OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to obtain information on normal MIS serum levels according to menstrual cycles of adult normal cycling women . It was also designed to obtain information on the ontogeny of the production profile of MIS and the pattern of its localization in ovary from adult normal cycling women. METHODS: Between January 1998 and January 1999, normal MIS serum levels were measured according to menstrual cycles using 160 serum samples from adult normal cycling women by ELISA. The ontogeny of the production profile of MIS and the pattern of its localization were also studied by immunohistochemical staining using the rabbit polyclonal antibody against human recombinant MIS in 35 ovarian specimens from adult normal cycling women. RESULT: The MIS levels were gradually increased through the follicular phase, reaching at its maximum at the ovulatory phase(4.2+/-2.6 ng/ml), and sharply decreased at the beginning of the luteal phase being minimized at the premenstrual phase(0.5+/-0.2 ng/ml). In average, the MIS levels of the follicular phase(3.7+/-1.9 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those of the luteal phase(1.8+/-2.4 ng/ml)(P<0.05). The MIS levels of the preovulatory and ovulatory phase were significantly higher than those of the other cycle days(P<0.05). Even the early follicular phase(2.9+/-1.6 ng/ml) showed higher MIS levels than the advanced luteal phase(0.9+/-0.7 ng/ml) and the premenstrual phase(0.5+/-0.2 ng/ml)(P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively). The first staining for MIS was detected in the cytoplasm of granulosa cells when the flattened granulosa cells changed to the cuboidal cells in primordial follicles. The granulosa cells of both single and multiple layered growing follicles showed strong specific staining for MIS. but the MIS staining was not found not in the mature follicle just before ovulation, atretic follicles, corpus luteum, and corpus albicans. MIS staining waned in the mature follicles just before ovulation. CONCLUSION: These experiments demonstrate that the MIS is produced by ovarian granulosa cells in normal reproductive females. The MIS may play an important role as a hormone of follicular development and oocyte maturation through interactions with female steroid hormones, gonadotropins, and growth factors during the adult reproductive cycle.
Adult ; Anti-Mullerian Hormone* ; Corpus Luteum ; Cytoplasm ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Follicular Phase ; Gonadotropins ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Luteal Phase ; Menstrual Cycle* ; Oocytes ; Ovarian Follicle ; Ovary* ; Ovulation

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulin G* ; Influenza, Human*

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Lactoglobulins* ; Milk*

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome is an X-linked disorder characterized by recurrent infection, thrombocypenia and eczema. Various defects in cell-mediated immunity and deficient antibody reponse to carbohydrate antigens have been described. We experienced a case of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome of 28 months old male patient. He has been suffered from multiple petechiae with bleeding, recurrent pyogenic infections and generalized eczema since 3 months of age. Immunological abnormalities are as follows: 1) Serum IgM was gradually decreased, while IgA and IgE were increased. 2) Antibody response against polysaccharide antigen (PRP) was not observed after 3 times of PRPT immunization. 3) CD4/CD8 ratio was reversed (0.6). 4) Proliferative response of mononuclear cells was significantly reduced, and CMI skin test also showed negative results. A brief review of literature was made.
Antibody Formation ; Child, Preschool ; Eczema ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin M ; Male ; Purpura ; Skin Tests ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Ectoderm*

The purine antimetabolite 6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) has been in clinical use for over 30 years and is still a widely used agent in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The bioavailibility, clinical efficacy and toxicity of 6-MP administered orally for maintenance therapy of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are highly variable in many studies, as well as at differnt times in same patient. there are many factors affecting the bioavailibility of 6-MP. The most notably factor being that concomitantly administered drugs and foods might contribute to a decrease in the bioavailibity of this drug. In our sociocultural environment milk is a major constituent of child's foods. Cow's milk contains a high concentration of xanthine oxidase, which could potentially transform 6-TM into 6-thioxanthine (6-TX) and 6-thiouric acid (6-TUA) which have no more therapeutic effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of various milk products on the bioavailability of 6-MP. Incubation at 37degrees C for 30 min raw or pasteurized milk resulted in transformation of a large quantity of clinically relevant concentration of 6-MP into 6-TUA. The concomitant adminstration of folic acid and allopurinol has markedly inhibitory effect on the 6-MP destroying activity of milk at clinically relevant concentrations. These observations may help to optimize modalities of administration of 6-MP for the treartment of patients with childhood leukemia.
6-Mercaptopurine* ; Allopurinol ; Biological Availability* ; Child ; Complement Factor B ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Milk* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Xanthine Oxidase

PURPOSE: Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) is a hereditary multi-systemic disease resulting from mutations of AT gene and is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, cancer, immune system defects, and hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. AT gene has a homologue sequence of PI3-kinase. The activity and cellular function of PI3-kinase in AT gene remains unclear. This study was undertaken to evaluate the function of AT gene through the effect on cell survival and differentiation by the inhibition of AT gene expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NH2-terminal portion of AT gene was isolated from MCF-7 cells by RT-PCR. The isolated DNA fragment was ligated in reverse orientation in pcDNA3. This antisense ATM expression vector was transfected to PC-12 cells by calcium phosphate method, and the transformed cells were selected using G418 and immunohisto- chemistry. To analyze the cell survival and differentiation, cells were cultured in serum free medium supplemented with/without NGF. We performed the immunoprecipitation for the p53 induction of cells after ionizing radiation, and the FACS for the apoptosis of cells after the exposure of wortmanin. RESULTS: PC-12 cells which down-regulated AT gene (like ATM, AT mutated) showed decreased survival and ceased differentiation with NGF. Also, PC-12 (ATM) cells showed increased apoptosis with wortmanin and reduced or delayed p53 induction after ionizingradiation. CONCLUSION: Results obtained from these studies suggest that AT gene regulates survival and differentiation of PC-12 cells through PI3-kinase activity. It seems that apoptosis is induced by the inhibition of AT gene expression.
Apoptosis ; Ataxia Telangiectasia ; Calcium ; Cell Survival ; Chemistry ; DNA ; Gene Expression ; Hypersensitivity ; Immune System ; Immunoprecipitation ; MCF-7 Cells ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Phenotype* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Radiation, Ionizing

This study was performed to evaluate the changes of serum IgG4 level in children with allergic diseases. Serum Ige, IgG and IgG4 level were measured using enyzme immunoassay (IgE) and radial immunodiffusion method (IgG and IgG4) in 21 children with bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis or urticaria Eosinophil counts in peripheral blood and the values of serum IgE were significantly increased in allergic patients. The values of IgG4 in allergic patients were also increased compare to those in controls (24.23mg/dl versus 20.33mg/dl). But the values of IgG4 were not significantly correlated to either IgG or IgE levels. Further studies will be needed for measuring allergen specifie IgE and IgG4 levels considering the onset of diseases, methods and duration of treatment.
Asthma ; Child ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoassay ; Immunodiffusion ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Rhinitis ; Urticaria

No abstract available.
Osteosarcoma* ; Retinoblastoma*

Individual tumors, even those of the same histologic type, show varying sensitivity to specific cytotoxic agent. Therefore, sensitivity testing assume an increasingly important as an orientational aid in planning chemotherapy. In the past decade there have been many attempts to develop a chemosensitivity test that would predict the clinical effectiveness of various chemostherapeutic agents against human neoplasms. In the United States National Institue's anticancer drug screening program, a colorimetric assey based on the ability of live cells to reduce a tetrazolium-base compound(MTT) to a blue formazan product was used. There has been an increase in reports of a chemosensitivity assay that use tetrazolium dyes and current the assay is in use in our country. The efficacy of several anticancer drug (vincristine sulfate, Etoposide, doxorubicin CDDP) were evaluated using the in vitro chemosensitivity of MTT assay with two cancer cell lines (MOLT-4, KHOS/NP). The follows obtained. 1) CI50 on MOLT-4 are 0.55ng/ml and 0.81ng/ml for vincristine and oncovin, 142.30ng/ml and 78.75ng/ml for lastet and vepesid, and 19.75ng/ml, 20.43ng/ml and 8.66ng/ml for ADR, ADM and adriblastin, respectively. 2) CI50 on KHOS/NP are 691.35ng/ml, 873.73ng/ml, 1,205.22ng/ml, 768.81ng/ml and 672.19ng/ml for cisplan, cisplatin, cispatin, platinol and cisplatin G, and 9.22ng/ml, 11.46ng/ml and 4.28ng/ml for ADR, ADM and adriblastin, respectively. In conclusion the MTT dye reduction assay to anticancer drug sensitivity using short-term microplate culture might serve as a reliable tool for the selection of effective chemotherapeutic agents in patients with cancers.
Cell Line ; Cisplatin ; Coloring Agents ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Humans ; United States ; Vincristine