Biomedical subjects

H Okada

Publications and source records attributed to H Okada.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

FAT is a component of glomerular slit diaphragms.

BACKGROUND: Slit diaphragms are intercellular junctions of podocytes of the renal glomerulus. The molecular composition of slit diaphragms is still elusive. Slit diaphragms are characterized by the presence of a wide intercellular space. The morphological feature is shared by desmosomes and adherens junctions, which contain members of the cadherin superfamily. Thus, we have hypothesized that some components of slit diaphragms belong to the cadherin superfamily. Consequently, we have isolated cDNA encoding FAT from reverse-transcribed (RT) glomerular cDNA by homology polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers based on conserved sequences in cadherin molecules. FAT is a novel member of the cadherin superfamily with 34 tandem cadherin-like extracellular repeats, and it closely resembles the Drosophila tumor suppressor fat. METHODS: Expression of FAT was examined in glomeruli of the adult rat kidney by the ribonuclease protection assay and in situ hybridization. To localize the FAT protein in podocytes minutely, we prepared affinity-purified antibody against FAT by immunizing rabbits against an oligopeptide corresponding to the C-terminal 20 amino acids. RESULTS: Expression of FAT mRNA was detected in total RNA from glomeruli. In situ hybridization revealed significant signals in podocytes. Western blot analysis using solubilized glomeruli showed a single band, in which the molecular weight was more than 500 kD. Immunostaining of cultured epithelial cells from rat kidney (NRK52E) revealed FAT accumulation in cell-cell contact sites. In the glomerulus, FAT staining was observed distinctly along glomerular capillary walls. Double-label immunostaining using monoclonal antibody against slit diaphragms (mAb 5-1-6) showed identical localization of anti-FAT antibody and mAb 5-1-6. Furthermore, the double-label immunogold technique with ultrathin cryosections demonstrated that gold particles for FAT cytoplasmic domain were located at the base of slit diaphragms labeled by mAb 5-1-6 and that the cytoplasmic domain of FAT colocalized with ZO-1, a cytoplasmic component associated with slit diaphragms. CONCLUSION: The molecular structure of FAT and its colocalization with 5-1-6 antigen and ZO-1 indicate that FAT is a component of slit diaphragms.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Renal fibroblast-like cells in Goodpasture syndrome rats.

BACKGROUND: The extent of renal fibrosis is the best predictor for functional outcomes in a variety of progressive renal diseases. Interstitial fibroblast-like cells (FbLCs) are presumably involved in the fibrotic process. However, such FbLCs have never been well characterized in the kidney. METHODS: We characterized renal FbLCs in the nephritic kidney (in which the number of FbLCs and extracellular matrix accumulation were significantly increased) with regards to their expression of phenotypic and functional markers using day 49 Goodpasture syndrome (GPS) rats. RESULTS: Within the renal cortical interstitium, there were a number of alpha-smooth muscle actin(+) (alpha-SMA(+)) FbLCs, negative for vimentin (VIM) and transforming growth factor-beta 1, and not equipped with well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and actin-stress fibers. All of these findings were incompatible with the typical features of granulation tissue alpha-SMA(+) myofibroblasts. On the other hand, FbLCs negative for alpha-SMA and VIM produced alpha1(I) procollagen in the nephritic kidney. CONCLUSION: A number of FbLC populations reside within the cortical interstitium of the kidney in GPS rats, each of which is likely to have developed independently in response to the local conditions of the nephritic kidney, contributing to renal fibrogenesis. Further studies are needed to clarify the key type of FbLC that orchestrates other members to produce renal fibrosis.

Actins↗

PubMed2001

Improved outcome prediction for patients with multiple organ failure undergoing continuous hemodiafiltration.

