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Biomedical subjects

P M Wong

Publications and source records attributed to P M Wong.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Does platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antibody improve in-hospital outcome of coronary stenting in high-risk thrombus containing lesions?

Coronary stenting in acute coronary syndromes probably increases the risk of acute stent thrombosis. Recently, use of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antibody has been shown to improve percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) outcomes in high risk lesions. The purpose of this analysis was to determine safety and efficacy of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antibody administration in patients receiving coronary stents in high-risk lesions. Between October 1995 and November 1996, 282 patients with acute ischemic syndromes received coronary stents at our center: 73 had thrombus containing lesions--40 presented with AMI and 33 with unstable angina and make up the study population. The mean age of these patients was 61+/-13 years, 56 were male, 35 had a history of myocardial infarctions (MI), 21 had prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and 21 had prior PTCA. Coronary stenting was used for suboptimal result in 46 patients (63%), threatened closure in 25 patients (34%), and acute closure in 2 patients (3%). Platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antibody was administered during the procedure in 74% and after the procedure in 26%. A total of 115 stents were deployed (Gianturco-Roubin 80, Palmaz-Schatz 29, and Wallstent 6) in 24 LAD, 21 RCA, 15 LCX, and 13 saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions. Procedural success was 100%. The mean diameter stenosis before and after intervention was 60%+/-31% and 4%+/-14%, respectively. In-hospital events included 1 Q-wave MI (1.4%), 13 non-Q-wave MI (18%), and 1 death (1.4%). There was no subacute stent thrombosis, emergency CABG, or repeat PTCA. Significant in-hospital bleeding complications were noted in seven (10%) patients, with five patients (6.8%) requiring blood transfusions. In this series of patients with acute ischemic syndromes associated with angiographic evidence of thrombus, combined use of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antibody and stenting resulted in a very low incidence of subacute stent thrombosis and emergency target lesion revascularization. However, bleeding complications were higher than expected with conventional antiplatelet therapy following routine stenting.

Aged

Elective carotid artery stenting in the presence of contralateral occlusion.

Significant carotid stenosis in the presence of an occluded contralateral artery has a poor prognosis with medical therapy alone. Carotid cross clamping during surgical endarterectomy results in critical flow reductions in patients with inadequate collateral flow, and represents a significant risk for procedural strokes. Carotid stenting is being evaluated as an alternative to endarterectomy. We describe the immediate and late outcome of a series of 26 patients treated with carotid stenting in the presence of contralateral carotid occlusion. The mean age of the patients in this group was 65 +/- 9 years, 23 (89%) were men and 10 (39%) were symptomatic from the vessel treated. The procedural success of carotid stenting in this group of patients was 96%. The mean diameter stenosis was reduced from 76 +/- 15% to 2.8 +/- 5%. There was 1 (3.8%) minor stroke in a patient who developed air embolism during baseline angiography. At late follow-up there was no neurologic event in any patient at a mean of 16 +/- 9.5 months after the procedure. Thus, carotid stenting of lesions with contralateral occlusion can be performed successfully with a low incidence of procedural neurologic complications and late stroke.

Aged

Involvement of C-Abl tyrosine kinase in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage activation.

LPS endotoxin-induced macrophage activation is recognized to be important in both nonspecific immunity and endotoxin-induced sepsis when excessive macrophage stimulation occurs. In this study, we showed that reduction of c-Abl in macrophages prevented LPS-induced growth arrest, nitric oxide production and TNF-alpha secretion by ANA-1 macrophages. These cells continued to grow but later underwent apoptosis. Reduction of c-Abl in these cells led to reduced c-Abl kinase activity associated with Ran, which recently has been shown to be an LPS-responsive gene product. Our data suggest that c-Abl tyrosine kinase is one of the intermediates downstream of the initial signal transduction event related to activation of macrophages by LPS.

Animals

Angioplasty of totally occluded old vein grafts with new interventional techniques: a long-term follow-up study.

The long-term patency of saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions after intervention has been shown to be improved with new interventional techniques such as stents. Long-term outcome of patients undergoing successful angioplasty of totally occluded old SVGs with new devices is unknown. From July 1994 to June 1996, 19 patients with totally occluded old SVGs had successful angioplasty with new interventional techniques. Mean SVG age was 123 +/- 8 mo. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction trial (TIMI) flow was 0 in all target lesions. TIMI 2 or 3 flow was restored after angioplasty in all patients. Intracoronary urokinase, transluminal extractional atherectomy, and stenting were used in 14, 12, and 6 patients, respectively. There was one in-hospital death due to ongoing myocardial infarction, no recurrent infarction, and no repeat angioplasty or bypass surgery in the hospital. At follow-up of 21 +/- 1 mo, there was one sudden death and one myocardial infarction. Five patients had repeat coronary bypass surgery, and 4 had repeat angioplasty. Thirteen patients remained asymptomatic, and 4 had angina. The long-term outcome of patients who had successful reopening of occluded old SVGs is encouraging in this small sample.

