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Biomedical subjects

S A Gregory

Publications and source records attributed to S A Gregory.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Multichain structure of the IFN-alpha receptor on hematopoietic cells.

The structure of IFN-alpha receptor was studied by 1) developing antibodies against the receptor, and 2) screening a number of cell lines by affinity cross-linking to identify cells that express different IFN-alpha 2 receptor structures. We report that two different patterns of IFN-alpha 2 receptor are observed in human cells of hematopoietic origin. The predominant form of the IFN-alpha receptor is a multichain structure in which IFN-alpha 2 forms complexes of 110 and 130 kDa (alpha-subunit). A high Mr complex of 210 kDa results from the association of alpha-subunit and other receptor components. In contrast, another form of the receptor has been identified in the IFN-alpha-resistant U-937 cell line and in some cases of acute leukemia. This form of the IFN-alpha receptor is characterized by the presence of the alpha- subunit, and the absence of the 110- and 210-kDa bands. Also a novel 180-kDa complex and a more prominent 75-kDa band are observed. Functional studies performed in U-937 cells showed that this cell line is not only partially resistant to the antiproliferative and antiviral effects of IFN-alpha, but also fails to down-regulate the alpha-subunit of the IFN-alpha receptor upon IFN-alpha binding.

Cell Line

An infectious molecular clone of an unusual macrophage-tropic and highly cytopathic strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

We isolated and molecularly cloned a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strain (89.6) which is unusual because it is both macrophage-tropic and extremely cytopathic in lymphocytes. Moreover, this is the first well-characterized infectious molecularly cloned macrophage-tropic HIV-1 strain derived from peripheral blood. HIV-1 89.6 differs markedly from other macrophage-tropic isolates within the envelope V3 region, which is important in determining cell tropism and cytopathicity. HIV-1 89.6 may thus represent a transitional isolate between noncytopathic macrophage-tropic viruses and cytopathic lymphocyte-tropic viruses.

Amino Acid Sequence

The clinical diagnosis of drug-induced pulmonary disorders.

An increasing number of drugs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of pulmonary diseases. The clinical and radiographic manifestations are often nonspecific, requiring a high index of suspicion by both the clinician and the radiologist. The review focuses on patterns of drug-induced pulmonary disease, including parenchymal disorders, pulmonary vascular disease, pleural processes, airway disease, mediastinal abnormalities, and neuromuscular disorders. In each category, the differential diagnosis, clinical assessment, and diagnostic evaluation are discussed.

Hemorrhage

A selective defect in tissue factor mRNA expression in monocytes from AIDS patients.

Expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha), tissue factor (TF), and interleukin 1-beta (IL-1 beta) mRNA was evaluated in monocytes isolated from patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There was a significant depression (66%) of the induced level of TF mRNA expression in response to lipopolysaccharide. Conversely, the response of TNF alpha and IL-1 beta, following LPS induction, was "normal." TF mRNA reduction was also observed to a lesser degree in AIDS-related complex patients (20%) but not in asymptomatic seropositives. TF is necessary for initiation of the coagulation protease cascade, leading to thrombin production and fibrin deposition, which play a role in inflammatory responses. Its selective reduction may be a factor in the diminished resistance to secondary infections observed in AIDS. Further, since the TF defect increases as patients progress toward AIDS, it may serve as a marker for disease progression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Characterization of three monoclonal antibodies that recognize the interferon alpha 2 receptor.

The interferon system plays an important role in the control of viral infections and cell proliferation. These effects are mediated through the interaction of interferons with specific cell surface receptors. We report here the development of monoclonal antibodies against one of the subunits of the interferon alpha receptor. These antibodies detect a 110-kDa protein in surface-labeled cells and in Western blots, and 130- and 210-kDa bands after crosslinking to iodinated interferon alpha 2. No other subunits are disulfide-linked to the 130-kDa subunit or are coprecipitated by these antibodies. Analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the pI of this subunit is 3.5-5.0. We suggest that the protein recognized by these monoclonal antibodies be named the alpha subunit of the interferon alpha receptor.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Regulation of tissue factor gene expression in the monocyte procoagulant response to endotoxin.

Tissue factor is the cellular receptor and cofactor for plasma factor VIIa which initiates the coagulation protease cascade on cell surfaces. Although normally absent from all intravascular cell types, tissue factor can be induced to appear on circulating monocytes and vascular endothelial cells by specific inflammatory or immunological mediators. In this study, we have examined the regulation of endotoxin-induced tissue factor gene expression in peripheral blood monocytes.

Blotting, Northern

Bilateral trephine bone marrow biopsy for staging non-Hodgkin's lymphoma--a second look.

