bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leukocyte-endothelial adhesion molecules
Authors: Carlos TM , Harlan JM
Published: October 2019

In the 9 years since the last review on leukocyte and endothelial interactions was published in this journal many of the critical structures involved in leukocyte adherence to and migration across endothelium have been elucidated. With the advent of cell and molecular biology approaches, investigations have progressed from the early descriptions by intravital microscopy and histology, to functional and immunologic characterization of adhesion molecules, and now to the development of genetically deficient animals and the first phase I trial of “anti-adhesion” therapy in humans. The molecular cloning and definition of the adhesive functions of the leukocyte integrins, endothelial members of the Ig gene superfamily, and the selectins has already provided sufficient information to construct an operative paradigm of the molecular basis of leukocyte emigration. The regulation of these adhesion molecules by chemoattractants, cytokines, or chemokines, and the interrelationships of adhesion pathways need to be examined in vitro and, particularly, in vivo. Additional studies are required to dissect the contribution of the individual adhesion molecules to leukocyte emigration in various models of inflammation or immune reaction. Certainly, new adhesion structures will be identified, and the current paradigm of leukocyte emigration will be refined. The promise of new insights into the biology and pathology of the inflammatory and immune response, and the potential for new therapies for a wide variety of diseases assures that this will continue to be an exciting area of investigation.
Persistence of myeloid progenitor cells expressing BCR-ABL mRNA after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Pichert G , Alyea EP , Soiffer RJ , Roy DC , Ritz J
Published: October 2019

Previous studies have shown that tumor-specific bcr-abl mRNA can often be detected by polymerase chain reaction. (PCR) for months to years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). Nevertheless, the presence of bcr-abl mRNA by itself does not invariably predict for clinical relapse post-BMT. This has led to the hypothesis that bcr-abl mRNA might be expressed in cells that have lost either proliferative or myeloid differentiation potential. To directly characterize the cells detected by PCR in patients with CML after allogeneic BMT, we first identified five individuals in whom PCR-positive cells could be detected at multiple times post-BMT. Bone marrow samples from these individuals were cultured in vitro and single erythroid, granulocytic, and macrophage colonies, each containing 50 to 100 cells, were examined for the presence of bcr-abl mRNA by PCR. PCR-positive myeloid colonies could be detected in four of five individuals in marrow samples obtained 5 to 56 months post-BMT. Overall, 7 of 135 progenitor cell colonies (5.2%) were found to be PCR-positive. The expression of bcr-abl mRNA appeared to be equally distributed among committed erythroid, macrophage, and granulocyte progenitors. These patients have now been followed-up for an additional 20 to 33 months from the time of progenitor cell PCR analysis but only one of these individuals has been found to have cytogenetic evidence of recurrent Ph+ cells. These results show that long-term persistence of PCR-detectable bcr-abl mRNA after allogeneic BMT can be caused by the persistence of CML-derived clonogenic myeloid precursors that have survived the BMT preparative regimen. These cells continue to have both proliferative and myeloid differentiation capacity in vitro. Nevertheless, these PCR-positive cells do not appear to either expand or differentiate in vivo for prolonged periods, suggesting the presence of mechanisms for suppression of residual clonogenic leukemia cells in vivo.
Retinoic acid is required for and potentiates differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells by nonretinoid agents
Authors: Chen A , Licht JD , Wu Y , Hellinger N , Scher W , Waxman S
Published: October 2019

Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) associated with the t(15;17) translocation and fusion of the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) and retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) genes achieve complete remission but not cure with all-trans retinoic acid (RA), NB4, a cell line derived from a patient with t(15;17) APL that undergoes granulocytic differentiation when treated with pharmacologic doses of RA, was used as a model for differentiation therapy of APL. We found that NB4 cells are resistant to differentiation by nonretinoid inducers such as hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), butyrates, vitamin D3, or hypoxanthine, all of which can induce differentiation in the commonly used HL60 leukemia cell line. Preexposure of NB4 cells to low concentrations of RA for a period as short as 30 minutes abolished resistance to nonretinoids and potentiated differentiation. Sequential RA and HMBA treatment yielded maximal differentiation by 3 days of drug exposure, whereas the effect of RA alone peaked after 6 days and yielded a smaller percentage of differentiated cells. RA also reversed NB4 cell resistance to butyrates and allowed for synergistic differentiation by these agents. Pretreatment with HMBA before exposure to RA failed to stimulate differentiation. Sequential RA/HMBA treatment also markedly increased the extent of differentiation of primary cultures of bone marrow and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from three APL patients. In one case RA/HMBA treatment overcame resistance to RA in vitro. Together, these results suggest that intermittent low doses of RA followed by either HMBA or butyrates may be a useful combination in the treatment of APL. This clinical strategy may help prevent or overcome RA resistance in APL.
Passive hyperimmune plasma therapy in the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: results of a 12-month multicenter double- blind controlled trial. The Passive Hyperimmune Therapy Study Group [see comments]
Authors: Levy J , Youvan T , Lee ML
Published: October 2019

