Reduction in S100 protein beta subunit mRNA in C6 rat glioma cells following treatment with anti-microtubular drugs.

S100 protein is a calcium-binding protein found in vertebrate nervous tissue. Synthesis of S100 protein in the rat glioma cell line, C6, is inhibited by the addition of anti-microtubular drugs. We have cloned a cDNA for the beta subunit of S100 protein from rat brain in a lambda gt 11 expression vector and used this cDNA to measure the amounts of S100 beta subunit mRNA in C6 cells after treatment with anti-microtubular drugs.

Oral clonidine for rapid control of accelerated hypertension.

Thirty emergency-room patients, 15 men and 15 women, from 27 to 64 years old with diastolic blood pressures (DBP) greater than 115 mm Hg, were admitted to an open-label, oral loading trial of clonidine. At this time, their supine mean arterial pressures (MAP) averaged 150 +/- 2 mm Hg. An initial clonidine dose of 0.

Improved total-body irradiation dosimetry.

The total-body irradiation (TBI) technique at St Bartholomew's Hospital has been developed to improve dose homogeneity within the patient. Using a standard 6 MV linear accelerator in an orthodox-sized treatment room, the midpoint doses in head, neck, shoulders, mid-mediastinum, pelvis, knees and ankles are +/- 5% of that of the umbilicus in our current technique. This homogeneity has been achieved by a four-field technique, a reproducible patient set-up, careful use of a new bolus material and an additional beam-flattening filter mounted near the machine head.

Protection of adult BALB/c mice against MOPC 315 myeloma by neonatal administration of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody to MOPC 315 IgA.

Ascitic fluid containing monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (AIA) to MOPC 315 IgA was administered to newborn BALB/c mice, and the mice were challenged in adulthood with IgA-producing MOPC 315 myeloma cells. Administration of AIA D10 (a hybrid molecule containing IgG1 and IgG2a heavy chains), G3 (IgG2b), and A2 (IgG1), all of which reacted with MOPC 315 cells in a cell-binding radioimmunoassay, prolonged survival and reduced the percentage of IgA-producing spleen fragments derived from mice challenged with MOPC 315 myeloma cells, but not with cells of a related IgA-producing myeloma, MOPC 460. Reduction in the percentage of IgA-producing spleen fragments was prevented by treatment of spleen cells prior to culture with anti-Thy 1.

Monoclonal antibodies to an epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma: distinctive reactivity with xenografts of the original tumor and a cultured cell line.

Four monoclonal antibodies (mAb) (8C, 10B, M2A, and M2D) were produced against the human epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line, HEY. The affinity constants of binding of the mAb to cultured HEY cells were 8 X 10(8) M-1 (M2D) and 10(9) M-1 (8C and 10B). mAb 8C reacted with a major glycoprotein of Mr 90,000 on the surface of HEY cells.

Production of a monoclonal antibody specific for seminomas and dysgerminomas.

A monoclonal antibody (M2A, IgG2a) was produced against a cultured human ovarian epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line, HEY. Monoclonal antibody M2A reacted with a glycoprotein of molecular weight 40,000 on the surface of HEY cells. The affinity constant of the monoclonal antibody M2A for HEY cells was 10(9) M-1, and the number of binding sites on HEY cells was 2 X 10(4) per cell.

Conservation of the DNA binding domain and other properties between porcine and rat glucocorticoid receptors.

Activated glucocorticoid receptor protein (GCR) was partially purified from porcine liver cytosol by sequential chromatography on phosphocellulose and DNA-cellulose using a modification of a protocol developed for purification of rat GCR. This partially purified preparation, when separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotted, indicated that a Mr = 94,000 protein band cross-reacts with a monoclonal antibody against rat GCR. A nitrocellulose filter binding assay showed that both the partially purified porcine and rat GCRs interact specifically with a cloned synthetic 24 base pair deoxyoligonucleotide containing the GCR binding sequence in the first intron of the human growth hormone (hGH) gene.

An office-based primary care trial of pindolol ('Visken') in essential hypertension.

A large, open, multi-centre study was performed by physicians in general practice to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of pindolol (10 to 20 mg per day) in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension. The records of 7324 patients who completed the 6-week protocol with pindolol alone or in combination with a diuretic were analyzed by computer. Substantial reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were obtained in the majority of patients regardless of age, sex or race.

Production of a monoclonal antibody against a human osteosarcoma xenograft.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against a human sarcoma xenograft carried in BALB/c nu/nu mice were produced by immunizing BALB/c mice with tumor cells and fusing their spleens with the SP2/O-Ag 14 mouse myeloma cell line. Hybridoma supernatants were screened using cryostat tissue sections and an immunoperoxidase reaction for ability to stain osteosarcoma xenograft tumor cells but not tonsil lymphocytes. Of 73 supernatants tested, 19 reacted with both osteosarcoma tumor cells and lymphocytes, while three reacted only with osteosarcoma.

Interspecies Lewis lung carcinoma x Chinese hamster ovary hybrids as protective agents against Lewis lung carcinoma tumor growth.

Interspecies somatic cell hybrids formed between a clone of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC/9) and Chinese hamster ovary cells were assessed for tumorigenicity in C57BL/6 mice and capacity to protect mice against a challenge with LLC/9 cells. LLC/9 cells were fused with ouabain-resistant-Chinese hamster ovary cells deficient in hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase. Hybrids were selected in medium supplemented with hypoxanthine: aminopterin: thymidine and 5 mM ouabain.

Are adolescents able and willing to pay the fee for confidential health care?

We studied the ability and willingness of adolescents attending a suburban-based Adolescent Health Service to pay a fee for health care. Self-administered, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 180 predominantly middle-class adolescent patients prior to the establishment of a fee-for-service payment plan. One hundred sixty-five respondents planned to continue as patients of the Adolescent Health Service; of these, 155 (94%) indicated that they would be able and willing to pay a fee.