Several reports have suggested that bilateral bone marrow biopsy is better than unilateral biopsy in staging non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Therefore since 1975, bilateral iliac crest bone marrow biopsy has been part of our standard initial staging investigation of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The present study is to determine the relative value of bilateral marrow biopsy compared to the unilateral procedure. We studied 176 patients who had evaluable adequate bilateral biopsies and tumor histology. Among 57 patients with low-grade lymphoma, 7 (12%) were unilaterally positive for lymphoma and 25 (44%) were bilaterally positive. Among 119 patients with intermediate and high-grade lymphoma, 6 biopsies (5%) were unilaterally positive and 10 (8%) were bilaterally positive for lymphoma. Doing the second (contralateral) biopsy changed the disease stage as assessed by bone marrow biopsy in 6.1% of patients with favorable histologies and in 2.5% of patients with unfavorable histologies. These changes are small. Moreover, treatment would not have been significantly altered in the majority of patients as a result of the changes. We conclude that the routine use of bilateral trephine biopsy in initial staging of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas needs to be reappraised. We believe that its use should be limited to selected patients in whom the finding of bone marrow involvement may influence the choice of treatment.

Biopsy

Initial characterization of a lymphokine pathway for the immunologic induction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha release from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Under endotoxin-free conditions, unstimulated human PBMC do not release TNF-alpha, as measured in a sensitive assay with 51Cr release in 6 h from actinomycin D-treated WEHI 164 cells. IFN-gamma alone at less than or equal to 10,000 U/ml is insufficient to elicit TNF-alpha release. Similarly, the lymphokine-rich supernatant of PBMC stimulated by allogeneic cells is also insufficient to induce TNF-alpha release in a short term assay. However, when PBMC are first primed with IFN-gamma for 48 h and then exposed to lymphokine supernatant for 6 h, effector cells within the PBMC population are triggered to express TNF-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity. All of the measured cytotoxicity is attributable to TNF-alpha because it could be abolished by a specific anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing mAb. Although IFN-gamma serves to prime PBMC in this assay system, it fails to trigger the release of TNF-alpha. Instead, a second lymphokine (provisionally termed "cytotoxicity triggering factor" (CTF) is required to induce TNF-alpha release from IFN-gamma-primed human PBMC. In kinetic studies, IFN-gamma priming was optimal when PBMC were exposed to IFN-gamma (150 U/ml) for 48 h. In contrast to the prolonged interval for priming, CTF need be present for 6 h or less for maximal induction of TNF-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity. In dose-response studies, IFN-gamma priming (48 h) required at least 4 U/ml and was complete with 20 to 100 U/ml. By using fully primed PBMC, the response to CTF followed a sigmoidal dose-response curve, which allowed the quantitation of CTF in half-maximal units. Activated Th lymphocytes constitute one cellular source for CTF. CTF is produced by cloned allorective T3+T4+T8-M1- Th cells after alloantigen stimulation, and also by nylon wool-purified T cells after stimulation with PMA and A23187 calcium ionophore. Unstimulated T cells do not release CTF. In physicochemical studies, CTF activity elutes from Sephadex G-100 as a major discrete peak of Mr 55 kDa and minor peaks of 14 kDa and greater than 150 kDa. On the basis of multiple criteria, CTF is distinguishable from several other cytokines: IFN-gamma, IL-1, IL-2, GM-CSF, MIF, CSF-1, TNF-alpha, and lymphotoxin (TNF-beta). We conclude that, by acting together, IFN-gamma and CTF provide a lymphokine pathway whereby Ag-responsive human Th cells induce the immunologic release of TNF-alpha from effector cells present in PBMC.

Clone Cells

Acute leukemia following treatment of polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia with uracil mustard.

Transformation to acute leukemia (AL) is known to occur in polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). Myelosuppressive therapy with agents such as 32P and alkylating agents increase this risk in both disorders. The alkylating agent, uracil mustard (UM), which is an effective agent for controlling thrombocytosis, has not been reported to be leukemogenic. We have treated 29 patients with UM (9 treated continuously and 20 treated intermittently): II with PV, 16 with ET, and 2 with myelofibrosis (MF). Three patients developed AL, two after continuous therapy. These two patients with PV had received the fourth highest and highest total dose of UM, and their duration of treatment was the third and fourth longest among the nine patients treated continuously, respectively. One out of 20 patients treated intermittently with UM developed AL. This patient (3) with ET had received the highest total dose of UM, and her duration of treatment was the longest among the 20 patients treated intermittently.