A number of patients with multiple organ failure (MOF) regardless of accompanying acute renal failure have been treated with continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF). However, despite its high cost, the costs/benefits of CHDF for MOF patients still need to be evaluated. Although many scoring systems were established to predict the outcome of MOF, their predictive powers were not estimated in MOF patients undergoing CHDF. Therefore, using 52 Japanese patients with MOF treated with CHDF for more than 1 week, we estimated the predictive powers of multiple organ dysfunction (MOD) scores and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III scores, retrospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to outcome at Day 28 after the initiation of CHDF. In both scoring systems, the median values at Day 0 were not significantly different between the survival (n = 19) and the nonsurvival (n = 33) groups. In contrast, at Day 3, the median values of MOD scores was 4 (0-14) in the survival group and 9 (1-12) in the nonsurvival group (p = 0.0035). The median value of APACHE III scores were 37 (19-97) and 87 (16-150) at Day 3, respectively (p < 0.0001). In the survival group, APACHE III scores significantly decreased from the median value of 64 (32-89) to 37 (p = 0.0269), and in the nonsurvival group, it increased significantly from the median value of 70 (29-103) to 87 (p = 0.0116). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the MOD scores. In conclusion, the MOD score and the APACHE III score systems had less power to predict the outcome of MOF patients undergoing CHDF at Day 0. However, rescoring at Day 3 of each index was much more powerful to accurately predict the outcome of such patients.

APACHE↗

PubMed2001

Successful use of thoracoscopic pericardiectomy in elderly patients with massive pericardial effusion caused by uremic pericarditis.

We report the use of thoracoscopic pericardiectomy to treat two elderly patients with massive pericardial effusion caused by uremic pericarditis. A 79-year-old man, admitted to our hospital complaining of dyspnea, was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and began maintenance hemodialysis. Although intensive hemodialysis was performed, the patient could not remain on hemodialysis because of severe hypotension during the procedure. Echocardiography revealed massive pericardial effusion and severe hypokinesis of the left ventricular wall. Pericardiocentesis was performed first, without success, followed by thoracoscopic pericardiectomy under general anesthesia. One month after the pericardiectomy, episodes of hypotension during hemodialysis improved, and dyspnea diminished. Echocardiography showed no pericardial effusion and improvement of left ventricular wall motion. Pericarditis is a fatal complication in patients with end-stage renal failure and patients on maintenance hemodialysis. The second patient received the same procedure with a similar improvement of clinical symptoms. These cases suggest that thoracoscopic pericardiectomy is a safe and effective treatment of pericardial effusion caused by uremic pericarditis in elderly patients on hemodialysis.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Effects of nitric oxide donor and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor on ruminal contractions in conscious sheep.

The present study was planned to evaluate a role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of regular ruminal contractions in conscious sheep. Intravenous infusion of S-nitroso-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP) at doses of 3-30 nmol kg(-1) min(-1)for 30 minutes inhibited both the amplitude and frequency of ruminal contractions in a dose-dependent manner. However, intravenous infusion of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) at doses of 0.3-3.0 micromol kg(-1) min(-1)did not alter the basal tone of intraruminal pressure and the amplitude of ruminal contractions. The frequency of contractions was slightly inhibited by L-NAME infusion at 1.0 micromol kg(-1)min(-1). The effects of L-NAME were abolished by simultaneous infusion of L -arginine at 30 micromol kg(-1) min(-1). These results suggest that exogenous NO can diminish the ruminal contractions, while endogenous NO is not involved in the regulatory mechanism of basal tone and regular phasic contractions of the rumen in healthy sheep.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Epidermal growth factor induces expression of decay-accelerating factor in human colonic cancer cells via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

