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Biomedical subjects

I Mononen

Publications and source records attributed to I Mononen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Serum eosinophil cationic protein as a predictor of wheezing after bronchiolitis.

We have evaluated the role of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) concentrations in serum in predicting wheezing after bronchiolitis, during infancy and early childhood. A prospective study at a university hospital serving all pediatric patients in a defined area was designed. Serum ECP concentrations were measured in 92 infants under the age of 2 years on admission for acute bronchiolitis, and 6 and 16 weeks after hospitalization. Nebulized anti-inflammatory therapy was initiated during hospitalization: 32 patients received cromolyn sodium and 32 patients received budesonide for 16 weeks; 30 control patients received no maintenance therapy. The numbers of subsequent physician-diagnosed wheezing episodes and hospital admissions for obstructive airway disease were recorded during 16 weeks of follow-up. At entry, 14 of 92 (15%) children had high (> or = 16 micrograms/L) levels of ECP in their serum. During the 16-week follow-up period, this group of patients had significantly more physician-diagnosed episodes of wheezing (86% vs. 43%, P < 0.01) and hospital admissions for wheezing (64% vs. 19%, P = 0.001) than those with serum levels of ECP < 16 micrograms/L. The number of patients with serum ECP > or = 8 micrograms/L was 25 (27%); 76% of this group developed physician-diagnosed wheezing (P < 0.01), and 48% had hospital admissions for wheezing (P < 0.01). Serum ECP levels decreased significantly with respect to time after bronchiolitis and did not differ among the three intervention groups. We conclude that a high serum ECP concentration during the acute phase of bronchiolitis is a specific but insensitive predictor of wheezing after bronchiolitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Nasopharyngeal eosinophil cationic protein in bronchiolitis: relation to viral findings and subsequent wheezing.

A prospective 4-month follow-up of children hospitalized with bronchiolitis revealed that high concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) are predictive of wheezing after bronchiolitis. In the 29 patients who received no anti-inflammatory therapy the median concentration of NPA ECP was 882 ng/g in those with physician-diagnosed wheezing (P = 0.02). The NPA ECP concentration of the whole study group of 88 children with and without subsequent hospital admissions for wheezing were 531 and 299 ng/g, respectively (P = 0.02). At entry the children with negative viral findings had significantly higher concentrations of respiratory tract ECP than those with positive viral findings (515 vs. 240 ng/g; P = 0.01). The concentration of ECP in respiratory secretions decreased significantly after bronchiolitis (P = 0.01) provided that no new viral or mycoplasmal infection occurred. NPA ECP values decreased in relation to time regardless of whether anti-inflammatory therapy was used or not. Children with high concentrations of respiratory tract ECP seemed to benefit from anti-inflammatory therapy with nebulized cromolyn sodium or budesonide; both drugs significantly decreased the number of subsequent physician-diagnosed bronchial obstruction (P = 0.0006), and they tended to decrease the number of hospital admissions for wheezing (P = 0.08). Our results suggest that high concentrations of ECP in respiratory tract secretions in children with bronchiolitis reflect the presence of eosinophilic inflammation also seen in asthma.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Influence of L-fucose attached alpha 1-->6 to the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine on the hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic linkage by human glycosylasparaginase.

The sequence of hydrolytic reactions in the catabolism of the N-glycosidic oligosaccharide-to-protein region containing 6-linked fucose on the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine may vary from species to species. When alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-2-acetamido-1-N-(beta-L-aspartyl)-2-deoxy- beta -D-glucopyranosylamine (Fuc-GlcNAc-Asn) was incubated with recombinant human glycosylasparaginase, no hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic bond was detected. After removal of the alpha 1-->6-linked fucose from the compound by alpha-fucosidase, the residual GlcNAc-Asn was rapidly hydrolyzed by glycosylasparaginase. Enzymologically this demonstrates for the first time that the catabolism of Fuc-GlcNAc-Asn in humans occurs via consecutive action of alpha-fucosidase and glycosylasparaginase. The hydrolysis rate of GlcNAc-Asn by glycosylasparaginase remained unaffected in the presence of Fuc-GlcNAc-Asn or several different monosaccharides including fucose. This indicates that any fucose attached alpha 1-->6 to the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine residue prevents the access of the L-asparagine residue of Fuc-GlcNAc-Asn into the deep, funnel-shaped active site of human glycosylasparaginase. These findings explain the accumulation of fucosylated and normal catabolism of nonfucosylated glycoasparagines in fucosidosis.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1997

