The significance of sIL-2R detection in various hepatic diseases]

A patient with an idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy described two types of oscillopsia, one induced by head movement, the other induced by changing pressure in the right external auditory canal. This is the first report of both types of oscillopsia occurring in the same individual and illustrates their different mechanisms and symptomatology.     

Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of human transforming growth factor-beta 1 in rat cardiac fibroblasts, myocytes and smooth muscle cells

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is known to regulate cardiac cell function and its overexpression in the heart is thought to contribute to the development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. We wished to develop a high efficiency gene transfer method that could be used both in vitro and in vivo and result in the overexpression of TGF-beta 1. For this purpose, we constructed a replication-deficient human adenovirus 5 vector encoding for human TGF-beta 1 and used for control purposes an adenovirus lacZ vector. The adenovirus 5 construct was capable of infecting neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, fibroblasts and VSMCs. Of the three cell types, cardiac myocytes appear more susceptible to infection by the adenovirus 5 construct as assessed through beta-galactosidase staining. Infection of cardiac fibroblasts, myocytes and VSMCs with the hTGF-beta 1 adenovirus leads to the expression of hTGF-beta 1 mRNA and enhanced levels of bioactive and total TGF-beta 1 protein. Infection with hTGF-beta 1 adenovirus also results in enhanced levels of collagen type III gene expression in VSMCs and fibroblasts whereas in cardiac myocytes it leads to increased levels for sarcomeric and beta-actin. Thus, this adenoviral vector might be used for the exploration of in vivo effects of altered levels of cardiac TGF-beta 1.     

The V3 region of gp120 is responsible for anti-HIV-1 activity of heparin sulphate

The effect of heparin sulphate on the infection of CD4+ lymphocytes by recombinant HIV-1 clones pIIIB and by pIIIB/V3-BaL was investigated. It was demonstrated that heparin sulphate decreased the infectivity of CD4+ lymphocytes by the pIIIB virus stronger than by the pIIIB/V3-BaL clone, and that the effect of heparin was concentration-dependent. This was accompanied by an inhibition of binding of the monoclonal antibodies 447-52-D to the V3 region and G45-60 to the C4 region of oligomeric glycoprotein 120 (gp120). It has been concluded that the inhibitory effect of heparin sulphate on the infection of CD4+ lymphocytes by recombinant HIV-1 clones is mediated mainly by the V3 region of gp120. However, the C4 region contributes to the inhibitory effect of heparin sulphate.     

Influences of gender and social class on adolescents' perceptions of health

OBJECTIVE: To explore how gender and social class affect perceptions of health status among 16-year-old adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: University psychology laboratory. PARTICIPANS: Fifty upper-middle-class and 48 working-class adolescents stratified by gender. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The general health perceptions (GHP) scale of the Medical Outcomes Survey 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The other self-reported health status domains and 3 measures of different aspects of psychological well-being were included as covariates in analysis of variance models. RESULTS: Upper-middle-class females reported the lowest and upper-middle-class males the highest GHP (76.7 vs 88.4, P=.003). A multivariate regression model (adjusted R2=0.08) revealed significant gender (P=.03) differences in GHP, but not a social class effect, and an interaction effect between gender and class (P=.01). With addition of psychological well-being covariates (P<.001), gender remained significant (P=.04) and a significant portion of the interaction effect (P=.13) was explained. When the self-reported physical health status scales (P<.001) were added to the model (adjusted R2=0.51), gender remained significant (P=.03) and the interaction effect was partially explained (P=.07). CONCLUSIONS: Gender is a crucial factor in understanding the complex relationships between sociostructural inequalities and health differentials. These data suggest that psychological well-being and self-reported physical health status mediate the effects of gender and the gender and social class interaction in explaining variation in GHP. Contrary to the social class gradient hypothesis, upper-middle-class females reported the lowest GHP. These results suggest that the paradigms applicable to early childhood and adulthood may not be appropriate to understand the complex dynamics of adolescence.