[en] This investigation analyzed the effect of labor on the phagocytic activity of neutrophils in women with uncomplicated term pregnancies. Nineteen healthy women who were not pregnant and did not use oral contraceptives or glucocorticoids served as controls. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 15 study patients who were in the active phase of labor (5-10 cm of dilation). Neutrophil phagocytic function was evaluated with the radioiodine fixation test. Assays were conducted utilizing both pooled homologous serum and autologous serum. There was no statistically significant difference in the neutrophil phagocytic function of laboring patients and controls. In addition, there was no evidence that serum from pregnant women exerted a depressant effect on phagocytosis

No abstract available

[en] Specimens from 27 bone lesions of histiocytosis X were analysed semiquantitatively before treatment. Eosinophilic granulocytes seemed to be the only significant prognostic cell type. Absence of eosionphils or only slight eosinophilia in the initial bone lesions were found predominantly in widespread disease with fatal outcome. A moderate or severe degree of eosinophilia dominated in solitary bone lesions with good prognosis. (Auth.)

No abstract available

[en] We have developed a coculture system which in parallel indicates the sensitizing and irritative potential of xenobiotics. The assay is named loose-fit coculture-based sensitization assay (LCSA) and may be performed within 5 days. The system is composed of human monocytes that differentiate to a kind of dendritic cells by 2-day culturing in the presence of allogenic keratinocytes. The culture medium is enriched by a cocktail of recombinant cytokines. On day 3, concentration series of probes are added. On day 5, cells are harvested and analyzed for expression range of CD86 as a marker of sensitizing potential and for uptake of the viability stain 7-AAD as a marker of irritative potential. Estimation of the concentration required to cause a half-maximal increase in CD86 expression allowed quantification of sensitizing potential, and estimation of the concentration required to reduce viability to 50% allowed quantification of irritative potential. Examination of substances with known potential resulted in categorization of test scores. To evaluate our data, we have compared results with those of the validated animal-based sensitization test, the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA, OECD TG 429). To a large extent, results from LCSA and from LLNA achieved analogous grouping of allergens into categories like weak-moderate-strong. However, the new assay showed an improved capacity to distinguish sensitizers from non-sensitizers and irritants. In conclusion, the LCSA contains potential to fulfil the requirements of the EU's programme for the safety of chemicals 'Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of chemical substances' (REACH, 2006) to replace animal models.

[en] Bortezomib, which is a potent proteasome inhibitor, has been used as a first-line drugs to treat multiple myeloma for a few decades, and radiotherapy has frequently been applied to manage acute bone lesions in the patients. Therefore, it was necessary to investigate what the benefits might be if the two therapies were applied simultaneously in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Since it was known that radiotherapy and proteasome inhibitors could increase the expression of NKG2D ligands through induction of protein synthesis and suppression of protein degradation of NKG2D ligands, respectively, we supposed that the combined treatment might further enhance the expression of NKG2D ligands. In this study, we analyzed the expression level of NKG2D ligands using multiplex PCR and flow cytometry after treatment of IM-9 and RPMI-8226 myeloma cells with bortezomib and ionizing radiation; we then assayed the susceptibility to NK-92 cells. Although the expression of only some kinds of NKG2D ligands were increased by treatment with bortezomib alone, five kinds of NKG2D ligands that we assayed were further induced at the surface protein level after combined treatment with ionizing radiation and bortezomib. Furthermore, combined treatment made myeloma cells more susceptible to NK-92 cells, compared with treatment with bortezomib alone. In conclusion, the combination therapy of ionizing radiation plus the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib is a promising therapeutical strategy for enhancing NK cell–mediated anticancer immune responses.

[en] Neutropenia and infections are the most restrictive side effects during chemotherapy application. The granulocytic colonies stimulating factor activates the neutrophils, shortens the neutropenic period and can be effective against the potential risk of infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LeukoCIM (CIMAB, Havana). A retrospective observational study was carried out with data from the patients with neutropenic episodes enrolled in the open-label, non-randomized, multicenter, phase IV clinical trial. These patients were from Gustavo Aldereguia Lima hospital. They had been evaluated for one year. Demographic information, clinical data and side effects were analyzed. As prophylaxis indication LeukoCIM was administrated 24-72 h after the last chemotherapy dose and as treatment when neutropenia was diagnosed. In both cases, a daily single 300 μg dose was administrated subcutaneously. The application of the next chemotherapy cycle on time was the main variable of response and the product safety was assessed by measuring the side effects. Forty seven patients with 95 neutropenic episodes were enrolled. The 82.1 % of episodes received their next chemotherapy cycle on time. The most frequent side effects were: bone pain and fever (11.2 % respectively), hyperuricemia (9.2 %), leukocytosis and neutrophilia (7.1 %) and increased LDH (6.1 %). LeukoCIM was effective in patients receiving chemotherapy, because it accelerated neutrophil recovery, decreased the incidence of febrile neutropenia and improved delivery of protocol doses of chemotherapy on time. Additionally, this product was considered safe for the studied patients since just known adverse events were reported

[en] Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis may be a major cause of lethal opportunistic infection in neutropenic patients. The purpose of this report is to describe a combined treatment modality involving transthoracic injection of amphotericin B and gelatin solution for persistent mycetoma within the cavity. Mycetoma may interfere with consolidation chemotherapy after intravenous injection of ampho-tericin B for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a patient with acute monocytic leukemia in whom neutropenia developed during remission induction chemo-therapy.=20

[en] The continuous interactions between host and viruses during their co-evolution have shaped not only the immune system but also the countermeasures used by viruses. Studies in the last decade have described the diverse arrays of pathways and molecular targets that are used by viruses to elude immune detection or destruction, or both. These include targeting of pathways for major histocompatibility complex class I and class II antigen presentation, natural killer cell recognition, apoptosis, cytokine signalling, and complement activation. This paper provides an overview of the viral immune-evasion mechanisms described to date. It highlights the contribution of this field to our understanding of the immune system, and the importance of understanding this aspect of the biology of viral infection to develop efficacious and safe vaccines. (author)

[en] HLA-G are molecules are (non-classic) class I antigens from main histocompatibility system. There are sis isoforms of HLA-G antigen codifying four proteins united to a membrane (HLA-G1, HLA-G2, HLA-G3, HLA-G4), and three soluble isoforms (HLA-G5, HLA-G6, HLA-G7). The first ones are expressed in cells of placental extravillous cytotrophoblast (Langhans' layer), amnios epithelial cells, fetal endothelial cells, mesenchymal macrophages of chorionic villi, and in epithelial cells of thymus medulla; the second ones in amniotic fluid, in maternal peripheral blood and that of the umbilical cord. There was a HLA-G expression in some types of tumors, stroma cells under inflammation conditions, virus-infected cells and in serum of transplant patients. There are strong evidences of HLA-G molecules role in tolerance induction to these physiological and pathological situations through suppression of lithic activity of NK cells and of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This knowledge may be very useful in future therapeutical management of these entities as well as to favor the success of tissue and organ transplant