Influence of impaired T- and B-cell compartments on efficacy of IVIg in dysimmune neuropathies.

Autoimmune mechanisms are postulated to play a role in the development and progression of dysimmune neuropathies (DN). We investigated the relation between lymphocyte number and marker expression, and disease activity in 20 patients with DN under intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) treatment. B- and T-lymphocyte markers were studied by flow cytometry of the expression of CD5, CD25, CD23 and CD38 markers on B cells and of CD3, CD4 and CD8 markers, respectively.

The pathogenesis of vacuoles produced in rat and mouse liver cells by a conjugate of adenine arabinoside monophosphate with lactosaminated albumin.

A conjugate of adenine arabinoside monophosphate with lactosaminated albumin produced vacuoles in hepatic cells of rats and mice when given at doses 5-10 times higher than that (35 mg/kg) capable of inhibiting hepatitis B virus replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The vacuoles were due to the swelling of secondary lysosomes probably caused by incapacity of the lysosomal enzymes to rapidly digest large amounts of conjugate into products able to cross the lysosomal membrane. Although vacuoles progressively disappeared when conjugate administration was discontinued, the present observation suggests caution in giving the conjugate to man at daily doses higher than 35 mg/kg.

High-pressure liquid chromatographic method for determining adenine arabinoside monophosphate coupled to lactosaminated albumin in plasma.

A simple and sensitive method for determining concentrations, in plasma, of adenine arabinoside monophosphate conjugated with lactosaminated albumin is described. It permits the measurement of as little as 0.02 micrograms coupled drug/ml and has considerable advantages over the radioimmunoassay previously used for the same purpose.