Takayasu's arteritis associated with idiopathic ulcerative colitis

Two patients with ulcerative colitis associated with Takayasu's arteritis are described. Gangrene of a limb was the presenting feature in one patient and renovascular disease in the other. Angiography showed vascular occlusions affecting several medium or large sized vessels in both patients.

Protection of rat spermatogenic epithelium from damage induced by procarbazine chemotherapy

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Haplotype analysis for CF-linked DNA polymorphisms in Switzerland

A total of 295 patients, parents and unaffected sibs from 106 CF-families in central and northeastern Switzerland were investigated with probes 7C22(D7S16), metH, metD, pKM19, pXV-2c and pJ3.11(D7S8) for eight DNA polymorphisms (RFLP's). Linkage disequilibrium to the CF locus and haplotype frequencies were compared to those in other populations. They are comparable to other Caucasian populations and, for pKM 19 and pXV-2c, very close to the findings in Italy. The prevalence of certain haplotypes among the CF and the normal allele-bearing chromosomes indicate that the majority of the CF cases are probably the result of one ancient mutation in a common ancestor, but that there may be allelic heterogeneity accounting for an important proportion of patients, that may differ between countries or regions. Informative family constellations for the different polymorphisms in Switzerland and strategies for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis are discussed. Haplotype analyses for each country and its ethnic subgroups are recommended.

Ultrasonographic localization for renal biopsy

One hundred and fifty consecutive percutaneous renal biopsies were performed using ultrasonography to localise the site and depth of the lower pole of the left kidney. Renal tissue was obtained in 95% of cases and an accurate histopathological diagnosis was reached in 89% of patients. Gross haematuria following the procedure occurred in 6%, but was usually transient. No other complications were encountered. Ultrasonographic marking of the biopsy site and depth is a quick, simple, accurate and safe method of localizing the kidney for the purpose of a biopsy.

Ultrasound in obstructive jaundice

One hundred and twenty-five consecutive patients with obstructive jaundice were prospectively studied by ultrasonography to determine the level and cause of obstruction. These were diagnosed precisely in 80 (72%) and 52 patients (41.6%) respectively. The results were compared with cholangiography. The final diagnosis was established at surgery (97 cases) and fine needle aspiration cytology (28 cases). While US is an excellent screening modality in distinguishing obstructive and non-obstructive jaundice, cholangiography is still the gold standard for determining the precise anatomic level and cause of obstruction.

Regulation of cell growth by recombinant oncostatin M

Oncostatin M is a novel growth regulator originally isolated from differentiated human histiocytic lymphoma cells and activated T-lymphocytes based on its ability to inhibit the growth of A375 melanoma cells. We report here that oncostatin M is a widely acting regulator which alters the growth and/or morphology of cells derived from a variety of cancer cell types. At picomolar concentrations, recombinant oncostatin M inhibited the growth of 13/24 tumor cell lines. Six out of 7 lung cancer cell lines were inhibited by oncostatin M, but none of 6 colon cancer cell lines were affected. Oncostatin M also stimulated the growth of some normal cells (3/6), indicating that it, like many growth regulators, is bifunctional. Oncostatin M receptors appear necessary but not sufficient for a growth response to oncostatin M, since none of the cell lines lacking receptor responded to oncostatin M, whereas many but not all cell lines with receptor responded to oncostatin M. Receptor size (Mr congruent to 150,000) was similar for cells in which growth was inhibited, stimulated, or unaffected by oncostatin M.

Choledocho-duodenal fistula due to tuberculosis

An unusual case of caseating nodal tuberculosis causing a choledocho-duodenal fistula is reported. Anti-tubercular treatment led to closure of the fistula.

Penile venous haemangioma

A case of venous haemangioma at the base of penis is reported. The patient presented with complaints of pain, hemilateral tilting during erection and progressively increasing swelling at the base of penis. The lesion was resected surgically and was diagnosed on histopathological examination to be penile venous haemangioma. Possible aetiopathogenesis of haemangioma in general and characteristics of venous haemangioma in particular are briefly discussed. A similar case report has not been found in the literature.