Acute Disease

Extraction of immunogenic murine mammary tumor antigens with 1-butanol.

Solubilized tumor associated antigens (TAA) were prepared by a single phase 1-butanol extraction of a transplantable murine mammary adenocarcinoma (H2712), other syngeneic non-mammary tumors, normal mammary tissue, and embryonic tissues. The crude butanol extract (CBE) of H2712 was found to have tumor-specific activity both in vitro in the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay and in vivo in an immunoprophylaxis assay. The failure to detect any of the major mammary tumor virus (MTV) envelope glycoproteins or internal core protein in CBE-H2712 and the failure of tumor-bearing mice to give a LAI response to CBE prepared from embryonic tissues suggests that the CBE antigens which are responsible for LAI activity are not viral or oncofetal antigens. Enzymatic treatment of the CBE-H2712 indicated that a sialated glycoprotein formed the antigenic determinants recognized in CBE by the LAI assay. Gel filtration of LAI-reactive CBE-H2712 on a Sephadex G-75 column isolated both the in vitro and in vivo tumor-specific activity in a fraction pool. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of a 67 kD subunit as the major species in the active fraction.

1-Butanol

Monocyte procoagulant inducing factor: a lymphokine involved in the T cell-instructed monocyte procoagulant response to antigen.

A T cell-derived lymphokine couples the recognition of alloantigens by human T inducer cells to monocyte effector procoagulant activity (PCA). This collaborative cellular response results in expression of the functional tissue factor gene product and initiation of the extrinsic coagulation protease cascade as an inflammatory sequelae to the immune response. We now provide initial characterization of this lymphokine, provide evidence that it is a unique lymphokine, and designate it as monocyte procoagulant inducing factor (MPIF). MPIF was produced by alloantigen-stimulated, nylon wool-purified T cells and was not diminished by irradiation. MPIF active supernatants induced PCA in isolated monocytes, and the effect was not modified by the presence of T cells with the responding monocytes, consistent with a direct effect on the monocyte effector cells rather than an indirect effect via an intermediate accessory T cell. Full expression of PCA by monocytes was complete within 4 to 6 hours. MPIF activity in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) supernatants (MLC-SN) was stable at pH 2.0 for 24 hr, but was diminished after exposure to pH 10.5 for 30 min. MPIF activity was stable at 56 degrees C but was labile at 63 degrees C or higher. When characterized by chromatography on Sephadex G-100 superfine at either pH 7.2 or 3.6, the activity was recovered in a major discrete peak of about 55,000 daltons, and minor peaks of activity at about 14,000 and greater than 150,000 daltons. There was no correlation between the presence or concentration of INF-gamma, INF-alpha, IL 1, IL 2, GM-CSF, CSF-1, TNF-alpha, TNF-beta (lymphotoxin), or migration inhibitory factor (MIF) with MPIF activity. Each of the previously defined cytokines was analyzed directly for MPIF activity. INF-gamma, INF-alpha, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, and CSF-1 did not possess MPIF activity over a wide range of concentrations. IL 1 and IL 2 lacked activity at concentrations present in MLC medium positive for MPIF; however, at higher concentrations each demonstrated slight activity. There was a poor correlation between MPIF and MIF activities in MLC-SN, and the content of MIF was insufficient to account for the expressed level of MPIF activity. The lack of identity of these cytokines with MPIF was supported by selected MLC medium that lacked IL 1, IL 2, and MIF and yet contained high MPIF activity. MPIF was additionally distinguished from IL 1, IL 2, and MIF on the basis of separation in Sephadex G-100 superfine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Blood Coagulation Factors

Hematologic emergencies.

Hematologic emergencies require thorough but prompt evaluation of the patient, availability of relatively routine laboratory tests, and immediate decisions. This article discusses the emergencies associated with red blood cell disorders, white blood cell disorders, hemostatic disorders, and transfusion reactions.

Anaphylaxis

Comparison of the clinical and biochemical effect of increased alpha-linolenic acid in a safflower oil intravenous fat emulsion.

We report the results of a randomized comparison of two intravenous safflower oil (fat) emulsions in neonates who required total parenteral nutrition. The fat emulsions differed only in their content of alpha-linolenic acid: in one emulsion the alpha-linolenic acid content of the oil was 0.1% of fatty acids, while in the other emulsion the alpha-linolenic acid content of the oil was 3.0 +/- 1.5% (SD) of fatty acids. Group 1 and 2 patients received the "low" and "high" alpha-linolenic acid emulsions, respectively. Ten patients were studied in each group. The mean daily fat dosage was 1.70 g/kg in patients of Group 1 and 1.56 g/kg in those of Group 2. No significant difference in the clinical effects of either fat emulsion could be detected between the two study groups. Both emulsions prevented or corrected biochemical signs of essential fatty acid deficiency. The major statistically significant difference between study groups was in the level of alpha-linolenic acid and its metabolite, eicosapentaenoic acid. After 2 weeks of fat therapy, these fatty acids were increased in the high alpha-linolenic acid group; however, another metabolite of linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, decreased during intravenous fat therapy in both study groups. Both study groups had significantly decreased arachidonic acid levels and increased linoleic to arachidonic acid ratios.