High-titer anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies reduced circulating HIV viral burden and has shown promise in previous small uncontrolled studies, warranting a larger controlled study of passive hyperimmune therapy (PHT) in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of PHT in 220 AIDS subjects in a 12-month double- blind placebo-controlled dosing study. Subjects were randomized to receive monthly infusions of 500 mL of plasma (full dose), 250 mL of plasma diluted in 250 mL of 5% human serum albumin (half dose), or 500 mL of 5% human serum albumin (placebo). Positive treatment effects occurred only in full-dose-treated subjects with baseline CD4 cell counts between 50 and 200 cells/mm3. Reduced mortality was observed, 1 death in 21 (full dose) versus 3 deaths in 21 (half dose) and 6 deaths in 30 (placebo) (P = .065). CD4 cells improved an average of 32.7 cells/mm3 over baseline (full dose) versus 0.9 cells/mm3 (half dose) and a loss of 3.5 cells/mm3 (placebo) (P = .043). No adverse effects or toxicity was noted in donors or recipients. Based on these findings, PHT appears to be a safe, promising therapy warranting further study.
Human macrophage colony-stimulating factor is expressed at and shed from the cell surface
Authors: Tuck DP , Cerretti DP , Hand A , Guha A , Sorba S , Dainiak N
Published: October 2019

Surface membrane-associated growth factors are being recognized as important for developmental processes, including cell assembly, differentiation, and growth. To investigate the role of membrane-bound macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in myelopoiesis, and whether this factor is released from the cell surface in association with shed membrane-derived vesicles, COS-1 cells were transfected with cDNAs for M-CSF-tau (containing the transmembrane domain) or a soluble mutant form of the molecule lacking the transmembrane domain ([s]M-CSF- alpha). COS-1 cells transfected with either cDNA released activity into the spent culture medium. Conditioned medium was separated by centrifugation into supernatants and pellets were found to contain plasma membrane-derived vesicles by transmission electron microscopy. When medium fractions were assayed in marrow cultures, activity was localized to shed plasma membrane-derived vesicles in medium conditioned by cells transfected with cDNA for M-CSF-tau and in the vesicle-free supernatants of medium conditioned by cells transfected with cDNA for [s]M-CSF-alpha. In addition, nuclear, mitochondrial, and plasma membrane subfractions of stably transfected cells were prepared and assayed for activity. Concentration-dependent stimulation of macrophage colony formation was observed with purified plasma membranes (but not nuclear or cytosolic proteins) from cells transfected with cDNA for M-CSF-tau. By contrast, membranes from untransfected cells and cells transfected with cDNA for [s]M-CSF-alpha or control DNA expressed no activity. Together, the data indicate that human M-CSF is expressed at the cell surface and exfoliated in association with surface membrane- derived vesicles.
Direct detection of a common inversion mutation in the genetic diagnosis of severe hemophilia A [see comments]
Authors: Windsor S , Taylor SA , Lillicrap D
Published: October 2019

Two recent reports suggest that approximately 50% of the cases of severe hemophilia A (factor VIII:C < 0.01 U/mL) may be caused by a gross rearrangement of the factor VIII gene. The mutation involves genomic sequence from exon 1 to within intron 22 of the gene in an inversion event. This rearrangement can be detected on a Southern blot using a probe that is complementary to sequence from within intron 22. In this report, we describe the analysis of 71 severe hemophilia A patients for the presence of this mutation. Thirty-two of the patients (45%) showed evidence of the rearrangement, a figure that confirms the initial reports on 28 patients. Five different patterns of rearrangement have been noted, although two of these patterns (pattern 1 [70%] and pattern 2 [16%]) account for the majority of cases. The other patterns of rearrangement appear to be confined to individual families and may represent the result of additional sequence variation within the region of the genome to which the proximal 22 exons of factor VIII are translocated. Analysis of this patient population for the factor VIII inversion mutation has been extremely useful in a molecular diagnostic sense. In 23 of the cases studied (72%), the affected individual was the only documented hemophiliac in the family and, thus, previous linkage analysis had been limited to the provision of exclusion testing only. In conclusion, it appears that testing for the factor VIII inversion mutation will be positive in approximately 45% of severe hemophiliacs and as such should constitute the initial stage in the genetic testing protocol for these patients' families.
Interphase cytogenetic analysis of in vivo differentiation in the myelodysplasia of Down syndrome
Authors: Zipursky A , Wang H , Brown EJ , Squire J
Published: October 2019

In Down syndrome, acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) occurs frequently during the first 4 years of life and is usually preceded by a period of myelodysplasia (MDS), often associated with chromosomal abnormalities. Archival peripheral blood and/or bone marrow films of six patients with Down syndrome and MDS whose leukemic cells contained monosomy 7 or trisomy 8 were studied to determine whether the abnormal precursors produce mature cells in vivo. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of interphase nuclei with chromosome-specific centromere probes for either chromosome 7 or 8, we were able to determine which cells had one, two, or three signals indicative of one, two, or three no. 7 or 8 chromosomes. In five patients with trisomy 8, 80% to 100% (94.5% +/- 6.2%) of the megakaryoblasts had three signals using a chromosome 8 probe; in one patient with monosomy 7, 96.5% of the megakaryoblasts had one signal using a chromosome 7 probe. In all six patients, the myeloid and lymphoid series did not have evidence of the chromosomal abnormality present in the blasts. In three of five patients with trisomy 8, three signals were observed in 27%, 33%, and 41% of normoblasts, respectively. These data are evidence that the abnormal cell in MDS is a progenitor cell with the potential of forming cells of megakaryocyte and erythroid lineages.
Homozygous loss of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4-inhibitor (p16) gene in human leukemias
Authors: Ogawa S , Hirano N , Sato N , Takahashi T , Hangaishi A , Tanaka K , Kurokawa M , Tanaka T , Mitani K , Yazaki Y
Published: October 2019

