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Biomedical subjects

Z Bentwich

Publications and source records attributed to Z Bentwich.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

(T,G)-A-L specific immune response potential and HLA typing of Israeli patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Thirty-three Israeli patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were studied for their ability to respond to the synthetic polypeptide poly (Tyr,Glu)-poly (DLAla)-poly(Lys) [( T,G]-A-L) as measured by the production of a T cell helper factor by their antigen activated T cells. Twenty-seven of the patients were typed for their HLA phenotypes. Nineteen patients were with more active disease and 14 with a milder non-active disease. All the patients of the two groups responded to (T,G)-A-L by the production of an antigen specific helper T cell factor, in contrast to only 50% responders among healthy donors. Thus, lack of normal regulation of T cell helper function was observed among all patients with SLE, independently of their disease activity and/or treatment. A higher frequency of DR5 (75%) was observed in patients with a milder non-active disease (vs 46.6% in normal healthy control individuals) while 53.3% of patients with active disease possessed DR7 (21.8% in controls). These findings may suggest a possible association between the severity of the disease and a specific DR determinant.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1985

A computerized tube leukocyte adherence inhibition assay in the diagnosis of human lung cancer.

A computerized tube LAI assay was used to determine the antitumor immune response in lung cancer patients. A standardized assay was established by the use of tumor antigen recovered from the spent medium of lung and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. Furthermore, modulation of the assay by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was used to increase its sensitivity. Of 65 patients with epidermoid lung cancer, 34 (52.3%) had a positive nonadherence index (NAI). The NAI was inversely related to tumor burden, with 31 of 44 (70.6%) patients with lung cancer stages I and II and only 3 of 21 (14%.2%) patients with stage III having positive assays (greater than 30%). Addition of PGE2 to the as say increased the overall sensitivity so that a positive NAI was obtained in 88.6% of patients with lung cancer stages I and II, and 88.6% with stage III, respectively. Of 174 individuals from the control group, positive NAI was found in only 9 and 3.8% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and normal controls, respectively. These results support previous observations on the specificity and sensitivity of the LAI assay in the diagnosis and study of human cancer.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1985

Temporal lobe meningioma masked by polymyalgia rheumatica.

An elderly woman who had a typical polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) syndrome, associated with severe headache, was considered to have giant cell arteritis despite negative temporal artery biopsies and was treated with corticosteroids. At autopsy, no arteritis, but a large temporal lobe meningioma, was found as the cause of her headache. Both PMR and meningiomas are frequent in elderly patients, and overlapping symptoms may occur. Patients with PMR and headache should be fully investigated to exclude an occult meningioma or other disease, especially when no positive histologic evidence of temporal arteritis can be obtained.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

An improved microculture-hemolytic spot assay for the study of carrier-specific antibody responses.

A microculture system based on limiting dilution and a hemolytic spot assay was adapted for study of the carrier-specific anti-hapten response in vitro. Spleen or lymph node cells from normal mice or mice immunized with NIP-ovalbumin (NIP-OVA) or NIP-human thyroglobulin (NIP-Tg) were cultured for 5 days by the microculture technique. The anti-hapten (anti-NIP) response was measured by assaying the supernatants of the microcultures in a hemolytic spot test with NIP coupled to sheep red blood cells. A micro-ELISA reader was adapted to read the degree of lysis in the spot assay which gives an objective quantitation of the degree of lysis and thus reduces the number of culture replicates. In vivo induced specific helper cells in mice immunized with the carrier protein, human thyroglobulin, as well as carrier-specific T cell factors, gave rise to carrier-specific anti-NIP responses. The microculture system may enhance the expression of T-cell helper function when suppressor cells or their precursors are present in the initial cell preparation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Immune derangements in asymptomatic male homosexuals in Israel: a pre-AIDS condition?

We have described several immune derangements found in a clinically asymptomatic group of 117 male homosexuals (MHS) in Israel. These consisted of a marked decrease in TH and TS cells, decreased NK and allogeneic response, and increased levels of acid labile alpha-interferon and circulating immune complexes (CIC). Most of these alterations were found in approximately 40% of the subjects, with no simple correlation between them. Since Israel is a low incidence area for AIDS and related syndromes, it is suggested that this situation reflects a common situation among asymptomatic MHS in general, although the reasons for these impairments are not clear. This situation may therefore explain susceptibility of the male homosexual for developing AIDS, given the appropriate circumstances, environment, and genetic background.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1984

Progressive cutaneous herpes simplex infection in acute myeloblastic leukemia. Successful treatment with interferon and cytarabine.

