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Biomedical subjects

H Nakakuma

Publications and source records attributed to H Nakakuma.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria clones in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Among acquired stem cell disorders, pathological links between myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and aplastic anaemia (AA), and paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and AA, have been often described, whereas the relationship between MDS and PNH is still unclear. We analysed blood cells of patients with MDS to determine the incidence of the PNH clone, and analysed the PIG-A gene to find mutations characteristic of the PNH clone in MDS. In four (10%) of 40 patients with MDS, flow cytometry showed affected erythrocytes and granulocytes negative for decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59. The population of affected erythrocytes was smaller in MDS patients with PNH clone (MDS/PNH) than in patients with de novo PNH, and haemolysis was milder in the MDS/PNH patients. PIG-A mutations were found in granulocytes of all patients with MDS/PNH. In type and site, the PIG-A mutations were heterogeneous, similar to that observed in de novo PNH; i.e. no mutation specific to MDS/PNH was identified. Of note, three of four patients with MDS/PNH each had two PNH clones with different PIG-A mutations, suggesting that PIG-A is mutable in patients with MDS/PNH. In a MDS/PNH patient with trisomy 8, FISH detected a distinct karyotype in a portion of granulocytes with PNH phenotype, indicating that PNH and MDS partly shared affected cells. Thus, MDS predisposes to PNH by creating conditions favourable to the genesis of PNH clone. Considering the increasing prevalence and incidence of MDS, these disorders could be useful for investigating the mechanism by which PIG-A mutation is induced.

Adolescent

Apoptosis resistance of blood cells from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, aplastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Bone marrow (BM) hypoplasia is a major cause of death in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). However, little is known about the molecular events leading to the hypoplasia. Considering the close pathologic association between PNH and aplastic anemia (AA), it is suggested that a similar mechanism operates in the development of their BM failure. Recent reports have indicated apoptosis-mediated BM suppression in AA. It is thus conceivable that apoptosis also operates to cause BM hypoplasia in PNH. If this is the case, PNH clones need to survive apoptosis and show considerable expansion leading to clinical manifestations. We report here that granulocytes obtained from 11 patients with PNH were apparently less susceptible than those from 20 healthy individuals to both spontaneous apoptosis without any ligands and that induced by anti-FAS (CD95) antibody in vitro. The patients' BM CD34+ cells were also resistant to apoptosis induced by treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and subsequently with anti-FAS antibody. In lymphocytes, the pathologic resistance was not discriminated from inherent resistance to apoptosis. Granulocytes from 13 patients with AA and 12 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) exhibited similar resistance to apoptosis. CD34+ cells from MDS-BM also showed similar tendency. Thus, the comparative resistance to apoptosis supports the pathogenic implication of apoptosis in marrow injury of PNH and related stem cell disorders.

Adult

Differential glycosylation of Bence Jones protein and kidney impairment in patients with plasma cell dyscrasia.

Although Bence Jones protein (BJP) is generally accepted to be critically involved in the pathogenic process of kidney impairment in patients with myeloma, patients with BJP do not always have kidney dysfunction. As proteins often undergo glycosylation and alter their molecular nature, it is expected that the heterogeneity in kidney dysfunction can be explained at least partly by the differential affinity to the kidneys of BJP dependent on its glycosylation. Accordingly, we analyzed the structures of carbohydrates of urine BJP biochemically to correlate the structure with kidney function. BJP was obtained from 16 patients with myeloma, 2 patients with light chain amyloidosis, a patient with plasma cell leukemia, and a patient with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. All BJP had five forms of oligosaccharides: three forms of biantennary oligosaccharides and two forms of triantennaries. The three biantennaries correspond to previously reported oligosaccharides on only lambda-type BJP, whereas the triantennaries are novel oligosaccharides found on BJP. Among the five oligosaccharides, the triantennary oligosaccharide Gal(beta)1-4GlcNAc(beta)1-2Man(alpha)1-6 [Gal(beta)1-GlcNA(beta)1-4(Gal(beta)1-4GlcNAc(beta) 1-2)Man(alpha)1-3]Man(beta)1-4GlcNAc(beta)1-4GlcNAc showed a significant negative correlation with the serum creatinine level (p = 0.015 by Spearman's correlation test, R = 0.744). Thus determination of BJP glycosylation may be useful for the evaluation of kidney impairment in patients with BJP.

