Biomedical subjects

F Hervé

Publications and source records attributed to F Hervé.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

[HIV seropositive pregnant women from black Africa seen at the Guy de Lorier maternity unit of Tenon hospital. Report of 33 cases].

There were 5503 deliveries between 1989 and 1991 in the Guy de Lorier Maternity Unit (Pr Salat-Baroux) of Tenon Hospital, Paris. These included 81 women testing HIV+ in the department with 33 asymptomatic black African women among 781 deliveries. Africans account for 14% of women delivered in the department but for 40% of seropositives in the unit, with a predilection for women from Zaïre (central Africa), accounting for 17 seropositives. They only represent 50% of all cases of African HIV+ and 20% of the unit, while they account for only 6% of the black African community and 0.8% of the maternity unit. Women from west Africa accounted for 45.5% of African seropositive cases, with Ivory Coast in first place with 24.3% while only 9% of women from Mali, accounting for 40% of African patients and 5% the units, tested positive (3 cases out of 309 patients). The mean age of seropositive patients was 23 +/- 4, pregnancies proceeded normally and there were 4 therapeutic abortions. There were 9 births by cesarean section, with no evidence of neonatal contamination, the same applying in the other 20 vaginal deliveries. Routine testing (informed consent) for HIV in these high-risk (endemic zone, drug addiction) or unrecognised seropositive patients is important whenever the opportunity presents itself (prenuptial examinations, prenatal visits, family planning, preoperative assessment) in order to attempt to lower infection rates and ensure the best possible care for mother and child when there is a wish to continue the pregnancy, but also to protect hospital staff from the risks to which they may be exposed.

Africa↗

PubMed1995

Clearance of HIV infection in 12 perinatally infected children: clinical, virological and immunological data.

OBJECTIVE: A case of HIV infection clearance in a perinatally infected infant has been recently reported. We report here on the molecular, biological and clinical features of such virus clearance in 12 children. DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the diagnosis in our 6-year cohort of 188 children born to HIV-seropositive mothers. HIV-1 was detected by coculture of infant peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with cord blood cells, direct culture of infant cells, and DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The children were diagnosed three times during the first 3 months of life and then followed up over a postnatal period of 18-36 months. RESULTS: The 12 reverted children had at least two positive PCR in at least two amplified regions. Among them, six were tested positive in culture/coculture assay, and five were treated long-term with zidovudine. Thus, seven out of 12 reversions cannot be attributed to antiretroviral therapy. All the virological results became negative during the first year of life, and serology lowered to negative values between 9 and 23 months. We could not find any correlation between either neutralizing or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity-mediating antibodies and HIV clearance. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, we showed that an unexpected number of children born to HIV-seropositive mothers (6.7%) cleared HIV infection during the first year of life, and subsequently became seronegative. Interestingly, most of these children exhibited unspecified clinical signs during the first months of life. Five of these children were tested positive only by PCR, which suggests a low virus load and could, at least partly, explain spontaneous clearance. However, 4 years later, among the seven remaining infants, two seronegative children presented recurrent hepatosplenomegaly, which may indicate the presence of hidden virus not detectable by peripheral blood testing.

CD4-CD8 Ratio↗

PubMed1994

p56lck interacts via its src homology 2 domain with the ZAP-70 kinase.

p56lck, a member of the src family of protein tyrosine kinases, is an essential component in T cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction. p56lck contains a src homology 2 (SH2) domain found in a number of proteins involved in intracellular signaling. SH2 domains have been implicated in protein-protein interactions by binding to sequences in target proteins containing phosphorylated tyrosine. Using an in vitro assay, we have studied specific binding of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins to a recombinant p56lck SH2 domain. In nonactivated Jurkat cells, two tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected. Stimulation with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies induced the binding of seven additional tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins to the SH2 domain of p56lck. We have identified the zeta-associated tyrosine kinase, ZAP-70, as one of these proteins. Evidence suggests that binding of ZAP-70 to p56lck SH2 is direct and not mediated by zeta. The significance of this interaction was further investigated in vivo. p56lck could be coprecipitated with the zeta/ZAP-70 complex and conversely, ZAP-70 was detected in p56lck immunoprecipitates of activated Jurkat cells. The physical association of p56lck and ZAP-70 during activation supports the recently proposed functional cooperation of these two tyrosine kinases in TCR signaling.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Drug binding in plasma. A summary of recent trends in the study of drug and hormone binding.

