Elevated serum levels of soluble CD30 in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD)

The immunopathology of AD is still unclear, but evidence for an immune response polarized towards Th2 activity has been provided. The CD30 molecule belongs to the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family and is expressed on activated T cells with a sustained expression in Th2 cells. This molecule also exists in a soluble form (sCD30). Elevated serum levels of sCD30 have been found in patients with Hodgkin's disease, chronic hepatitis B infection and HIV infection. Studies were undertaken to compare the serum levels of sCD30 in patients with AD (n=49) and healthy non-atopic controls (n=94). The presence of sCD30 was analysed with ELISA. A significantly higher concentration of sCD30 was noted in AD patients, median sCD30 level 29 U/ml (range 1-708 U/ml), compared with healthy non-atopic controls (P<0.001), where the median level was 11 U/ml with a range of 1-1042 U/ml. No correlation was found between sCD30 levels and total serum IgE, or between the AD patients' SCORAD values and concentration of sCD30. sCD30 levels were also analysed in 20 AD patients, which during ketoconazole treatment had improved their clinical scores and reduced their serum IgE and eosinophil cationic protein levels. However, no significant decrease in sCD30 levels was noted after treatment. The results show that patients with AD have elevated levels of sCD30, but without correlation to total serum IgE or disease activity.     

Pulmonary function after one-lung ventilation in newborns: the basis for neonatal thoracoscopy

BACKGROUND: To maintain good exposure during major video-assisted thoracic surgery it is necessary to deflate completely the ipsilateral lung. However, little is known about the effects of one-lung ventilation (OLV) on pulmonary function in newborn patients. METHODS: Ten neonatal domestic pigs with a mean age of 6+/-0.6 days were intubated and ventilated in pressure-controlled mode (inspired oxygen fraction=1.0). One-lung ventilation was maintained for 120 minutes. Serial measurements of hemodynamics and gas exchange were done before, during, and until 90 minutes after OLV. Pulmonary function testing was performed before and after OLV for each lung separately. RESULTS: With the inspired oxygen fraction set at 1.0, arterial oxygen saturation remained stable at 100% during OLV. Venous admixture and alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradient increased slightly from the baseline value of 2.6% +/-0.3% to 3.8%+/-0.3% during OLV (mean+/-standard error of the mean; p=0.02), and from 358+/-28 to 407+/-18 mm Hg (not significant), respectively. Both values returned to baseline during the subsequent ventilation of both lungs. Static compliance and resistance of the ventilated lung did not change. Compliance of the collapsed lung decreased after reexpansion from 0.42+/-0.07 to 0.29+/-0.06 mL x cm H2O(-1) x kg(-1), p=0.008). Resistance remained unchanged (0.22+/-0.02 versus 0.25+/-0.05 cm H2O x L(-1) x s(-1); not significant). CONCLUSIONS: There were only minor effects on pulmonary function during and after OLV in the neonatal piglet. Alterations in gas exchange during OLV were minimal. Prolonged collapse of the lung with subsequent reexpansion was associated with a slight decrease in compliance, indicating some mild lung injury.     

Distribution of allelic forms of erythrocyte H1 histones in Japanese quail populations divergently selected for amount of weight loss after transient starvation

Three polymorphic subtypes of erythrocyte histone H1 (H1.a, H1.b, and H1.z) were analyzed using a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel in quail populations divergently selected for a high (line 1) or low (line 2) reduction in body mass following temporary food withdrawal. Both H1.b and H1.z histone alleles were found to be differently distributed in these populations during the selection period. The frequency of b1 in line 2 was approximately 1.9-2.8 times lower than in line 1 and approached the values in line 1 when the selection was suspended. Similarly, the frequency of allele z2 at locus H1.z increased significantly (about 1.6-2.3 times) in line 2 during selection and returned to the initial values when selection was stopped. On the other hand, allele a0 at locus H1.a was kept at relatively low levels (usually below 0.05) in both lines during selection. At that time its level was approximately three to four times lower than in a random mating control population. When selection was suspended, the frequency of a0 in line 1 increased significantly, approaching the values in the control line, and remained essentially unchanged in line 2. Thus, all three polymorphic histone H1 loci in quail responded through changes in allele frequencies to the breeding selection, which was directed at the amount of body weight loss upon transient starvation. It seems that either H1 histone locus could be linked to loci controlling the rate of body weight reduction following starvation or weight loss during fasting might be influenced by a panel of H1 histone alleles that can contribute to functional differences in avian chromatin.     