Hen egg yolk antibodies purified by antigen affinity under highly alkaline conditions provide new tools for diagnostics. Human intact parathyrin as a model antigen.

Hen egg yolks have been recognized as convenient source for specific antibodies, although their utility in diagnostic applications has been hampered by the lack of efficient purification methods. In the present study, anti-human parathyrin antibodies were raised in rabbits, hens and mice using synthetic human parathyrin peptide (1-84) as an antigen. The antibodies were affinity purified with amino- (1-30) and carboxy- (49-89) terminal peptides of parathyrin under highly alkaline elution conditions, and were evaluated for their diagnostic value in different combinations in immunoenzymometric assay (IEMA) format. A pair of hen egg yolk antibodies were subjected to further methodological validation in the IEMA that was constructed with the N-terminal capture and C-terminal detection antibodies. The synthetic intact human parathyrin (1-84) peptide served as a standard. This within-day IEMA procedure turned out to be sensitive and it correlated well with the two independent intact parathyrin immunoradiometric assays. As shown in the present study, the immuno affinity purification with the highly alkaline elution conditions provides an efficient method for utilization of hen egg yolk antibodies. This is the first report on an application making use of a combination of two hen egg yolk antibody preparations in measuring a homogeneous protein in human serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Enzymatic synthesis of the N-glycosidic bond by beta-aspartylation of glycosylamines.

Glycosylasparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26) is an amidase, which cleaves the N-glycosidic linkage during glycoprotein degradation leading to the liberation of L-aspartic acid from various glycoasparagines. In this work we demonstrate that glycosylasparaginase is also capable of catalyzing the synthesis of the N-glycosidic bond by N-beta-aspartylation of beta-glycosylamine using 1-amino-N-acetylglucosamine as the nucleophile and L-aspartic acid beta-methyl ester as the beta-aspartyl donor. Kinetic studies indicated that beta-glycosylamine has 1390-fold higher reactivity than water in the de-beta-aspartylation of the beta-aspartylenzyme, indicative of the presence of a beta-glycosylamine binding sub-site at the substrate binding site of glycosylasparaginase. The reaction can be applied to glycosylaparaginase-catalyzed biosynthesis of novel glycoasparagines.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1996

A mouse model for the human lysosomal disease aspartylglycosaminuria.

Aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU), the most common disorder of glycoprotein degradation in humans, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme glycosylasparaginase (Aga). The resulting enzyme deficiency allows aspartylglucosamine (GlcNAc-Asn) and other glycoasparagines to accumulate in tissues and body fluids, from early fetal life onward. The clinical course is characterized by normal early development, slowly progressing to severe mental and motor retardation in early adulthood. The exact pathogenesis of AGU in humans is unknown and neither therapy nor an animal model for this debilitating and ultimately fatal disease exists. Through targeted disruption of the mouse Aga gene in embryonic stem cells, we generated mice that completely lack Aga activity. At the age of 5-10 months a massive accumulation of GlcNAc-Asn was detected along with lysosomal vacuolization, axonal swelling in the gracile nucleus and impaired neuromotor coordination. A significant number of older male mice had massively swollen bladders, which was not caused by obstruction, but most likely related to the impaired function of the nervous system. These findings are consistent with the pathogenesis of AGU and provide further data explaining the impaired neurological function in AGU patients.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1995

Localization of the disulfide bond involved in post-translational processing of glycosylasparaginase and disrupted by a mutation in the Finnish-type aspartylglycosaminuria.

