Expression of interferon-alpha receptor mRNA in the liver in chronic liver diseases associated with hepatitis C virus: relation to effectiveness of interferon therapy

To investigate whether interferon-alpha receptor (IFN-alpha Rc) expression was related to the effectiveness of interferon therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated chronic liver disease (CLD). IFN-alpha Rc mRNA was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in liver biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 40 patients with HCV-associated CLD who subsequently received IFN-alpha therapy. IFN-alpha Rc mRNA in the liver was detected in 18 of 20 (90%) responders to IFN and in 5 of 20 (25%) non-responders (P < 0.01). In PBMCs, IFN-alpha Rc mRNA was detected in all patients regardless of response to IFN. Increased histological hepatitis activity and liver fibrosis were significantly related to the absence of IFN-alpha Rc mRNA. The HCV-RNA genotype showed no significant relationship to IFN-alpha Rc mRNA expression. Our results suggest that IFN-alpha Rc mRNA expression in the liver, but not in PBMCs, is closely associated with the effectiveness of IFN-alpha therapy in HCV-associated CLD.

Relationship between the intrahepatic expression of interferon-alpha receptor mRNA and the histological progress of hepatitis C virus-associated chronic liver diseases

Histological progress is one of the predictors of an unfavourable response to interferon (IFN) therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated chronic liver diseases (CLD). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether histological progress has an association with the expression of IFN receptor (IFN-Rc) in the liver. Expression of mRNA of the IFN-Rc for IFN-alpha was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using liver biopsy specimens from 37 HCV-associated CLD comprising 11 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 26 chronic hepatitis (CH) cases. IFN-alpha and IFN-beta mRNA were detected in over 90% of subjects. In contrast, the detection rate of IFN-Rc mRNA in chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic hepatitis 2A, chronic hepatitis 2B and liver cirrhosis (LC) was 100, 71.4, 22.2 and 0%, respectively. The absence of IFN-Rc mRNA was significantly associated with the severity of fibrosis of the liver. These results indicated that IFN-Rc expression decreases with the histological progress of the disease, suggesting that lower expression of IFN-Rc mRNA may be partially responsible for the poor IFN response in LC.

Cytokine gene expression in the gastric mucosa: its role in chronic gastritis

There have been few studies of cytokine expression in the gastric mucosa of patients with chronic gastritis. In the present study, to elucidate the expression of cytokines in the gastric mucosa and the immunopathological roles played by these cytokines in chronic gastritis, we investigated cytokine gene expression, by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, in gastric biopsy specimens obtained from 29 endoscopically normal patients with chronic gastritis. The cytokines examined and the mRNA positivity were: interleukin (IL)-1 beta (21%), IL-2 (0%), IL-3 (7%), IL-4 (41%), IL-5 (17%), IL-6 (53%), IL-8 (98%), interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) (69%), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) (24%). Although the histological severity of the gastritis was closely associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, the positivities of these cytokine mRNAs did not show a relationship with either H. pylori infection or with histological inflammation. Our findings suggest that the gastric mucosa responds to all exogenous antigens, including H. pylori, in the same fashion immunologically, and that these cytokines do not contribute to the induction of inflammation associated with H. pylori infection.

Hepatitis B virus with X gene mutation is associated with the majority of serologically "silent" non-b, non-c chronic hepatitis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) with X gene mutations has been a putative pathogen of chronic hepatitis without serological markers of known hepatitis viruses. The aim of this study was to reconfirm whether the HBV with the X gene mutation is associated with these serologically "silent" non-B, non-C (NBNC) chronic hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). HBV DNA was amplified from serum and sequenced in 30 patients with NBNC chronic hepatitis in comparison with 20 patients with ALD and 5 patients with AIH. HBV DNA was identified in 21 patients (70%) in NBNC chronic hepatitis by nested polymerase chain reaction while only one patient (5%) in ALD and none in AIH showed HBV DNA. Eighteen (85.7%) of the 21 identified HBV DNAs had an identical 8-nucleotide deletion mutation at the distal part of the X region. This mutation affected the core promoter and the enhancer II sequence of HBV DNA and created a translational stop codon which truncated the X protein by 20 amino acids from the C-terminal end. All the HBV DNAs had a precore mutation at the 83rd nucleotide resulting in disruption of HBe antigen synthesis. These results indicate that HBV mutants are closely associated with the majority of serologically "silent" NBNC chronic hepatitis cases and the population of such mutant HBV DNAs is not uniform.

Degradation of Rhizopus niveus aspartic proteinase-I with mutated prosequences occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Rhizopus niveus aspartic proteinase-I (RNAP-I) is secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae extracellularly (Horiuchi, H., Ashikari, T., Amachi, T., Yoshizumi, H., Takagi, M., and Yano, K. (1990) Agric. Biol. Chem. 54, 1771-1779). The prosequence of RNAP-I has the function to promote correct folding of its mature part. Deletion (Deltapro) and amino acid substitutions (M1) in the prosequence block secretion of RNAP-I (Fukuda, R., Horiuchi, H., Ohta, A., and Takagi, M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 9556-9561). In this study, little accumulation of Deltapro was observed in Western blot analysis of the cell extracts of the transformants producing Deltapro using anti-RNAP-I antisera. In contrast, M1 was accumulated in the yeast cells. Pulse-chase analysis revealed that they were synthesized at almost the same rates and that Deltapro was degraded in the cells more rapidly than M1. In subcellular fractionation analysis, Deltapro was found in the fraction that contained most of the activity of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker enzyme, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. In indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, Deltapro was observed in the ER. Similar result was also observed in a mutant which is deficient of the two vacuolar proteases, proteinase A and proteinase B. So, the vacuolar proteases are not involved in degradation of Deltapro. From these results, we concluded that RNAP-Is with the mutated prosequences, which probably could not be folded correctly, were retained and degraded in the ER.

Modulation of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets during methylprednisolone pulse therapy

We determined fluctuations in circulating lymphocyte subsets induced by methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPT) and the continuous administration of prednisolone (PSL) in 17 patients with autoimmune or systemic rheumatic disease. Two-color flow cytometry, using monoclonal antibodies to various lymphocyte subsets, was performed to identify a possible association between the clinical efficacy of treatment and modulative effects on each subset. Both MPT and continuous oral PSL showed suppressive effects on most of the lymphocyte subsets: CD4+, CD45RA or CD45RA+CD4+, CD8+, CD11b.CD8+, CD5+ B, and CD57+ or CD57 CD16+ cells. Modulation of lymphocyte subsets were more profound with MPT than with continuous oral PSL. The results are relevant to the different degrees of immuno-suppression effected by the two treatment modalities. We found that the number of CD45RA.CD4+ cells after MPT treatment correlated with the clinical efficacy of the treatment: the less CD45RA.CD4+ cell numbers decreased after MPT treatment, the greater was the clinical efficacy of the treatment. The results probably are associated with a rapid recovery of the subset after MPT treatment in the responders. Thus, the sequential monitoring of circulating lymphocyte subsets is useful in predicting the clinical effects of MPT treatment.

Growth factor mRNA expression in normal colorectal mucosa and in uninvolved mucosa from ulcerative colitis patients

This study was carried out to investigate the expression of various growth factors (GFs) involved in mucosal healing and thereby to clarify whether there are potential differences in the expression of GFs between normal colonic mucosa and the uninvolved mucosa of ulcerative colitis (UC). GF mRNA was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in colorectal biopsies from 20 normal controls and 15 UC patients. The positive rates (%) for mRNA expression for normal/UC were: epidermal growth factor (EGF) 65/53, transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha 100/87, TGF-beta 1 60/33, insulin like growth factor-I 45/33, platelet-derived growth factor-A 55/67, basic fibroblast growth factor 0/0, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) 50/53, EGF receptor 20/27, erb-B2 75/73, and HGF receptor (c-MET) 55/67. Semiquantitation of mRNA showed significantly lower expression of TGF-beta 1 (P < 0.05) in UC. Differences in expression and mRNA levels were not statistically significant for any other GFs. Our results indicate that mucosa in chronic persistent UC has a low basal expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA, and, since TGF-beta 1 is a multifunctional GF that plays important roles in regulating repair and regeneration following tissue injury, this low expression may be partially responsible for the intractability of the disease.

[Comparison of free non-tryptophan fluorescent substances in water-soluble fraction of brunescent and non-brunescent human cataract]

We compared the concentrations of protein-unbound non-tryptophan fluorescent substances in the water-soluble fraction between non-brunescent (NBr) and brunescent (Br) human cataractous lens nuclei. Lens nuclei (NBr, 22 eyes: Br, 9 eyes) from non-diabetic patients, obtained by extracapsular cataract extraction, were individually homogenized and centrifuged. The supernatants were subsequently ultra-dialyzed and assessed by high pressure liquid chromatography. 3-Hydroxykynurenine-O-beta-glucoside (3-HKG) as well as an unidentified fluorescent substance was detected. While the concentrations of the former substance did not significantly differ between the NBr and the Br nuclei (NBr, 0.55 +/- 0.49 mumol/g wet weight: Br, 0.90 +/- 0.64 mumol/g wet weight; p > 0.1), the concentration of the latter substance was significantly greater in the Br nuclei than in the NBr nuclei (NBr, 2.2 x 10(3) +/- 5.4 x 10(3) AU/g wet weight: Br, 1.4 x 10(5) +/- 1.1 x 10(5) AU/g wet weight; AU: area unit, p < 0.01). An incubation of the dialysate with beta-glucosidase eliminated the peak corresponding to the latter substance. These results suggest that an unidentified protein-unbound fluorescent substance, which is presumably a beta-glucoside, in the lens nuclei is related to the coloration of human lens nuclei.

Clinical significance of LEA-1 expression in adult acute myeloid leukemia

In this study, we examined expressions of several adhesion molecules (AdMs), i.e. leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1: CD11a/CD18), Hermes homing receptor (CD44) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1: CD54), on leukemia cells from 51 adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) to elucidate clinical significance of these AdM expressions. Those expressions in lymphoid malignancies have been correlated with tumor evolutions, but CD44 was detected in all the AML cases examined and CD54 expression did not associate with their clinical characteristics or outcomes. However, we found that LFA-1 expressions significantly correlated with splenomegaly, resistance to induction chemotherapies and short survival periods in AML patients.

Gene expression of perforin and granzyme A in the liver in chronic hepatitis C: comparison with peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Perforin and granzyme A are the major effectors of cytotoxic T cells in cell-mediated cytotoxicity. However, there has been no report on these effectors in chronic viral hepatitis. In the present study, the expression of perforin and granzyme A mRNA was investigated by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method using liver biopsy specimens and peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 21 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 5 control cases. Perforin mRNA was detected only in the liver of chronic hepatitis patients but not in the control livers. Conversely, perforin mRNA was not expressed in PBMC of the patients with chronic hepatitis (P < 0.01). Granzyme A mRNA was detected both in the liver and PBMC of all the cases including control cases. These results indicated that the perforin is an important effector molecule in the hepatocyte lysis in chronic viral hepatitis C.

X gene and precore region mutations in the hepatitis B virus genome in persons positive for antibody to hepatitis B e antigen: comparison between asymptomatic "healthy" carriers and patients with severe chronic active hepatitis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers with antibody to hepatitis e antigen comprise asymptomatic carriers (ASCs), who have low replication levels of HBV, and patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), who have high levels of viral replication. To investigate whether defects in the X protein might be responsible for this difference in the level of viral replication, nucleotide sequences of X and precore gene regions in serum HBV were analyzed in 19 ASCs and 9 CAH patients. All patients had a point mutation creating a stop codon in the precore region. Seventeen ASCs (87.3%) had identical mutations consisting of 4 noncontiguous 1-bp deletions or an 8-bp deletion, both of which truncate the normal X protein, whereas no CAH patient had an X gene mutation (P < .001). Thus, deletion of the X protein might be responsible for the low levels of viral replication in ASCs.

[Clinical and pathological features of Sjögren's syndrome associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases]

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the exocrine glands accompanied by mononuclear cell infiltration. The histopathological features of the salivary and lacrimal glands of SS resemble those of the thyroid glands of autoimmune thyroiditis (chronic thyroiditis; CT). In addition, both SS and CT frequently recognized in the patients with other organ-specific or systemic autoimmune diseases (collagen-vascular diseases; CVD). We analyzed the incidences of CT among patients with SS or CVD, and compared clinical, immunological and endocrinological profiles between the SS patients with and those without CT. CT was the most frequent organ-specific auto-immune disease recognized in both primary and secondary SS patients. The thyroid disease similarly associated with CVD patients, regardless of the presence of SS. Several studies have also suggested that subclinical diseases are frequent in both CT and SS patients. The clinical and immunohematological features were almost identical between SS patients with and those without CT. Furthermore, the clinical, serological and endocrinological profiles of thyroid disease were very similar between SS patients with CT and CT patients without SS. These results indicate that CT and SS are independent autoimmune diseases, and the thyroid involvement observed in patients with primary or secondary SS is not an extraglandular manifestation of SS.

dinP, a new gene in Escherichia coli, whose product shows similarities to UmuC and its homologues

A new gene, designated dinP, was found during E. coli genomic sequencing around the 5.5 min region. Its coding region is preceded by a sequence similar to the consensus binding sequence for LexA, the so-called SOS box sequence. The amino acid sequence of DinP (351 amino acid residues) has a strong similarity to the C. elegans hypothetical protein F22B7.6 and weaker similarities to the UmuC homologues in E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium and also to REV1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Another SOS operon (dinJ1 and dinJ2 genes) found in this region is also described.

The expression of IL-2, IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) mRNA using liver biopsies at different phases of acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B

To investigate the hypothesis that Th1 phenotype cytokines are associated with the increasing activity of hepatitis and Th2 phenotype cytokines with decreasing activity in the liver of chronic viral hepatitis, expressions of the mRNA of the cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-4 in the liver of 23 patients with chronic hepatitis B were investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Patients were divided into three groups according to the phase of acute exacerbation of hepatitis as increasing (n = 9), decreasing (n = 8), and stable phase (n = 6). Both IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA were preferentially expressed in increasing phase than in decreasing phase (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively) and associated with the high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. On the other hand, IL-4 mRNA was detected in decreasing phase with significant frequency compared with increasing phase (P < 0.05). However, expression of IL-4 mRNA was not associated with serum ALT level. Our results suggest that Th1 phenotype cytokines up-regulate and Th2 phenotype cytokines down-regulate the liver inflammation of chronic viral hepatitis.

Activation of the apoptotic Fas antigen-encoding gene upon influenza virus infection involving spontaneously produced beta-interferon

We previously demonstrated that influenza virus infection induces apoptosis in culture cells. Here, we examined the activation of the Fas antigen gene that encodes an apoptosis-mediating membrane protein in the virus-infected cells. The virus elicited a transient but marked increase in Fas antigen mRNA 3 to 4 hr after infection, followed by the expression of the antigen on the cell surface. Poly(I)-poly(C), a synthetic double-stranded RNA, similarly activated Fas antigen gene expression, and poly(I)-poly(C)-treated cells are highly susceptible to the cell killing effect of IgM isotype of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody. On the other hand, the IgG isotype of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody, which has an inhibitory effect on Fas Ag-mediated cell death, suppressed the virus-induced cell death. Prior exposure of the cells to anti-interferon-beta antibody decreased the degree of cell death as well as the amount of Fas mRNA. The autophosphorylation activity of double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase was also decreased in the antibody-treated cells. Moreover, a protein kinase inhibitor, 2-aminopurine, blocked the Fas Ag gene activation by poly(I)-poly(C). These results suggested that the activation of Fas Ag gene in the early phase of infection is an important event for apoptosis, and that it is regulated by the double-stranded RNA/interferon system involving protein phosphorylation.

No evidence of linkage or association between tyrosine hydroxylase gene and affective disorder

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine, and therefore is of significant interest as a candidate gene in studies of affective disorders. We have carried out the linkage study between the susceptibility gene for affective disorder and tetranucleotide polymorphism of TH gene in five Japanese pedigrees. In addition to the linkage approach, we have undertaken an allelic association study using 74 patients with affective disorder and 78 controls with polymorphisms at the TH gene and the nearby dopamine D4 receptor gene. No evidence for linkage or associations were found. These results indicate that TH gene is less likely to contribute to the genetic component of affective disorders.

Expression rate of cytokine mRNA in the liver of chronic hepatitis C: comparison with chronic hepatitis B

This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that, in chronic hepatitis (CH), inflammatory processes, including viral replication, host immune response, and hepatocyte destruction, are regulated by a cytokine network in the liver. Expression of the mRNA of the cytokines IL1-beta, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma, the lymphocyte markers CD4 and CD8, and the HLA class I molecule, beta 2-microglobulin (B2MG) in the liver tissue of 20 CH(C) cases and 9 CH(B) patients was investigated by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. TNF-alpha, CD4, and B2MG mRNA were detected in 100% of cases of in both CH(B) and CH(C). The expression rates of IL1-beta, IL2, IL4, IFN-gamma, and CD8 mRNA were 80%, 40%, 25%, 40%, and 80% in CH(C) and 88.9%, 44.5%, 30%, 55.6%, and 100% in CH(B). IL6 mRNA was detected only in CH(B), in 22.2% of cases, IL5 mRNA was not detected in either CH(B) or CH(C). IL2, IL4, and IFN-gamma mRNA were expressed significantly more frequently in patients who had high serum ALT and a high histological activity index (HAI) score. There was no difference in cytokine expression between CH(B) and CH(C), except in IL6, suggesting the existence of a common immunopathogenesis for CH(B) and CH(C). In chronic viral hepatitis, IL1-beta and TNF-alpha appear to play a major role in immune responses and IL2, IL4, and IFN-gamma seem to be associated with increased cytotoxic T cell response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

No allelic association between Parkinson's disease and dopamine D2, D3, and D4 receptor gene polymorphisms

Parkinson's disease is thought to be caused by a combination of unknown environmental, genetic, and degenerative factors. Evidence from necropsy brain samples and pharmacokinetics suggests involvement of dopamine receptors in the pathogenesis or pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Genetic association studies between Parkinson's disease and dopamine D2, D3 and D4 receptor gene polymorphisms were conducted. The polymorphism was examined in 71 patients with Parkinson's disease and 90 controls. There were no significant differences between two groups in allele frequencies at the D2, D3, and D4 dopamine receptor loci. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that susceptibility to Parkinson's disease is associated with the dopamine receptor polymorphisms examined.

Circadian variations and prednisolone-induced alterations of circulating lymphocyte subsets in man

We determined the circadian variations and prednisolone (PSL)-induced alterations of circulating lymphocyte subsets in 10 healthy adults by two-color flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies to various lymphocyte subsets in order to collect fundamental data for monitoring of the subsets in clinical practice. This study first examined the changes of CD5+ B cells, gamma delta+ or gamma delta-T cells, activated (HLA-DR+) CD4+ or CD8+ cells, CD11b+ or CD11b-CD8+ cells, and natural killer (NK) cell subsets (CD16+CD57-, CD16+CD57+, CD16-CD57+), in addition to other subsets described before. Compared with the base line values obtained at 9:00 (AM) on day 1, lymphocytes, total B cells, CD5+ B cells, total T cells, gamma delta-T cells, CD4+ cells, activated CD4+ cells, CD45RA-CD4+ cells, and activated CD8+ cells were significantly increased at 20:00 (PM). However, the numbers of CD45RA+CD4+ cells, CD11b+ or CD11b-CD8+ cells and three NK cells subsets did not show significant circadian variations. After oral PSL (30 mg), which was given at 7:00 (AM) on day 2, lymphocytes and almost all lymphocyte subsets, except for CD16+CD57- cells, were significantly decreased; these changes recovered between 13 and 26 hours after PSL administration. The circadian variations and PSL-induced alterations of lymphocyte subsets were relatively comparable, but PSL administration cause a decrease in a wider range of lymphocyte subsets including relatively corticosteroid-resistant subsets such as CD45RA+CD4+ cells, CD8+ cell and NK cell subsets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

No evidence of linkage or allelic association of schizophrenia with DNA markers at pericentric region of chromosome 9

Based on our previous study suggesting the pericentric region of chromosome 9 as of potential importance in schizophrenia, we have carried out a linkage study between the schizophrenia phenotype and the dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms D9S55, D9S15, and D9S202 in three pedigrees multiply affected with schizophrenia. In addition, we have conducted allelic association studies using 60 patients with schizophrenia and 60 controls with polymorphisms at D9S55 and D9S15 markers. No evidence for linkage or association was found. The results indicate that susceptibility genes for schizophrenia are less likely to be located at the pericentric region of chromosome 9, assuming genetic homogeneity of the pedigrees.