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Biomedical subjects

M Hess

Publications and source records attributed to M Hess.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Recurrent abnormalities of chromosome bands 10q23-25 in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Many nonrandom chromosome abnormalities have been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). Some of these are nonspecific changes seen in many different histologic subtypes. We describe a series of abnormalities of chromosome bands 10q23-25 seen in 159 consecutive NHL patients with abnormal cytogenetic findings. The proportion of karyotypes with abnormalities of 10q varied from 3% among the immunoblastic lymphomas to 67% in the diffuse large cleaved cell lymphomas. Seventeen (10.7%) had abnormalities of 10q23-25. All but one of these were B-cell tumors. The abnormalities consisted of six deletions and 11 translocations. Sixteen of the 17 patients had the 10q abnormality when cells were first karyotyped. The remaining patient acquired the 10q abnormality in the third of a series of biopsies. In the follicular histologic subtypes [follicular small cleaved cell (FSC), follicular mixed small cleaved and large cell (FM), and follicular large cell noncleaved (FL-NC)], abnormalities of 10q were found in nine patients, all in association with abnormalities of 14q32. Seven of these were associated with the t(14;18)(q32;q21). Overall, 10q23-25 abnormalities were observed in 11.9% (8/67) of low-grade [small lymphocytic (SL), FSC, and FM] lymphoma cases. DNA was available from five patients with abnormalities of 10q and was probed for rearrangements with the HOXII (TCL3) oncogene probe. As expected, we did not find such rearrangements in these five patients with B-cell tumors. Abnormalities of 10q23-25 have been reported previously in NHL but not at this frequency.

Blotting, Southern

Secretion of salivary immunoglobulin A in relation to age, saliva flow, mood states, secretion of albumin, cortisol, and catecholamines in saliva.

Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) is one characteristic humoral factor of the local immune system in the upper respiratory tract. Epidemiological studies emphasize the importance of secretory IgA in the protection from infections of the upper respiratory tract. However, due to high interindividual variability of secretion of salivary IgA, it remains difficult to define normal ranges. This series of studies focused on identification of factors influencing basal secretion of salivary IgA. The results indicate a significant relationship between age and salivary IgA concentration. Children below 7 years have lower salivary IgA concentration than children above 7 years or adults. Furthermore, a significant inverse relationship between saliva flow and salivary IgA concentration was found. Gender, mood states, salivary albumin, salivary catecholamines, and salivary cortisol were not associated with salivary IgA. It can be concluded that for defining normal ranges of salivary IgA, age and saliva flow have to be considered.

Adolescent

[Pericardial manifestations of toxoplasmosis].

A case of pericarditis due to toxoplasmosis in a 20 year old non-immune depressed man with a favourable outcome with specific antiparasitic treatment is reported. Pericarditis is rare in toxoplasmosis and does not require an associated immune deficiency. The clinical presentation is that of acute benign pericarditis, the diagnosis depending on positive toxoplasmosis serology (positive IgM or increasing IgG antibody titres) and the absence of another obvious cause. Isolation of the parasite by direct examination or animal inoculation is very rare. The spontaneous evolution is to pericardial constriction whilst specific antibiotic therapy (sulfadiazine-pyrimethamine) leads to a rapid cure in most cases. This underlines the necessity of searching for toxoplasmosis in patients with unexplained pericarditis.

Adult

Cloning of hippocampal poly(A) RNA sequences that increase after entorhinal cortex lesion in adult rat.

Evidence is given for altered gene expression in the hippocampus in response to entorhinal cortex lesioning. Three RNA markers encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein, apolipoprotein E and alpha-tubulin were isolated from a rat hippocampal cDNA library by differential screening with cDNA probes from entorhinal cortex lesioned and control rat hippocampus RNA. By Northern blot analysis, mRNA for apolipoprotein E and alpha-tubulin increased to peak around 6 days after the lesion and returned to near control level at 30 days. The increased synthesis of both mRNAs coincides with the acute phase of synaptogenesis, protein synthesis, and polyribosomes accumulation in the deafferented hippocampal area.

Animals

Astrocytic apolipoprotein E mRNA and GFAP mRNA in hippocampus after entorhinal cortex lesioning.

Entorhinal cortex lesions (ECL) that damage the perforant path to the hippocampus induce rapid increases of apolipoprotein E (apo E) mRNA in the hippocampus. Apo E mRNA was localized in astrocytes by in situ hybridization in combination with immunocytochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Unilateral ECL also increased hippocampal GFAP mRNA, with increases preceding those of apo E mRNA. The apo E mRNA and GFAP mRNA responses were transiently bilateral in non-denervated zones. The timing of response in apo E mRNA to deafferentation supports suggestions that apo E has roles in membrane remodelling during responses to neuron injury.

Animals

Influence of serum derived from patients with head and neck cancer on natural killer cell activity.

