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The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 64 HIV-1 positive treatment-naive and previously treated patients, with different viral load at baseline. The HAART regimen consisted of one protease inhibitor and two reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. Plasma RNA viral load was measured by RT-PCR (Roche Amplicor Monitor kit) at enrolment and at months 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up. The viral load fell below the threshold of 200 copies/ml in 46.9% of patients at month 6 and this result lasted up to month 12 of follow-up in 42.2% of patients. In these patients the CD4+ cell count increased from a baseline with a median of 194 cells/mmc at month 12. Treatment failure occurred in 35.9% of patients and the proportion was higher among previously treated patients. 7 patients stopped therapy because of poor compliance and 5 because of adverse drug effects. Also in our cases the HAART regimen showed more efficacy in treatment-naive patients, whereas baseline viral load1x105 was the cause of less efficacy of therapy.

The method aims at providing methods and tools for Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). These methods and tools are automated as far as possible in a planning tool software. The approach is a forward and synthetic one, i.e. the cell configuration is the main output of the software tool. This approach is led by the user's requirements, i.e. the fulfilment of quality of service parameters for UMTS. The cell planning process begins by analysing geographical environments and traffic densities. This analysis is completed by applying synthetic rules for the generation of a cellular configuration to fulfil the requirements in terms of quality of service, cost of the solution and use of the spectrum. >

A new acoustic emission failure mode analysis methodology for composite materials was developed. A single carbon fiber composite based on a polyester matrix has been used as a simple model. Fiber breakage during tensile loading tests was observed by using a polarized light microscope and simultaneously detected by a resonant acoustic probe. The resonant probe was used as a trigger for recording the fiber failure events. Single acoustic emission events from a wide band probe were recorded for fast Fourier transform analysis. The single fiber specimen, having an unique failure mode, presents advantages for standardization of AE techniques for quantitative analysis of failures in polymer composite materials. The same procedure can be exploited to investigate the other failure modes, namely fiber-matrix debonding and matrix cracking.

The aim of this paper is to show the efficacy of laparoscopy using only one umbilical trocar to treat abdominal complications of hydrocephalic children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS).In a 15-year period, 14 laparoscopies were performed on as many children with VPS complications: in the last 4 patients only one trocar was used to solve the complications, and this subgroup will be the object of the present study. Concerning the indication for surgery, the patients presented one catheter lost in the abdominal cavity; one cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts; one bowel obstruction; and one malfunctioning peritoneal limbs of the catheter. We used the one-trocar laparoscopic approach in all the 4 patients, and the 10-mm trocar was always introduced through the umbilical orifice in open laparoscopy.The laparoscopic technique was curative in all four cases and permitted the solution of the complication.One-trocar laparoscopic surgery can be considered as the ideal procedure in case of abdominal complications of VPS in children with hydrocephalus.

Stererolithography (SL) is a rapid prototyping process traditionally used to produce polymeric parts for various applications in aerospace, biomedical, automotive and electronics fields. Though it is a promising process for production of advanced ceramics, a number of critical points need still a proper solution: develop materials for functional prototypes, avoid interlayer delamination, obtain mechanical performances. In this work the production of ceramic green starting from specially formulated photocurable suspensions is presented. In particular, Al2O3 ceramic precursor have been built with an experimental stereolithography system, and the ceramic objects have been obtained from pyrolisis of the organic binder and subsequent sintering. Finally, characterization of mechanical properties and microstructure of the samples is presented. In addition, a 3D System SLA250 machine has been modified in order to build ceramic objects. A new loading vat with varying capacity has been projected and built, in order to produce parts with lower material quantities. The building and recoating parameters of the machine have been studied and modified to work with high-viscosity formulations.

Meckel’s diverticulum has varied presentations in children and often becomes a diagnostic challenge. The authors present a 10-year-old boy with abdominal pain and one episode of melena. His symptoms were undervalued during two previous hospitalizations in pediatric units until his hemoglobin level dropped from 8.2 to 3.5 g/dL. The laparoscopic intervention performed in emergency identified a bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum that was resected after being exteriorized from the umbilicus. Our observation shows that severe hemorrhage due to a Meckel’s diverticulum is possible albeit exceptional.

