Studies on the efficacy of hyperbaric rendering procedures in inactivating bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie agents

The efficacy of the procedures in use at the two rendering plants in the Netherlands was assessed on a laboratory-scale using procedures that simulated the pressure cooking part of the rendering process. A pool of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected brainstem from the United Kingdom and a pool of scrapie-infected brainstem from Dutch sheep were used to spike the rendering materials. The mixtures were subjected to various time-temperature combinations of hyperbaric heat treatment related to the conditions used in Dutch rendering plants in the early 1990s, and to the combination of 20 minutes at 133 degrees C required by the EU Directive on rendering of 1996. The efficacy of the procedures in inactivating BSE or scrapie infectivity was measured by titrating the materials before and after heat treatment in inbred mice, by combined intracerebral and intraperitoneal inoculations at limiting dilutions. Two independent series of experiments were carried out. The design of the study allowed for minimum inactivations of up to 2.2 log (2.0 in the second series) to be measured in the diluted infective material and 3.1 log in the undiluted material. After 20 minutes at 133 degrees C there was a reduction of BSE infectivity of about 2.2 log in the first series (with some residual infectivity detected), and in the second series more than 2.0 log (with no residual infectivity detected). With undiluted brain material there was an inactivation of about 3.0 log (with some residual infectivity detected). With the same procedure, scrapie infectivity was reduced by more than 1.7 log in the first series and by more than 2.2 log in the second series. With undiluted brain material there was an inactivation of more than 3.1 log. In each case no residual scrapie infectivity was detected. The BSE agent consistently appeared to be more resistant to heat inactivation procedures than the scrapie agent, particularly at lower temperatures and shorter times.     

Use of the ARPE-19 cell line as a model of RPE polarity: basolateral secretion of FGF5

PURPOSE: To determine the polarity of fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) secretions from retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and to examine the viability and utility of the ARPE-19 cell line as a model for the study of RPE polarity. METHODS: Influenza infection and adenovirus-mediated gene transfer were used to deliver and express genes encoding influenza hemagglutinin (HA), p75-NTR (a neurotrophin receptor), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), and FGF5 in confluent monolayers of ARPE-19 cells. The localization of HA, p75-NTR, and LDLR was determined by confocal microscopy. Domain selective biotinylation assays were used to quantitatively determine the polarities of p75-NTR and LDLR. The secretion of FGF5 into the apical and basal media of ARPE-19 cultures was examined by immunoblot analysis of conditioned media. RESULTS: Hemagglutinin and p75-NTR were found to be localized on the apical surface of infected and transduced ARPE-19 cells. In contrast, LDLR was associated preferentially with the basolateral membrane of ARPE-19 cells. Biotinylation studies indicated that 84% of p75-NTR was present on the apical surface, and 79% of LDLR was basolaterally polarized. Over the course of 6 hours, more than 90% of the total secreted FGF5 protein accumulated in the basolateral media. CONCLUSIONS: ARPE-19 cells exhibit a polarized distribution of cell surface markers when examined by either confocal microscopy or surface-labeling assays. This indicates that the ARPE-19 cell line is a valid model for studies of RPE cell polarity. FGF5, a secreted protein normally produced by RPE cells, is accumulated preferentially in the basal media after only 6 hours, suggesting that it is vectorially secreted from the basolateral surface of ARPE-19 cells.     

