Vocal cord dysfunction: what do we know?

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a disorder caused by episodic unintentional paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords, which may induce acute severe dyspnoea attacks not responsive to conventional asthma therapy. The aetiology of VCD is complex and often multifactorial. The essential pathophysiology is that of a hyperfunctional laryngeal reflex to protect the lower airway as a result of any combination of post-nasal drip, gastro-oesophageal reflux, laryngopharyngeal reflux and/or psychological conditions. Laryngoscopic demonstration of the paradoxical motion while wheezing or stridorous is considered the diagnostic gold standard. Speech therapy, including the use of special relaxed-throat breathing patterns is effective for VCD that is purely of the functional nature. Knowledge of the clinical features of VCD and identifying factors that may be contributing to the development of VCD can provide adequate clues to the correct diagnosis and management.

Serine racemase binds to PICK1: potential relevance to schizophrenia

Accumulating evidence from both genetic and clinico-pharmacological studies suggests that D-serine, an endogenous coagonist to the NMDA subtype glutamate receptor, may be implicated in schizophrenia (SZ). Although an association of genes for D-serine degradation, such as D-amino acid oxidase and G72, has been reported, a role for D-serine in SZ has been unclear. In this study, we identify and characterize protein interacting with C-kinase (PICK1) as a protein interactor of the D-serine synthesizing enzyme, serine racemase (SR). The binding of endogenous PICK1 and SR requires the PDZ domain of PICK1. The gene coding for PICK1 is located at chromosome 22q13, a region frequently linked to SZ. In a case-control association study using well-characterized Japanese subjects, we observe an association of the PICK1 gene with SZ, which is more prominent in disorganized SZ. Our findings implicating PICK1 as a susceptibility gene for SZ are consistent with a role for D-serine in the disease.

Dysbindin (DTNBP1, 6p22.3) is Associated with Childhood-Onset Psychosis and Endophenotypes Measured by the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS)

Straub et al. (2002) recently identified the 6p22.3 gene dysbindin (DTNBP1) through positional cloning as a schizophrenia susceptibility gene. We studied a rare cohort of 102 children with onset of psychosis before age 13. Standardized ratings of early development, medication response, neuropsychological and cognitive performance, premorbid dysfunction and clinical follow-up were obtained. Fourteen SNPs were genotyped in the gene DTNBP1. Family-based pairwise and haplotype transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis with the clinical phenotype, and quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT) explored endophenotype relationships. One SNP was associated with diagnosis (TDT p=.01). The QTDT analyses showed several significant relationships. Four adjacent SNPs were associated (p values=.0009-.003) with poor premorbid functioning. These findings support the hypothesis that this and other schizophrenia susceptibility genes contribute to early neurodevelopmental impairment.

GAD1 (2q31.1), which encodes glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), is associated with childhood-onset schizophrenia and cortical gray matter volume loss

Postmortem brain studies have shown deficits in the cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in schizophrenic individuals. Expression studies have shown a decrease in the major GABA-synthesizing enzyme (glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) mRNA levels in neurons in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenics relative to controls. In the present study, SNPs in and around the GAD1 gene, which encodes the protein GAD67, were tested on a rare, severely ill group of children and adolescents with childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) (n=72), in a family-based association analysis. Compared to adult-onset samples, the COS sample has evidence for more salient familial, and perhaps genetic, risk factors for schizophrenia, as well as evidence for frontal cortical hypofunction, and greater decline in cortical gray matter volume on anatomic brain MRI scans during adolescence. We performed family-based TDT and haplotype association analyses of the clinical phenotype, as well as association analyses with endophenotypes using the QTDT program. Three adjacent SNPs in the 5' upstream region of GAD1 showed a positive pairwise association with illness in these families (P=0.022-0.057). Significant transmission distortion of 4-SNP haplotypes was also observed (P=0.003-0.008). Quantitative trait TDT analyses showed an intriguing association between several SNPs and increased rate of frontal gray matter loss. These observations, when taken together with the positive results reported recently in two independent adult-onset schizophrenia pedigree samples, suggest that the gene encoding GAD67 may be a common risk factor for schizophrenia.

Efficacy of serial medical surveillance for chronic beryllium disease in a beryllium machining plant

There is limited information on the use of the blood beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) at regular intervals in medical surveillance. Employees of a beryllium machining plant were screened with the BeLPT biennially, and new employees were screened within 3 months of hire. Of 235 employees screened from 1995 to 1997, a total of 15 (6.4%) had confirmed abnormal BeLPT results indicating beryllium sensitization; nine of these employees were diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease. Four of the 15 cases were diagnosed within 3 months of first exposure. When 187 of the 235 employees participated in biennial screening in 1997 to 1999, seven more had developed beryllium sensitization or chronic beryllium disease, increasing the overall rate to 9.4% (22 of 235). The blood BeLPT should be used serially in beryllium disease surveillance to capture new or missed cases of sensitization and disease. Beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease can occur within 50 days of first exposure in modern industry.