The heavy chain of human glycosylasparaginase (N4-(beta-N-acetylglucosaminyl)-L-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26)) has five cysteinyl residues (Cys-61, Cys-64, Cys-69, Cys-163, and Cys-179). A Cys-163 to serine substitution due to a point mutation in the glycosylasparaginase gene causes the most common disorder of glycoprotein degradation, the Finnish-type aspartylglycosaminuria. To localize the potential disulfide bonds, the isolated heavy chain of human leukocyte glycosylasparaginase was treated with the enzyme alpha-chymotrypsin, and the resulting peptides were separated by high performance liquid chromatography prior to and after reduction and S-carboxymethylation. The peptide containing the Cys-163 residue and the peptide to which it is connected with a disulfide were structurally characterized by mass spectrometry. The disulfide bond crucial for catalytic activity, subunit processing, and biological transport of glycosylasparaginase was located close to the carboxyl terminus of the heavy chain at positions 163 and 179.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Recombinant glycosylasparaginase and in vitro correction of aspartylglycosaminuria.

Aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU) is the most common disorder of glycoprotein degradation. AGU patients are deficient in glycosylasparaginase (GA), which results in accumulation of aspartylglucosamine in body fluids and tissues. Human glycosylasparaginase was stably overexpressed in NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblasts, in which the unusual posttranslational processing and maturation of the enzyme occurred in a high degree. The recombinant enzyme was isolated as two isoforms, which were both phosphorylated, and actively transported into AGU fibroblasts and lymphoblasts through mannose-6-phosphate receptor-mediated endocytosis. The rate of uptake into fibroblasts was half-maximal when the concentration of GA in the medium was 5 x 10(-8) M. Immunofluorescence microscopy suggested compartmentalization of the recombinant enzyme in the lysosomes. Supplementation of culture medium with either isoform cleared AGU lymphoblasts of stored aspartylglucosamine when glycosylasparaginase activity in the cells reached 3-4% of that in normal lymphoblasts. A relatively small amount of recombinant GA in the culture medium was sufficient to reverse pathology in the target cells, indicating high corrective quality of the enzyme preparations. The combined evidence indicates that enzyme replacement therapy with the present recombinant glycosylasparaginase might reverse pathology at least in somatic cells of AGU patients.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Age-related reference values for urinary excretion of sialic acid and deoxysialic acid: application to diagnosis of storage disorders of free sialic acid.

We have established by HPLC age-related reference intervals for sialic acid urinary excretion in 364 control individuals to assist in evaluating the clinical significance of the free sialic acid concentration in urine. In addition, an HPLC method for quantitative analysis of free deoxysialic acid was developed, and age-related reference intervals for excretion of this compound in urine were established. In patients with storage disorders of free sialic acid (n = 11) the sialic acid excretion was increased 2- to 35-fold, compared with the mean value of the control subjects in the corresponding age group, and exceeded the interval in each case. The excretion of deoxysialic acid was within the reference interval in all of the patients, indicating that its metabolism was not affected in the disorders. The age-related reference values assist in evaluating the excretion of free sialic acid in the diagnosis of storage disorders of free sialic acid, especially in young children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Two-site enzyme immunoassay for measuring intact human osteocalcin in serum.

