No abstract available.
Base Sequence* ; DNA* ; Internet* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA*

Ten serum samples from the patient with bullous pemphigoid with the baseruent mernbrane zone autoantibody titers of 320 or greater were tested, by the method of in vitro complement immunofluorescence, for their ability to fix Factor B and properdin in addition to Clq, C4 and C3. Five samples yielded positive C3 and properdin staining reaciions while four samples demonstrated positive Factor B stainings. All ten samples yieled positive C3, C4 and Clq staining reactions, Heat inactivation or treatment of the complement source with EDTA, MG2-EGTA abolished both C3, properdin and Factor B staining in all ten cases. This result suggest that pemphigoid antibody will fix properdin and Factor B in addition to Clq, C4 and C3, a phenomenon explained by assembly of the C3b amplification mechanism following activation of the classical pathway of complement system.
Complement Factor B* ; Complement System Proteins ; Edetic Acid ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Pemphigoid, Bullous* ; Properdin*

The nuclear protein p53 is a tumor suppressor gene product that functions in pathways of cell cycle control and in the repair of damaged DNA. The MDM2 gene codes for a cellular protein that can complex the p53 gene product and negatively regulate its function. Interestingly an autoregulatory feedback loop is set up to regulate the activity of p53 protein and MDM2 gene expression. To evaluate the role of p53 and MDM2 proteins in thyroid carcinogenesis, the author tried immunohistochemical studies in the paraffin embedded sections of 58 thyroid carcinoma cases, including 30 papillary carcinomas, 20 follicular carcinomas, and 8 undifferentiated carcinomas. p53 protein expression was found in 8 cases (26.7%) of papillary carcinomas. It was found in all the cases of undifferentiated carcinomas and not found in the follicular carcinomas. The staining intensity and the frequency scores were more prominent in undifferentiated carcinomas. MDM2 protein expression was found in only 6 cases of papillary carcinomas. It was not expressed in follicular carcinomas or undifferentiated carcinomas. The staining intensity is less than moderate and the frequency score was usually focal. In papillary carcinomas, the correlation of p53 and MDM2 expression was insignificant. In conclusion, p53 may play a major role in tumorigenesis or the progression of undifferentiated carcinomas, but not in the other carcinomas. As compared with papillary carcinomas, follicular carcinomas are regarded as taking a different carcinogenetic pathway. The overexpression of p53 and MDM2 proteins in papillary carcinomas is presumed not to be necessarily correlated with the p53-MDM2 complex formation.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; DNA ; Gene Expression ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Nuclear Proteins ; Paraffin ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic*

The exact pathomechanism of anti-epidermal cell pemphigus antibodies in developing acantholytic changes is unknown. Recent investigations have suggested that pemphigus antibodies, after binding to the antigenic site, induce activation of epidermal plasminogen activator. This increased activity of the plasminogen activator converts plasminogen to plasmin in high level degrades intercellular bridges resulting in loss of adhesion between epidermal cells. Author examined, by modified direct immunofluorescence, the deposition of plasmin and its inhibitor proteins such as alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin, with the early lesional skin specimens from 5 patients of pemphigus All these lesional skin demonstrated intense deposits of plasmin and aIpha 2-mscrogIobulin, and to a less degree alpha l-antitrypsin, all having indentical patterns to that of IgGautoantibodies. These proteins were also stained at the dermoepidermal junction and upper dermis, but less intensely. The identification of these particular proteins ; plasmin, alpha 1 antitrypsin, and alpha 2 macroglobulin, could be an alternate mean for the enzyme-histologic diagncsis of pemphigus.
alpha 1-Antitrypsin ; alpha-Macroglobulins ; Antibodies ; Dermis ; Fibrinolysin* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Pemphigus* ; Plasminogen ; Plasminogen Activators ; Skin*

No abstract available.

Immunologic or immunopathologic assays are neccesary for the diagnosis of autoimmune bullous dermatoses including pemphigus vulgaris (PV), bullous pemphigoid (BP), and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). The objectives of this study is to compare the sensitivity and usefulness of indirect immunofluorescence 0F) with that of immunoblot assay using amplified alkaline phosphatase staining system in the diagnosis of the above diseases; detection of disease-specific IgG autoantibodies. We selected 4 patients in each bullous dermatosis of PV, BP, and EBA, who had serum levels of IgG autoantibodies at a titer of 1:80 or higher. In each three disease, 2 patients with negative serum antibodies or serum titer lower than 1:20, were also enrolled. Among the former 4-patient groups the titers of IgG antibodies found on indirect IF were in the range of 1:80 to 1:160, whereas the titers recognized by immunoblot assay were 1 or 2 dilutions higher in most of these patients. In the latter 2-patient groups, 4 out of the 6 cases revealed antibody-positive on immunoblot-staining membrane. The indirect IF can be performed easily and seems favorable in the aspect of cost-effectiveness. However, immunoblot assay with sensitive staining method would be warranted in cases of antibody-negative or atypical clinical variants of autoimmunebullous dermatoses to confirm the diagnosis.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Diagnosis ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Membranes ; Pemphigoid, Bullous ; Pemphigus ; Skin Diseases ; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

No abstract available.