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Tomomitsu Hotta

Publications and source records attributed to Tomomitsu Hotta.

65 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Effects of pegylated recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and development factor in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

We conducted a phase 1-2 clinical trial to evaluate the effect of pegylated recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and development factor (PEG-rHuMGDF) in patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) refractory to standard therapy who had platelet counts below 30 x 10(9)/L. Four patients received PEG-rHuMGDF (0.5 microg/kg of body weight per day) by daily intravenous injection for up to 7 days. Administration of PEG-rHuMGDF increased platelet counts in 3 patients. A striking thrombocytosis occurred in 2 patients, whose platelet counts were elevated to more than 700 x 10(9)/L a week after the last administration of PEG-rHuMGDF and returned to baseline levels within 4 to 6 weeks. Before the platelet peak, the percentage of reticulated platelets increased transiently in 3 patients tested, including one patient who had no response. Bleeding episodes decreased after the start of PEG-rHuMGDF therapy. These results suggest that PEG-rHuMGDF might have a clinical benefit in ameliorating thrombocytopenia associated with ITP.

Adult↗

Functional human T lymphocyte development from cord blood CD34+ cells in nonobese diabetic/Shi-scid, IL-2 receptor gamma null mice.

An experimental model for human T lymphocyte development from hemopoietic stem cells is necessary to study the complex processes of T cell differentiation in vivo. In this study, we report a newly developed nonobese diabetic (NOD)/Shi-scid, IL-2Rgamma null (NOD/SCID/gamma(c)(null)) mouse model for human T lymphopoiesis. When these mice were transplanted with human cord blood CD34(+) cells, the mice reproductively developed human T cells in their thymus and migrated into peripheral lymphoid organs. Furthermore, these T cells bear polyclonal TCR-alphabeta, and respond not only to mitogenic stimuli, such as PHA and IL-2, but to allogenic human cells. These results indicate that functional human T lymphocytes can be reconstituted from CD34(+) cells in NOD/SCID/gamma(c)(null) mice. This newly developed mouse model is expected to become a useful tool for the analysis of human T lymphopoiesis and immune response, and an animal model for studying T lymphotropic viral infections, such as HIV.

Animals↗

Identification of myogenic-endothelial progenitor cells in the interstitial spaces of skeletal muscle.

Putative myogenic and endothelial (myo-endothelial) cell progenitors were identified in the interstitial spaces of murine skeletal muscle by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy using CD34 antigen. Enzymatically isolated cells were characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting on the basis of cell surface antigen expression, and were sorted as a CD34+ and CD45- fraction. Cells in this fraction were approximately 94% positive for Sca-1, and mostly negative (<3% positive) for CD14, 31, 49, 144, c-kit, and FLK-1. The CD34+/45- cells formed colonies in clonal cell cultures and colony-forming units displayed the potential to differentiate into adipocytes, endothelial, and myogenic cells. The CD34+/45- cells fully differentiated into vascular endothelial cells and skeletal muscle fibers in vivo after transplantation. Immediately after sorting, CD34+/45- cells expressed only c-met mRNA, and did not express any other myogenic cell-related markers such as MyoD, myf-5, myf-6, myogenin, M-cadherin, Pax-3, and Pax-7. However, after 3 d of culture, these cells expressed mRNA for all myogenic markers. CD34+/45- cells were distinct from satellite cells, as they expressed Bcrp1/ABCG2 gene mRNA (Zhou et al., 2001). These findings suggest that myo-endothelial progenitors reside in the interstitial spaces of mammalian skeletal muscles, and that they can potentially contribute to postnatal skeletal muscle growth.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Mem↗

Up-regulation of acid sphingomyelinase during retinoic acid-induced myeloid differentiation of NB4, a human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line.