Aged

Activation of quiescent ABL-transduced hemopoietic stem cells.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a hemopoietic stem cell disorder in which an activated ABL oncogene is expressed and has been shown to play an important role in disease pathogenesis. A mouse model has been established in which hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) transduced with a retrovirus vector carrying an activated ABL oncogene can be analysed. Using this model, we now report that abl-transduced HSCs can be quiescent without causing a disease for an extended period of time. Recipient mice were able to survive more than one treatment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at a dose that normally eliminates cycling hemopoietic progenitor cells; subsequently, transduced HSCs could become activated and undergo clonal expansion, resulting in abl-induced leukemic development. The disease developed in these mice was transplantable. Upon engraftment into secondary mice, previously unidentified abl-transduced HSC clones appeared. These data suggest the presence of an abl-suppressive mechanism in HSCs and have important implications to the pathogenesis of stem cell diseases and leukemic clonal evolution.

Animals

Production of genetically stable high-titer retroviral vectors that carry a human gamma-globin gene under the control of the alpha-globin locus control region.

The ability to generate stable high-titer vectors that give rise to high levels of expression of transduced globin genes in erythroid cells is a prerequisite for effective retroviral-mediated globin gene therapy. The human beta-globin gene with its immediate flanking sequences does not contain all the regulatory elements necessary for regulated high-level and position-independent expression in erythroid cells. The regulatory element known as the beta-globin locus control region (BetaLCR) can provide a linked Beta-globin gene with these properties. However, addition of BetaLCR sequences to a retrovirus carrying a beta-globin gene increases its genetic instability. We have developed a new generation of retroviral vectors in which a human gamma-globin gene is placed under the control of the alphaLCR, the major regulatory element of the alpha-globin gene cluster. We demonstrate that these retroviruses are genetically stable in producer cell lines and can be produced at high titers that exceed 5 x 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU)/mL. In addition, we show that the transduced gamma-globin gene can be expressed in the adult erythroid environment of mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells at a level comparable to that of a single endogenous Betamaj-globin gene. These retroviruses can also transduce primary murine bone marrow progenitor cells as efficiently as retroviruses that carry the neomycin resistance (neor) gene. This new generation of globin retroviral vectors may prove useful for gene therapy of human beta-globin gene disorders such as sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

Anemia, Sickle Cell

Restoration of lipopolysaccharide-mediated B-cell response after expression of a cDNA encoding a GTP-binding protein.

Previous analysis of hybrid progeny derived from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) responder and nonresponder inbred mouse strains demonstrated that a single genetic locus controlled responsiveness to LPS. Using a differential functional screening approach, we report the isolation of a cDNA that has sequence homology to a GTP-binding protein. Expression of the cDNA in splenic B cells of C3H/HeJ nonresponder, endotoxin-resistant mice resulted in polyclonal B-cell activation in response to LPS stimulation. Thus a GTP-binding protein may be involved in LPS stimulation in B cells and perhaps other cell types.

Amino Acid Sequence

The ABL genes in normal and abnormal cell development.

Genetic alteration of the c-abl protooncogene has led to abnormal cellular development, primarily within the hemopoietic system. Different forms of oncogenic alteration have variations in biological strength for cellular transformation. The abnormal Abl oncoproteins are known to suppress apoptosis, which may be the basis for causing leukemia development. However, recent evidence also shows that c-abl proto-oncoprotein can inhibit apoptosis. Expression of the Abl oncoprotein in hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) also results in alteration in the expression of certain cell surface molecules such that the interaction between HSCs and their marrow stroma microenvironment has become abnormal. The basis for the genetic alteration of the c-abl protooncogene in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia may or may not be due to genetic imprinting.

Animals

Isoform-specific functions of c-abl: type I is necessary for differentiation, and type IV is inhibitory to apoptosis.