Characterization and screening for mutations of the growth arrest-specific 11 (GAS11) and C16orf3 genes at 16q24.3 in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Both fibroblast-mediated cytokine gene therapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have proven to be efficient protocols for the recovery of bone marrow depression. In this report, the effects of fibroblast-mediated interleukin (IL)-6 gene therapy, in combination with BMT, on the recovery of irradiation-induced bone marrow depression were investigated. METHODS: NIH3T3 fibroblast cells engineered to secrete IL-6 (NIH3T3-IL-6) or NIH3T3 cells transduced with the neomycin gene (NIH3T3-Neo), in combination with 10(7), 10(6), or 10(5) syngeneic bone marrow cells, were implanted into irradiated mice. RESULTS: The platelets and white blood cells in the peripheral blood of the irradiated mice increased greatly 12 days after implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells and BMT, the white blood cell counts were restored to a normal level 32 days after the combined therapy, and the platelet number was obviously higher than that in mice implanted with NIH3T3-Neo and BMT. Twenty and 25 days after the combined therapy, the mice showed accelerated recovery of colony-forming unit (CFU)-granulocyte/macrophages and CFU-megakaryocytes when compared with the mice implanted with NIH3T3-Neo cells and BMT. Ten days after lethal irradiation with gamma rays, the spleens formed more CFU-spleen in mice implanted with NIH3T3-IL-6 cells and BMT than in mice injected with phosphate-buffered saline or NIH3T3-Neo cells. Combined therapy with NIH3T3-IL-6 cell implantation and BMT delayed the survival period of the hematopoietic-depressed mice significantly when compared with therapy with NIH3T3-Neo cell implantation and BMT. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that the combined therapy of fibroblast-mediated IL-6 gene therapy and BMT could significantly promote the recovery of irradiation-induced hematopoietic depression.     

Health for all: analyzing health status and determinants

Several clinical disorders are strongly influenced by hormones involved in appetite and weight regulation. Obesity and eating disorders are of major importance, because they are associated with severe morbidity and considered to be among the greatest health problems in the Western world today. This review describes recent findings in hormonal regulation of food intake by substances acting both centrally, such as corticotropin-releasing factor, neuropeptide Y and leptin, and peripherally, such as cholecystokinin and somatostatin. Sex hormones and glucocorticoids play an important role in long-term regulation of metabolism. The role of these hormones in appetite and weight changes during life as well as during pregnancy and lactation is discussed. Furthermore, the development of obesity and eating disorders is influenced, in particular, by steroid hormones. Treatment with sex hormones, as in hormone replacement therapy, affects appetite and weight and may have beneficial effects in preventing android obesity. Currently, there is great effort in developing endogenous neurohumoral substances into effective drugs for the treatment of obesity and eating disorders. Leptin and neuropeptide Y analogues are of interest as potential antiobesity agents.     

The role of oncostatin M in animal and human connective tissue collagen turnover and its localization within the rheumatoid joint

OBJECTIVE: To study the interaction of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and oncostatin M (OSM) in promoting cartilage collagen destruction. METHODS: Bovine, porcine, and human cartilage and human chondrocytes were studied in culture. The levels of collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase 1 [MMP-1]) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) were measured by bioassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of OSM in rheumatoid synovial fluid were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: When combined with OSM, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and tumor necrosis factor alpha released proteoglycan and collagen from cartilage. OSM was the only member of the IL-6 family to have this effect. Human tendon also responded to IL-1alpha and OSM. OSM increased the production of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 but when combined with IL-1alpha, synergistically promoted MMP-1 production in human chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts. High levels of OSM were found in human rheumatoid synovial fluids, and confocal microscopy showed that OSM was produced by macrophages in rheumatoid synovial tissue. CONCLUSION: These results highlight an important new mechanism by which there is irreversible loss of collagen from cartilage.     

Serum IgG2 level, Gm(23) allotype and FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIb receptors in refractory periodontal disease

