bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restricted immunoglobulin VH region repertoire in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Authors: Efremov DG , Ivanovski M , Siljanovski N , Pozzato G , Cevreska L , Fais F , Chiorazzi N , Batista FD , Burrone OR
Published: October 2019

Between 10% and 25% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients have episodes of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) during the course of their disease. The anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies in most cases are polyclonal and express a different heavy chain isotype than the malignant clone, indicating that they are secreted by normal autoreactive B lymphocytes. To further investigate the pathogenesis of the AIHA in CLL, we analyzed the lg heavy (H) chain variable region genes expressed by leukemic cells from CLL patients with and without AIHA. Two VH genes were preferentially expressed by the leukemic cells in the CLL cases with AIHA and were present in 9 of the 12 investigated cases. The 51p1/DP-10 gene was expressed in 5 of these cases and was absent in the control group of 12 consecutive CLL cases without AIHA, whereas the DP-50 gene was present in 4 CLL-AIHA cases and only once in the control CLL group. A strikingly similar H-chain CDR3 region that contained a single reading frame of the DXP4 DH gene segment, and N- encoded proline at the DH/JH boundary, and a tyrosine-rich region encoded by the JH6 gene segment was observed in four CLL-AIHA cases. The preferential expression of two VH gene segments and a particular CDR3 region by the leukemic cells of patients with AIHA suggests that the antibodies produced by the CLL cells are directly involved in the pathogenesis of the hemolytic anemia.
Multiple G6PD mutations are associated with a clinical and biochemical phenotype similar to that of G6PD Mediterranean
Authors: Cappellini MD , Martinez di Montemuros F , De Bellis G , Debernardi S , Dotti C , Fiorelli G
Published: October 2019

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, one of the most common red cell abnormalities, is characterized by a wide clinical, biochemical, and molecular heterogeneity. In this study we have determined the molecular basis of G6PD deficiency in a sample of 70 male subjects, originating from different parts of Italy, who all shared a clinical and biochemical phenotype identical or very similar to that of G6PD Mediterranean, the most common variant in Italy. In 59 cases (84%) we found the mutation 563 C --> T, previously known to be underlying the G6PD Mediterranean and the two polymorphic variants G6PD Cagliari and G6PD Sassari. From the remaining 11 we amplified the entire coding region of G6PD in 8 different fragments and subjected them to nonradioactive single-strand conformation analysis. Direct sequencing was then performed on abnormal fragments. By this approach we found six cases (8.5%) with 1360 G --> A mutation (G6PD Union) and two cases (2.8%) with 1376 G --> C (G6PD Cosenza). In the remaining three samples we found two other mutations: 1342 A --> G (two cases, 2.8%) and 1052 G --> T (one case, 1.4%). These two molecular defects have never been described before and were designated by us as G6PD S. Antioco and G6PD Partenope, respectively. Haplotype analysis suggested that all the non-Mediterranean mutations occurred independently on a normal G6PD allele. This study shows that the G6PD Union mutation has a high polymorphic frequency in the Italian population and that the genetic heterogeneity of G6PD Mediterranean-like variants is higher at the molecular level than expected from biochemical characterization.
Detection of empty HLA class II molecules on cord blood B cells
Authors: Garban F , Ericson M , Roucard C , Rabian-Herzog C , Teisserenc H , Sauvanet E , Charron D , Mooney N
Published: October 2019

Fetal mononuclear cells are increasingly used in transplantation of hematopoietic cells due to a reportedly lower incidence of graft-versus- host disease. Previous studies of immune responses of fetal lymphocytes have indicated a general hyporesponsiveness in response to polyclonal stimulation. Fetal B lymphocytes display many features typical of the resting state such as a low level of HLA class II expression, but a large proportion of cells also carry the activation-associated CD23 antigen. We show here that despite a low cell surface level of all three HLA class II isotypes on fetal B cells, their allogeneic capacity, measured as the ability to elicit a mixed lymphocyte reaction, is similar to that of adult B cells. Allogeneic stimulation is believed to be peptide-dependent. Surprisingly, the majority of the HLA class II molecules on cord blood B cells appeared to be devoid of stably bound peptide as detected by the binding of a recombinant and soluble invariant chain, as well as by the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) stable alpha beta heterodimers in whole cell lysates. Immunoblot experiments showed that HLA class II molecules of fetal B cells were predominantly present in high molecular weight aggregates in stark contrast to B cells of adult origin. However, a sensitive cell surface labeling technique followed by immunoprecipitation enabled us to detect an SDS-stable 120-kD molecule on fetal B cells. We propose that the 120-kD molecules could correspond to HLA class II doubledimers or superdimers. We hypothesize that the 120-kD HLA class II molecule functions as the antigen-presenting molecule in the mixed lymphocyte reaction of fetal B cells, as it is the major species detected on the surface. Secondly, we suggest that a high level of empty HLA class II molecules may be indicative of a particular stage in B-cell ontogeny.
Regulation of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 gene in monocytes: localization of an upstream transcriptional silencer
Authors: Antalis TM , Costelloe E , Muddiman J , Ogbourne S , Donnan K
Published: October 2019

