To investigate the possible involvement of interferon-inducible T cell α chemoattractant (I-TAC or CXCL11) in the salivary gland lesions of Sjögren's syndrome (SS), I-TAC mRNA expression was assayed ...in cultured salivary epithelial cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This transcript was not expressed by SS salivary epithelial cells in the absence of IFNγ, but was expressed after cells were stimulated with IFNγ. We found that IFNγ was the only cytokine that induced I-TAC mRNA expression. I-TAC proteins were shown by ELISA to be secreted into the culture supernatants of SS salivary epithelial cells following IFNγ stimulation. Moreover, immunohistochemical assays of minor salivary glands (MSG) showed that I-TAC was predominantly located in the ductal epithelium adjacent to lymphoid infiltrates in the SS salivary gland, indicating that ductal epithelial cells produce I-TAC proteins in response to stimulation with IFNγ secreted by lymphocytes that infiltrate into SS salivary glands. In contrast, I-TAC proteins were virtually absent from normal salivary glands. These findings suggest that I-TAC is involved in the development of salivary gland lesions observed in SS.
Chromatographic separation of copolymers depending on the chemical composition was studied by a solvent gradient method using liquefied carbon dioxide (CO
2) as an adsorption promoting solvent. As ...the high polar stationary phase, non-bonded silica gel, crosslinked acrylamide (AA) gel and crosslinked acrylonitrile (AN) gel were utilized. All columns showed the typical normal phase type of adsorption. Polymeric stationary phases showed the higher sample recovery for styrene–methyl methacrylate (St–MMAs) copolymers, indicating suitability for quantitative analyses. The separations of butyl methacrylate (BMA)–methyl methacrylate, and 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl methacrylate (FBMA)–methy methacrylate copolymers were also carried out, and the latter copolymers were separated based on the CO
2-philicity with acrylonitrile column.
: The association of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) with human immunodeficiency virus‐negative T‐cell lymphoma was examined in 68 patients using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with DNA obtained from ...formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues and an in situ hybridization technique. EBV‐encoded RNA (EBER) was detected in 43 of 68 cases (63%) of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma: in 100% (11 of 11 cases) of NK/T‐cell lymphomas, 70% (14 of 20 cases) of angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphomas (AILT) and 49% (18 of 37 cases) of other types of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma. A positive band was also detected at high incidence (36 of 65 cases; 55%) in a PCR analysis using primers to detect the Bam HI‐W fragment of EBV. In the immunohistochemical analysis using a monoclonal antibody to latent membrane protein 1 (LMP‐1) of EBV, one of the EBV‐encoded latent gene products, LMP‐1, was found to be expressed in 13 of 64 cases (20%), but EBNA‐2 was not expressed in all the cases examined (0 of 59 cases; 0%). The 5‐yr survival rate was 28% for peripheral T‐cell lymphomas overall, 0% for NK/T‐cell lymphomas, 38% for AILTs and 28% for other types of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma. The difference in the overall survival rate between NK/T‐cell lymphoma and non‐NK/T‐cell lymphoma was significant (P = 0.0498 by Log‐rank test). Among peripheral T‐cell lymphoma patients overall, the group severely infected with EBV (EBER‐ISH ++) had a lower 5‐yr survival rate (8%) than the group slightly (EBER‐ISH +) or not infected (38%; P = 0.0013).
A 30-year old female was admitted to our hospital because of a refractory oropharyngeal ulcer from Behcet’s disease. She had been suffering from Behcet’s disease since she was 16 years old. ...Salazosulfapyridine, azelastine hydrochloride, colchicine, azathioprine, predonisolone and methotorexate, were not effective. She was hard to eat and drink about six months. Furthermore, she developed pneumocystis pneumonia, drug eruption due to methotorexate and trimethoprim sulfa, weight loss (7 kg), and steroid psychosis. Leukocytapheresis was effective for treating the oropharyngeal ulcer. Inflammatory markers normalized and prednisolone was reduced in a stepwise fashion. The cause of Behcet’s disease is unknown but it is assumed that hyperactivation of leucocytes and platelets is deeply related to the condition. We report a case of Behcet’s disease complicated with refractory oropharyngeal ulcer successfully treated by leukocytapheresis.
Cardiac involvement of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare but life-threatening complication. We present a case of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis with moderately ...impaired ventricular function forming a ventricular thrombus. Pathological assessment of endomyocardial biopsy specimen revealed aggregated eosinophils in the subendocardium, suggesting ventricular endothelial damage leading to thrombus formation.
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