Recently, it has been shown that the homozygous deletion of the cyclin- dependent kinase-4 inhibitor (CDK4I;p16) gene, which is mapped to chromosome 9p21, is frequently observed in a wide spectrum of human cancers, including leukemias. Therefore, the CDK4I gene is thought to be a putative tumor-suppressor gene. We report here that both alleles of the CDK4I gene were completely or partially deleted in human leukemia cells derived from both patients and established cell lines. Thirty-seven hematopoietic cell lines and samples from 72 patients with leukemias were examined for homozygous loss of the CDK4I gene locus by Southern blot analysis. We found that a part or the whole of the CDK4I gene was homozygously deleted in 14 of the 37 (38%) cell lines and 4 of 72 (6%) samples from leukemia patients, including 45 with acute myelocytic leukemia, 14 with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and 13 with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic crisis. In the cell lines, the homozygous deletion of the CDK4I gene was detected in a variety of cell lineages, whereas all 4 cases showing the homozygous deletion were confined to ALL. It should be noted that 2 of them had no cytogenetic abnormalities of chromosome 9. Our results suggest that loss of the CDK4I function may contribute to immortalization of human leukemia cells and play a causative role at least in development of human lymphocytic leukemias.
P2Z adenosine triphosphate receptor activity in cultured human monocyte- derived macrophages
Authors: Hickman SE , el Khoury J , Greenberg S , Schieren I , Silverstein SC
Published: October 2019

The present study shows that human mononuclear phagocytes express a P2Z- like purinergic membrane receptor activity. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) induces the formation of nonselective membrane pores in human mononuclear phagocytes that allow the entry of otherwise membrane impermeant fluorescent dyes (YO-PRO-1 or Lucifer yellow) into the cytoplasm of these cells. The percentage of mononuclear phagocytes that was permeabilized by ATP increased as monocytes matured into macrophages. Their response to ATP was inhibited by Mg2+ and oxidized ATP. Benzoylbenzoic-ATP (BzBzATP) was approximately 60% as effective as ATP and adenosine-5 -O-(thiophosphate) (ATP gamma S) was less than 20% as effective as ATP in permeabilizing human macrophages to YO-PRO-1 or Lucifer Yellow. Thus, the human P2Z-like receptor differs from its murine counterpart because BzBzATP, ATP, and ATP gamma S are equally efficacious in permeabilizing murine macrophage-like J774 cells to these dyes. UTP, GTP, and CTP were ineffective in permeabilizing human or murine macrophages to YO-PRO-1. Taken together, these data indicate that human monocyte-derived macrophages express a P2Z-like activity that is pharmacologically distinct from that expressed by their murine counterparts and that expression of these receptors is developmentally regulated in human mononuclear phagocytes.
Properties of transcription factors regulating interleukin-2 gene transcription through the NFAT binding site in untreated or drug- treated naive and memory T-helper cells
Authors: Mouzaki A , Rungger D
Published: October 2019

Combining in vitro DNA binding studies and functional transcription assays in the Xenopus oocyte, we have tested the presence and functional state of transcription factors controlling the interleukin-2 (IL-2) promoter through the NFAT binding site. In naive T-helper cells, the IL-2 gene is repressed by a silencer. After first mitogenic stimulation, this silencer becomes undetectable while an activator is newly synthesized. In resting memory cells, the activator has low DNA- binding affinity and is located in the cytoplasm. However, no silencer is formed. Upon renewed cellular activation, this pre-existing activator is again targeted to the nucleus and regains function in promoting transcription. Cyclosporin A and FK506 act on two distinct levels of the IL-2 control mechanism. They prevent nuclear transport and reactivation of the performed activator in memory cells and, in naive cells, they render the silencer resistant to displacement by the activator. DNA-binding of silencer and activator from T-helper, and NFAT-1 from Jurkat cells, requires the same three G residues, but cross- linking analyses show differences in their constituent subunits. Supershift experiments show that the activator contains fra-2 and junD, whereas the silencer reacts with none of the antibodies tested.
Detection of aberrant clones in nearly all cases of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia-type T-cell lymphoma by combined interphase and metaphase cytogenetics
Authors: Schlegelberger B , Zhang Y , Weber-Matthiesen K , Grote W
Published: October 2019