Bence Jones Protein

Markedly high plasma erythropoietin and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor levels in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

In patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), we measured plasma concentrations of endogenous hematopoiesis-regulatory cytokines to characterize bone marrow (BM) hypoplasia which is a major cause of death. Contrary to 10 healthy individuals, all 14 patients with PNH showed increases of erythropoietin (Epo) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). There were no signs of infection, renal dysfunction or hypoxia. The lower the hemoglobin level and granulocyte count, the higher the plasma Epo and G-CSF levels. In contrast, marked differences were not found in the levels of interleukin-3 (IL-3), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), stem cell factor (SCF), granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or interferon-gamma) (IF-gamma). The cytokine profiles of PNH patients were quite similar to those of patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The cytokine profiles may support a pathological relationship between PNH and these stem cell disorders.

Adolescent

Preferential hematopoiesis by paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone engrafted in SCID mice.

In paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), little is known about the molecular events leading to the clinical manifestations except for the hemolysis. To unfold the complex pathophysiology, it is necessary to elucidate the nature of the PNH clone. PNH exhibits an acquired stem cell disorder, a clonal expansion of affected cells, concomitant depression of normal hematopoiesis in bone marrow (BM), and, although infrequently, the development of leukemia. The PNH clone is thus expected to exhibit some neoplastic features. We report here that CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells of PNH-BM yielded blood cells of three lineages with PNH phenotype alone when transplanted into sublethally irradiated severe combined immunedeficient mice. The hematopoiesis persisted for more than 10 months and did not always need human cytokines. In contrast, the hematopoiesis by control grafts obtained from healthy volunteers required an intense cytokine treatment. This in vivo model defines the preferential hematopoiesis of pluripotent PNH progenitor cells, indicating the intrinsic growth abnormality of PNH clone.

Adult

Mechanism of intravascular hemolysis in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) hemolysis requires both intravascular complement activation and affected erythrocytes susceptible to complement. This susceptibility is explained by a deficiency in complement regulatory membrane proteins that are attached to the membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Affected cells lack a series of GPI-anchored membrane proteins with various functions. The lack is caused by a synthetic defect of the anchor due to an impaired transfer of N-acetylglucosamine to phosphatidylinositol which is an early metabolic precursor in the anchor synthesis. Moreover, PIG-A gene responsible for the membrane defect was recently cloned. Further, a possible mechanism of complement activation has been proposed, especially for an infection-induced hemolytic precipitation which is clinically crucial. Thus, the molecular events, leading to intravascular hemolysis characteristic of PNH, has been virtually clarified. Next major concern is the nature of PIG-A: How does PIG-A explain the complex pathophysiology of PNH which exhibits various clinical manifestations?

Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal

[Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins with complement-regulatory activity on erythrocytes].

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59 are major complement regulators linked to plasma membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor and inhibit C3 activation and the formation of membrane attack complex, respectively. These factors have been shown to protect human erythrocytes from the lytic action of autologous complement. Here we overview structure and function of these molecules, and discuss about their physiological roles in controlling the complement activation, ie, defining the susceptibility of erythrocytes to complement.