The expression of decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a complement regulatory protein, is enhanced in colorectal cancer. In this study, to elucidate mechanisms for enhanced DAF expression, we studied the effects of growth factors on DAF expression in HT-29 human colonic cancer cells. Cells were treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta. DAF protein expression and mRNA expression were determined with enzyme immunoassay and Northern blot analysis. The signaling pathways that target DAF expression in response to growth factor stimulation were characterized by using various inhibitors of the signal transduction pathway. EGF induced significant increases in DAF protein and mRNA expression in HT-29 cells; the other growth factors had a weak effect or no effect. The EGF-induced DAF expression was inhibited by mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase inhibitor PD 98059 but not by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor, phospholipase Cgamma inhibitor, or protein kinase C inhibitor. When we analyzed the phosphorylation state of the MAP kinase by immunoblot analysis, phosphorylated p44/p42 MAP kinase was detected in EGF-stimulated HT-29 cells, and the addition of PD 98059 abrogated the phosphorylation. These results indicate that EGF regulates DAF expression in HT-29 cells via the signaling pathway that depends on the activation of MAP kinase.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed2001

Transient crossed aphasia and persistent amnesia after right thalamic haemorrhage.

A 45-year-old right-handed woman suffered transient aphasia and persistent amnesia after a right thalamic haemorrhage. This patient appeared to have crossed aphasia, although it disappeared within 8 weeks. It is noteworthy that the patient had a unilateral right thalamic lesion but exhibited both verbal and non-verbal memory impairment. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed cerebral haemorrhage in the right thalamus involving the ventral anterior nucleus, medioventral nucleus, mamillothalamic tract, internal medullary lamina, and mediodorsal nucleus. An amytal test was performed and suggested that the right hemisphere was dominant for language functions and the left hemisphere was dominant for visuospatial functions. Single photon emission CT revealed a low perfusion area only in the right thalamus. These findings suggest that the right hemisphere might be dominant for both verbal and non-verbal memory function in this patient, although visuospatial function was lateralized in the left hemisphere.

Amnesia↗

PubMed2001

Redox control of EBV infection: prevention by thiol-dependent modulation of functional CD21/EBV receptor expression.

CD21 serves as a receptor for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In this report, surface expression of CD21 on B and T cells was shown to be suppressed by a thiol-antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In contrast, expression of other surface markers, CD25 and CD4 for T cells and CD19 and surface IgM for B cells, was not affected by NAC. When an EBV-negative B-cell line B104 was treated with NAC, the cells were not susceptible to infection with B95-8-derived EBV. The effect of NAC was shown to be irrelevant to the transcriptional levels of CD21 mRNA and the intracellular glutathione levels. Immunoprecipitation study revealed that NAC causes a loss of anti-CD21 monoclonal antibody (HB5) binding to both membrane and soluble CD21, suggesting that NAC modulates the structure of CD21. Other thiol-antioxidants, such as 2-mercaptoethanol, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, and glutathione, showed similar effect to NAC on CD21 expression. These results suggest the possible modulation of EBV infection via thiol-dependent redox control of CD21, and thiol-antioxidants may be good candidates for controlling EBV infection.

Acetylcysteine↗

PubMed2001

Changes in dopamine availability in the nigrostriatal and mesocortical dopaminergic systems by gait in Parkinson's disease.

The basal ganglia play a role in controlling movement during gait. The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in the striatum and extrastriatal region in association with walking exercise in six normal subjects and seven age-matched unmedicated patients with Parkinson's disease. This was done by comparing DAT radioligand uptake in the dopaminergic projection areas after gait with that under the resting condition using a DAT probe, 11C-labelled 2-beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-fluorophenyl) tropane ([11C]CFT) and PET. Physiological parameters were stable during and after gait in both groups. The regions of interest method for measuring differences in [11C]CFT uptake level and voxel-based statistical parametric mapping (SPM96) showed that [11C]CFT uptake in the striatum (specifically the putamen) was decreased by gait to a greater extent in normal subjects, whereas a significant reduction in [11C]CFT uptake was not found in the putamen but in the caudate and orbitofrontal cortex in Parkinson's disease patients. These results are the first in vivo evidence that DAT availability is reduced in the nigrostriatal projection area by basic human behaviour, i.e. gait. Alterations in this availability in Parkinson's disease suggested that shifted activation in the medial striatum and the mesocortical dopaminergic system might reflect the pathophysiology of parkinsonian gait.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Significance of serum inhibin B concentration for evaluating improvement in spermatogenesis after varicocelectomy.

