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Biomedical subjects

M Mandel

Publications and source records attributed to M Mandel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A photodynamic pathway to apoptosis and necrosis induced by dimethyl tetrahydroxyhelianthrone and hypericin in leukaemic cells: possible relevance to photodynamic therapy.

The mechanism of cell death induction by dimethyl tetrahydroxyhelianthrone (DTHe), a new second-generation photodynamic sensitizer, is analysed in human leukaemic cell lines in comparison with the structurally related hypericin. DTHe has a broad range of light spectrum absorption that enables effective utilization of polychromatic light. Photosensitization of HL-60 cells with low doses of DTHe (0.65 microM DTHe and 7.2 J cm(-2) light energy) induced rapid apoptosis of > or =90% of the cells. At doses > or =2 microM, dying cells assumed morphological necrosis with perinucleolar condensation of chromatin in HL-60 and K-562 cell lines. Although nuclear fragmentation that is characteristic to apoptosis was prevented, DNA digestion to oligonucleosomes proceeded unhindered. Such incomplete apoptosis was more prevalent with the related analogue hypericin throughout most doses of photosensitization. Despite hypericin being a stronger photosensitizer, DTHe exhibited advantageous phototoxic properties to tumour cells, initiating apoptosis at concentrations about threefold lower than hypericin. Photosensitization of the cells induced dissociation of the nuclear envelope, releasing lamins into the cytosol. DTHe also differed from hypericin in effects exerted on the nuclear lamina, causing release of an 86-kDa lamin protein into the cytosol that was unique to DTHe. Within the nucleus, nuclear envelope lamin B underwent covalent polymerization, which did not affect apoptotic nuclear fragmentation at low doses of DTHe. At higher doses, polymerization may have been extensive enough to prevent nuclear collapse. Hut-78, CD4+ cells were resistant to the photodynamically activated apoptotic pathway. Beyond the tolerated levels of photodynamic damage, these cells died exclusively via necrosis. Hut-78 cells overexpress Bcl-X(L) as well as a truncated Bcl-X(L)tr isoform that could contribute to the observed resistance to apoptosis.

Anthracenes

Successful human umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation without conditioning in severe combined immune deficiency.

A 2-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), presented with mild staphylococcal skin infection, lymphopenia, low T cell number, absence of B cells, high number of NK cells, and a negligible response to mitogens. Since her older brother died as a result of SCID 2 years earlier, cord blood was harvested from a sister born 2 1/2 years earlier, who was normal and fully matched both by serology and molecular typing. In view of her clinical condition and in spite of a high number of NK cells with normal activity, HUCBT without preparative conditioning was performed. No G-CSF was administered. Engraftment with mixed chimerism was evident 3 weeks post transplantation. There were no peritransplantation complications. Eighteen months post transplantation, the girl is in excellent condition, blood counts are normal, T cell engraftment is complete, B cell engraftment is proceeding gradually, and the mitogen stimulation tests are normal. Due to the unique nature of HUCB hematopoietic cells, engraftment without conditioning may be possible in patients with SCID with fully matched donors. This is the first HUCBT performed without conditioning.

Female

Autoantibodies in Estonia and Sweden, populations with different responses to allergens.

BACKGROUND: There are substantial differences in immune-mediated disease prevalence between different countries and populations which cannot be explained by genetic variability. AIMS: To compare the prevalence of antinuclear (ANA), antimitochondrial, antireticulin, liver-kidney microsomal, parietal cell, thyroid microsomal and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies among adults aged 20-44 years in two towns, i.e. in Tartu, Estonia (n = 448) and in Uppsala, Sweden (n = 532) with a low and a high prevalence of allergy. METHODS: For autoantibody detection, standard indirect immunofluorescence tests on tissue and Chritidia lucilia antigenic preparations were used (sera were diluted starting from 1:10). RESULTS: The prevalence of ANA was lower in Tartu than in Uppsala (3 vs. 10% among males and 11 vs. 16% among females; p<0.01 and p<0.1, respectively). Furthermore, dsDNA antibody-positive cases were only identified in Uppsala. The largest difference between the two populations was revealed for IgM type ANA, both among males (1 vs. 6%; p<0.02) and females (5 vs. 11%; p<0.01). In addition, the antibody titers were lower in Tartu than in Uppsala (p<0.05). The prevalence of other autoantibodies was similar in the two towns. CONCLUSIONS: The findings could support that Th2-like immune responses are commoner in Sweden than in Estonia, as previously suggested by the higher prevalence of allergy.