Transcriptional regulation of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 (PAI-2) gene appears to be an important factor in the response of mononuclear phagocytes to inflammation. We have investigated here the molecular basis for PAI-2 synthesis in monocytic cells by reporter gene deletion analysis. A DNA fragment containing 5.1 kb of 5′ flanking region through to the start of the second exon was fused to a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene, transfected into macrophage and nonmacrophage cells and tested for PAI-2 promoter-directed CAT activity in the presence and absence of phorbol ester. Deletion analysis showed the existence of three major transcription regulatory regions. (1) A positive regulatory region contained in the proximal promoter mediates basal transcription and 12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate inducibility. (2) A negative regulatory region, or silencer, present between-1977 and-1675, was found to repress PAI-2 promoter activity in an orientation- and position-independent manner, but not in a cell-specific manner. (3) A second positive regulatory element, located upstream between approximately -5100 and -3300, appears to overcome inhibition mediated by the silencer in a cell- specific manner, suggesting a mechanism for the regulation of this gene. We have localized the motif responsible for silencer activity to a 28-bp DNA sequence containing a unique 12-bp palindrome centered at an Xba I restriction enzyme site, CTCTCTAGAGAG, which is designated the PAI-2-upstream silencer element-1 (PAUSE-1). This element binds a specific PAUSE-1 binding factor as determined by mobility shift analysis. We conclude that PAI-2 gene transcription is regulated by both positive and negative control mechanisms that may be important for the regulation of other genes as well.
Involvement of p21cip-1 and p27kip-1 in the molecular mechanisms of steel factor-induced proliferative synergy in vitro and of p21cip-1 in the maintenance of stem/progenitor cells in vivo
Authors: Mantel C , Luo Z , Canfield J , Braun S , Deng C , Broxmeyer HE
Published: October 2019

Steel factor (SLF) is a hematopoietic cytokine that synergizes with other growth factors to induce a greatly enhanced proliferative state of hematopoietic progenitor cells and factor-dependent cell lines. Even though the in vivo importance of SLF in the maintenance and responsiveness of stem and progenitor cells is well documented, the molecular mechanism involved in its synergistic effects are mainly unknown. Some factor-dependent myeloid cell lines respond to the synergistic proliferative effects of SLF plus other cytokines in a manner similar to that of normal myeloid progenitor cells from bone marrow and cord blood. We show here that SLF can synergize with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to induce an enhanced phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product and a synergistic increase in the total intracellular protein level of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21cip-1, which is correlated with a simultaneous decrease in p27kip-1 in the human factor-dependent myeloid cell line, M07e. Moreover, these cytokines synergize to increase p21cip- 1 binding and decrease p27kip-1 binding to cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (cdk2), an enzyme required for normal cell cycle progression; these inverse events correlated with increased cdk2 kinase activity. It is also shown that exogenous purified p21cip-1 can displace p27kip-1 already bound to cdk2 in vitro. These data implicate increased p21cip-1 and decreased p27kip-1 intracellular concentrations and their stoichiometric interplay in the enhanced proliferative status of cells stimulated by the combination of SLF and GM-CSF. In support of these findings, it is shown that hematopoietic progenitor cells from mice lacking p21cip-1 are defective in SLF synergistic proliferative response in vitro. Moreover, the cycling status of marrow and spleen progenitors and absolute numbers of marrow progenitors were significantly decreased in the p21cip-1 -/-, compared with the +/+ mice. We conclude that the cdk threshold regulators p21cip-1 and p27kip- 1 play a critical role in the normal mitogenic response of M07e cells and murine myeloid progenitor cells to these cytokines and particularly in the SLF synergistic proliferative response that is important to the normal maintenance of the stem/progenitor cell compartment.
Phenotype and function of human hematopoietic cells engrafting immune- deficient CB17-severe combined immunodeficiency mice and nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficiency mice after transplantation of human cord blood mononuclear cells
Authors: Pflumio F , Izac B , Katz A , Shultz LD , Vainchenker W , Coulombel L
Published: October 2019

In an attempt to understand better the regulation of stem cell function in chimeric immunodeficient mice transplanted with human cells, and the filiation between progenitor cells identified in vitro and in vivo, we assessed the different compartments of hematopoietic progenitors found in the marrow of CB17-severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice (34 mice, 9 experiments) after intravenous injection of 2 to 3 x 10(7) cord blood mononuclear cells. On average 6.3 +/-4 x 10(5) human cells were detected per four long bones 4 to 6 weeks after the transplant predominantly represented by granulomonocytic (CD11b+) and B lymphoid (CD19+) cells. Twenty five percent of these human cells expressed the CD34 antigen, of which 90% coexpressed the CD38 antigen and 50% the CD19 antigen. Functional assessment of progenitor cells (both clonogenic and long-term culture-initiating cells [LTC-IC]) was performed after human CD34+ cells and CD34+/CD38- cells have been sorted from chimeric CB17-SCID marrow 3 to 10 weeks after intravenous (IV) injection of human cells. The frequency of both colony-forming cells and LTC-IC was low (4% and 0.4%, respectively in the CD34+ fraction) when compared with the frequencies of cells with similar function in CD34+ cells from the starting cord blood mononuclear cells (26% +/- 7% and 7.2% +/- 5%, respectively). More surprisingly, the frequency of LTC-IC was also low in the human CD34+ CD38- fraction sorted from chimeric mice. This observation might be partly accounted for by the expansion of the CD34+ CD19+ B-cell precursor compartment. Despite their decreased frequency and absolute numbers, the differentiation capability of these LTC-IC, assessed by their clonogenic progeny output after 5 weeks in coculture with murine stromal cells was intact when compared with that of input LTC-IC. Furthermore the ratio between clonogenic progenitor cells and LTC-IC was similar in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice studied 4 weeks after transplant and in adult marrow or cord blood suspensions. Results generated in experiments where nonobese diabetic (NOD)-SCID mice were used as recipients indicate a higher level of engraftment but no change in the distribution of clonogenic cells or LTC-IC. These results suggest that the hierarchy of hematopoietic differentiation classically defined in human hematopoietic tissues can be reconstituted in immunodeficient SCID or NOD-SCID mice.
Role of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the development of an acute neutrophil inflammatory response in mice
Authors: Metcalf D , Robb L , Dunn AR , Mifsud S , Di Rago L
Published: October 2019

The intraperitoneal injection into mice of casein preparations containing bacteria induced a rapid accumulation of neutrophils within 3 hours due to selective release of mature cells from the bone marrow. Significant increases in the concentrations of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) occurred in the peritoneal cavity during the process, but the intraperitoneal injection of neither CSF induced a significant accumulation of neutrophils and the coinjection of G-CSF and casein failed to enhance the neutrophil response. The lack of involvement of either CSF in the neutrophil migration was confirmed by the development of typical neutrophil exudates when casein was injected into mice with inactivation of the genes encoding GM-CSF, G-CSF, or the beta-common chain of the GM-CSF receptor. However, preinjection of G-CSF increased the number of marrow neutrophils available for migration and did result in increased numbers of neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity after casein injection. Typical eosinophil inflammatory responses to the injection of casein or thioglycollate occurred in GM-CSF -/-mice but not in beta c -/-mice, suggesting that interleukin-5 was necessary for this response.
Primitive hematopoietic cells in murine bone marrow express the CD34 antigen
Authors: Morel F , Szilvassy SJ , Travis M , Chen B , Galy A
Published: October 2019

The CD34 antigen is expressed on most, if not all, human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells, and its use for the enrichment of HSCs with repopulating potential is well established. However, despite homology between human and murine CD34, its expression on subsets of primitive murine hematopoietic cells has not been examined in full detail. To address this issue, we used a novel monoclonal antibody against murine CD34 (RAM34) to fractionate bone marrow (BM) cells that were then assayed in vitro and in vivo with respect to differing functional properties. A total of 4% to 17% of murine BM cells expressed CD34 at intermediate to high levels, representing a marked improvement over the resolution obtained with previously described polyclonal anti-CD34 antibodies. Sixty percent of CD34+ BM cells lacked lineage (Lin) markers expressed on mature lymphoid or myeloid cells. Eighty-five percent of Sca-1+Thy-1(10)Lin- /10 cells that are highly enriched in HSCs expressed intermediate, but not high, levels of CD34 antigen. The remainder of these phenotypically defined stem cells were CD34-. In vitro colony-forming cells, day-8 and -12 spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S), primitive progenitors able to differentiate into B lymphocytes in vitro or into T lymphocytes in SCID mice, and stem cells with radioprotective and competitive long-term repopulating activity were all markedly enriched in the CD34+ fraction after single-parameter cell sorting. In contrast, CD34-BM cells were depleted of such activities at the cell doses tested and were capable of only short-term B-cell production in vitro. The results indicate that a significant proportion of murine HSCs and multilineage progenitor cells express detectable levels of CD34, and that the RAM34 monoclonal antibody is a useful tool to subset primitive murine hematopoietic cells. These findings should facilitate more direct comparisons of the biology of CD34+ murine and human stem and progenitor cells.
Chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation of human RAG-1 gene
Authors: Kitagawa T , Mori K , Kishi H , Tagoh H , Nagata T , Kurioka H , Muraguchi A
Published: October 2019

The recombination activating genes (RAGs) play a critical role in V(D)J recombination machinery and lymphocyte development. Their expression is strictly regulated during lymphocyte ontogeny, with expression being rapidly lost as the lymphoid precursors differentiate into their progeny. To elucidate molecular mechanisms of regulation of human RAG-1 gene expression, we examined a chromatin structure of a approximately 24-kb DNA segment adjacent to a human RAG-1 promoter region in various cell lines by analyzing DNase I hypersensitive (DNase I HS) sites. In a RAG-1-expressing human pre-B-cell line, at least four DNase I HS sites (HS1, HS2, HS3, and HS4) were identified. Among these HS sites, one HS site (HS1) was ubiquitously detected in all cell lines examined, but the other three HS sites (HS2, HS3, and HS4) were associated only with RAG-1-expressing lymphoid cell lines. Using transient expression assays, we showed that the 5′ upstream region of the major transcription start site showed low but significant promoter activity and that a DNA segment within HS3 located in the promoter region was indispensable to its basal promoter activity. Importantly, this promoter region was shown to be active in both RAG-1-expressing and RAG-1-nonexpressing cell lines. These results suggest that alteration of chromatin structure in the promoter region, in addition to other control elements outside of the promoter region, is one of the mechanisms regulating tissue- and stage-specific expression of human RAG-1 gene.
Ionizing irradiation increases transcription of the von Willebrand factor gene in endothelial cells
Authors: Jahroudi N , Ardekani AM , Greenberger JS
Published: October 2019

