Antioxidant enzymes levels were determined in monocytes during phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced differentiation. PMA induced the differentiation of a human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 into macrophage-like cells as indicated by activity of acid phosphatase and morphological changes. The level of Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) was selectively increased in PMA-treated THP-1 cells after one day of culture, while the levels of Cu/Zn-SOD and catalase were progressively decreased by Western blot analysis. In contrast, levels of Cu/Zn-SOD and catalase protein and enzyme activitiy remained unchanged in THP-1 cells after transforming growth factor-p, treatment. Cu/Zn-SOD is oxidatively inactivated by exposure to H,O, which is produced by PMA-treated THP-1 cells, and then the inactivated enzyme undergoes proteolysis and fragmentation as analyzed by radiolabeled method. Thus monocytes have a coordinated system for synthesis and degradation of antioxidant enzymes during PMA-induced differentiation.
Acid Phosphatase ; Blotting, Western ; Catalase ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Monocytes* ; Proteolysis ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate

No abstract available.
Humans ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 1* ; von Willebrand Diseases

No abstract available.
Humans ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 1* ; von Willebrand Diseases

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a facultative intracellular pathogen which persists and multiplies within macrophage. Competent cell mediated immunity by cooperation of both T lymphocyte and macrophage of the host is required to kill the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. But a precise understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis infection in pulmonary alveolar macrophage has not been achived. Research on the macrophage's basic microbicidal mechanism has elucidated the importance of oxygen-dependent or oxygen-independent components. Oxygen dependent processing begins with the reduction of oxygen by NADPH oxidase and generation of superoxide. In this study, the oxidative metabolic status of blood monocyte and pulmonary alveolar macrophage in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis was accessed and compared with that of healthy control subjects to know whether there was a basic difference in superoxide generation by mononuclear cells between two groups. METHODS: Pulmonary alveolar macrophage was purified after performing BAL(bronchoalveolar lavage) through the bronchi of infected lesion by Plastic adhesion method. Blood monocyte was purified by Ficoll-Hypaque method. Superoxide generation by blood monocyte and pulmonary alveolar macrophage was measured by ferricytochrome-C reduction method after either stimulated with PMA(phorbol myristate acerate) or non-stimulated states. We also measured the effect of pulmonary tuberculosis patent's serum on superoxide generation by monocyte. RESULTS: 1) Generation of superoxide by alveolar macrophage obtained from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was little higher than those of controls, and PMA enhanced the generation of 2) Generation of superoxide by blood monocyte obtained from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was little higher than those of control(P>0.05), and PMA more enhanced the generation of superoxide in patientswith pulmonary tuberculosis than those in controls(p<0.02). 3) Patient's serum enhanced the generation of superoxide by blood monocyte obtained from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and controls, but not in the case of PMA stimulated blood monocyte. CONCLUSION: The present study suggest that the phenomenon of M. tuberculosis escape the microbicidal action of macrophage was not result of suppressed superoxide generation by blood monocyte and pulmonary alveolar macrophage, rather there might be a factor to stimulate the generation of superoxide by blood monocyte in pulmonary tuberculosis patient serum, but the comparision with effect of control's serum on superoxide generation needs further elucidation.
Bronchi ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Myristic Acid ; NADPH Oxidase ; Oxygen ; Plastics ; Superoxides* ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* ; United Nations

PURPOSE: Conventional pathologic classifications of human renal cell carcinoma give little insight into oncogenesis and little assistance in predicting the clinical behavior of this disease. For genetic classification, deletion of the short arm of chromosome 3(3p), the hallmark of nonpapillary/clear cell RCC, is a major diagnostic criterion. Because of the limited routine applicability of cytogenetics and molecular genetic techniques we investigated fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) for the detection of this aberration in RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated nuclei from 8 human RCC paraffin embedded tissue sections were examined with a dual color FISH technique for loss of chromosome 3p. Telomeric DNA probe from 3p and an internal ploidy control probe, centromeric probe of chromosome 2, were applied to the isolated nuclei of RCC. RESULTS: 87.5% of the patients(7) lost chromosome 3p. The loss of 3p in the samples tested was unrelated to patient age, gender, tumor stage, and grade. CONCLUSIONS: FISH for the detection of loss in 3p from paraffin embedded tissue sections provides a sensitive and feasible methods for the genetic classification of kidney tumors and FISH is a very useful diagnostic tool for detection of the genetic aberrations of the tumors.
Arm ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 ; Classification ; Cytogenetics ; DNA ; Fluorescence* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Kidney ; Molecular Biology ; Paraffin ; Ploidies

