Four male infants with early neonatal infection caused by coxsackievirus B3 (presumed in one case) exhibited severe thrombocytopenia and liver dysfunction at presentation. The three infants who were administered human normal immunoglobulin within 3 days of disease onset survived, while the fourth infant, who received the preparation 6 days after disease onset, died.

Coxsackievirus Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Amniotic fluid lactoferrin in intrauterine infection.

Lactoferrin (LF) has been found in most biological fluids including amniotic fluid and cervical mucus in pregnant women and is released from neutrophils in response to inflammation. It is an important component of the host defence against microbial infections due to its antimicrobial properties. Premature labour is caused by amniotic infection and high concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in amniotic fluid with infection are well established. In the present study, LF levels of intrauterine infection in amniotic fluid were measured and the biological significance of LF was investigated. The effects of LF on IL-6 production in cultured amnion cells were also investigated. The concentrations of LF and IL-6 in amniotic fluid with chorioamnionitis (CAM) were 8.76+/-0.65 microg/ml and 6.92+/-4.88 ng/ml (n = 28), respectively, and both were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those without CAM (0.86+/-0.81 microg/ml and 0.34+/-0.25 ng/ml; n = 31). LF and IL-6 levels were significantly higher (P<0.01) with CAM. A significant positive correlation between LF and IL-6 levels in amniotic fluid was found (r = 0.91, P<0.01). To our knowledge, this was the first study of its kind, which shows that IL-6 production induced by lipopolysaccharide in cultured cells was significantly inhibited below physiological concentration of LF in the amnion. In addition, the immunohistochemical localization of LF in fetal membranes was investigated. In the fetal membranes with CAM, strong positive staining was observed in amniotic and chorionic membranes, with leucocyte migration, while weak staining was observed in membranes without CAM. These results show conclusively that LF suppresses amniotic IL-6 production under the conditions of intrauterine infection.

Amnion↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical analysis of nucleoside diphosphate kinases in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

The nm23 gene is a potential metastasis suppressor gene originally identified using a murine melanoma cell line. The nm23 proteins are nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases, and there are two isotypes in human and other mammalian cells. Immunohistochemical analysis with anti-rat NDP kinase (NDP kinase alpha, NDP kinase beta) monoclonal antibodies was performed in deparaffinized sections of 56 specimens of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Detection of these NDP kinases in tissue samples was correlated with clinical and histopathological factors. The NDP kinase A (nm23 H1 protein)-positive group was apt to have a lower frequency of neck metastasis than the negative one (p < 0.01). Consequently, it is suggested that NDP kinase A might be a metastasis suppressor factor that may be useful for predicting tumor metastases in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Angiogenesis and expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

It has been demonstrated that angiogenesis is required in the process of tumor progression and metastasis. Microvessel density (MVD) estimates tumor angiogenesis and is an independent indicator for predicting tumor metastasis in a variety of carcinomas. Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is known to be an angiogenic factor in vitro and in vivo. Of 55 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), regional metastasis was absent in 35 and present in 20. Cases with lymph node metastasis showed significantly higher MVD (mean 61.0 +/- 28.8) than those without metastasis (mean 29.3 +/- 15.1; p < 0.001). A total of 37 cases (67.3%) were PD-ECGF-positive with a high MVD (mean 47.8 +/- 27.9) and 18 (32.7%) showed a negative PD-ECGF expression with a low MVD (mean 26.6 +/- 13.2). PD-ECGF expression was significantly correlated with the increment of MVD (p < 0.01). We suggest that MVD can be used as an independent prognostic indicator for predicting metastasis and that PD-ECGF activity plays an important role in the neovascularization of OSCC.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Study of components in crude drugs by head space gas chromatography. I. Components of Asiasari radix].

Determinations of volatile components of essential oil contained in Asiasari Radix were studied by head space gas chromatography. The head space gas, which was generated by heating 0.2 g of crude drug with 1.0 ml of water at 90 degrees C for 45 min, was analyzed directly by gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method was rapid, and did not require tedious procedures and time consuming, and without contamination of the column.

Chromatography, Gas↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chemical and enzymatic properties of 60Co gamma-ray irradiated subtilisin BPN.

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Amino Acids↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Establishment of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a coated deflagellated Salmonella enteritidis antigen for detection of a specific chicken antibody.

We attempted to establish an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for field monitoring/profiling purposes for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection of poultry flocks. Serotyping rabbit sera, commercially obtained, specific for Salmonella identification sera to O2, O4, O7, O8, S. Vi, S. Hm, and O9, showed negative ELISA (E)-values (< 0.2) on ELISA, except the O9 identification serum (E-value > 0.5). Similar negative E-value results were obtained for antisera to Echerichia coli (E. O antigen). Field serum samples originating from SE-isolated flocks yielded similar positive ratios on both ELISAs including the present coated deflagellated SE antigen and a commercially obtained flagellated SE antigen and that of rapid plate aggregation with a pullorum antigen (PD-RPA). About 100 days after the first monitoring, no SE isolation in the same flock was observed resulting in a carrier state of SE infection. Although both the monitoring results with commercially obtained ELISA and PD-RPA showed lower positive or negative ratios, the present ELISA showed a higher positive ratio than that of the first monitoring. The present ELISA is suggested to be a suitable method to do accurate profiling on the carrier state of infection.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A case study on Salmonella enteritidis (SE) origin at three egg-laying farms and its control with an S. enteritidis bacterin.

In the early 1990s, three egg-laying farms (farms S, T, and B) were thought to have the possibility of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) contamination because positive liquid egg samples originated from those farms. The present study was therefore conducted. The first clarification for SE contamination was the study on the origin of SE contamination including its vertical transmission. The results of SE contamination profiling with dust and manure, food materials, dead embryos, and residual yolks on hatch day in regular monitoring over a few years were clearly negative. Therefore, we concluded the SE transmission/infection was attributed to horizontal infection in the egg-laying farms but not vertical transmission from parental stock, hatcheries, growth, or food materials during a 7-yr experimental period. Second, we attempted to clarify if administration of an SE bacterin (Layermune SE) to growth flocks for the egg-laying farms could reduce SE incidence in liquid egg samples from each egg-laying farm. In the first experiment, we compared SE incidence in liquid egg samples from vaccinated and nonvaccinated flocks (similar age flocks). SE incidence from vaccinated and nonvaccinated flocks showed negative and <2 most probable number (MPN)/100 ml for farm B, <2 and >1600 MPN/100 ml for farm S, and negative and >1600 MPN/100 ml for farm T, respectively. In the second experiment, we compared the SE isolation incidence in the liquid egg samples from nonvaccinated and newly replaced vaccinated flocks in the same chicken houses from each of the three egg-laying farms. SE incidence in the liquid egg samples was similar to that in the first experiment. Therefore, the SE bacterin may play an important role in reducing the SE incidence of liquid egg samples.

Animal Husbandry↗