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Biomedical subjects

L B Bennett

Publications and source records attributed to L B Bennett.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Increased frequency of pre-germinal center B cells and plasma cell precursors in the blood of children with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We have analyzed the blood B cell subpopulations of children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls. We found that the normal recirculating mature B cell pool is composed of four subsets: conventional naive and memory B cells, a novel B cell subset with pregerminal center phenotype (IgD(+)CD38(+)centerin(+)), and a plasma cell precursor subset (CD20(-)CD19(+/low)CD27(+/++) CD38(++)). In SLE patients, naive and memory B cells (CD20(+)CD38(-)) are approximately 90% reduced, whereas oligoclonal plasma cell precursors are 3-fold expanded, independently of disease activity and modality of therapy. Pregerminal center cells in SLE are decreased to a lesser extent than conventional B cells, and therefore represent the predominant blood B cell subset in a number of patients. Thus, SLE is associated with major blood B cell subset alterations.

ADP-ribosyl Cyclase↗

Copper neurotoxicity is dependent on dopamine-mediated copper uptake and one-electron reduction of aminochrome in a rat substantia nigra neuronal cell line.

The mechanism of copper (Cu) neurotoxicity was studied in the RCSN-3 neuronal dopaminergic cell line, derived from substantia nigra of an adult rat. The formation of a Cu-dopamine complex was accompanied by oxidation of dopamine to aminochrome. We found that the Cu-dopamine complex mediates the uptake of (64)CuSO(4) into the Raúl Caviedes substantia nigra-clone 3 (RCSN3) cells, and it is inhibited by the addition of excess dopamine (2 m M) (63%, p < 0.001) and nomifensine (2 microM) (77%, p < 0.001). Copper sulfate (1 m M) alone was not toxic to RCSN-3 cells, but was when combined with dopamine or with dicoumarol (95% toxicity; p < 0.001) which inhibits DPNH and TPNH (DT)-diaphorase. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum of the 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) spin trap adducts showed the presence of a C-centered radical when incubating cells with dopamine, CuSO(4) and dicoumarol. A decrease in the expression of CuZn-superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase mRNA was observed when RCSN-3 cells were treated with CuSO(4), dopamine, or CuSO(4) and dopamine. However, the mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase remained at control levels when the cells were treated with CuSO(4), dopamine and dicoumarol. The regulation of catalase was different since all the treatments with CuSO(4) increased the expression of catalase mRNA. Our results suggest that copper neurotoxicity is dependent on: (i) the formation of Cu-dopamine complexes with concomitant dopamine oxidation to aminochrome; (ii) dopamine-dependent Cu uptake; and (iii) one-electron reduction of aminochrome.

Animals↗

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and infantile convulsions: clinical and linkage studies.

OBJECTIVE: To clinically characterize affected individuals in families with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD), examine the association with infantile convulsions, and confirm linkage to a pericentromeric chromosome 16 locus. BACKGROUND: PKD is characterized by frequent, recurrent attacks of involuntary movement or posturing in response to sudden movement, stress, or excitement. Recently, an autosomal dominant PKD locus on chromosome 16 was identified. METHODS: The authors studied 11 previously unreported families of diverse ethnic background with PKD with or without infantile convulsions and performed linkage analysis with markers spanning the chromosome 16 locus. Detailed clinical questionnaires and interviews were conducted with affected and unaffected family members. RESULTS: Clinical characterization and sampling of 95 individuals in 11 families revealed 44 individuals with paroxysmal dyskinesia, infantile convulsions, or both. Infantile convulsions were surprisingly common, occurring in 9 of 11 families. In only two individuals did generalized seizures occur in later childhood or adulthood. The authors defined a 26-cM region using linkage data in 11 families (maximum lod score 6.63 at theta = 0). Affected individuals in one family showed no evidence for a shared haplotype in this region, implying locus heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Identification and characterization of the PKD/infantile convulsions gene will provide new insight into the pathophysiology of this disorder, which spans the phenotypic spectrum between epilepsy and movement disorder.

Adolescent↗

A locus for paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia maps to human chromosome 16.

OBJECTIVE: To use genetic linkage analysis to localize a gene for paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) in a three generation African-American kindred. BACKGROUND: PKD is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by episodic choreiform or dystonic movements that are brought on or exacerbated by voluntary movement. There are individuals with the clinical features of PKD but with no family history of the disease, but whether these sporadic cases represent spontaneous mutations of PKD or have a distinct condition is unknown. METHODS: A genome-wide linkage scan of polymorphic microsatellites at 25 cM resolution was performed to localize a gene for PKD in one African-American kindred. Pairwise multipoint linkage analyses were performed at different penetrance estimates. RESULTS: Evidence for linkage of the kinesigenic form of paroxysmal dyskinesia to chromosome 16 was obtained. A maximum lod score of 4.40 at theta = 0 was obtained with D16S419. Critical recombinants place the PKD gene between D16S3100 and D16S771. CONCLUSIONS: A paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) locus lies within an 18 cM interval on 16p11.2-q11.2, between D16S3100 and D16S771. A gene for infantile convulsions with paroxysmal choreoathetosis has also been mapped to this region. These two regions overlap by approximately 6 cM. These two diseases could be caused by different mutations in the same gene or two distinct genes may lie within this region.

Black People↗

Localization of a gene for familial recurrent arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To localize the gene for familial recurrent arthritis via a genome-wide linkage scan in an extended kindred with the disease. METHODS: A 3-generation family in which 9 members were diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was ascertained. In this family the disease was of very early onset and included episodic inflammation leading to eventual destruction of joints, muscle, and skin. We treated this disorder as a distinct clinical entity that we have named "familial recurrent arthritis." A genome-wide linkage scan with polymorphic microsatellites at 10-15-cM resolution was initiated. RESULTS: The genome-wide scan generated a maximum 2-point logarithm of odds score with D15S211 (Zmax = 3.27 at thetamax = 0.0010). Haplotype reconstruction defined a candidate region of approximately 20 cM flanked proximally by D15S983 and distally by D15S127 on human chromosome 15. CONCLUSION: A gene for familial recurrent arthritis was localized to 15q22-24, as a result of a genome-wide linkage scan in a large, multiply affected kindred. Identification of the altered gene will provide insights into the pathogenesis of autoimmune joint destruction that is reminiscent of JIA.

Adult↗

Genetic variation in the COL6A1 region is associated with congenital heart defects in trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome).

Genetic variation in the COL6A1-COL6A2 gene cluster on chromosome 21 was studied in 113 controls and 58 European families (including control and family subgroups of British/Irish origin) having a child with trisomy 21. There were statistically significant differences among subgroups of trisomic children with and without congenital heart defects (CHD) in distributions of definitive, 3-RFLP haplotype classes received from their nondisjoining and disjoining parents. Haplotypes received by trisomic children with CHD from their disjoining parents were not a random sample of controls' haplotypes. Analysis of parental single-RFLP genotypes and linkage disequilibrium patterns confirmed this parent subgroup differed from a random sample of controls. There were no significant differences in parent subgroup genotype distribution at any of nine control loci distributed along chromosome 21q. This sample showed an association between genetic variation in the COL6A1 gene region and congenital heart defects in trisomy 21.

Adolescent↗