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K Becker

Publications and source records attributed to K Becker.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Molecular genotyping of Candida species with special respect to Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata strains by arbitrarily primed PCR.

A set of 46 epidemiologically related or unrelated Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata isolates from four different medical centres in Germany and Hungary, and the type strain of this species, were genetically typed by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). The resulting band patterns of C. glabrata strains were compared with those of other species of the genus Candida including C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, C. kefyr, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. krusei. After preliminary trials of various reaction parameters and control experiments to test the reproducibility of this method, it was found that consistently reproducible amplification patterns were obtained only when rigorously optimised and standardised reaction conditions were employed. Discriminatory abilities were studied with 29 generated 10-mer oligonucleotides of different G+C content. Typing of clinical isolates with the optimised AP-PCR protocol was then performed with the primer 50-1, with a G+C content of 50%. Sufficiently discriminatory polymorphisms were observed among the band patterns of the Candida species included. The gel electrophoresis patterns of each species showed an adequate similarity. Variations in minor bands were characteristic for comparison at the isolate level. Only three AP-PCR genotypes were identified among the clinical isolates of C. glabrata tested. Two of these genotypes were closely related and appeared to be widespread within German and Hungarian isolates. The third genotype of C. glabrata showed a distinct band pattern. With optimised, validated and standardised assay conditions, the feasibility, sensitivity and rapidity of AP-PCR may offer a discriminatory method for genotyping of yeasts in epidemiological studies, as well as in the control of nosocomial infections.

Candida↗
PubMed2000

No association between an intronic biallelic polymorphism of the FE65 gene and Alzheimer's disease.

The cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) into amyloidogenic components (Abeta) is a central event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). FE65 is a protein that is involved in APP metabolism and may facilitate the production of Abeta. Recently, an intronic polymorphism of the gene encoding FE65 (FE65) was associated with altered risk for the development of sporadic AD. In our sample of 102 AD patients and 351 non-demented controls we did not replicate the association between FE65 and AD. Moreover, we observed no risk-modifying interaction and no linkage disequilibrium between FE65 and the gene encoding the acid protease cathepsin D (catD), which - like FE65 - is involved in APP metabolism and is also located on chromosome 11p15. We conclude that, whereas FE65 is implicated in AD pathology, the gene encoding FE65 does not appear to confer a substantial risk for AD.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Development of prediction models for three in vitro embryotoxicity tests in an ECVAM validation study.

Since 1997 the National Center for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments, ZEBET, in Berlin, has been coordinating a validation study aimed at prevalidation and validation of three in vitro embryotoxicity tests, funded by the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) at the Joint Research Center (JRC, Ispra, Italy). The tests use the cultivation of postimplantation rat whole embryos (WEC test), cultures of primary limb bud cells of rat embryos (micromass or, MM, test), and cultures of a pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cell line (embryonic stem cell test or EST). Each of the tests was performed in four laboratories under blind conditions. In the preliminary phase of the validation study 6 out of 20 test chemicals comprising different embryotoxic potential (non, weakly, and strongly embryotoxic) were tested. The results were used to define biostatistically based prediction models (PMs) to identify the embryotoxic potential of test chemicals for the WEC test and the MM test. The PMs developed with the results of the preliminary phase of the validation study (training set) will be evaluated with the results of the remaining 14 test chemicals (definitive phase) by the end of the study. In addition, the existing, improved PM (iPM) for the EST, which had been defined previously, was evaluated using the results of the preliminary phase of this study. Applying the iPM of the EST to the results of this study, in 79% of the experiments, chemicals were classified correctly according to the embryotoxic potential defined by in vivo testing. For the MM and the WEC test, the PMs developed during the preliminary phase of this validation study provided 81% (MM test) and 72% (WEC test) correct classifications. Because the PM of the WEC test took into account only parameters of growth and development, but not cytotoxicity data, a second PM (PM2) was developed for the WEC test by incorporating cytotoxicity data of the differentiated mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3, which was derived from the EST. This approach, which has previously never been used, resulted in an increase to 84% correct classifications in the WEC test.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

P53 mutational status improves estimation of prognosis in patients with curatively resected adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus.