IL-4 fails to regulate in vitro beryllium-induced cytokines in berylliosis

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from patients with chronic beryllium disease (CBD) have been used to evaluate the beryllium-specific immune response and potential immunotherapeutics. Beryllium induces interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) from BAL cells. An antibody to IL-2 and recombinant human (rHu) IL-10 is able to partially suppress the beryllium-stimulated immune response. To obtain BAL cells, bronchoscopy is required, providing risk to the patient and a limited number of cells to study the immune response. As a result, the objectives of the study were to determine 1) whether CBD peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNs) stimulated with beryllium would produce a similar cytokine pattern as BAL cells, and 2) whether this response could be modulated by interleukin-4 (IL-4), an immunomodulatory cytokine. CBD and normal individuals' PBMN and BAL cells were stimulated with and without beryllium sulfate. To modulate this antigen-stimulated response, we added rHu IL-4 to the unstimulated and beryllium-stimulated cells. IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 cytokine concentrations were determined from cell supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), while IL-4 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Beryllium did not stimulate any of these cytokines from normal PBMNs. Increasing levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were produced constituitively by CBD PBMNs over time. Compared to the unstimulated CBD PBMNs, beryllium stimulated significant IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 production. This response was similar to that stimulated from CBD BAL cells, although of a much lower magnitude. Low levels of IL-4 mRNA were found in CBD and control PBMNs, which were not increased with beryllium stimulation. The beryllium-stimulated cytokine levels were not decreased by the addition of IL-4. IL-4 was unable to downregulate any of these beryllium-stimulated cytokines from CBD BAL cells or increase IL-4 mRNA from either CBD PBMN or BAL cells, and thus is an unlikely immunomodulatory agent in CBD. From the data, it was concluded that chronic beryllium disease peripheral blood mononuclear cells provide a model to study the beryllium-stimulated immune response. Interleukin-4's inability to downregulate any of the beryllium-stimulated cytokines makes it an unlikely therapeutic candidate in chronic beryllium disease.

Bronchoalveolar lavage macrophage-lymphocyte clusters in granulomatous disease are linked to lymphocytosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK

Clusters of macrophages associated with lymphocytes (ML clusters) have been observed among the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells of patients with pulmonary disease. We tested the hypothesis that ML clusters might be found among the BAL cells from patients with granulomatous disease.

METHODS

We measured the number of ML clusters among the BAL cells from normal controls (n = 13), sarcoidosis patients (n = 18), beryllium-sensitized (BeS) patients (n = 21) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) patients (n = 15).

RESULTS

ML clusters were observed in the BAL cells of all groups, but at different frequencies: normal 8.5% (median, range 2-15%); BeS 7% (range 2-31%); sarcoidosis 14% (range 4-50%); and CBD 17% (range 6-73%). This data suggested that ML clusters were increased in granulomatous lung disease. However, the percentage of ML clusters strongly correlated with the BAL lymphocyte percentage (rho = 0.79). Cohort analysis showed that increases in macrophages having 2, 3 or > 3 associated lymphocytes correlated with an increase in lymphocyte percentage.

CONCLUSIONS

An increase in ML clusters in BAL cells is not specific for granulomatous disease and is associated with the increase in BAL lymphocytes.

Diagnosing occupational asthma: use of induced sputum

The diagnosis of occupational asthma (OA) needs to be made with as much objective evidence as possible. If there is airway inflammation, measurement of this should be an asset. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is an increase in induced sputum and blood eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in OA after work exposure. Patients were assessed after a 2-4 week period at work and away from work with cell counts and ECP assays performed blind to the clinical data. They were considered to have OA if symptoms were worse at work and there was a fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) > or =20% or in the provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) of four-fold or more compared with away from work. Patients whose symptoms were worse at work but had a change in FEV1 of <20% and in methacholine PC20 of less than four-fold were considered as controls. Sixteen patients were studied. Ten had OA and six were controls. Patients with OA had a significant increase in median (interquartile range) sputum eosinophils and ECP when at work compared with the periods out of work, 10.0 (17.05) versus 0.8 (1.6)% (p=0.007) and 3,840 (6,076) versus 116 (180) microg x L(-1) (p=0.01). They also had a higher blood eosinophil count, 0.3 (0.5) x 10(9) versus 0.2 (0.1) x 10(9) x L(-1) (p=0.013), and a trend towards higher serum ECP levels, 44.0 (20.0) versus 32.0 (18.5) microg x L(-1) (p=0.07). In conclusion, the proportion of eosinophils and levels of eosinophil cationic protein in sputum are particularly high at work in patients with occupational asthma, suggesting that the measurement of these factors can supplement other physiological outcomes in establishing the diagnosis of occupational asthma.

