T cell-depleted autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis: report on the first three patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by immune-mediated destruction of myelin. In patients with progressive deterioration, we have intensified immunosuppression to the point of myeloablation. Subsequently, a new hematopoietic and immune system is generated by infusion of CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells (HSC).

Acute slipped capital femoral epiphysis: the value and safety of urgent manipulative reduction.

A 40-year experience consisting of 91 cases of acute slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) was reviewed to assess the safety of manipulative reduction and to determine whether urgent reduction has an effect on the development of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the capital femoral epiphysis. All patients had a history of sudden onset of severe hip pain and were documented to have an unstable (acute) slipped epiphysis. Treatment modalities included manipulative reduction under general anesthesia followed by internal fixation (41 hips), epiphysiodesis and internal fixation (15 hips), epiphysiodesis and cast immobilization (31 hips), and cast immobilization alone (three hips).

Effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 alpha on heme oxygenase-1 expression in human endothelial cells.

Heme iron exacerbates oxidant damage by catalyzing the production of free radicals. Heme oxygenase is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in heme catabolism. An inducible form of heme oxygenase, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), is upregulated in oxidant and inflammatory settings, and recent work suggests that HO-1 induction may serve a protective function against oxidant injury.

Structural changes in oocyte nucleoli of Xenopus laevis during oogenesis and meiotic maturation.

Immunoelectron microscopy with anti-nucleolin defined substructures within the multiple nucleoli of biosynthetically active stage II-III oocytes and within the nucleoli of relatively quiescent stage VI oocytes of Xenopus laevis. Dense fibrillar components (DFCs) of nucleoli from stage II-III oocytes consisted of nucleolonemas that radiated from a continuous DFC sheath surrounding fibrillar centers (FCs). Discernible granular regions (GRs) were absent in these same nucleoli.

Insulin-like growth factor II modulates the routing of cathepsin D in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

A previous observation that insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) inhibits the cellular uptake of a lysosomal enzyme by inhibiting binding to the IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor led to the proposal that, in a cell producing IGF-II, the routing of lysosomal enzymes might be altered. To test this hypothesis MCF-7 breast cancer cells were transfected with pRc/CMV vector only (CMV) or vector containing IGF-II complementary DNA encoding either mature (M-II) or precursor (P-II) IGF-II, and the routing of cathepsin D, a predominant lysosomal enzyme in this cell line, was examined. The concentration of IGF-II in media conditioned by P-II clones (11.

Protein kinase C regulates cytokine-induced tissue factor transcription and procoagulant activity in human endothelial cells.

Interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induce tissue factor in endothelium, which results in activation of the coagulation cascade. Despite extensive investigation, in which various stimuli that induce tissue factor have been defined, the intracellular processes that control tissue factor expression are not well understood. It has been proposed that protein kinase C regulates tissue factor expression primarily because phorbol myristate acetate, the protein kinase C activator, induces tissue factor expression.

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor expression and function in fibroblasts from two patients with deletion of the distal long arm of chromosome 15.

Most patients with deletion of the distal long arm of chromosome 15 have intrauterine growth retardation and postnatal growth deficiency in addition to developmental abnormalities. It has been proposed that the absence of one copy of the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor gene may play a role in the growth deficiency seen in this syndrome. To address this question we examined IGF-I receptor expression and function in fibroblasts from two patients with deletion of the distal long arm of chromosome 15 (15q26.

Insulin-like growth factor-II is a substrate for dipeptidylpeptidase I (cathepsin C). Biological properties of the product.

We observed that the lysosomal enzyme, dipeptidylaminopeptidase I (DAP-I) caused the release of trichloroacetic-acid-soluble radioactivity from rat 125I-insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II). This activity could be blocked by dipeptide inhibitors of DAP-I, and was enhanced by chloride. Treatment of unlabeled rat IGF-II with DAP-I converted approximately 50% of the IGF-II to a species with a slightly shorter elution time on reverse-phase HPLC, whereas treatment of human IGF-II caused complete conversion to the species with the shorter elution time.

Fluorescence labeling of the palmitoylation sites of rhodopsin.

Two tandem cysteine residues in the carboxyl-terminal region of rhodopsin have been shown to be covalently linked to palmitate via thioester bonds (Ovchinnikov, Y. A., et al.

