In humans, eight monosaccharides are required for the synthesis of glycoproteins. Dietary supplements that supply these crucial sugars are known as glyconutrients. A glyconutrient compound was added to Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) isolated from normal controls and patients with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a disease associated with immune dysregulation. The in vitro immunomodulatory effects were investigated. Cell surface expression of the glycoproteins CD5, CD8, and CD11a were significantly lower in patients with CFS compared to normal controls. Addition of glyconutrient homogenate to PBMC from patients with CFS stimulated with phytohemagglutinin significantly increased the expression of each glycoprotein. Furthermore, natural killer (NK) cell function was reduced in CFS patients. The glyconutrient preparation significantly enhanced NK cell activity versus human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6)-infected H9 cells in an 8 h 51Cr release assay compared to placebo for PBMC from patients with CFS (p< .01). Finally, apoptosis was significantly higher in patients with CFS. The percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly decreased in PBMC from patients with CFS that had been incubated for 48 h with glyconutrients. Thus, glyconutrients improved abnormal immune parameters in vitro in patients with CFS.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

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Newer methods for diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection.

Recently developed techniques have greatly increased the sensitivity and speed of detection of CMV and of host antibody responses to it. Newer serologic assays such as enzyme immunoassay or latex agglutination assay are accurate and efficient for screening donors and recipients and for determining susceptibility to primary infection. Available IgM antibody assays have occasional utility in recognition of recent infection. The slow process of isolating CMV in cell culture has prompted development of effective rapid techniques that utilize CMV-specific monoclonal antibodies and DNA sequences. Immediate-early viral antigen can be detected in infected cell cultures within hours of specimen inoculation. CMV antigens can also be detected directly in cells within clinical specimens. DNA hybridization has been used for CMV analysis in dot-blot, Southern blot, and in situ hybridization assays; the use of the latter is increasing for the detection of virus in fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Antigen or nucleic acid detection procedures, when applied directly to relevant clinical specimens, aid in the recognition of tissue invasive disease for which antiviral therapy might be considered. DNA amplification, using the polymerase chain reaction, achieves new levels of sensitivity in viral detection and should be useful for clinical diagnosis and for investigation of CMV pathogenesis and latency.

Antibodies, Viral↗

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When is systemic antiviral therapy indicated?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acyclovir↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prolonged cytomegalovirus infection with viremia is associated with development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Several reports have suggested an association between cytomegalovirus infection and the subsequent development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. The difficulties in interpreting these studies include the variety of methods used for the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection and variable criteria for the diagnosis of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. To determine whether specific aspects of cytomegalovirus infection are risk factors for cardiac allograft vasculopathy, the patient population of the Oregon Cardiac Transplant Program was analyzed for the following variables: cytomegalovirus infection, primary cytomegalovirus infection, and persistent cytomegalovirus infection for 4 or 6 months documented by either blood or urine cultures and persistent cytomegalovirus viremia for 4 months. In the 129 patients available for analysis, there was no higher incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in patients with or without cytomegalovirus infection, nor was there a higher incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in primary cytomegalovirus infection. There was a nonstatistically significant trend toward an increased incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in patients with persistent cytomegalovirus infection as assessed by cultures positive for infection in either blood or urine. There was, however, a significant increase in the incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in patients who had persistent viremia for at least 4 months compared with those without this finding (47% vs 18%, respectively; p = 0.012). In our population persistent cytomegalovirus viremia and presumably long-term exposure of the allograft coronary tree to cytomegalovirus is associated with cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Coronary Disease↗

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Rectus syndrome. Another cause of upper abdominal pain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rectus syndrome is somatic pain originating from the rectus abdominis musculature of the abdomen. However, pain with its associated somatovisceral symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, is called pseudovisceral pain syndrome. It commonly mimics abdominal visceral pain and misleads medical practitioners into establishing a wrong diagnosis and giving inadequate pain management. Owing to its primary somatic origin, a regional rectus nerve block is an efficacious modality for use in differentiating the diagnosis and providing longlasting optimal pain relief. METHODS: Two cases, a 48-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, were referred for the management of chronic upper abdominal pain consistent with chronic pancreatitis. They underwent rectus block, first to differentiate the diagnosis and then to relieve intractable pain problems with multidisciplinary pain management. RESULTS: Rectus block was performed successfully, and a diagnosis of rectus syndrome was established. These two patients responded to the rectus block immediately and received long-lasting pain relief after repeated rectus blocks in conjunction with pharmacologic and psychological treatment and physiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Rectus syndrome could be another potential cause of chronic intractable upper abdominal pain problem; rectus block provides a simple diagnostic and therapeutic technique to differentiate the diagnosis and treat it adequately.

Abdominal Muscles↗