Trisomy 3, trisomy 5, and an X additional chromosome are the most frequent chromosome aberrations in angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with proteinemia (AILD)-type T-cell lymphomas. To evaluate the frequency of +3 and +X clones, fluorescence in situ hybridization studies with centromere-specific probes for chromosome 3 and X were done in 41 patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTL). With this interphase cytogenetic approach, 32 of 41 patients (78%) showed +3 clones, and 14 patients (34%) +X clones. These frequencies far exceeded those observed with metaphase cytogenetics (+3, 41%; +X, 20%). Summing up the results of metaphase and interphase cytogenetics, aberrant clones were found in 37 of 41 patients with PTL (90%) and 32 of 36 patients with AILD-type T-cell lymphoma (89%). Although AILD-type T- cell lymphoma is considered a neoplastic disease, it is an exception in that it shows a high frequency of cytogenetically unrelated clones and single cells that cannot be derived from a common cell of origin because of their completely different karyotypes. In five patients, double hybridization with centromere-specific probes for chromosomes 3 and X showed that these aberrations occurred in different cells. When the results of metaphase and interphase cytogenetics were combined, 17 of 36 patients with AILD-type T-cell lymphoma (47%) had unrelated clones. This high frequency of oligoclonal proliferations may be caused by increased genetic instability and an immune defect resulting in impaired elimination of aberrant cells.
Identification of a breakpoint cluster region 3' of the ribophorin I gene at 3q21 associated with the transcriptional activation of the EVI1 gene in acute myelogenous leukemias with inv(3)(q21q26)
Authors: Suzukawa K , Parganas E , Gajjar A , Abe T , Takahashi S , Tani K , Asano S , Asou H , Kamada N , Yokota J
Published: October 2019

Structural alterations occur in the long arm of chromosome 3 in approximately 2% of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The major alterations are inv(3)(q21q26) and t(3:3)(q21;q26) and are often classified as the 3q21q26 syndrome. We previously reported that the EVI1 gene is transcriptionally activated in AMLs with t(3;3)(q21;q26) and inv(3)(q21q26) and that the chromosomal breakpoints at 3q26 in the translocations were 5′ of the EVI1 gene, whereas the breakpoints in the inversion cases were 3′ of the gene. In these studies, four additional cases of AML with inv(3)(q21q26) are shown to express the EVI1 gene and to have breakpoints 3′ of the gene. To characterize the 3q21 breakpoint region, cosmid and phage clones were isolated that cover approximately 100 kb. At 3q21, the breakpoints for both AMLs with t(3;3)(q21;q26) and inv(3)(q21q26) were found to cluster over a region of approximately 50 kb downstream of the Ribophorin I gene. The results indicate a common mechanism for the translocations and inversions and support the hypothesis that the transcriptional activation of the EVI1 gene is mediated by enhancer elements associated with the Ribophorin I gene.
Multilevel regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor and 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene expression in normal and leukemic cells
Authors: Vitols S , Norgren S , Juliusson G , Tatidis L , Luthman H
Published: October 2019

Altered cholesterol homeostasis has been noted in malignant cells, which led us to explore the regulation of cholesterol metabolism in normal and leukemic cells. The mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activities were fivefold and threefold higher in mononuclear blood cells from 33 patients with leukemia, compared with cells from 23 healthy subjects, whereas elevations in RNA levels were twofold and 40% only. The activities of the two proteins correlated in normal cells (r = .46), whereas an inverse correlation was found in leukemic cells (r = -.40). Relatively weak correlations were found between LDL receptor RNA levels and receptor activity in normal (r = .48) and leukemic cells (r = .49), and HMG-CoA reductase RNA levels correlated (r = .53) with reductase activity in leukemic cells only. The ratios of protein activities to RNA levels in cells were constant during consecutive blood samplings and similar in leukemic blood and bone marrow cells from the same individual. During cholesterol deprivation, protein activities increased more than RNA levels, and leukemic cells with high LDL receptor activity showed a partial resistance to the suppressing effect of sterols on LDL receptor gene expression. The results demonstrate that LDL receptor RNA levels alone can not explain variation in receptor activity, suggesting post-RNA regulation of LDL receptor expression, similar to what has been described for HMG-CoA reductase. Taken together, the present results suggest multilevel regulation of both proteins and demonstrate that each cell clone, normal or malignant, has a unique ratio of protein activity to RNA level. Leukemic cells, in contrast to normal cells, can meet increased cholesterol requirements by either elevated LDL receptor activity or increased cholesterol synthesis, which is of potential interest for diagnosis and specific treatment of leukemia.
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils from human immunodeficiency virus- infected patients show enhanced activation, diminished fMLP-induced L- selectin shedding, and an impaired oxidative burst after cytokine priming
Authors: Elbim C , Prevot MH , Bouscarat F , Franzini E , Chollet-Martin S , Hakim J , Gougerot-Pocidalo MA
Published: October 2019

