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

The purpose of this study is to morphologically evaluate the results of arthroscopic meniscal repair by sec- ond-look arthroscopy. We performed the arthroscopic meniscal repair in 40 menisci of 39 knees between March 1994 and August 1997. Among them, 18 menisci of 17 knees were evaluated by second-look arthroscopy at 3 rnonths postoperatively. Lateral meniscus was 9 and medial meniscus was 9. The morpho- logical results were classified with completely healed, incompletely healed, and failed. The overall results showed that 13 menisci completely healed, 3 menisci incompletely healed, 2 menisci failed. The type of tear was 14 peripheral longitudinal tears, 1 oblique tear(incompletely healed), 1 transverse tear(completely healed with augmentation of fibrin clot), 1 tear at posterior tibial attachment, and 1 complex tear(completely healed). 3 menisci had associated lesions that had not been treated, of which 1 incompletely healed, 2 failed. Chronic cases, in which time interval between injury and repair was 6 weeks later, were 8 menisci(4 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed). 10 long peripheral longitudinal tears of more fhan 2.5cm were resulted in 6 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed. 5 longitudinal tear with a wide peripher- al rim(>2mm) were resulted in 1 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed. The good result was expected when the tear was repaired in acute phase after injury and associated lesion was treated. For chronic tears, tears of avascular zone and wide longitudinal tears, the healing enhancement techniques such as fibrin clot insertion, abrasion of meniscus and synovium, and trephination must be taken into consideration.
Arthroscopy* ; Fibrin ; Knee ; Logic ; Menisci, Tibial ; Synovial Membrane ; Trephining

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the benefits and therapeutic effects of intra-arterial papaverine infusion on the symptomatic cerebral vasospasm, we analyzed the results of treatment in 32 patients retrospectively. METHODS: A total of 510 patients underwent surgical clipping or endovascular intra-aneurysmal treatment for ruptured intracranial aneurysm between May, 1996 and June, 1999. The delayed ischemic deficit(DID) was developed in 90 of 510 patients. Of these 90 patients, 32 developed symptomatic vasospasm inspite of using modest "3H therapy". The brain CT scan was taken before the intra-arterial infusion of papaverine. The 32 patients underwent 42 intra-arterial papaverine infusion. The symptomatic vasospasm was divided into three groups: deterioration of mental status(Group 1), appearance of a focal neurologic deficit(Group 2), or both(Group 3). We measured Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), arterial diameters, and cerebral circulation time(CCT) at the time of pre- and postangioplasty. RESULTS: The number of patients in group 1, 2 and 3 were 26, 7, 9 respectively. Eighteen cases showed improvement of GCS more than 2 scores, 16 more than 1, and 8 showed no change of GCS. Average cerebral circulation time(CCT) was decreased ranging from 0.0%-67.5%, and arterial diameters were increased in 21 cases ranging from 1 to 4 folds. CONCLUSION: Intra-arterial papaverine infusion seemed to have therapeutic effects on symptomatic vasospasm by improving the neurological signs and increasing the arterial diameter. We suggest that intra-arterial papaverine infusion would be an useful adjunctive therapeutic modality in symptomatic vasospasm.
Aneurysm* ; Brain ; Coma ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Papaverine* ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage* ; Surgical Instruments ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vasospasm, Intracranial*

A retrospective study was carried out of 20 patients with histologically proven invasive carcinoma of the vagina from 1979 to 1993; 17 cases with curative primary radiotherapy and three cases with postoperative radiotherapy. The five and ten year overall survival rates were 79% and 53%, respectively. Survival was strongly correlated with stage. Five year survival rates of stage I, stage II, and stage III, IV were 100%, 78%, and 0%, respectively. Eight patients experienced recurrences; five within the irradiated volume, two distant metastasis, and one combined both local and distant metastasis. There was no significant late complication. From these data, radiation is effective in the mangement of the vaginal cancer patients and optimum treatment modality and total dose recommendation are made.
Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vagina* ; Vaginal Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Although some reports have been published on the protective effect of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii surface membrane proteins, few address the inhibitory activity of antibodies to dense granular proteins (GRA proteins). Therefore, we performed a series of experiments to evaluate the inhibitory effects of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to GRA proteins (GRA2, 28 kDa; GRA6, 32 kDa) and surface membrane protein (SAG1, 30 kDa) on the invasion of T. gondii tachyzoites. Passive immunization of mice with one of three mAbs following challenge with a lethal dose of tachyzoites significantly increased survival compared with results for mice treated with control ascites. The survival times of mice challenged with tachyzoites pretreated with anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb were significantly increased. Mice that received tachyzoites pretreated with both mAb and complement had longer survival times than those that received tachyzoites pretreated with mAb alone. Invasion of tachyzoites into fibroblasts and macrophages was significantly inhibited in the anti-GRA2, anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb pretreated group. Pretreatment with mAb and complement inhibited invasion of tachyzoites in both fibroblasts and macrophages. These results suggest that specific antibodies to dense-granule molecules may be useful for controlling infection with T. gondii.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Antigens, Protozoan ; Female ; Fibroblasts/parasitology ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Immunization, Passive ; Macrophages/parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Protozoan Proteins/*immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxoplasma/*pathogenicity ; Toxoplasmosis/parasitology/*therapy

No abstract available.
Intracranial Hypotension*