A circular dichroism and fluorescence quenching study of the interactions between rhodium(II) complexes and human serum albumin.

Various divalent rhodium complexes Rh2(L)4 (L = acetate, propionate, butyrate, trifluoroacetate and trifluoroacetamidate) have been found to bind to non-defatted human serum albumin (HSA) at molar ratios about 8:1. The circular dichroism measurements showed that the more liposoluble carboxylates, butyrate and trifluoroacetate, caused the major alterations of the secondary structure of HSA. Stern-Volmer constants for the fluorescence quenching of the buried Trp214 residue by these complexes were also higher for the lipophilic metal compounds.

Neutrophil accumulation and damage to the gastric mucosa in resuscitated hemorrhagic shock is independent of inducible nitric oxide synthase.

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) appear to play important roles in the liver and in lung injury induced by hemorrhagic shock. Their precise roles in hemorrhagic shock-induced acute gastric mucosal lesions (AGML), however, are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of neutropenia on hemorrhagic shock-induced AGML.

[Presence of antibodies to human herpesvirus type 6 and 7 in Hungarian children].

Prevalence of antibodies to variants HHV-6A and B as well as HHV-7, the time of primary infections are not know in Hungarian children. Therefore, antibodies to these viruses were studied in 21 healthy children aged between 6 and 18 months. Lymphoid cultures were infected with standard virus strains for indirect immunofluorescence.

Cerebellar astrocytes treated by thyroid hormone modulate neuronal proliferation.

Thyroid hormones are important for neurogenesis and gliogenesis during brain development. We have previously demonstrated that triiodothyronine (T3) treatment induced proliferation in primary culture astrocytes derived from the cerebellum of neonatal rats. Conditioned medium obtained from those T3-treated astrocytes (T3CM) mimicked the effect of hormonal treatment on these cells.

Restricted distribution of S-phase cells in the anterior subventricular zone of the postnatal mouse forebrain.

The anterior subventricular zone (SVZa) is the site for postnatal neurogenesis of interneurons of the olfactory bulb (OB). Concurrently or after proliferation, neuronal precursors therein migrate within it to reach the OB, an event known as the rostral migratory stream (RMS). We used bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation with short survival times to investigate the distribution of S-phase nuclei in the SVZa/RMS of the postnatal mouse.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) major envelope glycoprotein gp350/220-specific antibody reactivities in the sera of patients with different EBV-associated diseases.

gp350 of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces a strong immune response in EBV-infected individuals, but relatively little is known about the clinical relevance of this response in patients with different EBV-associated malignancies and other diseases. Using our gp350-expressing cell clones, we studied gp350-specific humoral immune responses in the sera of individuals with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), chronic symptomatic EBV infection (CEI), Hodgkin's disease (HD), acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) and healthy EBV-seropositive individuals (HI). The titres of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibodies were highest in HI followed by CEI, HD and NPC.

Binding of the endogenously expressed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) envelope glycoprotein gp350 with the viral receptor masks the major EBV-neutralizing epitope and affects gp350-specific ADCC.

The major neutralizing epitope (MNE) for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is present on its envelope glycoprotein gp350/220 (hereafter referred to as gp350) in close proximity to the virus-receptor (CR2) binding site and is recognized by the neutralizing murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) 72A1. We studied the reactivities of 72A1 and another anti-gp350 mAb 2L10 (which does not neutralize EBV) with gp350 expressed on three different lymphoid cell lines (Raji, CEM.NKr and BJA-B).

Aging and immunoglobulin isotype patterns in oral tolerance.

In the present review we address oral tolerance as an important biological phenomenon and discuss how it is affected by aging. Other factors such as frequency of feeding and previous digestion of the antigen also seem to influence the establishment of oral tolerance. We also analyze immunoglobulin isotypes of specific antibodies formed by tolerant and immunized animals of different ages submitted to different conditions of oral antigen administration.

Aging affects oral tolerance induction but not its maintenance in mice.

B6D2F1 mice, which are very susceptible to tolerance induction by a single gavage with 20 mg of ovalbumin (Ova) at age 8 weeks, become less susceptible at age 25 weeks and totally refractory at age 70 weeks. However, 70-week-old mice may be rendered tolerant by repeated ingestion of Ova. Mice orally exposed to Ova at age 8 weeks remain tolerant at age 70 weeks.

Essential role of induced nitric oxide in the initiation of the inflammatory response after hemorrhagic shock.

Resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock induces profound changes in the physiologic processes of many tissues and activates inflammatory cascades that include the activation of stress transcriptional factors and upregulation of cytokine synthesis. This process is accompanied by acute organ damage (e.g.

Enhancement of natural killer and antibody-dependent cytolytic activities of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients by recombinant IL-15.

Natural killer (NK) cells are an important subset of lymphocytes capable of killing virus-infected target cells without prior sensitization. HIV-infected individuals show impairment of their NK cell activity. Although the mechanism responsible for this defect remains unclear, NK cytotoxicity of lymphocytes from these individuals can be partially restored by interleukin (IL)-2.

Enhancement of natural killer cell cytotoxicity by the human herpesvirus-7 via IL-15 induction.

NK cells, a key component of the innate immune system, are known to play an important role against viral infections. Previously, we reported that the human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) induces IL-15 in human PBMC and increases their NK activity. We describe in this work that another human herpesvirus, HHV-7, which shares genomic homology with HHV-6, also causes up-regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity via IL-15 induction.