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) induces myeloid differentiation of a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, NB4, but does not affect its subclone NB4/RA harboring a point-mutated ligand-binding domain (AF2) in retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) gene. We found that ATRA induced the 4-fold elevation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) activity 24 h after treatment in NB4 cells, but not in NB4/RA cells. ATRA did not affect neutral sphingomyelinase activity in either NB4 or NB4/RA. Upon treatment with ATRA, ceramide, the product of an ASMase reaction, accumulated in NB4 cells. Northern blot analysis showed a marked elevation of the ASMase mRNA 8 h after ATRA treatment, reaching a plateau at 24 h. Regulation of ASMase gene expression was studied by a promoter analysis using luciferase reporter assay. The 5'-upstream flanking region of human ASMase gene (-519/+300) conjugated with the luciferase gene was introduced into COS-7 cells. Luciferase activity in transformed cells markedly increased in response to ATRA stimulation when the wild type RARalpha or the PML/RARalpha hybrid protein was co-expressed. Deletion experiments revealed that a short sequence at the 5'-end (-519/-485) was indispensable for the ATRA response. Within this short region, two retinoic acid-responsive element-like motifs (TGCCCG and TCTCCT) and one AP2-like motif (CCCTTCCC) were identified. Deletion and base-substitution experiments showed that all three motifs are required for the full expression induced by ATRA. Electrophoresis mobility shift assays with the nuclear extract of ATRA-treated NB4 cells showed that proteins were bound specifically to the probe being mediated by all three motifs in the promoter sequence.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

The generation of immunocompetent dendritic cells from CD34+ acute myeloid or lymphoid leukemia cells.

The ability of CD34+ leukemic cells to differentiate to dendritic cells (DCs) was investigated in 18 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 4 lymphoid leukemia (ALL) patients. The generation of DCs was determined by the expression of DC-associated CD1a or CD83 (more than 30%) with costimulatory molecules, by CD80 antigens (>20%), and by the exhibition of allostimulatory activity. In the AML patients, allostimulatory mature DCs were generated from 3 of 9 M0 or M1, 2 of 5 M2,2 of 4 M4 or M5, and 3 of 4 ALL (L2) cases. In total, DCs were more efficiently induced from cases expressing over 75% of CD34+ among whole bone marrow mononuclear cells (8 of 12), compared with those under 75% (2 of 10; P < .05). B-cell (CD19), natural killer (NK)-cell (CD56), or T-cell (CD7) lineage markers, which were aberrantly expressed on the blasts, were rarely found on leukemic DCs at the end of the culture period, and myeloid (CD13, CD33), not lymphoid (CD10), markers were shown on ALL-derived DCs. In Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL or AML patients with t (8;21), DCs were confirmed to be of leukemic origin by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis.

Acute Disease↗

Human umbilical cord blood NK T cells kill tumors by multiple cytotoxic mechanisms.

Natural killer (NK) T cells are restricted by CD1d and play an important role in the rejection of malignant tumors, but how kill these tumors is unclear. To investigate this, we cultured Valpha24+CD4+ NK T cells in human umbilical cord blood, which was enriched by immunomagnetic beads. In short-term (4 h) cytotoxicity assays, the NK T cells could kill only those targets expressing CD1d. In longer cytotoxicity assays (20 h), however, the NK T cells were able to kill all the tumors, regardless of CD1d expression. When each of the perforin, Fas-FasL, and TNF-alpha cytotoxic mechanisms were blocked, it was apparent that perforin killing dominated in both the short- and long-term assays. In the short-term assay, perforin killing required that the targets expressed CD1d, but killing was more efficient if Fas was present because then the Fas-FasL mechanism was also used. Thus, cells that lacked Fas and CD1d and were not killed in the 4-h assay, were instead lysed in 20-h assay through a combination of perforin and TNF-alpha killing. NK T cells can kill tumor targets by perforin, Fas-FasL, and TNF-alpha mechanisms. TNF-alpha killing requires longer contact between effectors and targets, suggesting that TNF-alpha acts by enhancing perforin killing.

Antigens, CD1↗

Reconstitution of functional human B lymphocytes in NOD/SCID mice engrafted with ex vivo expanded CD34(+) cord blood cells.

