Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in Saskatchewan: a clinicopathologic study

In a retrospective clinical study of 208 previously untreated persons with non-Hodgkin''s lymphomas the disorders were classified and staged according to the histopathologic criteria of Rappaport, Winter and Hicks and the Ann Arbor clinical staging classification.Nodular types constituted 22% and diffuse types 78% of the lymphomas. The nodular lymphomas were slightly more common in females and were clustered in the age range 30 to 90 years. The diffuse lymphomas were slightly more common in males; the age distribution was bimodal, with one peak in the age range 10 to 19 years and the other in the age range 60 to 69 years, but when the age distribution of the general population in which the lymphomas occurred was taken into account, the incidence of these lymphomas was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) in persons more than 69 years of age than in those 40 to 69 years of age.Survival correlated with histopathologic type: persons with nodular (follicular) lymphomas and diffuse lymphocytic well differentiated lymphomas had a significantly greater survival (P < 0.05) than those with other diffuse lymphomas. No significant difference in survival was noticed between persons with nodal and extranodal lymphomas.While Rappaport and colleagues'' criteria are still very useful, it is important to recognize the nodular lymphoma as a specific entity requiring generally different management from diffuse lymphomas. Appreciation of the different biologic behaviour of the various lymphomas is important to clinicians planning therapy.     

The biosynthesis of sulphogalactosyldiacylglycerol of rat brain in vitro

Triton X-100 extracts of rat brain microsomal fraction catalyse the formation of sulphogalactosyldiacylglycerol from galactosyldiacylglycerol and adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate. Of the various subcellular fractions of brain assayed, the microsomal fraction contained most (79%) of the adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate-galactosyldiacylglycerol sulphotransferase activity. The enzyme activity was stimulated by Triton X-100 and showed linearity with increasing time, concentrations of enzyme and added substrates. ATP and KF prolonged the linearity of the activity with time, but ATP had an overall inhibitory effect on the sulphotransferase. Both ATP and KF inhibit the degradation of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate, which probably causes the increased linearity of the sulphotransferase reaction with time. The enzyme preparation did not catalyse the transfer of sulphate from adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate to either cholesterol or galabiosyldiacylglycerol (galactosylgalactosyldiacylglycerol). Significant differences between the formation of sulphogalactosyldiacylglycerol and cerebroside sulphate catalysed by the same enzyme preparation were noted. ATP and Mg(2+) strongly inhibit the formation of sulphogalactosyldiacylglycerol but equally strongly stimulate the synthesis of cerebroside sulphate. The apparent K(m) for galactosyldiacylglycerol is 200mum, and that for cerebroside is 45mum. Galactosyldiacylglycerol and cerebroside are mutually inhibitory toward the synthesis of sulphated derivatives of each. These data do not necessarily lead to the conclusion that two sulphotransferases are present, but they do indicate a possible means of controlling the synthesis of these two sulpholipids.     

Germination and ion leakage are linked with phase transitions: of membrane lipids during imbibition of Typha latifolia pollen

In previous studies on the causes of imbibitional leakage in dry polien we have presented data which suggest that the leakage is due to a gel to liquid crystalline phase transition in membrane phospholipids during the rehydration event. In the present study we greatly extend and confirm those results. A supplemented phase diagram for the hydration dependent transition temperature of membrane phospholipids in pollen is presented. In pollen containing > 0.05 g H₂O g⁻¹ dry weight at the time of imbibition, this phase diagram for the phospholipids precisely predicts the conditions for rehydration under which germination is maximal and leakage is minimal. However, in extremely dry pollen, containing < 0.05 g H₂O g⁻¹ dry weight the predictive value of the phase diagram for phospholipids in the pollen is not in agreement with data for germination and leakage. Thus, an alternative explanation must be sought for leakage in these circumstances. We examined the available evidence and suggest here that a modified form of the non-bilayer phase hypothesis proposed by Simon (1974) may apply in the specialized case of extremely dry cells.     

Effects of a haplosporidian parasite,Haplosporidium sp., on species of the molluscan woodborer Teredo in Barnegat Bay,New Jersey

Abundance of the molluscan woodborer, Teredo navalis, in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, was reduced in breeding seasons following levels of infection of 40% or more by a haplosporidian parasite of the genus Haplosporidium. Infections also occurred in T. bartschi and T. furcifera, subtropical species which have been introduced into Barnegat Bay, and which may have originally introduced the parasite. Infections were not observed in Bankia gouldi, the most common molluscan woodborer in the bay.     

