Overview of global status of plastic presence in marine vertebrates

The presence of plastic in the environment is generating impacts on all habitats and has become a major global problem in marine megafauna. Macroplastics can cause entanglement, ingestion and loss of suitable habitats. In addition to entanglement problems, there is evidence that plastics are entering the food web through ingestion by marine organisms, which could ultimately be affecting humans. Much of the available information on the impact of plastic in biota is scattered and disconnected due to the use of different methodologies. Here, we review the variety of approaches and protocols followed to assess macro- and microplastic ingestion in marine vertebrates such as sea turtles, cetaceans and fishes in order to offer a global overview of their current status. The analysis of 112 studies indicates the highest plastic ingestion in organisms collected in the Mediterranean and Northeast Indian Ocean with significant differences among plastic types ingested by different groups of animals, including differences in colour and the type of prevalent polymers. In sea turtles, the most prevalent types of plastics are white plastics (66.60%), fibres (54.54%) and LDPE polymer (39.09%); in cetaceans, white macro- and microplastics (38.31%), fibres (79.95%) and PA polymer (49.60%); and in fishes, transparent plastics (45.97%), fibres (66.71%) and polyester polymer (36.20%). Overall, clear fibre microplastics are likely the most predominant types ingested by marine megafauna around the globe.

Acoustic accelerometry reveals diel activity patterns in premigratory Port Jackson sharks

Distinguishing the factors that influence activity within a species advances understanding of their behavior and ecology. Continuous observation in the marine environment is not feasible but biotelemetry devices provide an opportunity for detailed analysis of movements and activity patterns. This study investigated the detail that calibration of accelerometers measuring root mean square (RMS) acceleration with video footage can add to understanding the activity patterns of male and female Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) in a captive environment. Linear regression was used to relate RMS acceleration output to time-matched behavior captured on video to quantify diel activity patterns. To validate captive data, diel patterns from captive sharks were compared with diel movement data from free-ranging sharks using passive acoustic tracking. The RMS acceleration data showed captive sharks exhibited nocturnal diel patterns peaking during the late evening before midnight and decreasing before sunrise. Correlation analysis revealed that captive animals displayed similar activity patterns to free-ranging sharks. The timing of wild shark departures for migration in the late breeding season corresponded with elevated diel activity at night within the captive individuals, suggesting a form of migratory restlessness in captivity. By directly relating RMS acceleration output to activity level, we show that sex, time of day, and sex-specific seasonal behavior all influenced activity levels. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that RMS acceleration data are a promising method to determine activity patterns of cryptic marine animals and can provide more detailed information when validated in captivity.

Competitive cytokeratin 19 RT-PCR for quantification of breast cancer cells in blood cell suspensions

Detection of residual tumor cells in BM and PBPC products has been correlated with worse outcome of breast cancer patients. Still, there is a considerable demand for studies investigating the influence of the actual tumor cell number on prognosis, as quantification routinely has been cumbersome and time consuming and, thus, was evaded. We developed and evaluated a competitive RT-PCR-ELISA assay for cytokeratin 19 (CK19) with standard curve quantification that allows quantification of multiple samples within a working day; mRNA isolation, RT-PCR reaction, and automated ELISA detection were carried out using commercial kits. Results were expressed as OD420nm ratios of CK19 and an internal competitor. Values were then converted into tumor cell numbers using a standard curve of MCF-7 tumor cells. The assay had high specificity because of primers and capture probes with great heterogeneity to both published pseudogenes, which was confirmed by BLAST sequence alignment. We achieved a sensitivity of detecting 1 tumor cell per 10(6) mononuclear cells (MNC). Between-batch precision (n = 8) for quantification was consistent and reasonable, with a coefficient of variation around 25%. Therefore, this assay should be suitable and sufficient for routine quantification of tumor cell numbers in BM or PBPC samples.

Sustained decrease of peripheral lymphocytes after allogeneic blood stem cell aphereses

48 healthy donors underwent peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) apheresis for allogeneic transplantation beginning on day 4 of G-CSF (2 x 5 microg/kg) mobilization. In one to four (median two) large-volume mononuclear cell aphereses, a median of 55.9 x 10(9) of lymphocytes (range 21.0-109.2 x 10[9]) were collected, an amount comparable to lymphocyte numbers removed by therapeutic lymphaphereses in autoimmune diseases. Mean peripheral lymphocyte counts decreased from premobilization values of 2.31 x 10(9)/l to 1.31 x 10(9)/l at a median of 34 d (1 month) and 1.53 x 10(9)/l at a median of 327 d (11 months). The decrease in peripheral lymphocyte counts was significantly correlated with the number of lymphocytes removed and the number of aphereses. Neutrophil and platelet counts returned to normal values after 1 month whereas monocyte counts and haemoglobin concentrations were significantly decreased at 1 month but not at 11 months.

