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Biomedical subjects

R E Banks

Publications and source records attributed to R E Banks.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Reduction in circulating levels of CD4-positive lymphocytes in acute pancreatitis: relationship to endotoxin, interleukin 6 and disease severity.

The proportion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressing the T helper cell phenotype and levels of antiendotoxin core antibody, interleukin (IL) 6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined within 48 h of admission in a group of 29 patients with acute pancreatitis (16 mild, 13 severe attacks). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of T helper cells (12.2 versus 34.9 per cent, P < 0.01) and significant increases in levels of IL-6 (69.5 versus < 10 pg/ml, P < 0.01) and CRP (119 versus 30.5 mg/l, P < 0.01) in severe compared with mild attacks. During the convalescent stage at 3 months after admission, severe attacks were characterized by a significant increase in the proportion of T helper cells compared with the acute period (22.4 versus 10.6 per cent, P < 0.01). A persistently low proportion of T helper cells was associated with residual pancreatic necrosis. The presence of circulating endotoxin was demonstrated in two mild and two severe attacks using the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay, and abnormal levels of antiendotoxin core antibodies were found in 70 and 92 per cent of mild and severe attacks respectively. There was a strong inverse correlation between levels of CRP and the proportion of T helper cells in severe disease (r = -0.76, P = 0.004). Translocation of endotoxin from the gastrointestinal tract may partly explain the abnormal levels of T helper cells, IL-6 and CRP.

Acute Disease↗

The effect of enzyme replacement on red cell adenine deoxyribonucleotides in adenosine deaminase-deficient erythrocytes of the opossum, Didelphis virginiana.

1. Polyethyleneglycol-modified bovine adenosine deaminase was administered (10-20 U/kg/week) intramuscularly to two opossums for 15 weeks and changes in red cell adenine ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides quantitated by HPLC. 2. Only a moderate decline of erythrocyte dAXP was observed at the end of the study when compared to results of enzyme replacement seen in human adenosine deaminase deficient patients. 3. Opossum red cells salvage substantial amounts of deoxyadenosine provided in physiologic (50 nM) concentration from plasma having either low or high adenosine deaminase activity.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

2'-Deoxyadenosine metabolism in human and opossum Didelphis virginiana erythrocytes in vitro.

1. In erythrocytes of both species, deamination and phosphorylation of dADO was completely inhibited by 5 microM 2'deoxycoformycin and 10 microM 5-ITU respectively. 2. Under physiologic conditions, provided with nanomolar concentrations of dADO there was complete deamination of dADO in human red cells. In opossum erythrocytes deamination and phosphorylation of the deoxynucleoside were nearly; additionally, 1-2% of the substrate was metabolized to AXP. 3. With ADA inhibited in intact red cells, apparent Km and Vmax for dADO were 0.5 vs 0.1 mM and 0.8 vs 6.25 mumol/g hg/hr in human and opossum cells, respectively. 4. In opossum red cell lysates, GTP was superior to ATP and to dATP as a phosphate donor in the dADO kinase reaction.

Animals↗

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in human malignancies.

Cellular adhesion molecules have been implicated in tumour progression and metastasis. This study examines for the first time the serum concentrations of circulating VCAM-1 and E-selectin in a consecutive series of 110 cancer patients seen in a general medical oncology clinic, and confirms and extends previous studies reporting measurement of circulating ICAM-1. Soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels were significantly higher in all the patient groups compared with the controls whereas soluble E-selectin was significantly higher in the ovarian, breast and GI cancer groups and lower in the myeloma group. The significance of these results together with the possible sources and stimuli for release of these adhesion molecules are discussed.

Adult↗

Expression of interleukin-6 by intestinal enterocytes.

