IgE rheumatoid factor. Occurrence and diagnostic importance in comparison with IgM rheumatoid factor and circulating immune complexes.

The sera of 80 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA)--30 of them with extraarticular manifestations (EAM) and 50 patients with articular disease only--of 25 patients with other joint diseases and of 30 normal healthy subjects, were analyzed for the presence of 1) IgE rheumatoid factors (IgE RF) by means of a solid phase radioimmunoassay and an ELISA, 2) IgM rheumatoid factors by using solid phase radioimmune techniques, and 3) circulating immune complexes (CIC) with the C1q binding test (C1q BT) and the solid phase conglutinin binding test (SPCBT). The best technique to discriminate RA patients with EAM from RA patients without EAM and patients with other articular diseases was the determination of IgE RF (73.3%, 38.

[Periodontal side effects of the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A. Clinical study].

Gingival hyperplasia caused by the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A seems to be another variant of pharmacologically induced gingival enlargements. Clinical studies were carried out to sheed light on the differences and common features of cyclosporin-vs. diphenyl hydantoinate-induced gingival hyperplasia.

[The effect of an extract from Cochlospermum angolense ("Burututu") on Plasmodium berghei in the mouse malaria suppression test].

Often existing cross-resistance to structure analogous antimalarials causes the need to find new active compounds against malaria parasites. For this purpose the traditional medicine of tropical countries has proved to be a treasury. A root extract of Cochlospermum angolense showed in vitro a remarkable activity against Plasmodium berghei in the DNA synthesis measurement with 3H-labelled hypoxanthine.

[Determination of circulating immune complexes and of their component immunoglobulin classes M, G, and A with a C1q-ELISA].

In 353 sera (from healthy donors as well as patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, hepatitis, malignant melanoma) circulating immune complexes were determined by C1q-binding test and a C1q solid-phase ELISA. Using peroxidase-labelled antibodies (from rabbit) against human mu-, gamma-, and alpha-heavy chains, the immunoglobulin classes in the complexes were determined. In rheumatoid arthritis, immune complexes contain IgM more frequently (41.

Usefulness of commercial memory aids as a function of age.

Recent research has produced disagreement about the usage and usefulness of external memory aids across age groups. The present study examined the use and perceived usefulness of commercial memory aids as a function of the ages of users and potential users. Three age groups (ages 20, 45 and 65 years) were asked to indicate whether they owned each of thirty different commercial aids and regardless of ownership, to rate the degree of usefulness of each of the aids.

[Experience and problems with biochemical differentiation of Enterobacteriaceae with microtiter plates].

A self-made miniaturized test system for the biochemical identification of enterobacteriaceae in microtitre plates has been examined. Special emphasis was laid on easy and unequivocal interpretation of the reactions. This was achieved among other things by including further sugar fermentations.

In vivo antitumor activity of ilmofosine.

Ilmofosine is a cytostatic/cytotoxic thioether phospholipid derivative. The in vivo anti-tumour activity of this compound was investigated in a methylcholanthrene (MethA)-induced fibrosarcoma and in the 3Lewis-lung carcinoma systems, respectively. Ilmofosine showed antineoplastic and antimetastatic properties at oral doses ranging from 0.

Drugs in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases arise when autoimmunity or the loss of self tolerance results in tissue damages. Many mechanisms have been proposed for the origin of autoimmunity, including immunologic, viral, hormonal and genetic factors. All known parts of the immunological network are involved in causing immunopathologic symptoms.

Mouse monoclonal antibody directed against hepatitis B virus X protein synthesized in Escherichia coli: detection of reactive antigen in liver cell carcinoma and chronic hepatitis.

A mouse monoclonal antibody directed against the protein product of the hepatitis B virus X open reading frame was prepared. This antibody was used to screen liver tissue sections from patients with chronic hepatitis (CH) and patients with liver cell carcinoma (LCC). Reactive antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in about 30% auf the samples from CH patients and in about 80% of the samples from LCC patients regardless of whether tumor or surrounding nontumor tissue was analyzed.

The representational bias of acquired memory processes.

The notion that some memory processes are acquired has been around for at least two thousand years. However, acquired memory processes have been made the object of scientific investigation in only the past two decades. Traditionally, psychologists have assumed that acquired memory processes are equally effective across the entire range of memory tasks.

Retrieval and comparison processes in part--whole decisions.

