Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia: establishment of a new cell line (MKPL-1) in vitro and in vivo.

A megakaryoblastic cell line (MKPL-1) was newly established from the bone marrow of an adult patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. This cell line grew in single cell suspension with a doubling time of 30 h and consisted of large primitive blasts with persistent development of giant cells carrying multilobed nuclei. MKPL-1 cells were positive for platelet GPIIb/IIIa (CD41) and GPIIIa (CD61), and expressed OKM5 (CD36), MY7 (CD13), and MY9 (CD33) antigens in the absence of erythroid and lymphoid markers.

Unidirectional distribution of mosaicism in chimeric rats.

Experimental rat chimeras were produced by aggregation of eight-cell embryos from two inbred strains, ACI/Hkm and WKAH/Hkm, which differ from each other in their major histocompatibility complexes and coat colors, and their mosaicism was analyzed. The existence of the isozyme Es-1, a serum cholinesterase specifically produced by WKAH-derived cells, and the agouti coat color due to ACI cells, indicated that all of the rats analyzed were unequivocal chimeras. The proportion of ACI cells in the red blood cell populations of the chimeras varied from 45% to 98%, as determined with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter and a monoclonal antibody against class I (RT1) antigen.

Useful short-range transport of mouse embryos by means of a nonfreezing technique.

The survival of mouse morulae to be implanted on the uterine wall of a recipient after storage at 0 degree C in sucrose-containing medium has shown tendencies similar to those of blastocysts developing in vitro. The pregnancy rate, as defined by implantation sites per embryos transferred, has varied from 52.9 to 77.

Establishment of a new Hodgkin's cell line (HD-70) of B-cell origin.

A new Hodgkin's cell line, designated HD-70, was established from the peripheral blood of a 69-year-old man with Hodgkin's disease of nodular sclerosing type. The cell line grows in a single cell suspension and has a doubling time of 28 hours. The cells have a round or irregular nucleus or multiple nuclei in relatively abundant cytoplasm that is positive for acid phosphatase, alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase, and periodic acid-Schiff stains.

Cryptococcal pleural effusion in an HTLV-I carrier with Waldenstroem's macroglobulinemia.

A 70-year-old woman with Waldenstroem's macroglobulinemia developed bilateral pleural effusions due to Cryptococcus neoformans. She was found to be a carrier of HTLV-I. It is speculated that the opportunistic infection occurred as the result of an impaired cellular immunity secondary to HTLV-I infection.

Segregation of human T cell lymphotropic virus type I and II infections by antibody reactivity to unique viral epitopes.

A recombinant protein of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) gp46 outer membrane envelope, MTA-4 (residues 129-203), reacted by Western blot with sera from HTLV-I-infected individuals from the United States and Jamaica but not with 24 (10%) of 242 Japanese sera. A related gp46 recombinant protein, MTA-1 (residues 162-209), reacted with all 58 sera from HTLV-I-infected US and Jamaican individuals and 238 of 242 sera from infected Japanese (combined sensitivity of 99%). Neither recombinant showed reactivity to sera from HTLV-II-infected individuals or uninfected controls.

Establishment and characterization of a thymic carcinoma cell line (Ty-82) carrying t(15;19)(q15;p13) chromosome abnormality.

A new human cell line, designated Ty-82, was established from the pleural effusion of a 22-year-old woman with undifferentiated thymic carcinoma. This cell line consisted of primitive cells that were positive for alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase and acid phosphatase. The cells were shown to express epithelial membrane antigen, but were completely negative for cytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, glial fibrillary acidic protein, desmin, S-100 protein, lysozyme, Leu-7, HLA-DR (Ia), leukocyte common antigen, Ki-I antigen, T-cell antigens, B-cell antigens, myelomonocyte antigens, and Epstein-Barr-virus nuclear antigen.

Immunoglobulin prophylaxis against HTLV-I in a rabbit model.

We have investigated the protective effect of human T-cell leukemia virus I (HTLV-I) immune globulin (HTLVIG) against HTLV-I in rabbits. HTLVIG containing 77 mg/ml of IgG was prepared from pooled plasma from seropositive healthy persons. In the first experiment, four groups (A, B, C, and D) of three rabbits were transfused with 5 ml blood from an HTLV-I-infected rabbit.

Adult T-cell leukemia: structures and expression of the p53 gene.

Experiments were undertaken to investigate a genetic event involved in leukemogenesis in adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). For this purpose, the p53 gene was chosen for study, since alteration of the gene has been found in a wide variety of human cancers. Structures and expression of the p53 gene in ATL cells were investigated by Southern and Northern blot analyses and a polymerase-chain-reaction single-strand conformation-polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis.

Immunoglobulin prophylaxis against milkborne transmission of human T cell leukemia virus type I in rabbits.

Prophylactic effect of human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) immune globulin (HTLVIG) against milkborne transmission of HTLV-I was investigated in a rabbit model. Four litters (A-D: 7, 5, 7, and 7 offspring, respectively) born to an HTLV-I-infected rabbit were used. Litters A and D were allowed to grow normally as controls, while litters B and C were given weekly intraperitoneal inoculation of HTLVIG four times until weaning at 4.

Dexamethasone and phorbol ester, but not cytokines, increase the production of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 in the PL-21 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line.

PL-21 is a promyelocytic leukemia cell line that produces plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2). Differentiation-linked expression of PAI-2 was investigated by adding cell-differentiation promoting agents [such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), retinoic acid (RA), dexamethasone (Dex), and recombinant cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] into the culture medium of PL-21 cells. PAI-1 and PAI-2 antigens were measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay.

Establishment of a new Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-positive B-cell line, BALL-2, with t(8;14) (q24;q32) chromosome abnormality from B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, L2.

A new Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA)-positive B-cell line, designated BALL-2, was spontaneously established from the peripheral blood of a 14-year-old boy with an EBNA-negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), L2 in the French-American-British classification. The BALL-2 cell line grew in suspension with or without forming clumps of cells. The cultured cells exhibited lymphoid morphology with indented or lobulated nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and relatively abundant cytoplasm.

Novel t(15;19)(q15;p13) chromosome abnormality in a thymic carcinoma.

A 22-year-old female with a thymic carcinoma is reported. The tumor was refractory to both chemotherapy and irradiation. The patient died with an aggressive clinical course.

[Clinical features of 32 cases of fungal pneumonia].

A total of 32 patients with mycoses other than cavity-formed aspergilloma were reviewed. The main pathogenic fungi were Aspergillus in 14, Candida in 8, Cryptococcus in 4, Trichosporon in 4 and Mucor in 2. Coinfection by two species was detected in 3 cases: Trichosporon and Aspergillus in 2 and Aspergillus and Candida in 1.

In vitro immunization of rat spleen lymphocytes with Forssman glycosphingolipid antigen and the generation of a monoclonal antibody.

A procedure for in vitro immunization of splenic lymphocytes with a glycolipid antigen is described. Culture medium supernatant of ConA- and PHA-stimulated spleen cells and that of Con A-stimulated human Jurkat T cell line (IL-2-rich medium) were used as sources of cytokines to support T and B cell stimulation, and anti-mu was used to support B cell differentiation. Unprimed rat spleen cells (2 x 10(6)/ml) were stimulated with 2 micrograms/ml Forssman glycolipid antigen coupled to Sepharose for 4 days.

Molecular cloning of the chromosomal breakpoint of a B-cell lymphoma with the t(11;14)(q23;q32) translocation.

The breakpoint of t(11;14)(q23;q32) chromosome translocation in a B-cell lymphoma line, RC-K8, was cloned. Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) constant gene, C gamma 2 at the 5' end, was involved in this translocation, and the DNA segment juxtaposed to the C gamma 2 was proved to be derived from chromosome 11 by somatic cell hybrid study. The normal counterpart of chromosome 11 was also isolated.

Single cilium in human leukemic cells heterotransplanted into hamsters.

Single cilium formation was studied in two human hematopoietic cell lines, KCL-22 and MT-2, KCL-22, established from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic crisis, and MT-2, a human cord T cell line carrying human T-lymphotropic virus type I, were transplanted into hamsters. Ciliogenesis was observed in both cell lines, only after transplantation into hamsters.

A new monoclonal antibody to human subcapsular thymic epithelial cells.

A monoclonal antibody, termed K-20, was generated against an anaplastic thymic carcinoma cell line, Ty-82. Subcapsular thymic epithelial cells of the thymus and blood vessels in various organs were shown to react with the K-20 monoclonal antibody by immunohistochemical staining. Immunofluorescent study revealed that various haematopoietic fresh cells and cell lines did not show any significant reactivity with K-20, except for one Epstein-Barr-virus-carrying lymphoma cell line (SP-50B).

Changes in Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase gene during induced erythroid and myeloid differentiation.

We investigated the alteration of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase during erythroid and myeloid differentiation in order to elucidate its physiological significance in different types of cells. We measured enzyme activity and mRNA levels of superoxide dismutase in the process of differentiation to erythroid cells or myeloid cells. When human leukemia K562 cells are incubated in the presence of 80 microM hemin, benzidine-positive cells appear on day 1 and 80% of the cells become positive on day 5.