AIMS: To investigate the cellular source of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the small and large intestines of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, and in controls. METHODS: IL-6 was detected in frozen sections of bowel by single and double label indirect immunofluorescence using rabbit polyclonal and murine monoclonal anti-IL-6 antibodies. The murine monoclonal antibodies RFDR1 (anti-MHC class II) and UCHT1 (anti-CD3) were used to localise macrophages and T lymphocytes, respectively. Lipopolysaccharide stimulated peripheral blood monocytes were used as positive control cells for IL-6 protein. RESULTS: IL-6 was demonstrated in the small and large intestine of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, and in controls. The protein was present predominantly in enterocytes and colocytes in normal and inflamed mucosa, but not in the infiltrating inflammatory cells of the lamina propria. There were no discernable differences between patients with inflammatory bowel disease or coeliac disease and controls, nor between small and large bowel mucosa. Incubation of antibody with recombinant human IL-6 protein abolished the labelling. IL-6 protein was also present in lipopolysaccharide stimulated peripheral blood monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that enterocytes and colocytes may play an active part in the immune response of the gut. The presence of IL-6 in both inflamed and non-inflamed small and large intestine requires further investigation into the function of this cytokine in the gut.

Celiac Disease↗

Acute phase reactants in predicting disease outcome.

From the studies which are reviewed above, it is generally apparent that in terms of the acute phase response, the initial findings in early inflammatory arthritis (particularly rheumatoid arthritis, with which the majority of such studies are concerned) have little predictive value for either the functional outcome or mortality. The wide interindividual variability in these measurements is also likely to limit their clinical usefulness as predictors of disease outcome. The trend in certain acute phase reactants may be more useful in indicating disease activity, although the number of satisfactory studies in this area is very limited.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

Karyotypic abnormalities and immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in Hodgkin's disease.

Biopsy samples from seven patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) were examined for cytogenetic abnormalities and rearrangement of the genes encoding the immunoglobulin chains and T-cell receptor chains. Three samples demonstrated clonal rearrangements of both IgH and IgL genes. No rearrangements of the TCR beta genes were detected in any of the samples. Karyotypic abnormalities were also found but only in the three cases where a clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin genes was shown. Two of these three cases had multiple karyotypic abnormalities, with the remaining patient being trisomic for chromosome 16 as the sole abnormality. These results are discussed and compared with previous reports in the literature concerning HD.

Adolescent↗

Is fatal pancreatitis a consequence of excessive leukocyte stimulation? The role of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

This study examines the possible role of excessive leukocyte stimulation in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. Levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and elastase-alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor (E-alpha 1PI) have been measured as markers of macrophage and neutrophil activation, respectively, in serial plasma samples from 27 patients with acute pancreatitis. Levels of TNF-alpha did not support the possibility of excessive macrophage activation, but raised levels of E-alpha 1PI in patients with either the mild or severe form of the illness indicated the activation of neutrophils. Whether this is a consequence of the illness or is a contributory factor in the pathogenesis is not clear.

Acute Disease↗

Alpha 2 macroglobulin state in acute pancreatitis. Raised values of alpha 2 macroglobulin-protease complexes in severe and mild attacks.

Plasma values of C reactive protein, alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor, alpha 2 macroglobulin, and complexed alpha 2 macroglobulin have been determined in serial samples from 27 patients with acute pancreatitis. Complexed alpha 2 macroglobulin was measured by a novel enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with a monoclonal antibody specific for the complexed form. Patients with severe illness had lower concentrations of total alpha 2 macroglobulin and higher concentrations of complexed alpha 2 macroglobulin than those with mild illness, and in the majority of severe attacks the abnormal amounts of complexed alpha 2 macroglobulin were present throughout the eight days of the study. The proportion of total alpha 2 macroglobulin in the uncomplexed form, however, was generally greater than 90%, and in 26% of the mild cases completely normal concentrations of uncomplexed alpha 2 macroglobulin (greater than 99% of total) were found throughout the eight days of the study. This suggests that exhaustion of alpha 2 macroglobulin in plasma is unlikely to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis.

Acute Disease↗

Modification to the RITARD surgical model.

The Removable Intestinal Tie-Adult Rabbit Diarrhea (RITARD) procedure is the surgical model of choice for studying pathogenesis of diarrheas of Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Aeromonas origin. Other than nonhuman primates, the RITARD rabbit is the only model that closely resembles human infection. Classically, the RITARD model is created by isolating the terminal ileum using umbilical tape placed in a slipknot fashion, and injecting the occluded segment with the organism of choice. The slipknot is removed at 4 h postinoculation and patency of the gut reestablished. We found removal of the umbilical tape to be extremely difficult, usually requiring a second surgery to gently untie the material and prevent destruction of the fragile intestinal tissue. This complication of the described procedure appeared to be related to the absorptive and abrasive nature of the tape material. The modification described uses the same idea, but a different material and a different knot pattern. The tubing was easily removed at the prescribed 4 h postsurgery, without an additional surgery. The tubing did not adhere to or damage the gut, yet did provide the occlusive seal required for a 4-h static gut. Histologically, no evidence of pressure could be found at the tie site.

