Rotigotine transdermal system as add-on to oral dopamine agonist in advanced Parkinson's disease: an open-label study.

Background: Achieving optimal symptom control with minimal side effects is a major goal in clinical practice. Dual-agent dopamine receptor agonist (DA) therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD) may represent a promising approach to treatment, as the combination of different pharmacokinetic/pharmacological profiles may result in a lesser need for high dosages and, accordingly, may be well tolerated. The objective of the current study was to investigate safety and efficacy of rotigotine transdermal system as add-on to oral DA in patients with advanced PD inadequately controlled with levodopa and low-dose oral DA.

Switch from oral pramipexole or ropinirole to rotigotine transdermal system in advanced Parkinson's disease: an open-label study.

Objective: Investigate safety, feasibility and efficacy of switching therapy in patients with advanced-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) inadequately controlled with pramipexole (≤ 3.5 mg/day) or ropinirole (≤ 14 mg/day) to rotigotine transdermal system (≤ 14 mg/24 h; dose adjustments ≤ 16 mg/24 h permitted).

Methods: PD0009 (ClinicalTrials.

Hydrogen production by Rhodobacter sphaeroides DSM 158 under intense irradiation.

To identify optimal hydrogen production conditions using growing cultures of Rhodobacter sphaeroides DSM 158 the effects of varying the reactor's volumetric power input (0.01-1.4kWm(-3)) and irradiation intensity (5-2500Wm(-2)) were investigated in batch and continuous production modes.

Vectors for glucose-dependent protein expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Based on the p426 series of expression vectors developed by Mumberg et al. (Gene 156, 119-122, 1995), we have generated a set of plasmids that allow the glucose-dependent expression of target genes in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ADH1 promoter in plasmid p426-ADH1 was replaced by the 1-kb 5'-region from either of the following genes: HXK1, YGR243, HXT4 and HXT7.

Mitochondria are the main ATP source for a cytosolic pool controlling the activity of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in mouse cardiac myocytes.

Objective: The aim was to identify the major ATP source controlling the activity of sarcolemmal K(ATP) channels in ventricular cardiomyocytes.

Methods: K(ATP)-channel current (I(KATP)) was measured with the patch-clamp technique in either the whole-cell (glycogenolysis blocked by 10 mmol/l EGTA), cell-attached, or inside-out configuration.

Results: In the absence of any substrate, I(KATP) (amplitude 31+/-4 nA; n=5) appeared spontaneously 520+/-160 s (n=6) after whole-cell access.

B-cell lymphoma idiotypes chimerized by gene targeting can induce tumor immunity.

Immunization with modified immunoglobulin (Ig) idiotypes (Ids) of B-cell lymphomas is an attractive approach of experimental tumor immunotherapy. We show here that B-lymphoma cells can be gene-modified by homologous recombination at the Ig heavy chain locus. Although it has been demonstrated previously that a protein vaccine containing a mouse/human chimeric Ig had no immunostimulatory effect, we show that a xenogeneic Fc segment attached to the Id by gene targeting in autologous murine tumor cells can serve as an immunogenic carrier and is capable of inducing tumor protection.

Induction of tumor immunity by autologous B lymphoma cells expressing a genetically engineered idiotype.

A fusion protein containing a B cell lymphoma idiotype (Id) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a potent stimulator of tumor immunity. In three different tumor models we show that immunization with autologous lymphoma cells that have been engineered to express the Id in the context of GM-CSF is much more effective than immunization with an equivalent dose of the purified protein. The lymphoma Id could be modified by introducing the GM-CSF gene into the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain locus via gene targeting.

Anoxia generates rapid and massive opening of KATP channels in ventricular cardiac myocytes.

Objective: The aim was to improve the measurement of both the time course and amplitude of anoxia-induced KATP-channel current (IKATP) in isolated heart cells to specify the role of these channels in the time course of K+ accumulation in the ischemic myocardium.

Methods: Ionic currents in isolated ventricular heart cells of the mouse were measured with a patch clamp technique under normoxic conditions (atmospheric pO2), during wash-out of oxygen, and under anoxic conditions (pO2 < 0.2 mmHg).

