[Strabismus and reading: Effect of strabismus on reading tests in children from 8 to 11 years]. / Strabisme et lecture : incidence du strabisme sur des tests de lecture chez des enfants de 8 à 11 ans.

PURPOSE: We try to show a relationship between strabismus and changes in reading skills. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have carried out a prospective study including 135 children from 8 to 11 years (French level CE2 to CM2). They were given an ophthalmologic and orthoptic examination and then divided into 4 groups: strabismus with vertical deviation without binocular vision, accommodative strabismus with binocular vision, accommodative strabismus without binocular vision and control group (children without strabismus). Each child took 4 validated reading tests: reading fluency, uncommon words reading, comparison of letters sequences without signification, searching "verbal index". RESULTS: Results are significantly lower in children with accommodative strabismus without binocular vision for two tests (reading fluency and uncommon words reading). In contrast, results for the two other tests do not differ significantly between the 4 groups. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated lowered reading skills in tests of reading fluency in children with accommodative strabismus without binocular vision.

Synthesis and inhibitory effects of 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzoxazole and 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzimidazole derivatives on arachidonic acid metabolism.

A series of new 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzoxazole and 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzimidazole compounds was prepared and investigated by a number of in vitro methods in order to determine their prostaglandin synthesis inhibitory activity. The most active compound decreases prostaglandin production and carrageenin edema, but has a less platelet antiaggregatory activity.

Emergence of non-major-histocompatibility-complex-restricted lytic CD8+ cells in the blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

A large body of evidence has suggested that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is strongly associated with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunologically, this neoplasia is characterized by the absence of anti-EBV circulating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), despite a high number of peripheral activated CD8+ cells, as previously determined in our laboratory. In order to determine whether the absence of anti-EBV CTL is related to a reduced number of circulating anti-EBV effector cells, we attempted to expand these hypothetical specific T cells by induction of proliferation with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2), in the, absence of any stimulator cells. Optimal conditions for stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of nasopharyngeal patients were obtained with 100 U/ml rIL-2 during 10 days of culture. PBL treated with rIL-2 induced a selective expansion of CD8+ cells and generated a potent cytotoxicity towards autologous or HLA-compatible lymphoblastoid cell lines, used as target cells in a chromium-release thest. However, this cytolysis was non-MHC-restricted, since, the monoclonal antibodies anti-(HLA class I) and anti-(HLA class II) were inefficient in inhibiting this cytotoxicity. Interestingly, purified CD8+ cells acquired the capacity for non-MHC-restricted cytolysis.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzothiazole derivatives.

A series of novel 2-pyridyl-2-thiobenzothiazole compounds was prepared and investigated by a number of in vitro methods in order to determine their anti-inflammatory properties. Results are discussed with reference to well known NSAIDs. (3-carboxy-2-pyridyl)-2-thiobenzothiazole had the most potent anti-inflammatory activity, being 1.34 times more active than indomethacin used as reference compound.

Selective homing of phenotypically lytic cells within nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies: numerous CD8- and CD16-positive cells in the tumor.

We present a comparative analysis of cell-mediated immunity between circulating lymphocytes and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Phenotypic analysis using a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to define lymphocytic subsets has revealed a selective homing of phenotypically lytic cells such as CD8- and CD16-positive cells, but a low percentage of macrophages when compared to PBL of NPC patients. Also, PBL and TIL contain an equivalent percentage of activated T-lymphocytes expressing HLA-DR molecules and IL-2 receptors. Functionally, TIL exhibit an abolished NK-cell activity and concomitant decrease of proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) stimulation when compared with PBL.

High interferon titer and defective NK-cell activity in the circulation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

The interferon (IFN) activity of sera from 19 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was determined by the plaque-reduction assay with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in HeLa cells and compared to that of sera from matched healthy controls. High titers of interferon were detected in the sera of the NPC patients with a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 43 +/- 25 U/ml. The interferon activity of the patients' sera was acid- and heat-labile (pH = 2 and 56 degrees C for 1 hr) and could be neutralized by a goat antiserum to human IFN-gamma. Interferon titers of the patients, in contrast, to normal controls, were not correlated with natural killer (NK) activity which was abnormally low in the NPC patients. On the other hand, a high percentage of circulating cells co-expressing the LGL marker (HNK-I) and the OKT8 antigen was detected in parallel with high IFN levels in NPC patients.

Presence of in vivo-activated T-cells expressing HLA-DR molecules and IL-2 receptors in peripheral blood of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with two malignant diseases, African Burkitt's Lymphoma (BL) and Undifferentiated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (UNPC). North Africa is a geographical area with a high incidence of NPC. Our purpose in this study was to explore cell-mediated immunity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with UNPC and DNPC. We found an elevated percentage of OKT8 cells and of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) (30-35% HNK-I-positive cells) compared to PBL from healthy matched individuals. PBL from NPC patients contained 35% HLA-DR-positive and 30% Interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor-positive circulating lymphocytes. PBL from NPC patients exhibited a normal proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Concanavalin A (Con A) and an increased response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Natural killer (NK) activity towards K562 cells was low in our patients who, in addition, exhibited no lytic activity against HLA-matched EBV-transformed B cells. This lack of cytotoxicity against an EBV-transformed B-cell line cannot be explained by an impairment of IL-2 secretion, and is probably a result of the presence of high numbers of OKT8 suppressor T cells.

Human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected cells: EBV specificity and involvement of major histocompatibility complex determinants in the lysis exerted by anti-EBV CTL toward HLA-compatible and allogeneic target cells.

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), from anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-seropositive donors, were stimulated by EBV and were shown to be cytotoxic toward autologous, HLA-compatible, and fully allogeneic EBV-transformed target cells. The lysis was not due to natural killer (NK) cells since the target cells used were resistant to lysis by fresh PBL and by virus-stimulated PBL-depleted of AET-SRBC-rosetting T cells (the latter being still fully cytotoxic on K562 NK-susceptible target cells). Conversely only E-rosette-purified (T) lymphocytes killed EBV-transformed HLA-compatible and allogeneic target cells. Moreover, anti-MHC antibodies inhibited the cytotoxicity exerted by EBV-induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) on both autologous and allogeneic target cells. Finally the lysis was EBV specific since PHA blasts were not killed and since only EBV-transformed cells could compete for lysis with the EBV-positive target cells. Efficient competition was achieved by EBV-transformed cells autologous or allogeneic to the targets, even when effector and target cells were fully allogeneic. All together, the data suggest that human anti-EBV CTL may recognize nonpolymorphic HLA determinants on the target cells in association with the virus-induced antigens.