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Biomedical subjects

D Heymann

Publications and source records attributed to D Heymann.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Leukemia inhibitory factor and oncostatin M influence the mineral phases formed in a murine heterotopic calcification model: a Fourier transform-infrared microspectroscopic study.

The study of bone mineralization processes is of considerable interest in understanding bone diseases and developing new therapies for skeletal disorders, particularly since bone homeostasis requires numerous cell types and a large cytokine network. Cell culture models of mineralization have often been used to study the cellular mechanisms of mineralization, but few data have been reported concerning the influence of extracellular matrix components and cytokines on the physicochemical properties of mineral. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of two cytokines, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and oncostatin M (OSM), involved in bone metabolism on the physicochemical properties of bone mineral formed in a murine in vivo mineralization model. Murine bone marrow cells implanted under the kidney capsule in the presence or absence of cytokines led to heterotopic ossicle formation. A scanning electron microscopic microprobe revealed that heterotopic calcification had a lower (approximately 20%) Ca/P ratio after cytokine treatment as compared with the control without cytokine. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of cytokine-treated ossicles showed numerous areas with low mineral density, whereas electron diffraction pattern revealed an apatitic phase. These areas were not observed in the absence of cytokine. Moreover, Fourier transform-infrared microspectroscopy showed at the molecular level that the presence of either cytokine induced many microscopic areas in which short-range order organization, such as incorporation of carbonate and crystallinity/maturity of ossicle mineral, were modified. LIF and OSM influenced mineral phase formation in the present model and may thus be key protagonists in bone mineral development and skeletal diseases.

Animals↗

Human growth hormone locally released in bone sites by calcium-phosphate biomaterial stimulates ceramic bone substitution without systemic effects: a rabbit study.

Calcium-phosphate bone replacement biomaterial has been used as a drug carrier for therapeutic agents. This study investigated the efficacy of local administration of human growth hormone (hGH) by macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate (MBCP) implants in improving the bone substitution qualities of ceramics. hGH release from MBCP implants loaded with 1 microg of hGH was rapid during the first 48 h and then sustained for a total of 9 days. Immunolocalization of hGH in vitro and in vivo by transmission electron microscopy showed its presence inside the material, indicating that it was able to penetrate within the porosity of the ceramic during the adsorption process. MBCP cylinders (6 x 6 mm) were loaded with 0.1, 1, and 10 microg of hGH and implanted into rabbit femurs (n = 40). The effects of locally released hGH on bone ingrowth and ceramic resorption were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis. The results indicated that hGH increased bone ingrowth (+65%) and ceramic resorption (+140%) significantly in comparison with control implants and that the increase was dose dependent. Biochemical parameters monitored in rabbit plasma and urine, as well as the absence of any significant difference between contralateral implants and the control, indicated that hGH did not produce detectable systemic effects. Thus, the use of MBCP appears to be effective for local delivery of hGH, resulting in improved bone substitution.

Animals↗

Heterotopic implantation of mouse bone-marrow cells: an in vivo model allowing analysis of mineral phases during mineralization processes.

Heterotopic calcification induced after implantation of bone-marrow cells under the murine kidney capsule was used to study the mineral phases occurring during the mineralization process. Ossicles were found to contain numerous osteoblastic cells that produced an organic matrix closely associated with active hematopoietic tissue. During implantation of bone marrow, needle-shaped microcrystals were progressively deposited on collagen fibers. The mineral formed in the heterotopic calcification consisted mainly of calcium phosphate. The distribution and density of the microcrystals were heterogeneous after 6 weeks of implantation but became homogeneous and well-crystallized after 10 weeks. The Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy provided important spatial data on the nature of the mineral formed and the changes in the mineral environment. Similarities were noted between young bone (bone callus) and 6-week heterotopic ossicles, and between adult bone and 10- or 12-week heterotopic ossicles. The study demonstrated that murine heterotopic calcification under the renal capsule can be a very useful model for studying bone apatite formation during the mineralization process.

Animals↗

Commentary: Emerging and other communicable diseases.

There is an increasing need for integrated, sustainable; and cost-effective approaches to the management of infectious diseases. For example, an emerging disease in one country may already be endemic in another country but nearing elimination in a third. A coordinated approach by WHO towards infectious diseases is therefore needed that will facilitate more effective support of on-going efforts for the prevention and control of endemic diseases, intensify efforts against those diseases targeted for eradication and elimination, and result in better preparedness and response to new and re-emerging diseases. In order to meet these challenges, WHO has created a new Programme on Communicable Diseases (CDS), which will replace the former Division of Emerging and other Communicable Diseases (EMC). The new Programme will better integrate surveillance, prevention, control, and research over the whole spectrum of communicable diseases. CDS will function as focal point for global data and information exchange on infectious diseases, and inter alia, will reinforce laboratory-based surveillance of bacterial, viral, and zoonotic diseases to ensure early detection of threats to international public health. Changes in susceptibility to infectious disease, increased opportunities for infection, and the ability of microbes to adapt rapidly will continue to challenge WHO to improve prevention and control of infectious diseases in the future by establishing strong partnerships with both the private and public sectors.

