Trichinella spiralis: Comparison with an Arctic isolate

The muscle phase of Trichinella spiralis and of Trichinella sp. isolated in the Arctic was compared in experimental and wild animals. Reproductive capacity indices (RCI) of the Trichinella sp. isolate were significantly lower in laboratory rodents but were similar to T. spiralis in wild rodents. Sprague-Dawley rats were the most refractory to the Trichinella sp. isolate of all laboratory rodents. Outbred strains of mice were more susceptible to both T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate than inbred strains of mice. T. spiralis muscle larvae survived longer in mice and the survival of both T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate larvae was higher in female mice. While single pair interbreeding experiments showed reproductive isolation between T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate, multiple pair and transplant breeding experiments showed reproductive compatibility. Male and female infective larvae of T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate differed morphometrically, but a convergence in size of worms was observed after prolonged passages of the parasites in mice. Passaging history of the isolate and host species was found to have a significant effect on Trichinella morphology. It is proposed that the Trichinella sp. isolate is a physiological variant of T. spiralis and not a distinct species.     

Quantification of epithelial volume by image processing applied to ovarian tumors

This paper describes an image analysis technique for automated estimation of the percentages of epithelium and stroma in (tumor) tissue. The program is evaluated on ovarian tumors of the serous, mucinous, and endometrioid type. From standard paraffin sections, stained with pararosanilin Feulgen and naphthol yellow, a blue-yellow image pair was recorded. The blue image was used for the determination of the total tissue area and the yellow image for the epithelial area. For the latter the image processing method is based on the fact that epithelial nuclei are generally more tightly packed than stromal nuclei. A structural approach was applied, in which the segmentation of the nuclei was based on the image contrast range in the density domain. The method has been tested with 78 image pairs from 19 ovarian tumors with varying degrees of malignancy. The area percentages, as assessed with image processing, were strongly correlated to control percentages, established by interactive morphometry (r = 0.98).     

Estrogen sulfotransferase of mouse placenta: behaviour and characteristics during partial purification

Mouse placental estrogen sulfotransferase (ST) was partially purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) gel filtration in combination with FPLC anion exchange. Owing to the highly unstable nature of the enzyme, large increases in specific activity were not obtained. Storage of the ST in the presence of thiol groups at -20 degrees C stabilized the enzyme considerably. Forty-three percent of the cytosolic ST was bound to an Affi-Gel blue column and eluted as a broad peak at approximately 0.8 M NaCl. The use of the latter procedure, in combination with FPLC gel filtration, did not increase the specific activity substantially. Larger increases in specific activity were obtained using agarose-hexane-adenosine-3',5'-diphosphate affinity chromatography. The bound ST activity was eluted under a single peak at 1 mM ADP. Increases in specific activity following use of this column averaged 54-fold but could reach 90-fold. Attempts at further purification of this material resulted in low recovery and decreased specific activity. Velocity versus substrate concentration curves show that estrone and particularly estradiol inhibit the partially purified mouse placental sulfotransferase above 0.1-0.25 microM substrate concentrations.     

Evaluation of the prognostic value of morphometric features and cellular DNA content in FIGO I ovarian cancer patients

Approximately 20% to 40% of the patients with a FIGO I ovarian tumor die within five years after the diagnosis. Morphologic studies (typing and grading) of the primary tumor are prognostically important, but poorly reproducible. Therefore, the prognostic value of more objective techniques, such as morphometry and flow cytometric (FCM) DNA determinations, were evaluated in 33 adequately staged FIGO I patients with at least a five-year follow-up. The overall five-year survival in the group was 64%. Three patient categories were defined on the basis of two easily measured morphometric features, the mitotic activity index (MAI) and the volume percentage epithelium (VPE), which an earlier study had proved to be significantly associated with prognosis. The five-year survival rates were 91% for 11 patients in category A (MAI less than 30 and VPE less than 65), 67% for 9 patients in category B (MAI less than 30 and VPE greater than or equal to 65) and 38% for 13 patients in category C (MAI greater than or equal to 30). FCM showed 25 of the tumors to be diploid and 8 to be aneuploid. The cellular DNA content was also of prognostic value: the five-year survival figures for patients with diploid and aneuploid tumors were 68% and 37%, respectively. Combination of the morphometric and FCM features showed that, in diploid tumors, the morphometric features have additional prognostic value: the diploid-tumor-patient survival rates in categories A, B and C were 91%, 63% and 50%, respectively. None of the eight patients with aneuploid tumors fell in the morphometrically favorable category A while seven were in category C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Gall stones in sickle cell disease in the United Kingdom.

The prevalence of gall stones was studied prospectively by abdominal ultrasound examination in 131 patients with sickle cell disease aged 10-65 years. Of 95 patients with homozygous sickle cell disease, 55 (58%) had gall stones or had had a cholecystectomy. Gall stones were present in four out of 24 (17%) patients with haemoglobin S + C disease and two out of 12 (17%) with haemoglobin S beta thalassaemia. The presence of gall stones was not related to sex, geographical origin, or haematological variables and was not associated with abnormal results of liver function tests. Symptoms typical of biliary colic were reported by 32 out of 47 adult patients with gall stones, and cholecystitis or cholestasis was diagnosed in 18. Cholecystectomy was performed in 29 patients with good relief of symptoms in most cases. Postoperative complications were common, occurring in 10 of the 28 patients who could be evaluated, but not generally serious; they were considerably lessened by a preoperative exchange transfusion that reduced the haemoglobin S concentration to below 40%. It is suggested that all patients with sickle cell disease should be screened for gall stones and that elective cholecystectomy should be performed in those with symptoms or complications.     

13C NMR of methylated lysines of fd gene 5 protein: evidence for a conformational change involving lysine 24 upon binding of a negatively charged lanthanide chelate

Helical complexes formed between fd DNA and reductively methylated fd gene 5 protein were indistinguishable by electron microscopy from complexes formed with the nonmethylated protein. 13C NMR spectroscopy of 13C-enriched N epsilon, N epsilon-dimethyllsyl residues of the protein showed that three of these residues (Lys-24, Lys-46, and Lys-69) were selectively perturbed by binding of the oligomer d(pA)7. These were the same lysyl residues that we previously found to be most protected from methylation by binding of the protein to poly[r(U)] [Dick, L. R., Sherry, A. D., Newkirk, M. M., & Gray D. M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 18864-18872]. Thus, these lysines are probably directly involved in the nucleic acid binding function of the protein. Negatively charged chelates of lanthanide ions were used to perturb the 13C NMR resonances of labeled lysyl and amino-terminal residues of the gene 5 protein. The terbium chelate was found to bind tightly (Ka approximately 10(5) M-1) to the protein with a stoichiometry of 1 chelate molecule per protein dimer. 13C resonances of Lys-24, Lys-46, and Lys-69 were maximally shifted by the terbium chelate and were maximally relaxed by the gadolinium chelate. Also, the terbium chelate was excluded by the oligomer d(pA)7. Computer fits of the induced chemical shifts of 13C resonances with those expected for various positions of the terbium chelate failed to yield a possible chelate binding site unless the chemical shift for Lys-24 was excluded from the fitting process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)