The influence of serum from 23 patients with head and neck cancer on natural killer (NK) cell activity was analyzed using a double-layer agar assay, in which NK cells show an activity to inhibit the colony growth of K562 cells. In contrast to normal serum (or no treatment), serum from cancer patients reduced the inhibitory activity of NK cells, not only of autologous NK cells but also of allogeneic NK cells. These results suggest that the serum of patients with head and neck cancer may have some inhibitory factors on NK cell activity and may be involved in host resistance to tumor growth in vivo.

Adult

[Specific characteristics of hairy cell leukemia].

Report on a now 58-year-old female patient who presented in 1969 with the following objective findings: anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphocytosis and hepatosplenomegaly. The first first diagnosis was lymphosarcoma, but up to 1976 nearly ten other diagnoses were established, e.g. reticulum sarcoma, leukemic lymphosarcoma, CML, ALL, CLL and Waldenström's disease. The patient did not respond to combined chemotherapy, but splenectomy brought about significant improvement in anemia and thrombocytopenia. She is now doing well without cytotoxic treatment. Hairy cell leukemia was diagnosed on the basis of electron microscopic findings in peripheral lymphocytes and histologic findings in bone marrow and spleen. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase was positive. Immunologic tests in the hairy cells showed surface immunoglobulins of monoclonal origina and the T-cells were shown to be decreased. The tests for phagocytosis and nonspecific esterase were negative. The hairy cells in this patient exhibited no colony stimulating activity in culture studies with bone marrow from 4 normal donors, as compared with the stimulating activity of normal monocytes in the same assay. In the light of this case report the question is discussed whether the hairy cells are mainly cells with lymphocytic (B-lymphocytes) or monocytic characteristics. On this question the findings in our patient support the hypothesis of a B-cell nature for the hairy cells.

Acid Phosphatase

[Studies of the tolerance and toxicity of Luzern-green-meal pellets after selenium fertilization].

In a feeding trial, rabbits allotted in 3 experimental groups were fed rations containing 2.09, 9.83 and 19.5 mg selenium/kg feed in the form of selenium-enriched alfalfa green meal pellets. The selenium enrichment was done by foliar application (spraying) of the 20--25 cm high plant stand with 2.5 kg SeO2 per hectare in watery solution. The control animals were given normal alfalfa green meal pellets of 0.16 ppm selenium content. Toxicity and lethality, tolerance limit and nutritive effect of the pellets were studied. Plant-assimilated selenium was found to be converted more efficiently by the animal organism than was selenium from inorganic compounds (higher retention rate, better gain in body weight and lower feed expenditure). Therefore, the selenium supply to farm animals should be improved by feeding crops that were given selenium dressings.

Animal Feed

Proestrous gonadotropin levels in thyroparathyroidectomized female rats.

Intact and TPTx animals showed the expected afternoon increase in serum LH,FSH and prolactin levels. But the afternoon increase in serum LH levels in TPTx rats was less than that observed for intact animals (p less than 0.001). Neither serum prolactin nor FSH levels were altered by TPTx.

Animals

Immune response region-associated antigens of the mouse: biochemical properties of detergent and papain solubilized molecules.

Immune response region-associated (Ia) antigens and classical H-2 antigens are glycoproteins which differ in their molecular weight and tissue distribution. Ia and H-2 molecules also show differences in overall charge, apparent isoelectric point and susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, acid treatment and exposure to 56 degrees C. In the present paper, Ia.11d antigens were shown to have a molecular weight of about 35000 after solubilization with nonionic detergents. Purified Iad antigens, solubilized by controlled papain digestion, display a molecular weight of about 26000 after final purification by indirect immune coprecipitation. This figure corresponds to the molecular weight of a highly purified H-2 polypeptide fragment obtained after papain solubilization. The remarkable size similarity of proteolytic fragments from Ia and H-2 antigens could suggest that these genetically and functionally related molecules possess some structural features in common.

Animals

Secondary cytotoxic allograft responses in vitro. III. The immunogenicity of allogeneic membrane fragments.

The immunogenicity of murine membrane fragments was tested both in primary and in secondary in vitro cytotoxic allograft responses, and compared to that of intact allogeneic stimulator cells. Allogeneic membrane fragments induced poor proliferative and cytotoxic responses in normal splenic responder cells. However reexposure of immune responder T cells to allogeneic membrane fragments triggered the generation of highly reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Moreover, the generation of secondary CTL as induced by allogeneic membrane fragments was preceded by only a marginal cell proliferation. The results obtained are compatible with the concept that serologically defined (SD) antigens alone are capable of triggering alloimmune T cells to differentiate highly reactive secondary CTL.

Animals

Ia antigens: isolation, chemical modification and structural characterization.

The results described above, with respect to the similarity of basic structural features of Ia and H-2 antigens (see Table V), led to the evolutionary concept presented in Figure 10 according to which these antigens are the products of tandem-duplicated genes. The evolution of MHC-gene products is reflected by the basic structure of these molecules. This structure is compatible with basic repetitive units of molecular weight 12,000 as suggested by the selective cleavage of the intact protein by, for example, papain.

Animals