Acupuncture for alcohol withdrawal: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Previous trials on acupuncture in alcohol addiction were in outpatients and focused on relapse prevention. Rates of dropout were high and interpretation of results difficult. We compared auricular laser and needle acupuncture with sham laser stimulation in reducing the duration of alcohol withdrawal.

Effects of recombinant human thrombopoietin alone and in combination with erythropoietin and early-acting cytokines on human mobilized purified CD34+ progenitor cells cultured in serum-depleted medium.

The effects of recombinant thrombopoietin (TPO) alone and in combination with erythropoietin (EPO) and early-acting cytokines such as interleukin 3 (IL-3), stem cell factor (SCF) and GM-CSF on highly purified mobilized human CD34+ progenitor cells were studied in a serum-depleted culture system. Eight leukapheresis samples were cultured for seven days and analyzed; aliquots were replated and re-evaluated on day 12. Three-color flow cytometry was used together with morphologic analysis to determine proliferation and megakaryocytic or erythroid maturation.

LW/SO cell line: a tool for studying the phenotypical characterization and commitment of hematopoietic stem cells.

We report our observations with the cell line LW/SO, which was recently derived from the bone marrow of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. Based on the morphological and histochemical examination, the leukemic cells were classified primarily as FAB type M4. However, 2 years later, in relapse, the cells changed their morphology and were hence specified as FAB type M2 (slightly positive for acid phosphatase and Sudan black).

Regulation of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor production by human articular chondrocytes. Induction by both tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 1, downregulation by transforming growth factor beta and upregulation by fibroblast growth factor.

Objective: To study the regulation of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production by human articular chondrocytes which may contribute to the local GM-CSF production encountered in rheumatoid joints. This growth factor induces human macrophages to migrate and proliferate, improves their accessory function and increases the expression of HLA-DR antigens on macrophages and macrophage-like synoviocytes.

Methods: GM-CSF was assayed by ELISA and a bioassay in cell and organ culture supernatants from human articular chondrocytes, by in situ hybridization, Northern blot analysis and affinity chromatography.

Regulation of the density of the stem cell factor receptor (c-kit) by tumor necrosis factor alpha on a human myeloid cell line.

The GM/SO cell line bears a high level of stem cell factor receptors (SCF-R) i.e. c-kit protein, and therefore constitutes a potential model for studying the regulation of this crucial receptor on myeloid cells.