Binding of the Epstein-Barr virus to human platelets causes the release of transforming growth factor-beta.

Human platelets bear on their surface complement receptor type II (CR2), which is also the receptor for the EBV. Although the cross-linking of these receptors causes activation and aggregation of platelets, no immunologic consequence of the potential binding of EBV to these receptors on human platelets has ever been described. We report here that binding of EBV to human platelets causes the release of TGF-beta from the latter.

Antibody and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity responses against the BamHI A rightward open-reading frame-1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBV-associated disorders.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is an important antiviral effector mechanism. ADCC to the protein encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamHI A rightward open-reading frame-1 (BARF1) was studied by transducing Raji-tk- cells with the BARF1 gene using a retroviral expression vector. The transduced Raji cells expressed BARF1 on the cell surface, as determined by flow cytometry.

Effect of adoptive transfer of CD4, CD8 and B cells on recovery from MHV3-induced immunodeficiencies.

A chronic viral infection can occur when the host fails to mount an effective immune response to clear the virus. Mouse hepatitis virus type 3 (MHV3) appears to be an excellent model for the study of the relationship between viral-induced immunodeficiency and chronic disease development. (C57BL/6 x A/J)F1 mice surviving acute hepatitis develop a chronic disease characterized by T- and B-cell immunodeficiencies, viral persistence in various organs including the brain, spleen and thymus, and death within 3 months postinfection (p.

Human herpesvirus-6 enhances natural killer cell cytotoxicity via IL-15.

The marked tropism of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) for natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocytes has led us to investigate the effect of HHV-6 on cellular cytotoxicity. We describe here how HHV-6 infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) leads to upregulation of their NK cell cytotoxicity. The induction of NK cell activity by HHV-6 was abrogated by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to IL-15 but not by mAbs to other cytokines (IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, IL-2, IL-12) suggesting that IL-15 secreted in response to viral infection was responsible for the observed effect.

Clinical-epidemiologic study of alopecia areata.

Background: Alopecia areata is a common disease and may be associated with autoimmune disease, atopy, Down syndrome, emotional stress, and foci of sepsis.

Methods: Seven cases of alopecia areata were diagnosed among workers in the Water and Effluent Treatment Sector (WETS) of a paper factory, representing a 0.6% incidence, when the value for the population at large is 0.

Cyclic AMP-responsive element-dependent activation of Epstein-Barr virus zebra promoter by human herpesvirus 6.

We have recently shown that infection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome-positive B cells by human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) results in the expression of the immediate-early EBV Zebra gene, followed by virus replication (L. Flamand, I. Stefanescu, D.

[Epidemiological characterization of chronic venous insufficiency in Portugal].

With the objective of studying the spectrum of clinical manifestations of Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), we conducted an epidemiological survey in 17 of the 20 districts in Portugal. This study involved 436 general practitioners and 8243 consecutive attendants of the national health service aged 15 and over, who were inquired for symptoms and signs of CVI. The diagnosis of CVI was established on clinical grounds by the physicians, who recorded data on demography, associated diseases, past history, symptoms, physical signs, and characteristics and location of varicose veins.

Defective killing activity against gp120/41-expressing human erythroleukaemic K562 cell line by monocytes and natural killer cells from HIV-infected individuals.

Objective: To determine the role of natural cellular cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in killing of HIV-1 envelope protein-expressing, natural killer (NK)-sensitive human target cells, and to investigate this effector function in HIV-infected individuals.

Design And Methods: An HIV-1 env gene-containing expression vector was transfected into NK-sensitive K562 cells, and cell clones expressing gp120/41 were selected and used as targets in natural cytotoxicity assays using PBMC from both HIV-seropositive and seronegative individuals. A 16h 51Cr-release assay was used to determine the susceptibility of the gp120/41-expressing K562 as well as control vector-transfected cells.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in HIV infections.

ADCC is an important immune effector mechanism against tumor and virus-infected cells that can be destroyed by the combined action of specific antibodies of IgG isotype against cell surface-associated antigens and effector cells, predominantly of the NK phenotype. ADCC has been shown to function in vivo in several systems. With regard to HIV, it can be readily demonstrated in vitro against the viral envelope proteins with serum and/or effector cells obtained from HIV-infected subjects.

The division of neuronal progenitor cells during migration in the neonatal mammalian forebrain.

In the mammalian forebrain most neurons originate from proliferating cells in the ventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles. These neurons become postmitotic before they undergo migration to their final destinations. In this study we examined the proliferative and migratory properties of cells destined for the olfactory bulb that arise postnatally from progenitor cells situated at the anterior extent of the subventricular zone (SVZa).

Positive correlation between the natural killer and gp 120/41-specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic effector functions in HIV-infected individuals.

Using our recently developed target system model of env gene-transfected cells for gp120/41-specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays, we evaluated the ADCC effector function of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 39 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals. The natural killer (NK) activity of the PBMC from these individuals against K562 was also determined. A significant positive correlation (p < or = 0.

[The epidemiology of chronic venous insufficiency in Portugal].

The prevalence of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) was investigated in 44,777 unselected primary care outpatient clinics in 17 of the 20 districts in Portugal, during 1993. The diagnosis of CVI was established clinically by 427 participating general practitioners. CVI was more prevalent in females, with a female to male ratio of 2.