BACKGROUND: Murine IL-2-induced lymphokine-activated killers can be divided into two mutually exclusive subset:NK1.1'CD8 and NK1.1 CD8+. However, there is a strong evidence that NK cell may belong to T cell lineage. Recently novel lymphocyte subsets, present in the adult murine thymus, CD3+NK1.1'TCRap(TNK) cell is readily identifiable in fresh obtained murine adult CD4 CD8 thymocytes. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We sorted out CD4 and CD8 (double negative.' DN) cells and CD8+ cells from murine spleen and cultivated these cells with IL-2. And the surface B220, CD8, NK1. 1 and cytopasmic NK1.1 was analysed simultaneously to see whether these cells can be switched to the other subtype of cells. RESULT: Purified DN cells were switched to several subtype of cells'. CD8'B220+(LAK cells), NK1.1'B220+(LAK cells), CD8 B220, cytoplasmic NK1.1+B220 cells. Purified CD8 cells were switched to CD8+B220' LAK cells and cytoplasmic NK1.1+ CD8+ B220+ and cytoplasmic NK1.1' CD8 B220 cells. In addition, the CD8' cells originated from DN cells do not express the cytoplasmic NK1.1 in contrary to the sorted CD8 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that these will be useful models to investigating CD8 precursor potentials in populations of CD4 CD8 (doble negative) cells and relationship of NK1.1 These results also supports the hypothesis that T cells and NK cells have same ontogeny and CD8 effector functions are potentially diverse and could be exploited by various conditions that switch off host protected cytolytic response. These model offer a way to study the molecular regulation of CD8 gene expression.
Adult ; Cell Lineage ; Cytoplasm ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Interleukin-2* ; Interleukins* ; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-beta) has multiple regulatory effects on cells of the immune system, and it has been suggested that differentiation of lymphoid cells is influenced by low concentra tions of this cytokine. OBJECTIVES: The aim or this study was to investigate the role of TGF-beta in regulation of T cell growth and differentiation, and to compare this effect with that of other cell signals known to be important in T cell ontogeny. METHODS: We used the CTLL-2 cell line in the presence of IL-2. Surface phenotype expression was analysed to see whether these cells could be switched to the other subtype of cells. RESULT: Treatment of CTLL-2 cells with TGF-beta resulted in dose dependent growth inhibition and morphological changes. Curing routine passage, less than 5% of cells were CD8alpha positive, whereas 38% of cells expressed CD8alpha when treated with IL-2 plus TGF-beta. However, TPA plus calcium ionophore, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha caused no significant changes in the proportion of CD8 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results show that this experiment can be a useful model for investigating CD8 precursor potentials in populations of CD4-CD8-(double negative) cells, and such a model may offer a way to study the molecular regulation of CD8 gene expression.
Calcium ; Cell Line* ; Gene Expression ; Immune System ; Interleukin-2 ; Lymphocytes ; Phenotype ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Anemia, Neonatal* ; Fetal Blood* ; Infant, Newborn

To generate drug delivery vector to locales in the body, genetic engineering and expression techniques have been used to produce antibody avidin fusion proteins. Chicken avidin has been fused to mouse-human chimeric IgG3 immediately after the hinge with a flexible linker (H-Flex-Av) and at the end of CH2 (CH2-Av). Fusion heavy chains were expressed with the expected molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed light chain, and were secreted. The expression level of H- Flex-Av was 1~10 ug/ml/10(8)/24 hrs, but that of C2-Av was a very little (0.08~0.9 ug/ ml/10(8)/24 hrs). The resulting H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av fusion proteins continued to bind antigen dansyl and also bound biotinylated bovine serum albumin; both H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av had shown to retain 3-4 times higher relative affinity than that of CH3-Av in ELISA. Importantly the fact that both avidin fusion proteins had a higher relative affinity suggests that these avidin fusion proteins can be effectively used to deliver biotinylated ligands such as drugs and peptides to a certain locale, such as the brain.
Avidin ; Biotin* ; Brain ; Chickens ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Engineering ; Immunoglobulin G ; Ligands ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Serum Albumin, Bovine

