Computer-Aided Evaluation of Blood Vessel Geometry From Acoustic Images.

A method for computer-aided assessment of blood vessel geometries based on shape-fitting algorithms from metric vision was evaluated. Acoustic images of cross sections of the radial artery and cephalic vein were acquired, and medical practitioners used a computer application to measure the wall thickness and nominal diameter of these blood vessels with a caliper method and the shape-fitting method. The methods performed equally well for wall thickness measurements.

gammadelta T cells develop independently of Aire.

Mutations in the transcriptional regulator Aire disrupt thymic alphabeta T cell selection, causing in humans Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED). However, it is not known whether Aire is needed for normal gammadelta T cell development. We show that Aire(-/-) mice have a normal frequency of gammadelta T cells, with TCR repertoire comparable to that of wild-type mice, and normal amount of TCR Cdelta mRNA in ileum and skin.

A defect of regulatory T cells in patients with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy.

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), a monogenic recessive disease characterized by autoimmunity against multiple tissues, offers a unique possibility to study the breakdown of self-tolerance in humans. It is caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator gene (AIRE), which encodes a transcriptional regulator. Work using Aire(-/-) mice suggests that Aire induces ectopic expression of peripheral Ags and promotes their presentation in the thymus.

Nephrin in human lymphoid tissues.

When nephrin, the protein product of NPHS1, was cloned, it was proposed to be specific for the kidney glomerular podocytes. Recently, however, new reports have emerged verifying additional nephrin expression sites, particularly the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, as well as the central nervous system. In this study, we demonstrate nephrin expression in lymphoid tissues, specifically the tonsil, adenoid and lymph node.

Podocalyxin in human haematopoietic cells.

Podocalyxin-like protein (PCLP) is a sialomucin-type membrane protein structurally related to CD34 and endoglycan. It was first described in glomerular podocytes and endothelial cells. In mice, PCLP is present in haemangioblasts, and in both chicken and mice it is a marker of early haematopoietic stem cells and lineage-restricted haematopoietic progenitors.