Validation of optimal DCE-MRI perfusion threshold to classify at-risk tumor imaging voxels in heterogeneous cervical cancer for outcome prediction.

Purpose: To classify tumor imaging voxels at-risk for treatment failure within the heterogeneous cervical cancer using DCE MRI and determine optimal voxel's DCE threshold values at different treatment time points for early prediction of treatment failure.

Material And Method: DCE-MRI from 102 patients with stage IB2-IVB cervical cancer was obtained at 3 different treatment time points: before (MRI 1) and during treatment (MRI 2 at 2-2.5 weeks and MRI 3 at 4-5 weeks).

Magnitude of activity in chronic hepatitis C is influenced by apoptosis of T cells responsible for hepatitis C virus.

Background: The mechanisms of hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistence are unknown, but down-regulation of immune response in a host is likely to play a major role in it.

Methods: To investigate whether T cell apoptosis contributes to such down-regulation, we compared peripheral T cell apoptosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with the serum titre of HCV-RNA, serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT) levels and its change, or peripheral T cell proliferation to the recombinant core antigen of HCV, JCC-1.

Results: The percentage of apoptosis in T cells was 0.

Unresponsiveness of peripheral T cells induced by apoptotic bodies derived from autologous T cells.

Several reports described the dose-dependent effect of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) regarding both levels of apoptosis and anergy of T cells. We investigated here whether T-cell apoptosis induced with SEB causes unresponsiveness of naive T cells. Apoptotic bodies were isolated from human T cells stimulated with antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and SEB by the continuous density gradient centrifugation method.

An analysis of T cell antigen receptor variable beta genes during the clinical course of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The degree of hepatocyte injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B appears consistent with the number of T cells that respond to hepatitis B virus-related antigens.

Methods: By using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach, we monitored a ratio of the T cell antigen receptor (TcR) variable (V) beta gene families against a total TcR V beta gene expression in the peripheral T cells obtained from five patients and four healthy controls.

Results: In the healthy controls, there was no significant change in the ratios at an interval of four or eight weeks.

Analysis of human T-cell antigen receptor variable beta gene usage following vaccination with recombinant HBsAg.

We analyzed the TcR Vbeta gene usage before and after vaccination with the hepatitis B vaccine since changes in the TcR Vbeta gene families would be considered to provide preliminary evidence of a mechanism to prevent HBV infection. Six healthy adult volunteers received immunizations. TcR Vbeta usage, T-cell proliferation, and HLA class II alleles were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) both before and after vaccination.

Colonic cancer in a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis and long-standing ulcerative colitis.

A 27-year-old woman with a 9-year history of ulcerative colitis involving the entire colon was admitted to our hospital in August 1992 because of bloody stools and left lower abdominal pain. She had been treated with sulfasalazine since 1983 and the colitis had been clinically quiescent or mild for 7 years. She had also been diagnosed as having primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) 4 years prior to this admission, based on the clinical, laboratory, and cholangiographic findings.

Apoptosis observed in peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Activation-induced cell death is involved in regulating peripheral T-cell function. Understanding the kinetics of these T cells is important to elucidate the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B, which is mediated by cellular immune mechanisms.

Methods: Subtle apoptotic cells in CD3+ cells were discriminated by flow-cytometric assay using freshly obtained and in vitro recombinant hepatitis B core antigen-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis.

T cell anergy is programmed early after exposure to bacterial superantigen in vivo.

We have investigated the effects of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CHX), on the induction of post-thymic T cell tolerance in mice primed with the bacterial superantigen, Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB). A single injection of 1 mg CHX prevented protein synthesis in splenic cells for < 6 h in vivo. The concomitant administration of SEB and CHX prevented induction of SEB-specific anergy, but did not interfere with the deletion of SEB-specific V beta 8+ T cells by activation-induced, programmed cell death.

Not every superantigen induces tolerance in vivo.

We have distinguished TSST-1 from SEA and SEB with respect to its in vivo effect on T cells, that is, SEA and SEB induce tolerance in treated mice whereas injection of TSST-1 does not result in tolerance. Therefore, previous observations which relate superantigens to the suppression of reactive V beta TCR T cells seem difficult to generalize to all bacterial superantigens. Since the effects of superantigens are beginning to be exploited for immunotherapy, the differences between TSST-1 and SEB in terms of induction of tolerance suggest that all superantigens may not generally be useful in this respect.

Effects of indomethacin on hepatogenic pulmonary angiodysplasia.