We developed a sensitive two-site sandwich ELISA for quantitative analysis of human osteocalcin in serum or plasma. Our method is based on two different highly specific antibodies recognizing epitopes at different ends of the protein so that only intact osteocalcin is detected. The method is fast (total analysis time less than 6 h/96 wells), precise (intraassay variation less than 2.3% at four different levels; n = 10, and interassay variation less than 2.5%, n = 5, respectively), and accurate, with a mean recovery of 105%. The detection limit in serum is approximately 0.1 micrograms/liter. The mean concentration of osteocalcin in normal serum with this assay is 3.3 micrograms/liter (SD 3.7 micrograms/liter; range 0.1-13.1 micrograms/liter; n = 41), and the reference range is 0.28-10.1 micrograms/liter (10 and 90% confidence limits). The method shows a reasonable positive linear correlation with other osteocalcin assays (Incstar, r = 0.55, p < 0.05, n = 13; Henning Oscatest, r = 0.52, p < 0.005, n = 34). A good correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) between individual osteocalcin and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase serum concentrations was observed in normal subjects. We found a low or undetectable concentration of intact osteocalcin in serum of all four of our patients with acute primary hyperparathyroidism, and in all five patients with hypocalcemic secondary hyperparathyroidism, which suggests that PTH effectively inhibited the synthesis of osteocalcin in osteoblasts. The serum concentration of intact osteocalcin was elevated in two of three patients with chronic primary hyperparathyroidism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Multiple karyotypic abnormalities in three cases of small cell variant of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia.

Cytogenetic, clinical, and laboratory findings of three patients with a small cell variant of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) are presented. Immunophenotypic studies of the morphologically typical small cell variant prolymphocytes showed a mature helper T-cell phenotype (CD4+CD8-) in one patient and a common thymocyte phenotype (CD4+ CD8+) in two other patients. The cytogenetic analysis revealed complex karyotypes with several structural aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of all three patients. In all cases chromosome 14 was affected with the breakpoint at 14q11. Inversion (14) and isochromosome 8q, often reported as an additional aberration in T-PLL, were detected in two of the patients. In two patients a translocation of the short arm of chromosome 12 was also seen. The T-cell receptor beta-chain gene showed a clonal rearrangement in all three patients, whereas no rearrangements were detected in the immunoglobulin genes. The survival of the patients ranged from 10 weeks to 48 months. The association between cytogenetic, clinical, and laboratory data is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Enzymatic diagnosis of aspartylglycosaminuria by fluorometric assay of glycosylasparaginase in serum, plasma, or lymphocytes.

Serum, plasma, and lymphocytes from aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU) patients and carriers and from normal controls were incubated with a fluorescent glycosylasparaginase substrate, L-aspartic acid beta-(7-amido-4-methylcoumarin), and the release of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin was measured fluorometrically after incubation for 1-4 h. The mean glycosylasparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26) activity in normal serum, plasma, and lymphocytes was 20.2 (SD 5.0) mU/L (n = 24), 17.5 (SD 5.0) mU/L (n = 24), and 242 (SD 108) mU/g protein (n = 17), respectively. The corresponding values in the Finnish AGU patients were 0.7 (SD 0.4) mU/L (n = 10), 0.3 (SD 0.3) mU/L (n = 10), and 6.0 (SD 4.6) mU/g protein (n = 7). No overlapping values were obtained between the AGU patients and the carriers in any of the samples, but the values between the carriers and controls were overlapping in 28 of 29 serum, 22 of 29 plasma, and 4 of 21 lymphocyte samples. Thus, the fluorometric glycosylasparaginase assay in various blood samples allows specific detection of the enzyme defect in AGU, but cannot be used for reliable detection of carriers of the disease.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1993

Aspartylglycosaminuria: protein chemistry and molecular biology of the most common lysosomal storage disorder of glycoprotein degradation.

Aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU) (McKusick 20840) is the most common disorder of glycoprotein degradation caused by the failure of lysosomes to digest the protein-to-carbohydrate linkage of Asn-linked glycoproteins. During the past few years there has been significant progress in our understanding of both the protein chemistry and molecular biology of glycosylasparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26) as well as the molecular changes underlying the storage disease AGU that results from deficiency of this lysosomal hydrolase. Modern clinical assays have been developed for the diagnosis and carrier detection of this disease. Detailed structure, substrate specificity, mechanism of action, and a part of the active site of glycosylasparaginase have been defined. Molecular biology of glycosylasparaginase has progressed rapidly and already some mutations in the glycosylasparaginase gene resulting in AGU have been identified. Evolutionary aspects based on sequence data indicate a mechanistic relationship between mammalian glycosylasparaginases and bacterial/plant asparaginases.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1992

Substrate specificity and reaction mechanism of human glycoasparaginase. The N-glycosidic linkage of various glycoasparagines is cleaved through a reaction mechanism similar to L-asparaginase.

