Long-term culture of islets abrogates cytokine-induced or lymphocyte-induced increase of antigen expression on beta cells.

Background: Immunogenicity of a graft depends on its expression of major histocompatability complex (MHC) antigens and adhesion molecules and on the amount of intragraft leukocytes, the so-called passenger leukocytes. Although long-term culture reduces passenger leukocytes, permanent acceptance is not necessarily observed after allogeneic transplantation. Because little is known about antigen expression on the surface of islet cells after long-term culture of islets, we investigated whether antigen expression of pancreatic beta cells is influenced by long-term culture and whether long-term culture can counteract the increase of antigen expression induced by cytokines or by allogeneic lymphocytes.

Gemcitabine and radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: a case report.

Hematogenous metastases occur in over 50% of muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the bladder. Despite treatment (mostly surgery and radiotherapy), patients with brain metastases have an especially poor prognosis (median survival 2-5 months), making palliative treatment an important consideration. We followed a 60-year-old man with multiple brain metastases who was ultimately treated with gemcitabine chemotherapy.

Recognition of islet-directed peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro before rejection of allogeneic grafted islets.

A co-culture of splenic lymphocytes with allogeneic pancreatic islets [i.e., mixed lymphocyte islet co-culture (MLIC)] for 96 hr leads to reduction of beta-cells and to an allospecific induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens on beta-cells.

Co-culture of pancreatic islets and allogeneic lymphocytes: alterations of responder and stimulator cells.

Mixed lymphocyte cultures have been used, e.g., in clinical transplantation, for donor-recipient selections.