Human leukocyte antigen class II alleles in Caucasian women with primary biliary cirrhosis.

In the current study, we investigated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles in Caucasian women with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a disease that preferentially affects women. Alleles of DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 were determined by DNA-based HLA typing for women with PBC (n = 72) and healthy women (n = 381). All study subjects were Caucasian. HLA DRB1*08 was significantly increased in women with PBC compared to healthy women. The increase was primarily due to the DRB1*0801 allele, also the most common DRB1*08 allele among controls. DQB1*04 and DQA1*0401 were significantly increased. DRB1*1501, DQA1*0102, and DQB1*0602 were associated with decreased risk. Analyses conducted comparing parous women with PBC to parous healthy women (n = 68 and n = 282, respectively) yielded similar significant results. Although the DRB1*08-DQA1*0401-DQB1*04 haplotype was significantly associated with PBC, consistent with other studies, this haplotype nevertheless represented only 19% (14/72) of all PBC patients and can account for only a minority of the risk of PBC.

HLA allelic variants encoding DR11 in diffuse and limited systemic sclerosis in Caucasian women.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated HLA class II alleles in women with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare disease that preferentially affects women. METHODS: Specific alleles of DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 were determined by DNA-based HLA typing for women with SSc (n = 102) and healthy women (n = 533). All study subjects were Caucasian. DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies of women with SSc were compared with those of healthy women. RESULTS: Among women with SSc, 29.4% (30/102) and among healthy women 10.7% (57/533) had DRB1*11. Allele frequencies were compared for women with SSc and healthy women (each woman has two alleles). The allele frequency of DRB1*11 was 15.7% (32/204 alleles) in SSc women and 5.8% (62/1066 alleles) in healthy women (P = 0.000002). The increase of DRB1*11 was found both in diffuse (P = 0.0001) and limited SSc (P = 0.002) (allele frequencies 15.0 and 17.2%, respectively). Among women with diffuse SSc, there was a disproportionate increase of the DRB1*1104 allele (P = 0.0004) with no increase of DRB1*1101 (P = 1.00). In contrast, in limited SSc the strongest association was with DRB1*1101 (P = 0.008), with a less significant increase of DRB1*1104 (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: An increase of DRB1*11 in SSc is consistent with other reports. Although present in both diffuse and limited SSc disease subsets, the increase was predominantly due to over-representation of DRB1*1104 in women with diffuse SSc. Women with limited SSc had a preponderance of DRB1*1101, the most common allele in healthy women. DRB1*1104 and DRB1*1101 differ by a single amino acid at position 86, where the former has valine and the latter glycine.

Molecular cytogenetic analysis of recurrent unbalanced t(11;17) in neuroblastoma.

Loss of 11q material occurs in approximately 30% of advanced stage neuroblastoma and defines a distinct genetic subtype of this disease. These tumors almost always possess unbalanced gain of the 17q, along with many additional recurrent chromosomal imbalances. Loss of 11q and gain of 17q is often the consequence of an unbalanced translocation between the long arms of both chromosomes, but because of the involvement of other chromosomal mechanisms, the actual frequency of t(11;17) is unknown. In addition, chromosomal breakpoint positions for the t(11;17) are variable in different tumors, with breakpoints on neither the 11q nor 17q being well defined. We have used interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis to detect a der(11)t(11;17) in a series of neuroblastomas with 11q loss/17q gain using a statistical approach which could be applicable to the detection of translocations in other solid tumors. The frequency of der(11)t(11;17) was approximately 90% in our neuroblastoma series. A balanced t(11;17) was also detected in a MYCN amplified tumor, which is a distinctly different genetic subtype from the 11q- tumors. Breakpoint positions on 11q were determined to be variable, whereas all breakpoints on 17q appeared to cluster proximal to position 43.1 Mb on the DNA sequence map. The majority of tumors had large numbers of nuclei with 2 or more copies of der(11)t(11;17), which led to unbalanced gain of 11p, and further increases in 17q imbalance. The prevalence of t(11;17) in neuroblastoma warrants additional studies to further define the range in variation in breakpoint positions on both chromosomes and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that lead to this important and interesting recurrent genetic abnormality.

Evolution of unbalanced gain of distal chromosome 2p in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma, one of the most common tumors of childhood, presents at diagnosis with a vast number of recurrent chromosomal imbalances that include hyperdiploidy for whole chromosomes, partial loss of 1p, 3p, 4p, 11q, 14q, partial gain of 1q, 7q, 17q and amplification of MYCN. These abnormalities are nonrandomly distributed in neuroblastoma as loss of 3p and 11q rarely occur in MYCN amplified neuroblastomas. Here, we report on a patient who had a non-MYCN amplified 3p-/11q- neuroblastoma at diagnosis who subsequently developed a high level of MYCN amplification in bone marrow metastases 41 months after induction of complete remission. The tumor at diagnosis had low level unbalanced gain of distal 2p. In order to assess the frequency of low level gain of distal 2p in neuroblastoma, we examined the comparative genomic hybridization results from 60 neuroblastomas. Among non-MYCN amplified neuroblastomas, 8/45 (18%) had low level gain of distal 2p. Low level gain for a segment of 2p (i.e. a region larger than the 2p23-->p24 undergoing amplification) was also detected in five of the 15 tumors that had high level MYCN amplification. The possibility that low level gain of distal 2p is a risk factor for high level MYCN amplification is discussed.

Are gains of chromosomal regions 7q and 11p important abnormalities in neuroblastoma?

Neuroblastoma exhibiting deletion of a segment of the long arm of chromosome 11 represents a genetic subtype of tumor that is distinct from those exhibiting MYCN amplification or 1p deletion. The 11q- genetic subtype is further characterized by gain of 17q and loss of distal 3p material. Gain of 11p material has also been reported in neuroblastoma with 11q loss, but at a considerably lower frequency than gain of 17q or loss of the distal 3p region. Our results, however, indicate that gain of 11p may occur more frequently in 11q- neuroblastoma than what was previously realized. Comparative genomic hybridization analyses of neuroblastoma tissue from eleven patients indicated that six of 11 tumors (55%) with loss of 11q also possessed gain of 11p. The shortest region of 11p gain was 11p11.2-->p14. G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis performed on tumor cells from primary and metastatic sites from one patient allowed us to infer that gain of 11p arose secondarily to the abnormality that led to the loss of 11q material. Gain of an entire chromosome 7 was detected in 17 of 43 (40%) tumors, whereas gain of 7q was detected in 5 of 43 (12%) tumors. Unlike gain of 11p, gain of an entire chromosome 7 appears to be prevalent in all tumor stages and is not limited to the 11q- tumor subtype. Gain of 7q, however, is more prevalent in higher stage tumors. G-band cytogenetic analysis indicated that an unbalanced t(3;7) was responsible for the gain of 7q and loss of 3p material in one case. We discuss the possibility that gain of 7/7q, and 11p material may contribute to either tumorigenesis or progression.

Genetic abnormalities in a pre and post-chemotherapy hepatoblastoma.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis was performed on both a pre- and post-chemotherapy hepatoblastoma from a 24-month-old female patient. The diagnostic sample obtained from a tru-cut biopsy was a mixed epithelial-mesenchymal tumor with both fetal and embryonal patterns present. In contrast, the post-chemotherapy tumor exhibited a prominent anaplastic large cell population focally reminiscent of pleomorphic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CGH analysis indicated that there were similarities as well as differences in the gains and losses of genetic material in each tumor. The diagnostic sample had gains of chromosome 1q, 2, 2(q31q33), 7, 8q, 12(q15q22), 17q and 20 material, while the post-chemotherapy tumor had gains of 1q, 2, 7, 8q, 10, 17q and 20 material. In addition, the pre- and post-chemotherapy samples may have incurred loss of chromosome 17p material. The main differences between the two samples involved localized gain of 2(q31q33) and 12(q15q22) in the pre-chemotherapy sample, and gain of chromosome 10 material in the post-chemotherapy tumor. The patient subsequently developed metastatic nodules in her lungs, the histology of which was identical in pattern to the diagnostic pattern, and appeared to have localized gain of 2(q31q33) and 12(q15q22). These results are consistent with published results that gain of chromosome 8q and 20 are associated with an unfavorable prognosis.

Isolation and analysis of thermotolerant mutants of wheat.

Thermotolerant mutants of wheat cv. Guardian were isolated by selecting survivors from 5-d-old seedlings of M2 populations exposed to 47 degrees C for 90 min. Progeny testing, using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride reduction as a measure of tissue viability, following heat stress treatment for 120 min at each of three temperatures (32, 38 and 50 degrees C), confirmed the thermotolerant nature of seedlings of 13 mutants. Mutants were isolated at frequencies of 0.1% and 0.2% following the use of sodium azide and ethyl methanesulphonate, respectively. The relative thermotolerance of ten of the mutants and 'Guardian' was then tested by exposing plants to heat stresses of 38 degrees C for 6 h in every 24 h for five successive days at one of four growth stages between seedling and anthesis. Pmax (light-saturated net photosynthetic rate) and chlorophyll content were compared in stressed and unstressed plants. The Pmax of 'Guardian' was depressed by at least 23% by heat stress at each stage; this inhibition was least at ear emergence and greatest at anthesis, the latter being associated with reduced sink size as a result of lowered seed set. The stress-induced inhibition of Pmax in 'Guardian' plants at anthesis had not recovered 3 d after removal of the stress. Mutant lines exhibited different developmental profiles of Pmax thermostability. Mutant tht (thermotolerant) 10, for example, exhibited partial thermostability at each growth stage tested while the Pmax of mutant tht 2 was completely unaffected by heat stress at second node and ear emergence, but was as inhibited as that of 'Guardian' at anthesis; heat stress applied at anthesis in tht 2, but not tht 10, was associated with reduced seed set. Generally, the inhibitory effect of heat stress on Pmax in the mutants was reflected in declines in chlorophyll content. The ten mutants were grouped into nine categories, on the basis of thermotolerance characteristics.

Coordinate deletion of chromosome 3p and 11q in neuroblastoma detected by comparative genomic hybridization.

Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, is associated with a number of genetic abnormalities that are prognostically significant. The most common abnormalities are associated with aggressive clinical behavior and include deletion of distal chromosome 1p, NMYC amplification, and unbalanced gain of the long arm of chromosome 17. There are also other recurrent, but less frequent abnormalities, the clinical significance of which is uncertain. These less common abnormalities include deletion 3p, 11q, and 14q. To gain further clinical insight into some of the less commonly observed abnormalities in neuroblastoma, we performed comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis on 24 primary and metastatic neuroblastomas (6 stage 2, 5 stage 3, 11 stage 4, and 2 stage 4). Nineteen of these tumors were prechemotherapy. A total of 190 abnormalities were detected from these tumors. Four of the 24 tumors studied showed loss of 11q material, with 3 of these tumors also possessing distal chromosome 3p deletions. Our results provide confirmation that deletion of chromosome 3p is nonrandomly associated with deletion of chromosome 11q in neuroblastoma. However, analysis of our results, along with other results reported in the literature, indicate that there is no statistically significant association between 3p and 11q loss and more clinically aggressive tumors.

Consequences of interaction of a lipophilic endotoxin antagonist with plasma lipoproteins.

E5531, a novel synthetic lipid A analogue, antagonizes the toxic effects of lipopolysaccharide, making it a potential intravenously administered therapeutic agent for the treatment of sepsis. This report describes the distribution of E5531 in human blood and its activity when it is associated with different lipoprotein subclasses. After in vitro incubation of [(14)C]E5531 with blood, the great majority (>92%) of material was found in the plasma fraction. Analysis by size-exclusion and affinity chromatographies and density gradient centrifugation indicates that [(14)C]E5531 binds to lipoproteins, primarily high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), with distribution into low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs) being dependent on the plasma LDL or VLDL cholesterol concentration. Similar results were also seen in a limited study of [(14)C]E5531 administration to human volunteers. The potency of E5531 in freshly drawn human blood directly correlates to increasing LDL cholesterol levels. Finally, preincubation of E5531 with plasma or purified lipoproteins indicated that binding to HDL resulted in a time-dependent loss of drug activity. This loss in activity was not observed with drug binding to LDLs or to VLDLs or chylomicrons. Taken together, these results indicate that E5531 binds to plasma lipoproteins, making its long-term antagonistic potency dependent on the plasma lipoprotein composition.

Chromosome deletion 17p11.2 (Smith-Magenis syndrome) in seven new patients, four of whom had been referred for fragile-X investigation.

We report seven new patients with clinical features of the Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) and small de novo interstitial deletions of 17p11.2. Four of these patients had been referred for fragile-X studies, but standard G-banded chromosome analysis routinely carried out in addition to the fragility tests revealed the microdeletion in chromosome 17. A relatively high proportion (approximately 2%) of patients referred to this Centre for fragile-X investigation are found to have a chromosome abnormality other than fra(X)(q27.3), half of them (approximately 1%) with an unbalanced chromosome complement. The four of our seven patients with deletion 17p11.2 constitute 25% of those with an unbalanced karyotype, and establish this microdeletion as the most common chromosome abnormality-except for fra(X)(q27.3)-in patients referred for fragile-X screening. The data indicate that standard karyotyping should be offered to patients with this referral indication, in addition to any molecular or chromosome fragility tests for fragile X. We also recommend that the short arm of chromosome 17 be examined critically in these patients. Moderate quality and resolution of banding (450-550 bands per haploid chromosome set) are adequate for detection of the 17p11.2 deletion.

A comparative study of the clinical efficacy of nedocromil sodium and placebo. How does cromolyn sodium compare as an active control treatment?

Nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium are the only two currently available nonsteroid anti-inflammatory agents for treatment of asthma. Clinical differences between the two agents remain under continuous investigation with reports differentiating the two on the basis of atopy of the patient and reversibility of bronchoconstriction. This study investigated the efficacy of nedocromil sodium (4 mg, qid) for treatment of mild-to-moderate asthma in comparison to placebo using cromolyn sodium (2 mg, qid) as an active control treatment. Patients were primarily allergic asthmatics (with at least 15% reversibility) previously maintained on a regimen of regular bronchodilator therapy. During a 2-week run-in period, the patient's slow-release theophylline therapy was removed, and the patients were randomized to treatment after deterioration of asthma control (asthma symptom summary score of 3 for 7 of the 14 days). After 8 weeks of treatment, patients were returned to as occasion requires bronchodilator therapy, as per the 2-week baseline period. The results demonstrate that patients treated with nedocromil sodium showed statistically significant improvements during the primary time period (mean weeks 3 through 8) over placebo-treated patients as evidenced by all indexes of asthma symptoms, pulmonary function measures, and decreased bronchodilator reliance (p<0.05). Patients treated with cromolyn sodium demonstrated similar improvements over placebo-treated patients. Comparisons between nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium showed the two agents to be comparable in this group of primarily allergic patients with reversible disease. Between-group differences were noted for 3 of the 13 variables (nighttime asthma, FEV1, and forced expiratory flow rate between 25 % and 75% of the FVC) in favor of cromolyn sodium when the data were pooled during the primary time period. The number of patients missing 1 or more days from work/school/regular activity due to asthma was significantly fewer compared with placebo, and favoring nedocromil sodium over cromolyn sodium. No differences were observed among the three treatments for adverse events. This study demonstrated that in primarily allergic patients with reversible airways disease, nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium are both significantly more effective than placebo for treatment of mild-to-moderate asthma.

E5531, a pure endotoxin antagonist of high potency.

Shock due to Gram-negative bacterial sepsis is a consequence of acute inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or endotoxin released from bacteria. LPS is a major constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and its terminal disaccharide phospholipid (lipid A) portion contains the key structural features responsible for toxic activity. Based on the proposed structure of nontoxic Rhodobacter capsulatus lipid A, a fully stabilized endotoxin antagonist E5531 has been synthesized. In vitro, E5531 demonstrated potent antagonism of LPS-mediated cellular activation in a variety of systems. In vivo, E5531 protected mice from LPS-induced lethality and, in cooperation with an antibiotic, protected mice from a lethal infection of viable Escherichia coli.

Immunosuppressive therapy for asthma.

Over the last four or five years, there have been some serious attempts to look for alternatives to corticosteroids in the management of severe bronchial asthma. Rheumatologists and dermatologists long ago recognized the importance of replacing corticosteroids with other agents. Some agents such as methotrexate are now clearly established through multiple double-blind trials as being appropriate substitutes for corticosteroids, whereas other agents which have been investigated, such as cyclosporin, are very promising. Finally, a third group of agents, including troleandomycin (TAO), have been found to be totally inappropriate as possible substitutes for corticosteroids.

Human cutaneous allergic late-phase response is inhibited by soluble IL-1 receptor.

The late-phase allergic reaction (LPR) occurs 4 to 8 h after allergen exposure and probably causes the symptoms of chronic allergic disease. To determine the effects of soluble IL-1 receptor on the cutaneous LPR, we performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 15 allergic subjects. Intradermal injections of allergen were placed on subjects' forearms, followed by immediate subcutaneous injections at the same site of either 1, 10, 25, 50, or 100 micrograms of rhu IL-1R to three subjects in each dosage group. Placebo was given to matched allergen-injected sites on the contralateral arm. Erythema, induration, and itching were recorded for each site. Sites were biopsied at 8 h for immunohistologic evaluations. Rhu IL-1R significantly reduced the clinical reaction at all concentrations. At 1 and 10 micrograms, measurements of LPR were significantly less (p < 0.05) than at placebo sites at several time points from 2 to 8 h. At higher concentrations, LPR was suppressed at rhu IL-1R and placebo sites, suggesting a systemic effect of rhu IL-1R. Histologic evaluation and indirect immunofluorescence for eosinophil granule major basic protein, neutrophil elastase, and mast cell tryptase showed no statistical differences between rhu IL-1R and placebo sites or among doses. IL-1 plays an important role in the generation of allergic LPR. While microgram quantities of rhu IL-1R inhibited the clinical signs and symptoms of LPR, its effects on the allergic inflammatory infiltrate are yet to be defined. In this short term trial, rhu IL-1R was neither immunogenic nor toxic.

Cytogenetic versus DNA diagnosis in routine referrals for fragile X syndrome.

The molecular cloning of the gene that causes the fragile X syndrome, and the demonstration that the causative mutation is an expansion of an unstable trinucleotide repeat, suggests that cytogenetic testing could be replaced by a molecular test. We compared the two methods in 525 routine referrals. 12 cases were positive in both tests. 1 case that had a negative DNA test for the fragile site at Xq27.3 (FRAXA), but a positive cytogenetic result, was shown to be caused by a mutation at the FRAXE locus on chromosome Xq28. DNA analysis is a sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective diagnostic alternative.

Complete and partial XY sex reversal associated with terminal deletion of 10q: report of 2 cases and literature review.

We describe 2 karyotypically male infants with terminal deletion of 10q and mental retardation, multiple phenotypic anomalies and abnormal genitalia. One [karyotype 46,XY, del(10)(q26.1)] had female external genitalia; the other [karyotype 46,XY,-10,+der(10)t (10;16)(q26.2;q21)] had an intersex phenotype. Of 8 males previously reported with terminal 10q deletion as the major or only cytogenetic abnormality, 2 had an intersex phenotype, and the others all had combinations of cryptorchidism, micropenis, and hypospadias. Terminal 10q deletions appear to be strongly associated with abnormal male genital development, and should be specifically searched for in the cytogenetic workup of such cases.

Use of methotrexate in the treatment of steroid-dependent adolescent asthmatics.

Five children 10 to 16 years of age with steroid-dependent asthma were treated with methotrexate. All were able to reduce their doses of prednisone and all had improvement in their clinical status. No significant side effects were noted in patients treated 1 to 3 years. This open study suggests that methotrexate should be considered in the treatment of older children with severe asthma and morbidity from their steroid therapy.