We report a case of methimazole-induced acute hepatic failure, which occurred 4 days after initiation of drug in a 51-year-old man with hyperthyroidism. Liver function was evaluated before taking methimazole, total bilirubin was 14.2 mg/dL. This finding suggested toxic hepatitis d/t herbal medication or unknown liver disease. He was treated with methimazole with increasing doses from 15 to 45 mg/day, he developed liver failure gradually, despite of suspending methimazole. From the time of admission, his liver function test was abnormal and liver cirrhosis was suspected by liver sonography. With aggravated liver function, he died of renal failure, sepsis of unknown origin and respiratory failure. Fulminant hepatitis rarely occurs in methimazole users, and spontaneous recovery is expected. But this case shows that methimazole-induced hepatotoxicity with possible underlying liver disease could increase the risk of poor outcomes. And in case of continued deterioration of liver function, prompt liver transplatation should be considered.
Bilirubin ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury ; Graves Disease ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver Failure ; Liver Failure, Acute* ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver Transplantation ; Methimazole* ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sepsis

Purpose: Little is known about blood markers related to eosinophils in healthy individuals. We aimed to identify blood markers from routine tests associated with blood eosinophil count (BEC) in healthy individuals. Methods: Based on the complex interactions among blood markers, we used comprehensive analysis methods (regression, Bayesian network [BN], and partial correlation) and a health check-up database. To test consistency, we repeated the analysis using data from 3 check-ups of the same healthy individual. Results: A total of 12,625 individuals were enrolled in this study. Four groups were defined according to sex and smoking status: nonsmoking men (n=1,737), smoking men (n=6,518), nonsmoking women (n=3,995), and smoking women (n=375). The blood bilirubin and γ-glutamyltransferase levels showed significant associations with BEC by regression analysis. However, BN analysis found that only the bilirubin node was directly connected to the BEC node. By partial correlation analysis, the blood bilirubin level showed significantly negative association with BEC. The same results were obtained across all the 3 health check-ups, except in smoking women. In addition, a lower blood bilirubin level predicted a significantly elevated BEC (especially ≥200/µL). The blood bilirubin levels measured at 3 time-points were significantly associated with BEC in men and nonsmoking women. Conclusion The blood bilirubin level, which is easily obtained by routine test in clinical practice, may be a useful marker for BEC.

IL-9 has been reported to play dual roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders and cancers. The collaboration of IL-9 with microenvironmental factors including the broader cytokine milieu and other cellular components may provide important keys to explain its conflicting effects in chronic conditions. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the cellular sources of, and immunological responders to IL-9, in order to interpret the role of IL-9 in the regulation of immune responses. This knowledge will provide new perspectives to improve clinical benefits and limit adverse effects of IL-9 when treating pathologic conditions.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of cAMP on immune regulation and apoptosis during acute rat cardiac allograft rejection. We found that the production of immune markers such as inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha), iNOS expression, and nitric oxide (NO) production, was significantly increased in the blood and transplanted hearts of allograft recipients, but not of isograft controls. These increases were effectively suppressed by the administration of the membrane permeable cAMP analog dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP). Administration of db-cAMP reduced allograft-induced elevation of several biochemical markers, such as adhesion molecule expression, iron-nitrosyl complex formation, caspase-3 activation, and apoptotic DNA fragmentation in an animal model. Furthermore, treatment of allograft recipients with db-cAMP prolonged median graft survival to 11 days compared with a median graft survival time of 8 days in saline-treated allograft recipients. These results suggest that db-cAMP exerts a beneficial effect on murine cardiac allograft survival by modulating allogeneic immune response and cytotoxicity.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects ; Caspase 3/metabolism ; Cyclic AMP/analogs & derivatives/*pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Graft Rejection/*drug therapy ; Graft Survival/*drug effects ; Heart Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism ; Interleukin-6/metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism