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D Rudolph

Publications and source records attributed to D Rudolph.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Immunologic cross-reactivity between structural proteins of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I and the blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum.

To determine the serologic cross-reactivity between human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) and parasite antigens, we measured antibody responses against HTLV-I, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and Brugia malayi in serum specimens obtained from regions where malaria (n = 482) and filariasis (n = 101) are endemic. Analysis of immune reactivity to HTLV-I antigens showed that specimens from regions where malaria is endemic had significantly higher rates of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) reactivity (76 of 482 [15.8%] than those from regions where filariasis is endemic (0 of 101 [0%]). Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of the HTLV-I EIA-reactive specimens demonstrated predominant Gag reactivity (HTLV-Iind). Only two specimens each from Indonesia and Brazil and four specimens from Papua New Guinea had Env reactivity by radioimmunoprecipitation analysis. Furthermore, a positive correlation between HTLV-EIA and titers of antibody to the blood stage of P. falciparum (rs = 0.24, P < 0.005) was discerned; no correlation was observed between antibodies to the blood stage or the circumsporozoite protein of P. vivax and the circumsporozoite protein of P. falciparum. In addition, P. falciparum-infected erythrocyte lysate specifically abrogated binding of Gag-specific antibodies in HTLV-Iind specimens from regions where malaria is endemic without affecting binding in HTLV-I-seropositive specimens, suggesting that the immunologic cross-reactivity between HTLV Gag proteins and malaria parasites is restricted to the blood-stage antigens of plasmodia in specimens from regions where malaria is endemic. However, HTLV-seroindeterminate specimens from the United States did not demonstrate serologic cross-reactivity, suggesting that antigenic mimicry of HTLV proteins extends to other nonplasmodial antigens as well.

Animals↗

Infection with human T-lymphotropic viruses leads to constitutive expression of leukemia inhibitory factor and interleukin-6.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), similar to interleukin-6 (IL-6), is a glycoprotein growth factor and differentiation regulator that has pleiotropic activity in several cellular systems. Recent reports of constitutive IL-6 production from spontaneously proliferating cells from human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-infected individuals led us to examine the expression of IL-6 and LIF during HTLV infection. In vitro infection of peripheral blood lymphocytes with HTLV-I was associated with production of both soluble LIF and IL-6 in conjunction with the increasing HTLV antigen concentration. Northern blot analysis of T-cell lines generated from individuals infected with HTLV-I (MT-2, HuT-102, FS, EG, SP) and HTLV-II (Mo-T, H2A, H2E) demonstrated a marked increase in constitutive expression of LIF and IL-6 transcripts, as compared with uninfected cell lines (HuT-78, Jurkat). The constitutive expression of LIF and IL-6 was independent of presence of IL-2 in the culture medium, as both IL-2-independent (MT-2, HuT-102, SP, Mo-T) and IL-2-dependent (FS, EG, H2A, H2E) cell lines expressed LIF and IL-6 transcripts. Furthermore, LIF and IL-6 RNA expression in an HTLV-I-infected cell line (MT-2) was enhanced by phorbol ester stimulation via mechanisms that appear to be dependent on the posttranscriptional regulatory controls. These results show that both LIF and IL-6 are produced by HTLV-I- and HTLV-II-infected cells, which could potentially alter the transcriptional regulation of HTLV gene expression by inducing certain early response genes.

Cell Line↗

Unintegrated two-long terminal repeat circular human T lymphotropic virus DNA accumulation during chronic HTLV infection.

Accumulation of unintegrated human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) DNA was analyzed in long-term T cell lines infected with HTLV type I (HTLV-I) or type II (HTLV-II). By using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, amplified products of expected size were obtained in all of the HTLV-I-infected (n = 7) and HTLV-II-infected (n = 8) cell lines. The signal intensities of the hybridizing band varied greatly among the cell lines and did not correlate with HTLV p24gag antigen production. Further analysis of HTLV-I-infected clones demonstrated considerable variability in the unintegrated DNA accumulation, suggesting that either the epigenetic status of the host cell or some environmental factor determines the occurrence of unintegrated DNA. The presence of lower levels of unintegrated DNA in most of the HTLV-infected, long-term cell lines presumably results in persistent noncytopathic infection.

Base Sequence↗

X ray microscopy--state of the art and expected developments.

The Göttingen X ray microscope at the electron storage ring BESSY in Berlin and X ray microscopy experiments with biological specimens are described. A look ahead to future developments--optics for higher resolution and with better efficiency, detector devices with higher detective quantum efficiency, and the development of a laboratory X ray microscope with a plasma X ray source--is taken.