Chromosome localization and gene synteny of the major histocompatibility complex in the owl monkey,Aotus

Rodent cells were hybridized with owl monkey (Aotus) cells of karyotypes II, III, V, and VI. Aotus-rodent somatic hybrid lines preferentially segregating Aotus chromosomes were selected to determine the chromosomal location of the major histocompatibility complex and other genes with which it is syntenic in man. Based on correlation between concordant segregation of the chromosome as visualized by G-banding and expression of the Aotus antigens or enzymes in independent Aotus-rodent hybrid clones, we have assigned Aotus gene loci for the MHC, GLO, ME₁, SOD₂, and PGM₃ to Aotus chromosome 9 of karyotype VI (2n=49/50), chromosome 10 of karyotype V (2n=46), and chromosome 7 of karyotypes II and III (2n = 54 and 53). On the basis of banding patterns we previously postulated that these chromosomes of the different karyotypes were homologous. The gene assignments reported here provide independent evidence for that hypothesis. Aotus chromosomes 9 (K-VI), 10 (K-V), and 7 (K-II, III) are homologous to human chromosome 6 in that they all code for the MHC, GLO, ME₁, SOD₂, and PGM₃. The structural differences between these homologous chromosomes probably resulted from a pericentric inversion.Abbreviations used in this paper MHC major histocompatibility complex - HLA human lymphocyte antigen - PGM3 phosphoglucomutase-3 - ME₁ cytoplasmic malic enzyme-1 - SOD₂ superoxide dismutase-B - GLO glyoxalase 1 - OMLA owl monkey leukocyte antigens - K karyotype - ₂-M ₂-microglobulin - DMEM Dulbecco's modification of Eagle's medium - PEG polyethylene glycol - HAT hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine - KC1 potassium chloride - G-band-trypsin Giemsa band     

Small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells and sympathetic nerves in the adult rabbit portal vein and during perinatal development

Summary The ontogenesis of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells and the adrenergic nerve plexus is described in stretch preparations of the rabbit portal vein. On the 25 to 26th days of gestation there was a predominance of SIF cells (8 to 30 m in diameter), but a few nerve fibres in bundles were also present. Each portal vein preparation contained 6 to 9 groups of cells. The distribution and number of SIF cells and nerve bundles remained constant until the 31st day of gestation at which stage the number of SIF cells had decreased, while the density of the nerve plexus had increased approximately 4-fold. The adult portal vein exhibited a dense adrenergic plexus, but SIF cells were absent from nine out of ten preparations.     

Method for analysis of dopamine sulfate isomers by high performance liquid chromatography

Conjugated dopamine occurs in the tissues and fluids of many species, and much of this is thought to occur as dopamine sulfate. This paper describes the development and use of a method utilizing reversed-phase paired-ion high performance liquid chromatography to separate and quantitate each of the two naturally occurring dopamine sulfate isomers. Use of the method permitted demonstration of dopamine-3-0-sulfate in human urine from drug-free control subjects. It was found that this compound accounted for 73.1 ± 27% of the total daily conjugated dopamine excretion in the four subjects studied.     

B cell overexpression of FCRL5 and PD-1 is associated with low antibody titers in HCV infection

Antibodies targeting the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein E2 are associated with delayed disease progression, and these antibodies can also facilitate spontaneous clearance of infection in some individuals. However, many infected people demonstrate low titer and delayed anti-E2 antibody responses. Since a goal of HCV vaccine development is induction of high titers of anti-E2 antibodies, it is important to define the mechanisms underlying these suboptimal antibody responses. By staining lymphocytes with a cocktail of soluble E2 (sE2) glycoproteins, we detected HCV E2-specific (sE2+) B cells directly ex vivo at multiple acute infection timepoints in 29 HCV-infected subjects with a wide range of anti-E2 IgG titers, including 17 persistently infected subjects and 12 subjects with spontaneous clearance of infection. We performed multi-dimensional flow cytometric analysis of sE2+ and E2-nonspecific (sE2-) class-switched B cells (csBC). In sE2+ csBC from both persistence and clearance subjects, frequencies of resting memory B cells (rMBC) were reduced, frequencies of activated MBC (actMBC) and tissue-like MBC (tlMBC) were increased, and expression of FCRL5, an IgG receptor, was significantly upregulated. Across all subjects, plasma anti-E2 IgG levels were positively correlated with frequencies of sE2+ rMBC and sE2+ actMBC, while anti-E2 IgG levels were negatively correlated with levels of FCRL5 expression on sE2+ rMBC and PD-1 expression on sE2+ actMBC. Upregulation of FCRL5 on sE2+ rMBC and upregulation of PD-1 on sE2+ actMBC may limit anti-E2 antibody production in vivo. Strategies that limit upregulation of these molecules could potentially generate higher titers of protective antibodies against HCV or other pathogens.