Impaired polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) function may contribute to the onset of certain life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Published data on PMN functional activity in HIV infection are controversial, possibly because most studies have involved PMNs isolated from their blood environment by means of various procedures that may differently affect surface receptor expression and thereby alter cellular responses. We therefore used flow cytometry to study the expression of adhesion molecules at the PMN surface, actin polymerization, and the oxidative burst of whole-blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils in 42 HIV-infected patients at different stages of the disease. These PMNs were activated in vivo, as demonstrated by increased expression of the adhesion molecule CD11b/CD18, reduced L-selectin antigen expression, increased actin polymerization, and increased H2O2 production. The alterations were present in asymptomatic patients with CD4+ cell counts greater than 500/microL and did not increase with the progression of the disease. Stimulation by bacterial N-formyl peptides showed dysregulation of L-selectin shedding and decreased H2O2 production after ex vivo priming with tumor necrosis factor alpha or interleukin-8 (IL-8). These latter impairments, which correlated with the decrease in CD4+ lymphocyte numbers and with IL-8 and IL-6 plasma levels, could contribute to the increased susceptibility of HIV-infected patients to bacterial infections.
Prevention of graft-versus-host disease by peptides binding to class II major histocompatibility complex molecules
Authors: Schlegel PG , Aharoni R , Smilek DE , Fernandez LP , McDevitt HO , Tran N , Vaysburd M , Chao NJ
Published: October 2019

Graft-versus-host disease across minor histocompatibility barriers was induced in two different models by transplanting allogeneic bone marrow and spleen cells into irradiated H-2-compatible recipient mice. In this report, we show that administration of peptides with high binding affinity for the respective class II major histocompatibility complex molecules after transplantation is capable of preventing the development of graft-versus-host disease in two different murine models. The peptides used were myelin basic protein residues 1 through 11 with alanine at position 4 (Ac 1–11[4A]) for I-Au (A alpha uA beta u), and the antigenic core sequence 323 through 339 of ovalbumin with lysine and methionine extension (KM core) for I-As (A alpha sA beta s). In both systems, the mechanism of prevention was found to be major histocompatibility complex-associated, because nonbinding control peptides did not have any effect. Engraftment of allogeneic bone marrow cells was shown by polymerase chain reaction analysis of DNA polymorphisms in a microsatellite region within the murine interleukin- 5 gene.
Selection of retrovirally transduced hematopoietic cells using CD24 as a marker of gene transfer
Authors: Pawliuk R , Kay R , Lansdorp P , Humphries RK
Published: October 2019

We have investigated the use of a cell surface antigen as a dominant selectable marker to facilitate the detection and selection of retrovirally infected target cells. The small coding region of the human cell surface antigen CD24 (approximately 240 bp) was introduced into a myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV)-based retroviral vector, which was then used to infect day 4 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated murine bone marrow cells. Within 48 hours of termination of the infection procedure CD24-expressing cells were selected by fluorescent- activated cell sorting (FACS) with an antibody directed against the CD24 antigen. Functional analysis of these cells showed that they included not only in vitro clonogenic progenitors and day 12 colony- forming unit-spleen but also cells capable of competitive long-term hematopoietic repopulation. Double-antibody labeling studies performed on recipients of retrovirally transduced marrow cells showed that some granulocytes, macrophages, erythrocytes, and, to a lesser extent, B and T lymphocytes still expressed the transduced CD24 gene at high levels 4 months later. No gross abnormalities in hematopoiesis were detected in mice repopulated with CD24-expressing cells. Our results show that the use of the CD24 cell surface antigen as a retrovirally encoded marker enables the rapid, efficient, and nontoxic selection in vitro of infected primary cells, facilitates tracking and phenotyping of their progeny, and should provide a unique tool to identify elements that regulate the expression of transduced genes in the most primitive hematopoietic cells.
Poor response of cultured mast cells derived from mi/mi mutant mice to nerve growth factor
Authors: Jippo T , Ushio H , Hirota S , Mizuno H , Yamatodani A , Nomura S , Matsuda H , Kitamura Y
Published: October 2019

Decreased numbers of mast cells and abnormalities in the phenotype of mast cells are observed in the skin of mi/mi mutant mice. Recently, the mi locus was identified to encode a novel member of the basic-helix- loop-helix-leucine zipper protein family of transcription factors. Since nerve growth factor (NGF) has been reported to influence the proliferation and the phenotype of cultured mast cells (CMCs), we compared the effect of NGF between mi/mi and control normal (+/+) CMCs. Addition of NGF to the suboptimal dose of recombinant murine interleukin-3 (rmIL-3) increased the plating efficiency of +/+ CMCs, but not of mi/mi CMCs. Although +/+ CMCs were berberine sulfate- negative when cultured with rmIL-3 alone, +/+ CMCs became berberine sulfate-positive when cultured in the presence of both rmIL-3 and NGF, which suggests increased heparin content. In contrast, NGF did not influence the phenotype of mi/mi CMCs. +/+ CMCs significantly bound 125I-NGF, but mi/mi CMCs did not, which suggests a defect of NGF receptors in mi/mi CMCs. Both p75 and p140 molecules are known to be involved in the formation of NGF receptors. Although the expression of p140 messenger (m)RNA was comparable between +/+ and mi/mi CMCs, the expression of p75 mRNA was significantly lower in mi/mi CMCs than in +/+ CMCs. Taken together, the poor response of mi/mi CMCs to NGF appeared to be attributable to the impaired transcription of the p75 gene.
All-trans retinoic acid upregulates thrombomodulin and downregulates tissue-factor expression in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells: distinct expression of thrombomodulin and tissue factor in human leukemic cells
Authors: Koyama T , Hirosawa S , Kawamata N , Tohda S , Aoki N
Published: October 2019

