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Biomedical subjects

K D Bell

Publications and source records attributed to K D Bell.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Pathology of late endothelial failure: late endothelial failure of penetrating keratoplasty: study with light and electron microscopy.

PURPOSE: Late endothelial failure of penetrating keratoplasty can be defined as gradual decompensation (increasing thickness with loss of clarity) of a previously clear graft without apparent cause. This study examined the possibility that a chronic subclinical rejection process may be occurring in grafts that fail from late endothelial failure. METHOD: Six patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for late endothelial failure who underwent repeated keratoplasty were studied. The clinical course and results of specular microscopy were reviewed. The failed corneal graft for each patient was examined by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Sequential specular microscopy demonstrated low initial postoperative endothelial cell density with continued decrease in density and increase in corneal thickness over the first 5 postoperative years. Electron microscopy revealed irregular-shaped cells of varying size with many abnormal features, lying on abnormal Descemet's membrane. Degenerating endothelial cells were commonly seen. There was no sign of acute or chronic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: The pathologic findings are suggestive of an unstable and highly stressed endothelial cell population in late endothelial failure but are nonspecific. There was no evidence of acute or chronic rejection at the time of graft failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

QRS changes during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and their possible mechanisms.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to describe the configuration, and investigate the mechanisms, of QRS changes occurring during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). BACKGROUND: QRS changes during PTCA have been attributed to both a passive ST segment shift and conduction disturbances (peri-ischemic block). The direct relation between ST segment shift and QRS changes, however, has not been established, and the definition of conduction disturbances remains to be clarified. METHODS: Twelve-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded before PTCA, at the end of 2 min of PTCA and after return to baseline values in 29 patients (left anterior descending coronary artery [LAD] in 13 patients, right coronary artery [RCA] in 14 and left circumflex coronary artery in 2). Electrocardiographic complexes before and during PTCA were superimposed to determine the amplitudes of initial, terminal and total QRS deflection; the relations of QRS changes to baseline (TP segment) and ST segment shift; and the duration of QRS and corrected QT intervals. RESULTS. 1) The direction of the initial QRS deflection was unchanged, but changes of its amplitude occurred. 2) Terminal QRS deflection changed in all patients with a ST segment shift > 17% of the R amplitude, and the correlation between the decrease in the S amplitude and ST segment shift was significant (r = 0.9, p < 0.01) in patients with LAD PTCA. Correlation between changes in total QRS amplitude and ST segment shift in patients with RCA PTCA was weaker (r = 0.54, p = 0.056). 3) Transient conduction disturbance manifested by QRS widening in selected leads occurred in 2 of 29 patients. CONCLUSIONS. 1) Changes in terminal QRS deflection during PTCA are proportional to the magnitude of the ST segment shift. 2) Conduction disturbances manifested by increased QRS duration occurred infrequently. We suggest that the term peri-ischemic block be applied only to changes in QRS configuration associated with QRS widening.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Role of CD25+ and CD25-T cells in acute HIV infection in vitro.

T cell activation plays a major role in the ability of the HIV to remain latent or establish a productive infection. The alpha-chain of the IL-2R (CD25, Tac, p55) is expressed on activated but not resting T cells and therefore represents an ideal marker to distinguish activated from resting T cells. The present studies were designed to define the role of CD25+ (activated) and CD25- (resting) T cells in an acute HIV infection in vitro. This objective was accomplished by selectively killing CD25+ cells with an anti-CD25-ricin A chain immunotoxin (RFT5-deglycosylated ricin A (dgA)) either before or after HIV infection, and then determining the effect of eliminating these cells on the secretion of viral p24 Ag. Three major findings have emerged from this study: 1) Elimination of the small population (3 to 5%) of activated, CD25+ cells present in normal PBMC before HIV infection results in a 99% reduction in p24 secretion. 2) RFT5-dgA, an immunotoxin directed against CD25, kills HIV-infected CD25+ cells. Elimination of the CD25+ cells after infection with HIV virtually stops viral production and the spread of the infection in these cultures. This was confirmed by coculturing RFT5-dgA-treated PBMC with H9 cells. 3) When RFT5-dgA-treated PBMC (CD25-cells) were infected with HIV and then activated with a solid phase anti-CD3 mAb, the levels of p24 produced were comparable with those of PBMC from which the CD25+ cells had not been eliminated. Taken together these findings suggest that both activated (CD25+) and resting/quiescent (CD25-) cells can be infected with HIV but that only the CD25+ cells produce viral proteins in the absence of additional activation.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1993

Combined use of an immunotoxin and cyclosporine to prevent both activated and quiescent peripheral blood T cells from producing type 1 human immunodeficiency virus.

Two different populations of infected T cells are present in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals: activated cells that produce virions and quiescent cells that harbor the viral genome but are unable to produce virus unless they are activated. Using an in vitro model of acute HIV infection, we have evaluated the effect of depleting activated T cells with an immunotoxin and subsequently inhibiting activation of quiescent T cells with an immunosuppressive agent. CD25 (Tac, p55), the alpha chain of the interleukin 2 receptor, is expressed on activated, but not quiescent, T cells. An anti-CD25-ricin A chain immunotoxin eliminated activated, CD25+ HIV-infected cells and, thereby, inhibited viral production by these cells. Subsequent addition of cyclosporine to the residual CD25- cells prevented their activation and thereby suppressed their ability to produce virus and to propagate the infection to uninfected T cells.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of the hepatitis B virus EnhI enhancer and X promoter complex.

The hepatitis B virus EnhI enhancer element overlaps the promoter of the X gene. By performing methylation interference experiments, four protein factor binding sites clustered in a 120-bp region were found to control the EnhI enhancer and X promoter activities. Deletion mapping experiments indicated that the two upstream protein factor binding sites constituted a basal enhancer module. This module, likely bound by a liver-specific factor and a ubiquitous factor, could activate the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene promoter by 5- or 10-fold, depending on the orientation, in Huh7 cells, a liver-derived cell line, but not in other cell types tested. The two downstream protein factor binding sites interact with the upstream basal enhancer module in an orientation- and distance-dependent manner to increase the enhancer activity by another 10-fold. In addition, at least one of the two downstream protein factor binding sites is also essential for the X promoter activity.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Comparative studies of hepatitis B virus precore and core particles.

Hepatitis B virus core antigen gene expresses two cocarboxy-terminal proteins, termed precore and core proteins. Both precore and core proteins can form nucleocapsid-like particles. In order to understand the mechanism that leads to the formation of the nucleocapsid, we have expressed precore and core protein sequences in COS cells, a monkey kidney cell line, and compared the properties of these two particles. Our results show that core protein can form particles with various densities and they are present mostly in the cytosol. Precore protein, on the other hand, forms particles with one predominant density, and a majority of these particles are present in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, our results show that, when coexpressed in the same cells, core protein and the ER-associated surface antigens (envelope protein) show colocalization, indicating interaction between these two viral structural proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

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