The ligands are generally bound in plasma to a significant extent by several transport proteins (both high and low affinity), irrespective of their endogenous or exogenous origin. The protein binding of endogenous compounds (such as hormones) exhibits higher affinity and specificity than those of exogenous compounds (such as drugs). For plasma proteins that bind the same ligand(s), structural similarities or a common genetic origin may be found, although this is not a general rule. Alterations in ligand binding may be due to modifications of either the structure or the level of the binding protein. These modifications may result from genetic make up, physiology or pathology. In some situations, plasma binding may impair the distribution of drugs to tissues, with drug distribution then mainly restricted to the distribution compartment of the drug-binding protein. In other instances, the plasma drug-binding is permissive, and does not limit drug distribution to tissues. A given drug-transport protein system may have either a permissive or a restrictive effect on the drug distribution, depending on the tissue. The physiological significance of the high-affinity transport proteins is not completely understood. These proteins may increase the plasma concentration of poorly hydrosoluble ligands, ensure a more uniform tissue distribution and increase the life of the ligands. The life of the protein may also be increased by ligand binding. High-affinity transport proteins are also involved in some specific carrier mediated transfer mechanisms. It is possible to demonstrate structure-binding relationships or binding selectivity for the plasma transport proteins, but these are quite independent of relationships observed at the receptor level.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Fractionation of the genetic variants of human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in the native form by chromatography on an immobilized copper(II) affinity adsorbent. Heterogeneity of the separate variants by isoelectrofocusing and by concanavalin A affinity chromatography.

Fractionation of the three main genetic variants (F1, S and A) of human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), in their native (sialylated) form, by chromatography on immobilized copper(II) affinity adsorbent was investigated. This chromatographic method had been previously developed to fractionate the desialylated protein variants. For that purpose, the three main AAG phenotypes samples (F1S/A, F1/A and S/A), which had been previously isolated from individual human plasma samples, and an AAG sample from commercial source (a mixture of the phenotypes) were used in the native form. Affinity chromatography of these different samples on an iminodiacetate Sepharose-copper(II) gel at pH 7 resolved two protein peaks, irrespective of the origin of the native AAG sample used. The unbound peak 1 was found to consist of the F1, the S or both variants, depending on the phenotype of the AAG sample used in the chromatography. The bound peak 2 was found to consist of the A variant in a pure form. The fractionation results obtained with native AAG were found to be the same as those originally yielded by the desialylated protein. However, comparison of the interactions of native and desialylated AAG with immobilized copper(II) ions, using an affinity chromatographic method and a non-chromatographic equilibrium binding technique, respectively, showed that desialylation increased the non-specific interactions of the protein with immobilized copper(II) ions. The AAG variants were not fractionated when affinity chromatography was performed using immobilized zinc, nickel or cobalt(II) ions, instead of copper. After purification of each variant in the sialylated form (F1, S and A), their respective heterogeneity was studied by analytical isoelectrofocusing with carrier ampholytes in the pH range 2.5-4.5. In addition, the lectin-binding behaviour of the separate sialylated AAG variants was investigated by affinity chromatography on immobilized concanavalin A.

Adsorption↗

PubMed1993

A soluble form of the human CD8 alpha chain expressed in the baculovirus system: biochemical characterization and binding to MHC class I.

We have generated a soluble form of the CD8 molecule consisting of the entire extracellular domains of the human alpha chain, by expressing a mutated CD8 alpha cDNA in SF9 cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus. The truncated molecule was secreted into the medium mostly as a disulfide-linked homodimer in which a single cysteine residue in the hinge-like region (Cys143) was sufficient to assure covalent bonding. Soluble CD8 purified to homogeneity appears to be monodisperse as assessed by gel filtration analysis and contains only O-linked carbohydrates. To determine whether recombinant CD8 can interact with MHC class I molecules, we developed an assay that measures binding of MHC class I-bearing cell lines to purified CD8 adsorbed to plastic plates. The level of binding of cells to immobilized CD8 depended on the amount of CD8 bound to the plate and correlated with the levels of cell surface MHC class I expression. The binding was specifically inhibited by monoclonal antibodies directed either against CD8 or MHC class I molecules. This assay therefore provides a way to measure CD8 binding to MHC class I independently of other cell-cell interactions and should allow direct structure-function studies.

Baculoviridae↗

PubMed1992

pH titration curves of the desialylated human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein variants by combined isoelectrofocusing-electrophoresis: utilization in the development of a fractionation method for the protein variants by chromatography on immobilized metal affinity adsorbent.