Adult

Central nervous system involvement at diagnosis in a case of pediatric CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in Ki-1/CD30 lymphoma is extremely rare, in contrast to the frequent involvement in other types of pediatric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. No mechanism has yet been proposed to explain the sparing of the blood brain barrier in Ki-1/lymphoma. We present a 2-year-old boy who was admitted to the Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology due to lethargy, progressive breathing difficulties, massive diffuse lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and ichthyosis-like skin involvement with epidermolysis. A lymph node biopsy was compatible with Ki-1/CD30 anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy demonstrated reactive hyperplasia. Cytogenetic analysis displayed hyperdiploid cells with 1p(-) in most cells. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed pleocytosis with CD30+ cells. Possible mechanisms which could enable CNS involvement in this unusual case are discussed.

Central Nervous System Neoplasms

Vincristine treatment triggering the expression of asymptomatic Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

A 16-year-old male suffering from Ewing's sarcoma of the pelvis was treated with vincristine as part of his chemotherapeutic protocol. The boy was never known to suffer from any neurological problems. His father had a mild limp, attributed to prolonged "taxi driving," that was never investigated medically. The first course of treatment, which included 2 mg of vincristine, resulted in clinical improvement. However, at the same time the patient developed severe weakness of both upper and lower limbs, areflexia, and gradually a pes cavus deformity. Nerve conduction studies were suggestive of severe peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy, axonal and demyelinative. A definite diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth was confirmed by molecular analysis showing the typical duplication of 1.5 megabases at 17 p11.2. This unique manifestation of vincristine neurotoxicity is reported and discussed.

Adolescent

In vitro proliferative advantage of bone marrow cells with tetrasomy 8 in Ewing sarcoma.

We describe a case of a 14.5-year-old boy with a clinically aggressive pelvic Ewing sarcoma. The tumor cells showed the presence of a typical t(11;22)(q24;q12) aberration and gains of chromosomes 8, 10, 14, and 21. To determine the size of the trisomy and tetrasomy 8 clones an interphase analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization with a centromere-specific chromosome 8 probe was performed. Significant quantitative differences between metaphase and interphase data were obtained. It was shown that culturing of bone marrow cells leads to enrichment of tetrasomy 8 population that may be explained by the proliferative advantage of the tetrasomy 8 cells.

Adolescent

Two embryonal cancers after in vitro fertilization.

BACKGROUND: In vitro fertilization is not considered to be associated with an increased rate of pediatric malignancies, and only three have been reported in the literature. Two additional rare pediatric tumors in children conceived through this technique are reported. METHODS: Two children 12 and 18 months of age, developed hepatoblastoma and clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, respectively. They were both products of uneventful pregnancies induced by in vitro fertilization. No other environmental, prenatal, or family factor was found. RESULTS: The first child died after a failed remission induction with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and vincristine, whereas the second child is alive with no evidence of disease 18 months after diagnosis and treatment according to NWTS protocol. CONCLUSIONS: A possible association between in vitro fertilization and pediatric malignancies is suggested.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic

Expression of a human serum albumin variant with high affinity for thyroxine.

In this study a protein expression system was used to synthesize recombinant human serum albumin containing a mutation that has been shown to result in familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia. Equilibrium dialysis was used to measure the binding of this recombinant human serum albumin with thyroxine. The association constant determined for the binding of this human serum albumin variant with thyroxine was shown to be 65-fold greater than that of recombinant normal human serum albumin.

Amino Acid Sequence

Translocation (2;14)(p13;q32) in CD10+ ;CD13+ acute lymphatic leukemia.

The rare t(2;14)(p13;q32) was previously described in the three pediatric patients with acute lymphatic leukemia. In these cases this abnormality was found at diagnosis, manifested the sole chromosomal abnormality, and was associated with a favorable prognosis. We here describe three cases of leukemia where such translocations were found at relapse, were associated in two of the cases with additional known characteristic chromosomal aberration, and were associated with a grave prognosis. Interestingly enough, the malignant cells of all three patients shared the same surface antigens: CD34, HLA DR, CD10, CD20, and the myeloid marker CD13. The leukemic clone exhibiting t(2;14) probably evolved from a t(1;19)6q- pre-B acute lymphatic leukemia in one of the cases, and from a chronic phase Ph1 chromosome in another. The significance of the translocation and the coexistence of CD10 and CD13 on the same cell are discussed.