The expressions of thrombomodulin (TM) and tissue factor (TF) by all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) were studied in human leukemic cell lines including NB4 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) and U937 (monoblastic leukemia). ATRA remarkably upregulated TM antigen expression in cell lysates as well as TM cofactor activity on the cell surfaces of NB4. The level of TM mRNA in NB4 cells was increased by ATRA. Inherently procoagulant NB4 cells contained markedly higher content of TF, which was efficiently reduced by ATRA. Modest increase of TM and decrease of TF were observed when NB4 cells were treated with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP). On the other hand, both ATRA and dbcAMP showed dramatic increase of TM antigen level and modest decrease of TF antigen in U937 cells. These results suggest that ATRA regulates expressions of TM and TF antigens and activity in NB4 and U937 cell lines, and provide evidence for a potential efficiency of ATRA as a preventive and therapeutic agent for disseminated intravascular coagulation in promyelocytic and monocytic leukemia.
Heat-stable antigen may be an early marker of extrathymic murine intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes
Authors: Stickney DG , Wang J , Hamad M , Klein JR
Published: October 2019

Using a system of bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic repopulation of irradiated euthymic and athymic mice, we have examined the early stages of extrathymic T-cell development within the murine small intestine epithelium. During a period of active extrathymic T-cell development, two distinct populations of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were present. One consisted of CD3+ lymphocytes with phenotypic properties of mature IEL. The other population consisted of a transient IEL subset that increased in abundance between days 5 and 14 post-BM transfer, and then declined. The majority of transient IEL in both types of mice expressed the heat-stable antigen, of which some cells coexpressed CD3 but were void of other markers common to mature T cells. Studies using freshly extracted IEL from normal nonirradiated mice found that approximately 3% to 5% of the IEL had phenotypic properties similar to the transient IEL observed during repopulation of radiation chimeras, indicating that such IEL are present within the gut epithelium of normal, nonirradiated mice. Identification of this IEL subset should greatly facilitate studies of extrathymic IEL development.
Low-grade malignant lymphoma, hepatitis C virus infection, and mixed cryoglobulinemia
Authors: Pozzato G , Mazzaro C , Crovatto M , Modolo ML , Ceselli S , Mazzi G , Sulfaro S , Franzin F , Tulissi P , Moretti M
Published: October 2019

Because a close relationship has been established between mixed cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the clinical, histologic, and virologic findings of 31 patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia have been determined. HCV infection was investigated by the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 52 untranslated region (52UTR), and the genotype of HCV was also determined according to Okamoto et al (J Gen Virol 73:673, 1992). A bone marrow (BM) biopsy was performed in all patients, and liver and kidney biopsies were performed when indicated. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was high (83.9%); polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 52 untranslated region was positive in 26 subjects (83.9%), and Core region amplification in 26 of 27 subjects (96.2%). A high prevalence of genotype II was found (76.6%). Chronic liver disease was present in 15 (48%) patients. BM biopsy specimens showed the presence of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in 12 cases (38.7%), whereas, in 11 patients (35.5%), the BM infiltration was not monoclonal (reactive). Mixed cryoglobulinemia is closely associated with HCV infection. Apparently, only 1 patient was not infected by the virus. Several HCV genotypes are involved in the pathogenesis of mixed cryoglobulinemia. The disease is associated with a high prevalence of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
Molecular analysis of chromosome 20q deletions associated with myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Asimakopoulos FA , White NJ , Nacheva E , Green AR
Published: October 2019

Acquired deletions of the long arm of chromosome 20 are found in several hematologic conditions and particularly in the myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes. The spectrum of diseases associated with 20q deletions suggests that such deletions may mark the site of a tumor suppressor gene that contributes to the regulation of normal multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. We present here the first detailed molecular analysis of 20q deletions associated with myeloid disorders. Thirty-four microsatellite primer pairs corresponding to loci on 20q have been used to study DNA samples from two cell lines and from highly purified peripheral blood granulocytes obtained from seven patients. In addition, Southern analysis of cell line DNA has been performed using 19 DNA probes that map to 20q. Three conclusions can be drawn from our results. Firstly, molecular heterogeneity of both centromeric and telomeric breakpoints was demonstrated, thus supporting the existence of a tumor suppressor gene on 20q. In addition many of the breakpoints have been mapped to small genetic intervals. Secondly, our results define a commonly deleted region of 16–21 cM which contains ADA, PLC1, TOP1, SEMG1, and PPGB. Several candidate tumor suppressor genes lie outside the common deleted region including SRC, HCK, p107, PTPN1, and CEBP beta. Thirdly, the data allow integration of genetic and physical maps and have refined the map positions of multiple genes. These results will facilitate attempts to identify candidate hematopoietic tumor suppressor genes on 20q.
The MDM2 oncogene overexpression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and low-grade lymphoma of B-cell origin
Authors: Watanabe T , Hotta T , Ichikawa A , Kinoshita T , Nagai H , Uchida T , Murate T , Saito H
Published: October 2019