Immunohistochemical staining of macrophages in the skin lesions of leprosy: the role of antibody to mycobacteria in human serum and various polyclonal immune rabbit antisera.

Immunohistochemical staining of tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy skin lesions was performed using various rabbit antisera. Macrophages in both stained with serum containing antibodies against lysozyme and alpha-1-antitrypsin, while macrophages in lepromatous leprosy also reacted with other antibodies. An immunoglobulin fraction of positive serum stained following pepsin digestion, indicating that reactivity was not Fc dependent.

Inhibition of protein synthesis by monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody-ricin A chain conjugates in MOPC 315 myeloma cells.

Three monoclonal antiidiotypic antibodies (AIA) to MOPC 315 IgA, G3 (IgG2b), A2 (IgG1) and D10 (a hybrid molecule consisting of gamma 1 and gamma 2a heavy chains), were characterized with respect to their binding constants (Ka) to MOPC 315 mouse myeloma cells. The Ka of G3 and A2 was 10(8)/mole; and that of D10 was 3 X 10(7)/mole. The AIA did not bind to a non-immunoglobulin (Ig) producing subclone of MOPC 315 cells (MOPC 315.

Chronic thyroiditis and mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse is more prevalent in patients with autoimmune diffuse toxic goiter, suggesting a possible etiologic association. The prevalence of mitral valve prolapse was determined in 75 patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, another autoimmune thyroid disorder, and in 50 healthy control subjects. Mitral valve prolapse was found in 31 of 75 (41%) patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and in 4 of 50 (8%) controls (odds ratio, 8.

Characterization of two epitopes on insulin using monoclonal antibodies.

Three monoclonal antibodies (MAb), 21 (IgG1), I10 (IgG1) and H38 (IgG2b), to insulin have been tested for cross-reactivity with 11 species variants of insulin and three of proinsulin. Correlations of differences of reactivities between the MAb and the species variants of insulin with the respective amino acid sequences of the latter have permitted the identification of two epitopes recognized by the MAb which encompass the regions in the A- and B-chains of insulin subject to frequent evolutionary amino acid substitutions. MAb 21 and H38 are directed to an epitope which includes residues B27-30 and A1 or A4 and can discriminate between human and pig insulins which differ only at B30.

The first intron of the human growth hormone gene contains a binding site for glucocorticoid receptor.

Glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) protein stimulates transcription from a variety of cellular genes. We show here that GCR partially purified from rat liver binds specifically to a site within the first intron of the human growth hormone (hGH) gene, approximately 100 base pairs downstream from the start of hGH transcription. GCR binding is selectively inhibited by methylation of two short, symmetrically arranged clusters of guanine residues within this site.

Myoepithelial cells in salivary gland tumors. An immunohistochemical study.

Normal salivary glands and 55 salivary gland tumors were examined by immunostaining (immunoperoxidase [IMP] and immunofluorescence [IMF]) to identify myoepithelial cells (MCs) and speculate on their role in the histogenesis of the tumors. The classic (C) MCs of normal salivary glands stained by IMP with antibodies to cytokeratin and S100 protein and stained by IMF with the same antibodies and with antibodies to vimentin and actin. Modified (M) MCs of pleomorphic adenomas stained positively by IMP and IMF with all of the preceding antibodies.

Cellular handling of a monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody in IgA-producing MOPC 315 mouse myeloma cells.

MOPC 315 mouse myeloma cells which produce an IgA (alpha, lambda 2) with dinitrophenol (DNP)-binding capacity were incubated with a [125I]-labeled monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (AIA) (D10) to MOPC 315 IgA. AIA D10 bound specifically to the surface of MOPC 315 cells (binding constant 3.0 X 10(7)/mole) but not to cells of a derivative clone which did not produce IgA.

Long-term follow-up of patients with Grave's disease treated by subtotal thyroidectomy.

This long-term follow-up study of 83 patients with Grave's disease who were treated by subtotal thyroidectomy reemphasizes the fact that postoperative hypothyroidism occurs primarily in the first postoperative year (27 percent of the study patients). In addition, there was no evidence of progressive increase in the incidence of hypothyroidism in subsequent years. Patients treated with radioactive iodine have a reported incidence of hypothyroidism of 70 percent 10 years postoperatively [4].

Computer analysis of intraoperative cardiac rhythms using esophageal and surface leads.

Esophageal ECG lead and computer as arrhythmia monitor were elevated in 6 dogs and 23 patients. In dogs arrhythmias were induced by an epinephrine infusion during halothane anesthesia. The computer identified 1858 irregular beats, a cardiologist 2130.

The value of immunohistochemical studies using antibody to S100 protein in dermatopathology.

The distribution of S100 protein in normal skin and various tumors involving skin was assessed using rabbit antibody to S100 protein in an immunoperoxidase reaction. In normal skin, S100 protein was detected in the epidermis (melanocytes and Langerhans' cells), dermis (Schwann cells, Pacinian and Meissner's corpuscles, and interdigitating reticulum cells), cells of the sweat gland apparatus, and in chondrocytes. In tumors involving skin, S100 protein was present in nevi, malignant melanomas, histiocytosis X, mixed sweat gland tumors, neural tumors, chondromas, and chondrosarcomas.

Origin of the desmoplasia in desmoplastic malignant melanoma.

Four cases of desmoplastic malignant melanoma were examined light microscopically and immunohistochemically. Electron microscopy was performed in three cases. Light microscopy showed that all tumors were composed of neoplastic spindle cells that infiltrated between mature collagen bundles in the reticular dermis.