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Cloning and Expression of the Human Interleukin-6 (BSF-2/IFNβ 2) Receptor B CELL STIMULATORY FACTOR-2 (BSF-2) was originally identified as a T cell-derived factor that causes the terminal maturation of activated [...]

Presents a study that measured the activities of cathepsin G and elastase to determine the level of activity of these components in neutrophils from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Information on MDS; Subtypes of patients according to French-British-American criteria; Activities of enzymes involved in the bacteria killing mechanism.

In order to analyze the involvement of γδ T cells in the immune surveillance against B cell lymphomas (BCL), we investigated the proportion of circulating γδ T cells in 52 BCL patients using two-color flow cytometry, together with tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells in 22 of those patients. We found that the proportion of tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells in BCL patients was not different from that of lymph node γδ T cells in reactive hyperplasia patients. However, a decreased percentage of circulating γδ T cells were observed in indolent lymphoma (IL) and limited aggressive lymphoma (AL) patients when compared with normal controls. In contrast, as a result of a histogram, advanced AL patients were divided into two subgroups: the patients with increased circulating γδ T cells and those without any increase. However, there was no difference in the clinical features of between the two AL subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of marginal zone B cell lymphoma of MALT type arising in the uvula and breast is reported. The patient, a 30-year-old woman who delivered a child and lactated in 1997, was suffering from Sjögren syndrome (SS). She was diagnosed with MALT lymphoma after a biopsy of the right breast and uvula. To investigate the relationship of the delivery, lactation and MALT lymphoma, we examined the immunohistochemical analysis of hormone receptors. As a result, lymphoid cells of the breast were stained with anti-progesterone receptor antibodies in the cytoplasm. Consequently, the MALT lymphoma of the uvula appeared to be associated with SS. Moreover, hormones such as progesterone may have influenced the breast involvement of MALT lymphoma in our case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a factor-dependent cell line MO7ER, which contains a stably transduced human erythropoietin (EPO) receptor gene in human megakaryoblastic cell line MO7e and which resulted in concomitant expression of EPO receptor, c-Mpl and c-Kit, we investigated the biological effects of these cytokines in terms of cell growth and differentiation. Thrombopoietin (TPO), EPO and Steel factor (SLF) all stimulated MO7ER cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Combined stimulation of cells with SLF plus either TPO or EPO resulted in striking synergistic enhancement of MO7ER cell growth as compared with each cytokine alone, whereas combination of TPO plus EPO showed only an additive effect on cell proliferation. With regards to cell differentiation, either TPO or EPO treatment induced enhancement of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa and GPIb expression. SLF induced GPIIb/IIIa and GPIb expression, but the effect was much weaker than that of EPO or TPO. However, addition of SLF to either TPO- or EPO- containing cultures (which induced potent mitogenesis in MO7ER cells) resulted in suppression of these megakaryocyte specific antigens. Addition of low-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C)(1 to 10 ng/ml) enhanced TPO- or EPO- induced megakaryocytic differentiation in MO7ER cells while mildly suppressing cell growth. Treatment the cells with low-dose Ara-C plus TPO plus SLF overrode the proliferative enhancing effects of SLF and induced GPIIb/IIIa and GPIb expression as efficient as TPO alone. Retardation of TPO-induced megakaryocytic maturation was also observed in normal murine bone marrow cells by combined stimulation with TPO and SLF as assessed by the numbers of acetylcholinesterase staining-positive cells and megakaryocyte nuclear polyploidy. These results suggest that megakaryocytic maturation is, at least in part, regulated by countering cytokine-induced cell proliferation.