Ionizing irradiation damage to the vasculature results in an increase in procoagulant activity of endothelial cells, including elevated von Willebrand factor (vWf) secretion. We investigated the mechanism of irradiation induction of vWf release and demonstrated that vWf mRNA levels were increased when either human or bovine endothelial cells were exposed to 20 Gy irradiation. This response to irradiation was independent to de novo protein synthesis, but required new transcription. Nuclear run-on experiments indicated that increased vWf transcriptional activity was partly responsible for the higher levels of the mRNA accumulation. Transfection analyses with plasmids in which a human growth hormone structural gene was under the control of the endothelial-cell-specific vWf promoter demonstrated that irradiation increased promoter activity. Deletion analyses demonstrated that sequences necessary for irradiation induction of the promoter activity were located within the 112-bp sequences (-90 to +22) that constitute the non-endothelial-cell-specific core promoter region of the vWf gene. Results of gel mobility assays and deletion analyses demonstrated that a site in the vWf promoter other than the putative NF-kB binding site is involved in the mechanism of irradiation induction of the vWf.
Cyclosporine a inhibits tissue factor expression in monocytes/macrophages
Authors: Holschermann H , Durfeld F , Maus U , Bierhaus A , Heidinger K , Lohmeyer J , Nawroth PP , Tillmanns H , Haberbosch W
Published: October 2019

Accelerated coronary atherosclerosis in cardiac allografts is the major limiting factor for long-term survival after heart transplantation. There is growing evidence that activation of the coagulation mechanism is involved in the development of transplant atherosclerosis. Tissue factor (TF) expression by cells of the monocyte/macrophage system may represent an important mechanism underlying the fibrin deposition in the affected vessels. In the present study, we investigated the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced procoagulant activity (PCA) in human monocytes/macrophages. CsA exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on LPS-induced monocyte/macrophage PCA, which was identified as TF activity based on functional and immunologic characterization. As shown by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction, CsA reduced the transcription of the TF gene in LPS-stimulated monocytes/macrophages. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that CsA inhibited the LPS-induced activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B). As shown by Western blot analysis, CsA treatment decreased the nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B, thereby suggesting the mechanism for the inhibitory effect of CsA on TF induction. Hence, a nonimmunologic effect of CsA may contribute to its successful use in transplant medicine.
Complete short-term correction of canine hemophilia A by in vivo gene therapy
Authors: Connelly S , Mount J , Mauser A , Gardner JM , Kaleko M , McClelland A , Lothrop CD Jr
Published: October 2019

Hemophilia A is a severe bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in clotting factor VIII (FVIII). A canine model that closely mimics the human disease was used to determine if an adenoviral vector expressing a human FVIII cDNA could be used to correct the hemophilia A phenotype. Within 48 hours after peripheral vein administration of the vector to FVIII-deficient dogs, the hemophilic phenotype was corrected, based on determination of the activated clotting time, the activated partial thromboplastin time, and the cuticle bleeding time. Direct measurement of human FVIII in the dog plasma showed FVIII expression at amounts well above the human therapeutic level. FVIII expression in treated dogs was short-term, lasting 1 to 2 weeks, due to the development of a human FVIII-specific inhibitor antibody response. These data provide the first demonstration of in vivo gene therapy of hemophilia A.
Role of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-7, and IL-15 in natural killer cell differentiation from cord blood hematopoietic progenitor cells and from gamma c transduced severe combined immunodeficiency X1 bone marrow cells
Authors: Cavazzana-Calvo M , Hacein-Bey S , de Saint Basile G , De Coene C , Selz F , Le Deist F , Fischer A
Published: October 2019

Natural killer (NK) cells are characterized by their ability to mediate spontaneous cytotoxicity against susceptible tumor cells and infected cells. They differentiate from hematopoietic progenitor cells. Patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID X1) carry mutations in the gamma c cytokine receptor gene that result in lack of both T and NK cells. To assess the role of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-7, and IL-15 cytokines, which share gamma c receptor subunit, in NK cell differentiation, we have studied NK cell differentiation from cord blood CD34 (+) cells in the presence of either stem cell factor (SCF), IL-2, and IL-7 or SCF and IL-15. The former cytokine combination efficiently induced CD34 (+) CD7 (+) cord blood cells to proliferate and mature into NK cells, while the latter was also able to induce NK cell differentiation from more immature CD34 (+) CD7 (-) cord blood cells. NK cells expressed CD56 and efficiently killed K562 target cells. These results show that IL-15 could play an important role in the maturation of NK cell from cord blood progenitors. Following retroviral-mediated gene transfer of gamma c into SCID X1 bone marrow progenitors, it was possible to reproduce a similar pattern of NK cell differentiation in two SCID-X1 patients with SCF + IL-2 + IL-7 and more efficiently in one of them with SCF + IL-15. These results strongly suggest that the gamma c chain transduces major signal(s) involved in NK cell differentiation from hematopoietic progenitor cells and that IL-15 interaction with gamma c is involved in this process at an earlier step than IL-2/IL-7 interactions of gamma c are. It also shows that gene transfer into hematopoietic progenitor cells could potentially restore NK cell differentiation in SCID X1 patients.
Design and validation of DNA probe sets for a comprehensive interphase cytogenetic analysis of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Fischer K , Scholl C , Salat J , Frohling S , Schlenk R , Bentz M , Stilgenbauer S , Lichter P , Dohner H
Published: October 2019