Communicable Disease Control↗

Osteoclastic resorption of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic in vitro.

Neonatal rabbit bone cells were cultured for 1 and 4 days on biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic specimens to study the osteoclastic resorption of the ceramic. Scanning electron microscopic studies after removal of stromal cells with pronase E and EDTA revealed many osteoclast-associated lacunae on the ceramic surface. The degraded crystals inside the lacunae appeared to have been dissolved by acids. Cellular degradation of the ceramic was clearly due to the extracellular process characteristic of osteoclastic resorption.

Animals↗

LPS increases biomaterial degradation by human monocytes in vitro.

Different cell lines are involved during an immunological reaction, principally lymphocytes and monocytes. Monocyte/macrophage cells, which are among the first to appear in wound-healing and infection sites, are largely implicated in phagocytosis and could be involved in calcium-phosphate degradation. Their role in these processes may relate to cytokine secretions and/or their sensitivity to certain cytokines. We tested the behavior of human monocytes placed on the surface of biphasic calcium-phosphate (BCP) tablets in the presence of two lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations. After short-term culture (48 h), cytokine release (IL-1beta, IL-6) was measured by ELISA, and morphological cell events and biomaterial degradation were observed in scanning electron microscopy. BCP surface pits were noted near cells stimulated by 0.5 microg/mL LPS but were not apparent with 10 microg/mL LPS. The number of lacunae on BCP was increased after LPS treatment of human monocytes. An upmodulation of IL-1beta and IL-6 (in culture medium) released by LPS-activated human monocytes was observed, indicating good cell stimulation. This study demonstrates that LPS-activated human monocytes can degrade the surface of calcium-phosphate ceramic and confirms the role of human monocytes in biomaterial degradation.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Association of human growth hormone and calcium phosphate by dynamic compaction: in vitro biocompatibility and bioactivity.

The association of therapeutic agents with biomaterials has been achieved through various techniques, such as coating of the ceramic block surface or drug incorporation into ceramics. The dynamic compaction method recently was developed to consolidate drug-loaded calcium phosphate powder without a sintering step. In the present work, human recombinant growth hormone was loaded on biphasic calcium phosphate powder and consolidated by a specific process of cold sintering (dynamic compaction). Analyses of the biocompatibility of compacted pellets (mouse L929 fibroblastic cell culture) and the bioactivity of the drugs released by them (growth hormone bioassay) were performed. This report demonstrates the biocompatibility of the compacts prepared by dynamic compaction. L929 cell proliferation was maintained and the capacity to secrete fibronectin was conserved in the presence of compacted materials. Comparison of released growth hormone integrity, revealed by radioimmunoassay and eluted stain bioassay, has shown that the biological activity of growth hormone was totally preserved after dynamic compaction. However, 35% of loaded growth hormone was not released in our experimental conditions, probably because of the inaccessibility of growth hormone within the granulated compacts. Dynamic compaction shows good potential for the production of biomaterials capable of releasing therapeutic agents in situ.

Animals↗

Upmodulation of multinucleated cell formation in long-term human bone marrow cultures by leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF).

Inflammatory processes are mediated by many cellular events involving different cell types (leukocytes, monocytes, stromal cells, etc.). Numerous soluble mediators regulate these reactions, including leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a cytokine which may play an important role in inducing acute-phase protein synthesis by hepatocytes during inflammation. This study was designed to determine the effects of LIF on the human monocyte/macrophage lineage and provide a better definition of its behaviour during systemic inflammation. In-vitro exposure of human long-term bone marrow cultures to recombinant human LIF significantly increased (about two-fold) the number of multinucleated cells (MNC) formed after three weeks of culture. These LIF-induced MNC expressed tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, and LIF increased this intracellular activity by about 50%. MNC displayed phagocytotic activity but were unable to degrade sperm whale dentin or respond to human calcitonin. They did not possess the main characteristics of osteoclasts and were in fact macrophage polykaryons. Our results demonstrate for the first time that LIF can induce macrophage polykaryon formation from human bone marrow culture, suggesting that this factor not only produces leukocytes but also has a direct influence on the monocyte/macrophage lineage.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Osteoclastic resorption of calcium phosphate ceramics with different hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate ratios.