The expression of the murine double minute-2 (MDM2) gene, the product of which binds to and inactivates p53, was studied in 60 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL). Northern blot analysis showed that the level of MDM2 gene expression was low in normal human B-cells, whereas 17 of the patients (28.3%) with B-CLL or NHL had more than 10-fold higher levels of MDM2 gene expression than that observed in normal B cells. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed MDM2 overexpression at the cellular protein level. MDM2 gene overexpression was found more frequently in patients with the low-grade type of lymphoma (56.5%) than in those with intermediate-/high-grade types (10.8%) (P = .001). Moreover, MDM2 overexpression was found significantly more frequently in patients at advanced clinical stages. Simultaneous analysis of p53 gene mutation showed that three patients had both MDM2 gene overexpression and p53 gene mutation. The results of the present study suggest that MDM2 gene overexpression may play an important role in the tumorigenicity and/or disease progression of CLL and low-grade lymphomas of B-cell origin.
Fetal hemoglobin induction by acetate, a product of butyrate catabolism [see comments]
Authors: Stamatoyannopoulos G , Blau CA , Nakamoto B , Josephson B , Li Q , Liakopoulou E , Pace B , Papayannopoulou T , Brusilow SW , Dover G
Published: October 2019

Butyrate induces fetal hemoglobin (HbF) synthesis in cultures of erythroid progenitors, in primates, and in man. The mechanism by which this compound stimulates gamma-globin synthesis is unknown. In the course of butyrate catabolism, beta oxidation by mitochondrial enzymes results in the formation of two acetate molecules from each molecule of butyrate. Studies were performed to determine whether acetate itself induces HbF synthesis. In erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E) cultures from normal persons, and individuals with sickle cell disease and umbilical-cord blood, dose-dependent increases in gamma-globin protein and gamma mRNA were consistently observed in response to increasing acetate concentrations. In BFU-E cultures from normal adults and patients with sickle cell disease, the ratio of gamma/gamma + beta mRNA increased twofold to fivefold in response to acetate, whereas the percentage of BFU-E progeny staining with an anti-gamma monoclonal antibody (MoAb) increased approximately twofold. Acetate-induced increases in gamma-gene expression were also noted in the progeny of umbilical cord blood BFU-E, although the magnitude of change in response to acetate was less because of a higher baseline of gamma- chain production. The effect of acetate on HbF induction in vivo was evaluated using transgenic mouse and primate models. A transgenic mouse bearing a 2.5-kb mu locus control region (mu LCR) cassette linked to a 3.3-kb A gamma gene displayed a near twofold increase in gamma mRNA during a 10-day infusion of sodium acetate at a dose of 1.5 g/kg/d. Sodium acetate administration in baboons, in doses ranging from 1.5 to 6 g/kg/d by continuous intravenous infusion, also resulted in the stimulation of gamma-globin synthesis, with the percentage of HbF- containing reticulocytes (F reticulocytes) approaching 30%. Surprisingly, a dose-response effect of acetate on HbF induction was not observed in the baboons, and HbF induction was not sustained with prolonged acetate administration. These results suggest that both two- carbon fatty acids (acetate) and four-carbon fatty acids (butyrate) stimulate synthesis of HbF in vivo.
Graft-host tolerance in bone marrow transplant chimeras. Absence of graft-versus-host disease is associated with unresponsiveness to minor histocompatibility antigens expressed by all tissues
Authors: Brochu S , Baron C , Belanger R , Perreault C
Published: October 2019

Because bone marrow (BM) transplantation is used with increasing frequency, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the establishment of tolerance to host minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHA) in recipients transplanted with T-cell-undepleted marrow grafts. We have previously shown that BM chimeras transplanted across MiHA barriers showed specific unresponsiveness to MiHA expressed on recipient-type concanavalin A blasts. Because expression of many MiHA is tissue-specific, we wanted to determine if chimera T lymphocytes would be tolerant to MiHA expressed by all host tissues and organs. To investigate this issue, we measured in vivo proliferation of lymphoid cells from normal C57BL/10 (B10) mice and (B10-->LP) chimeras in tissues and organs of lethally irradiated syngeneic and allogeneic recipients. Donor B10 cells were either untreated, or depleted with anti-Thy-1.2, anti-CD4, or anti-CD8 antibodies. Transplantation of B10 cells in LP recipients triggered an important T-cell-dependent 125I- dUrd uptake in several organs that involved both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Using Thy-1-congeneic mice we showed that in long-term chimeras practically all CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were derived from hematopoietic progenitors and not from mature T cells present in the BM graft. When (B10-->LP) BM chimera cells were injected to secondary recipients, no proliferation was observed in any organ of LP hosts whereas normal proliferation was seen in H-2k allogeneic hosts. Thus, in these BM chimeras, tolerance encompasses MiHA expressed by all organs.
Regulation of apoptosis induced by the retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide and effect of deregulated bcl-2
Authors: Delia D , Aiello A , Formelli F , Fontanella E , Costa A , Miyashita T , Reed JC , Pierotti MA
Published: October 2019