Molecular cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression of a novel growth regulator, oncostatin M

Oncostatin M is a polypeptide of Mr approximately 28,000 that acts as a growth regulator for many cultured mammalian cells. We report the cDNA and genomic cloning, sequence analysis, and functional expression in heterologous cells of oncostatin M. cDNA clones were isolated from mRNA of U937 cells that had been induced to differentiate into macrophagelike cells by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and a genomic clone was also isolated from human brain DNA. Sequence analysis of these clones established the 1,814-base-pair cDNA sequence as well as exon boundaries. This sequence predicted that oncostatin M is synthesized as a 252-amino-acid polypeptide, with a 25-residue hydrophobic sequence resembling a signal peptide at the N terminus. The predicted oncostatin M amino acid sequence shared no homology with other known proteins, but the sequence of the 3' noncoding region of the cDNA contained an A + T-rich stretch with sequence motifs found in the 3' untranslated regions of many cytokine and lymphokine cDNAs. Oncostatin M mRNA of approximately 2 kilobase pairs was detected in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated U937 cells and in activated human T cells. Transfection of cDNA encoding the oncostatin M precursor into COS cells resulted in the secretion of proteins with the structural and functional properties of oncostatin M. The unique amino acid sequence, expression by lymphoid cells, and growth-regulatory activities of oncostatin M suggest that it is a novel cytokine.

Cholangiographically guided aspiration cytology in the management of malignant biliary obstruction

Fifteen patients with malignant biliary obstruction were subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) under fluoroscopic guidance. Fourteen (93%) of them were correctly diagnosed to have a malignancy at FNAC. Simultaneous with FNAC or at a later date, all the patients underwent percutaneous biliary drainage with a drop in serum bilirubin from a mean of 23.2 mg/dl to 8.5 mg/dl. Ten patients were subjected to exploratory laparotomy and biopsy at which the diagnosis of FNAC was confirmed in nine of them. The tenth patient with a negative yield at FNAC had a 1.0 cm cholangiocarcinoma. The usefulness of FNAC combined with biliary drainage as an alternative to surgery is highlighted.

Identification and characterization of cellular receptors for the growth regulator, oncostatin M

Oncostatin M is a polypeptide growth regulator produced by activated T cells and phorbol ester-treated U937 cells. To identify specific cellular receptors for this factor, we have characterized the binding of 125I-labeled oncostatin M to a variety of normal and malignant mammalian cells. Recombinant oncostatin M was labeled with 125I with full retention of growth inhibitory activity on A375 melanoma cells. 125I-Oncostatin M bound to sensitive cells in a time- and temperature-dependent fashion. Binding was specifically inhibited by unlabeled native or recombinant oncostatin M, but not by other polypeptide growth factors tested. Binding to human leukemic and normal blood cells was generally less than to nonhematopoietic cells. With four different cell lines, maximal growth inhibition by oncostatin M was achieved at less than maximal binding site occupancy. Scatchard graphs of direct binding data were curvilinear and indicated that 125I-oncostatin M bound with higher apparent affinity at lower 125I-oncostatin M concentrations. Using a two binding site model, affinity constants of Kd1 = 11 +/- 11 pM and Kd2 = 1000 +/- 380 pM were extrapolated from binding data with A375 cells, and values of Kd1 = 3 +/- 2 pM and Kd2 = 400 +/- 44 pM from A549 cells. The major 125I-oncostatin M binding species in a number of mammalian cell lines was identified by chemical cross-linking as a specific protein(s) of Mr = 150,000-160,000. 125I-Oncostatin M was internalized (t1/2 = 30 min) and degraded subsequent to binding to a responsive cell line.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Postpyelolithotomy renal artery pseudo-aneurysm

A case of pseudo-aneurysm arising from the posterior division of right renal artery following pyelolithotomy is presented. The patient presented with massive haematuria and flank mass 7 days after pyelolithotomy. Selective renal arteriography revealed large pseudo-aneurysm in relation to the posterior division of renal artery. Nephrectomy was necessitated to control the bleeding. The relevant literature is reviewed.

Performance of Four Selective Media for Enumerating Staphylococcus aureus in Corned Beef and in Cheese

The performance of four selective media for enumerating Staphylococcus aureus in artificially contaminated samples of corned beef was strain-dependent. Baird-Parker (BP), Kranep (KR), Mannitol Salt (MS) and Staphylococcus medium 110 (S110) performed equally well in enumerating an enterotoxin A producing strain, but KR and BP were significantly better than S110 in enumerating an enterotoxin D producing strain of S. aureus . In naturally contaminated cheese samples which abound with competing microorganisms, BP performed significantly better than the other three media.

Benign periurethral mass lesions: the female prostate

Bladder outflow obstruction in the female is usually a functional complaint, but rarely may be of organic aetiology, due to peri-urethral mass lesions. These lesions are usually midline in location and present clinical and roentgenological features comparable with those of prostate in the male. Two such patients, one of pure fibroma and another of hyperplastic glandular tissue are presented and their management is discussed.

Taurine depletion leads to loss of rat optic nerve axons

The number of axons in the optic nerve have been examined in rat pups raised by control or taurine-depleted mothers, at 21, 28 and 40 days after birth. Optic nerves from the mother rats were also studied. Taurine depletion of dams and some litters after weaning was achieved by in vivo treatment with guanidinoethyl sulfonate, an inhibitor of taurine transport. Retinal taurine content was reduced by this procedure and reductions in axon density (axons per area) were found in some groups. Comparison of axon densities obtained from light or electron micrographs suggested that taurine-deficient pups might have a higher proportion of small diameter fibres than controls, perhaps due to slowed growth and/or myelination. Reductions in the calculated total number of optic nerve fibres attained statistical significance consistently only in the treated dams. Ganglion cell degeneration may be direct or secondary to effects on taurine-sensitive elements at more distal retinal sites.

Retinal morphology in rats treated with a taurine transport antagonist

Previous studies have shown that chronic treatment of rats with guanidinoethyl sulfonate (GES), an antagonist of taurine uptake, leads to depletion of retinal taurine content and electroretinogram abnormalities. In this study we examined with the light- and electron microscope the retina and pigment epithelium of mother rats treated for 8 weeks with 1% GES in their drinking water. Pigment epithelial cells appeared swollen, sometimes with mitochondrial vacuolization and loss of cytoplasmic density, and changes in nuclear shape and chromatin distribution. Photoreceptor cells had shorter outer segments with disarray of disks, swollen inner segments and nuclei, and loss of synaptic terminal contents. These degenerative changes frequently led to cell death, indicated by loss of photoreceptor cell nuclei and shrinkage of the outer nuclear layer, and disappearance of photoreceptor synaptic terminals from the outer plexiform layer. Narrowing of the outer plexiform layer was due also to the retraction of cell processes from higher-order neurons. Quantitative studies of the retina along the vertical meridian passing through the optic nerve head showed that treatment resulted in significant reductions in the number of rod-cell nuclei per field, the width of the outer nuclear layer, and the width of the inner retina. Effects were more pronounced in the superior than the inferior hemisphere, reminiscent of findings in light-damage studies. A possible role for taurine in the cellular defence mechanisms against light- and oxygen-induced damage is suggested.

Bovine and human cDNA sequences encoding a putative benzodiazepine receptor ligand

cDNAs containing the entire coding sequence of endozepine, a putative ligand of the benzodiazepine receptor, were isolated from bovine and human cDNA libraries. These libraries were constructed using a novel oligonucleotide adapter molecule that allowed us to combine the use of G/C tailing with the preservation of the unique Eco RI site in the vector, lambda gt10. The amino acid sequences derived from these cDNA clones are identical to those previously determined for the purified proteins and are homologous to a related rat protein termed diazepam-binding inhibitor. The endozepine proteins are highly conserved, as illustrated by the finding that the nucleotide sequences of the coding regions are 93% conserved between the bovine and human forms. Analysis of these sequences indicates that endozepine is not, as expected, derived from a precursor molecule containing a transient signal peptide. Moreover, Northern analyses using the cloned cDNAs as hybridization probes indicate that the 650-nucleotide endozepine mRNA is expressed in a number of peripheral tissues in addition to brain. These observations may be consistent with a recent report describing the presence in peripheral tissues of benzodiazepine receptors on the outer mitochondrial membrane (Anholt et al., 1986). In addition to the endozepine cDNAs, we also isolated a bovine cDNA clone which encodes a larger protein, a portion of which is homologous to endozepine. This related protein may be synthesized in a precursor form containing putative signal peptide and membrane-spanning domains.

ICMSF methods study. XVII. An international comparative study of the direct plate and hydrophobic grid-membrane filter methods for enumeration of Escherichia coli in foods. International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods

Eight laboratories compared counts of Escherichia coli from naturally or artificially contaminated ground beef, other meats and poultry, vegetables, fish and shellfish, cheese, and diverse sources such as swabs, by the Anderson-Baird-Parker direct plate (DP) and a hydrophobic grid-membrane filter (HGMF) method. For five of the eight laboratories overall counts by HGMF were significantly low (51-83%) compared with those by DP. Counts by HGMF tended to be lower for naturally contaminated samples; several possible causes were investigated. In a subsidiary study, analyst variation in counting HGMF ranged from 0.8-7.3%, with little evidence of effects from counting positive versus negative grid cells or from the fullness of growth or staining intensity.

Intrarenal gas abscess

Intrarenal abscess owing to gas-forming gram-negative bacteria is rare. Female patients and diabetics, or those with urinary calculi or obstructive uropathic conditions commonly are affected. We report on a nondiabetic man who was infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Initial medical management and subsequent partial nephrectomy offered cure.

Pancreatic endometriosis presenting as a hypovascular renal mass

We report a case of pancreatic endometriosis that presented as a renal mass. The patient had a history of recurrent left loin pain and pathological examination revealed pancreatic endometriosis, with huge cyst formation around the kidney. The clinicopathological features and the possible pathogenesis are discussed.

Spectrum of renovascular hypertension in the young in north India: a hospital based study on occurrence and clinical features

Occurrence of renovascular hypertension and its etiology is described in this work as seen in north India. Out of 2395 young hypertensives admitted for evaluation during the years 1978-1983, 91 patients (3.8%) were found to be having renovascular hypertension. In all patients suspected diagnosis of RVH was confirmed by the angiography of aorta and main vessels. Idiopathic aortoarteritis, diagnosed in 54 patients (59.4%) was the commonest cause of renovascular hypertension. In this group renal arterial involvement was found to be bilateral in 26 patients. Twenty-eight patients had isolated renal artery stenosis of unknown etiology. Six had fibromuscular dysplasia, 2 had polyarteritis and one had renal artery aneurysm. Twenty-three patients underwent surgery which included autotransplantation, arterial by-pass and nephrectomy with improved blood pressure control in 15. It is concluded that aortoarteritis seems to be the major cause of renovascular hypertension in the young in this part of the world.

A relationship between nuclear poly(adenosine diphosphate ribosylation) and acetylation posttranslational modifications. 1. Nucleosome studies

The chromatin-associated enzyme poly(ADP-Rib) polymerase catalyzes the posttranslational modifications of histones. Antibody to poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) [poly(ADP-Rib)] has been coupled to Sepharose, and the resulting immunoadsorbant was used to fractionate, specifically, oligonucleosomes derived from cells pulse labeled for the acetylation modifications of chromatin by incubation with [3H]acetate followed by treatment with sodium butyrate. Generally, about 50% of the histone H3 and H4 mass becomes acetylated under these conditions. Pulse-labeled acetylated regions of chromatin were selectively retained by the anti-poly(ADP-Rib)-Sepharose column due to the presence of endogenous poly(ADP-Rib) components. The data suggest that certain histone molecules might be mutally poly(ADP-ribosylated) and acetylated, and this phenomenon was further explored at the protein level in the accompanying paper [Wong, M., & Smulson, M. (1984) Biochemistry (following paper in this issue)].

Enrichment of acetylated histones in polynucleosomes containing high mobility group protein 17 revealed by immunoaffinity chromatography

The possibility that chromatin domains containing acetylated histones are proximal to domains containing chromosomal high mobility group protein 17 (HMG-17) has been investigated. Oligonucleosomes containing [3H]acetate-labeled histones have been immunofractionated on anti-HMG-17 IgG-Sepharose columns. Ninety-one per cent of the 3H counts present in the oligonucleosomes specifically bound to the anti-HMG-17 column. Extraction of HMG-17 from chromatin by treatment with 0.4 M NaCl abolished the specific binding of acetylated chromatin to the Sepharose columns. Autoradiographic analysis of polyacrylamide gels of the bound fraction revealed that it contained all the major acetylated histone species. We conclude that acetylated histones are present on or near nucleosomes containing protein HMG-17.

Failure of nisin to inhibit outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum in a model cured meat system

Up to 550 ppm (550 micrograms/ml) of nisin in combination with 60 ppm (60 micrograms/ml) of nitrite failed to prevent outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum spores in pork slurries adjusted to pH 5.8. Reducing the pH enhanced nisin activity. Proteolytic and nonproteolytic type B spores were equally resistant to nisin.

Immunoaffinity fractionation of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated domains of chromatin

Antibody to poly(ADP-ribose) has been covalently coupled to Sepharose and utilized to isolate selectively oligonucleosomes undergoing the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reaction from the bulk of chromatin. Approximately 12% of the unfractionated oligonucleosomes were bound to the immunoaffinity column and these represented essentially 100% of the original poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated nucleosomal species in the unfractionated chromatin. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated chromatin was not bound by preimmune IgG columns. KSCN eluted the modified nucleosomes in the form of nucleoprotein complexes. The eluted chromatin components were shown to contain poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated histones as well as automodified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. By using [3H]lysine- and [3H]arginine-labeled chromatin, it was shown that the poly-(ADP-ribosyl)ated histones, attached to stretches of oligonucleosomes bound to the column, had a 6-fold enrichment of the modification compared to histones of the unfractionated chromatin. This indicated that non-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated nucleosomes, connected and proximal to the modified regions, were copurified by this procedure. This allowed characterization of the oligonucleosomal DNA around poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated chromatin domains to be compared with the unbound bulk chromatin. The data indicated that immunofractionated poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated oligonucleosomal DNA contained significant amounts of internal single-strand breaks compared with bulk chromatin. The bound nucleo-protein complexes were found to be enzymatically active for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase after elution from the antibody column. In contrast, the unbound nucleosomes, representing 90% of the unfractionated chromatin, were totally inactive in the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reaction.

Polyoma virus minichromosomes: poly ADP-ribosylation of associated chromatin proteins

The host nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase has been shown to be associated with the replicative intermediate and mature forms of polyoma virus minichromosomes. Minichromosome-associated histones H2A and H2B as well as several nonhistone proteins were poly ADP-ribosylated by endogenous poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In addition, minichromosome fractions catalyzed the formation in vitro of dimers of endogenous histone H1 linked by poly(ADP-ribose). Poly ADP-ribosylated polyoma virus minichromosome chromatin labeled in vivo with [3H]thymidine could be retained and eluted from anti-poly(ADP-ribose) immunoglobulin G-Sepharose. Pulse-labeled replicative intermediate minichromosomes were retained better on the antibody columns than were mature minichromosomes labeled for 2.5 h. The possible role of poly ADP-ribosylation of viral nucleosomes during polyoma replication or transcription is discussed.

The participation of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated histone H1 in oligonucleosomal condensation

The chromatin-associated enzyme poly(ADP-Rib) polymerase causes an NAD-dependent crosslinking of modified oligonucleosomes, as demonstrated by electrophoretic and sedimentation analysis [Butt, T. R. and Smulson, M. (1980) Biochemistry, 19, 5235-5242]. It was speculated that poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of histone H1 and subsequent formation through crosslinking to an H1 dimer may be an important component of this phenomenon. To study this process, a method of complexing histone H1 to chromatin was required that promoted the restoration of accurate poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of this histone. Previously we have established that two histone H1 molecules are crosslinked by a chain of poly(ADP-Rib) 15 or 16 units in length. In the current study, we made use of the ability of oligonucleosomes, reconstituted with H1, to carry out the synthesis of the poly(ADP-Rib)-H1 complex in order to monitor the accuracy of reconstitution. It appears that a specific distance and juxtaposition of adjacent H1 molecules along the polynucleosome fiber is required for the enzymatic synthesis of this modified histone complex. We established that a controlled trypsin digestion of oligonucleosomes removed H1 histone with minimal perturbation of other nuclear proteins associated with chromatin. In addition, poly(ADP-Rib) polymerase was partially removed from chromatin by this procedure. Subsequently, methods utilizing gradient salt dialysis have been employed to reconstitute both the polymerase and histone H1 to the depleted oligonucleosomes. The reassociation of H1 (and polymerase) to specific binding sites within oligonucleosomes was accomplished by the above procedures. Poly(ADP-Rib)--H1-dimer synthesis was not observed in depleted oligonucleosomes, but this capacity was found to be partially restored in the reconstituted chromatin. Similarly, the ability of NAD to promote crosslinking of nucleosomes was restored in the reconstituted samples. These results provide a basis for further studies on how the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of histones alters the structure of chromatin.

Antibody to poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase and its use in chromatin analysis

To facilitate investigations on the organization of poly (ADP-Rib) polymerase in chromatin, and to elucidate its biological function, polymerase purified from HeLa nuclei was used to elicit antibodies in mice. The anti-polymerase sera was found to be specific by multiple criteria. The association of polymerase with oligonucleosomes of differing chain size was determined by the specific binding of polymerase antibody (and as control, anti-histone H3) to nitrocellulose transfers of native electrophoretic gels of these particles. By this technique, polymerase appears to be associated with a select subclass of nucleosomes. Further resolution of the polymerase binding sites within nucleosome classes was achieved with the antibody by two-dimensional native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and nitrocellulose transfer.

L-serine degradation in Escherichia coli K-12: directly isolated ssd mutants and their intragenic revertants

Two methods for the direct isolation of spontaneous ssd mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 strains are described; (i) by growth with L-serine as the carbon source, and (ii) by low-level kanamycin resistance. A newly isolated mutant had the same phenotype as the mutant described previously, including inefficient use of the glucose, inability to growth with succinate, altered transport characteristics, and altered resistance to certain growth effectors. Succinate-utilizing derivatives which appear to be intragenic are characterized in detail. The relation between the mutants isolated here and mutants which are thought to have impairment in a system of coupling respiratory energy to active transport (ecfB mutants) is discussed.

Renal vein thrombosis in nephrotic syndrome--a prospective study and review

The incidence of renal vein thrombosis (RVT) and other thrombo-embolic phenomena was evaluated in 44 unselected patients with nephrotic syndrome. Renal vein thrombosis was demonstrated by selective renal venography in 10 patients and at post-mortem in one. Extension of the thrombus from the renal veins into the inferior vena cava was seen in 3 patients. Evidence of thrombo-embolism elsewhere in the body was seen in the form of thrombophlebitis in the lower extremities in 4 patients (9.1%), pulmonary embolism in 3 (6.8%) and myocardial infarction in one (2.3%). Of the 11 patients with RVT, renal histology showed membranous glomerulonephritis in 3, minimal change nephritis in 5, membrano-proliferative in one and focal and diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis in one patient each. The characteristics clinical findings such as gross haematuria and flank pain were noted in only 3 patients with RVT. No significant difference could be detected between the plasma fibrinogen, serum cholesterol, beta-lipoprotein, triglycerides and phospholipid concentration of those who showed RVT and the remainder in whom RVT was not demonstrated. The possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of RVT in nephrotic syndrome are discussed.