Analysis of peripheral immune tolerance uncovers a mouse strain-dependent in situ type of graft tolerance.

We screened various mouse strains [C57BL/6, BALB/c, DBA/2, CBA/Ca, (CBAxC57L/6)F1, SJL, C3H] for induction of peripheral immune tolerance. Only CBA/Ca mice treated with anti-CD4 + CD8 monoclonal antibodies and grafted with allogeneic skin showed long-term graft survival (150 to >200 days). Interestingly, T cells from the tolerant CBA/Ca mice rejected bone marrow/spleen cells of the skin graft donor strain and caused lethal graft-versus-host disease when transplanted to the donor strain.

[Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES). Initial clinical experiences with a new kind of optoelectronic rehabilitation system].

Background: The Low-Vision-Enhancement-System (LVES) is the first binocular optoelectronic rehabilitation device with variable focus distance.

Method: LVES was attempted on 25 patients who were not adequately treatable with classic rehabilitation devices. Using the new device, short-distance vision as well as the ability to read and write were tested.

Studies on canine bone marrow long-term culture: effect of stem cell factor.

Long-term culture of canine marrow cells allows in vitro studies of the hematopoietic system of the dog and characterization of early progenitor cells. Colonies of fresh marrow cells grew equally good in both agar or methylcellulose supplemented with fetal calf serum, while colonies of long-term cultures required agar-based medium containing human serum. Optimum colony growth was obtained when stem cell factor (SCF) and granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were used as growth stimuli of colony forming units (CFU).

[Trochlear paralysis within the scope of acute herpes hominis virus (HHV) 6 subtype B infection].

Patient: A 33-year-old woman developed progressive trochlear palsy without further neurological disorders. HHV-6 subtype B viremia was found in serological examination.

Treatment: To prevent necrotizing encephalitis, a dangerous complication of untreated symptomatic acute HHV 6 subtype B infection, intravenous antiviral treatment consisting of initially ganciclovir, then ganciclovir and foscarnet in alternating combination and finally solitary foscarnet was performed.

Long-lasting unresponsiveness to polyclonal T cell-binding immunoglobulins.

We have shown that mice after a single injection of anti-T cell antibody followed by multiple injections of a second xeno-, allo- or syngeneic anti-T cell antibody differing from the former in species origin developed specific, long-lasting tolerance to the second antibody. To characterize the mechanism of this anti-antibody unresponsiveness and the modalities accompanying the preinjection step, we injected mice with anti-pan T, anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies, followed by multiple injections of polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse thymocyte globulin (RbATG). Our observations indicate that: (i) Depletion of CD4+ cells is the most important factor for tolerance induction to subsequently injected RbATG.

Immune phenotype of canine hematopoietic progenitor cells.

The immune phenotype of canine hematopoietic progenitor cells was studied by immunoseparation and culturing of separated cells. Two separation methods were used, the magnetic cell sorting system (MACS) and the fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). For separation rat anti dog antibodies Dog 13 and Dog 14 directed against Thy-1, and Dog 26 as well as cross-reactive mouse anti human antibodies IOT2a and 7.

Retinoid regulation of interleukin-2 receptors on human T-cells.

The ability of retinoids to regulate interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels on human T-cells may play a fundamental role in the immunomodulating effects of these compounds. As a cell line model for studying this phenomenon, we tested the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on the expression of IL-2Ralpha and IL-2Rbeta in Hut78 cells, a mature T-cell line derived from a Sezary T-cell leukemia. Our results demonstrated 4- to 20-fold increases in the surface expression and mRNA levels of both of these receptor components at RA concentrations starting at 10(-10) M with maximal induction at 1 microM RA.

Induction and suppression of anti-antibodies to syngeneic T cell-binding antibodies in mice.

Considerable effort is being invested in antibody gene technologies for production of species-adapted anti-T cell antibodies which can overcome formation of neutralizing anti-antibodies (anti-Ab). By establishing a mouse model for the generation of syngeneic anti-T cell MoAb, we addressed the question of whether ideally species-adapted T cell-binding antibodies can prime mice to produce anti-Ab. Two anti-Thy-1.