The objective of this study was to design DNA probe sets that enable the detection of chromosome aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by interphase cytogenetics using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and to compare the results of interphase cytogenetics with those of conventional chromosome banding analysis. One hundred five consecutive patients with adult AML entered on a multicenter treatment trial were studied with a comprehensive set of DNA probes recognizing the most relevant AML-associated structural and numerical chromosome aberrations: translocations t(8;21), t(15;17), and t(11q23); inversion inv(16);chromosomal deletions (5q-, 7q-, 9q-, 12p-, 13q-, 17p-, and 20q- ); and chromosomal aneuploidies. Interphase cytogenetics was particularly sensitive for detecting the AML-specific gene fusions: 3 additional cases of inv(16) and 1 additional case of t(8;21) were identified by FISH that were missed by banding analysis, whereas equal numbers of t(11q23) and t(15;17) were detected. Five additional cases of trisomy 8q, 3 more cases of trisomy 11q, and 2 more cases of trisomies 21q and 22q were shown by FISH. These aberrations were either masked in complex karyo-types or identified in cases in which conventional banding analysis failed. On the other hand, the DNA probes selected were not informative to detect 1 case of 5q-, 9q-, and 20q-. In 5 cases, clonal aberrations were detected on banding analysis for which no FISH probes were selected. In conclusion, interphase cytogenetics proved to be more sensitive for detecting AML-specific chimeric gene fusions and some partial trisomies. Interphase cytogenetics provides a powerful technique complementary and, with further development of diagnostic DNA probes, even an alternative to chromosome banding studies for the cytogenetic analysis of AML.
Adhesion of malaria-infected red blood cells to chondroitin sulfate A under flow conditions
Authors: Cooke BM , Rogerson SJ , Brown GV , Coppel RL
Published: October 2019

Adhesion of parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs) to microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) is a distinctive feature of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and is a central event in the development of life-threatening complications such as cerebral malaria. PRBCs adhere to several EC-expressed molecules in vitro, but the relative importance of these interactions in vivo remains unclear. Chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) is the most recent EC surface-associated molecule to be implicated in the adhesive process. Accordingly, we have studied adhesion of PRBCs to CSA in vitro using a parallel-plate flow chamber. Under controlled flow conditions, PRBCs adhered to CSA in a concentration-dependent manner at wall-shear stresses up to 0.2 Pa, a value that is within the physiological range for venules. Once adhered, PRBCs remained stationary (rather than rolling) and continued to remain stationary even when the wall-shear stress was raised to supravenular levels. The adhesive interaction was strong and a proportion of adherent PRBCs could withstand detachment at stresses up to 2.5 Pa. Soluble CSA at pharmacological concentrations prevented adhesion of flowing PRBCs in a concentration-dependent manner but failed to reverse established adhesion. Adhesion of PRBCs to CSA could contribute to the pathogenesis of malaria, and soluble CSA may have a useful therapeutic effect.
Activation of delta-globin gene expression by erythroid Krupple-like factor: a potential approach for gene therapy of sickle cell disease
Authors: Donze D , Jeancake PH , Townes TM
Published: October 2019

Hemoglobin A2 (HbA2; alpha 2 delta 2) is a powerful inhibitor of HbS (alpha 2 beta 2(3)) polymerization. However, HbA2 levels are normally low in sickle cell patients. We show that a major reason for low delta- globin gene expression is the defective CACCC box at -90 in the delta-globin promoter. When the CACCC box defect in delta is corrected, expression of an HS2 delta /Luciferase reporter is equivalent to HS2 beta/Luciferase. Erythroid Krupple-like factor (EKLF), which binds to the CACCC box of the beta-globin gene and activates high-level expression, does not bind to the normal delta-globin promoter. Our goal is to design a modified EKLF that binds to the defective delta-globin promoter and enhances delta-globin gene expression. To test the feasibility of this strategy, we inserted the beta-globin CACCC box at - 90 of the delta-globin gene promoter to produce an HS2 delta CAC-beta construct and quantitated human delta-and beta-globin mRNA in stably transformed murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. delta-Globin mRNA in these cells was 22.0% +/- 9.0% of total human globin mRNA (delta/delta + beta) as compared with 3.0% +/- 1.3% in the HS2 delta-beta control. In a second set of experiments a GAL4 DNA-binding site was inserted at - 90 of the delta-globin gene to produce an HS2 delta GAL4-beta construct. This construct and a GAL4(1–147)/EKLF expression vector were stably transfected into MEL cells. delta-Globin mRNA in these cells was 27.8% +/- 7.1% of total human globin mRNA as compared with 9.9% +/- 2.5% in the HS2 delta GAL4-beta plus GAL4(1–147) control. These results show that delta-globin gene expression can be significantly increased by a modified EKLF. Based on these results, we suggest that modified EKLFs, which contain zinc fingers designed to bind specifically to the defective delta-globin CACCC box, may be useful in gene therapy approaches to increase HbA2 levels and inhibit HbS polymerization.
High blood levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor in preeclampsia
Authors: Hayashi M , Numaguchi M , Watabe H , Yaoi Y
Published: October 2019

