Purification of Emu IgY for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Use Based on Monoclonal Secondary Antibodies Specific to Emu IgY.

The emu is the second largest ratite; thus, their sera and egg yolks, obtained after immunization, could provide therapeutic and diagnostically important immunoglobulins with improved production efficiency. Reliable purification tools are required to establish a pipeline for supplying practical emu-derived antibodies, the majority of which belongs to the immunoglobulin Y (IgY) class. Therefore, we generated a monoclonal secondary antibody specific to emu IgY.

Anti-MuSK Antibody-positive Myasthenia Gravis Successfully Treated with Outpatient Periodic Weekly Blood Purification Therapy.

A 37-year-old man with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) presented with subacute progressive dysphagia and muscle weakness of the neck and bilateral upper extremities. Conventional immune-suppressive treatments and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin were ineffective. He then displayed repeated exacerbations and remissions over the course of two years, despite two to four sessions of plasma exchange (PE) every two months.

An ocular form of myasthenia gravis with a high titer of anti-MuSK antibodies during a long-term follow-up.

We herein report a case of ocular myasthenia gravis (MG) that was highly positive for anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies. The examined patient exhibited bilateral ptosis and lateral gaze palsy without any generalized symptoms and was diagnosed with ocular MG with anti-MuSK antibodies. She responded to treatment with prednisolone and immunosuppressants and experienced only ocular symptoms for four years and eight months after onset.

The effect of dopamine agonists: the expression of GDNF, NGF, and BDNF in cultured mouse astrocytes.

In Parkinson's disease, cell death is selectively induced in mesencephalic nigral dopaminergic neurons. At present, no disease modifying therapy or radical treatment has been found for this disease. Some dopamine agonists may have a neuroprotective action in cultured cells and animal models.

[Effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors on patients with MuSK antibody positive myasthenia gravis].

In order to clarify the clinical characteristics and effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors of patients with generalized myasthenia gravis with antibodies to muscle specific kinase (MuSK), we investigated seven patients with MuSK antibodies and eleven patients without both antibodies of acetylcholine receptor and MuSK. All patients with MuSK antibodies showed bulbar symptoms, which frequency was significantly higher compared to those in patients without double antibodies. The frequency of positive result of Tensilon test was significantly lower in patients with MuSK antibodies than in those without double antibodies.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Relationship to glucose metabolism and biomarkers of insulin resistance.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to measure serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate the association of these BDNF levels with biomarkers of glucose metabolism and insulin resistance.

Design And Methods: We studied 112 patients with T2DM and 80 age- and gender-matched control subjects.

Results: Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in patients with T2DM compared to control subjects (15.

Heterogeneity of immunopathological features of AChR/MuSK autoantibody-negative myasthenia gravis.

We compared B cells and germinal centers in thymus from myasthenia gravis (MG) patients either with anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies or with neither anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) nor anti-AChR (seronegative MG: SN-MG). The numbers and frequencies of total and germinal center B cells varied in the SN-MG thymi, some of which were normal/atrophic. Others were clearly hyperplastic, their B cell parameters overlapping with those in AChR-positive MG, which implicates the thymus in pathogenesis.

[Titer of anti-muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibody correlated with symptomatic improvement in response to corticosteroid therapy in a patient with anti-MuSK antibody-positive myasthenia gravis: a case report].

A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of diplopia, dysphagia, dropped head, and muscle weakness with easy fatigability. A neurological examination showed bilateral ptosis, ocular motility disorder, dysphagia, and weakness of the neck extensor muscles. Edrophonium and repetitive nerve stimulation tests of the thenar muscles showed positive results.

Anti-alkaline phosphatase antibody positive myasthenia gravis.

Anti-alkaline phosphatase antibody (AP Ab) was specific in 9% of 249 anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) Ab-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) (SPMG) patients but not in patients with AChR Ab-negative MG (SNMG), other neurological and immunological diseases, or healthy volunteers. No cross-reactivity and no significant titer correlation were found between AP Ab and AChR Ab. We confirmed immunologically by radioimmunoassay and western blot analysis the presence of antibodies directed against AP.

