This study examined the frequency of anti-vascular endothelial cell (VEC) antibodies (Ab) in 72 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and their possible relationship to clinical and histological ...parameters of the disease. An enzyme immunoassay was developed to measure the binding of sera to endothelial cells grown to a confluent monolayer. Thirty-two percent of IgAN patients had serum anti-VEC activity as compared to 4% of controls (P = 0.004) and 9% of patients with other primary glomerulonephritis (P = 0.017). This was shown to be due to anti-HLA class I Abs in 6 of the 23 IgAN patients, and in the 1 control positive for anti-VEC activity. Hence 17 IgAN patients had anti-VEC Abs, predominantly of the IgA subclass. Stimulation of the endothelial cells with interferon-gamma and interleukin 1 did not increase the binding of these Abs. There was no correlation with circulating immune complex (IC) levels, and removal of ICs in positive sera by ultracentrifugation did not decrease anti-VEC binding. Significant correlations were found between anti-VEC Abs and proteinuria greater than 1 g/day (P = 0.044), as well as IgA anti-VEC Abs and C3 or IgA deposition in renal arterioles (P = 0.048). These IgA Abs may be an important marker of pathogenetic activity in IgAN.
Alimentary antigenic challenge has been postulated to have a role in the genesis of IgA circulating immune complexes (CIC), resulting in mesangial IgA disease. In this study, we examined the ...relationship between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and IgA CIC in patients with IgA nephropathy. Of the 47 patients studied, elevated IgA CIC levels were found in 32% by the F(ab')2 anti-C3 and Raji cell enzyme immunoassays (EIA). Elevated IgA anti-BSA antibody levels were found in 9 patients, and there was a positive correlation between these levels and IgA CIC as measured in the Raji cell EIA (R = 0.60, P less than 0.001). In 4 patients with elevation of both IgA CIC and IgA anti-BSA antibody levels, solubilization experiments were done to demonstrate the presence of BSA antigen in the IgA CIC. Using the Raji cell EIA, the IgA CIC levels decreased significantly after preincubating the sera with serial concentrations of excess BSA. No corresponding effect was seen with human serum albumin used as control. Hence, BSA may be the antigenic stimulus in the formation of IgA CIC in selected patients with IgA nephropathy. The pathogenic capacity of these IgA-BSA CIC remains to be determined.
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expression on cells is a prerequisite for immune interaction with activated T-cells. This study examined the ability of sera from patients with systemic ...lupus erythematosus (SLE) to modulate MHC expression on vascular endothelial cells. SLE sera were able to selectively upregulate MHC class I antigen expression on cultured human umbilical venous endothelial (HUVE) cells, without concomitant induction of MHC class II antigen. The stimulation index (SI) for MHC class I expression produced by SLE sera (1.21 +/- 0.23) was significantly higher than those for normal controls (1.01 +/- 0.10) (P < 0.0001) and non-SLE patients (1.12 +/- 0.14) (P < 0.05). Additionally, active SLE patients had higher mean SI than inactive patients (P < 0.001). Preincubation of SLE sera with Protein A-Sepharose beads conjugated with antibodies against tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-alpha was able to significantly reduce their ability to upregulate class I MHC expression by HUVE cells, indicating that these cytokines were responsible for the modulatory effect. This could be an important mechanism for the immune-mediated vascular injury seen in SLE.
Although the vast majority of awards issued by ICSID tribunals are complied with voluntarily, victorious parties increasingly resort to national courts for recognition and enforcement. A U.S. ...District Court considering a request to enforce an ICSID award must determine the appropriate procedures to follow, including whether the award can be enforced ex parte, to the extent notice is required, how such notice should be given, and the effect of an application by the losing party for reconsideration or annulment under the ICSID rules. In the absence of explicit rules governing the enforcement of ICSID awards, U.S. courts have adopted conflicting procedures. This July 2012 report, authored by the Committee on International Commercial Disputes of the New York City Bar Association, proposes uniform procedures for actions to enforce ICSID awards in U.S. courts based on a close analysis of the enabling federal statute, the ICSID Convention and Arbitration Rules, and the procedures adopted by other signatories to the ICSID Convention.
Electronic Media Hiber, Jhan; Shapiro, George; Kurland, Philip ...
Communication Booknotes,
19/3/1/, Letnik:
16, Številka:
3
Book Review, Journal Article
HIBERNETICS; A GUIDE TO RADIO RATINGS AND RESEARCH by Jhan Hiber (R&R Books, 1930 Century Park West, Los Angeles Ca 90067---price not given, but available in paper and hardback)
'CABLESPEECH:' THE ...CASE FOR FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTION by George Shapiro, Philip Kurland and James Mercurio (New York: Law & Business/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983--$48.00)
INTERPRETING TELEVISION; CURRENT RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES edited by Willard Rowland, Jr. and Bruce Watkins (Beverly Hills, Ca.: Sage Publications, 1984---$28.00/14.00)
TV, SCIENCE & KIDS: TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO QUESTION edited by Kim Hays (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1984---$17.95)
From the Research Department, National Association of Broadcasters, 1771 N St. NW, Washington 20036---price not given, but about $5.00 each, paper)
REGULATION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION; AN ASSESSMENT by Stanley Besen and Leland Johnson (Santa Monica, Ca.: Rand Corporation Publication R-3206-MF, December 1984---price not given, paper)
Just issued by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (1111 16th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20036---$5.00 each, paper)
DUNCAN'S RADIO MARKET GUIDE: 1985 EDITION by James H. Duncan, Jr. (Duncan Media Enterprises, Box 2966, Kalamazoo, Mich. 49003---price not given)
RADIO, TV & CABLE by Marvin Smith (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1985---price not given)