Biocompatibility studies of the single-needle technique in plateletpheresis with the Fresenius AS 104 blood cell separator

To investigate the biocompatibility of the single-needle technique of the Fresenius AS 104 blood cell separator we analyzed coagulation, complement and hemolysis parameters prior to, during and after five thrombocytaphereses. The data were compared with results of the same parameters from identical donors in the dual-needle procedure. The analysis of bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and haptoglobin showed no relevant hemolysis. However, changes of the concentrations of coagulation factors XII and XI indicated an activation of coagulation. This was confirmed by an increase of the thrombin-antithrombin III complex during apheresis. No significant change in the complement split product content of the samples obtained during apheresis was found. Complement factors, glucose, lactate, leukocytes, morphology score and thrombocytes were measured in platelet concentrates. The comparison of the platelet products showed no significant differences except for leukocyte contamination. Glucose and lactate concentrations were similar in both procedures. Levels of complement activation markers were not statistically different.

Detection of melanoma cells in peripheral blood stem cell harvests of patients with progressive metastatic malignant melanoma

The detection of melanocyte-specific messenger RNA in patients with malignant melanoma suggests the potential contamination of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvests by neoplastic cells. In this study, the melanocyte-specific transcripts of tyrosinase and Melan-A/MART-1 were used to detect neoplastic cells in PBSC harvests of nine metastatic malignant melanoma patients. Only one patient's PBSC harvest tested positive for tyrosinase. All harvests were negative for Melan-A/MART-1. Our results suggest that contamination of PBSC harvests with neoplastic cells may not contribute to disease progression following high-dose chemotherapy in advanced malignant melanoma.

[10 years transplantation of bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells in adults at the Hannover Medical School]

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 1986 until August 1995 230 adult patients received an allogeneic or autologous transplantation of bone marrow or hematopoietic blood stem cells. The conditioning and myeloablative treatment regimens were chosen according to the underlying disease and type of transplant.

RESULTS

The observation period comprises 1 to 115 months after transplantation. After allogeneic transplantation from HLA-identical family donors, the probabilities of disease-free survival were for acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission (CR) (n = 35) 77%, for acute lymphoid leukemia in 1st CR (n = 7) 72% and in 2nd CR (n = 10) 40%, in first chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (n = 34) 50% and in severe aplastic anemia (n = 7) 100%. Following myeloablative therapy and autologous transplantation the probabilities of disease-free survival were 47% in relapsed Hodgkin's disease (n = 22) and 42% for relapsed high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 12). Eight of 10 patients with acute myeloid and 7 of 8 with acute lymphoid leukemia suffered a leukemic relapse after autologous bone marrow transplantation. Three of 8 patients with relapsed testicular cancer survived relapse-free. Treatment failures were due to more advanced acute graft versus host disease after allogeneic transplantation and caused by relapse after autologous transplantation. Current protocols evaluate the allogeneic transplantation of enriched CD34+ blood stem cells. In chronic myeloid leukemia the autologous transplantation of blood stem cells after myeloablative therapy is being studied.

Induction of human B cell differentiation by Fc region activators. II. Stimulation of IL-6 production

Fc region fragments derived from the enzymatic cleavage of human IgG have been shown to induce human peripheral blood-derived B cells to differentiate into Ig secreting cells (ISC). The synthetic peptide p23, corresponding to residues 335 to 357 in the Fc region of human IgG1, represents a region of the molecule responsible for stimulation of ISC formation. Fc region-induced ISC formation requires at least two signals; one supplied by Fc region activators and one supplied by a T cell-derived factor(s). In this report we show that the coculture of human PBMC with pFc' or p23, results in the release of factor(s) that resemble IL-6 in its pattern of biologic activity. This conclusion is based on the observations that supernatants from Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures contained increased levels of elements that scored as positive in two assays for IL-6: the B9.9 hybridoma growth and the CESS cell differentiation assays. Moreover, RNA from Fc region-stimulation PBMC contained increased levels of IL-6 cDNA-hybridizable elements. Finally, it was observed that rabbit anti-IL-6 inhibited the ability of supernatants derived from Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures to induce B9.9 cell proliferation as well as p23-induced ISC formation in intact PBMC cultures. Fc region fragments induce both monocytes and T cells to produce IL-6. Taken together, these results indicate that IL-6 is produced in Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures and is involved in B cell activation by these activators.

Induction of human B cell differentiation by Fc region activators. II. Stimulation of IL-6 production

Fc region fragments derived from the enzymatic cleavage of human IgG have been shown to induce human peripheral blood-derived B cells to differentiate into Ig secreting cells (ISC). The synthetic peptide p23, corresponding to residues 335 to 357 in the Fc region of human IgG1, represents a region of the molecule responsible for stimulation of ISC formation. Fc region-induced ISC formation requires at least two signals; one supplied by Fc region activators and one supplied by a T cell-derived factor(s). In this report we show that the coculture of human PBMC with pFc' or p23, results in the release of factor(s) that resemble IL-6 in its pattern of biologic activity. This conclusion is based on the observations that supernatants from Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures contained increased levels of elements that scored as positive in two assays for IL-6: the B9.9 hybridoma growth and the CESS cell differentiation assays. Moreover, RNA from Fc region-stimulation PBMC contained increased levels of IL-6 cDNA-hybridizable elements. Finally, it was observed that rabbit anti-IL-6 inhibited the ability of supernatants derived from Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures to induce B9.9 cell proliferation as well as p23-induced ISC formation in intact PBMC cultures. Fc region fragments induce both monocytes and T cells to produce IL-6. Taken together, these results indicate that IL-6 is produced in Fc region-stimulated PBMC cultures and is involved in B cell activation by these activators.