Using a two-dimensional isoelectrofocusing (IEF)-electrophoresis technique, the pH titration curves of the three main desialylated variants (F1, S and A) of human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) were studied to assist in the development of a fractionation method for the AAG variants. For this purpose, different AAG samples, each corresponding to one of the three main phenotypes of the protein (F1S/A, F1/A and S/A), were first purified by chromatographic separation of individual human plasma samples on immobilized Cibacron Blue F3G-A. The purified AAG samples were then disialylated and their heterogeneity was checked by analytical IEF. The pH-mobility curves of the desialylated AAG samples were displayed in polyacrylamide gel slabs, under a constant set of experimental conditions, by carrying out electrophoresis of the protein samples perpendicularly to two stationary pH gradients: a large gradient (pH 3.5-9.5) and a narrow gradient (pH 5-8). The curves showed that all the desialylated variants of AAG exhibited small charge differences and moved closely together between about pH 3.5-5.5 and pH 7.5-9.5. However, the variants were found to show microheterogeneity in their total charge between about pH 5.5 and 7.5 due to the titrated ionizable groups involved along this pH zone. This microheterogeneity was assumed to be accounted for by the existence of differences between the titratable histidyl residues of the AAG variants. Consequently, the interactions of the variants with immobilized transition metal ions were studied at pH 7, using affinity chromatography on an iminodiacetate Sepharose-Cu(II) gel. It was found that the A variant was strongly bound by immobilized Cu(II) ions, whereas the F1 and S variants interacted non-specifically with the immobilized ligand. This finding allowed the development of a rapid and effective fractionation method for desialylated AAG into its A and F1 or S variants, depending on the AAG phenotype, by chromatography on an immobilized affinity Cu(II) adsorbent. The quantitative relationships between immobilized Cu(II) ions and desialylated AAG (the apparent association constant and gel protein-binding capacity) were also determined using a non-chromatographic equilibrium binding technique.

Chromatography, Affinity↗

PubMed1992

Effects of short-term GnRH agonist--human menopausal gonadotrophin stimulation in patients pre-treated with progestogen.

The recent use of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist in a short-term regimen has allowed the effectiveness of human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) stimulation to be markedly improved. It seems to be related to the flare-up effect of the agonist in the early follicular phase of the cycle. However, individual hormonal responses to the agonist are quite variable and four patterns of oestradiol secretion have been described. The present study indicates that in women pre-treated with progestogen, only two patterns of serum oestradiol are observed in the flare-up period, with a significant increase in 57% of patients. Significant correlations are observed between oestradiol values and the endogenous gonadotrophin surge (positively with luteinizing hormone, r = 0.38; P less than 0.05 and negatively with follicle stimulating hormone, r = 0.48; P less than 0.005). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between the hormonal flare-up and the ovarian parameters following HMG stimulation. In conclusion, in progestogen-pre-treated women, the serum oestradiol level during the flare-up period is a reliable index to predict subsequent effectiveness of ovarian stimulation with HMG.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Cloning of murine SeGpx cDNA and synthesis of mutated GPx proteins in Escherichia coli.

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of mammalian cells and Escherichia coli formate dehydrogenase both contain a selenocysteine (SeCys) in their amino acid (aa) sequence. In these two enzymes, this aa is encoded by a UGA codon, which is usually a stop codon for protein synthesis. We constructed plasmids to test the synthesis of GPx in E. coli. These constructions permitted high-level production of GPx mutants, where the SeCys codon was replaced by cysteine (UGC, UGU) or serine (UCA) codons, but synthesis of selenoprotein could not be detected: our data suggest that signals used for the recognition of the UGA codon as a SeCys codon are not conserved between E. coli and mammalian cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

[Clinical approach to hereditary metabolic disorders in neonates. Review of 20 years' experience].

Suspicion of hereditary disorders of the intermediary metabolism must be aroused by every neonatal disease associated with a neurological affection without an apparent cause, with ketonuria, metabolic acidosis or hypoglycaemia. These disorders can be suspected clinically by common laboratory examinations. The correct diagnosis is important, as some of these diseases respond well to early treatment. The diagnosis is of fundamental importance also in those hereditary metabolic diseases which are so far incurable (prognosis of a future pregnancy). Based on their experience with 218 neonates, the authors differentiate between five groups of these diseases. Their characteristic may be a guideline for initiation of adequate therapy and for special examinations.

Humans↗

PubMed1989

Clinical approach to inherited metabolic diseases in the neonatal period: a 20-year survey.

Every newborn with unexplained neurological deterioration, ketosis, metabolic acidosis or hypoglycaemia should be suspected of having an inherited error of intermediary metabolism. Many of these conditions can be diagnosed clinically with the aid of simple laboratory investigations. Since a substantial number of these diseases respond well to treatment but may otherwise be fatal, and in order to assure adequate prenatal diagnosis in subsequent pregnancies, a high index of suspicion and rapid diagnosis are necessary in the face of the clinical presentations described. According to three major clinical presentations observed in 218 neonates with inborn errors of intermediary metabolism (neurological distress 'intoxication' type, neurological distress 'energy-deficiency' type and hypoglycaemia with liver dysfunction) and according to the proper use of few laboratory investigations, we propose a method of diagnosis which groups these children into five categories. Initial therapy, and sophisticated investigations can be planned on the basis of this grouping.

Energy Metabolism↗

PubMed1989