[Effects of taking the pingzhi tablets on cellular infiltration in tissues of nasal polyps].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of taking the "Pingzhi Tablets" on infiltration of inflammatory in tissues of chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps. METHOD: Nasal polyps from taking the "Pingzhi Tablets" treated patients (40 cases) and untreated patients (40 cases) were investigated. The samples were stained by HE and SABC-AP immunohistochemical methods. RESULT: Compared with untreated polyps, the polyps treated by taking the "Pingzhi Tablets" contained significantly lower tissue densities of CD 11b+, CD7+ positive cells. Although the densities of CD 19+ positive cells were lower in treated polyps, the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated tissue effects of treatment with taking "Pingzhi Tablets" and the treatment was effective in suppressing the inflammatory cell infiltration.

CD4+CD7- leukemic T cells from patients with Sézary syndrome are protected from galectin-1-triggered T cell death.

In early stages of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (Sézary syndrome) both CD4+CD7- and CD4+CD7+ T cells clonally expand whereas in late stages of the disease CD7- cells are predominant in number, giving rise to the question whether CD7- T cells have a survival advantage in the skin. Galectin-1, a cell-bound lectin, was recently reported to trigger apoptosis in activated CD7+ T cells. Here, we demonstrate that in contrast to activated CD7(+) T cells, quiescent and activated CD69+ CD7- T cells from healthy donors and from Sézary patients are resistant to galectin-1-mediated cell death. CD7- T cells are apoptosis-resistant even during coculture with IFN-gamma-stimulated endothelial cells that constitutively express galectin-1 in high amounts. These data imply that resistance of CD7- T cells to galectin-1-induced apoptosis may contribute to the accumulation of CD7- Sézary T cells during progression of the disease.