aplasia, successfully treated with cyclophosphamide].

Authors report effective treatment of T-cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia and secondary pure cell aplasia with cyclophosphamide. The current classification of LGL proliferations is presented, with emphasis on the issues of diagnosis, clinical course and treatment. LGL proliferations are not so rare that previously thought and should be involved in the differential diagnosis of neutropenia, pure red cell aplasia, Felty's syndrome and vasculitis of unknown origin.

Ultrastructural study on the in vitro interaction between haemopoietic cells and stromal cells. A new method using gel technique.

The ultrastructural study of the interaction between stroma and haemopoiesis is not an easy task because the loose attachment may be damaged during manipulation. This paper describes a technique by which the loose connection between preestablished stromal layer and attached haemopoietic cells (derived from blast colony forming cells) can be preserved and studied ultrastructurally. Stromal cultures were obtained from human bone marrow cells.

Formation of large, membrane skeleton-free erythrocyte vesicles as a function of the intracellular pH and temperature.

Vesiculation of intact erythrocytes can be induced by decreasing their intracellular pH and then heating the red cell suspension to a critical temperature value. While at intracellular pH 6 vesiculation begins at 45 degrees C, further decrease in the intracellular pH lowers the critical temperature. In addition, the critical temperature value can be modified by varying the length of the interval between titration and heating as well as by changing the temperature during this interval.