Biomedical subjects

M Durand

Publications and source records attributed to M Durand.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Mildly oxidized low-density lipoproteins decrease early production of interleukin 2 and nuclear factor kappaB binding to DNA in activated T-lymphocytes.

Activated T-lymphocytes are found early in atherosclerosis lesions, but little is known about their role. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of the lesions, and we have previously demonstrated that oxLDLs inhibit not only interleukin (IL)-2-receptor expression on the surface of in vitro-activated T-lymphocytes but also their proliferation. We have now investigated the effect of oxLDLs on blast differentiation, on IL-2 synthesis and on the activation of the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) system in activated lymphocytes. Mildly oxLDLs (50 and 100 microgram/ml) decreased the number of lymphoblasts and the level of IL-2 concentration in the culture supernatants after activation of lymphocytes by phytohaemagglutinin and PMA+ionomycin. The inhibition of IL-2 production was observed in the CD3(+) T-lymphocyte cytoplasm as early as 4 h after activation by PMA+ionomycin. The study of NF-kappaB showed that oxLDLs led to a decrease of activation-induced p65/p50 NF-kappaB heterodimer binding to DNA, whereas the presence of the constitutive nuclear form of p50 dimer was unchanged. This was correlated with an unchanged level of the active form of the cytosolic inhibitor protein IkappaB-alpha. Taken together, these observations suggest that the immunosuppressive effect of oxLDLs might operate via a dysregulation of the T-lymphocyte activation mechanisms.

Arteriosclerosis↗

PubMed1999

Effect of topical vasodilators on gastroepiploic artery graft.

BACKGROUND: Mobilization of the gastroepiploic artery (GEA) often results in a vasospasm with reduction of early graft flow. In order to prevent or suppress this highly reactive artery's spasm, we have compared the effect of 4 vasodilators, used in external application to prepare the GEA graft, prior to myocardial revascularization. METHODS: WE performed a double-blind clinical study to compare the effects of external application of vasodilators on gastroepiploic artery grafts. Fifty patients, whose gastroepiploic artery was used for coronary artery bypass grafting, were randomized into 5 groups of 10 patients. Gastroepiploic artery free flow and hemodynamic measurements were evaluated immediately after harvesting, before any pharmacological manipulation, and 10 minutes after the topical application of vasodilators, respectively: papaverine, linsidomine, nicardipine, glyceryl trinitrate, and normal saline solution. RESULTS: A significant increase in free flow occurred in all groups except for the normal saline solution group with measurements from 26.1+/-3.6 mL/min to 26.4+/-6.5 mL/min; p = 0.9. The most important increase in flow before and after local application occurred with glyceryl trinitrate and papaverine: from 25.5+/-2 mL/min to 50+/-6.1 mL/min (p < or = 0.01) and from 36.8+/-3.2 mL/min to 62+/-7.8 mL/min (p < 0.01) respectively. Nicardipine and linsidomine produced a less significant increase in flow: from 33.1+/-3.6 mL/min to 47.7+/-8.9 mL/min (p < 0.05) and from 28+/-3.8 mL/min to 39.8+/-7.5 mL/min (p < 0.05) respectively. When comparing percentage of flow increase, glyceryl trinitrate appeared to be significantly more efficient than nicardipine and linsidomine (p < 0.01 versus both groups). Although papaverine was more efficient than nicardipine and linsidomine, it did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: During intraoperative preparation of the GEA graft, glyceryl trinitrate and papaverine to a lesser extent, used as topical vasodilators, appear to be more efficient in external application to increase the free flow of the GEA.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1999

Effects of repeated fluoxetine on anxiety-related behaviours, central serotonergic systems, and the corticotropic axis axis in SHR and WKY rats.