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the levels of serum IgG2, the frequency of detection of Gm(23)-negative allotype and frequency of detection of FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIb receptor haplotypes in 32 refractory, 54 successfully treated and 27 periodontally healthy individuals. Refractory subjects showed mean full mouth attachment loss and/or >3 sites with attachment loss >2.5 mm within 1 year after both scaling and root planing, and surgery plus systemically administered tetracycline. Successfully treated subjects showed mean attachment level gain and no sites with attachment loss >2.5 mm 1 year post-therapy. Periodontally healthy subjects exhibited no pocket depth or attachment level >3 mm, and no evidence of progressing disease during 1 year of monitoring. Blood was obtained from each subject at baseline. Serum IgG2 and Gm(23) allotype were determined using radial immunodiffusion. DNA was extracted from whole blood and the FcgammaR genotypes determined using PCR and allele specific oligonucleotide probes. Significance of differences among clinical groups were sought using the Kruskal-Wallis or chi-square tests. Associations between 2 or more variables were tested using regression analysis. Refractory subjects exhibited higher mean attachment loss and pocket depth than successfully treated or periodontally healthy subjects. Smoking status did not differ significantly among groups. No significant differences in serum IgG2 levels and frequency of detection of Gm(23)-negative allotype were observed among the clinical groups. Serum IgG2 level was positively associated with the number of serum antibody responses to subgingival species (r=0.51, p<0.001). Subjects with the Gm(23)-negative allotype exhibited lower mean levels of serum IgG2 (3.06+/-0.3 versus 3.9+/-0.2, p<0.01) and mean number of serum antibodies to subgingival species (17.7+/-1.7 versus 23.3+/-1.4, p<0.05) than allotype positive individuals. No significant differences in FcgammaR haplotype distribution were observed among the 3 clinical groups. Associations of serum IgG2 level, Gm(23) allotype, FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIb receptor haplotypes and smoking status were weakly related or not related to clinical status. This lack of relationship may have been due to a reality of no relationship, or the inadvertent pooling of subjects where these factors were of primary importance with subjects in whom these factors played a less important role.     

Comparative evaluation of FUNGITEST and broth microdilution methods for antifungal drug susceptibility testing of Candida species and Cryptococcus neoformans

The FUNGITEST method (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur, Paris, France) is a microplate-based procedure for the breakpoint testing of six antifungal agents (amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and miconazole). We compared the FUNGITEST method with a broth microdilution test, performed according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards document M27-A guidelines, for determining the in vitro susceptibilities of 180 isolates of Candida spp. (50 C. albicans, 50 C. glabrata, 10 C. kefyr, 20 C. krusei, 10 C. lusitaniae, 20 C. parapsilosis, and 20 C. tropicalis isolates) and 20 isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Overall, there was 100% agreement between the methods for amphotericin B, 95% agreement for flucytosine, 84% agreement for miconazole, 83% agreement for itraconazole, 77% agreement for ketoconazole, and 76% agreement for fluconazole. The overall agreement between the methods exceeded 80% for all species tested with the exception of C. glabrata (71% agreement). The poorest agreement between the results for individual agents was seen with C. glabrata (38% for fluconazole, 44% for ketoconazole, and 56% for itraconazole) and C. tropicalis (50% for miconazole). The FUNGITEST method misclassified as susceptible 2 of 12 (16.6%) fluconazole-resistant isolates, 2 of 10 (20%) itraconazole-resistant isolates, and 4 of 8 (50%) ketoconazole-resistant isolates of several Candida spp. Further development of the FUNGITEST procedure will be required before it can be recommended as an alternative method for the susceptibility testing of Candida spp. or C. neoformans.     

Screening for diabetic retinopathy: the utility of nonmydriatic retinal photography in Egyptian adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Drug resistance has become a major cause of treatment failure in patients with acute leukemia. P-glycoprotein (Pgp), which is associated with the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, has been reported to be an important predictor of treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to analyze the value of Pgp expression in bone marrow or peripheral blood as a predictor of the response to remission induction chemotherapy as well as the duration of remission in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined the expression of Pgp in 82 patients with de novo AML using an immunocytochemical assay with the C219 monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 82 patients (33%) were C219-positive in from 1% to 100% of their cells. Thirteen cases (16%) showed a positive reaction in more than 50% of the leukemic cells. Only hyperleukocytosis was significantly associated with higher expression of Pgp. Although 8 of the 13 cases (62%) with more than 50% of cells having Pgp expression were CD34-positive, this association was not statistically significant. A univariate analysis of resistance to induction therapy showed a significantly higher resistance rate in patients with increased Pgp expression (P = 0.01) as well as in those patients with decreased reactivity to myeloperoxidase. The multivariate analysis revealed the independent prognostic value of Pgp expression. C219 reactivity did not have an influence on remission duration. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that P-glycoprotein expression is a reliable marker of resistance to induction treatment in patients with de novo AML.