Use of monoclonal antibodies as a diagnostic tool in human leukemia. I. Acute myeloid leukemia and acute phase of chronic myeloid leukemia

Various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) detecting certain different epitopes on myeloid cells (VIMD5, D5 D6, OKM1, Leu-M3, VIEG4, OKIa 1) have been used in combination with conventional markers (antihuman myeloid hetero-antiserum, FcIgG-receptors, C3d-receptors) to further define the phenotypic heterogeneity of myeloid leukemia. Subsequent leukemic samples from previously untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (51 adults, 24 children) and from nine adult patients in the acute phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-BC) were studied. It was possible to demonstrate quantitative differences in the expression of antigens on the various leukemia subtypes which could be exploited for diagnosis. Furthermore our results revealed that there is a very close correlation between the different surface phenotypes and the types morphologically assessed according to FAB-criteria.     

Methods for Detecting Food-borne Enteroviruses

A method previously reported for detecting virus in a model system composed of cottage cheese contaminated with coxsackievirus type A9 has been adapted to detecting selected strains of enteroviruses in a variety of foods. Bentonite is omitted and serum is added for extracting virus from low-protein foods. Samples of foods, usually 25 g, must contain at least 3 to 4 plaque-forming units for a 50% probability of detecting virus. Sensitivity in detecting echovirus type 6 was lower than that for the other viruses used. After extraction from potato salad, poliovirus type 2 was completely reactivated if it had been neutralized with coproantibody, but it was only partially reactivated if neutralized with hyperimmune rabbit serum.     

Der Einfluß des Zeugungsalters auf die Mutationen zu Hämophilie A

Assuming that in sibships with sporadic hemophilia the mothers of the patients are already carriers the relationship between the age of the mother's father at birth of the mother and frequency of hemophilia among his grandsons was examined.The ages of the mother's father at birth of the mother of 40 patients with sporadic hemophilia A was compared with that of a control-group as well as with the ages of the mother's fathers at birth of the mothers of patients from families where hemophilia A is inherited. The mean age of these grandfathers was found to be increased. Using the Mann-Whitney-U-test for comparing the ages of grandfathers of sporadic cases with the control-group there is to be found P=.0025, which is highly significant statistically. Comparing data from sibships with sporadic hemophilia with data from sibships where hemophilia is inherited there is no significant difference — perhaps according to the small number of inherited cases (19, P=0.065) —, but the deviation is in the same direction. Comparison of data both from the inherited cases and the control-group with data of sporadic cases gives P=.0087.There is perhaps a connection between parental age and number of children, but it is shown to have no important influence in our material. On the other hand fathers with a higher number of children are significant more frequent among the grandfathers than among the controls. This difference cannot be explained sufficiently. Between cases of sporadic and inherited hemophilia there is no clear cut difference.Certainly there exists a relationship between parental age and birth-rank. Therefore the mothers of sporadic cases — unlike to carriers of sibships with inherited hemophilia — take clearly higher ranks in birth-order than it is theoretically to be expected. Penrose published a method of separating the relative aetiological effects of birth-order and parental age. Using this method an influence of birth-order cannot be found after excluding the influence of parental age. Hence, paternal age seems to be the determining factor.It is discussed which model of mutation the hemophilia-mutation belongs to because of this relationship. We would count it to No. 2 of the classification given by Vogel where mutations are due to copy errors. So cases of sporadic hemophilia seem equal to those of sporadic achondroplasia.

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Diese Arbeit wurde der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Hamburg als Inaugural-dissertation vorgelegt.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. F. Vogel danke ich für wertvolle Hinweise, insbesondere zur statistischen Methodik.     

Histochemische Untersuchungen an der Leber nach Verbrennung

Zusammenfassung An männlichen weißen Ratten wurde das Verhalten des Enzymmusters der Leber 72 Std nach Verbrühung untersucht. Es fanden sich Veränderungen im Sinne einer Aktivitätsverminderung bei der NAD-Cytochrom-c-Reduktase, Isocitronensäuredehydrogenase, ATPase und den PJS-positiven Substanzen. Eine Zunahme der Aktivität wurde bei der alkalischen Phosphatase und einigen Esterasen beobachtet, ebenso traten auch die scharlachrotfärbbaren Substanzen auf. Uneinheitliche Reaktionen zeigten die Succinodehydrogenase sowie die Leucinaminopeptidase, unverändert blieben Glukose-6-phosphat-dehydrogenase, -Glucuronidase, saure Phosphatase, die o-Diacetylbenzol- und die DDD-Reaktion.     