Human glycoasparaginase (N4-(beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl)-L-asparaginase, EC 3.5.1.26) hydrolyzes a series of compounds that contain L-asparagine residue with free alpha-amino and alpha-carboxyl groups. Substrates include high mannose and complex type glycoasparagines as well as those that lack the di-N-acetylchitobiose moiety, L-aspartic acid beta-methyl ester and L-aspartic acid beta-hydroxamate. The enzyme is inactive toward L-asparagine and L-glutamine and glycoasparagines containing substituted alpha-amino and/or alpha-carboxyl groups. In the presence of the acyl acceptor hydroxylamine, glycoasparaginase catalyzes the synthesis of L-aspartic acid beta-hydroxamate from aspartyl-glucosamine, L-aspartic acid beta-methyl ester, and L-aspartic acid. 13C NMR studies using 18O-labeled L-aspartic acid demonstrate that glycoasparaginase catalyzes an oxygen exchange between water and the carboxyl group at C-4 of L-aspartic acid. These results indicate that glycoasparaginase reacts as an exo-hydrolase toward the L-asparagine moiety of the substrates and the free alpha-amino and alpha-carboxyl groups are required for the enzyme reaction. The results are consistent with an L-asparaginase-like reaction pathway which involves a beta-aspartyl enzyme intermediate. Since glycoasparaginase is active toward a series of structurally different glycoasparagines, we suggest the revised systematic name of N4-(beta-glycosyl)-L-asparaginase for the enzyme.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1992

Aspartylglycosaminuria in a non-Finnish patient caused by a donor splice mutation in the glycoasparaginase gene.

Aspartylglycosaminuria is a lysosomal storage disease caused by deficient activity of glycoasparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26), and it occurs with a high frequency among Finns. We have recently shown that the molecular defect in all Finnish aspartylglycosaminuria patients examined to date consists of two single base changes in the heavy chain of glycoasparaginase (Mononen, I., Heisterkamp, N., Kaartinen, V., Williams, J. C., Yates, J. R., III, Griffin, P. R., Hood, L. E., and Groffen, J. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci U.S.A. 88, 2941-2945). This is the first report on the identification of the molecular defect causing aspartylglycosaminuria in a patient of non-Finnish origin. Total RNA from fibroblasts of a black American aspartylglycosaminuria patient was isolated, first-strand cDNA was synthesized, and the cDNA encoding glycoasparaginase was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The patient's mRNA nucleotide sequence was different from the normal sequence by a deletion of 134 nucleotides at positions 807-940. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the normal glycoasparaginase gene demonstrated that the deletion corresponded precisely to a 134-base pair exon. Moreover, analysis of the splice sites demonstrated a single base change, G to T, that altered the donor splice site of the exon deleted in the patient's mRNA. This change led to an exon-skipping event resulting in a frame shift and generation of a stop codon.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Chromosomal localization of the human glycoasparaginase gene to 4q32-q33.

Glycoasparaginase cleaves the N-glycosidic linkage between asparagine and N-acetylglucosamine in the degradation of glycoproteins. In humans, a deficient activity of glycoasparaginase results in accumulation of glycoasparagines, causing the lysosomal storage disease aspartylglycosaminuria. Recombinant plasmid containing the cDNA insert encoding human glycoasparaginase was used to localize the enzyme to chromosome 4q32-q33 by in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes prepared from normal human lymphocytes.

Aspartylglucosylaminase↗