No abstract available.
Angina, Stable* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Normal human B cells produce autocrine growth factor in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain (SAC). However, the functional role and molecular nature of the B cell derived-B cell growth factor (B-BCGF) are largely unknown. We have tried to investigate the nature of B-BCGF using mAb for several years. We report here that B- BCGF is capable of binding to hemoglobin (Hb). The concentrated culture supernatant from tonsillar B cells stimulated with SAC for 24 h was loaded into the fast protein liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. The peak with BCGF activity was shown to have a M.W. of 16-18 Kda in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain. Amino acid sequence of the fraction was found to identical to human hemoglobin (Hb) by more than 85%. However, Hb itself had no BCGF activity. The presence of Hb in culture supernatant was due to the contamination of SRBC during B cell purification. SRSC were completely removed from B cells by percoll-gradient centrifugation and B cells were stimulated with SAC and exogenous Hb was added to the cultures. The Hb fraction from FPLC again showed a BCGF activity. These data strongly suggested that BCGF binds to Hb. We confirmed this in dot blot as well as Western blot. The M.W of Hb-binding BCGF was 20 Kda. This information may provide a rapid progress in research of BCGF.
Amino Acid Sequence ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Silver ; Staphylococcus aureus

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic disease of unknown cause, characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the biliary tree with diffuse multifocal stricture formation. With increasing knowledge of primary sclerosing cholangitis, it is now recognized that in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease, cholangiocarcinoma is a complication of primary sclerosing cholangitis. We recently experienced a case of 41 year old female patient who had Crohns disease associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholangioearcinoma. We report a case of primary sclerosing cholangitis with cholangiocarcinoma with literature review.
Adult ; Biliary Tract* ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing* ; Chronic Disease ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Crohn Disease ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Pancreas*

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

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

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

Heart failure (HF) is a growing health concern in aging societies worldwide. Sacubitril/valsartan is changing the real-world treatment in the whole spectrum of HF. The beginning was the PARADIGM-HF trial published in 2014, which demonstrated the beneficial effects of inhibiting natriuretic peptide breakdown in combination with hindering the renin-angiotensin system in HF patients with a reduced ejection fraction. Subsequent large-scale randomized trials have evaluated angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor in HF patients with acute decompensation or with preserved ejection fraction. The post hoc analyses are being conducted as well. This review summarizes the recent evidence of sacubitril/ valsartan regarding patient-centered outcomes, based on randomized controlled trials and their associated studies.

Hurthle cell tumors are an infrequent neoplasm of the thyroid gland in adults. Hurthle cell tumors represent 4. 5% to 10% of all primary thyroid epithelial neoplasms in the foreign literature. It has been known as Hurthle cell tumor since Ewing was the first to use this term in 1928. Tumor occurring in an infant was described by Symmers(1941) and Morrow(1945). The authors experienced a case of congenital Hurthle cell tumor of the thyroid gland in a 2 months old boy. He was admitted to the pediatric surgical department because of a growing mass in the neck since birth. Ultrasonogram showed a huge lobulated homogenous solid mass with medium level echogenicity in the region of the thyroid gland. Subtotal thyroidectomy of right lobe and total thyroidectomy of left lobe were done. The specimen measures 2x3x1.5 cm and 7x3x3 cm, respectively. It was an encapsulated, yellow gray firm and solid mass. The cut surface was smooth, glistening and homogenous. Microscopicully, the tumor was composed of tightly packed regular follicles lined by polyhedral, cuboidal, large cells with a granular acidophilic cytoplasms. The nuclei are vesicular, usually only a little bit larger than those of normal thyroid cells.
Infant ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

Obesity is a major contributor to many chronic diseases and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is also associated with increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Toward the goals of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) for preventing CVD and promoting cardiovascular health, the ACC and AHA have collaborated with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and professional organizations to develop the "2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults". The 2013 guideline is the second edition of the 'Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: the Evidence Report' published in 1998. The new guideline maintains its focus on primary care practitioners (PCPs) and their patients in an effort to manage obesity more effectively and to reduce cardiovascular risk. The new guideline limits its scope by using five critical questions (CQs) and provides a summary of evidence-based recommendations and a treatment algorithm derived from the five CQs. The five CQs deal with the risks of overweight and obesity and the benefits of weight loss, and evaluate the following three treatment areas: diet, behavioral therapy, and surgical therapy. The recommendations and treatment algorithm serve as a guide for PCPs in the evaluation, prevention, and management of being overweight and obesity.
Adult ; American Heart Association ; Cardiology ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Diet ; Humans ; Mortality ; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.) ; Obesity* ; Overweight* ; Primary Health Care ; Risk Factors ; Societies ; Weight Loss