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Biomedical subjects

J Tesar

Publications and source records attributed to J Tesar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Increased frequency of in vivo hprt gene-mutated T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Activated T lymphocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc); such cells rapidly divide in vivo and are thus theoretically subject to random mutation more frequently than resting cells. To study whether SSc is associated with rapidly expanding T cell clones the frequency was determined of in vivo mutated T cells (MF) at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) gene in the peripheral blood from patients with SSc. Specific clinical or serological associations were also investigated. METHODS: Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 16 healthy individuals and 20 patients with SSc were cultured using an hprt clonal assay; mutated and wild T cell clones were established to assess individual values of T cell MF. T cell clones were further expanded in vitro and their phenotype was determined by standard immunofluorescence technique. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used for simultaneous measurements of plasma levels of soluble Interleukin-2 receptors (s-IL-2R) and Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM-1). RESULT: Mean (SD) value of T cell MF in patients with SSc was 2.5-fold higher than the normal mean (SD) value [10.6 (6.6) x 10(-6) v [4.4 (2.8) x 10(-6), p = 0.0007]. Eleven of 20 patients with SSc (55%) had T cell MF values greater than two SD above the normal mean value. The majority (84%) of mutated T cells had a helper/inducer, memory phenotype while 12% were cytotoxic/suppressor T cells. There was no association between T cell MF and the extent of skin involvement or the duration of Raynaud's phenomenon. High individual T cell MF values were not related to a possible concurrent immune overactivity as assessed by plasma levels of s-IL-2R and s-ICAM-1. Patients with long standing skin disease, however, had almost double T cell MF values than patients with early skin disease [(13.6 (7.4)) x 10(-6) v (7.5 (4.3)) x 10(-6), p = 0.03], suggesting that increased T cell MF in SSc may reflect an ongoing process of chronic in vivo T cell proliferation and/or prolonged survival. CONCLUSION: Increased in vivo T cell mutation in patients with SSc suggests that excessive division and/or survival of T cell clones contribute to the pathology in SSc; this approach can be used in further investigations to identify the stimulus that is triggering T cell activation in this disease.

Adolescent

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with systemic sclerosis.

In view of recent data demonstrating increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) we studied whether levels of soluble ICAM-1 (s-ICAM-1) shed into the circulation are increased in patients with this disorder. We also compared blood levels of s-ICAM-1 in SSc with those in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and we investigated any possible association of s-ICAM-1 with soluble IL-2 receptor (s-IL 2R) levels, the latter being considered as a marker of lymphocyte activation. Patients with SSc had increased levels of sICAM-1 compared with healthy control subjects (mean +/- SEM, 587 +/- 34 versus 373 +/- 27 ng/ml, P < 0.0001). Patients with diffuse rapidly progressive disease had the highest s-ICAM-1 levels. No association was observed between the extent of skin or internal organ involvement and s-ICAM-1 levels. Patients with digital ulcers had significantly elevated s-ICAM-1, but not s-IL 2R, levels. No correlation was detected between individual s-ICAM-1 and S-IL 2R levels in SSc patients. These novel findings suggest that circulating s-ICAM-1 levels may be a useful marker of endothelial activation in SSc; however, further studies are needed to determine the role of ICAM-1 in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

Adolescent

[Identification of vernix caseosa].

Identification of vernix caseosa is relatively rare. As a rule it is examined only by morphological methods. The authors proved also the species and group. The authors draw attention to the possible erroneous assessment of the group (if the vernix is mixed with amniotic fluid, maternal blood).

Forensic Medicine

Chloride efflux in single barnacle muscle fibres.

1. A study has been made of the behaviour of the radiochloride efflux in single muscle fibres from the barnacle, Balanus nubilus. 2. In the majority of the fibres studied, the fractional rate constant for 36Cl efflux is a constant and unaffected by the injection of distilled water (approximately 0 . 3 microliter. in volume). 3. Acidification of the HCO3(-)-containing medium causes stimulation of the Cl efflux, the threshold value being pH 7 . 0. The magnitude of the response is a logarithmic function of the external H+ and HCO3 concentration over a wide concentration range. 4. (i) Total replacement of the external Cl and NO3 fails to alter the course of the Cl efflux. However, the magnitude of the response to acidification is reduced to a marked degree. (ii) Replacement of the external Na by Li reduces not only the Cl efflux but also the size of the response to acidification. 5. Injection of HCl, HCO3 or KCl fails to alter the Cl efflux. Injection, however, of 4 M-KCl or NaCl causes a fall in the efflux. 6. 10( 4)M-ouabain is ineffective. It also fails to alter the response of the Cl efflux to acidification. 7. (i) Injection of cyclic AMP stimulates the Cl efflux in a dose-dependent manner, but only transitorily. (ii) Preinjection of pure protein kinase inhibitor causes a marked reduction in the magnitude of the response to cyclic AMP. 8. Preinjection of pure protein kinase inhibitor fails to affect the response to external acidification. 9. (i) Pretreatment externally with ethacrynic acid reduces the response to external acidification. (ii) External application of 4-acetoamineo-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonate (SITS) reduces the resting Cl efflux. It also abolishes completely the response to acidification. (iii) The effect of 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonate (DIDS) resembles that of SITS. (iv) Injection of H2DIDS fails to reduce the resting efflux but tends to reduce the magnitude of the response to acidification. 10. (i) 5 X 10(-4) M-benzolamide is without effect on the basal Cl efflux. (ii) Benzolamide in high concentration reduces the magnitude of the response to acidification. This occurs within a rather narrow concentration range. 11. (i) A sudden reduction in environmental temperature from 24 to 0 degrees C causes a marked fall in the Cl efflux. (ii) Acidification of the artificial sea water at 0 degrees C stimulates the efflux. 12. The present experiments have led to evidence which is consistent with the view that the Cl efflux is modulated by at least two distinct mechanisms: one is responsive to acidification when HCO3 as buffer is present and involves participation of a benzolamide-sensitive component presumably lying in the fibre membrane. The other is responsive to injection of cyclic AMP, and, and probably involves cyclic AMP-protein kinase.

Animals

[Investigation of magnesium and calcium in ischemic changes in the human myocardium].

The results are presented of tests for magnesium and calcium and their ratio in the human myocardium affected by ischemia in correlation with macroreaction to dehydrogenases. The cases were examined in the shortest possible time after death, observing strict criteria. Even some of the relatively early postmortem changes were found to block the practical diagnostic uses of the changes of magnestium and calcium metabolism in postmortem material.

Calcium

[Determination of M and N characteristics in hair].

The authors introduce their own method of demonstrating M and N characteristics in the hair. 4 cm of a single hair [sometime even less] will do for the determination of one of the characteristics. According to literary information available to the authors, the M and N characteristics have no so far been determined from the hair.

Forensic Medicine

[Family tree of the historically oldest Premysl dynasty in the light of serological group properties as determined from their skeletal remains].

The determination of group family properties assayed in individuals of five of the historically eldest generations of the Premysl dynasty, who reigned in the 9th and 10th centuries, contributed to: 1. the corroboration or refutation of possible kinship among the individuals under investigation, 2. supporting the identification of some of the individuals as established by other methods, using the above independent methodology, 3. the purification of fragments of anatomically unconnectable parts of the postcranial bones by eliminating fragments of other group properties. In conclusion, the joint anthropological and forensic effort can be said to have contributed to a large extent to obtaining more historical knowledge of personalities associated with the very beginnings of the history of the Czech nation and statehood.

Blood Group Antigens