[A suppurating parasternal swelling].

A 94-year-old man with a history of colon cancer presented to the emergency department with a painful, suppurating, parasternal swelling. The swelling had been present for more than a year and its size had increased over time. However, previous diagnostic tests (CT, MRI and cytological punctures) had not led to a diagnosis.

Ecopsychosocial Interventions in Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A New Terminology and a New Paradigm.

Dementia is a major medical and social scourge. Neither pharmacological nor nonpharmacological interventions and treatments have received sufficient funding to be meaningful in combatting this tsunami. Because the term-"nonpharmacological"-refers to what these interventions are not, rather than what they are, nonpharmacological treatments face a special set of challenges to be recognized, accepted, funded, and implemented.

Rapid Detection of the Three Celiac Disease Risk Genotypes HLA-DQ2.2, HLA-DQ2.5, and HLA-DQ8 by Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification.

Background: Genotyping of HLA-DQ2.2, HLA-DQ2.5, and HLA-DQ8 is important in celiac disease (CD).

A multiplex assay to rapidly exclude HLA-DQ2.5 and HLA-DQ8 expression in patients at risk for celiac disease.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an inflammatory disorder of the small intestine induced by gluten ingestion. CD has a strong genetic association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2.5 and HLA-DQ8.

Neutralization of Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicles.

Introduction: We aimed to determine the neutralization of Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicles (blebs) by humoral and cellular elements of whole blood.

Methods: The interaction of FITC-labeled blebs with monocytes was studied by spectrofluorometry. Blebs are able to induce an oxidative burst in neutrophils, and we evaluated the inhibitory effect of plasma on this process.

Influence of corticosteroids on myonuclear domain size in the rat diaphragm muscle.

Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleated. Each myonucleus regulates gene products and protein expression in only a restricted portion of the muscle fiber, the myonuclear domain (MND). In the rat diaphragm muscle (DIAm), corticosteroid (CoS) treatment causes atrophy of fibers containing myosin heavy chain (MHC): MHC2X and/or MHC2B.

[Diaphragm dysfunction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by alterations in the airways and lung parenchyma resulting in an increased respiratory workload. Besides an increased load and hyperinflation of the thorax, additional factors, such as systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia and loss of muscle mass, further have a negative influence on diaphragm contractility. The diaphragm seems to adapt only partly to the altered circumstances to which it is exposed.

Transferrin toxin but not transferrin receptor immunotoxin is influenced by free transferrin and iron saturation.

Background: Cytotoxic agents can be targeted successfully to cancer cells. The efficacy of such novel and potent anticancer strategies may be influenced by variables of iron metabolism.

Methods: The in vitro cytotoxicity against glioma cells of transferrin (Tf)-based targeted toxins was compared with that of alpha-transferrin receptor (TfR)-immunotoxin.

Revised interpretation of the immunological results obtained with pneumococcal polysaccharide 17F derived synthetic di-, tri- and tetrasaccharide conjugates in mice and rabbits.

Recently, the structure for pneumococcal polysaccharide (PS) 17F has been revised. Based on the former PS structure, immunogenicities of PS 17F derived synthetic di-, tri- and tetrasaccharide conjugates have been reported in mice. Here, we present additional data on the immunogenicities of these conjugates in rabbits and re-evaluate the immunogenicity results in the light of the revised PS 17F structure.

Induction of cell-mediated immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using DNA vaccines encoding cytotoxic and helper T-cell epitopes of the 38-kilodalton protein.

Cell-mediated immune responses are crucial in the protection against tuberculosis. In this study, we constructed DNA vaccines encoding cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and T helper cell (Th) epitopes of the 38-kDa lipoglycoprotein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and analyzed and compared their immunogenicities with that of pXJ38, a DNA vaccine encoding the entire 38-kDa protein (X. Zhu, N.

Homology of ab1 and ab3 monoclonal antibodies that neutralize Semliki Forest virus.

A noninternal image monoclonal antiidiotypic antibody (ab2 mAb), designated 1.13A321, that had proved its efficacy as vaccine against infection with Semliki Forest virus (SFV) in BALB/c mice, was used as immunogen to generate a panel of SFV-neutralizing monoclonal anti-anti-idiotypic antibodies (ab3 mAbs) to compare them genetically with ab1 mAb 1.13 (IgG2a).

Are the opsonophagocytic activities of antibodies in infant sera measured by different pneumococcal phagocytosis assays comparable?

Host protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae is mainly mediated by opsonin-dependent phagocytosis. Several techniques for measuring opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) of antibodies to S. pneumoniae have been standardized and used.

Comparison of a classical phagocytosis assay and a flow cytometry assay for assessment of the phagocytic capacity of sera from adults vaccinated with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Antibody- and complement-mediated phagocytosis is the main defense mechanism against Streptococcus pneumoniae. A standardized, easy to perform phagocytosis assay for pneumococci would be a great asset for the evaluation of the potential efficacy of (experimental) pneumococcal vaccines. Such an assay could replace the laborious phagocytosis assay of viable pneumococci (classical killing assay).

Synthetic 6B di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharide-protein conjugates contain pneumococcal type 6A and 6B common and 6B-specific epitopes that elicit protective antibodies in mice.

The immunogenicity and protective capacity of Streptococcus pneumoniae 6B capsular polysaccharide (PS)-derived synthetic phosphate-containing disaccharide (Rha-ribitol-P-), trisaccharide (ribitol-P-Gal-Glc-), and tetrasaccharide (Rha-ribitol-P-Gal-Glc-)-protein conjugates in rabbits and mice were studied. In rabbits, all saccharides conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) evoked high levels of pneumococcal (Pn) type 6B antibodies that facilitated type-specific phagocytosis. Unlike the disaccharide rabbit antisera, tri- and tetrasaccharide rabbit antisera also reacted with 6A PS in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and promoted phagocytosis of 6A pneumococci.