A patient had liver cirrhosis associated with marked hypoxemia. With administration of indomethacin (75 mg/day for six days), PaO2 was elevated up to 50 mm Hg from 44 mm Hg. At that time, dynamic pulmonary perfusion imaging revealed a plateau time course curve of MAA uptake in the lungs, as compared with findings obtained during the state of severe hypoxemia without indomethacin.

A comparative study of the Ca2+-Mg2+ dependent ATPase from skeletal muscles of young, adult and old rats.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles isolated from skeletal muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats ranging in age from 4 months to 28 months were studied and compared. A marked decline, with age, was observed in the amount of (total) SR proteins isolated per gram of muscle tissue used. This decline is in line with the known loss of muscle fiber mass and size with advancing age; however, whether the magnitudes of these two effects are indeed identical, remains to be studied.

Detection of pulmonary telangiectasia using dynamic pulmonary perfusion imaging in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Two cases of liver cirrhosis associated with marked hypoxemia are presented. Chest radiographs and cardiopulmonary function showed no abnormalities, except for the low diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide and slight elevation of the shunt ratio (20 and 6.2%, respectively), as estimated under conditions of 100% oxygen inhalation.

Immunological analysis and characterization of lymphocyte subsets in specimens of human hepatocellular carcinomas and metastatic liver cancers.

The distribution and number of CD2 (Coulter T11)+ cells, CD16 (Leu 11b)+ cells, Leu 7+ cells, CD8 (OKT 8)+ cells, CD11 (Leu 15)+ cells, CD4 (Leu 3a + 3b)+ cells and Leu 10+ or Leu 14+ cells in the liver of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic liver cancer (MLC) were investigated using monoclonal antibodies and immunohistological methods. In the majority of those with HCC and MLC, CD8 (OKT 8)+, Leu 7+ and CD16 (Leu 11b)+ cells were present both in the tumor and non-tumor tissues. The CD8 (OKT 8)+ cells were more numerous than Leu 7+ and CD16 (Leu 11b)+ cells.

Reversal of age-related effects in rat muscle phosphoglycerate kinase.

Rat muscle phosphoglycerate kinase is one of several enzymes in which age-related effects have been identified. Thus, samples of this enzyme isolated from old rats display a greatly increased heat stability as compared with enzyme isolated from young animals. Previous studies detected no differences in the sequence of amino acids or in the net charge between the young and old forms of the enzyme and it was concluded that the age-related structural modifications are purely conformational.

Immunohistochemical characterization of inflammatory infiltrates at the site of bile duct injury in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Surgically obtained liver specimens from four patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), Stages I-II, were studied immunohistochemically using a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies. At the site of bile-duct injury (CNSDC), the inflammatory cells were recognized to be Coulter T-11+ (directed against all T-cells) and OKT-8+ (directed against cytotoxic/suppressor: C/S T-cells) cells. The MHC-class I antigen (i.

Steroidogenic and morphological characteristics of granulosa and thecal compartments of the differentiating rabbit corpus luteum in culture.

On the day after ovulation, the thecal tissue and associated mural granulosa lutein cells of the rabbit corpus luteum were separated from the granulosa lutein 'core' by dissection and these tissues were cultured separately or together (whole corpus luteum) in defined medium for 10 days on stainless-steel grids. The medium was changed completely every 24 h. Replicate tissues were cultured with testosterone (10 ng/ml), but no other hormones were added to the medium.

Transient development and function of rabbit corpora lutea after hypophysectomy.

The requirement of the pituitary gland and the role of 17 beta-estradiol in the early development of the corpus luteum was investigated in rabbits hypophysectomized the day after sterile mating (day 1). Serum progesterone in hypophysectomized rabbits was normal for 2 days after hypophysectomy. Luteal tissue from hypophysectomized and sham-hypophysectomized rabbits had similar wet weight (4.

Contrasting effects of oestradiol-17 beta and human chorionic gonadotrophin on steroidogenesis in the rabbit corpus luteum.

On Day 10 of pseudopregnancy, rabbits were given an i.v. injection of hCG (10-20 i.

Relationships between estrogen receptor and estradiol-stimulated progesterone synthesis in the rabbit corpus luteum.

The effects of estradiol on luteal estrogen receptor and steroidogenesis were examined on Days 9 through 11 of pseudopregnancy. In normal pseudopregnant rabbits, unoccupied cytoplasmic and total nuclear estrogen receptor were 2.6 +/- 0.