Interaction between the amino-terminal SH3 domain of CRK and its natural target proteins.

CRK is a human homolog of chichen v-Crk, which is an adaptor protein. The SH2 domain of CRK binds to several tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, including the epidermal growth factor receptor, p130(Cas), Shc, and paxillin. The SH3 domain, in turn, binds to cytosolic proteins of 135-145, 160, 180, and 220 kDa.

Survey for Pneumocystis carinii infection of wild-born and laboratory-bred monkeys by indirect immunofluorescence and cyst-staining methods.

A serosurvey for Pneumocystis carinii infection of laboratory-bred and wild-born monkeys was made by the indirect immunofluorescence method. The antibody titers of wild cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) and Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) to P. carinii (Pc) were higher than those of laboratory-bred cynomolgus monkeys; 54.

Retrospective analysis of the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer showing poor performance status.

To assess the feasibility of treatments for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) showing a poor performance status (PS, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; ECOG 3 or 4), we retrospectively reviewed the outcome for 13 SCLC patients showing poor PS treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital between January 1984 and May 1994. The main factors which contributed to poor prognosis were superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome, massive pleural effusion, tracheal stenosis due to lymph node swelling, pericardial effusion and pulmonary fibrosis (causing dyspnea in combination), brain metastasis resulting in neurological disturbance, cachexia, Eaton-Lambert syndrome causing muscle weakness, retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis causing abdominal pain, peritoneal effusion due to abdominal lymph node swelling, vertebral metastasis causing paraplegia, and dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) causing muscle weakness. All of the patients received chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy.

Acceleration of influenza virus clearance by Th1 cells in the nasal site of mice immunized intranasally with adjuvant-combined recombinant nucleoprotein.

The protective roles of influenza viral nucleoprotein (NP), together with the cellular mechanism of the protection in the nasal site, were examined in BALB/c mice immunized intranasally with an adjuvant (cholera toxin B subunit containing 0.2% of the whole toxin)-combined A or B virus recombinant NP. The NP-immune mice, when challenged intranasally with a sublethal dose of the virus 3 wk after immunization, had accelerated virus clearance from the nasal site in both an influenza type-specific and a nonspecific manner, as shown by the protection from high morbidity from the second day after challenge.

Hepatitis C and B virus infections in hepatocellular carcinoma. Analysis of direct detection of viral genome in paraffin embedded tissues.

Background: Although there have been many seroepidemiologic studies on hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence, the actual role of HCV in hepatocarcinogenesis is unknown.

Methods: We have previously reported on a highly sensitive method of detecting and identifying sequences of RNA genome in formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Using this method, we carried out a retrospective study to determine the prevalence of HCV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes in FFPE specimens from 102 Japanese patients with HCC.

DOCK180, a major CRK-binding protein, alters cell morphology upon translocation to the cell membrane.

CRK belongs to a family of adaptor proteins that consist mostly of SH2 and SH3 domains. Far Western blotting with CRK SH3 has demonstrated that it binds to 135- to 145-, 160-, and 180-kDa proteins. The 135- to 145-kDa protein is C3G, a CRK SH3-binding guanine nucleotide exchange protein.

Cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) III of the uterine cervix in a young female associated with AIDS.

A case of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) III implying severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix in a 24 year old Japanese female patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is reported. Autopsy revealed marked systemic atrophy of lymph nodes, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, pulmonary aspergillosis, acute pancreatitis and CIN III of the portio vaginalis uteri. The human papillomavirus (HPV) genome was detected in sections of the CIN III by polymerase chain reaction.

Antibody responses in volunteers induced by nasal influenza vaccine combined with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit containing a trace amount of the holotoxin.

Evaluation of the efficacy of nasal influenza vaccine combined with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) containing a trace amount of the holotoxin (LT) in inducing antibody responses among volunteers, which was conducted during the winter season of 1993-1994, is reported. A trivalent inactivated vaccine, composed of A/Yamagata/32/89 (H1N1), A/Kitakyusyu/159/93 (H3N2) and B/Bangkok/163/90 influenza virus strains, was used alone or together with the adjuvant, recombinant LTB supplemented with 0.5% recombinant LT (LTB*).