Development of antibody-based cancer therapies will be greatly facilitated if antibodies are better standardized in two fundamental issues that are specificity analysis of antibody reactivity and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profile of antibodies. In the current endeavor we attempted to use an antibody binding specificity to target the tumor in a syngeneic carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tumor model. CEA, a 180 kDa glycoprotein, expressed at high levels on the surface of nearly all tumors of the gastrointestinal tract was used a potential target for antibody immunotherapy of gastrointestinal carcinomas. Using the CEA model antibody-based cancer therapy directed against CEA has been evaluated in a syngeneic animal model of disseminated disease. We constructed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA IgG3, which has been evaluated for the specificity for CEA and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles. Anti-CEA IgG3 heavy chain was expressed with the expected 180kDa molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA light chain, and were secreted. On FACS the purified anti-CEA IgG3 specifically recognized the mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line MC-38 transduced with CEA (MCA32a), but not MC 38 without expressing CEA. After subcutaneous injection in C57BL/6 mice the half- lives of anti-CEA IgG3 and an irrelevant anti-dansyl IgG3 showed the bi-phasic kinetic patterns, and their pharmacokinetics of the distribution and the elimination were similar in mice. However, the biodistribution patterns of anti-CEA IgG3 were very different from those of anti-dansyl IgG3. Anti-dansyl IgG3 was mainly distributed into kidney until 72 hours, but anti-CEA IgG3 was slowly rernoved from blood and distributed into liver, kidney, spleen, and tumor. It is note worthy that anti- CEA IgG3 increased in targeting MCA32a tumor expressing human CEA by time, but the targeting to MC38 tumor was negligible. Thus, the increased targeting of anti- CEA IgG3 made MCA32a tumor grow slowly
Adenocarcinoma ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cell Line ; Colon ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunotherapy ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Kidney ; Liver ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Molecular Weight ; Pharmacokinetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen

No abstract available.
Humans ; Inpatients*

A fundamental problem in analyzing complex multilevel-structured periodontal data is the violation of independency among the observations, which is an assumption in traditional statistical models (e.g., analysis of variance and ordinary least squares regression). In many cases, aggregation (i.e., mean or sum scores) has been employed to overcome this problem. However, the aggregation approach still exhibits certain limitations, such as a loss of power and detailed information, no cross-level relationship analysis, and the potential for creating an ecological fallacy. In order to handle multilevel-structured data appropriately, mixed effects models have been introduced and employed in dental research using periodontal data. The use of mixed effects models might account for the potential bias due to the violation of the independency assumption as well as provide accurate estimates.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Dental Research ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Linear Models ; Models, Statistical

Epstein's syndrome is a rare disease whish is characterized by the association of thrombocytopenia, macrothrombocytopathia, nephritis and deafness. We experienced a case of Epstein's syndrome in a 12 years old male patient who was presented with a life long history of bleeding, usually as epistaxis, bilateral sensorineural deafness and hematuria with proteinuria starting in late childhood. Hematologic studies showed thrombocytopenia with giant platelets and anemia. A bone marrow aspirate revealed the megakaryocytes to be adequate in number and many giant size platelets. Platelet do not respond to addition of A and epinephrine; collagen and ristocetin induced agglutination response is decreased. It is difficult to be certain the association of thrombocytopenia with giant platelets, nephritis and deafness constitutes a new hereditary disease with a distinct pathogenesis or if it is an expansion of the well recognized Alport's syndrome of hereditary nephritis deafness. We report a case of Epstein's syndrome syndrome with brief review of related literatures.
Agglutination ; Anemia ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Child ; Collagen ; Deafness ; Epinephrine ; Epistaxis ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Hematuria ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Megakaryocytes ; Nephritis ; Nephritis, Hereditary ; Proteinuria ; Rare Diseases ; Ristocetin ; Thrombocytopenia

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore adult diabetics' eating styles and factors which influence them. METHOD: The study adopted an ethnographic method based on a perspective which views the eating style as a cultural phenomenon. Data was collected through a personal interview, participant observation, and documented materials from Oct.2001 to Sept. 2002. In this study, fifteen adult diabetics, with an average age of 57, participated. Data analysis was done by the Spradley's taxonomic analysis technique. RESULT: The patients' eating styles were rooted in their viewpoint on illness as well as the meaning of food. Eating styles were classified into 4 types: Pathology-centered, symptom-centered, need-centered, and role-centered. CONCLUSION: A conventional approach to the treatment and management of diabetes did not consider the patient's inner world which may play an important role in the successful management of the disease. We found that it was critical for health care personnel to understand patients' values, beliefs and their way of life in order to facilitate the most successful self-care diet.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; *Food Habits ; Female ; *Eating ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*diet therapy/nursing/psychology ; Culture ; *Attitude to Health ; Aged

Hypersensitivity myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium usually related to drug allergy. The clinical manifestation may be nonspecific, and the diagnosis is seldom suspected or established during the life. So in most of the reported patients, the diagnosis was made at autopsy. Although, retrospectively, more than 90% of the patients described have had clinically recognizable cardiac involvement before death, tole clinical suspicion of hypersensitivity myocarditis is rare. The presence of nonspecific cardiac finding in a patient receiving any drug associated with hypersensitivity should alert the clinician to the possibility of drug related myocarditis. We experienced a case of hypersensitivity myocarditis accompanying allergic skin lesion in a 58 years old man with a history of taking cefadroxil. Fortunately, the outcome was favorable, therefore we do not have histologic confirmation of the diagnosis.
Autopsy ; Cefadroxil ; Diagnosis ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Middle Aged ; Myocarditis ; Myocardium ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin