Observations on the pia-arachnoid of the anterior median fissure and the posterior median sulcus of the fetal spinal cord of the albino mouse

A pericentric inversion of an X chromosome [46,X,inv(X)(p11q28] with no detectable deletions was ascertained by amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis in a 42-year-old woman. No defintive counsel could be offered as such an inversion had not been previously reported. At 1 year, the infant appears normal. These data and the review of other recently published karyotypes suggest an absence of a somatic position effect in the human X chromosome and possible biases of ascertainment or possible alternative karyotypic interpretations of some previously reported inv(X) cases.     

Cytokine profiles of stimulated blood lymphocytes in asthmatic and healthy adolescents across the school year

T cell cytokines play an important role in mediating airway inflammation in asthma. The predominance of a Th2 cytokine profile, particularly interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, is associated with the pathogenesis and course of asthma. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a stressful life event alters the pattern of cytokine release in asthmatic individuals. Thirteen healthy controls and 21 asthmatic adolescents gave blood samples three times over a semester: midsemester, during the week of final examinations, and 2-3 weeks after examinations. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 were measured from supernatants of cells stimulated with PHA/PMA for 24 h. Cells from asthmatic subjects released significantly more IL-5 during the examination and postexamination periods, whereas cells from healthy controls released significantly more IL-2 during the midsemester and examination periods, thereby indicating a bias for a Th2-like pattern in asthmatics and a Th1-like pattern in healthy controls. IL-4 and IL-5 production showed a marked decrease during and after examinations in healthy controls, whereas this decline was absent in asthmatics. The ratios of IFN-gamma:IL-4 and IFN-gamma:IL-5 also revealed significant changes in the profile of cytokine release across the semester. These results indicate differential cytokine responses in asthmatics that may become pronounced during periods of cellular activation.     

B and also T lymphocytes migrate via gut lymph to all lymphoid organs and the gut wall, but only IgA+ cells accumulate in the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa

In pigs the lymphocytes emigrating from the intestinal wall were collected by cannulating the lymphatics, labeled in vitro using a fluorescent dye and retransfused. The injection of 6.6+/-4.2 x 10(8) cells resulted in a labeling index between 1.5% in intestinal lymph, 0.2% in the spleen and lymph nodes, approximately 0.1% in the intestinal lamina propria and 0.003% in intraepithelial lymphocytes. About 25 % of the injected cells were present in the blood and 1 % was recovered in the lymph. T cells were found in similar proportions in the injected and the recovered cells in the organs (70-80%). The proportion of IgA+ cells among the immigrated cells in the intestinal lamina propria ranged from 5 to 8%, which in absolute numbers was up to 60% of the injected IgA+ cells. T and IgM+ cells did not show a higher accumulation in any organ. These experiments in conventional, unrestrained animals revealed that (1) T cells immigrate into the intestinal lamina propria, (2) preferential migration of IgA+ cells from gut lymph to the intestinal lamina propria is obvious under in vivo conditions and (3) the immigrated IgA+ cells represent a very small population which is difficult to detect when analyzed in relative numbers.