Skin changes in lymphoedema: pathophysiology and management options.

Appropriate skin care and prevention of infection are important cornerstones of effective lymphoedema management, which can play a vital role in patient comfort and acceptance of swelling. Management of the patient or client with lymphoedema requires input from an appropriately qualified and skilled practitioner, however skin care is one area of care, which may be addressed by all levels of healthcare professionals involved in direct patient care. This article highlights the pathophysiology of both the skin and lymphatics in lymphoedema. It also aims to give the reader a practical understanding of potential skin problems and suggestions for how they may be identified and remedied.

Determination of dehydroalanine residues in proteins and peptides: an improved method.

Dehydroalanine residues in peptides and proteins react with 4-pyridoethanethiol in alkaline solution to form 4-pyridoethyl cysteine residues, which after acid hydrolysis, give the corresponding amino acid. An experimental protocol has been developed, and with simple dehydroalanine derivatives, conversions of 96-99% are achieved. Tests with peptides and proteins show that serine and cysteine/cystine residues do not interfere with this analytical procedure. A sample of wool keratin contained 57 mumol dehydroalanine/g.

Generation, maintenance and reactivity of ovine T-lymphocyte clones derived from sheep immunized with pili from Bacteroides nodosus.

Peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) from sheep immunized with pilus protein purified from Bacteroides nodosus serogroup A were cultivated in vitro and cloned in the presence of the specific antigen and autologous antigen-presenting cells (APC). The efficiency of cloning was enhanced by high proliferative responses to pili during the initial week of cultivation, and the provision of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rec-IL-2). After three passages at weekly intervals, bulk cultures of PBL and cloned T-lymphocytes were greater than 99% CD4+, CD8-, sIg-, i.e. the characteristic phenotype of helper T-lymphocytes. Cloned T-lymphocytes were devoid of allo-reactivity, and were restricted by class II antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Both bulk PBL and cloned T-lymphocytes exhibited similar patterns of reactivity against pili from different serogroups of B. nodosus and the T-lymphocytes reacted to three of six peptides synthesized from the amino-acid sequence of pilus from serogroup A. Although clones of T-lymphocytes could retain antigen specificity for up to 2 months of cultivation, several attempts to recover clones with specific reactivity after storage in liquid nitrogen were unsuccessful.