OBJECTIVE: Functional capacity of B cells developed from ex vivo expanded hematopoietic stem cells has not been fully evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the antigen-specific antibody production in human B cells maturated from ex vivo expanded cord blood (CB) CD34(+) cells in NOD/Shi-scid (NOD/SCID) mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CB CD34(+) cells were cultured for 5 days in the presence of human cytokines and the murine stromal cell line HESS-5, and transplanted into irradiated NOD/SCID mice. These mice, reconstituted with human hematopoietic cells, were challenged with T-cell-independent (TI) or T-cell-dependent (TD) antigens after CD19(+) cells appeared at 6 weeks. RESULTS: Three months later, anti-dinitrophenol (DNP)-specific antibody was detected in both mice immunized with DNP-Ficoll (TI) and those immunized with DNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin or DNP-ovalbumin (TD). The anti-DNP antibody was mainly immunoglobulin M, but a small amount of immunoglobulin G also was detected. In the spleen, the majority of CD19(+) cells expressed mature B-cell markers such as CD40, immunoglobulin M, immunoglobulin D, cytoplasmic Cmu, and light chains kappa, and lambda. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that human B cells develop from CD34(+) cells in NOD/SCID mice to produce antigen-specific antibody with in vivo primary stimulation. This system provides a powerful and versatile tool for studying the entire process of human B-lymphocyte development and producing specific human monoclonal antibodies.

Animals↗

Smoldering myeloma associated with zonisamide treatment.

A 39-year-old man was found to have hyperproteinemia after being treated with zonisamide for 10 years. Laboratory examination revealed a serum M-protein which consisted of IgG (lambda) and an increased number of plasma cells in the bone marrow, resulting in a diagnosis of smoldering myeloma. Considering his age, zonisamide was suspected to play an etiologic role in the occurrence of smoldering myeloma. Zonisamide was changed to sodium valproate. Subsequently the M-protein did not increase over 13 months. When zonisamide is used, the monitoring of serum levels of M-protein and patterns of gammaglobulin is warranted.

Adult↗

Killing activity of human umbilical cord blood-derived TCRValpha24(+) NKT cells against normal and malignant hematological cells in vitro: a comparative study with NK cells or OKT3 activated T lymphocytes or with adult peripheral blood NKT cells.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the effects of human umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived natural killer T (NKT) cells as immunological effectors against hematological malignancies, as well as auto- or allo-dendritic cells (DCs) or EB transformed cell lines (EBCLs). MATERIALS: TCRValpha24(+) Vbeta11(+) UCB- or PB-NKT cells were isolated by sorting and activated by alpha-galactosylceramide-pulsed autologous DCs. UCB-NK cells were induced from CD34(+) cells by stem cell factor plus IL-15. UCB-T cells were primarily activated by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. All those effectors were cultured with IL-2 (100 U/ml), and their cytotoxic activities were evaluated by (51)Cr-release assay. UCB-NKT cells were cultured with IL-12, IL-18 or higher dose of IL-2 (1000 U/ml), and again tested for the cytotoxicity against selected targets. RESULTS: UCB-NKT cells exhibited a pattern of killing activity against various hematological malignancies similar to that of UCB-NK cells, but could not kill K562, which was a vulnerable target for NK cells. The level of activity was quite similar to that of PB-NKT cells. In contrast, OKT-3-activated UCB-T lymphocytes showed a stronger and wider spectrum of killing compared with UCB-NK or NKT cells. IL-12, IL-18 or a higher dose of IL-2 upregulated the activity; however several targets, including fresh leukemic cells, still remained resistant. NKT cells killed auto- or allo-DCs at a level similar to that of T cells, but could not kill allo-EBCLs, which were efficiently killed by T cells. While NK cells showed only marginal or no killing against DC or EBCLs. DISCUSSION: The anti-cancer activity of human NKT cells depends on the concentrations or the combination of Th1-cytokines. Basically, those cells might not be contributing to the immune surveillance of hematological malignancies, as shown by a relatively low cytotoxicity against malignant cells, together with the quite strong killing against auto-DCs.

Antigens, CD1↗