In pregnancy, the decidual cells produce and secrete large amounts of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). M-CSF stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of trophoblasts. In addition, it stimulates them in a dose-dependent manner to produce certain hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin and human placental lactogen. Based on these facts, M-CSF is considered to be an essential cytokine for placental maintenance. Because placental dysfunction may sometimes result from preeclampsia, ascertaining blood M-CSF levels in preeclamptic patients would be of interest. The blood was collected from 33 subjects, of whom 19 were normal pregnant women and 14 were preeclamptic patients. The M-CSF level was determined by the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method using three antibodies. The investigators measured peripheral blood M-CSF levels in preeclamptic subjects and compared them with levels in subjects with normal pregnancies. This study showed that peripheral blood M-CSF levels were significantly higher in preeclamptic patients in the 30th and 38th weeks of pregnancy (P < .005). This is the first report concerning high M-CSF blood levels in preeclamptic patients.
Polymorphism of adhesion molecule CD31 is not a significant risk factor for graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Nichols WC , Antin JH , Lunetta KL , Terry VH , Hertel CE , Wheatley MA , Arnold ND , Siemieniak DR , Boehnke M , Ginsburg D
Published: October 2019

Mismatch between bone marrow transplant (BMT) patient and donor for an amino acid polymorphism within the adhesion molecule CD31 has recently been reported to increase risk for the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We further examined this association in a larger series of 301 BMT patients (227 with grade III/IV GVHD and 74 with grade 0 GVHD) and their HLA-identical sibling donors. CD31 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction endonuclease digestion. The role of mismatch at the CD31 locus in the development of GVHD was assessed by analyzing the extent of CD31 identity and CD31 compatibility among the grade 0 GVHD and grade III/IV GVHD sibling pairs. No significant association between CD31 mismatch and the development of severe GVHD was detected in our overall patient population. Sixty-three percent of grade III/IV GVHD sibling pairs and 69% of grade 0 GVHD sibling pairs had CD31 genotypes that were identical (P=.36, odds ratio = 1.30). In addition, neither the grade 0 GVHD group (P=.10) nor the grade III/IV GVHD group (P=.27) differed significantly from the expected probability of identity between sibling pairs. Mismatch at the CD31 polymorphism between recipients and donors showed no consistent association with the development of GVHD. Current evidence does not support the value of CD31 mismatch in the selection of BMT donors.
Induction of recombination activating gene expression in a human lymphoid progenitor cell line: requirement of two separate signals from stromal cells and cytokines
Authors: Tagoh H , Kishi H , Okumura A , Kitagawa T , Nagata T , Mori K , Muraguchi A
Published: October 2019

The activation and expression of recombination activating genes (RAGs) plays critical roles in V(D)J gene recombination machinery and lymphocyte development. We showed that RAG gene expression was induced in freshly isolated human bone marrow cells and a human lymphoid progenitor cell line, FL8.2.4.4, by coculture on a monolayer of a murine bone marrow-derived stromal cell line, PA6, in the presence of a mixture of recombinant cytokines. The RAG transcripts were detected 12 hours after initiation of culture, and the increased level was sustained at 24 hours. Among recombinant cytokines, interleukin-3 (IL- 3), IL-6, and IL-7, but not IL-2, IL-4, stem cell factor (SCF), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) could induce RAG-1 activation in FL8.2.4.4 cells, and a significant synergistic effect between IL-3, IL-6, and IL-7 was observed. Using a double chamber culture technique, it was shown that a cognate interaction between FL8.2.4.4 cells and PA6 stromal cells was a prerequisite for RAG-1 activation. Furthermore, RAG-1 transcripts were induced in FL8.2.4.4 cells when they were cocultured on paraformaldehyde-fixed PA6 stromal cells in the presence of cytokines. These results suggest that two separate signals are both required for induction of RAG-1 activation in lymphoid progenitors; one from the cell surface molecule(s) on stromal cells, and the other from the recombinant cytokine(s). Finally, we showed that expression of RAG mRNA in FL8.2.4.4 cells was concomitant with induction of recombinase activity. This system may provide useful means for further understanding the mechanisms controlling RAG activation and lymphocyte development in the human system.
Flt3 ligand level reflects hematopoietic progenitor cell function in aplastic anemia and chemotherapy-induced bone marrow aplasia
Authors: Wodnar-Filipowicz A , Lyman SD , Gratwohl A , Tichelli A , Speck B , Nissen C
Published: October 2019

