A peculiar form of amicrobial pustulosis of the folds associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and other auto-immune diseases

This article continues the series of electronic microscopical investigations of tick attachment and host's inflammatory reaction in the attachment site. In all this works we used larvae of different Ixodid ticks but the same species of the host (white mouse), Ixodid species having different type of attachment. Dermacentor marginatus (Amosova, 1989a) is characterized by the superficial penetration of mouth parts, the abundance of cement around them and on the surface of the host's skin, the mouth parts of Hyalomma asiaticum are fully inserted and the superficial cement is minimal (Amosova, 1989b) and Ixodes ricinus has mouth parts inserted more deeply in the skin tissue of the host and the cement substance localised only on the surface of the skin at the 1st and 2nd days of feeding period. For this investigation we choose Haemaphysalis longicornis because it is known (see Kemp et al., 1982) that genus Haemaphysalis has the most superficial localisation of the mouth parts in the attachment site. We have studied a fine structure of cement cone and the cement substance surrounding the mouth parts in the skin and have demonstrated that it is very similar to the Dermacentor marginatus cement structure. The pattern of cellular response is similar to D. marginatus lesion too.     

Architecture of the yeast cell wall. Beta(1-->6)-glucan interconnects mannoprotein, beta(1-->)3-glucan, and chitin

In a previous study (Kollár, R., Petráková, E., Ashwell, G., Robbins, P. W., and Cabib, E. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 1170-1178), the linkage region between chitin and beta(1-->3)-glucan was solubilized and isolated in the form of oligosaccharides, after digestion of yeast cell walls with beta(1-->3)-glucanase, reduction with borotritide, and subsequent incubation with chitinase. In addition to the oligosaccharides, the solubilized fraction contained tritium-labeled high molecular weight material. We have now investigated the nature of this material and found that it represents areas in which all four structural components of the cell wall, beta(1-->3)-glucan, beta(1-->6)-glucan, chitin, and mannoprotein are linked together. Mannoprotein, with a protein moiety about 100 kDa in apparent size, is attached to beta(1-->6)-glucan through a remnant of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor containing five alpha-linked mannosyl residues. The beta(1-->6)-glucan has some beta(1-->3)-linked branches, and it is to these branches that the reducing terminus of chitin chains appears to be attached in a beta(1-->4) or beta(1-->2) linkage. Finally, the reducing end of beta(1-->6)-glucan is connected to the nonreducing terminal glucose of beta(1-->3)-glucan through a linkage that remains to be established. A fraction of the isolated material has three of the main components but lacks mannoprotein. From these results and previous findings on the linkage between mannoproteins and beta(1-->6)-glucan, it is concluded that the latter polysaccharide has a central role in the organization of the yeast cell wall. The possible mechanism of synthesis and physiological significance of the cross-links is discussed.     

Strategy for development of a pre-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum DNA vaccine for human use

Data generated in the Plasmodium yoelii rodent model indicated that plasmid DNA vaccines encoding the P.yoelii circumsporozoite protein (PyCSP) or 17 kDa hepatocyte erythrocyte protein (PyHEP17) were potent inducers of protective CD8+ T cell responses directed against infected hepatocytes. Immunization with a mixture of these plasmids circumvented the genetic restriction of protective immunity and induced additive protection. A third DNA vaccine encoding the P. yoelii sporozoite surface protein 2 (PySSP2) also induced protection. The P. falciparum genes encoding the homologues of these three protective P. yoelii antigens as well as another P. falciparum gene encoding a protein that is expressed in infected hepatocytes have been chosen for the development of a human vaccine. The optimal plasmid constructs for human use will be selected on the basis of immunogenicity data generated in mice and nonhuman primates. We anticipate that optimization of multi-gene P. falciparum DNA vaccines designed to protect against malaria by inducing CD8+ T cells that target infected hepatocytes will require extensive clinical trials during the coming years.     

Measurement of synovial lining volume by magnetic resonance imaging of the knee in chronic synovitis

OBJECTIVES: Current methods of monitoring chronic synovitis in a single joint rely on clinical examination derived indices, such as the detection of synovial thickening. This study aimed to develop a reproducible method for quantifying the volume of synovial lining in chronic synovitis using contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS: The knees of 18 patients with chronic synovitis were examined (34 studies). A 2D T1 weighted FLASH sequence was used to evaluate the temporal enhancement of synovial structures after intravenous contrast. Synovial lining volume was calculated from subtraction of pre and post-enhancement 3D T1 weighted MP RAGE images with thresholding and pixel counting. Eleven patients were examined before and after intra-articular glucocorticoid (mean interval 14 weeks) and MR data compared with changes in clinical examination derived indices of disease activity. RESULTS: Synovial lining volume varied from 52-267 ml. The coefficient of variation in volume calculation was 3.5% for a single observer and was 3.8% for two observers. Synovial lining volume was quantified in all patients where synovial lining thickening could not be detected clinically. A decrease in synovial lining volume of > 40% was associated with an improvement in synovial lining thickening, detected clinically. Decreases in synovial lining volume were quantified by MR in two of three patients where changes in clinical examination derived indices were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: A reproducible method of estimating the volume of synovial lining in patients with chronic synovitis has been developed. MR measurement of synovial lining volume may quantify changes in chronic synovitis that remain unidentified by clinical measures.     

Late cytomegalovirus disease in marrow transplantation is predicted by virus load in plasma

Late occurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after day 100 after bone marrow transplantation has become an increasing problem; whether a quantitative measurement of CMV DNA in plasma by polymerase chain reaction (P-PCR) could be predictive of such disease was investigated. In a prospective study, 117 subjects undergoing allogeneic marrow transplantation were followed for 120 days with weekly CMV blood cultures, with day 35 bronchoalveolar lavage CMV cultures, with weekly CMV P-PCR, and with clinical follow-up for an additional 1-2 years. Despite preemptive ganciclovir, CMV disease occurred in 9% of subjects, with a median time of onset of 176 days. Quantitative CMV P-PCR was associated with the late development of CMV disease (P = .01). Of 43 subjects with positive P-PCR results, 23% developed CMV disease, but no disease occurred in the 74 subjects with negative P-PCR (P < .001), despite the fact that 22% had CMV isolated from lung lavage fluid and 32% had CMV isolated from blood.     

Age-related changes in cognitive ERPs of attenuation

The purpose of this article is to deliberate the moral and legal dilemma entailed in the weapon of the labour strike as a pressure tactic on the Israeli Finance Ministry regarding job slots, budgets and, in effect, violating the collective agreement signed by the nurses and impairing patients' treatment, as opposed to refraining from striking and suffering the heavy burden of work, the lack of trained personnel, low wages, and the inability to give patients proper, high quality treatment.     

Peripheral nerve stimulation in a whole-body echo-planar imaging system

Echo-planar techniques in MRI use a rapidly oscillating frequency-encoding gradient with the potential to produce peripheral nerve stimulation. To evaluate the incidence, type, and location of stimulation in a commercial whole-body scanner, we studied two groups: (a) 173 consecutive individuals scanned by echo-planar imaging for other purposes and (b) seven subjects who were scanned with an extensive set of 36 echo-planar sequences (with prompting after each scan to report any peripheral nerve stimulation) to test the effects of various parameters. Although only 5% of group A reported symptoms of peripheral nerve stimulation, all in group B experienced some type of stimulation, dependent primarily on direction of the oscillating gradient and location of the body within the gradient coil. Maximum stimulation typically occurred 30 to 40 cm from isocenter in the region of maximum dB/dt. Generally, y gradients produced truncal stimulation, and x gradients produced stimulation in the head. When hands were clasped over the abdomen, a tingling in the hands occasionally was felt. Patients should be instructed to keep their hands apart.