BACKGROUND: The study aim was to clarify the relationship of serum inhibin B concentrations to recovery of spermatogenic function after varicocelectomy, both as a predictor of improvement in the seminogram and as a means of monitoring hormonal function after surgery. METHODS: Fifty-two varicocele patients, including five with normal sperm concentrations, were studied. Changes in the seminogram, serum hormone concentrations and serum inhibin B were evaluated in the 47 oligozoospermic patients after surgery. Preoperative inhibin B concentrations correlated significantly with serum concentrations of FSH (r = 0.598, P < 0.0001) and testosterone (r = 0.380, P < 0.02). Inhibin B concentrations also correlated significantly with sperm concentration (r = 0.351, P < 0.02) and total testicular volume (r = 0.578, P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was seen between inhibin B and the Johnsen score. Preoperative concentrations of inhibin B were higher in patients who increased their sperm concentration after surgery (responders) than in those without improved concentrations (non-responders). No significant difference was observed between pre- and postoperative inhibin B concentrations in responders or non-responders. However, 15 of 25 (60%) patients with increased inhibin B showed improvement of the seminogram, while only five of 22 (23%) patients with no change or a decrease in inhibin B had any improvement (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum inhibin B concentration could not reliably predict a response to varicocelectomy. However, a change in serum inhibin B concentration after varicocelectomy might be helpful to evaluate the improvement of testicular function after varicocelectomy.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Adenosine regulates the IL-1 beta-induced cellular functions of human gingival fibroblasts.

In this study we examined the influence of adenosine on the cellular functions of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF), such as the production of inflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrices (ECM), and the expression and function of adhesion molecules. Concerning the expression of adenosine receptors, RT-PCR analysis revealed that HGF expressed adenosine receptor A1, A2a and A2b, but not A3 mRNA. Ligation of adenosine receptors by adenosine or its related analogue, 2-chloroadenosine (2-CADO), N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) or CGS21680 synergistically increased IL-1beta-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production. In terms of ECM expression, adenosine and the adenosine receptor agonists, 2-CADO and CPA, enhanced constitutive and IL-1beta-induced expression of hyaluronate synthase mRNA, but not the mRNA levels of other ECM, such as collagen type I, III and fibronectin. Moreover, the adherence of IL-1beta-stimulated HGF to activated lymphocytes was also inhibited by adenosine, which is in part explained by the fact that adenosine down-regulated the IL-1beta-induced expression of ICAM-1 on HGF. These results provide new evidence for the possible involvement of adenosine in the regulation of inflammatory responses in periodontal tissues.

