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A T Remaley

Publications and source records attributed to A T Remaley.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Evaluation of the clinical utility of platelet aggregation studies.

To determine the diagnostic importance of platelet aggregation studies, we evaluated the clinical utility of these assays by a retrospective review of 188 adult patients initially studied for bleeding abnormalities with platelet aggregation tests at a tertiary care hospital from 1984 to 1987. The primary indications for requesting the tests in our patient population were for the evaluation of a positive bleeding history or abnormal bleeding time (68%), hypercoagulability (17%), thrombocytosis (9%), or a family history of a bleeding disorder (6%). There was a statistically higher incidence of platelet aggregation test abnormalities in patients with highly abnormal bleeding times (40%), in patients with thrombocytosis from myeloproliferative disorders (65%), and in patients with a family history of a bleeding disorder (58%), compared to the other groups studied (16-29%). Of the 64 platelet aggregation tests performed that were abnormal, the following abnormalities were identified: 19 aspirin-like defects (poor response to arachidonate and decreased second wave responses to weak agonists), which were presumably drug-induced, ten myeloproliferative-type disorder defects (abnormal response to epinephrine predominantly) in patients known to have myeloproliferative disease, 34 abnormal patterns not characterized as aspirin or myeloproliferative disorder related, four of which ultimately led to a diagnosis of storage pool disease, and one spontaneous aggregation defect. Our results suggest that platelet aggregation tests rarely lead to the diagnosis of a specific, previously undiagnosed platelet function disorder. Specific recommendations are given for efficient utilization of platelet aggregation tests.

Bleeding Time↗

Macroenzymes: biochemical characterization, clinical significance, and laboratory detection.

"Macroenzymes" are enzymes in serum that have formed high-molecular-mass complexes, either by self-polymerization or by association with other serum components. Many enzymes in serum that are measured in clinical chemistry laboratories can occur in a macroenzyme form. Macroenzymes are interesting clinically because of their association with several diseases, including autoimmune diseases and liver disease, and are being investigated as possible diagnostic markers. Most importantly, macroenzymes frequently interfere with the interpretation of serum enzyme results, and as a result can cause diagnostic and therapeutic errors. We review the biochemical characterization, clinical significance, and laboratory detection of macroenzymes.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

Laboratory assessment of poisoning with a carbamate insecticide.

We discuss a case of a 17-year-old white male who intentionally ingested a tick and flea insecticide and was admitted to the emergency room unconscious, with signs and symptoms of cholinergic toxicity. Capillary gas chromatography and electron-impact mass fragmentographic analysis of the patient's urine and serum demonstrated the presence of poly-ethylene glycol and propoxur (o-isopropoxyphenyl N-methyl-carbamate), a carbamate-based cholinesterase inhibitor commonly used in insecticides. The patient fully recovered, but only after a complicated hospital course. We also discuss the laboratory assessment and clinical treatment of poisoning with carbamate and organophosphate insecticides.

Adolescent↗

Hydrolysis of phosphoproteins and inositol phosphates by cell surface phosphatase of Leishmania donovani.

Leishmania donovani promastigotes contain intense tartrate-resistant cell surface acid phosphatase (ACP1) which blocks superoxide anion production by activated human neutrophils [A.T. Remaley et al. (1984) J. Biol. Chem, 259, 11173-11175]. An extensively purified preparation of ACP1 dephosphorylates several phosphoproteins which are phosphorylated at serine residues; these include: pyruvate kinase (Km 1.6 microM; Vmax 71.4 U (mg protein)-1), phosphorylase kinase (Km 0.076 microM; Vmax 5.4 U (mg protein)-1) and histones (Km 4.86 microM; Vmax 2.2 U (mg protein)-1). However, the specific activity of the leishmanial phosphatase on these phosphoproteins is very low as compared to other phosphoprotein phosphatases. The phosphatase activity of ACP1 was also low on phosphohistone phosphorylated at tyrosine residues. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-diphosphate (PIP2) and inositoltriphosphate (IP3) were also tested as ACP1 substrates. PIP2 was hydrolyzed rapidly by ACP1. The rate of hydrolysis of PIP2 was higher at pH 6.8 (Km 2.35 microM; Vmax 107 X 10(3) U (mg protein)-1) than at pH 5.5 (Km 4.16 microM; Vmax 71 X 10(3) U (mg protein)-1). 32P-labeled IP3 was also a substrate for ACP1; the hydrolysis products consisted of a mixture of inositoldiphosphate and inositolmonophosphate. ACP1 and ten other phosphatases were tested for their ability to dephosphorylate proteins and to inhibit O2- production by stimulated human neutrophils. There was no correlation between the protein phosphatase activity of the acid- and alkaline phosphatases and their ability to block neutrophil O2- production. The results indicate that ACP1 probably blocks the production of reduced oxygen intermediates by a mechanism that does not involve dephosphorylation of phosphoproteins; however, the possibility that the parasite's phosphatase affects phagocyte metabolism by degrading PIP2 or IP3 should be considered.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Properties of an acid phosphatase from Legionella micdadei which blocks superoxide anion production by human neutrophils.

The high-speed supernatant (100,000 g, 1 h) obtained after centrifuging a suspension of Legionella micdadei that had been freeze-thawed and sonicated contained (i) considerable acid phosphatase activity when assayed using 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (MUP) as the substrate, and a factor that blocked superoxide anion production by human neutrophils stimulated with f-Met-Leu-Phe. Chromatography of the extract on a hydroxylapatite column resolved two acids phosphatases (designated ACP1 and ACP2). Subsequent chromatography of ACP2 on a Sephadex G-150 column revealed coincident elution of phosphatase activity and neutrophil blocking activity. When heated at 45 degrees C for various periods of time, the phosphatase activity of the acid phosphatase preparation was lost at the same rate as the ability of the preparation to block superoxide anion production by neutrophils. Furthermore, preincubation of neutrophils and acid phosphatase together in the presence of a heteropolymolybdate complex that inhibits the phosphatase eliminated the effect of the L. micdadei phosphatase on neutrophil superoxide anion production. ACP2 had the following properties: pH optimum, 6.0; Km for MUP, 3.8 mM; isoelectric point, 4.5; substrate specificity, MUP greater than ADP greater than phosphoenolpyruvate greater than phosphothreonine greater than phosphoserine greater than phosphotyrosine; molecular weight (estimated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration chromatography), 71,000-86,000. These results indicate that a cell-associated phosphatase may play a role in the virulence of L. micdadei.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Characterization of Leishmania donovani acid phosphatases.

A crude membrane fraction from promastigotes of Leishmania donovani grown in a liquid culture medium containing 20% fetal calf serum was prepared by freeze-thawing, centrifugation (200,000 X g, 30 min), and extraction with 2% (w/v) sodium cholate. After removal of the bile salt by chromatography on a Sephadex G-75 column, the solubilized membrane protein fraction, rich in acid phosphatase activity, was chromatographed on columns containing concanavalin A-Sepharose, QAE-Sephadex, and Sephadex G-150 and G-100. Three distinct acid phosphatases were resolved: the major phosphatase activity (70% of the total) was L-(+)-tartrate-resistant (designated ACP-P1) and corresponds to the acid phosphatase localized to the outer surface of the parasite's plasma membrane; the other two phosphatases (ACP-P2 and ACP-P3) account for the remaining 30% of the particulate acid phosphatase activity, and both of these enzymes are L-(+)-tartrate-sensitive. Using a combination of sucrose density gradient centrifugation, gel filtration chromatography, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it was determined that ACP-P1 is a 128,000-dalton protein composed of two subunits of 65,000-68,000 daltons. ACP-P1 has an isoelectric point of 4.1, a pH optimum of 5.5, hydrolyzes fructose 1,6-diphosphate, but no other sugar phosphates and dephosphorylates phosphotyrosine, yeast mannan, and the phosphorylated form of rat liver pyruvate kinase. ACP-P2 (pI, 5.4) and ACP-P3 (pI, 7.1) with molecular masses of 132,000 and 108,000 daltons, respectively, are both tartrate-sensitive and are distinguished from each other on the basis of their sensitivity to inhibition by polyanionic molybdenum complexes. These two phosphatases also have their pH optima in the pH 5.0-6.0 range, but have a considerably broader substrate specificity than ACP-P1.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Leishmania donovani: surface membrane acid phosphatase blocks neutrophil oxidative metabolite production.

We show that a purified preparation of the prominent tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (E.C.3.1.3.2), isolated from the external surface of the intracellular parasite Leishmania donovani (promastigote form), inhibits toxic oxidative metabolite production of neutrophils. Preincubation of a neutrophil suspension (2.5 X 10(6) cells/ml) for 15 min at 37 C with 250 units (1 unit equals 1 nmole of 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate cleaved per hr at pH 5.5) of the acid phosphatase in Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) decreased O2 consumption, O2- production, and H2O2 production of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe)-stimulated neutrophils to 15-25% of control values. The acid phosphatase also affected concanavalin A-stimulated O2-production by neutrophils, but had no effect on the rate of phorbol myristic acetate-stimulated O2- production, chemotactic peptide binding, degranulation, or membrane depolarization. Addition of an acid phosphatase inhibitor (Complex E; (NH4)6[P2Mo18O62] X 9H2O) to suspensions of opsonized promastigotes and neutrophils resulted in a threefold or greater enhancement of O2- production. These results suggest a possible pathophysiologic role for the acid phosphatase of L. donovani promastigotes.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Leishmanial phosphatase blocks neutrophil O-2 production.

Leishmania donovani, the causative agent in kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis, infects cells of the macrophage system. We show that a purified preparation of the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, isolated from the external surface of L. donovani promastigotes, inhibits superoxide anion production by human neutrophils. Preincubation of neutrophils for 15-30 min at 37 degrees C with 240 units (1 unit equals 1 nmol of 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate cleaved per h) of the acid phosphatase decreases both the rate and extent of superoxide generation by 90% upon stimulation with the chemoattractant peptide fMet-Leu-Phe. The ability of the phosphatase to suppress superoxide anion production is abolished by heat inactivation of the enzyme or by incorporation of an acid phosphatase inhibitor in the preincubation medium, indicating that the effect is dependent on the catalytic activity of the enzyme. These results suggest a possible pathophysiologic role for the acid phosphatase of L. donovani promastigotes.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Mycophenolic Acid Production by Penicillium brevicompactum on Solid Media.

When grown on Czapek-Dox agar, Penicillium brevicompactum produced mycophenolic acid after a vegetative mycelium had been formed and as aerial hyphae were developing. Nutrients were still plenteous in the agar when the synthesis began. If aerial hyphal development was prevented by placing a dialysis membrane over the growing fungus, no mycophenolic acid was produced. When the dialysis membrane was peeled back and, as a consequence, production of aerial hyphae began, mycophenolic acid biosynthesis was observed. We concluded that mycophenolic acid was produced only by P. brevicompactum colonies that possessed an aerial mycelium.

Journal Article↗

Brevianamides A and B Are Formed Only After Conidiation Has Begun in Solid Cultures of Penicillium brevicompactum.

In cultures of Penicillium brevicompactum grown on Czapek-Dox agar or on circles of dialysis membrane placed on Czapek-Dox agar, brevianamides A and B first appeared after conidiation had begun. The presence of these brevianamides imparted a yellow-green fluorescence to the penicilli and to the upper section of the conidiophores of actively conidiating cultures. Experiments with replacement cultures indicated that medium nutrient levels had little direct effect on brevianamide production. If P. brevicompactum was grown between two circles of dialysis membrane, no aerial hyphae were formed, and brevianamide production was not observed. Three brevianamide-minus mutants of P. brevicompactum were isolated.

Journal Article↗