To study the influence of calcium phosphate ceramic solubility on osteoclastic resorption, neonatal rabbit bone cells were cultured for 2 days on hydroxyapatite (HA), beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and two types of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) with HA/beta-TCP ratios of 25/75 and 75/25. Solubility was regulated by varying the ratio of less-soluble HA and more-soluble beta-TCP. After removal of stromal cells by pronase E treatment, ceramic surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Osteoclasts resorbed BCP most extensively, with an HA/beta-TCP ratio of 25/75, producing typical lobulated, zig-zag track-like resorption lacunae. On pure beta-TCP, which had the highest solubility in acid, osteoclasts formed smaller discontinuous island-like lacunae. The resorption pattern may have been modified by the large number of calcium ions released into the acidic microenvironment at the osteoclast-ceramic interface. No resorption lacunae were found on the other specimens. The extent of osteoclastic resorption of calcium phosphate ceramics might, to a certain degree, be proportional to solubility, although this was not the case when solubility was very high. It would appear that ceramic solubility influences osteoclast resorption activity.

Animals↗

STD vaccines--an overview.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the role and current status of vaccine research against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). METHODS: The available literature was reviewed with particular emphasis on bacterial STDs. RESULTS: Strategic approaches to possible implementation of STD vaccine programmes were analysed. The status of vaccines against bacterial STDs (syphilis, chancroid, gonorrhoea, and chlamydia) is described in detail. CONCLUSIONS: The development of safe and effective STD vaccines offers a potent tool for the control of STDs, including direct and indirect prevention of HIV infection. Future priorities should be in the development of vaccines against gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis. When such vaccines become available, caution should be exercised to ensure that they do not interfere with the effectiveness of other prevention programmes.

Chancroid↗

Human monkeypox in Kasai Oriental, Zaire (1996-1997).

Monkeypox is an orthopoxvirus with enzootic circulation in the rainforests of central and western Africa; the virus can be transmitted to humans and cause a syndrome clinically similar to smallpox (e.g., pustular rash, fever, respiratory symptoms, and in

Journal Article↗

Cytokine production by human thymic epithelial cells: control by the immune recognition of the neurohypophysial self-antigen.

Oxytocin (OT) has been shown to be the dominant peptide of the neurohypophysial family expressed by thymic epithelial and nurse cells (TEC/TNC) in various species. Thymic OT is not secreted but, after translocation of a hybrid neurophysin/MHC class I protein, is integrated within the plasma membrane of TEC, thus allowing its presentation to pre-T cells. In order to further demonstrate that thymic OT behaves like a membrane antigen, we assessed the effect of mAbs to OT on cytokine productions by cultures enriched in human TEC. 75-85% pure TEC cultures were prepared from human thymic fragments. Using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, ir-OT, ir-interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), ir-interleukin-6 (IL-6) and ir-leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) could be detected in these TEC cultures. ir-OT was restricted to TEC, while some ir-IL-6 and ir-LIF were also seen in occasional fibroblasts. In basal conditions, ir-IL-6 and ir-LIF (but not ir-OT and ir-IL-1 beta) were detected in the supernatants of human TEC cultures. MAbs to OT induced a marked increase of ir-IL-6 and ir-LIF secretion in TEC cultures. No significant effect was observed using mAbs against vasopressin, mouse immunoglobulins, or control ascitic fluid controls. These data show that OT is fully processed and recognized by specific mAbs at the outer surface of TEC plasma membrane. They further support that thymic OT behaves as the self-antigen of the neurohypophysial family.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and oncastsin M (OSM) high affinity binding require additional receptor subunits besides GP130 and GP190.

The structure of Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) and Oncostatin M (OSM) receptors is not completely resolved. Heterodimerization of gp190 and gp130 has been proposed to form a high affinity receptor (type I) shared by LIF and OSM, while heterodimerization of gp130 with an as yet unidentified subunit is proposed to form a high affinity OSM receptor (type II) not shared by LIF. We have analysed the binding stoichiometries, cross-competition properties and cross-linking patterns of LIF and OSM to the choriocarcinoma JAR cell line. The data obtained are not fully accounted for by the model proposed above. They indicate rather that third chains of 140-150 kDa molecular mass, in addition to the gp130 and gp190 subunits, enter in the structure of LIF and OSM high affinity receptors. These results were strongly supported by transfection experiments in CHO cells. CHO cells co-transfected with the human gp190 and gp130 cDNAs expressed high affinity LIF receptors but no high-affinity OSM receptors, indicating that an additional component is required for high affinity OSM binding. High-affinity LIF cross-linking on these cells also showed the association of LIF with a 150 kDa component in addition to the gp130 and gp190 subunits.

Animals↗

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) production in pleural effusions: comparison with production of IL-4, IL-8, IL-10 and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF).