Flt3 ligand (flt3L) is a member of a small family of cytokines acting as tyrosine kinase receptor ligands that stimulate the proliferation of primitive hematopoietic progenitors in vitro. To gain insight into the physiological role of flt3L in early hematopoiesis, levels of flt3L were determined in serum of patients with multilineage bone marrow failure and related to the severity of stem cell depletion. In patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and in cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced transient suppression of hematopoiesis, flt3L fluctuated in an inverse relationship to the degree of bone marrow failure. In severe AA at diagnosis, levels of circulating soluble flt3L were highly elevated (2,653 +/- 353 pg/mL) as compared with normal blood serum values of 14 +/- 39 pg/mL. Flt3L returned to near normal levels within the first 3 months following successful bone marrow transplantation and in autologous remission induced by immunosuppressive therapy with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG; 100 +/- 31 and 183 +/- 14 pg/mL, respectively). In contrast, rejection of the graft or relapse of the disease after ALG was accompanied by an increase to high pretreatment concentrations of the circulating cytokine (3,770 +/- 2,485 and 1,788 +/- 233 pg/mL, respectively). Flt3L in serum inversely correlated with the colony-forming ability of AA bone marrow precursors in vitro (R = - .86), indicating that the concentration of the ligand reflects hematopoiesis at the progenitor cell level. Flt3L increased to 2,500 pg/mL in the serum of leukemia patients during chemoradiotherapy- induced bone marrow suppression and returned to normal values along with hematopoietic recovery. Expression of the membrane-bound form of flt3L was significantly elevated in mononuclear bone marrow and peripheral blood cells from patients with severe pancytopenia, suggesting de novo synthesis of the factor in response to bone marrow failure. The data provide a strong argument for the involvement of flt3L in the regulation of early hematopoiesis in vivo.
Cloning and characterization of fetal liver phosphatase 1, a nuclear protein tyrosine phosphatase isolated from hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Dosil M , Leibman N , Lemischka IR
Published: October 2019

We report the isolation of cDNAs encoding protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) from highly purified hematopoietic stem cell populations. One such cDNA encodes a novel PTP, designated fetal liver phosphatase 1 (FLP1), which consists of one PTP domain followed by a carboxy terminal domain of 160 amino acids. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analysis showed that expression of FLP1 mRNA is restricted to thymus in 15.5-day-old and 17.5-day-old mouse embryos and to kidney and hematopoietic tissues in adult mice. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction-based analysis shows that FLP1 is expressed in hematopoietic stem cells as well as in more mature hematopoietic cells. Peptide antisera against FLP1 immunoprecipitated a 48-kD protein that is localized in the nuclei of Ba/F3 lymphoid cells. We have analyzed the effects of overexpressing either wild-type FLP1 or a functionally inactive mutant of FLP1 in hematopoietic cells. In the progenitor K562 cell line, cells ectopically expressing functional FLP1 differentiated normally to megakaryocytes after induction with tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA). In contrast, when K562 transfectants expressing an inactive mutant FLP1 protein were treated with TPA, the characteristic cell spreading and substrate adhesion that accompany megakaryocytic differentiation did not occur. We show that, in these cells, the induction of the differentiation marker alphaIIb beta3 is not affected. However, both constitutive and TPA-induced expression of alpha2 integrin, a late megakaryocytic marker, are inhibited. These results suggest that the expression of an inactive form of FLP1 affects late signaling events of K562 megakaryocytic differentiation.
Human cytomegalovirus suppression of and latency in early hematopoietic progenitor cells
Authors: Sindre H , Tjoonnfjord GE , Rollag H , Ranneberg-Nilsen T , Veiby OP , Beck S , Degre M , Hestdal K
Published: October 2019

Bone marrow cells (BMC) are involved in the pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus++ (HCMV) infections, and the hematopoietic cells are probable sites of HCMV latency in healthy donors. In vitro studies have indicated both a direct inhibitory effect of HCMV on proliferation and differentiation of myeloid bone marrow progenitors and an impairment of bone marrow stroma cell function by HCMV. The purpose of the present study was to establish whether the suppressing effect could be limited to subsets of immature CD34+ BMC and to investigate the role of immature cell populations as possible sites of HCMV latency. CD34+ cells from healthy HCMV-seropositive and -seronegative donors were sorted according to the expression of HLA-DR (CD34+ HLA-DR+ and CD34+ HLA-DR- cells). The progenitor growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells from seronegative donors was examined by colony and single-cell assays after in vitro infection with HCMV. To determine the susceptibility of the CD34+ cells to HCMV infection in vitro and in vivo, cells of both subsets from seronegative and seropositive donors were analyzed for the presence of HCMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. HCMV infection in vitro inhibited the interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha)-, IL-3-, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-, and stem cell factor-induced proliferation in single-cell assays of CD34+ HLA-DR-cells by 34%. In contrast, the colony growth of the CD34+ HLA-DR+ subset was suppressed in cells from only 3 of the 8 donors. However, in vitro HCMV infection of the CD34+ HLA-DR+ progenitor cells inhibited the proliferation of all donors tested when hematopoietic growth factors were used individually to promote progenitor growth. In addition, the formation of burst-forming units-erythroid and colony-forming units-granulocyte, erythrocyte, monocyte, megakaryocyte was reduced 40% to 60% by HCMV in vitro. In contrast, the growth of high proliferative potential colony-forming cells was not inhibited after in vitro HCMV infection. Furthermore, HCMV DNA was detected in both CD34+ HLA-DR- and CD34+ HLA-DR+ progenitors from in vitro-infected HCMV-seronegative donors and cells from HCMV- seropositive donors. Taken together, the early progenitors defined as CD34+ HLA-DR- and CD34+ HLA-DR+ are directly suppressed in their proliferation by HCMV in vitro, and hematopoietic stem cells are also sites of HCMV latency in healthy HCMV-seropositive donors.
Evidence for early B-cell activation preceding the development of Epstein-Barr virus-negative acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related lymphoma
Authors: Przybylski GK , Goldman J , Ng VL , McGrath MS , Herndier BG , Schenkein DP , Monroe JG , Silberstein LE
Published: October 2019