Dietary Fats

Cloning of a restriction-modification system from Proteus vulgaris and its use in analyzing a methylase-sensitive phenotype in Escherichia coli.

A 4.84-kilobase-pair plasmid was isolated from Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 13315) and cloned into the plasmid vector pBR322. Plasmid pBR322 contains substrate sites for the restriction endonucleases PvuI and PvuII. The recombinant plasmids were resistant to in vitro cleavage by PvuII but not PvuI endonuclease and were found to cause production of PvuII endonuclease or methylase activity or both in Escherichia coli HB101. The approximate endonuclease and methylase gene boundaries were determined through subcloning, Bal 31 resection, insertional inactivation, DNA-dependent translation, and partial DNA sequencing. The two genes are adjacent and appear to be divergently transcribed. Most E. coli strains tested were poorly transformed by the recombinant plasmids, and this was shown by subcloning and insertional inactivation to be due to the PvuII methylase gene. At a low frequency, stable methylase-producing transformants of a methylase-sensitive strain were obtained, and efficiently transformed cell mutants were isolated from them.

Bacteriophage lambda

Tissue factor induction in human monocytes. Two distinct mechanisms displayed by different alloantigen-responsive T cell clones.

One component of the cellular immune response to antigens is the expression of procoagulant activity (PCA) by monocytes and macrophages. Induction of human monocyte PCA in response to alloantigenic stimulation requires the collaboration of HLA-DR-responsive T cells. In mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLCs), the induction of monocyte tissue factor appears to be mediated exclusively by a T cell-derived lymphokine. We have used a soft agar cloning method to generate alloantigen-responsive T cell clones from MLCs between irradiated Daudi lymphoblastoid cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Developing clones were screened for the ability to induce PCA in fresh autologous monocytes in response to Daudi stimulator cells. PCA induction was observed with some, but not all, proliferating T cell clones and two modes of induction were apparent. Some T cell clones mediated PCA induction exclusively by lymphokine production, whereas other clones delivered induction signals by direct cellular collaboration with the monocyte effector cells. These two inductive pathways were represented in distinct, non-inclusive functional subsets of T cell clones. Constitutive production of soluble inducer signals was not observed in T inducer clones. The magnitude of the monocyte PCA response increased in response to an increase in the allogeneic stimulator/T clone responder ratio, and third-party allogeneic cells were unable to elicit the PCA-inducing lymphokine signals from T inducer clones. Both modes of induction were shown to generate tissue factor protein activity in monocytes. Collectively, these results suggest that PCA induction can be initiated in response to alloantigens through collaboration with certain OKT3+, OKT4+, OKT8-, OKM1- T inducer clones, and that induction can be mediated by at least two different functional subsets of human T cells. Stimulation with the appropriate alloantigen may elicit both lymphokine and T cell-contact pathways of induction of tissue factor in human monocytes.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlation of clinical course and therapeutic response with in vitro testing and morphology of lymphocytes.

Forty-two patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were studied for morphology of lymphocytes by light and electron microscopy (EM), in vitro responses of lymphocytes to a battery of physical and chemical agents, overall clinical status, immunologic status, course, and response to therapy. CLL lymphocytes could be classified by EM into four groups on the basis of cell size and nuclear contour and by light microscopy into two groups, small cells and large cells (lymphosarcoma cells). Patient survival did not vary with cell size or morphology as determined by light or electron microscopy. In vitro testing of CLL lymphocytes following exposure to X-ray, PHA, DMSO 2 hr at 43 degrees C, prednisolone, glutaminase, and asparaginase permitted a separation of patients into categories of normal and abnormal in vitro responses. A normal in vitro response predicted a good response to therapy but an abnormal in vitro response did not preclude a good response to therapy. Following therapy, normalization of abnormal EM morphology and in vitro response was seen in some patients. Most patients tested had decreased serum immunoglobulins and abnormal PHA responses. There was a high incidence of infections and second neoplasms. Immunologic deficits could not be correlated with variations in lymphocyte morphology or in vitro response.

Asparaginase