2-Chloroadenosine↗

PubMed2001

Prognostic variables in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether several clinicopathological factors could be used as prognostic predictors in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. METHODS: Between January 1985 and June 2000, 154 patients underwent radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for TCC of the bladder at a single institution. Their clinicopathological findings were analyzed based on the criteria of the Japanese Urological Association. RESULTS: Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor grade was 1 or 2 in 22 patients and 3 in 132 patients; the pathological stage was pT1 or less in 30 patients, pT2 in 51 patients, pT3 in 53 patients and pT4 in 20 patients. Vascular involvement and lymph node metastasis were found in 85 and 33 patients, respectively. The cause-specific 5-year survival rate was 64.2% for all patients, 74.4% for patients with grade 1 or 2 tumors, 62.9% for those with grade 3 tumors; 90.9% for those with stage pT1 or less, 77.9% for those with stage pT2, 45.0% for those with stage pT3 and 29.2% for those with stage pT4 (p < 0.001); 83.2% for patients without vascular involvement and 42.0% for those with vascular invasion (p < 0.001); and 76.5% for patients without lymph node metastasis and 22.7% for those with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed a strong independent correlation of the pathological stage and lymph node metastasis with poor prognosis and, furthermore, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was significantly related to the increase in pathological stage. CONCLUSIONS: In this series, the pathological stage, lymph node metastasis and vascular involvement, but not tumor grade, were significantly useful prognostic factors in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for TCC and among them only pathological stage and lymph node metastasis could be used as independent predictors for poor prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Significance of prostate-specific antigen--alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin complex for diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of measuring the prostate-specific antigen-alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (PSA-ACT) for differentiating prostate cancer from benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and for the staging of prostate cancer. METHODS: Before treatment, total PSA (tPSA) and PSA-ACT were measured in 120 patients with prostate cancer and in 150 patients with BPH using immunofluorometric techniques with different monoclonal antibodies against PSA and ACT. Furthermore, the tPSA and PSA-ACT densities of the whole prostate (PSAD and ACTD, respectively) were calculated. RESULTS: tPSA, PSAD, PSA-ACT and ACTD levels in patients with prostate cancer paralleled the clinical stage and were significantly higher than those in patients with BPH. Furthermore, these four values were significantly higher in patients with pathologically extraprostatic disease than those with organ-confined disease. Receiver operating characteristics analysis among patients with PSA values of 4.1-10 ng/ml revealed that the areas under the curve for tPSA and ACTD were similar to those for PSA-ACT and ACTD, respectively and that no significant differences in the differentiation between prostate cancer and BPH were observed among these parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of PSA-ACT provides useful information for the clinical staging of prostate cancer and differential diagnosis between prostate cancer and BPH; however, compared with tPSA, PSA-ACT may not be significantly superior in the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed2001

The inhibitory effect of dienogest, a synthetic steroid, on the growth of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro.

Dienogest is a synthetic steroid that has been used as a progestogen in contraceptive pills and is currently being studied for its possible clinical use in the treatment of endometriosis. In this study, we investigated the direct effects of dienogest in differentiation and proliferation of human endometrial stromal cells (ESC) in vitro. After 12 days in the presence of oestradiol (10(-8) mol/l) plus dienogest (10(-6) mol/l), cultured ESC underwent morphological differentiation and produced prolactin, a typical marker for decidualization. By using Northern blot analysis and radioimmunoassay, it was shown that treatment of ESC with oestradiol (10(-8) mol/l) plus dienogest (10(-9) to10(-6) mol/l) led to an increase in the levels of prolactin mRNA and prolactin production in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, RU-486, a progesterone receptor antagonist, almost completely inhibited dienogest-induced prolactin production. As shown by the thymidine uptake method, there was a dose-dependent inhibition of ESC proliferation with dienogest (P < 0.01, control versus concentrations >10(-7) mol/l). The significant inhibition of ESC proliferation by dienogest (10(-7) mol/l) was partially reversed by RU-486 (10(-6) mol/l). In summary, dienogest directly acts on endometrial tissue in progestogenic response, such as decidualization, increased prolactin production and growth retardation. These data imply that dienogest exerts direct effect in suppressing growth of endometriotic implants.

Cell Division↗

PubMed2001

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase isoforms I and II in human uterus. Comparisons with pregnant uterus and myoma.

The concentrations of platelet-activating factor (PAF) that possesses the ability to stimulate myometrial contraction are partially regulated by intracellular type of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) in many tissues. Tissue cytosol contains at least two intracellular PAF-AH, isoforms I and II. To examine the relationship between the activity and isoforms of intracellular PAF-AH in human uterine myometrium and myoma, we assayed the PAF-AH activity and identified the PAF-AH isoforms I and II by Western blot analysis. The intense bands of the alpha2 and ss subunits of PAF-AH isoform I were detected in nonpregnant uterus; however, the specific bands of the alpha1 subunit of PAF-AH isoform I and the PAF-AH isoform II were extremely weak. The levels of the alpha2 and ss subunits and PAF-AH activity in pregnant uterus (37-39 wk gestation) were significantly lower than those in nonpregnant uterus. On the other hand, the level of ss subunit and the PAF-AH activity in myoma were significantly higher than those in nonpregnant uterus. No significant difference was found in the expression of the PAF-AH isoform II among three tissues. These results indicate that the change in the PAF-AH activity observed in pregnant uterus and myoma are due to the lower or higher protein expression of the PAF-AH isoform I, especially the alpha2 and/or ss subunits. The decrease of the uterine PAF-AH activity in the late stage of pregnancy may facilitate the action of PAF to stimulate myometrial contraction.

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase↗

PubMed2001

Postural effects on brain hemodynamics in unilateral cerebral artery occlusive disease: a positron emission tomography study.

To investigate effect of assuming of upright posture on brain hemodynamics in patients with unilateral internal carotid or middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), local tissue oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and postural changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during supine and sitting conditions were examined using positron emission tomography (PET) with (15)O-gas steady-state method and H(2)(15)O autoradiographic method. A total of 22 minor stroke patients at relatively early stages participated. The regions of interest method was used for analyzing levels of perfusion and oxygen metabolic parameters, and postural rCBF change within MCAO group was investigated using statistical parametric mapping. Region of interest analyses showed significant rCBF reduction in the cortical and subcortical regions distal to the artery occlusion in CAO patients during sitting. Regression analyses showed that magnitudes of rCBF reduction in those areas were correlated positively with OEF values and inversely with metabolic rates of oxygen (P < 0.05). Statistical parametric mapping for MCAO patients demonstrated further rCBF reduction by sitting in the occlusion-side MCA territory. The current study suggested that assumption of upright posture could exert an adverse effect on local perfusion in hemodynamically compromised patients with major cerebral vessel occlusion, possibly caused by impairment of local autoregulation.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Production of interleukin-8 and nitric oxide in human periapical lesions.

Bacterial infection of the pulp and root canal system leads to the recruitment of immunocompetent cells in the periapex and stimulates inflammatory cell responses to produce a variety of inflammatory mediators. Cytokines, reactive oxygen intermediates, and reactive nitrogen intermediates are frequently found at sites of acute inflammation. In this study, we measured the levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and nitric oxide (NO) in the periapical exudate (PE) from human periapical lesions and investigated the association of these mediators with the clinical symptoms of periapical periodontitis. PE samples were collected from root canals during routine endodontic treatments. The IL-8 concentration was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the NO level was measured as nitrite/nitrate concentration assayed by the Griess reaction. Detectable levels of IL-8 and nitrite/nitrate were found in 24 and 19 of 27 PE-samples, respectively. Although PE-IL-8 and nitrite/nitrate concentration showed a broad range, a significantly positive correlation was found between both mediators. Also, significantly higher IL-8 levels were found in PE from lesions that had painful symptoms at the sampling visit. However, there was no relationship between elevated NO levels and clinical symptoms. These results suggest that the up-regulation of IL-8 may have a critical role in the development of the symptoms of periapical disease.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2001

Elimination of latently HIV-1-infected cells by lymphoblasts armed with bifunctional antibody.

The Fab' fragment of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to CD3 and the F(ab')2 fragment of a mAb to human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) gp41 were combined to generate a bifunctional antibody (BFA). The mAb to gp41 (IV1-4G6) has previously been shown to react with a number of HIV-1 strains and T-lymphoblastoid cells (TLBC) armed with the BFA (BFA-TLBC) effectively inhibited HIV-1 in primarily cultured lymphoblasts infected with the clinically isolated virus which was reactive to the mAb. Although BFA-TLBC could not cause cytolysis of 51Cr-labeled latently infected cells (OM-10.1) in 6 hr incubation, cocultivation of OM-10.1 cells with BFA-TLBC for 3 days or more eliminated the latently infected cells making the cells susceptible to BFA-TLBC. Therefore, BFA-TLBC may be beneficial for HIV-infected patients in eradicating latently infected cells which can not be eliminated even with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Adult↗