[Complications of the aorta following sclerosing of esophageal varices].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Susani.
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Derivatives of E. coli tRNAfMet containing single base substitutions at the wobble position of the anticodon have been enzymatically synthesized in vitro. The procedure involves excision of the normal anticodon, CAU, by limited digestion of intact tRNAfMet with RNase A. RNA ligase is then used to join each of four trinucleotides, NAU, to the 5' half molecule and to subsequently link the 3' and modified 5' fragments to regenerate the anticodon loop. Synthesis of intact tRNAfMet containing the anticodon CAU by this procedure yields a product which is indistinguishable from native tRNAfMet with respect to its ability to be aminoacylated by E. coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase. Substitution of any other nucleotide at the wobble position of tRNAfMet drastically impairs the ability of the synthetase to recognize the tRNA. Measurement of methionine acceptance in the presence of high concentrations of pure enzyme has established that the rate of aminoacylation of the AAU, GAU and UAU anticodon derivatives of tRNAfMet is four to five orders of magnitude slower than that of the native or synthesized tRNA containing C as the wobble base. In addition, the inactive tRNA derivatives fail to inhibit aminoacylation of normal tRNAfMet, indicating that they bind poorly to the enzyme. These results support a model involving direct interaction between Met-tRNA synthetase and the C in the wobble position during aminoacylation of tRNAfMet.
The clinical findings, diagnosis and course of disease of eight patients with histological pure seminoma of the testis and positive serum beta-HCG levels are presented. In addition to routine investigations, immunohistochemical examination of the formalin-fixed specimen by the immunoperoxidase technique was also carried out. Serum alpha-feto-protein levels of all eight patients remained normal. There was no correlation between serum beta-HCG level and tumour stage. The longest period of observation was 48 months, the shortest 11 months. All patients were treated primarily by radiotherapy. One patient also received chemotherapy and one patient underwent bilateral lymphadenectomy 13 months after radiotherapy.
The present animal experiments revealed that repeated intra-articular administration of alpha 2-macroglobulin . trypsin complexes caused a rheumatoid-like synovitis in not preimmunized rabbits. In early stages of synovitis, acute to subacute pathomorphological alterations were observed. In later stages, the chronic infiltration was accomplished by early onset of fibroplasia in some experimental joints. Similar lesions were caused by administration of methylamine-treated alpha 2-macroglobulin, an inactive alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M), very like that produced in the trapping of a proteinase. In contrast, administration of native plasma alpha 2-M was ineffective, whereas active trypsin produced moderate inflammation. It is felt that the present experimental model resembles immunopathological processes in human arthritides, where the occurrence of alpha 2-M . proteinase complexes was verified.
The described malformation of the liver can be divided into several different findings: the deficiency of the left part of the lig. triangulare, a shift of the enlarged left liver lobe to ventral right into the right hypochondrium with a bending of the liver, hypoplasia of the right liver lobe with a field of connective tissue in the bending angle of the liver and concomitant torsion of the lig. hepatoduodenale. The deficiency of the left part of the lig. triangulare hepatis is considered the pathogenetic origin of the malformation. The development of all the other malformations is discussed according to ontogenetic considerations.
Biopsies taken from various parts of normal placentas were treated to determine the localization of human placental lactogen (HPL). Both an immunofluorescence tracer technique as well as the haematoxylin-eosin staining procedure were applied to each slide. The slides were photographed in the microscope and the identical photographs compared to each other. There was great variety in local HPL fluorescence, without any connexion between biopsy site or morphology and immunofluorescence. Areas of syncytiotrophoblast without fluorescence included villi without any signs of morphological pathology, as well as villi with fibrinoid membranes of the syncytial surface or even fibrinoid degeneration of the stroma.
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According to Ohba et al. (Ohba, M., Sato, R., Yoshida, Y., Nishino, T. and Katsuki, H. (1978) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 85, 21-27), yeast microsomes catalyze the removal of three methyl groups attached to the C-4 and C-14 positions of [1,7,15,22,26,30-14C]lanosterol (4,4,14 alpha-trimethyl-5 alpha-cholesta-8,24-dien-3 beta-ol) in the presence of NADPH, NAD+ and molecular oxygen, concomitant with the liberation of 14CO2 derived from C-30 (one of the two methyl groups at the C-4 position). In this process the methyl group at the C-14 position is first removed in a cyanide-insensitive reaction and then the two methyl groups at the C-4 position are removed by a cyanide-sensitive enzyme system. In this study it was found that the 14CO2 formation from the 14C-labeled lanosterol was inhibited by antibodies to yeast cytochrome b5 and by palmitoyl-CoA, a substrate of the cytochrome b5-containing fatty acyl-CoA desaturase system of yeast microsomes. However, neither the antibodies nor palmitoyl-CoA inhibited the conversion of lanosterol to 4,4-dimethyl zymosterol (4,4-dimethyl-5 alpha-cholesta-8,24-dien-3 beta-ol). It is concluded that cytochrome b5 and a cyanide-sensitive enzyme are involved in the 4-demethylation of 4,4-dimethylzymosterol, but not the 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol, by yeast microsomes. It is suggested that a cyanide-sensitive enzyme acts as the terminal 4-demethylase and cytochrome b5 transfers reducing equivalents from NADPH to the terminal enzyme, as in the case of fatty acyl-CoA desaturation. The cyanide sensitivity of the 4-demethylation was, however, much greater than that of the desaturation.
