Perioperative lymphocyte depletion induces allograft tolerance in some animal models, but in humans has only been shown to reduce immunosuppressive requirements. Without maintenance ...immunosuppression, depleted human renal allograft recipients experience rejection characterized by infiltration of the allograft with monocytes and macrophages. T-cell depletion combined with a brief course of deoxyspergualin (DSG), a drug with inhibitory effects on monocytes and macrophages, induces tolerance in nonhuman primates. We therefore performed a trial to determine if lymphocyte depletion with alemtuzumab combined with DSG would induce tolerance in humans.
Five recipients of live donor kidneys were treated perioperatively with alemtuzumab and DSG and followed postoperatively without maintenance immunosuppression. Patients were evaluated clinically, by flow cytometry, and by protocol biopsies analyzed immunohistochemically and with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results were compared to previously studied patients receiving alemtuzumab alone or standard immunosuppression.
Despite profound T-cell depletion and therapeutic DSG dosing, all alemtuzumab/DSG patients developed reversible rejection that was similar in timing, histology, and transcriptional profile to that seen in patients treated with alemtuzumab alone. Chemokine expression was marked prior to and during rejections.
We conclude that treatment with alemtuzumab and DSG does not induce tolerance in humans. Chemokine production may not be adequately suppressed using this approach.
National beef market basket survey Savell, J W; Harris, J J; Cross, H R ...
Journal of animal science,
07/1991, Volume:
69, Issue:
7
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Beef retail cases in supermarkets in 12 cities across the United States were surveyed for fat thickness measurements, cut representation, package weights and counts, and case space allocation. ...Randomly selected retail cuts were purchased and transported to Texas A&M University, where they were dissected into separable components. Samples of ground beef were obtained for chemical analysis. Over 42% of the beef retail cuts had no external fat, and approximately 75% of all cuts were boneless. The overall mean fat thickness for all retail cuts in the beef case was .31 cm, and the overall mean fat thickness for steaks and roasts from the major primals - chuck, rib, loin, and round - was .38 cm. The average percentage of separable lean was 79.0%, separable fat was 12.3%, and bone and connective tissue was 8.7%. Retail cuts had more than twice as much separable seam fat as separable external fat. Beef steaks and roasts had 27.4% less separable fat than values from USDA Agriculture Handbook 8-13. Of the ground beef surveyed, 37% was regular, 40% was lean, and over 22% was extra lean. Retail ground beef had approximately 10% less fat than values from USDA Agriculture Handbook 8-13.
The strength of the yen is having a profound effect on financial markets and financial analysts are starting to wonder what the consequences will be to the US if the dollar continues to fall. The yen ...and dollar are examined.
Sirolimus (SRL) absorption and metabolism are affected by p-glycoprotein-mediated transport and CYP3A enzyme activity, which are further under the influences of cytokine concentrations. This ...retrospective study determined the associations of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette, subfamily B, member 1 (ABCB1) 1236C>T, 2677 G>T/A, and 3435C>T, cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 4 (CYP3A4) -392A>G, cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 5 (CYP3A5) 6986A>G and 14690G>A, interleukin (IL)-10 -1082G>A, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -308G>A polymorphisms with SRL dose-adjusted, weight-normalized trough concentrations (C/D) at 7 days, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after initiation of SRL.
Genotypes for 86 renal transplant patients who received SRL-based maintenance immunosuppressive therapy were determined using polymerase chain reaction followed by chip-based mass spectrometry. The changes of log-transformed C/D over the days posttransplantation were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model, with adjustments for body mass index and weight-normalized doses of tacrolimus, prednisone, clotrimazole, and statins.
ABCB1 3435C>T and IL-10 -1082G>A were significantly associated with log C/D (P=0.0016 and 0.0394, respectively). Mean SRL C/D was 48% higher in patients with ABCB1 3435CT/TT genotype than those with 3435CC genotype, and was 24% higher in IL-10 -1082GG compared with -1082AG/AA.
ABCB1 3435C>T and IL-10 -1082G>A were significantly associated with long-term SRL dose requirements. Genetics can play a significant role in SRL dosing and may be useful in therapeutic monitoring of SRL in renal transplantation. Future replication studies are needed to confirm these associations.
Assessment of pulsatile perfusion (PP) is limited to measurements of flow (V) and resistance (R). We investigated infrared (IR) imaging during PP as a means for precise organ assessment. IR was used ...to monitor 10 porcine kidneys during 18 hr of PP in an uncontrolled Donation after Cardiac Death model. An IR camera (Lockheed Martin) was focused on the anterior surfaces of the kidneys. The degree of temperature homogeneity was compared with standard measurements of V and R. IR thermal images correlated with V and R (R=0.92, P<0.001). IR detected an increase in homogeneity during PP by comparing standard deviation differences before and after PP (P=0.002), which was not evident by standard measurements of V and R. Finally, IR assessment allowed for measurement of dynamic changes in perfusion.
