Quantitative and correlative biodistribution analysis of Zr-labeled mesoporous silica nanoparticles intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice.

The biodistribution of Zr-labeled mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) was evaluated in detail using a prostate cancer mouse model bearing LNCaP C4-2 and PC-3 tumor xenografts with focus on passive targeting. PEGylation of radiolabeled MSNs significantly improved the blood circulation times and radically enhanced the accumulation in tumors comparable to the accumulation levels previously reported for similar but actively targeted particles. The distribution of the passively targeted MSNs was related to the degree of vascularization of the tumors and did not follow the trends observed in vitro.

In vitro modulation of cytokine production by lymphocytes in human coccidioidomycosis.

The modulation of the cytokine response to coccidioidal antigen by lymphocytes from donors with coccidioidomycosis was examined. In initial experiments, samples from 13 healthy immune donors and seven donors with active coccidioidomycosis anergic to the coccidioidal antigen T27K were assessed for CD3 lymphocyte expression of intracellular IFN-gamma using whole blood analysis. Addition of 10 ng/ml of recombinant IL-12 significantly increased response to T27K among immune and anergic subjects (p<0.

In vitro whole-blood analysis of cellular immunity in patients with active coccidioidomycosis by using the antigen preparation T27K.

Measurement of cellular immunity in human coccidioidomycosis has important diagnostic and prognostic implications. The coccidioidin skin test has been the standard for the measurement of this, but it is not available in the United States. We examined the utility of measuring surface expression of CD69 on T lymphocytes in whole blood incubated with the coccidioidal antigen preparation T27K as an alternative to the skin test.