To investigate the origin and pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related lymphoma (ARL), we studied 14 cases in which Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was not an etiologic factor. By histology, 8 of the specimens were of the small noncleaved cell type and 6 consisted of the large diffuse cell type. Southern analysis using a J(H) probe was consistent with a monoclonal B-cell tumor in 13 cases. To characterize the expressed Ig genes, we performed reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and direct sequencing of PCR products. Eight cases expressed IgM and 1 case expressed IgG. V(H)3 genes were found in 5 cases, V(H)4 genes in 3 cases, V(H)1 genes in 2 cases, and a V(H)7 gene in 1 case. The nucleotide homology to known germline V(H) genes ranged from 80% to 97%, suggesting significant somatic diversification of expressed V(H) genes. The large proportion of V(H)3-expressing lymphomas in this series corresponds to the frequency of V(H)3-expressing B cells in the peripheral blood from healthy and (recent) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositve individuals and contrasts with the V(H)3 clonal deficit observed in late stages of HIV infection. Similar to the Ig heavy chain genes, the corresponding Ig light chain genes showed significant deviation from known germline gene sequences. The large proportion of V(H)3-expressing lymphomas as well as the high degree of somatic deviation from germline suggest that these EBV-negative lymphomas might arise from antigen-selected expanded B-cell clones before transformation. Further support for this hypothesis is provided by sequential Ig sequence analysis in 1 patient with large-cell lymphoma. It was shown that 3 years before the diagnosis of axillary lymphoma, there existed several B-cell clones in this patient's bone marrow. One of these clones present in the bone marrow expressed the same rearranged V(H) gene as the axillary lymphoma. Taken together, the current findings from Ig gene analyses suggest that activation of B cells in the early phase of HIV infection may be a predisposing factor for subsequent B-cell transformation.
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma on a background of clonally expanding human T-cell leukemia virus type-1-positive cells
Authors: Cavrois M , Wain-Hobson S , Gessain A , Plumelle Y , Wattel E
Published: October 2019

Tumorous and nontumorous samples from patients with various forms of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) were analyzed using the sensitive inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. In all samples, oligoclonal expansion of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-1 bearing T cells were detected, even for the tumorous samples that were mainly monoclonal by Southern blotting. For one case of smouldering ATLL, chemotherapy apparently reduced the number of detectable clones. Taken together with similar data on asymptomatic and symptomatic HTLV-1 carriers without malignancy, it would appear that ATLL appears on a prior background of HTLV-1-initiated oligoclonal expansion.
A constitutively activated chimeric cytokine receptor confers factor- independent growth in hematopoietic cell lines
Authors: Shikama Y , Barber DL , D'Andrea AD , Sieff CA
Published: October 2019

The high-affinity receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GMR) comprises at least 2 distinct subunits, alpha and beta common (beta c), whereas the normal erythropoietin receptor (nEpoR) comprises only one known subunit. An arginine to cysteine (R129C) mutation of the extracytoplasmic domain of the murine EpoR leads to Epo-independent growth in transduced cells (cEpoR). To investigate the proliferative functions of the cytoplasmic regions of each GMR subunit separately and the potential of the R129C EpoR mutation to induce factor-independent growth through heterologous receptor regions, we constructed four hybrid receptors: the extracellular region of either murine nEpoR or cEpoR linked to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions of either the human GMR alpha or beta c subunit (nE alpha, nE beta, cE alpha, and cE beta). We then expressed them in an interleukin-3-dependent murine cell line, Ba/F3. Expression of nE beta led to Epo-dependent growth, whereas expression of cE beta conferred factor-independent growth. Surprisingly, expression of cE alpha also resulted in factor-independent cell growth, whereas nE alpha did not respond to Epo. Furthermore, the functional hybrid receptors showed Epo-dependent (nE beta) or constitutive (cE alpha and cE beta) tyrosine phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic kinases JAK1 and JAK2. We reasoned that the proliferative signal of cE alpha was transduced either through the alpha tail itself or through an accessory protein such as the endogenous murine beta common subunit (mu beta c). To distinguish these possibilities, the chimeric receptor cE alpha was expressed in the interleukin-2-dependent murine cell line, CTLL-2, that does not express mu beta c. cE alpha did not induce cell growth in CTLL-2; however, when mu beta c was coexpressed with cE alpha in CTLL-2, factor-independent growth was reconstituted. In conclusion, the cytoplasmic domain of the GMR alpha subunit requires a beta chain for transduction of a proliferative signal. Furthermore, the R129C EpoR mutation can constitutively activate heterologous receptors to mediate factor-independent proliferation.