A new mumps virus lineage found in the 1995 mumps outbreak in western Switzerland identified by nucleotide sequence analysis of the SH gene

We determined the nucleotide sequence of the SH gene its flanking regions over a range of 380 nucleotides for three distinct mumps virus (MUV) isolates. Two isolates from the 1992 mumps epidemic in Western Switzerland and one MUV isolated in 1995 in the same geographic area have been analyzed and compared to 16 recently published SH nucleotide sequences and their presumed amino acid sequences. The nucleotide sequences from the 1992 MUV isolates were identical and closely related to two MUV strains from Eastern Switzerland and strains from the U.K. The MUV isolated in 1995 is clearly different from all other strains.     

Decreased levels of a soluble form of the human adhesion receptor CD58 (LFA-3) in sera and synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The mode of interaction between muramyl dipeptide (MDP), a compound with immunopharmacological activities, and 5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) was studied in isolated nerve-smooth muscle preparations of the carp stomach. Application of exogenous 5-HT evoked direct smooth muscle contractions; electric neurogenic stimulation evoked twitches due to release of 5-HT from nerve endings. Contractions evoked by a high concentration of 5-HT (3-30 microM) were resistant to atropine and potentiated in the presence of MDP. Isamoltan (5-HTID antagonist) decreased the amplitude of contractions, whereas ketanserin (5-HT2 antagonist) and MDL 72,222 (5-HT3 antagonist) had no effect. The addition of low concentrations (0.1-1.5 microM) of 5-HT did not contract the preparation but caused a decrease in the amplitude of neurogenic twitches, which might be due to the presynaptic inhibition of serotonin release. This effect of 5-HT was not changed by isamoltan or ketanserin, but it was largely reduced in the presence of 5-HT3 antagonists tropisetron and MDL 72,222. This inhibitory effect of 5-HT on twitch amplitude was potentiated by MDP. The interaction of MDP with the serotonergic system thus involved not only potentiation of the postsynaptic effect of higher 5-HT concentrations, which might have been mediated via the 5-HT1 subsystem, but also presynaptic inhibition. MDP enhancement of 5-HT's inhibitory effect, mediated via 5-HT3 receptors, might represent a new feature in mutual 5-HT-MDP interactions.     

Structural characterization of the cyanelle peptidoglycan of Cyanophora paradoxa by 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment/tandem mass spectrometry

A strategy for the structural characterization of the four major NaBH4-reduced peptidoglycan monomers derived from muramidase-digested peptidoglycan from the cyanelles of the flagellate Cyanophora paradoxa Korschikoff is described. Initial molecular weight determination of these glycopeptides was performed by positive and negative ion plasma desorption mass spectrometry. Due to the presence of two pairs of disaccharide tripeptide and disaccharide tetrapeptide monomers differing in mass by 112 units, respectively, an as yet unknown peptidoglycan modification either at the carbohydrate or at the peptide moiety was assumed. beta-Elimination of the disaccharide unit from the unreduced peptidoglycan monomers yielded the corresponding (modified) N1-lactyltripeptides and -tetrapeptides, respectively. These peptides, N-terminally blocked with lactic acid, unambiguously showed the modification to be located on the peptide moiety. By positive ion fast atom bombardment/hybrid tandem mass spectrometry of the reduced peptidoglycan monomers as well as of the corresponding deglycosylated monomers (= N1-lactylpeptides) the modification was determined to be linked to the glutamic acid moiety. Based on combined data from plasma desorption mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, accurate mass measurement and amino acid analysis of the acid hydrolysate after derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde by high-performance liquid chromatography we could establish the structure of the modification as N-acetylputrescine. Finally, the confirmation of the linkage of the glutamic acid to diaminopimelic acid via the gamma-COOH was based on the presence of a-type peptide backbone fragment ions in the positive ion plasma desorption mass spectra of the modified N1-lactylpeptides.     

Activating mutations of the Gs alpha-gene in nonfunctioning pituitary tumors

The majority of pituitary tumors are of monoclonal origin; however, the molecular basis for their formation is poorly understood. Somatic mutations in the alpha-subunit of the GTP-binding protein, Gs alpha (gsp oncogene) have been found in about one third of GH-secreting tumors. Mutations in another alpha-subunit of a GTP-binding protein, Gi2 alpha (gip mutations) have been described in other endocrine tumors. In this study, we examined 21 nonfunctioning pituitary tumors and 4 macroprolactinomas for gsp mutations and 27 nonfunctioning tumors and 4 macroprolactinomas for gip mutations. Using the polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 2 nonfunctioning pituitary tumors displayed migration abnormalities when the Gs alpha-gene was analyzed. Sequence analysis of these abnormally migrating polymerase chain reaction products revealed two previously known gsp mutations: arginine at codon 201 altered to cysteine, and glutamine at codon 227 changed to leucine. No gip mutations could be demonstrated. These findings emphasize the monoclonal origin of nonfunctioning pituitary tumors and suggest that cAMP may play a role in tumorigenesis of nonfunctioning pituitary tumors.