Direct detection of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) by chemiluminescence without interference by IGF binding proteins.

A dot blot method for the detection of picogram quantities of human and rat insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in serum-free conditioned media is described. The crossreactivity of human recombinant IGF-I in the assay was < 10%. None of the IGF binding proteins (IGFBP 1-6) diminished the IGF-II signal.

Survey of Residential Refrigerators for the Presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

One hundred and ninety-five residential refrigerators in Brazos and Robertson counties of Texas were examined for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes . Surfaces on which meat and vegetables were usually stored, as well as other storage areas, were sampled. L.

Human lysozyme gene mutations cause hereditary systemic amyloidosis.

Hereditary non-neuropathic systemic amyloidosis (Ostertag-type) is a rare autosomal dominant disease in which amyloid deposition in the viscera is usually fatal by the fifth decade. In some families it is caused by mutations in the apolipoprotein AI gene but in two unrelated English families under our care the amyloid deposits did not contain apoAI, despite a report that this may have been the case in one of them. Lysozyme is a ubiquitous bacteriolytic enzyme present in external secretions and in polymorphs and macrophages, but its physiological role is not always clear.

Structure of Met30 variant of transthyretin and its amyloidogenic implications.

Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is an autosomal dominant hereditary type of lethal amyloidosis involving single (or double) amino acid substitutions in the amyloidogenic protein transthyretin (TTR). The most common type of FAP (Type I, or Portuguese) is characterized by a Val-->Met substitution at position 30. The Met30 variant of TTR has been produced by recombinant methods, crystallized in a form isomorphous with native TTR, subjected to X-ray analysis and compared structurally with the wild-type protein.

Comparison of the modelled thyroxine binding site in TBG with the experimentally determined site in transthyretin.

The structure of cleaved thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) has been modelled on the crystal structure of cleaved alpha 1-antitrypsin (a member of the serine proteinase inhibitor, serpin, superfamily) based on the high sequence homology exhibited by the two proteins. Particular attention was paid to the identification and modelled characteristics of the thyroxine binding site. The primary aim of the study was to compare the site qualitatively with the crystallographically determined binding site of transthyretin, the other major transporter of thyroxine, in an attempt to explain the higher binding affinity of the site compared with the known thyroxine binding site in transthyretin (10(10) versus 10(8) M-1).

Live and carcass values from different cattle types.

Slaughter steers and heifers (n = 345) were selected representing the following cattle types: English steers and heifers, Exotic steers and heifers, less than 50% Bos indicus steers and heifers, greater than or equal to 50% Bos indicus steers, and Holstein steers. Thirty sides representing 30 carcasses from each cattle type were fabricated into boneless subprimals and trimmed to three fat-trim levels: 2.54, 1.

Characterization of a set of variable number of tandem repeat markers conserved in bovidae.

Screening purpose-built libraries with minisatellite probes, we have isolated 36 bovine variable number of tandem repeat markers (VNTRs) characterized by a mean heterozygosity of 59.3 within the American Holstein breed. Matching probabilities and exclusion powers were estimated by Monte-Carlo simulation, showing that the top 5 to 10 markers could be used as a very efficient DNA-based system for individual identification and paternity diagnosis.

Yields of by-products from different cattle types.

Slaughter cattle (n = 360), selected and allocated to types according to their phenotypic breed type characteristics, were slaughtered in lots of 15 head at a large commercial packing plant. By-product weights were obtained for these lots of 15 head after plant personnel had separated the by-products according to plant procedures. Percentage of slaughter weight in each by-product was calculated.

Clinical measurement of glare effect in cataract patients.

Glare complaints are common for patients with good visual acuity. Spot glare sensitivity is a sensitive measure of intraocular scattering caused by cataracts. The TVA functional vision tester was used to measure contrast sensitivity with and without spot glare.

Using ultrasound technology to predict pork carcass composition.

Twenty market hogs were evaluated with real-time ultrasound both before and after slaughter. Fat measures (n = 9) were taken at various body locations along with the longissimus muscle area measurement at the 10th rib. After live ultrasound, the hogs were slaughtered and the unsplit carcasses were measured with ultrasound at the same live ultrasound locations.