Electron Probe Microanalysis↗

Lack of induction of interleukin-2-receptor-alpha in patients with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection: implications for pathogenesis.

Since expression of both interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-2-receptor-alpha (IL-2R-alpha) by lymphocytes is inhibited by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro, we hypothesized that HIV-co-infection among persons with tuberculosis (TB) might impair T-lymphocyte responses to TB via this mechanism. We measured soluble IL-2R-alpha (sIL-2R-alpha), a surrogate marker of T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation, and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor I (sTNF-RI) in sera from West African patients categorized into 4 groups: those with TB alone (TB+ HIV-, n = 55), CD4-matched groups with TB and HIV co-infection (TB+ HIV+, n = 50) or HIV infection alone (TB- HIV+, n = 35), and patients with neither disease (TB- HIV-, n = 35). The median level of sIL-2R-alpha was markedly greater in the TB+ HIV- group (1580 U/mL) compared to the TB- HIV- (670 U/mL; P < 0.001) and TB- HIV+ (880 U/mL; P < 0.01) groups. More importantly, the median concentration of sIL-2R-alpha was much lower in the TB+ HIV+ group (855 U/mL) compared to the TB+ HIV- group (1580 U/mL; P < 0.01) despite similar levels of sTNF-RI. These results suggest that T-lymphocyte activation in TB patients is impaired by HIV co-infection and, furthermore, this suppressive effect was independent of numerical depletion of CD4 lymphocytes. Impairment to IL-2-signalling might contribute to the profound impact that HIV has had on both the incidence and the clinicopathological manifestations of TB.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Effects of low dose aspirin on platelet function in patients with recent cerebral ischemia.

We tested the antiplatelet effects of low-dose aspirin in patients with occlusive cerebrovascular disease, because conventional dosage aspirin inhibits vascular synthesis of prostacyclin at the same time that it inhibits platelets. The effects on platelet function and thromboxane A2 synthesis of 40 mg of aspirin daily or 40 mg aspirin plus dipyridamole were measured in 23 patients starting within a week after the onset of cerebral ischemia. All patients had normal baseline platelet aggregation responses to four stimuli: arachidonate, epinephrine, adenosine diphosphate and collagen. The generation of thromboxane A2 by platelets, measured as serum thromboxane B2, was also normal. After 3 to 7 days of low dose aspirin therapy, platelet aggregation responses were suppressed to the extent observed with higher dosage aspirin. Serotonin release during platelet aggregation was inhibited by more than 95% and thromboxane B2 levels in clotted blood fell by more than 95%. Responses to aspirin treatment were similar in patients with transient ischemic attacks and in those with stroke and were also similar in both sexes. No differences in platelet responses were observed between patients receiving aspirin alone and aspirin plus dipyridamole. Thus 40 mg aspirin daily inhibited platelet responses as effectively as higher doses of aspirin in patients who had recent cerebral ischemia and showed a cumulative antiplatelet effect.

Aged↗

Deficits in memory tasks of mice with CREB mutations depend on gene dosage.

Studies in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mice have shown that the transcription factor CREB is involved in formation and retention of long-term memory. To analyze the impact of differential CREB levels on learning and memory, we varied the gene dosage of CREB in two strains of mutant mice: (1) CREBalphadelta mice, in which the alpha and delta isoforms are disrupted, but a third isoform beta is strongly up-regulated; (2) CREBcomp, a compound strain with one alphadelta allele and one CREBnull allele in which all CREB isoforms are disrupted. To minimize genetic background effects, CREB mutations were backcrossed into a C57BL/6 and a FVB/N strain, respectively, and studies were performed in F1 hybrids from these lines. CREBcomp but not CREBalphadelta F1 hybrids were impaired in water maze learning and fear conditioning, demonstrating a CREB gene dosage effect. However, analysis of the platform searching strategies in the water maze task suggested that CREBcomp mutants are impaired in behavioral flexibility rather than in spatial memory. In contrast to previous experiments using CREBalphadelta mice with different genetic background, the F1 hybrid CREBalphadelta and CREBcomp mice did not show deficits in a social transmission of food preference task nor in dentate gyrus and CA1 LTP as recorded from slice preparations. These data indicate that the hybrid vigor typical for F1 hybrids may compensate for a reduction in CREB levels in some tests. On the other hand, the persistence of clear behavioral deficits as shown by the F1 hybrid CREBcomp mice in water maze and fear conditioning indicates a robust and repeatable phenomenon that will permit further functional analysis of CREB.

Animals↗