摘要:

Production of neuroendocrine peptides by human lymphocytes is thought to facilitate control of the immune response. The presence of neuroendocrine peptide gene expression, specifically the TSH beta subunit gene, was studied in human lymphocytes using Northern blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. Northern blot analysis of human lymphocyte RNA probed with a TSH beta cDNA probe failed to demonstrate TSH beta subunit steady state message levels. PCR amplification of lymphocyte-derived cDNA using TSH beta subunit complementary primers resulted in amplification of a .38 Kb DNA fragment, confirming expression and initial exonic splicing of TSH beta subunit gene exons 2 and 3 in human lymphocytes. Sequence analysis of this .38 Kb DNA fragment demonstrated conservation of exon borders after splicing (exons 2 and 3) and predicted an amino acid translation product similar, if not identical, to human TSH beta peptide sequence. Hybridization with a TSH beta subunit cDNA probe of PCR-amplified reverse-transcribed lymphocyte RNA suggested that: (1) the abundance of TSH beta subunit gene transcripts in human lymphocytes is less than the relative abundance in T3-treated pituitary; and (2) this messenger RNA may be modulated by the presence of certain thyromimetic compounds (T2, T3, TRIAC).

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A high pressure liquid chromatography technique for measuring phosphocreatine and adenine nucleotides in human cutaneous tissue is described. The presence of phosphocreatine in human skin was confirmed by this analytic method. Molar concentration of phosphocreatine and adenine nucleotides were determined in normal skin and in benign and malignant skin lesions. The preliminary results suggest that absolute amounts of phosphocreatine and adenine nucleotides and phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate ratios in malignant skin neoplasms and benign cutaneous lesions are different from those measured in normal nonischemic human skin.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Desialylated transferrin is emerging as a reliable index of alcoholism, and liver endothelial cells are known to partially desialylate transferrin. The effect of a single intraperitoneal injection of ethanol on the desialylation of transferrin in the rat was studied. In pulsechase experiments, fully sialylated diferric transferrin labeled with125I (protein moiety) or3H (sialyl residues) was incubated with isolated, fractionated liver endothelial cells from rats that were given ethanol. The supernatants then were subjected to column chromatography using RCA120-agarose to separate and quantify the desialylated fraction of transferrin. Saline-treated animals served as controls. Incubation of the endothelial cells derived from the liver of ethanoltreated rats resulted in a 263% increase in desialylation level of transferrin. Our data indicate that administering ethanol in rats enhances the desialylation of transferrin by rat liver endothelial cells.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Hansen's disease, or leprosy, although a relatively uncommon disease in the United States, continues to be important because of its implications—physical, psychological, and social—for the patient. Prognosis and treatment of the disease are based largely on clinical classification, which ranges from the multibacillary “lepromatous” to the paucibacillary “tuberculoid” forms, depending on the patient's specific immune capabilities. Traditionally, skin testing with lepromins—suspensions of the etiologic agent of Hansen's disease,Mycobacterium leprae—have been used as adjuncts to clinical parameters for classification in endemic areas. However, these have not been systematically studied in the United States. This report describes the results obtained from skin testing 38 volunteers (22 patients and 16 uninfected persons) with standard lepromin preparations. These results support the adjunctive value of lepromins for clinically classifying Hansen's disease in our “hypoendemic” population.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

When administered to a 45-year-old woman who was ill with severe hypertension, combined enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide therapy resulted in acute renal failure, leading to a successful search for renal artery stenosis. Acute renal failure as an adverse reaction to enalapril therapy occurs in approximately 20% of patients with secondary hypertension from renovascular disease. On the other hand, in a group of essential hypertensives this occurs at a rate of approximately 0.2%. Thus, a likelihood ratio of 100 is produced, and given the prevalence of renovascular hypertension of approximately 2% in all hypertensives, a posterior probability of 0.67 can be calculated. The occurrence of this adverse effect should indicate that a diagnostic work-up to rule out renovascular hypertension in such patients should be pursued. The sensitivity and specificity of this “test” are 0.20 and 0.998, respectively. This illustrates that the mathematic aids in decision theory need not be applied solely to those more traditional aspects of diagnostic testing, but may be useful in other situations as well.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Ulcerative colitis is associated with a number of extraintestinal complications, including the infrequent occurrence of thromboembolic disease. Cerebral venous thrombosis is extremely rare, with only 15 cases reported in the literature. The outcome in this group of patients is poor; the result in more than 80% of the cases is permanent neurologic sequelae or death. The precise mechanisms involved in thrombogenesis remain unclear. A hypercoagu-lable state may occur in ulcerative colitis because of well-documented associations of thrombocy-tosis, elevated factors V and VIII and fibrinogen, and decreased antithrombin III. Treatment regimens for cerebral venous thrombosis remain controversial and include anticoagulation with heparin, surgical thrombectomy, and systemic and local infusion of fibrinolytic regimens. A conservative approach with antiedemic agents, anticonvulsants, antiplatelet therapy, and acet-azolamide also may be beneficial and offers a substantially reduced hemorrhagic potential. A case of primary superior sagittal sinus thrombosis associated with active ulcerative colitis treated by the latter method is reported. The patient's neurologic recovery was complete, with recanalization of the thrombosed venous sinus being demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging studies.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Severe neurotoxicity and acute renal failure developed in a patient with newly diagnosed AIDS while receiving high-dosage intravenous acyclovir for disseminated herpes zoster. Hemodialysis resulted in a rapid resolution of neurologic symptoms and was associated with a reduction in plasma acyclovir concentration. Acute hemodialysis therapy should be considered in cases of serious neurotoxicity secondary to acyclovir, especially when accompanied by renal failure.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Several therapeutic agents currently are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there is no compelling evidence that any of these agents substantially alters the long-term destructive course of RA. Advances in biotechnology have led to a better understanding of mechanisms that underlie autoimmune diseases such as RA. Although the etiology of RA remains unknown, there now is considerable insight regarding the immune and inflammatory pathways that ultimately lead to cartilage and bone destruction. Therapies with monoclonal antibodies directed against cell surface constituents, fusion toxins against cell activation markers, and cytokine inhibitors all have been shown to be safe and possibly efficacious in early open trials in RA. They now are being more rigorously tested in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Early experience with these biologic agents in humans, as well as data obtained from the use of these agents in animal models of autoimmune disease, are reviewed. In addition, experimental studies with “blocking peptides” and immunization with autoreactive T cell receptor peptides will be reviewed, and implications for therapy in RA will be discussed.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) has returned to the forefront of public and medical concern because of the recent sharp increase in the number of cases. Major strides have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of TB, and some of these basic advances are being applied clinically. This review focuses on current concepts of the host response to TB, the changing epidemiology of TB, and optimal treatment strategies.

ISSN:0002-9629    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1993

数据来源: OVID