The c-abl proto-oncogene is expressed ubiquitously during development. There are two predominant isoforms, type I and type IV. Their biological functions in cell growth and development are unknown. To examine their respective biological roles, we transduced 70Z/3 lymphoid cells with antisense sequences specific to each respective isotype. When the cells were incubated with antisense oligonucleotides against type IV c-abl but not against type I c-abl, induction of apoptosis was observed, as measured by either DNA fragmentation, cell proliferation, or colony formation. Immunoprecipitation showed that antisense-treated cells had reduced amounts of c-abl as compared to the untreated cells. When stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 70Z/3 cells underwent proliferation and differentiation. When antisense oligonucleotides against type IV were added to the cell cultures, with LPS stimulation, induction of apoptosis continued to occur. When antisense oligonucleotides against type I were added in the cultures, in the presence of LPS, cell differentiation was inhibited, but cell proliferation continued to occur. This inhibition of differentiation was evident by a lack of immunoglobulin light chain production by cells that otherwise would produce immunoglobulin when they are stimulated with LPS. These data therefore show that type I c-abl allows cell differentiation to occur, whereas type IV c-abl suppresses apoptosis.

Animals

Identification of a unique membrane-bound molecule on a hemopoietic stem cell line and on multipotent progenitor cells.

Hemopoietic stem cells are a distinct population of cells that can differentiate into multilineages of hemopoietic cells and have long-term repopulation capability. A few membrane-bound molecules have been found to be preferentially, but not uniquely, present on the surface of these primitive cells. We report here the identification of a unique 105-kDa glycoprotein on the surface of hemopoietic stem cell line BL3. This molecule, recognized by the absorbed antiserum, is not present on the surface of myeloid progenitors 32D and FDC-P1 cells, EL4 T cells, and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. This antiserum can also be used to block the proliferation of BL3 cells even in the presence of mitogen-stimulated spleen cell conditioned medium, which is known to have a stimulating activity on BL3 cells. It can also inhibit development of in vitro, fetal liver cell-derived multilineage colonies, but not other types of colonies, and of in vivo bone marrow cell-derived colony-forming unit spleen foci. These data suggest that gp105 plays an important role in hemopoietic stem cell differentiation.

Animals

Deregulation of c-abl mediated cell growth after retroviral transfer and expression of antisense sequences.

To determine the role of c-abl during cell growth, we constructed a retrovirus vector alpha A, capable of expressing an antisense RNA directed against the abl mRNA. Based on v-abl-mediated 3T3 transformation assay, we showed that the number of transformed foci was reduced 50-94% when alpha A-infected 3T3 cells were superinfected with A-MuLV. Up to a 100% of inhibition could be observed when the time of infection was lengthened. Introduction of the antisense sequence into NIH3T3 cells resulted in reduction of growth rate. These cells entered into S phase from G1 phase of the cell cycle earlier in time than untransduced cells. Thus c-abl serves as a checkpoint during G1/S transition in the cell cycle, and its reduction resulted in deregulation of cell growth.

3T3 Cells

Transduction of rIL-2 expanded CD4+ and CD8+ ovarian TIL-derived T cell lines with the G1Na (neor) replication-deficient retroviral vector.

We have expanded ovarian tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in low concentrations of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) to conduct intraperitoneal adoptive immunotherapy trials in patients with ovarian cancer. We have previously demonstrated that certain T cell lines and clones derived from ovarian TIL exhibit in vitro autologous tumor-specific cytotoxicity and/or cytokine production (interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) preferentially in response to autologous tumor cells. Studies that utilize a marker gene introduced into the DNA of TIL can provide useful information on specific uptake or localization of TIL at tumor sites and on the survival of TIL in vivo. We have conducted a series of preclinical experiments in which we have successfully transfected TIL with G1Na, which encodes the gene for neomycin phosphotransferase (neoR). NeoR was detected in at least 10% of CD8+ cells (mean = 10.4%) and between 2.5 and 20% of CD4+ TIL (mean = 8.5%). Transduction of ovarian TIL with G1Na caused no substantial changes to the T cell phenotypes or in vitro cytotoxicities against ovarian and hematogenous tumor cell targets, or on the rIL-2 requirements of TIL for growth and proliferation. In addition, the intact G1Na provirus in transduced TIL cells was rescuable by replication-competent retrovirus and was transferred into the genome of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, which were rendered resistant to G418. An enhanced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure utilizing detection by ethidium bromide staining was developed. The enhanced PCR detected 1 in 100,000 neoR-labeled cells. Furthermore, detection of the G1Na genome in transduced TIL by in situ hybridization with an RNA probe provided evidence for expression of the neoR gene in transduced TIL. Results obtained from these studies suggest that ovarian TIL-derived T cell lines transduced with the neoR gene post infection with the G1Na retroviral vector can be utilized to examine the in vivo trafficking pattern of ovarian TIL-derived T cell lines expanded in low concentrations of rIL-2 and their survival.