The incidence of adenocarcinomas in Barrett's esophagus has been rising in the last two decades in the United States and Western Europe for yet unknown reasons. We reported previously a large multi-institutional trial implicating p53 mutations as being involved in the pathogenesis of Barrett's cancer and representing an early marker for the malignant potential of Barrett's epithelium. A prospective study was performed to evaluate the prognostic impact of p53 mutations on survival in 59 patients with Barrett's cancer. Tissue for DNA analysis was obtained by endoscopic biopsy or immediately after surgical resections from the tumor, Barrett's epithelium, and normal stomach and esophagus. p53 mutation analysis was performed by PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism screening of exons 5-9 and DNA sequencing to unequivocally prove the presence of a mutation. p53 mutations were identified in 30 of 59 (50.8%) patients. The presence of a p53 mutation in the tumor had a significant impact on survival after curative resections (RO-resections) with cumulative 5-year survival probabilities of 68.8+/-9.7% for mutation-negative tumors and 24.3+/-9.9% for mutation-positive tumors (log rank: P < 0.001). By Cox proportional hazard analysis, including the parameters of gender, age, Union International Contre Cancer tumor stage, grading, and p53 mutation status, only Union International Contre Cancer tumor stage (P < 0.0001) and p53 mutation status (P < 0.02) were of significant independent prognostic importance. p53 mutation analysis by DNA sequencing is of significant independent prognostic importance next to histopathological tumor stage in patients with curatively resected (RO-resection) Barrett's cancer. It appears that p53 mutational status is a valuable parameter to define low-risk (p53 mutation-negative) and high-risk (p53 mutation-positive) groups for treatment failure after curative resections.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Effect of polyethylene glycol on in vitro degradability of nitrogen and microbial protein synthesis from tannin-rich browse and herbaceous legumes.

Determination of microbial degradability of N is important in formulating a sound supplementation strategy for efficient utilisation of basal as well as supplementary diet components. In vitro degradability of N (IVDN) from tannin-containing browses (Acacia cyanophylla, Acacia albida, Acioa barteri and Quercus ilex) and two herbaceous legumes (Desmodium intortum and Desmodium uncinatum) was determined using the in vitro gas-production method coupled with NH3-N measurement in the presence and absence of a tannin-binding agent (polyethylene glycol (PEG), molecular mass 6000). Addition of PEG to tannin-containing feeds significantly (P < 0.05) increased in vitro gas and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and IVDN. The use of PEG as a tannin-binding agent increased IVDN from 28 to 59, 32 to 72, 19 to 40, 32 to 73, 40 to 80, and 26 to 77% in A. cyanophylla, A. albida, A. barteri, D. intortum, D. uncinatum and Q. ilex respectively. There was significant correlation between total phenolic compounds (total phenol, TP; total tannin, TT) in leguminous forages and percentage increase in IVDN on addition of PEG (P < 0.05; R2 0.70 and 0.82 for TP and TT respectively). The difference in IVDN observed in the absence and presence of PEG indicates the amount of protein protected from degradation in the rumen by tannins. When measured after 24 h incubation, tannin-containing feeds incubated in absence of PEG resulted in higher microbial protein synthesis than in the presence of PEG. Addition of PEG significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis expressed as mumol purine/mmol SCFA.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Molecular biological differentiation of yeasts].

Regarding the rise and the epidemiological shifts in Candida infections, accurate and rapid identification of yeasts to species level is exceedingly important. Furthermore, non-albicans species (e.g. C. glabrata, C. dubliniensis, C. inconspicua, C. krusei and C. norvegensis) have recently emerged as azole-resistant pathogens. Standard methods for cultivation and differentiation of Candida species are time-consuming, often insensitive and can fail to distinguish non-albicans species. To overcome low sensitivity, poor specificity and untolerable delay, molecular tools to the diagnosis of Candida infection have been adopted, particularly the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Several genus and species specific amplification-based diagnostic methods for detection of medically important yeasts have been published. As the incidence of nosocomial Candida infections has been risen significantly, typing has become increasingly important in candidal epidemiology to define infectious processes as well as sources and modes of transmission. For the development of rational infection-control measures, modern genotyping methods based on genomic DNA polymorphism (e.g. pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, DNA amplification-based methods) have replaced conventional physiological techniques. However, reliability, sensitivity and efficiency of genotyping methods have been controversially discussed and these DNA-based methods are mostly insufficiently standardized. Criteria as typeability, reproducibility and discriminatory power should be considered in evaluating typing systems.

Candida↗
PubMed2000

Loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite instability as predictive markers for neoadjuvant treatment in gastric carcinoma.

We analyzed a group of gastric carcinomas treated with a cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen for microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) to determine whether there is any relation between microsatellite alterations and therapy response. Pretherapeutic endoscopic biopsies of 37 patients were studied at 11 microsatellite loci. Thirteen (35%) had a complete or partial clinical response (responders), and 24 (65%) had only a minor or no response (nonresponders). High-grade MSI was found in two tumors, both nonresponders, whereas low-grade MSI was found in five biopsies, including three non-responders and two responders. Regarding LOH, the most obvious differences between the groups were observed on chromosome 17p13, the location of the p53 gene, with 7 of 12 (58%) and 3 of 20 (15%) of the informative tumors exhibiting LOH in responders and nonresponders, respectively (P = 0.018). A statistically significant difference was also observed in the fractional allelic loss (FAL) ratio of the groups. Among the 13 responding patients, 7 (54%) tumors exhibited high FAL (>0.5-0.75), 2 (15%) showed medium FAL (>0.25-0.5), and 4 (31%) demonstrated low FAL values (0-0.25), whereas among the 22 nonresponding patients, 2 (9%) tumors showed high FAL, 5 (23%) showed medium FAL, and 15 (68%) showed low FAL (P = 0.020). These data suggest that LOH at chromosome 17p13 is associated with a good clinical response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, suggesting that altered p53 function might render cells more sensitive to therapy. Furthermore, the association of FAL with therapy response indicates that gastric carcinomas with a high level of chromosomal alteration may be more sensitive to this type of chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Morphologic response evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of gastric carcinoma].

A primary goal of the histopathologic evaluation of the gastric resection specimen is the determination of prognostically relevant factors, but it is not known whether, following neoadjuvant therapy, these factors have the same influence on prognosis. The goal of this study was to investigate prognostically relevant macroscopic and microscopic findings after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The resection specimens of 36 patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma who had been treated with Etoposide, Adriamycin and Cisplatin were investigated with respect to tumor size, Lauren type, ypTNM, UICC R-status, lymphangiosis, and degree of regression. On the basis of these factors, a prognosis score was developed that included both the degree of regression (grade 1-3), staging parameters (UICC T-category, R-status), tumor size and lymphatic vessel invasion. All of the parameters were weighted according to a score (1 point--best, 3 points--worst). The points were added for each individual case and the cases were divided into three prognosis groups, Group A: 5-7 points (n = 5), Group B: 8-10 points (n = 15), and Group C: > or = 11 points (n = 16). When compared with survival by the Kaplan-Meier method, these three prognosis groups showed highly significant differences (p < 0.0001). These results demonstrate that it is possible to accurately predict survival using resection specimens following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which could lead to the identification of subgroups for which additional, further adjuvant therapy might be useful.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess gene transfer.

Accurate quantification of gene transfer (or gene correction) is a universal challenge in the field of gene therapy. In developing a clinical trial of lymphocyte gene therapy for Hunter syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type II), methods using Southern blot or automated DNA sequencing technology were employed, but found to be laborious and subject to considerable variation. As an alternative approach, we explored a real-time kinetic PCR assay appropriate to new instrumentation (PE Biosystems model 7700). A TaqMan probe was designed to hybridize directly across the exon 2-exon 3 junction of the iduronate-2-sulfatase transgene cDNA. In this assay system, cDNA from the retroviral vector L2SN generates a PCR product that is 84 nucleotides long and readily quantified by TaqMan probe binding and subsequent cleavage. Evaluation of this method demonstrated sensitivity over at least 5 logs with respect to the standard (vector plasmid pL2SN). There was no detectable signal from genomic DNA from nontransduced cells, thus indicating the specificity of this assay. The sample preparation method used to prepare specimens was a relatively simple cell lysis procedure, without DNA extraction, and represents a significant advancement over the more complex methods of DNA extraction that are typically used for such assays. This specific assay, and comparison to previous methods, illustrates the utility of a new method that is readily generalized to many gene therapy studies, and that has the potential to be extended to measure gene expression by means of quantitative RT-PCR.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Smoking in China: findings of the 1996 National Prevalence Survey.

CONTEXT: As the world's largest producer and consumer of tobacco products, China bears a large proportion of the global burden of smoking-related disease and may be experiencing a tobacco epidemic. OBJECTIVE: To develop an evidence-based approach supporting tobacco control initiatives in China. DESIGN AND SETTING: A population-based survey consisting of a 52-item questionnaire that included information on demographics, smoking history, smoking-related knowledge and attitudes, cessation, passive smoke exposure, and health status was administered in 145 disease surveillance points in the 30 provinces of China from March through July 1996. PARTICIPANTS: A nationally representative random sample of 128766 persons aged 15 to 69 years were asked to participate; 120298 (93.8%) provided data and were included in the final analysis. About two thirds of those sampled were from rural areas and one third were from urban areas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Current smoking patterns and attitudes; changes in smoking patterns and attitudes compared with results of a previous national survey conducted in 1984. RESULTS: A total of 41187 respondents smoked at least 1 cigarette per day, accounting for 34.1% of the total number of respondents, an increase of 3.4 percentage points since 1984. Current smoking continues to be prevalent among more men (63%) than women (3.8%). Age at smoking initiation declined by about 3 years for both men and women (from 28 to 25 years). Only a minority of smokers recognized that lung cancer (36%) and heart disease (4%) can be caused by smoking. Of the nonsmokers, 53.5% were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at least 15 minutes per day on more than 1 day per week. Respondents were generally supportive of tobacco control measures. CONCLUSION: The high rates of smoking in men found in this study signal an urgent need for smoking prevention and cessation efforts; tobacco control initiatives are needed to maintain or decrease the currently low smoking prevalence in women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Doxorubicin-resistant LoVo adenocarcinoma cells display resistance to apoptosis induction by some but not all inhibitors of ser/thr phosphatases 1 and 2A.

LoVo adenocarcinoma cells are fairly sensitive to cytostatic drugs, e.g. doxorubicin, but can develop drug resistance by expression of a P-glycoprotein-mediated MDR1 phenotype. LoVo cells respond with apoptosis to nanomolar concentrations of okadaic acid and micromolar concentrations of cantharidic acid. Interestingly, LoVoDx cells which had become about 10-fold less sensitive to doxorubicin by incubation in increasing concentrations of this cytostatic drug were also less sensitive to the toxicity of okadaic acid. Resistance to both agents was lost or significantly reduced by incubation in drug-free medium for about 4 months. On the other hand, LoVoDx cells did not lose responsiveness to the structurally different phosphatase inhibitor cantharidic acid but were about twofold more sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of this agent. Thus, MDR expression protects LoVo cells from the toxicity of phosphatase inhibitors that presumably are substrates of the P-glycoprotein, e.g. okadaic acid and its derivatives but not cantharidic acid, despite the fact that both agents are potent inducers of apoptotic cell death via ser/thr phosphatase inhibition.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1999

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma: effect on tumor cell microinvolvement of regional lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND: In a previous study the authors demonstrated, using immunohistochemical methods for epithelial antigens, that the regional lymph nodes of gastric adenocarcinoma contained individual tumor cells or small clusters of these cells (tumor cell microinvolvement [TCM]) in over 90% of cases. In the current study the authors used the same method to investigate a series of gastric adenocarcinoma cases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to tumor resection; their aim was to determine the effect of chemotherapy on TCM in regional lymph nodes. METHODS: Resection specimens from 17 patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach, resected after neoadjuvant treatment and classified by routine histology as ypN0, were included in this study. One section from each of the 622 lymph nodes dissected from these specimens was stained by immunohistochemical methods for cytokeratins and Ber-Ep4. RESULTS: Six patients (35%) and 25 of the 622 lymph nodes (4.0%) had TCM, compared with 93% of patients and 21.8% of lymph nodes in the previous study of patients treated with surgery alone. The lymph node response to chemotherapy correlated with the pathologic response of the primary tumor. Specifically, none of 5 patients with a complete or major pathologic response versus 6 of 12 (50%) patients with minor, partial, or no response had lymph node microinvolvement. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to our previous study, this study indicates that chemotherapy has a marked effect on tumor cells in regional lymph nodes and that the extent of this effect can be correlated with the degree of pathologic response of the primary tumor to chemotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Microinjected glutathione reductase crystals as indicators of the redox status in living cells.

The flavoenzyme glutathione reductase catalyses electron transfer reactions between two major intracellular redox buffers, namely the NADPH/NADP+ couple and the 2 glutathione/glutathione disulfide couple. On this account, microcrystals of the enzyme were tested as redox probes of intracellular compartments. For introducing protein crystals into human fibroblasts, different methods (microinjection, particle bombardment and optical tweezers) were explored and compared. When glutathione reductase crystals are present in a cytosolic environment, the transition of the yellow Eox form to the orange-red 2-electron reduced charge transfer form, EH2, is observed. Taking into account the midpoint potential of the Eox/EH2 couple, the redox potential of the cytosol was found to be < -270 mV at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. As a general conclusion, competent proteins in crystalline--that is signal-amplifying--form are promising probes for studying intracellular events.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1999

Synthesis of 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzamides) as alternative substrates for trypanothione reductase and thioredoxin reductase: a microtiter colorimetric assay for inhibitor screening.

Trypanothione reductases (TR; EC 1.6.4.8) and thioredoxin reductases (TrxR; EC 1.6.4.5.) are enzymes central to cellular thiol metabolism. Trypanosoma cruzi TR (TcTR) is therefore considered as a potential candidate for drug design against trypanosomiasis. Inhibition of human TrxR (hTrxR) is likely to be beneficial in psoriasis, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, while inhibition of a putative TrxR from Plasmodium falciparum (PfTrxR) might prove effective against malaria. The natural substrates of the first two enzymes are very expensive and difficult to obtain; in the case of PfTrxR, the physiological substrate has not yet been identified. We have therefore synthesized and tested three different 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzamides) as alternative substrates of the above enzymes. As with 5, 5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB), which can be reduced by TRs and TrxRs, the new compounds are converted to their corresponding chromophoric thiolates; however, they have much lower Km values and are therefore less likely to interfere with inhibitor testing. Using the new substrates, a novel enzyme assay has been developed which is identical for all three enzymes, can be performed in a microtiter plate, and is amenable to automation. Thus, the assay provides a versatile and inexpensive tool for kinetic studies and high-throughput inhibitor screening.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Selection of HIV-1 genotypes by cultivation in different primary cells.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the representation of particular HIV-1 genotypes during cultivation in different primary cell-culture systems compared with the spectrum of the quasispecies in vivo. METHODS: Primary isolates of HIV-1 were recovered by isolation in cultures of lymphocytes, mixed mononuclear cells (MNC), and monocytes/macrophages. Nucleotide sequence determination of the C2-V3 region of gp120 of HIV was performed on 10-20 independently isolated clones derived by polymerase chain reaction from the culture systems, the uncultured peripheral blood MNC (PBMC) as well as plasma. RESULTS: Several predominant HIV genotypes were found in the uncultured PBMC from each of the patients. The most frequent genotypes in PBMC were also the most frequent types in plasma. In addition, lymphocytes, macrophages or mixed MNC cultures allowed the outgrowth of variants that were underrepresented in uncultured PBMC. We showed that the virus cultivation systems used in this study selected differently for the genetic variants. Whereas some genotypes were present in all three culture systems, although at different frequencies, others were exclusively found in a specific culture system. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that monocyte/macrophage and mixed MNC culture systems complement the standard lymphocyte culture in terms of the spectrum of genotypically different virus variants obtained in vitro.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Different tachykinin receptors mediate chloride secretion in the distal colon through activation of submucosal neurones.

We investigated the role of tachykinin receptor subtypes on secretory responses in the guinea-pig distal colon using Ussing chamber experiments and intracellular recordings from submucosal neurones. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were demonstrated in submucosal neurones by immunohistochemistry. In Ussing chamber experiments substance P (SP), the NK1-receptor agonist [SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP and the NK-3-receptor agonist (MePhe7)-NKB increased dose-dependently short-circuit currents. The NK-2-receptor agonist (betaAla8)-NKA(4-10) had no effect. Responses to 1-100 nM SP, [(SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP and (MePhe7)-NKB were tetrodotoxin-sensitive but hexamethonium-insensitive. While (MePhe7)-NKB-responses were atropine-sensitive at all concentrations, the atropine sensitivity of the secretory responses to SP and [SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP dramatically decreased with increasing concentrations. [SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP and (MePhe7)-NKB effects were blocked by the selective NK-I and NK-3 antagonists CP-99,994-1 (1 microM) and SR 142801 (1 microM), respectively. Combination of both antagonists blocked the SP-response. SR 142801 also suppressed the response to [SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP. Desensitization with [SAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP significantly decreased (MePhe7)-NKB-responses but not vice versa. In intracellular recordings 90% of submucosal neurones were activated by both ISAR9,Met(O2)11]-SP and (MePhe7)-NKB as indicated by membrane depolarisation and enhanced spike discharge. These effects were tetrodotoxin-resistant and potentiated by atropine. NK-1-and NK-3-mediated responses occurred equally in ChAT-positive and in VIP-positive neurones. The results suggest the importance of NK-1- and NK-3-receptors on cholinergic and non-cholinergic submucosal neurones for secretory processes in the guinea-pig distal colon.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1999

Rodlet cells in the head and trunk kidney of the domestic carp (Cyprinus carpio): enigmatic gland cells or coccidian parasites?

Rodlet cells have been found in the head and trunk kidneys of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L). From an experimental sample of 50 carps of various ages, we detected these cells in only seven fishes, contradicting the hypothesis that they constitute a normal component of the fish epithelia. The rodlet cells have a typical structure: 12-16 microns in diameter, with a basal nucleus various in form, and an encasing layer of fibrillar structure. The cells contain rodlets, composed of elongated, opaque sacs featuring dark rods in the center, which strongly elongate in ripening cells. Remarkable pseudopodia-like extensions from the apical parts of the rodlet cells penetrate into the delicate blood vessels and sinusoids of the organs. The encasing layer at the cell apex then opens to release the rodlets into the bloodstream. No junctions were found between the rodlet cells and neighboring cells. It is suggested that these cells comprise some kind of "symbiosis" between leukocyte, possible granulocyte cells, and the parasitic rodlets. The cells serve the rodlets as an incubation chamber, as well as a means of transportation into the bloodstream after ripening.

Aging↗