Pharmacokinetics and stability of caldiamide sodium in rats.

Gadodiamide (CAS 122795-43-1) injection (Omniscan) is a formulation composed of gadolinium (III) complexed with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid bis-methylamide (Gd DTPA-BMA) and the sodium calcium complex of the same ligand, known as caldiamide sodium (CAS 122760-91-2, NaCa DTPA-BMA), in a molar ratio of 20:1. Following intravenous dosing of NaCa DTPA-BMA (0.015 mmol/kg) in a 14C-labeled form, plasma concentrations of the drug declined rapidly with an elimination half-live of 0.

Human T lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II): epidemiology, molecular properties, and clinical features of infection.

Human T lymphotropic virus, type II (HTLV-II), infection has been shown to be endemic in a number of American Indian populations, and high rates of infection have also been documented in intravenous drug abusers in urban areas throughout the world. Although the role of HTLV-II in human disease has yet to be clearly defined, there is accumulating evidence that like HTLV-I, infection may also be associated with rare lymphoproliferative and neurological disorders. In this article we review and summarize the epidemiology, molecular properties and clinical features of HTLV-II infection.

Prospective evaluation of the feasibility of cisplatin-based chemotherapy for elderly lung cancer patients with normal organ functions.

A study was conducted to examine the feasibility of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in elderly patients (> or = 75 years old) with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Thirty-four patients were enrolled between September 1993 and December 1994. Patients with normal organ function and good performance status (PS) received cisplatin-based chemotherapy (cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and vindesine 3 mg/m2 on days 2 and 8 for NSCLC, or cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 2 to 4 for SCLC).

Characterization of mouse nasal lymphocytes isolated by enzymatic extraction with collagenase.

A reproducible method for isolation of mouse nasal lymphocytes was developed. The cells were released from tissue fragments of dissected mouse nose by enzyme extraction with collagenase and separated by a stepwise Percoll gradient centrifugation. The partially purified nasal lymphocyte fraction from normal BALB/c mice contained CD4+ T cells (18-23%), CD8+ T cells (7-10%) and B cells (20-38%), when analysed with a FACScan fluorescence analyser.

Intensive chemotherapy with cisplatin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for advanced thymoma or thymic cancer: preliminary results.

A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of cisplatin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide (PACE) with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on advanced thymoma or thymic cancer. Between August 1989 and December 1994, 14 patients with invasive, metastatic or recurrent thymoma or thymic cancer were treated with cisplatin (80 mg/m2, on day 1), doxorubicin (45 mg/m2, on day 1), cyclophosphamide (800 mg/m2, on day 1) and etoposide (80 mg/m2, on day 1-3) with G-CSF (90 micrograms/m2, on day 5-18) at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo. Courses were repeated every 3 or 4 weeks for a maximum of 4 cycles.

Facial nerve paralysis induced by herpes simplex virus in mice: an animal model of acute and transient facial paralysis.

We have been the first to succeed in producing an acute and transient facial paralysis simulating Bell's palsy, by inoculating herpes simplex virus into the auricles or tongues of mice. The KOS strain of the virus was injected into the auricle of 104 mice and the anterior two thirds of the tongue in 30 mice. Facial paralysis developed between 6 and 9 days after virus inoculation, continued for 3 to 7 days, and then recovered spontaneously.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase: enhancement of activity by interaction with cellular topoisomerase I.

A number of studies have suggested that topoisomerase I (topo I) activity may be important in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. Specifically it has been reported that purified virus particles have topo I activity and that inhibitors of this enzyme can inhibit virus replication in vitro. We have investigated a possible association of HIV-1 gag proteins with topo I activity.

Mechanism of enhancement of the immune responses to influenza vaccine with cholera toxin B subunit and a trace amount of holotoxin.

Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) (1 microgram) and a trace amount of cholera toxin (CT) (0.1-10 ng), when inoculated intranasally into Balb/c mice together with influenza vaccine, induced synergistically a greater delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to the vaccine than did a trace amount of CT alone. In parallel with the in vivo response, normal peritoneal macrophages that were incubated in vitro with the vaccine and the CT-containing CTB, induced a higher adenylate cyclase activity and a greater ability to transfer DTH response into naive recipient mice than did the macrophages incubated with the vaccine and CT.

Neurovirulence test for oral live poliovaccines using poliovirus-sensitive transgenic mice.

The transgenic mice, ICR-PVRTg21, carrying the human poliovirus receptor gene, were intraspinally inoculated with oral poliovirus vaccine viruses and the viruses that had been derived from a vaccine preparation by passagings at 38 degrees. Dose-dependent incidence of paralysis was observed in the transgenic mice inoculated with any of the viruses used. All transgenic mice showing histopathological lesions in the central nervous system appeared to display clinical signs that resembled those observed in human poliomyelitis.

Vitamin C activity of erythorbic acid in ascorbic acid-deficient guinea pigs.

The vitamin C activity of erythorbic acid (ErA) in ascorbic acid (AsA)-deficient guinea pigs was evaluated. The guinea pigs depleted AsA for 16 days were divided into two groups: one group (control group) was supplemented with 1, 5, or 100 mg/day AsA and the other group (experimental group) was supplemented with 1, 5, 20, or 100 mg/day ErA for 4 days. The contents of AsA and ErA in the tissues of guinea pigs were determined by using HPLC, and the activities of liver aniline hydroxylase, of serum alkaline phosphatase and the content of liver cytochrome P-450 were measured.

Antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 and human herpesvirus 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

To test for an association between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and infections with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), antibodies to these viruses were tested in the serum from three groups of individuals: (1) 10 CFS patients with chronic fatigue beginning with a clinical pattern of acute infectious mononucleosis [IM; true chronic IM (CIM)]; (2) 10 CFS patients whose illness did not start with acute IM (non-CIM), and (3) healthy controls. High EBV antibody titers were demonstrated in most patients. Antibodies to ZEBRA, a product of the immediate early EBV gene BZLF1, were detected in the serum of CFS patients at a higher frequency than in healthy controls.

Cross-protection against influenza virus infection in mice vaccinated by combined nasal/subcutaneous administration.

The effects of a combination of intranasal (i.n.) and subcutaneous (s.

Human herpesvirus-6 infection in renal allografts: retrospective immunohistochemical study in Japanese recipients.

This study was conducted to determine the incidence and clinical significance of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection in renal allografts. A total of 105 biopsy specimens from 72 recipients were immunohistochemically examined for the presence of HHV-6 antigen, which localized in the distal tubular epithelial cells and in a few lymphocytes infiltrating into the interstitium. HHV-6 antigen in the tubular epithelia was detected in 63 (61.

Major antigenic region on the integrase (IN) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 determined by reactivity of human sera and a monoclonal antibody to IN protein.

The gene encoding the integrase (IN) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was expressed in vaccinia virus and Escherichia coli, and sera from 55 HIV-1-infected individuals were examined for immunoreactivity to the recombinant IN proteins by Western immunoblot. Approximately 98% (54 of 55) of the HIV-1-infected individuals showed reactivity to both the full-length IN protein of 32 kDa (IN32 protein) and the carboxy-terminal portion of the IN protein (IN17 protein). Serum samples from only 6 of the 54 antibody-positive individuals and a monoclonal antibody against the IN protein, 6F4, reacted with the amino-terminal portion of the IN protein (IN15 protein).

Nonsense mutations in the vpr gene of HIV-1 during in vitro virus passage and in HIV-1 carrier-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Long-term, persistent infection by HIV-1 is a prerequisite for the development of AIDS. However, little is known of the determinants required for HIV-1 to cause persistence. We have reported previously that persistent infection of a T cell line by a cytopathogenic strain of HIV-1 became increasingly likely with in vitro serial passage of the virus.