Animals↗

Measurement of the 'fast' or complexed form of alpha 2 macroglobulin in biological fluids using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay.

A sandwich enzyme immunoassay has been developed for measuring the 'fast' or complexed form of alpha 2 macroglobulin using a complex-specific monoclonal antibody. The working range of this assay is 1.5-15 micrograms/l and is suitable for use with various biological fluids. Using this assay the normal plasma levels were found to range from 4.2 mg/l to 14.4 mg/l (0.17%-0.70% of total alpha 2 macroglobulin) with a mean value of 7.6 mg/l +/- 2.6 (0.37% +/- 0.12% of total alpha 2 macroglobulin). Elevated levels were seen in plasma samples taken on the day of admission from patients with acute pancreatitis and in some synovial fluid samples from patients with various arthritides.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Incorporation of inositol into the phosphoinositides of lymphoblastoid cell lines established from bipolar manic-depressive patients.

Lymphoblastoid cell lines established from patients suffering from bipolar manic-depressive psychosis or from a control group have been used to study the metabolism of the polyphosphoinositides in these cells. Cells were incubated for up to 6 h in [3H]inositol and the extent of inositol incorporation into the mono-, di- and triphosphoinositides was measured after extracting the water- and lipid-soluble inositol-containing pools. Although both the uptake of inositol and the 'free' intracellular inositol pool sizes were similar in the two cell groups, the incorporation of [3H]inositol into the phosphoinositides of the cells derived from bipolar manic-depressives was significantly less (by around 50-60%) than that which occurred in the control cells.

Bipolar Disorder↗

Measurement of plasma concentrations of polymorphonuclear elastase-alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor (elastase-alpha 1 antitrypsin) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: interference by rheumatoid factor.

The plasma concentration of granulocyte elastase in complex with alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor was determined in 32 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and eight with seronegative spondarthritis complicated by peripheral joint synovitis. Most patients had concentrations of complex which were within the range of the control group when measured by an 'in-house' enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, though several of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis had raised concentrations. When the complexes were measured by a commercially available assay, however, much higher values were obtained for many of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence is presented indicating that the commercially available assay may suffer seriously from interference by rheumatoid factor. The possibility is discussed that most patients with rheumatoid arthritis may have plasma concentrations of elastase-alpha 1 PI which are normal or only slightly raised, and that previously published reports using assay systems similar to that available commercially might also have produced falsely raised values for many individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult↗

Molecular evidence for a single clonal origin in biphenotypic concomitant chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma.

To establish the clonal origin of a case of concomitant B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (IgM kappa) and multiple myeloma (IGA lambda), we analyzed the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements in the patient's blood and bone marrow. Despite the different isotypes, pretreatment investigation of the heavy chain gene (JH) revealed a germline fragment and two identical rearrangements in the blood and marrow. Both kappa and lambda light-chain genes were rearranged in the blood, suggesting peripheral blood lymphocyte involvement in the myeloma. Analysis of the Ig genes after chemotherapy demonstrated no change in the JH or CK rearrangements; however, the lambda genes were now in a germline configuration. Our results suggest that in this patient both chronic lymphocytic leukemia and myeloma originated from the same B-cell progenitor.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

Preparation and care of the area postrema-lesioned cat.

The area postrema (AP) is being widely studied to delineate its role in such varied functions as blood pressure regulation, conditioned taste aversion, water and energy balance, and radiation-induced emesis. This paper describes the preoperative preparation, surgical procedure, and postoperative care of cats kept long-term in which the AP was lesioned by electrocautery. A dorsal midline approach under gas anesthesia allowed access to selectively lesion the AP. Cats fully regained consciousness the same day and many became homeostatic within 24-48 h. Results of experiments using this model demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the technique for model preparation.

Animals↗