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PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative immunization study using RNA and DNA constructs encoding a part of the Plasmodium falciparum antigen Pf332.

Development of nucleic acid-based vaccines against parasitic diseases shows great promise, although certain concerns about safety aspects of conventional DNA vaccines have been raised. This study presents a comparison of antibody responses induced in mice by DNA and RNA-based immunization with vectors encoding a part of the P. falciparum antigen Pf332. Two types of plasmids were used, one conventional DNA plasmid containing a cytomegalovirus promoter and one suicidal DNA plasmid encoding the Semliki Forest virus (SFV) replicase. RNA, encoding the SFV replicase and the relevant antigen, was delivered either as naked RNA or packaged in SFV suicide particles. In general, the antibody responses induced by the DNA plasmids were low and peaking after three injections, the conventional plasmid giving the highest responses. Also the RNA delivered in SFV particles consistently induced antibody responses, although comparatively low. Analyses of the ratio of immunoglobulin (Ig)G1/IgG2a subclasses in the responses indicated that all plasmids resulted in a bias for a Th2-type of response, while the SFV-particles elicited a Th1 type of response. Importantly, all these immunogens induced an immunological memory, which could be efficiently activated by a booster injection with the corresponding protein, with unchanged patterns of IgG subclasses.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of acute isolated and combined ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament. A long-term follow-up study.

From a total of 293 patients who had an acute, complete anterior cruciate ligament rupture, we selected all patients (N = 55) who had an anterior cruciate ligament rupture without associated meniscal or ligamentous injuries, and all patients (N = 52) who had an anterior cruciate ligament rupture combined with a rupture, and subsequent primary repair, of the medial collateral ligament. Initially, all patients were assigned to one of two groups: conservative treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament or augmented anterior cruciate ligament repair with the iliotibial band. In the 52 patients who had an anterior cruciate ligament rupture combined with a medial collateral ligament rupture, the associated injuries to the medial collateral ligament and sometimes the posterior oblique ligament, meniscus, and arcuate ligament complex were treated in a similar fashion, without regard to the treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament. Ninety-nine patients (93%) were reexamined 35 to 74 months after the injury, and knee function was evaluated with subjective and objective criteria, including functional tests. Patients who had been treated with augmented anterior cruciate ligament repair had superior stability with better subjective results and returned to strenuous activities more frequently than patients who had undergone conservative treatment. In those patients who had augmented repair, the prognosis did not differ between those who had isolated lesions and those who had combined lesions. Conservative treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament with repair of the medial collateral ligament and other associated injuries, when present, resulted in an almost equally unfavorable outcome for patients with combined and isolated anterior cruciate ligament lesions.

Acute Disease↗