The cancer chemopreventive retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-all-trans retinamide (HPR) was recently shown by us to have antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on human leukemic cell lines, including those unresponsive to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). We have now characterized further the process of HPR-induced cell death. We report that inhibitors of RNA transcription and of protein synthesis, activators of protein kinase C (PKC), inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, Zn++, and the antioxidants acetylcysteine, ascorbic acid, alpha- tocopherol, and deferoxamine suppressed HPR-induced apoptosis. HL60 cells induced toward monocytic differentiation by 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin- D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], but not those induced toward the granulocytic differentiation by ATRA, showed reduced responses to HPR. The transport of HPR by cells with different sensitivity to the retinoid, however, was similar, even after treatment with the phorbol ester 12-O- tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which induces unresponsiveness to HPR. The expression of the apoptosis-related genes bcl-2, p53, and c- myc was examined to determine their role in HPR-triggered cell death. The levels of bcl-2 mRNA were markedly diminished by 24 hours of HPR treatment in all cell lines except in the relatively HPR-insensitive line K422. However, probably because of its long half-life, bcl-2 protein levels were either unchanged or only slightly decreased. Downregulation of p53 mRNA was also observed within 24 hours of HPR exposure in NB4 but not K422 cells, but no changes in the amount of p53 protein were found. Suppression of c-myc transcription was observed in all cells except K422. The protective role of bcl-2 on cell death by HPR was investigated in HL60 as well as 697 pre-B leukemia and Jurkat T- acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL) cells constitutively expressing high levels of bcl-2 proteins due to gene transfer manipulation. Compared with control cells, the onset of apoptosis in these cells with deregulated bcl-2 production was delayed by at least 24 hours. These findings establish that cell death by HPR requires RNA transcription and protein synthesis and is regulated by the activation of PKC. Although changes in bcl-2, p53, and c-myc expression are found in cells treated with HPR, the time-course of these events suggests that HPR- triggered apoptosis is not directly controlled by these genes. Finally, while ectopic overexpression of bcl-2 does not protect cells from death by HPR, it markedly delays its onset.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Differential regulation of macrophage differentiation in response to leukemia inhibitory factor/oncostatin-M/interleukin-6: the effect of enforced expression of the SCL transcription factor
Authors: Tanigawa T , Nicola N , McArthur GA , Strasser A , Begley CG
Published: October 2019

The physiologic program of macrophage differentiation normally proceeds in a coordinated manner in response to several different growth factors. Although the utilization of common receptor subunits may explain in part overlapping biologic functions, mechanisms by which unique actions are mediated remain obscure. We examined growth factor- induced macrophage differentiation in M1 leukemia cells that simultaneously display receptors for interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Oncostatin-M (OSM). Differentiation induced by all three factors was associated with decreased expression of transcription factors myb and SCL, increased expression of macrophage markers, and suppression of proliferation. Cell lines were established in which SCL expression was enforced. In the absence of growth factors, cells were indistinguishable from parental cells. However, LIF (or OSM)- induced macrophage differentiation was perturbed; there was failure to undergo morphologic differentiation, disturbed expression of lysozyme and Mac1 alpha, and failure to suppress proliferation. Surprisingly the perturbation of macrophage differentiation did not apply to induced expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptors. This dissociation of elements normally coordinated in a macrophage differentiation program applied at a clonal level. There was no disturbance of IL-6-induced macrophage differentiation. These data directly implicate SCL in components of the macrophage differentiation program (suggesting that LIF receptor/gp130 heterodimers utilize an SCL- inhibitable pathway while gp130 homodimers do not) and demonstrate differential-regulation of components of the mature macrophage phenotype.
Lack of the expression of EBNA-2 and LMP-1 in T-cell neoplasms possessing Epstein-Barr virus
Authors: Suzushima H , Asou N , Fujimoto T , Nishimura S , Okubo T , Yamasaki H , Osato M , Matsuoka M , Tsukamoto A , Takai K
Published: October 2019

We investigated 34 cases of T-cell neoplasm [15 cases of T-cell granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-GLL), 10 cases of T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL), six cases of T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T- CLL), and three cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma] to study their association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In 4 (three T-NHL and one T- GLL) of 34 cases, EBV genome was detected in a single episomal form, while polyclonal EBV-DNA was detected in one (T-NHL) of the remaining cases. All three cases of T-NHL having monoclonal EBV episome showed histologically diffuse large-cell lymphoma and developed leukemic conversion. Phenotypic analysis showed that two of these four cases were CD4+, CD8-, and the remaining two cases were CD4-, CD8+. The cells from all four cases were confirmed to be in T-cell lineage by detecting the rearrangement of T-cell receptor (TCR) beta or gamma chain gene. By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), EBNA-1 was detected at low levels, and neither EBNA-2 nor LMP-1 were found in any of the three cases examined. Lack of the expression of EBNA-2 and LMP-1 was also confirmed by immunocytochemical staining. The cells of these four cases did not show rearrangement or overexpression of c-myc and bcl-2 genes by Southern and Northern blots, and the mutation of p53 gene was detected in only one patient. These results suggest that other latent gene products of EBV or other cellular oncogenes are involved in the development of Japanese T-cell neoplasm after EBV infection.