[A case of anti-MuSK antibody-positive myasthenia gravis with dropped head as the initial presenting symptom].

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of dropped head. Neurological examination showed no abnormality except for weakness of the neck extensor muscles. Her symptoms worsened in the evening, requiring her to support her head by placing her hand against her chin.

Resistin concentrations in murine adipose tissue and serum measured by a new enzyme immunoassay.

Objective: In an attempt to clarify the conflicting data on resistin mRNA expression and protein analysis by western blotting in adipose tissue and serum, we developed a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for direct measurement of mouse resistin.

Research Methods And Procedures: We developed polyclonal antibodies directed to the N (21 to 40) and C (79 to 91) termini of mouse resistin. Then, affinity-purified anti-C-terminal resistin immunoglobin G (IgG) was biotinylated.

Effect of atorvastatin on in vitro expression of resistin in adipocytes and monocytes/macrophages and effect of atorvastatin treatment on serum resistin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Resistin is a novel cysteine-rich protein that plays a role in the development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) possess anti-inflammatory properties that are independent of their lipid-lowering action. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on expression of resistin in vitro and to determine the effect of 6 months of treatment with atorvastatin on serum levels of resistin in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Production of NGF, BDNF and GDNF in mouse astrocyte cultures is strongly enhanced by a cerebral vasodilator, ifenprodil.

Ifenprodil, a non-competitive NMDA-receptor antagonist, has been shown to exhibit marked cytoprotective activities in animal models for focal ischemia and Parkinson's disease. To test the hypothesis that the cytoprotective effect is due to the release of neurotrophic factors (NTFs), we examined the effects of ifenprodil on the NTF contents in mouse astrocyte cultures. The results revealed that ifenprodil strongly enhanced the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in these cultures.

Cabergoline stimulates synthesis and secretion of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor by mouse astrocytes in primary culture.

Neuroprotection is the primary concern in patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease. The D2/weak D1 dopamine agonist cabergoline elicits neuroprotection by antioxidation and scavenging free radicals, and may protect neurons by up-regulating endogenous neurotrophic factors synthesis in the brain. In primary cultured mouse astrocytes, cabergoline 37 micromol/l immediately elevated concentrations of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in culture medium, reaching 9.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for circulating human resistin: resistin concentrations in normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Resistin is a recently identified adipocyte-secreted hormone in rodents, and has been proposed to serve as a link between obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for human resistin and evaluate serum resistin concentrations in normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Using ELISA developed by two polyclonal antibodies, resistin concentrations were measured in 90 patients with type 2 diabetes and compared to 74 healthy control subjects.

Increase of antioxidative potential by tert-butylhydroquinone protects against cell death associated with 6-hydroxydopamine-induced oxidative stress in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Recent findings suggest that oxidative stress caused by dopamine could be closely involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). tert-Butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) is known as a strong inducer of phase II detoxification enzymes which have antioxidative functions. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of tBHQ against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Apomorphine attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced apoptotic cell death in SH-SY5Y cells.

Enhanced oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The catecholaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to neuronal cell death. On the other hand, apomorphine, a dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist and known as a potent antioxidant, has been reported to have a neuroprotective effect.

Frequency of anti-AChR epsilon subunit-specific antibodies in MG.

A definite diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) relies heavily on acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody testing. The relatively high number of antibody-negative patients therefore, causes frequent uncertainty in confirming the diagnosis. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a new, commercially available AChR antibody test that uses an approximately equal mixture of AChR from TE671-epsilon (adult type) and TE671-gamma (fetal type) cells.

Effects of dopamine agonists bromocriptine, pergolide, cabergoline, and SKF-38393 on GDNF, NGF, and BDNF synthesis in cultured mouse astrocytes.

We examined the stimulatory effects of the dopamine agonists bromocriptine, pergolide, cabergoline, and SKF-38393 on the synthesis and secretion of neurotrophic factors (nerve growth factor, NGF; brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, GDNF) in cultured mouse astrocytes, and clarified the role of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in these effects. Bromocriptine, a D2 agonist, elevated NGF levels in the culture medium 6.8-fold vs.