In keeping with the anxiolytic property of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in humans, we have examined in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat, which display low and high anxiety, respectively, some psychoneuroendocrine effects of a repeated treatment with the SSRI fluoxetine (5 or 10 mg/kg daily, for 3 weeks). Two days after the last injection, plasma levels of fluoxetine were not detectable whereas those of its metabolite, norfluoxetine, were present to similar extents in both strains. By means of the elevated plus-maze test (29-30 h after the 13th administration of fluoxetine) and an open field test (48 h after the last injection of fluoxetine), it was observed that fluoxetine pretreatment did not yield anxiolysis; hence, some, but not all, behaviours were indicative of anxiety and hypolocomotion (as assessed through principal component analyses and acute diazepam studies). In both strains, the 10 mg/kg dose of fluoxetine decreased hypothalamus 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels, and reduced midbrain and/or hippocampus [3H]citalopram binding at 5-HT transporters, but did not affect [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin binding at hippocampal 5-HT1A receptors. However, the fluoxetine-elicited reduction in hippocampal 5-HT transporter binding was much more important in WKY than in SHR rats, this strain-dependent effect being associated in WKY rats with a reduction in cortical [3H]ketanserin binding at 5-HT2A receptors. Lastly, in WKY rats, repeated fluoxetine administration increased adrenal weights and the plasma corticosterone response to open field exposure, but did not affect the binding capacities of hippocampal mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors. These data show that key psychoneuroendocrine responses to repeated fluoxetine administration may be strain-dependent, and that repeated fluoxetine administration does not yield anxiolysis, as assessed by two standard tests of emotivity.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Effect of lecithin on in vitro and in vivo survival of in vitro produced bovine blastocysts after cryopreservation.

The use of soybean lecithin in an glycerol-based solution for slow freezing of in vitro matured, fertilized and cultured (IVMFC) bovine embryos was examined. Embryos were developed in vitro in INRA Menezo's B2 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) on Vero cells monolayers. Day 7 blastocysts were frozen in a two-step protocol consisting of exposure to 5% glycerol and 9% glycerol containing 0.2 M sucrose in F1 medium + 20% FCS. Soybean lecithin was either added or not to the freezing solutions at a final concentration of 0.1% (w/v). In Experiment 1, blastocysts were equilibrated in cryoprotectant solutions without cooling. Cryoprotectant was diluted from embryos with 0.5 M and 0.2 M sucrose. The percentages of fully expanded and hatched blastocysts treated with or without lecithin after 24 and 48 h in culture were not significantly different (100 versus 100% and 93.3 versus 100%, respectively). In Experiment 2, the in vitro survival of frozen-thawed IVMFC blastocysts was compared when cryoprotectant solutions were either supplemented or not with lecithin. No significant effect of lecithin was found on the ability of frozen-thawed blastocysts to re-expand after 48 h in culture (65.6 and 54.2%, respectively). However, the post-thaw hatching rate of embryos cryopreserved in the presence of 0.1% lecithin was significantly higher after 72 h in culture (52 and 31.8%, respectively). In Experiment 3, the ability of frozen-thawed IVMFC blastocysts to establish pregnancy following single embryo transfer was determined. Transfers of 58 and 66 frozen-thawed embryos cryopreserved with or without lecithin resulted in 6 and 10 (10.3 and 15.1%, respectively) confirmed pregnancies at Day 60. Addition of lecithin to cryoprotectants did not improve the in vivo development rate of cryopreserved IVMFC bovine blastocysts.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Behavioral, neuroendocrine and serotonergic consequences of single social defeat and repeated fluoxetine pretreatment in the Lewis rat strain.

We have analysed some behavioral, neuroendocrine and serotonergic consequences of a single (30-min) social defeat followed by 14-18 h of sensory contact with the aggressor, in Lewis rats, an inbred strain highly sensitive to chronic social stressors [Berton O. et al. (1998) Neuroscience 82, 147-159]. In addition, we have investigated how the aforementioned consequences are affected by pretreatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine (7.5 mg/kg/day for 21 days). A single social defeat triggered hypophagia and body weight loss, and increased anxiety in the elevated plus-maze. It did not affect baseline plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone levels and renin activity, but decreased plasma corticosterone levels. On the other hand, the responses of the latter variables to subsequent acute forced swim stress were blunted (corticosterone) or amplified (adrenocorticotropic hormone, renin activity) by prior defeat. The density of hippocampal serotonin transporters, but not that of hippocampal serotonin-1A and cortical serotonin-2A receptors, was decreased by a single social defeat; in addition, neither tryptophan availability and serotonin synthesis/metabolism, nor serotonin-1A autoreceptor-mediated functions (inhibition of serotonin synthesis, hyperphagia) were affected. Fluoxetine pretreatment diminished social defeat-induced hypophagia, body weight loss and anxiety without affecting these variables in control animals. This pretreatment increased plasma corticosterone levels in resting and acutely stressed rats, but abolished social defeat-elicited corticosterone hyporesponsiveness to acute forced swim stress. Except for a decrease in midbrain serotonin transporter density, fluoxetine did not affect the other serotonergic indices analysed herein, i.e. serotonin-1A and serotonin-2A receptor densities, serotonin synthesis/metabolism. A single social defeat in Lewis rats produces behavioral and endocrine alterations that may model some aspects of human anxiety disorders. In this paradigm, prior fluoxetine treatment is endowed with adaptive behavioral, and possibly neuroendocrine, effects without affecting the key elements of central serotonergic systems analysed herein.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1999

Prognostic significance of Ki-67 and topoisomerase IIalpha expression in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast. A multivariate analysis of 863 cases.

To evaluate the prognostic relevance of Ki-67 and topoisomerase IIalpha expression in relation to tumor stage, grade, and hormone receptor content, 942 ductal infiltrating carcinomas of the breast were examined by means of the monoclonal antibodies Ki-S11 (Ki-67) and Ki-S4 (topoisomerase IIalpha). pS2, c-erbB2, and p53 were additionally considered as prognostic variables. The median follow-up time was 149 months. Eight-hundred-and-sixty-three tumors reacted with Ki-S11 and Ki-S4; the labeling indices of the two antigens were closely associated (r = 0.93). Both correlated positively with the tumor size, c-erbB2, and p53 expression, and negatively with patient age, hormone receptor content, and pS2 immunostaining. In the univariate analysis, Ki-S11 and Ki-S4 scores, nodal status, tumor size, tumor grade, and progesterone receptor content strongly predicted both overall and metastasis-free survival (p < 0.00001). Estrogen receptor status, p53, and c-erbB2 were of minor significance. Concerning overall survival, multivariate Cox regression analysis selected a Ki-S4 score >25% (p < 0.00001) next to the nodal status, and before tumor size, progesterone receptor content, and patient age. Independent predictors of the occurrence of distant metastases were nodal status, Ki-S4, tumor size, grade 1, and progesterone receptor negativity, in that order. The Ki-S11 score was of independent prognostic significance only if examined as a continuous variable. We conclude that topoisomerase IIalpha expression as assessed by monoclonal antibody Ki-S4 may add valuable information to current prognostic models for breast cancer. Its predictive value appears to be essentially related to the proliferative activity of tumor cells.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for operable breast carcinoma larger than 3 cm: a unicentre randomized trial with a 124-month median follow-up. Institut Bergonié Bordeaux Groupe Sein (IBBGS).

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival and renders possible breast-conserving treatment in locally advanced breast cancer. It was necessary for this method to be evaluated in operable breast tumors too large to be treated immediately by conserving surgery. Initial results of this randomized trial were published in Annals of Oncology (1991). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with T2 > 3 cm or T3 N0-1 M0 breast tumors were treated by either initial mastectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, or neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjusted locoregional treatment. Chemotherapy was the same in the two arms. The prognostic and predictive factors of response to chemotherapy were analyzed. RESULTS: Conserving treatments were performed in 63% at the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and this rate had decreased to 45% at the median follow-up of 124 months. Survivals are identical in the two treatment groups. Initial clinical tumor size < 40 mm, IHC-ER < 10% and Mib1 > 40% are predictive of tumor response to chemotherapy by uni- and multivariate analyses. For outcome prediction, c-erb-B2 > 0% is the independent prognostic factor for overall and metastasis-free survivals. CONCLUSION: Breast-conserving therapy can be performed in more than half of all cases without alteration of survival, despite a non-negligible rate of local recurrences.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The CBF.78 monoclonal antibody to human sialophorin has distinct properties giving new insights into the CD43 marker and its activation pathway.

We confirm here the CD43 specificity of the CBF.78 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and compare its phenotypic and functional capacities to classical group-A mAbs (DFT1, MEM-59) and to 2 other CD43 mAbs (RDP/AD9, 161-46). It reacts with stable human CD43 transfectants in a sialic acid independent way and blocks completely cell binding of RDP/AD9 or 161-46 more or less but not DFT1 and MEM-59. Its distribution differs from all other CD43. B lymphocytes, but surprisingly the majority of granulocytes or monocytes are CBF.78 negative. CBF.78 is expressed on all T lymphocytes, but the number of CBF.78 molecules/cell is low and equally represented on resting T CD4 and CD8 cells. In comparison to naive T lymphocytes, CD45RO cells increase their CBF.78 epitopes much more than other CD43 epitopes. At a single cell level, confocal microscopy shows that CBF.78 can exist independently of other epitopes. CBF.78 is able to induce homotypic adhesion in different cell lines but not in peripheral blood lymphocytes and is unable to relocalise the targeted molecules. U937 cell line that is not agglutinated by CBF.78 (or RDP/AD9) undergoes a stronger adhesion with PMA, when this reagent is combined with this mAb. By itself CBF.78 is unable to activate T lymphocytes and to costimulate CD3 mAbs but partially blocks PMA. The phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase p59fyn and p56lck, driven by CBF.78, is weak and almost blocked by PMA. Altogether these data support the hypothesis that there are at least 3 modes of interaction between PKC and CD43 pathways: each pathway is inhibitory towards the other but the CD43 one can also be synergistic.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Serum cortisol levels in very low birth weight infants of substance-abusing mothers.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, hypoadrenalism was described in extremely low birth weight infants. We have been measuring serum cortisol levels in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants to assess their adrenal function. It was noticed that infants of substance-abusing mothers (ISAM) had unusually high serum cortisol levels. To our knowledge, there are no data regarding serum cortisol levels in VLBW ISAM. The objective of our study was to determine if serum cortisol levels of VLBW ISAM are different from serum cortisol levels in VLBW infants without a history of maternal substance abuse. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of infants with birth weight between 400 and 1300 gm who were born between July 1994 and June 1995. Seven ISAM who had serum cortisol levels drawn before 48 hours of life were identified. Seven infants matched for gestational age, antenatal steroid exposure, and birth weight served as control infants. Clinical characteristics, serum cortisol levels, and clinical outcome were compared between the two groups. Serum cortisol levels of all infants were measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The mean birth weight of the ISAM group was 834 gm (range 480 to 1175 gm), and the mean gestational age was 27.4 weeks. The mean birth weight of the control group was 921 gm (range 525 to 1230 gm) with a mean gestational age of 27.8 weeks. The mean serum cortisol level of the ISAM group was 65.3 micrograms/dl (range 11.9 to 144 micrograms/dl); it was significantly higher than that of the control group (mean cortisol level of 20.5 micrograms/dl; range 4.9 to 62.7 micrograms/dl) (p = 0.01, two-tailed). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that maternal substance abuse significantly increases serum cortisol levels in VLBW infants. Studies in larger scale are needed to confirm our findings and to correlate cortisol levels in this group of patients with clinical outcome.

Adrenal Cortex Function Tests↗

PubMed1999

Survival, intracranial lesions, and neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: Before the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), infants with a severe form of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) had a high mortality and morbidity. Recent studies have shown an improvement in the survival of these infants after ECMO treatment; however, the existing data do not provide sufficient informations regarding the quality of survival and developmental outcome of these infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate survival, intracranial lesions, and the neurodevelopmental outcome of infants with CDH treated with ECMO. METHODS: We retrieved data for 51 (n = 51) infants with CDH who were treated with ECMO at Huntington Memorial Hospital between 1985 and 1994. Their mean gestational age was 38.5 +/- 2.4 weeks (mean +/- SD); their mean birth weight was 3170 +/- 620 gm. Vital signs, arterial blood gases, chest radiographs, cranial and cardiac ultrasonography were routinely obtained before ECMO treatment. Cranial ultrasounds were performed daily on all infants while on ECMO; computerized tomography scans were obtained on all infants after completion of ECMO treatment. The surviving infants were followed at our neonatal follow-up clinic for neurodevelopmental assessment. RESULTS: A total of 39 infants were placed on venoarterial ECMO and 12 infants were placed on venovenous ECMO; a total of 35 infants had CDH repair before ECMO, whereas 16 infants had delayed surgery. A total of 31 infants (61%) survived. The infants who survived had a mean pH of 7.33 +/- 0.20, mean airway pressure of 19.6 +/- 5.8 cm H2O, and an oxygenation index (OI) of 87 +/- 55 before ECMO intervention. The infants who expired (n = 20) had a mean pH of 7.31 +/- 0.15, mean airway pressure of 23.1 +/- 5.5 cm H2O, and a mean oxygenation index of 127 +/- 56 before ECMO treatment. Before ECMO, survivors had a significantly lower oxygenation index and a higher Pao2 compared with nonsurvivors (p < 0.01). A total of 18 infants (35%) had abnormal central nervous system findings. Of the 51 infants, 10 had ventricular dilatation, 6 had intracranial hemorrhage, and 11 had focal or diffuse cerebral atrophy diagnosed by computerized tomography scan or at autopsy (1 patient had an infarct). Eight infants had more than one central nervous system abnormality. A total of 16 survivors had a neurodevelopmental evaluation at 12 months, and 11 of these survivors were evaluated at 24 months of age (Bayley Scales of Infant Development). The developmental progress of these infants falls within the low-average range of cognitive and motor abilities. Their mean Bayley Mental Developmental Index was 85 +/- 25 (50 to 145) at 24 months; their Psychomotor Developmental Index was 89 +/- 21 (50 to 113) at 24 months of age. Follow-up at 4 and 6 years of age is in progress. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings indicate that 35% of infants with severe CDH requiring ECMO had central nervous system abnormalities (intracranial lesions, including ventricular dilatation). The survival rate in our study population is consistent with recent reports. As a group, infants with severe CDH display mild neuromotor and cognitive delay in development at 24 months of age.

Brain Diseases↗

PubMed1999

Liquid flow through aqueous foams: from the plateau border-dominated regime to the node-dominated regime.

The velocity of gravity-driven flow through aqueous foams (forced drainage) has been determined by using electrical conductivity measurements in foams made with solutions of different surfactants. There is always a scaling behavior (power law) between the drainage velocity V and the imposed flow rate Q: V approximately Q(alpha), but the alpha coefficient varies between the different surfactant solutions and increases with surface viscosity. An explanation of this behavior will be given in terms of a transition between a node-dominated and a Plateau border-dominated viscous dissipation, for which theory predicts respectively alpha=1/3 and alpha=1/2.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

[Beta-catenin mutations in a common skin cancer: pilomatricoma].

The normal hair development requires WNT signalling pathways. A constitutive activation of beta-catenin, one of the components of this cascade, induces an abnormal proliferation of hair matrix cells. This activation is observed in a human skin tumours called pilomatricoma. Mutations of the beta-catenin gene are detected in 75% of the tumours analysed.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Circular dichroism and UV melting studies on formation of an intramolecular triplex containing parallel TA:T and GG:C triplets: netropsin complexation with the triplex.

We have used circular dichroism and UV absorption spectroscopy to characterize the formation and melting behaviour of an intramolecular DNA triple helix containing parallel T*A:T and G*G:C triplets. Our approach to induce and to stabilize a parallel triplex involves the oligonucleotide 5'-d(G4A4G4[T4]C4T4C4-[T4]G4T4G4) ([T4] represents a stretch of four thymine residues). In a 10 mM sodium cacodylate, 0.2 mM disodium EDTA (pH 7) buffer, we have shown the following significant results. (i) While in the absence of MgCl2 this oligonucleotide adopts an intramolecular hairpin duplex structure prolonged by the single strand extremity 5'-d([T4]G4T4G4), the presence of millimolar concentrations of MgCl2generates an intramolecular triplex (via double hairpin formation). (ii) In contrast to the antiparallel triplex formed by the oligonucleotide 5'-d(G4T4G4[T4]G4A4G4[T4]C4T4C4), the parallel triplex melts in a biphasic manner (a triplex to duplex transition followed by a duplex to coil transition) and is less stable than the antiparallel one. The enthalpy change associated with triplex formation (-37 kcal/mol) is approximately half that of duplex formation (-81 kcal/mol). (iii) The parallel triple helix is disrupted by increasing the concentration of KCl(>10 mM), whereas, under the same conditions, the antiparallel triplex remains stable. (iv) Netropsin, a natural DNA minor groove-binding ligand, binds to the central site A4/T4of the duplex or triplex in an equimolar stoichiometry. Its association constant K is smaller for the parallel triplex ( approximately 1 x 10(7) M-1) than for the antiparallel one ( approximately 1 x 10(8) M-1). In contrast to the antiparallel structure, netropsin binding has no apparent effect on thermal stability of the parallel triple helix.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1998

The stability of duplexes involving AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is not dependent on their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Implication for DNA sequencing by hybridization.

Sequencing by the recently reported hybridization technique requires the formation of DNA duplexes with similar stabilities. In this paper we describe a new strategy to obtain DNA duplexes with a thermal stability independent of their AT/GC ratio content. Melting data were acquired on 35 natural and 27 modified duplexes of a given length and of varying base compositions. Duplexes built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs exhibit a thermal stability restrained to a lower range of temperature than that of the corresponding natural compounds (16 instead of 51 degrees C). The 16 degrees C difference in thermal stability observed between the least stable and the most stable duplex built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is mainly due to the sequence effect and not to their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Thus N -4-ethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (d4EtC) hybridizes specifically with natural deoxyguanosine leading to a G4EtC base pair whose stability is very close to that of the natural AT base pair. Oligonucleotide probes involving d4EtC can be easily prepared by chemical synthesis with phosphoramidite chemistry. Modified DNA targets were successfully amplified by random priming or PCR techniques using d4EtCTP, dATP, dGTP and dTTP in the presence of DNA polymerase. This new system might be very useful for DNA sequencing by hybridization.

Adenine↗

PubMed1998

Flow cytometric characterization of proliferating natural killer lymphocytes from bone marrow donors in the mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Detection of natural killer (NK) cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was investigated by flow cytometry and cytotoxicity toward the K562 cell line. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from normal individuals were stimulated with either lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) or PBMCs. This approach allowed the following observations: 1) after stimulation by LCLs, the percentage of NK cells increased concomitantly with the level of cytotoxicity, in contrast to when PBMCs were used as stimulators; 2) anti-interleukin-2 monoclonal antibody strongly inhibited NK proliferation in the MLR, but antibody to interferon gamma did not; and 3) purified NK cells were unable to proliferate against LCLs. All these data suggest that NK cells induced by LCL stimulators depend on T cells to proliferate in the MLR. Flow cytometric detection of NK cells in the MLR was also used on cryopreserved PBMCs from 31 bone marrow donors, because it has been reported that an enhanced donor NK cell activity was correlated with the development of graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation. NK cell proliferation under LCL stimulation was intense and varied greatly among the donors tested. However, no statistical correlation was observed between LCL-induced donor NK cell proliferation in the MLR and the occurrence of graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow grafting.

Bone Marrow Cells↗

PubMed1998

Expression of genes (CAPN3, SGCA, SGCB, and TTN) involved in progressive muscular dystrophies during early human development.

The developmental expression pattern of four human genes, three of which are involved in progressive muscular dystrophies, was investigated. The rationale for these experiments is that these patterns might provide useful information on the pathophysiology underlying these myopathies. Despite the presence of overlapping clinical signs, the spatiotemporal expression profiles of the corresponding genes differed widely. Transcripts of alpha-sarcoglycan (SGCA) were visible as soon as myotomes were formed, and constitute, together with titin transcripts, precocious muscular system landmarks. beta-sarcoglycan (SGCB) was initially transcribed in a ubiquitous manner, and, toward the second part of the embryonic period, became specific to striated muscle, heart, and the central nervous system. Whereas titin (TTN) transcription and translation seem to be coupled, for the sarcoglycans, translation seemed restricted to skeletal muscle. Calpain3 (CAPN3) RNA was found in only skeletal muscles during the fetal period. It was, however, present earlier in the whole heart, where it selectively disappeared. Finally, evidence for differentially spliced calpain3 variants in smooth muscles was also seen. The expression profiles of these genes is suggestive of their having a role during myogenesis, knowledge of which could be pertinent to the understanding of the pathophysiology of the associated diseases.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Interaction of methyl green with an oligonucleotide in intramolecular duplex and triplex conformations. Circular dichroism studies.

Interaction of methyl green with the oligonucleotide 5-dGGAAAAGG-[T4]-GGAAAAGG-[T4]-CCTTTTCC (where [T4] is a nucleotide sequence of four thymines) in hairpin duplex and in intramolecular triplex structures has been studied by circular dichroism. We found that methyl green binding to the duplex form shows a complex pattern, exhibiting an exciton contribution when the number of bound molecules increases. Differences between this pattern and previously published results on other DNAs reveals the presence of different types of complexes. In contrast to previous findings with the triple helix poly(dA).2poly(dT) we show that the methyl green is not toallly excluded from this triplex structure made of Pur:Pur:Pyr triplets.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1998

[Results of 10 years of a randomized trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancers larger than 3 cm].

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this randomised trial was to determine advantages and drawbacks of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with operable breast cancers > 3 cm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-two women (age 70) with operable breast cancers larger than 3 cm (T2-3/N0-1/M0) were included in a randomised trial from January 1, 1985 to April 30, 1989. Patients in group A (n = 138) were treated by mastectomy and axillary node dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy was indicated for 104 patients with axillary node involvement (n = 82) or negative oestrogen and progesterone receptors (EPR-) (n = 22). Patients in group B (n = 134) were treated by initial chemotherapy (identical as in group A) followed by locoregional treatment according to the response. Before treatment, the average of clinical tumoural diameter was 43 mm. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 124 months. In group B, 49 patients (36.5%) were resistant to chemotherapy; a conservative breast surgical treatment was performed in the other 84 patients sensitive to chemotherapy (62.6%). In this last subgroup, 19 (22.6%) needed a secondary mastectomy because of locoregional recurrence. Survival rates were not different in groups A and B, but loco-regional recurrences were frequent in group B. At 10 years, the overall survival rate was 60% and half of living patients in group B were free of cancer and with their breast. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy permitted in two-thirds of cases breast conservation treatment, initially considered to be impossible. Locoregional recurrences are more frequent than after mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aged↗