Trioma-based vaccination against B-cell lymphoma confers long-lasting tumor immunity.

A major goal of tumor immunotherapy is the induction of a systemic immune response against tumor antigens such as the tumor-specific immunoglobulin idiotype (Id) expressed by lymphomas of the B-cell lineage. We describe an approach based on specific redirection of the tumor Id toward professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), thereby overcoming the inefficient presentation on the parental transformed B cell. Lymphoma cells are fused to a xenogeneic hybridoma cell line that secretes an antibody against a surface molecule on APCs.

Preclinical evaluation of biotin labeling for red cell survival testing.

Biotin labeling of red cells was tested in dogs as a preclinical study for cell survival. Red cells were labeled with either spacered Biotin-X-NHS (BxNHS) or water-soluble biotin compounds. After reinfusion, biotinylated red cells were detected in small blood samples (5 microliters) with flow cytometry.

3-hydroxybutyrate blocks the transient K+ outward current in myocardial mouse cells in a stereoselective fashion.

1. Mouse ventricular myocytes develop a large transient K+ outward current (I(TO)) which accelerates repolarization and is a crucial determinant for the regulation of the action potential duration at various heart rates. The effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate on I(TO) was investigated under voltage- and current-clamp conditions.

Adoptive immunotherapy in canine chimeras.

Chimerism and tolerance after bone marrow transplantation provide excellent conditions for adoptive immunotherapy with T cells of the marrow donor. We studied adoptive immunotherapy in dog leukocyte antigen-identical canine littermate chimeras. Mixed chimeras were produced by conditioning treatment with total body irradiation of a dose of 10 Gy, a uniformly lethal dose in dogs, and infusion of between 1 x 10(8) and 2 x 10(8)/kg mononuclear marrow cells treated with absorbed antithymocyte globulin for inactivation of T cells.

Bispecific antibodies target operationally tumor-specific antigens in two leukemia relapse models.

Despite improved procedures in chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT), post-BMT leukemia relapse rates have remained rather constant in the last decade. Immunotherapy with monoclonal or bispecific antibodies (bsAb) is a promising approach to improve this situation, but is hampered by the absence of tumor-specific antigens on the majority of tumors. To evade this problem, we developed a new tumor-specific approach in which bispecific antibodies exploit chimerism after allogeneic BMT by redirecting donor T cells against recipient-specific antigens on tumor cells.

[Magnesium seeding in therapy of pediatric hemangioma of the temporal region, lower eyelid and orbit].

Background: Magnesium seeding of haemangiomas is a form of treatment already successfully used in 1900.

Patient: We report about a male infant with a haemangioma of the left temporal region, underlid and orbit. Maximum depth at the time of indication for magnesium seeding was 28 mm with an intraorbital extension of 7 mm.

[Increased possibility for HIV-associated retinal microangiopathy syndrome in patients with concomitant hepatitis C infection].

Background: The etiology of HIV-related retinal microangiopathy syndrome is yet unknown. Several authors postulate direct endothelial-cell infection, an immunocomplex vasculitis caused by HIV-related hypergammaglobulinemia or an increased serum concentration of endothelin as its origin.

Patients: 118 patients infected by HIV-1 have been examined (CDC I: 1; CDC II: 42; CDC III: 7; CDC IV: 68).

Suppression of normal and neoplastic human T cells with unconjugated monoclonal antibodies in SCID mouse chimeras.

The aim of this study was to establish a preclinical in vivo model to evaluate the suppressive effect of unconjugated anti-human T (CD3, 5, 7)-cell monoclonal antibodies (mAb) of mouse IgG2a or rat IgG2b isotype. Therefore, severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice were transplanted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of healthy donors (hu-PBL-SCID) or with neoplastic T cells of the human T-ALL cell line Jurkat. In preselected hu-PBL-SCID mice with substantial T cell chimerism single antibody injection caused prompt suppression of circulating human T lymphocytes within 2 days followed by occasional T cell recovery during the following weeks.