Undergraduate students were presented with word pairs (e.g., egg-yolk) and were timed as they decided whether one word named part of the thing named by the other word.

Adhesion of platelets to purified solid-phase von Willebrand factor: effects of wall shear rate, ADP, thrombin, and ristocetin.

When platelets are stimulated with adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin, or ristocetin, they bind soluble von Willebrand factor (vWF). In contrast, platelets adhere to solid-phase vWF without apparent stimulus. This work characterizes the adhesion of washed human platelets to highly purified solid-phase human vWF.

Synergistic enhancement of the antiproliferative activity of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) by the ether lipid analogue BM41440, an inhibitor of protein kinase C.

The new phospholipid analogue 3-hexadecylmercapto-2-methoxy-methyl-propyl-1-phosphocholine inhibits the phospholipid-calcium-dependent protein kinase, partially purified from Walker carcinoma cells with a Ki value of 0.56 microM. The compound inhibits the phorbol ester stimulated phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 indicating that the depression of Ca2+-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase by the alkyl phospholipid also occurs in intact cells.

Isolation of timothy (Phleum pratense) allergens using affinity chromatography with monoclonal antibodies.

The monoclonal antibody 1 D11, directed against the timothy pollen allergens I, II, III, and a further, anodically migrating component, is suitable for the isolation of these allergens by means of affinity chromatography. The purified allergens consist of glycoproteins with many different isoelectric points. Their molecular weights were estimated as approximately the same as those of the allergens in the whole timothy pollen extract.

DNA polymorphism of the human complement C8 beta gene: formal genetics and intragenic localization.

The eighth component of human complement consists of three subunits of different molecular mass, which are coded for by three separate genetic loci. Polymorphisms have been described at the protein level for the alpha and beta subunits by means of sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. Using a full-length human C8 beta cDNA probe, we have studied more than 100 individuals by Southern blot analysis to detect DNA polymorphisms.

Treatment of human clonogenic tumor cells and bone marrow progenitor cells with bleomycin and peplomycin under 40.5 degrees C hyperthermia in vitro.

Tumor cells derived from 13 different individual human tumors were plated in a colony forming monolayer assay. The effect of bleomycin and peplomycin on colony formation was assessed in normothermic conditions and after a hyperthermic treatment at 40.5 degrees C for 2 h at the beginning of the culture.

[Assessment of normal values in 5- to 9-year-old children with the Kurth motometric Rostock-Oseretzky Scale].

197 children, from 5.0 to 9.0, were subjected to testing by the Rostock-Oseretzki scale.

Effects of relation similarity on part-whole decisions.

Subjects were presented with word pairs (e.g., bed-mattress) and timed as they decided whether one word named part of the item named by the other word.

Cytotoxic activity of the thioether phospholipid analogue BM 41.440 in primary human tumor cultures.

The inhibitory effect of the new thioether alkyl lysophospholipid analogue 1-hexadecylmercapto-2-methoxy-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (BM 41.440, Ilmofosine) on colony formation of different spontaneous human tumors was studied in vitro using a methyl cellulose monolayer assay. The most sensitive tumors were lung (small cell, squamous cell and adenocarcinomas), gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers and hyernephromas.

Pharmacokinetics of the thioether phospholipid analogue BM 41.440 in rats.

BM 41.440 (1-hexadecylmercapto-2-methoxymethyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a cytotoxic thioether phospholipid analogue that recently has entered phase I trials in cancer patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of this compound in female rats after administration of a single oral dose (15 mg/kg body weight [bw] ).

Synthesis of thioether phosphocholine analogues.

The synthesis of thioether phospholipids, which represent a new class of antitumor agents, is reported here. In particular, the route of synthesis of 3-hexadecylmercapto-2-methoxymethylpropyl-2'-trimethylammoni o-ethyl phosphate (BM 41.440, Ilmofosine), one of the most potent cytostatic/cytotoxic derivatives, is described in detail.

Phase I trial of the thioether phospholipid analogue BM 41.440 in cancer patients.

BM 41.440 (1-hexadecylmercapto-2-methoxymethyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a new thioether phospholipid, which has been shown to possess antineoplastic, antimetastatic, anti-invasive and immunomodulating properties in several tumor models. The mechanism whereby this compound exerts its direct antineoplastic effect is thought to be related to specific interference with the normal phospholipid metabolism, preferentially of neoplastic cells.