Pediatric travel consultation in an integrated Clinic CHRISTENSON, John C; FISCHER, Philip R; HALE, Devon C ...
Journal of travel medicine,
2001, 2001 Jan-Feb, 2001-01-00, 20010101, Volume:
8, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In May 1997, a pediatric travel service was created within a larger integrated University-County Health Department international travel clinic. The purpose of the service was to further enhance the ...travel advice and care provided to children and their parents or guardians. The current study was designed to describe the care of children in this setting and to compare the care of children seen in the Pediatric Travel Service with that of children seen by other providers.
All pediatric patients (defined as individuals < or = 18 years of age) receiving care in the travel clinic were considered candidates for inclusion in the analysis. Patients seen by the Pediatric Travel Service were compared to those seen by other staff members in the travel clinic (referred to as Regular Clinic). The following information was noted: basic demographic data, medical history including allergies, prior immunization records, intended place and duration of travel, and immunizations and medications prescribed at the time of visit. Travel advice covering water and food precautions, preventive measures against insect bites, injury prevention, malaria prevention, prevention of parasitic infections, and environmental-related problems was provided to all patients in both groups when necessary.
Between May 1997 and December 1999, 287 pediatric age individuals were given pretravel care by the Pediatric Travel Service (median age, 6 years; range, 1 month-18 years). During the same time period, 722 pediatric age travelers (median age, 14 years; range, 8 months-18 years) were evaluated in the Regular Clinic by other staff members. Travel destinations most commonly traveled by both groups in descending order were: Africa, Central America and Mexico, South America, and Southeast Asia. When compared to travelers seen in the Regular Clinic, individuals in the Pediatric Travel Service group were more likely to travel for humanitarian work, and for parental work relocation. Persons in the Regular Clinic were more likely to travel to Mexico and Central America. They were also more likely to travel on vacation and for missionary work or study. Hepatitis B and tetanus-diphtheria booster vaccinations were given more frequently to travelers seen in the Regular Clinic. Also, ciprofloxacin and antimotility agents were more commonly prescribed in this group. No differences were noted in the duration of travel or in the time interval between clinic visit and departure.
While general travel advice was considered to be similar in both clinic groups, some differences were observed in the frequency of administration of certain vaccines and prescriptions of medications. These differences were likely due to a difference in age in the two study groups. The high volume and success of the clinic suggest that integrated pediatric and adult travel services in a coordinated setting can be effective.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Highlights • This review article provides an update on multi-faceted roles of estrogen hormone in both normal immune function and auto-immunity. • It reviews the ovarian function and other poor ...reproductive outcomes in young females with SLE. • Gonadotoxic potentials of the immunosuppresive therapies are discussed. • Fertility preservation options are provided in young females who are diagnosed with SLE.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Bile acid exposure produces cellular hypercalcemia in gastric and hepatic cells. It is not known, however, whether this event contributes to cell injury or if it results from passive equilibration of ...calcium ion concentrations across the membranes of irreversibly damaged cells. This study was performed to determine whether the cellular hypercalcemia produced by bile acid exposure in gastric cells is reversible and to determine whether the source of this hypercalcemia is from intracellular stores of calcium, extracellular sources, or both.
Cytosolic free calcium concentrations (Ca
i) were measured in rabbit gastric mucosal cells that had been loaded with the intracellular probe FURA-2. Measurements were performed in suspensions of dispersed cells by using standard spectrofluorometry and in primarily cultured cells by using fluorescence videomicroscopy. Measurements were made before and after exposure to 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mmol/L deoxycholic acid (DC). These measurements were made in the presence of 1 mmol/L extracellular calcium and in the absence of any extracellular calcium (0.5 mmol/L EGTA).
In experiments with dispersed cells and spectrofluorometry, Ca
i increased from a pretreatment level of 194±8 nmol/L to 396±21 nmol/L within 3 minutes of exposure to 0.2 mmol/L DC. When these cells were washed and resuspended in DC-free medium, Ca
i decreased to 180±5 nmol/L. In experiments with cultured cells and fluorescence videomicroscopy, rapid, reversible hypercalcemia was observed after exposure to 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/L DC. Removal of extracellular calcium from the incubating medium reduced both the magnitude and duration of the observed hypercalcemia.
These data show that the cellular hypercalcemia that accompanies DC-induced injury in gastric cells is a reversible event. The initial increase in Ca
i appears to come from both intracellular and extracellular sources, although sustained hypercalcemia requires a source of extracellular calcium. As a reversible event, cellular hypercalcemia may be an important pathophysiologic feature of bile acid induced injury of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
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IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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