3T3 Cells

Immortalized hemopoietic cells with stem cell properties.

We have established a hemopoietic cell line, BL3, that possesses a rearranged retroviral genome, which we used as a genetic tag for their engraftment into lethally irradiated mice. Analysis of recipients up to 7 months after engraftment indicates that the marker was present in differentiated cells of various hemopoietic organs, in colony-forming cells, pre-CFU-S-forming cells, and in organs of secondary recipients from bone marrow cells of primary recipients. BL3 cells are Thy-1+, Sca-1+, B220-, Mac-1-, and Gr-1-. They express GATA-1 and are able to develop "cobblestones" with stromal cells. They do not express and respond to several hemopoietic growth factors known to facilitate marrow recovery. However, they are negatively regulated by TGF beta and can be stimulated by mitogen-stimulated spleen cell-conditioned medium. We conclude that BL3 cells possess properties of hemopoietic stem cells, including their capability to contribute to long-term repopulation.

Animals

High-efficiency identification of genes by functional analysis from a retroviral cDNA expression library.

Retroviral gene transfer efficiently delivers genes of interest stably into target cells, and expression cDNA cloning has been shown to be highly successful. Considering these two advantages, we now report a method by which one can identify genes stimulating cell growth through functional analysis. The first step requires the construction of a retroviral cDNA expression library and the optimization of transfection of vector DNA into virus packaging cells. The second step involves the cocultivation of target cells with libraries of retrovirus-producing cells, resulting in the amplification of target cells transduced with a gene(s) stimulating cell growth. Under standardized conditions of transfection, we detected an average of 4,000 independent clones per dish, among which expression of a retroviral beta-galactosidase gene at an abundance of 0.2% could be detected. Next, we demonstrated the augmentation of the sensitivity of the assay by retroviral infection and functional analysis. We did this by cocultivating factor-dependent (FD) cells with dishes of GP/E cells transfected with plasmids containing various molar ratios of pN2-IL3 DNA and retroviral library cDNA and by determining the highest dilution of pN2-IL3 which still resulted in the conversion of FD cells to factor independence. The retroviral interleukin-3 gene at an abundance as low as 0.001% could be detected. Indeed, we were able to detect from FD cells the development of factor-independent colonies with different phenotypes after retroviral transfer of cDNAs from an immortalized hemopoietic stem cell line. Thus, the combination of a standardized high-efficiency DNA transfection and retrovirus-mediated gene transfer should facilitate the identification of genes capable of conferring to target FD cells a detectable new function or phenotype. By scaling up the size of the experiment realistically during screening, the assay can detect cDNA at an abundance of lower than 0.0001%.

Animals

Endogenous growth factor patterns modulate hemopoietic lineage development.

Hemopoietic growth factors play an important role during stem cell differentiation, and multipotent hemopoietic cells expressing abl oncogenes can cause stem cell diseases in mice. To further elucidate the mechanism of disease development, we examined the initial changes of normal and abl-transduced progenitor cells early in culture, including the endogenous production of growth factors. From 2-3 days methylcellulose cultures, we isolated colonies of early cells and subjected them to RT-PCR analysis. They were found to produce endogenous IL-1 alpha and IL-4. Treatment of these early cells with the antisense oligonucleotides directed against the mRNA of the growth factors did not prevent colony formation. However, the percentage of pure macrophage colonies in cultures containing the antisense IL-1 alpha was increased from 26-60%. This effect was not observed when the antisense oligomers were added 2 days after initiation of culture. We also transduced the progenitor cells with retrovirus vectors carrying either a neor gene (N2) or a v-abl oncogene (A-MuLV or NSabl). After their culture in methylcellulose, we examined the types of colonies developed, growth factor expression by the early cells and their proliferation rate. While the ratio of erythroid to non-erythroid hemopoietic colonies in uninfected culture and N2-infected culture was 0.8, the ratio in A-MuLV-infected culture was 6.0, and in NSabl-infected culture, 3.1. RT-PCR analysis on colonies of abl-transduced cells from 2-3 day cultures indicated a reduction of IL-4 and IL-1 alpha in these cells, and they entered cell division sooner. Our data suggest that hematopoietic lineage development may be a function of the pattern of endogenous as well as exogenous growth factors, and alteration of this pattern either through antisense treatment or v-abl transduction affects the hemopoietic differentiation program.

Animals