Intramedullary osteosynthesis for metaphyseal and diaphyseal humeral fractures in developmental age.

Unlabelled: Diaphyseal and metaphyseal fractures of the humerus are relatively frequent in children. The treatment is often conservative, even in the case of displaced fractures for the high rate of spontaneous recovery of these fractures. The limits of nonsurgical treatment and its applications as well as the type of surgical treatment are controversial issues in the literature.

B-cell-derived granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF).

Biologically active granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was released spontaneously in culture by in vivo activated tonsillar B lymphocytes and, in particular, by the germinal center (GC) B-cell subset. In contrast, mantle zone B cells failed to produce the cytokine under any of the culture conditions tested. A CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb), recombinant (r) IL4, and the combination of the CD40 mAb and rIL4 all increased G-CSF production by GC B cells.

Expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor genes in partially overlapping monoclonal B-cell populations from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

B lymphocytes were purified from the peripheral blood of 30 B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) patients and tested for the ability to produce granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in vitro. Fifteen Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC)-stimulated, but not unstimulated, B-cell suspensions produced G-CSF in short-term cultures. Accordingly, G-CSF mRNA was detected only in SAC-stimulated B cells.

Functional and molecular characterization of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and clones thereof from a major-histocompatibility-complex-negative human tumour: neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a major-histocompatibility-complex(MHC)-negative neuroectodermal tumour that is often infiltrated with lymphocytes. A detailed characterization of NB-associated tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has never been carried out. Here we have investigated the immunophenotype and the cytotoxic activities of TIL from nine and seven NB patients respectively.

Relationships between B cell cytokine production in secondary lymphoid follicles and apoptosis of germinal center B lymphocytes.

In vivo or in vitro activated human B lymphocytes can produce a wide spectrum of cytokines which are involved in the regulation of hematopoiesis and of the inflammatory and immune responses. Three major B cell subsets have been identified in peripheral lymphoid organs: the germinal center (GC), the mantle zone (MZ) and the marginal zone B lymphocytes. GC and MZ B cells can be isolated as CD39- surface (s)IgD- or CD39+ sIgD+ cells, respectively.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile chronic arthritis and overlap syndromes: SLE patients with both lupus anticoagulant and high-titre anticardiolipin antibodies are at risk for clinical manifestations related to the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are often associated with severe clinical manifestations, especially in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we have investigated the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) in paediatric patients affected with SLE, JCA and overlap syndromes (OS) and correlated the presence of aCL and LA with clinical features. aCL were assayed by enzyme-limited immunoassay; LA was determined by activated partial thromboplastin time and the kaolin clotting time test.

Toxoplasma gondii-specific CD4+ T cell clones from healthy, latently infected humans display a Th0 profile of cytokine secretion.

Human Toxoplasma gondii (Tg)-specific T cell clones were raised by infecting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from two healthy, latently infected individuals with Tg trophozoites. All of the clones had a CD4+ immunophenotype and produced simultaneously interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5 upon mitogen or antigen stimulation. Tg-specific T cell clones were classified as T helper of type 0 (Th0) since most of them released roughly comparable amounts of IFN-gamma and IL-4.

Clonal analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes from three patients with advanced neuroblastoma receiving recombinant interleukin-2 and interferon alpha.

In this study we have investigated, at the population and the clonal levels, the immunophenotypes and the non-specific cytotoxic functions of peripheral blood lymphocytes from three stage IV neuroblastoma patients receiving treatment with recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon alpha (IFN alpha). Both IL-2 alone and the combination of IL-2 and IFN alpha caused an in vivo expansion of CD56+, CD3- NK cells most of which expressed the p75 molecule, i.e.

Normal levels of soluble CD4 in sera from patients with juvenile chronic arthritis.

Sera from a group of patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were tested for soluble CD4 (sCD4). In most cases normal levels of the molecule were detected independent of disease activity. Similar results were obtained when sera from a population of adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were analyzed.

Cyclosporin A in the treatment of juvenile chronic arthritis and childhood polymyositis-dermatomyositis. Results of a preliminary study.

In this study we have investigated the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin A (CyA) in a group of pediatric patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA, 9 cases) and polymyositis-dermatomyositis (PM-DM, 3 cases). Of the 9 JCA patients, 7 had the systemic and 2 the polyarticular form of the disease. All of the patients received CyA after the failure of corticosteroids and/or cytotoxic drugs.