Ein Vogelruf, dessen Form sich im Jahresablauf ?ndert: der Verbeugungstriller bei der Brandente (Tadorna tadorna)

Zusammenfassung Der Verbeugungstriller männlicher Brandenten, eine epigame Lautäußerung, weist sowohl in syntaktischen wie auch phonetischen Parametern zyklische jahreszeitliche Veränderungen auf. Die Gesamtdauer der Lautäußerung vergrößert sich allmählich im Laufe des Frühjahrs. Dafür sind eine Verlängerung des tonalen Eingangselements und eine Vermehrung der Elemente der abschließenden Phrase verantwortlich. Dagegen verkürzt sich das 2. Element gleichzeitig. In allen untersuchten Elementen erhöht sich die Tonhöhe parallel zur Verlängerung des Rufes. Diese Veränderungen des Ausdrucksverhaltens geben vermutlich Änderungen innerer Zustandsgrößen wieder.

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Seasonally changing bird call: the trill call of male Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna)

Both syntactic and phonetic features of the trill call accompanying the whistle-shake in adult male Shelducks are subject to cyclic annual changes. In the course of spring, the duration of the whole call increases gradually. This is caused by a prolongation of the first call element and insertion of additive elements in the final phrase. In contrast the second element is shortened by about 10 ms. At the same time, the pitch of all measured elements is raised. These findings are discussed in the framework of hormonal regulation and communicative function.

     

Attempts to Determine the Roles of Visual and Olfactory Inputs in Initial Orientation and Homing of Pigeons over Familiar Terrain

The role of familiar visual landmarks in pigeon homing is still unsettled. If they are involved, they must be thought to be utilized in parallel with olfactory signals. In order to recognize the effectiveness of either one of the input channels separately, vision and olfaction, it is therefore necessary to interfere with both of them. Pigeons were temporarily deprived of image vision by spectacles made of translucent white paper, producing a condition called V^- as compared with the largely unimpaired condition V⁺. Access to olfactory signals was temporarily prohibited by charcoal filters before release and nasal anaesthesia upon release, resulting in condition O^- versus unimpaired smelling of natural air in O⁺. Prior to the test releases, all the participating pigeons had been made familiar with the two or four test sites (and with other sites in the area) by training flights. According to decreasing levels of initial homeward orientation and homing performance, the four combinations of treatments are to be arranged in the following order: V⁺O⁺, V⁺O^-, V^-O⁺, V^-O^-. In the last type, no trace of initial homeward orientation remained, indicating that at least one of the two input channels need be functional to enable home-related orientation. Over well known terrain, either alone seems to be more or less sufficient. The results are indicative but not definitely conclusive. Effects of visual impairment on behavioural activities in general cannot clearly be separated from orientation-specific effects. Therefore, and because many pigeons refuse to fly in V^- condition or fail to provide useful data, we stopped applying this method.     

Expression of {beta}-galactoside {alpha}2,6-sialyltransferase does not alter the susceptibility of human colon cancer cells to NK-mediated cell lysis

The extent of processing of N-linked oligosaccharides and thesialylation of the target cell membranes has been positivelycorrelated with resistance to lysis mediated by NK cells, buta conclusive evidence has never been reached. Colon cancer tissuesexpress an increased activity of ß-ga-lactoside     

Transfection of Reaggregating Embryonic Chicken Retinal Cells with an Antisense 5'-DNA Butyrylcholinesterase Expression Vector Inhibits Proliferation and Alters Morphogenesis

Abstract: The function of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in the developing and mature brain is still unclear. We have inserted 577 bp of the 5' upstream region plus 106 bp of the exon 1 of the rabbit BChE gene in reverse orientation under control of an SV40 early promoter derivative in an expression vector. This vector was introduced by calcium phosphate-mediated transfection into embryonic chicken retina cells during the first days of reaggregation culture. Depending on the retinal origin, the transfected cell population forms histotypic retina-like spheres, so-called rosetted or stratified retinospheroids. We show that antisense 5'-BChE gene expression decreased the steady-state mRNA level of BChE and the translation of the BChE protein, inhibited proliferation, and accelerated histogenesis in both cellular systems. The pronounced effects of antisense 5'-BChE transfection of spheroids document a key role of BChE during the early reaggregation process of retinal cells, most likely by regulating their growth and differentiation.