Enhanced flavour formation by combination of selected lactococci from industrial and artisanal origin with focus on completion of a metabolic pathway.

Combinations of lactococcal strains from various origins with divers properties were developed as new starters for new dairy products. Flavour formation by such tailor-made cultures was studied. In some cases, a strongly enhanced flavour was observed.

Evaluation of T-cell responses to peptides and lipopeptides with MHC class I binding motifs derived from the amino acid sequence of the 19-kDa lipoprotein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes on the 19-kDa lipoprotein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis were identified by the use of lipopeptides and their cytokine profile studied. Selection of candidate CTL epitopes was based on synthetic peptides derived from the amino acid sequence of the 19-kDa lipoprotein showing major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) binding motifs (H-2D(b) and H-2L(d)). Their ability to up-regulate and stabilize MHC-I molecules on the mouse lymphoma cell line RMA-S was studied.

Induction of antibody and T-cell responses by immunization with ISCOMS containing the 38-kilodalton protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

In this study, we investigated the influence of different amounts of N-(palmitoyloxy) succinimide (PA-NHS): attachment of lipid tails to the protein and Quil A on the immunogenicity of the 38-kDa mycobacterial protein incorporated into immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMS; 38-kDa ISCOMS). The addition of higher amounts of Quil A during the ISCOMS preparation increased the amount of protein incorporated into ISCOMS, whereas the use of higher amounts of PA did not influence this parameter. Low antibody responses were observed after primary immunization with all 38-kDa ISCOMS preparations which, however, strongly increased after booster injections.

Cryptococcus neoformans and its cell wall components induce similar cytokine profiles in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells despite differences in structure.

We studied the cytokine profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after stimulation with various cryptococcal strains or its purified cell wall components. After 3 h of stimulation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha levels were strongly increased, whereas interferon (IFN) gamma and interleukin (IL) 10 levels were increased only slightly, or not at all (respectively). In contrast, after 18 h, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels were (strongly) decreased, whereas the IL-10 levels were increased.

Fcgamma receptor polymorphisms determine the magnitude of in vitro phagocytosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae mediated by pneumococcal conjugate sera.

Fcgamma receptors show two genetically determined polymorphisms: the biallelic FcgammaRIIa-R131 and -H131 polymorphism and the NA1/NA2 FcgammaIIIb polymorphism. Using 10 pre- and postconjugate vaccination sera from adults, we analyzed in vitro phagocytic capacities of three different combinations of polymorphonuclear leukocyte FcgammaR allotypes: those homozygous for the H131 and NA1 allotype, those homozygous for the R131 and NA2 allotype, and those heterozygous for both receptors. For pre- and postvaccination sera, mean phagocytosis levels for the homozygous H131/NA1 allotype were 4 -fold higher than for the homozygous R131/NA2 allotype.

Pulmonary surfactant protein A binds to Cryptococcus neoformans without promoting phagocytosis.

Background: Evidence is accumulating that the alveolar collecting surfactant protein A (SP-A) plays an important role in the first line of defence against infiltrating pathogenic micro-organisms and viruses. The ability of SP-A to facilitate the binding and uptake of acapsular Cryptococcus neoformans by monocyte-derived macrophages, human alveolar macrophages, monocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes was investigated.

Materials And Methods: Binding, competition and phagocytosis experiments were performed using a flow cytometry technique.

A possible role of ProP, ProU and CaiT in osmoprotection of Escherichia coli by carnitine.

Exogenously provided carnitine (beta-hydroxy-L-tau-N-trimethyl aminobutyrate) was found to stimulate aerobic growth of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a medium of inhibitory osmotic strength. Its osmoprotective ability is comparable with that of betaine. As carnitine is an important compound in mammalian tissues, it is suggested that it might play a role in the growth of the pathogen on low water activity (aw) meat products.

Iron release from human monocytes after erythrophagocytosis in vitro: an investigation in normal subjects and hereditary hemochromatosis patients.

This study investigated the release of erythrocyte-derived iron from purified human monocytes obtained from healthy volunteers and hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) patients. After erythrophagocytosis of 59Fe-labeled erythrocytes, a complete transfer of iron from hemoglobin (Hb) to ferritin was observed within 24 hours in both control and HH monocytes. The iron was released from the monocytes in the form of ferritin, Hb, and as nonprotein bound low molecular weight iron (LMW-Fe).

Use of highly encapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in a flow-cytometric assay for assessment of the phagocytic capacity of serotype-specific antibodies.

A phagocytosis assay for Streptococcus pneumoniae based on flow cytometry (FACS) with human polymorphonuclear cells and human complement was developed for the study of human vaccination antisera. Human prevaccination sera already contain high levels of C-polysaccharide (C-PS) antibodies, which are not protective in humans but which might give false positive results in a flow-cytometry-based assay. Cultures of S.

59Fe labelling of rabbit erythrocytes as a continuous source for iron metabolism studies.

The study of iron metabolism in human phagocytes requires a continuous source of 59Fe-labelled erythrocytes with high specific activity. Previously, rats and mice have been used for this purpose, but only limited amounts of blood can be obtained and the animals are (often) sacrificed during the experiment. This paper describes the development of a rabbit model for use as a continuous source of highly labelled erythrocytes as an alternative to mice and rats.