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Biomedical subjects

G Cambridge

Publications and source records attributed to G Cambridge.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Placental localization of relaxin in the pregnant mare.

In situ hybridization employing a cRNA probe derived from a 428-bp fragment of equine relaxin was used to localize relaxin mRNA, and immunocytochemistry was used to localize relaxin itself, in tissues of the placenta-endometrium interface recovered between 33 and 153 days of gestation from mares carrying intraspecific horse, interspecific mule and extraspecific donkey conceptuses. Immunocytochemical staining was also used to localize trophoblast-specific and class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens on some specimens. Relaxin mRNA and relaxin were both present in the single-cell non-invasive trophoblast layer of the allantochorion between 45 and 153 days of gestation in all three types of equine pregnancy examined. Both, however, were absent from the invasive trophoblast cells of the progenitor chorionic girdle and the differentiated trophoblast cells of the endometrial cups throughout the latters' 60-80-day period of development and regression. Discrete and irregularly spaced clusters of elongated pseudostratified trophoblast cells on the allantochorion remained negative for relaxin mRNA and ligand, but stained strongly for equine trophoblast-specific antigens. These areolae-like structures of the mature horse placenta overlie the mouths of endometrial glands between adjacent microcotyledons and they are clearly involved with the uptake of uterine milk for fetal sustenance. It is speculated that their loose attachment to the endometrium and weak expression of class 1 MHC antigens may serve to tolerize the mother to the paternally-inherited histocompatibility antigens of the fetus.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparative study of in vitro proliferative responses to mitogens and immunoglobulin production in patients with inflammatory muscle disease.

The classification of inflammatory muscle disorders is at best confusing owing to the wide spectrum of clinical, histological and serological findings within this group of patients. Although it is generally agreed that most cases reflect an autoimmune disorder with skeletal muscle as the primary target tissue, additional features of the more common form of the disease in juvenile patients, dermatomyositis, have suggested that it may differ in aetiology and pathogenesis from other forms of inflammatory muscle disease. Some adults may also be included within this category. In this study, we have divided patients with inflammatory muscle disease into two groups, 8 adult patients with 'pure' polymyositis and 13 children with dermatomyositis, and compared their in vitro lymphocyte function. Abnormal proliferative responses to T-cell mitogens were shown by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) from adult patients. PBM from the children gave values similar to normal control children. In vitro immunoglobulin production by cells from adult patients was comparable with appropriate controls both in the presence and absence of pokeweed mitogen. Childhood controls responded similarly to normal adults. PBM from the juvenile patients with dermatomyositis, however, produced significantly elevated levels of immunoglobulin spontaneously, with little or no increase for most patients following mitogen stimulation. This defective response was shown to be a consequence of activated T- and B-cells present in their peripheral blood and was not related to clinical parameters or drug therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro lymph node and peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to influenza immunization in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Following influenza immunization, in vitro anti-influenza antibody production by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBM) taken from some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is shown to be impaired despite apparently normal serum antibody responses. One explanation for this finding could be the sequestration of antibody-producing cells in the lymphoid tissue. In this study, antibody production in vitro by lymphocytes from peripheral blood and lymph nodes was measured in parallel following influenza immunization of SLE patients and normal controls. Antibody production by lymph node cells was confirmed in the presence of an impaired PBM antibody response, suggesting redistribution of antibody-producing cells to the lymphoid tissue. This finding was not however, confined to SLE patients, and the relatively low serum antibody response in these individuals suggests a more generalised impairment of the immune response.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Juvenile dermatomyositis: serial studies of circulating autoantibodies to a 56kD nuclear protein.

In this study we report that circulating antibodies recognising a 56kD protein, which is a component of large nuclear ribonuclear particles, are commonly found in children with juvenile onset dermatomyositis (JDM). These autoantibodies, as detected by Western blotting, were present in over 90% (24/26) of sera from JDM patients, which exceeds the number of patients with adult onset myositis who express this antibody (up to 85%). In addition, they were not found in healthy controls. Serial bleeds taken during the course of the disease in eleven children with JDM enabled us to follow the titre of anti-56kD autoantibodies. Sera were also tested by indirect immunofluorescence for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) using Hep2 cells as substrate. These studies revealed two distinct patient groups: Group 1 with anti-56kD antibody positive and ANA positive; and Group 2 with anti-56kD antibody positive and ANA negative. In Group 1 there was some correlation between disease activity and anti-56kD levels which was absent among patients in Group 2.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical use of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are found in sera from patients with vasculitis and less commonly in sera from other autoimmune diseases. ANCAs provide the only specific diagnostic test for vasculitis and are also useful in monitoring disease activity. The indirect immunofluorescence test remains the best screening test for ANCAs.

Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic↗