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a pleiotropic cytokine detected in various inflammatory body fluids, plays a poorly defined role in the pathogenesis of human disease. This study was conducted to correlate the LIF concentrations in pleural effusions with the type of pathology and to compare its levels with those of IL-4, IL-8, IL-10 and M-CSF for a given pathology. Pleural fluids from 97 patients were assayed for cytokines by specific ELISAs. The concentrations of all cytokines tested were higher in infectious pleural effusions than in other pathologies (malignant or transudative). The lowest levels were observed for transudates. Significant differences were noted between pathology groups for each cytokine. A good correlation was observed between LIF and IL-8 for malignant effusions [regression correlation coefficient (RC) = 0.480, P < 0.01], between LIF and IL-4 for infectious disorders (RC = 0.543, P < 0.05) between LIF and IL-10 for transudates (RC = 0.798, P < 0.001) and between M-CSF and IL-8 in all pathologies tested except for primitive neoplasia (P < 0.05). The LIF concentration in pleural space seems to be strongly associated with the intensity of inflammatory reaction. The LIF production appears to have different regulatory patterns between aetiologic groups.

Aged↗

Development of enzymo-immunoassays (EIA) for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) by using the same capture and signal generating polyclonal antibody.

Specific high titre polyclonal antibodies rapidly obtained by intralymphnode immunization of rabbits with recombinant M-CSF and LIF (< 60 micrograms/animal) have been used to develop specific, accurate and sensitive EIAs. The same batch of purified anti-M-CSF or anti-LIF Igs has been used for the coating of 96-well plates (capture antibody) and for the quantitative detection of the bound cytokine molecules (soluble biotinylated Igs). The sensitivity (M-CSF: 10 IU/ml, LIF: 20 pg/ml), accuracy (intra-assay-CV: 8.2 to 12.8% for M-CSF; 0 to 19.9% for LIF) and reproducibility (inter-assay-CV: 7.9 to 13.6% for M-CSF; 4.9 to 17.5% for LIF) are equivalent to those for previously published RIAs or EIAs. These assays are highly specific since 11 other cytokines (Epo: 3 IU/ml; G-CSF: 100 IU/ml; CNTF, OSM, SCF, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, IL-11, IL-13: 5 ng/ml) tested in both EIAs were not detectable. Finally, the M-CSF and LIF concentrations measured in various biological fluids were found to be similar to those measured by us and others with different assays. In conclusion, the methodology used for M-CSF and LIF EIAs presented in this work represents a valuable approach for most cytokines, particularly when they are still available in reduced amounts.

Adult↗

Biodegradation of synthetic biphasic calcium phosphate by human monocytes in vitro: a morphological study.

Biodegradation processes (both intra- and extracellular) occur immediately after implantation of calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics. Monocytes and macrophages, among the first cells to appear in wound healing, are largely implicated in phagocytosis and may be involved in CaP degradation because of their sensitivity to secreted cytokines. We tested the behaviour of human monocytes placed on the surface of hydroxyapatite (HA) and biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) tablets in the presence of vitamin D3 (VD3) and interferon gamma (INF gamma). After short-term culture (6 days), morphological events were observed in histological and scanning electron microscopy studies, and degradation lacunae were characterized. There were cell prints but no pits on the HA surface, but pits appeared near cells on the BCP surface. Preincubation of biomaterial in culture medium was essential. Variations in cell morphology were observed in different culture types. In the presence of VD3, degradation was greater than in the control, and cells were more polarized and rounded. With INF gamma, cells were extensively spread out on the sample surface, and the biomaterial seemed to be extracted from the surface by cells. Thus, monocytes are clearly influenced by soluble factors (vitamins, cytokines) and could be key cells in initiating the degradation of biomaterial.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Ultrastructural study of degradation of calcium phosphate ceramic by human monocytes and modulation of this activity by HILDA/LIF cytokine.

Biodegradation of ceramics in vivo is achieved essentially by monocytes and multinuclear cells (osteoclasts). Monocytes are the key element in this process because they intervene first at the biomaterial implantation site during inflammatory reaction. In this work, in vitro studies were conducted on an ultrastructural scale to determine the specific behavior of these cells with regard to a calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramic. Two types of phagocytosis were observed when cells came into contact with the biomaterial: either CaP crystals were taken up alone and then dissolved in the cytoplasm after disappearance of the phagosome membrane or they were incorporated together with large quantities of culture medium, in which case dissolution occurred after the formation of heterophagosomes. Phagocytosis of CaP coincided with autophagy and the accumulation of residual bodies in the cells. Addition of HILDA/LIF factor to these cultures induced a very marked decrease in phagocytotic activity directed at the capture of CaP crystals and culture medium. Autophagy was reduced, and residual bodies were rare or absent. This study specifies the role of monocytes in CaP biodegradation and demonstrates for the first time that HILDA/LIF has a biological effect on this cell line.

Animals↗