Enhancing antimelanoma immune responses through apoptosis.

We examined the feasibility of using tumor apoptosis at accessible sites to enhance antimelanoma immune responses in a model of spontaneous canine melanoma. We show that priming peripheral blood mononuclear cells with apoptotic melanoma cells significantly enhanced autologous and allogeneic lymphokine-activated killing of tumor cells. Since various pathways required for intrinsic apoptosis are often inactivated in melanoma, we used Fas ligand (FasL) overexpression to promote extrinsic apoptosis.

[Category, quantity and clinical significance of autoantibodies on bone marrow hematopoietic cells in patients with immunorelated cytopenia].

Objectives: To explore the category, quantity and clinical significance of autoantibodies on bone marrow hematopoietic cells in patients with immunorelated cytopenia and evaluate the sensitivity of direct antiglobulin reaction (Coombs test ) of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC).

Methods: The category and the positive rate of autoantibodies on bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, nucleated erythrocytes, granulocytes in 32 patients with uncertain immunorelated cytopenia were investigated by using BMMNC-Coombs test and double immunofluorescence flow cytometry.

Results: The positive rate of autoantibodies on bone marrow hematopoietic cells tested by flow cytometry was 90.

[Clinical analysis of 185 patients with polycythemia vera].

Objective: To understand the clinical feature and natural course of polycythemia vera (PV).

Methods: The clinical symptoms, signs, laboratory examination and prognosis of 185 patients with PV were analysed.

Results: There are 122 males and 63 females.

[Role of Th1 cell in the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia].

Objective: To detect the quantity, proportion and function of producing cytokines of Th1 and Th2 cells in aplastic anemia (AA) patients and their contribution to the hematopoietic failure.

Methods: (1) Eleven patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) at diagnosis were observed by Marsh's method for the CFU-E, BFU-E and CFU-GM before and after depletion of CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC); (2) Th1 (CD(4)(+) IFN-gamma(+)) and Th2 (CD(4)(+) IL-4(+)) cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) of 21 SAA patients and 17 normal controls were counted by FACS. (3) mRNA expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 gene in unstimulated BMMNC from 16 SAA patients, 11 chronic aplastic anemia (CAA) patients, 26 other hematological diseases patients and 11 normal controls were measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Regulation of Ionizing Radiation-induced Apoptosis by MnSOD Gene Transfection.

Ionizing radiation induces the production of superoxide radicals (O(2)(-).) which play a role in apoptosis generation. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme involved in scavenging O(2)(-).

[Quantity and apoptosis-related protein level of B lymphocyte in patients with immunorelated pancytopenia].

Objective: To examine the quantity and apoptosis-related protein level of B lymphocyte in the patients with immunorelated pancytopenia (IRP) and explore the role of B lymphocyte in the pathogenetic mechanism of IRP.

Methods: Quantities of all B lymphocytes and CD(5)(+) B lymphocytes and the expressions of Fas and bcl-2 on B lymphocytes in 25 patients with untreated IRP, 15 IRP patients in complete remission (CR) and 10 normal controls were assayed by FACS.

Results: The percentages of B lymphocyte and CD(5)(+) B lymphocytes were significantly higher in untreated IRP patients than in CR IRP patients and normal controls (P < 0.

Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Bcl-2 on Ionizing Radiation-induced Apoptosis.

Low dose radiation induces apoptosis and Bcl-2 can inhibit apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. The effects and possible mechanisms of Bcl-2 on 4 Gy X-ray-induced apoptosis in Bcl-2 transfected and untransfected cells were studied. The data present here suggested that overexpression of Bcl-2 significantly inhibited X-ray-induced apoptosis in CHO cells within 72 h.