Irritant-associated vocal cord dysfunction

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a poorly understood entity that is often misdiagnosed as asthma. We report eleven cases of VCD in which there was a temporal association between VCD onset and occupational or environmental exposure. We conducted a case-control study to determine if the characteristics of irritant-exposed VCD (IVCD) cases differed from non-exposed VCD controls. Chart review of VCD patients at the authors' institution produced 11 cases that met IVCD case criteria. Thirty-three control VCD subjects were selected by age matching. There were statistical differences between the groups in ethnicity and chest discomfort. There were no statistical differences between the groups for gender, tobacco, smoking habits, symptoms, or pulmonary function parameters. Varied irritant exposures were associated with IVCD. IVCD should be considered in patients presenting with respiratory symptoms occurring after irritant exposures.

Serum neopterin in chronic beryllium disease

We evaluated serum neopterin as a biomarker of chronic beryllium disease (CBD), for use in conjunction with the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) in workplace screening. Serum neopterin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay, and we compared levels in three groups: CBD (n = 86), beryllium sensitized (BeS) (n = 22), and normal (Nor) (n = 20). Those in the diseased group underwent pulmonary function tests, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and maximal exercise testing. We correlated neopterin levels with results of these clinical parameters of disease severity. To evaluate the optimum sensitivity, specificity, and neopterin cut-off value, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were generated. The median serum neopterin level in CBD was significantly higher than in BeS or in Nor [median 1.45, 25th, 75th percentiles (1.00, 2.7) ng/ml, 0.82 (0.67, 1.16) ng/ml, and 0.92 (0.86, 1.16) ng/ml, respectively] (P < 0.05). In CBD, we observed statistically significant associations between neopterin and measures of gas exchange and BAL cellularity. Using a neopterin value of 1.27 ng/ml, test specificity is 88%. In those workers with an abnormal BeLPT, serum neopterin has high positive predictive value (92%), and can identify disease, helping to distinguish it from BeS without the risks of biopsy.

Characterization of fetal human brain cultures. Development of a potential model for selectively purifying human glial cells in culture

Seven fetal human brain and three fetal human leptomeningeal cultures were characterized according to cell morphology, ultrastructural features, antigen expression, and collagen biosynthesis capabilities. Primary cultures derived from mechanically and enzymatically dissociated samples of fetal human brain consisted of a heterogeneous cell population in which astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, mesenchymal (leptomeningeal) cells, and macrophages were identified by light and electron microscopy. With progressive subcultivation, a homogeneous, leptomeningeal cell-derived population predominated. Fetal human brain and leptomeningeal specimens embedded in paraffin were analyzed immunohistochemically for the distribution of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, factor-VIII-related antigen, fibronectin, laminin, type IV collagen, and procollagen III. Only GFAP and vimentin identified astrocytes and radial glia in the developing human brain; fibronectin, laminin, and the collagen types were immunolocalized largely to the leptomeninges and to the cerebral vasculature. The percentage of cells positively identified by antiserum to GFAP was greatest in primary cultures of fetal human brain; by the fourth passage, none of the fetal brain cultures were GFAP positive. The progressive decrease in the percentage of GFAP-positive cells was accompanied by an increase in the percentage of cells identified by collagen immunomarkers. Furthermore, in double immunolabeling experiments, antibodies to GFAP recognized a population of cells that was not identified by antibodies to laminin, fibronectin, type IV collagen, or procollagen III. SDS-PAGE and DEAE-cellulose chromatography of [3H]-proline-labeled early-passage fetal human brain cultures revealed collagen profiles identical to those obtained from direct cultures of the leptomeninges. The characteristics of later-passage fetal human brain cultures were identical in all respects to those of the fetal human leptomeningeal cultures. The proliferation of leptomeningeal cells could be inhibited by exposing the cells to cis-hydroxyproline (200 micrograms/ml). Primary fetal human brain cultures similarly treated with the proline analogue were found to be highly enriched for glial cells; these cultures were more than 90% GFAP positive. We conclude that primary fetal human brain cultures consist of a heterogeneous population of cells, most of which under the present culture conditions can be identified as glial cells. Subcultivation of human fetal brain cultures results in the overgrowth of mesenchymal cells, which are presumably derived from the leptomeninges.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)