A case is reported of granulomatous placentitis due to Toxoplasma infection, which led, like two similar cases reported in the literature to abortion within the first half of pregnancy. The author tries to interpret the pathogenesis of this rare type of reaction. In view of the early onset of infection a complete immune response of the fetus in this state of development appears unlikely. The question arises whether maternal immuno-competent cells might be responsible for this mature immune reaction, which took the form of granulomatous inflammation of the placenta. A prerequisite for this type of reaction is considered to be prolonged retention of vital placental tissue in the uterus in intra-uterine death of the fetus or complete abortion.
The subcellular distribution of catalase A in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been investigated. The enzyme was found to be bound to large particles, whereas most of the activity of catalase T was located in a 38 000 X g supernatant. Under various isolation conditions catalase A always showed a distribution among subcellular fractions virtually identical to that of two markers for vacuoles, proteinase B and alpha-mannosidase. More than 80 percent of the catalase A activity of a crude vacuole fraci-onercent of the catalase A activity of a crude vacuole fraction has been detected in purified vacuoles. Malate synthase, isocitrate lyase and glyoxylate reductase (NADP), three peroxisomal markers, showed a subcellular distribution significantly different from that of catalase A. It is concluded from these results that catalase A is specifically associated with the vacuoles of yeast. Like vacuoles, "peroxisomal" fractions isolated from yeast spheroplasts as described by Avers[1] contain only one catalase protein, catalase A. It could be shown by isopycnic and sedimentation velocity separations of crude mitochondrial fractions that catalase A in "peroxisomal" fractions is accompanied by considerable activities of proteinase B and alpha-mannosidase. From all our results it seems that the catalase-active particles isolated under such conditions are not typical peroxisomes but vesicles formed from vacuoles during the isolation procedure.
Grass pollen allergens are potent elicitors of Type I allergy. More than 95% of grass pollen allergic patients display IgE-cross-reactivity to group I grass pollen allergens of different grass species. A cDNA coding for the major timothy grass pollen allergen, Phl p I, was isolated previously. To investigate the presence of common IgE-epitopes among naturally occurring group I grass pollen isoallergens, Phl p I was expressed in Escherichia coli and used for IgE-absorption experiments. Recombinant Phl p I was able to inhibit IgE-binding to most of group I isoallergens from seven grass species as identified by two dimensional electrophoresis. When tested in competitive ELISA experiments, recombinant Phl p I bound a high percentage of grass pollen specific IgE. The results indicate that recombinant Phl p I shares many of the IgE-epitopes with natural group I grass pollen allergens and hence may represent a useful tool for specific diagnosis and therapy of grass pollen allergy.
In the past 10 years, a considerable number of cDNAs coding for allergens have been isolated and expressed. Intensive investigations showed that recombinant allergens and their respective natural counterparts possess comparable properties with respect to structure, function and interaction with the immune system. Recent studies documented that in vitro as well as in vivo diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergic diseases can be successfully improved by the application of recombinant allergens. In addition, new strategies for a safer specific immunotherapy (SIT) have been developed based on the knowledge of the primary structures of allergens. Naturally occurring isoforms of allergens as well as recombinant allergens with modified amino acid sequences show very low IgE binding capacity but strong T cell-stimulatory activity and represent possible candidates. In case of Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, isoforms d, g and l and a Bet v 1a mutant, produced by site-directed mutagenesis resulting in 6 amino acid exchanges, fulfilled the above mentioned criteria. In a third approach, two adjacent peptides covering the entire Bet v 1a sequence were produced in an Escherichia coli expression system. These peptides contained most of the relevant T cell epitopes, but lost their IgE binding capacity and, thus, their ability to activate mast cells and basophils of sensitized patients. Our results suggest that allergen variants (isoforms, mutants, T cell epitope-containing peptides) may be used as 'hypoallergenic agents' in SIT.
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Recombinant tree pollen allergens (recombinant Bet v I and recombinant birch profilin, Bet v II) were purified and used to immunize BALB/c and B6D2F1 mice with Al(OH)3 to elicit a specific IgE response. Serum from immunized mice was then used to detect immunoblotted natural tree pollen allergens. The onset of the humoral immune response was monitored using antimouse IgE, IgG1, IgG2a/b, IgG3 and IgA. In both strains, a specific and long-lasting IgE response could be elicited with both recombinant allergens. Mice immunized continuously with recombinant Bet v I + Al(OH)3 showed a significant decrease of specific IgE antibodies indicating that continuous application of allergens can reduce specific IgE responses. The possibility of inducing a different type of immune responses is indicated by the fact that mice fed with Bet v I expressed in apathogenic Salmonella strains showed a Th1 immune response to Bet v I accompanied by specific IgG2a/b without detectable IgG1 or IgE. Recombinant allergens can hence be used to decrease or even modulate specific IgE responses in vivo.