A patient had acute myeloblastic leukemia and extensive progressive cutaneous herpes simplex virus infection. Complete and rapid healing of skin lesions with remission of the leukemia occurred during 15 days of therapy with human leukocyte interferon and minimal doses of cytarabine hydrochloride. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that the patient had a defective antiviral interferon response, which was effectively corrected by treatment with interferon alpha. This may help to explain the dramatic response of both conditions to therapy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Unusual dyslipoproteinemia in a patient with primary systemic amyloidosis and nephrotic syndrome. Role of excessive cholesterol synthesis.

We describe a patient with primary systemic amyloidosis, nephrotic syndrome and unusual dyslipoproteinemia. Levels of plasma cholesterol greater than 2,000 mg/dl and triglycerides greater than 3,000 mg/dl were observed. As much as 70% of the plasma cholesterol separated into abnormal very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) with cholesterol ester/triglyceride weight ratio of 0.7-1.0. Intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were also elevated, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was low. Both LDL and HDL were triglyceride rich. Neither IDL nor LDL was detected after in vitro lipolysis of VLDL triglycerides (95%); hence, IDL and LDL were most probably secreted directly from liver cells. Treatment by weekly plasma exchange was instituted, and the progression of the amyloidosis was slowed. Endogenous cholesterol synthesis, estimated from increments of plasma cholesterol after exchange, was greater than 2,000 mg/dl. We conclude that the unusual dyslipoproteinemia observed in this patient represents a special type of nephrotic syndrome with remarkably enhanced endogenous cholesterol production.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1983

Rheumatoid factors in the sera of patient with gastrointestinal carcinoma.

One hundred and nineteen patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy (80 colorectal, 25 gastric and 14 pancreatic carcinoma) were studied for rheumatoid factors (RF), antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and immunoglobulin levels and the findings correlated with size of tumor, stage of disease and survival. Twenty three (19.3%) of the patients were RF seropositive compared to 5.7% of 70 matched controls (P = 0.02). In two thirds of the seropositive patients RF were detected prior to the initiation of treatment. The proportion of RF seropositivity increased significantly in patients with tumors larger than 4 cm and in patients with Stage D disease. The authors found a high incidence of ANA in the patients: 32.4% compared to 8% in normal subjects (P less than 0.01), but the proportion of RF in this group was not significantly different. Survival distributions of the RF positive cases were different from that of the other patients (18 versus 25 months median survival); however, this was not statistically significant. These findings indicate that RF in GI cancer patients sera is not rare and can be related mainly to "tumor load," although not considerably affecting survival.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Reactivity of purified GP40 antigen with antibodies from sera of patients with colorectal cancer: a follow-up study.

A glycoprotein antigen (GP40) was previously identified as a major component of immune complexes isolated from sera of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma. Its reactivity with antibodies from sera of patients with various types of cancer was described. In this presentation we describe the methods for further purification of GP40 from Burkitt's lymphoma sera. Radioiodinated purified GP40 was used in a double antibody precipitation assay, to measure the level of free anti-GP40 antibodies in sera of patients with colorectal cancer. Follow-up studies of patients at various stages of the disease revealed a close correlation between the level of free anti-GP40 antibodies and the stage of the disease, namely, low levels in advanced stages (C-D) and high levels in early stages (A-B). Furthermore, patients in remission undergoing chemotherapy always had elevated levels of free antibodies. Similarly, patients in relapse had decreasing levels of free antibodies.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Genetically regulated human (T,G)-A-L specific helper T cell replacing factors possess HLA-DR and VH determinants.

Human (T,G)-A-L specific T cell helper factors secreted by in vitro activated peripheral blood lymphocytes of normal donors were characterized. Factors were passed through columns of Sepharose coupled either to antibodies against human immunoglobulin or antibodies against the variable region of the heavy (VH) and light (VL) chains of human immunoglobulin. In addition, the same factors were applied to columns of Sepharose coupled to anti-HLA-DR antibodies or to monoclonal antibodies against human Ia or beta 2-microglobulin. The activity of the antigen specific factors was removed by the anti-VH antibodies and not by anti-VL or anti-human immunoglobulin antibodies. The factors passed through Sepharose coupled to anti-DR antibodies could be removed and eluted from columns of anti-DR antibodies relevant to the donors' DR antigens. The same factors were also removed by a monoclonal antibody (anti-Ia) which recognizes a monomorphic determinant on HLA-DR, but not by monoclonal anti-beta 2-microglobulin. The results suggest that the genetically regulated (T,G)-A-L specific helper factors possess HLA-DR as well as VH determinants in their active moiety.

Animals↗