Adolescent

Detection of mutagen specific adduct formation in DNA using sequencing methodology.

It has been reported that single stranded viral DNA reacts with the carcinogen, chloroacetaldehyde at specific hot spots (Premaratne et al., 1993 Int. J. Biochem. 25, 1669-1672). We tested this occurrence with several other mutagens and potential carcinogens. A series of chemicals (chloroacetaldehyde, methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitro nitrosoguanidine, hydrazine, 2,4 dinitrophenyl hydrazine, hydroxylamine and methyl methanesulfonate) were each separately reacted with viral M13mp18 DNA for 2 hr at 37 degrees C and pH 4.9. The locations of adduction were identified as points of chain termination (or polymerase fall off) when the reacted DNA was subjected to a modified sequencing procedure that had ample regular labeled and unlabeled nucleotides but lacked dideoxy chain termination mixtures. Chain termination was observed to occur at specific, non-random, sites rather than with equal probability at all bases of the DNA. Chemicals with similar structures had identical points of "fall off". The pattern of chain termination appears to be unique to each class of compounds and is independent of temperature, pH, and salt concentration. Termination is believed to occur when the DNA polymerase encounters an adduct. Mutagens of different unrelated structures when reacted with this DNA produced different sites of adduct formation, while the alkyl nitro nitrosoguanidines, compounds with homologous structure showed identical points of chain termination.

Animals

Relaxin gene expression in human reproductive tissues by in situ hybridization.

The expression of the two human relaxin genes termed H1 and H2 in human reproductive tissues ranges from high to very low copy number depending upon the tissue and reproductive state. The aim of this study was to use two approaches to identify total relaxin transcripts (HI and H2) at the cellular level by using a human relaxin H2 riboprobe and a series of six 48-mer synthetic oligoprobes. The results obtained with both methods were similar in all tissues studied; however, a lower background was achieved with the riboprobe. This was especially noticeable after long exposure times, and a better resolution was generally achieved without clustering of the signals. Treatment of the tissues with proteinase-K failed to increase the sensitivity in any tissue with either probe. The relative levels of expression of the total relaxin gene transcripts was estimated from the different exposure times needed to obtain a good hybridization signal. Thus, the order of expression was: corpus luteum of pregnancy > corpus luteum of the cycle > placenta and prostate > decidua parietalis. The results agree well with immunolocalization of the peptide hormone previously performed with both heterologous and homologous relaxin antibodies; the exception was the lack of hybridization signal over the cells of the chorionic cytotrophoblast of the chorion laeve. This suggests that the levels of relaxin gene expression was below the level of detectability with the in situ hybridization technique or that these cells sequester, but do not synthesize, relaxin. Expression in the term placenta varied greatly from tissue to tissue and within any one tissue. A similar variability has been noted for relaxin in this tissue by immunocytochemistry. Methodology for the detection of total relaxin transcripts at the cellular level when expressed in a wide range of copy number will allow the developmental regulation of relaxin gene expression in reproductive and nonreproductive tissues to be visualized.

Base Sequence

Detection of small quantities of double stranded DNA by enhanced fluorescence of substituted aldehyde modified polydeoxynucleotide-ethidium bromide complexes.

A method for the detection of small amounts of double stranded DNA by a simple incubation procedure involving the reaction of the nucleotide bases in DNA with chloroacetaldehyde is described. Following incubation, the presence of DNA may be visualized by the orange fluorescence emitted when ethidium bromide (EtBr) is added. Alternatively, the aldehyde/DNA mixture may be separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and individual double stranded DNA visualized by exposing the gel to ethidium bromide and observing the orange ultraviolet light induced fluorescence of the aldehyde modified double stranded ethidium bromide complex (Waring, M.J. (1965) J. Mol. Biol. 13, 269-282). At least a 20-fold increase in the detection of double stranded DNA is possible by this procedure. An important aspect of this method is that the visualization of single stranded DNA is not enhanced.

Acetaldehyde

Familial clustering of malignant germ cell tumors and Langerhans' histiocytosis.

Three sisters in a family with seven children whose grandmother had an ovarian embryonal carcinoma experienced development of malignant and a malignant-like situation in childhood. Two were diagnosed as having malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary, and the third was found to have Langerhans' histiocytosis. The two girls with germ cell tumor shared an identical human leukocyte antigen, whereas the sister with histiocytosis shared one identical haplotype with them. All three children have been treated successfully with chemotherapy and are doing well off of treatment.

Aged