CD55 Antigens

Markedly high population of affected reticulocytes negative for decay-accelerating factor and CD59 in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) blood cells lack glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane proteins such as decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59. This lack is of diagnostic value in PNH. Because reticulocytes in PNH are not yet well characterized, we analyzed reticulocytes obtained from 12 patients with PNH and from 5 healthy volunteers by two-color flow cytometry with a membrane-permeable fluorescent dye, thiazole orange, to identify reticulocytes and monoclonal antibodies to DAF and CD59. Healthy individuals had no affected cells. In all patients, the population of affected reticulocytes negative for DAF and CD59 was markedly higher than the population of affected erythrocytes. Moreover, the population of affected erythrocytes became obviously low in patients who received transfusions and suffered from hemolytic precipitation, whereas the population of affected reticulocytes was unchanged. The persistently high population of affected reticulocytes, despite cytolytic exclusion and an inherently short lifetime, might possibly be explained by relative reticulocytosis caused by an anemia-induced feedback stimulation of erythropoiesis in PNH. Thus, affected reticulocytes could be a reliable marker for the diagnosis of PNH and for the evaluation of erythropoiesis by PNH stem cell.

Adolescent

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone in bone marrow of patients with pancytopenia.

The lack of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane proteins such as decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59 on blood cells has a diagnostic value in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Because PNH often develops in patients with aplastic anemia (AA), we attempted to detect a PNH clone in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with AA and pancytopenia before affected cells were evident in the peripheral blood (PB). We used flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies against DAF and CD59 for the detection of the clone. Affected cells were observed in the BM of 3 of 7 patients with AA and 1 of 3 patients with pancytopenia of unknown origin, but not in their PB. All 8 patients with apparent PNH had affected cells in their BM and PB. On the basis of the early appearance of the PNH clone in the BM, a prospective 4-month follow-up study of the PB cells was performed. The study showed the release of affected mature cells first in granulocytes, then in monocytes, and finally in lymphocytes. Ham's test was positive before affected erythrocytes were detected by flow cytometry. Our findings indicate that detection of the PNH clone in BM could be predictive of the development of PNH in patients with AA and pancytopenia.

Anemia, Aplastic

Expression of cryptantigen Th on paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria erythrocytes in association with a hemolytic exacerbation.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) erythrocytes lack complement regulatory membrane proteins and are susceptible to complement. Although the critical role of complement in intravascular hemolysis in PNH is accepted, the precise mechanism of complement activation in vivo is unknown. Accordingly, in a PNH patient who was suffering from a hemolytic precipitation soon after a common cold-like upper respiratory infection, we analyzed the erythrocytes with lectins and by flow cytometry to detect membrane alteration that lead to complement activation. The lectin reactivity of erythrocytes showed the expression of cryptantigen Th. The patient serum at the time of the hemolysis induced the expression of Th on erythrocytes from PNH patients and from healthy volunteers in vitro, whereas neither the patient serum after recovery from the hemolysis nor blood type-matched control serum from healthy donor showed this activity. Moreover, autologous serum selectively hemolyzed Th+ PNH erythrocytes, but not Th- PNH erythrocytes, or Th+ control erythrocytes. Hemolysis was not observed either in complement-inactivated serum or in blood type-matched cord blood serum, which lacks natural antibodies to cryptantigens. These findings indicate that the immunoreaction of infection-induced Th with natural antibody on PNH erythrocytes is a trigger of the complement activation, leading to intravascular hemolysis.

Adolescent

[Plasma proteins].

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Blood Protein Electrophoresis

Persistence of affected T lymphocytes in long-term clinical remission in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Long-term clinical remission of more than 10 years is rarely seen in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Affected blood cells in PNH lack glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane proteins such as decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59. We performed a flow cytometric analysis of circulating blood cells obtained from two patients with PNH who had been in clinical remission for more than 10 and 25 years, respectively. Affected cells with the PNH phenotype were demonstrated only among T-lymphocytes. Persistent affected T cells were negative for the CD52 protein only, this protein being a GPI-anchored lymphocyte marker without complement regulatory activity. The persistence of the affected T cells may be explained either by an inherently long life span after the disappearance of the PNH stem cell or by insidious production at a subclinical level by affected stem cell. In either event, detection of affected T cells, especially CD52-negative T cells, may be useful for the evaluation of long-term clinical remission in PNH.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones