Fibrinopeptide A is released into the coronary circulation after coronary spasm

To examine whether acute myocardial ischemia activates the coagulation system and platelet activation in the coronary circulation, we measured plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A and beta-thromboglobulin in the coronary sinus and the aortic root simultaneously in 15 patients with coronary spastic angina before and after the left coronary spasm induced by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine and in 15 patients with stable exertional angina before and after acute myocardial ischemia induced by rapid atrial pacing. Fifteen patients with chest pain but normal coronary arteries and no coronary spasm served as controls. The coronary sinus-arterial difference of fibrinopeptide A increased markedly (p less than 0.001) from 0.1 +/- 0.2 to 4.3 +/- 0.7 ng/ml after the anginal attacks in the coronary spastic angina group. However, fibrinopeptide A levels remained unchanged after the attacks in the stable exertional angina group and after intracoronary injection of acetylcholine in the control group. Plasma beta-thromboglobulin levels remained unchanged after the attacks in both patient groups and after acetylcholine in the control group. Our data indicate that coronary spasm induces thrombin generation and may lead to thrombus formation in the coronary artery involved, but pacing-induced ischemia does not activate the coagulation system.

Conversion of big endothelin-1 by membrane-bound metalloendopeptidase in cultured bovine endothelial cells

We propose a candidate for the "putative" endothelin (ET) converting enzyme in the cultured endothelial cells (ECs) of bovine carotid artery. The enzyme is membrane-bound, soluble in 0.5% Triton X-100, and capable of converting human big ET-1 to ET-1 by a specific cleavage between Trp21 and Val22. The conversion reached 90% after a 5-hr incubation in the presence of DFP, PCMS and pepstatin A, but it was inhibited by EDTA, omicron-phenanthroline or phosphoramidon. The enzyme is very sensitive to pH, and active only between pH 6.6 and pH 7.6. Conversion of big ET-3 by this enzyme was only 1/9 that of big ET-1. From these results, ET-1 converting enzyme in the bovine EC is most likely to be a membrane-bound, neutral metalloendopeptidase, which is much less susceptible to big ET-3.

Mode of action of sapecin, a novel antibacterial protein of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly)

Sapecin is an antibacterial protein purified from the culture medium of NIH-Sape-4, an embryonic cell line of Sarcophaga peregrina [Matsuyama, K. & Natori, S. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 236, 17112-17116]. As this protein inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria better than that of Gram-negative bacteria, we studied its mode of action with special reference to its effects on S. aureus and Escherichia coli. Results showed that sapecin had high affinity for cardiolipin, which is a major phospholipid of S. aureus. Moreover, a mutant of E. coli with a defect in cardiolipin synthesis was more resistant to sapecin than wild type E. coli, suggesting that cardiolipin is a target for sapecin. Lipopolysaccharide of E. coli was also found to be a barrier for the antibacterial activity of sapecin.

Atrial natriuretic polypeptide is removed by the lungs and released into the left atrium as well as the right atrium in humans

To examine the sites of release and removal of plasma atrial natriuretic polypeptide plasma levels in the femoral vein, right atrium, pulmonary artery, pulmonary capillary bed, left atrium and aortic root were measured in 11 control subjects and 22 patients with mitral stenosis. Mean plasma natriuretic polypeptide levels in the femoral vein, right atrium, pulmonary artery, pulmonary capillary bed, left atrium and aortic root were, respectively, 64 +/- 29, 124 +/- 72, 103 +/- 44, 83 +/- 30, 106 +/- 46 and 101 +/- 35 pg/ml in the control subjects and 321 +/- 170, 500 +/- 234, 458 +/- 266, 356 +/- 209, 434 +/- 222 and 432 +/- 217 pg/ml in the patients with mitral stenosis. In both the control subjects and the patients with mitral stenosis, there was a significant increase between the femoral vein and the right atrium and between the pulmonary capillary bed and the left atrium and a significant decrease between the pulmonary artery and the pulmonary capillary bed. Blood samples were also taken simultaneously from the pulmonary vein and the pulmonary capillary bed, as well as from the pulmonary artery and the left atrium, in 25 patients (11 control subjects, 5 patients with mitral stenosis and 9 patients with atrial septal defect). There was no difference in plasma atrial natriuretic polypeptide levels between the pulmonary capillary bed and the pulmonary vein in these 25 patients. It is concluded that atrial natriuretic polypeptide 1) is released into the left as well as the right atrium, and 2) is removed by the lungs.

Determination of the disulfide array in sapecin, an antibacterial peptide of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly)

Sapecin is a 40-residue peptide containing 6 half-cystine residues. The disulfide structure of sapecin was determined by sequencing cystine-containing peptides obtained by digesting sapecin with thermolysin. Results showed that sapecin has a vortical structure fixed by 3 disulfide bonds between cysteine residues 3 and 30, 16 and 36, and 20 and 38, respectively, and that these disulfide bonds are essential for its antibacterial activity.

[Dermal patch anesthesia to prevent pain from dermal puncture--10% lidocaine aqueous gel with 3% glycyrrhetinic acid 3-0 hemiphthalate disodium]

The clinical efficacies of 10% lidocaine aqueous gel with and without 3% glycyrrhetinic acid 3-0 hemiphthalate disodium (GAHPh) applied as a skin patch for reduction of pain from venous cannulation were evaluated in a double blind study. Twenty-four adult patients, who were scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia, gave informed consent to participate in this study. The patients were allocated randomly into two groups: one for a dermal patch GAHPh (GAHPh group) and the other for a dermal patch without GAHPh (plain group). Approximately 0.3g of either gel with or without GAHPh, soaked in a round sponge (25mm in diameter, 1mm in thickness), was applied over the selected vein on the arm and was covered with an adhesive plastic film (Tegaderm). Pain score was graded by the number of painful spots out of the 5 tests in the treated skin area. In patients with a pain score under 1, venous cannulation was carried out without an intradermal injection of a local anesthetic and pain associated with the cannulation procedure was graded by patients on a scale of 5, where 0 = no pain, 1 = little pain, 2 = moderate pain, 3 = painful, 4 = very painful. The mean application time periods were 59.3 min for the GAHPh group and 60.3 min for the plain group. Transient local redness was observed in 8 patients after removal of the gels; 3 in the GAHPh group and 5 in the plain group. The mean pain score (1.3 +/- 1.5) in the GAHPh group, was significantly lower than that (2.5 +/- 1.7) in the plain group (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Magnesium deficiency detected by intravenous loading test in variant angina pectoris

To study whether magnesium (Mg) deficiency is present in patients with variant angina, 24-hour Mg retention of low dose Mg (0.2 mEq/kg lean body weight) administered intravenously over 4 hours in 20 patients with variant angina was examined. No patient had received calcium antagonists before or during the study. All had attacks of chest pain associated with ST elevation on electrocardiograms. Twenty-one subjects without ischemic heart disease were studied as control subjects. Ten patients with variant angina were restudied 10 to 529 days (mean 235 +/- 30) after the treatment with calcium antagonists (diltiazem 120 to 240 or nifedipine 40 to 80 mg/day), which resulted in complete suppression of anginal attacks. The mean serum Mg concentrations in the patients with variant angina and the control subjects were 2.1 +/- 0.05 and 2.1 +/- 0.03 mg/dl, respectively (difference not significant). However, 24-hour Mg retention in the patients with variant angina was 60 +/- 5%, while that in the control subjects was 36 +/- 3% (p less than 0.001), suggesting that Mg deficiency is present in at least some patients with variant angina. The mean serum Mg concentrations before and after calcium antagonist treatment in 10 patients with variant angina were 2.1 +/- 0.09 and 2.1 +/- 0.07 mg/dl, respectively (difference not significant). However, 24-hour Mg retention decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) from 60 +/- 6 to 34 +/- 7% after the treatment. There is Mg deficiency in many patients with variant angina and it is corrected after treatment with calcium antagonists.

Responses of angiographically normal human coronary arteries to intracoronary injection of acetylcholine by age and segment. Possible role of early coronary atherosclerosis

We examined the response of left coronary arteries to intracoronary injection of acetylcholine (ACh) 50 micrograms in 74 patients by measuring the diameter changes with a videodensitometric analysis system. Patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries were subdivided into a younger group of 26 patients (age, 9-29 years) and an older group of 23 patients (age, 31-68 years). In the younger group, the diameter at the distal segment of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and at the proximal, middle, and distal segments of the left circumflex artery (LCx) increased significantly (16.7 +/- 19.3%, p less than 0.01, for LAD and 8.0 +/- 18.8%, p less than 0.05; 11.0 +/- 16.1%, p less than 0.01; and 19.8 +/- 17.5%, p less than 0.01, for LCx segments, respectively) in response to ACh. In the older group, on the other hand, the diameter at the proximal and middle segments of LAD and LCx decreased significantly (-20.8 +/- 16.9%, p less than 0.01; and -17.9 +/- 28.4%, p less than 0.01, for LAD segments and -14.6 +/- 17.4%, p less than 0.01; and -11.3 +/- 21.4%, p less than 0.05, for LCx segments, respectively). The dilator response to ACh in the younger group was significantly greater in the distal segment than in the proximal segment in both LAD and LCx (p less than 0.01 for LAD and p less than 0.05 for LCx). The constrictor response to ACh in the older group was significantly greater in the proximal than the distal segment in both LAD and LCx (p less than 0.05 for LAD and LCx, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of H1-receptor stimulation on coronary arterial diameter and coronary hemodynamics in humans

Effects of H1-receptor stimulation on coronary arterial diameter and coronary hemodynamics were examined in 11 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries and without variant angina or resting angina. Selective H1-receptor stimulation was achieved by infusing histamine into the left coronary artery at a rate of 2.0 micrograms/min for 5 minutes after pretreatment with cimetidine (25 mg/kg). Plasma histamine concentration in the coronary sinus, coronary sinus blood flow, heart rate, and aortic pressure were measured before, during, and after the histamine infusion. Coronary arterial diameter was measured by cinevideodensitometric analysis of coronary arteriograms performed before and immediately after the histamine infusion. During the histamine infusion, plasma histamine concentration in the coronary sinus increased from 0.33 +/- 0.06 to 5.86 +/- 0.71 ng/ml (p less than 0.01); coronary sinus blood flow increased from 98 +/- 12 to 124 +/- 13 ml/min (p less than 0.01), and coronary vascular resistance decreased from 1,113 +/- 117 to 851 +/- 91 mm Hg.min/l (p less than 0.01). Heart rate and aortic pressure remained unchanged. The mean luminal diameters of the proximal, middle, and distal left anterior descending artery increased by 9.4 +/- 3.6% (p less than 0.05), 19.2 +/- 3.8% (p less than 0.001), and 31.5 +/- 5.6% (p less than 0.001), respectively, after the histamine infusion. The mean luminal diameters of the proximal, middle, and distal left circumflex artery increased by 15.2 +/- 3.6% (p less than 0.01), 17.5 +/- 5.2% (p less than 0.01), and 20.6 +/- 4.3% (p less than 0.001), respectively, after the histamine infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Synthesis of valproyl-2-pyrrolidinone and its evaluation as a cognitive drug with the ability to modulate acidic amino acids in the brain

A new pyrrolidinone derivative, valproyl-2-pyrrolidinone (VP), was synthesized, followed by evaluation as a cognitive drug. VP gave rise to a significant protective effect against cerebral anoxia together with a potent prolongation of latency time for the reversal of scopolamine induced transient disruption of the memory of a passive avoidance response in rats. The quantitative experiment using HPLC demonstrated a significant reduction of hippocampal aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu) following the intraperitoneal administration of VP at a dose of 300 mg/kg.

Site-specific postural and locomotor changes evoked in awake, freely moving intact cats by stimulating the brainstem

Locomotor behaviors evoked by stimulating the hypothalamus and the brainstem were studied in freely moving, awake cats. To do this, stimulating microelectrodes were chronically implanted into the subthalamic locomotor region (SLR) in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) corresponding to the nucleus cuneiformis, the dorsal tegmental field (DTF) and the ventral tegmental field (VTF) of caudal pons along its midline. After recovery from surgery (2-3 days), open field tests were performed to study stimulus effects upon posture and locomotor movements. The stimuli consisted of pulses of 0.2 ms duration of less than 80 microA delivered at 50 pulses/s for 5-20 s. DTF stimulation resulted in suppression of postural support by the hindlimbs. When the cat was in a standing posture, DTF stimulation simply resulted in a sequential alteration of posture to a squatting and then to a final lying posture. In contrast, VTF stimulation evoked an almost opposite series of postural changes to those induced by DTF stimulation. With VTF stimulation, the cat changed from a lying or a squatting position, and then started to walk during continuation of the stimulation. With MLR stimulation, the cat invariably exhibited fast walking and then running movements. It ran straight forward, avoiding collision with walls or other obstacles, and even tried to jump over a fence placed in front of it. With LHA stimulation, the cat started to walk slowly extending its head forward and looking around repeatedly. It tended to walk with a stoop and stealthy steps along the corners of the room. Induced postural and locomotor changes were always accompanied by behavioral arousal reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circadian variation of plasma fibrinopeptide A level in patients with variant angina

Plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A (FPA), beta-thromboglobulin (BTG), and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were examined on venous plasma samples taken every 4 hours for 24 hours in 20 patients with variant angina and 20 patients with stable exertional angina together with 24-hour Holter recordings. The mean plasma FPA levels (ng/ml) at 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM, 2:00 AM, 6:00 AM, and 10:00 AM were 4.6 +/- 1.0, 3.1 +/- 0.5, 6.1 +/- 1.6, 9.9 +/- 2.4, 8.7 +/- 1.4, and 4.2 +/- 0.8 in patients with variant angina (p less than 0.01) and 1.8 +/- 0.2, 2.3 +/- 0.3, 1.9 +/- 0.3, and 2.3 +/- 0.2 in those with stable exertional angina. In seven patients with variant angina, we also examined the effects of heparin (3,000 units), given subcutaneously at 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM, and 2:00 AM, on the plasma FPA levels and the anginal attacks. Although heparin suppressed the elevation and circadian variation of plasma FPA levels, it did not suppress the attacks and their circadian variation in these patients. Plasma FPA levels increased significantly from 3.7 +/- 0.5 to 12.5 +/- 2.7 ng/ml during or immediately after an attack in the seven patients with no heparin. On the other hand, the plasma levels of BTG and PF4 were increased in patients with variant angina as compared with those with stable exertional angina but did not show a significant circadian variation in both groups. We conclude that 1) plasma levels of FPA, BTG, and PF4 were increased in patients with variant angina as compared with those with stable exertional angina; 2) there was a significant circadian variation in the plasma levels of FPA in parallel with that of the frequency of the attacks with the peak level occurring from midnight to early morning in patients with variant angina; and 3) elevated levels of plasma FPA are the result and not the cause of coronary spasm.

[Interstitial pneumonia (IP) in bone marrow transplantation in leukemia--120 cases analysis in Nagoya Bone Marrow Transplantation Group]

Results of the bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for 120 cases of leukemia, which were done in nine institutes in Nagoya (Nagoya Bone Marrow Transplantation Group) last ten years, were analyzed to determine the factors associated with an increased risk of developing interstitial pneumonia (IP). IP developed 49 out of 120 patients (49.8%) and case fatality rate was 63.3%. The median time from transplantation to onset of IP was 81 days (range 13-575 days), in 30 out of 49 cases (61.2%), this complication developed within 100 days after transplantation. Of the 49 patients who developed IP, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was associated in 18 cases (36.7%), no cases of P. carinii infection was detected. Five factors were associated with an increased risk for developing IP, (1) older age (greater than or equal to 47.0%: less than 10 y. 10.0%) (p less than 0.01) (2) disease stage at BMT (non-remission 76.2%: remission 32.5%) (p less than 0.01) (3) presence of acute GVHD ((+) 52.5% (-) 28.8%) (p less than 0.05) (4) onset day after BMT (less than or equal to 100 days 61.2%: greater than 100 d. 38.8%) (p less than 0.01) (5) sex matching between donor and patient (sex match 28.8%: sex mismatch 57.1%) (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aplastic anemia: lack of increase of in vitro colony formation after T cell depletion with monoclonal antibodies and complement

To detect suppressor T cells to hematopoietic stem cells, growth of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (CFU-GM) and burst-forming unit (BFU-E) was compared before and after treatment of bone marrow cells with anti-T monoclonal antibodies and complement in 29 patients with aplastic anemia. The anti-T monoclonal antibodies used were 35.1 (CD2), Tp120 (CD6) and ATL27 (not clustered). Treatment of normal bone marrow with anti-T monoclonal antibodies and complement resulted in complete (greater than 99%) lysis of T cells with negligible effects on colony growth. Preincubation of marrow samples with monoclonal antibodies and complement did not enhance CFU-GM or BFU-E colony growth in patients with aplastic anemia. Using this assay, there was no evidence of T cell-mediated inhibition of colony proliferation in any of 29 patients.

Hemorrhagic cystitis associated with urinary excretion of adenovirus type 11 following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

We studied a total of 50 recipients who had received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and evaluated both the presence of hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) and the urinary excretion of adenovirus. Twelve recipients developed HC and eight of these 12 patients excreted adenovirus type 11 at the onset of cystitis. Urine for virus isolation was attempted 30, 60 and 100 days after BMT. Among 137 specimens examined, eight were positive for adenovirus type 11. Of these eight samples, six were collected during HC; while in the 129 samples which were negative for adenovirus, only three specimens was collected during HC. Female patients, seropositivity for the antibody to adenovirus prior to BMT and acute graft-versus-host disease (grade 2-4) showed a significant impact on the risk of adenovirus HC. It may be said that adenovirus type 11 is one of the causative agents of HC in BMT recipients.

Increased secretion of atrial natriuretic polypeptide in response to cardiac pacing

Effects of cardiac pacing on secretion of atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) were examined in 20 patients during cardiac catheterization under control conditions. The plasma ANP concentration in the coronary sinus (900 +/- 115 pg/ml) was significantly higher than those in the aorta (147 +/- 19 pg/ml) and the femoral vein (105 +/- 15 pg/ml) (p less than 0.001). The plasma ANP concentration was also significantly higher in the aorta than in the femoral vein (p less than 0.001). Its concentration at all three sites significantly increased during cardiac pacing (from 900 +/- 115 to 1461 +/- 218, from 147 +/- 19 to 250 +/- 36, and from 105 +/- 15 to 150 +/- 24 pg/ml, respectively). However, mean right atrial pressure and mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure showed no significant changes between control conditions and during pacing (5 +/- 1 vs 6 +/- 1, and 8 +/- 1 vs 8 +/- 1 mmHg). Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between ANP secretion and the pressure in both atria. Thus, cardiac pacing can release ANP from the heart without increasing atrial pressure.

[Clinical study of prostatic cancer]

Eighty patients with prostatic cancer, who first visited Kyorin University School of Medicine from January 1976 through December 1986, were analyzed. Incidence of prostatic cancer was 3.9% among male inpatients. Age distribution was between 55 and 88, with an average of 72 years old. The most common symptoms were dysuria followed by pollakisuria, hematuria, lumbago and lower extremity pain. Duration from onset of symptom to examination ranged from 6 to 84 months, with an average of 22 months. Clinical stage was A in 7.5%, B in 10%, C in 11.3% and D in 71.3%. According to histological grade, well, moderately, and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas were observed in 29.9, 29.9 and 40.2%, respectively. According to the General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Prostatic Cancer, clinical T classification were T0 in 8.7%, T1 in 3.8%, T2 in 47.5%, T3 in 27.5% and T4 in 12.5%. In the correlation between stage and grade, the largest number of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cases was in stage D. There was no correlation between stage and T classification. Of the 80 patients, 71.25% were treated with antiandrogen therapy, 16.25% with radiation therapy chiefly, 7.5% by surgery chiefly, and 5% with chemotherapy. Survival rate was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Overall survival rate of the 80 patients was 54.4% at 5 years. Survival rate by stage were 100% in stage A at 4 years, and 100% in B, 87.5% in C and 40.5% in D at 5 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Increased plasma fibrinopeptide A levels during attacks induced by hyperventilation in patients with coronary vasospastic angina

Plasma fibrinopeptide A levels, beta-thromboglobulin levels and platelet factor 4 levels were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and after hyperventilation in 12 patients with coronary vasospastic angina and in 12 control subjects matched for age and gender. In all 12 study patients, anginal attacks accompanied by electrocardiographic (ECG) changes (ST elevation in 11 patients and ST depression in 1 patient) were induced by hyperventilation. Coronary angiography was performed on 11 of the 12 patients, and coronary artery spasm with the same ECG changes was induced by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine in all 11. The plasma fibrinopeptide A levels increased significantly from 2.0 +/- 0.4 to 10.0 +/- 2.4 ng/ml during the attack (p less than 0.001) in the study patients, but remained unchanged before and after hyperventilation in the control subjects. The plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 remained unchanged after hyperventilation in both groups. Our data indicate that coronary artery spasm may induce thrombin generation and trigger thrombus formation in the coronary artery.

[Strengthening for dental porcelain surface]

Although the metal crown is aesthetically improved when porcelain is fused to it, a large number of different factors often cause the porcelain to break. Here we report a method to prevent this from happening. As a hardening treatment for the porcelain surface, the Na-ions in the porcelain, which have a short radius, were replaced by K-ions having a long radius to strength the surface against compressive forces.

RESULTS

1. The bending test showed that the strength of the porcelain had increased from 20 to 38%. 2. The hardness test indicated that the strength had increased from 23 to 24%. 3. The breaking test showed that although the strength of the porcelain had not increased to any great extent, the strength of the veneer shell had increase by more than 30%. 4. The EPMA measurement showed that ion replacement had penetrated to as much as 50 to 80 microns. 5. Clinical tests indicate that even after 19 months, the surface of the porcelain remains the same and that the condition is quite stable.

Increased secretion of atrial natriuretic polypeptide from the left ventricle in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

To examine whether atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) is released from the left ventricle in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) we measured plasma ANP level in the aortic root (Ao), the anterior interventricular vein (AIV), the great cardiac vein (GCV), and the coronary sinus (CS) in 11 patients with DCM and 18 control subjects. Plasma ANP levels in Ao, AIV, GCV, and CS were 454 +/- 360, 915 +/- 584, 1,308 +/- 926, and 1,884 +/- 1,194 pg/ml, respectively, in the patients with DCM and 108 +/- 42, 127 +/- 55, 461 +/- 224, and 682 +/- 341 pg/ml, respectively, in the control subjects. There was no significant difference in the plasma ANP levels between Ao and AIV in the control subjects. On the contrary, there was a significant (P less than 0.001) step-up in plasma ANP levels between Ao and AIV in patients with DCM. Thus, the difference in ANP levels between Ao and AIV was significantly increased in patients with DCM as compared with the control subjects (461 +/- 248 vs. 19 +/- 59 pg/ml, P less than 0.001). The difference in ANP levels between Ao and CS was also significantly increased in patients with DCM as compared with the control subjects (1,429 +/- 890 vs. 577 +/- 318 pg/ml, P less than 0.001). We conclude that ANP is released in increased amounts into the circulation from the left ventricle as well as from the heart as a whole in patients with DCM.

Circulating activated suppressor T lymphocytes in hepatitis-associated aplastic anaemia

Lymphocyte subpopulations were measured in the blood of 21 children with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA). Five children with hepatitis-associated AA appeared to constitute a unique group. Compared with children with idiopathic AA, four of five children had a striking increase in percentage of activated suppressor T lymphocytes, which were defined by binding of both anti-Leu 2a and anti-HLA DR monoclonal antibodies (children with hepatitis-associated AA, 21.8 +/- 19.9% [mean +/- SD], children with idiopathic AA, 2.9 +/- 1.2%). However, there was no difference in the mean absolute number of the activated suppressor T lymphocytes between the two groups, because the mean number of lymphocytes was markedly less in children with hepatitis-associated AA (0.28 +/- 0.06 x 10(9)/l) than in those with idiopathic AA (1.64 +/- 0.74 x 10(9)/l). The mean helper: suppressor T lymphocyte ratio was significantly lower in children with hepatitis-associated AA (0.58 +/- 0.74) than in those with idiopathic AA (1.22 +/- 0.44). On the other hand, we did not find such a remarkable alteration of lymphocyte subpopulations in children with non-A non-B hepatitis who did not develop AA. These findings suggested that an imbalance of lymphocyte subpopulations and T lymphocyte activation may have pathogenetic relevance in some of the children with hepatitis-associated AA.

Purification of three antibacterial proteins from the culture medium of NIH-Sape-4, an embryonic cell line of Sarcophaga peregrina

Three antibacterial proteins were purified from the culture medium of NIH-Sape-4, an embryonic cell line of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly). Sequencing studies showed that two of these proteins belong to the sarcotoxin I family, potent antibacterial proteins purified from the hemolymph of Sarcophaga larvae, whereas the other protein, named sapecin, is a new protein consisting of 40 amino acid residues including 6 cysteine residues. Unlike sarcotoxin I, sapecin preferentially represses the growth of various Gram-positive bacteria. The proteins of the sarcotoxin I family produced by this cell line were found to have carboxyl-terminal glycine, whereas sarcotoxin I in the hemolymph has amidated amino acids. This suggests that the embryonic cells lack an enzyme that cleaves off carboxyl-terminal glycine to form a new amidated carboxyl terminus.

Molecular cloning of cDNA for sapecin and unique expression of the sapecin gene during the development of Sarcophaga peregrina

A cDNA clone for sapecin, an antibacterial protein produced by an embryonic cell line of Sarcophaga peregrina, was isolated and characterized. This clone was found to encode a precursor of sapecin consisting of 94 residues, with sapecin (40 residues) constituting its carboxyl-terminal half. RNA blot hybridization revealed that the gene for the sapecin precursor is activated in the hemocytes of the third instar larvae of Sarcophaga in response to body injury. Thus, sapecin is probably a defense protein synthesized by Sarcophaga to prevent bacterial infection through the damaged body wall. This gene was also found to be activated in the embryonic and early pupal stages, suggesting that sapecin also plays a role in the ontogenetic processes of Sarcophaga.