The aim of this study was to show the feasibility of an experimental model of gastroschisis using fetoendoscopic surgery on sheep fetuses, and also to perform amnioinfusion until delivery using an in-dwelling intraamniotic catheter.We analyzed the data from 18 pregnant ewes having 26 fetuses, which underwent surgery at 80 days of gestation (full term, 145 days). The fetendo technique was used to create a gastroschisis in 15 fetuses. The fetal abdominal wall was opened on the left side of the cord using scissors. The omentum and the intestinal loops were eviscerated using atraumatic forceps. Eleven fetuses were used as a control group. Twenty-one fetuses underwent amnioinfusion; a simple exteriorized catheter was used in seven cases and an intraamniotic catheter with an implantable port was used in the other 14. All ewes and fetuses were killed at the end of the experiment by an intravenous injection of pentotal; thereafter, the fetuses underwent necropsy.Twelve fetuses died and 14 survived (53.8%); seven of the 15 that underwent gastroschisis survived (46.7%). An amniotic infection occurred in nine fetuses (34.6%); of these, six died and three that were administered antibiotics survived.Our experience shows that this experimental model of gastroschisis is feasible and reproducible, and that a repeated amnioinfusion can be performed with an in-dwelling catheter in pregnant ewes. The use of an implantable port is safer than a simple exteriorized catheter.

The goal of this review is to define the clinical characteristics of parotid hemangiomas in children and outline their therapeutic management. The records of 42 pediatric patients with hemangiomas were reviewed; 10 required surgical treatment. Two cases of temporary postoperative facial nerve palsy were observed. Treatment was commonly delayed, and there is a significant likelihood of spontaneous regression. The indications for surgical intervention are an increase in tumor size, rapid tumor growth, failure of tumor size to decrease and hemorrhage into the lesion.

Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the results and complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a case series of 110 infants. Methods: Over a 5-year period (1993–98), we performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 110 pediatric patients. Surgery was performed at three different institutions by three different surgeons. The patient population was composed of 69 girls and 41 boys; their ages ranged from 1 to 16 years (median, 8.5). All of the 110 children had symptomatic cholelithiasis, which was confirmed at ultrasound examination. An associated pathology was present in 27 patients (sickle cell disease in 17 cases, hereditary spherocytosis in seven cases, thalassemia in three); the other 83 infants were affected by idiopathic cholelithiasis. In 107 patients, the operation was performed using four ports; in three patients, it was done using five ports. In three patients, we also performed a concomitant splenectomy. Results: Median duration of simple cholecystectomy was 45 min (range, 25–75) and hospital stay ranged from 1 to 10 days (median, 2). Only 15 children required drainage. We had 17 complications in our series (15.5%), including a gallbladder perforation during dissection in 11 patients, a fall of stones into the abdominal cavity during extraction in one patient, and a trocar orifice infection in the postoperative period in five patients. At a maximum follow-up of five years (range, 1–5), all patients were doing well. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in children seems to be as effective as open surgery in cases of symptomatic cholelithiasis. In pediatric patients more than in adults, an accurate and precise dissection and a sound knowledge of possible congenital biliary abnormalities are essential to avoid any kind of complication.

Introduction notre experience dans la cure d’hernie inguinale par voie laparoscopique dans la premiere annee de vie, pour souligner les avantages de la procedure dans cet âge. Methodes Dans une periode de 2 ans, nous avons traites 315 patients avec hernie inguinale unilaterale par vois laparoscopique et 50 avaient moins de 1 annee. Notre attention sera concentree sur ce groupe de 50 enfants. Le rang d’âge etait de 1 jusqu’ a 12 mois avec un poids median de 5,5 kg. 5/50 patients ont presente une hernie incarceree. Nous avons utilise la technique de Montupet modifie. Resultats temps operatoire : 22 minutes. 35 procedures effectuees en hopital de jour, 15 patients dechargees le jour apres le procede. Dans 22 patients on a trouve une perviete contralateral et on a realise une herniorraphie bilateral. Dans une fille il y avait la coexistence d’une hernie oblique externe, une hernie directe du cote droit et les deux orifices ont ete sutures en laparoscopie. Au follow up minimum de 1 an il y avait 1 recidive sur 73 herniorraphies. Conclusions dans notre experience la reparation laparoscopique de l’hernie inguinale dans les enfants au dessous de 1 an par les mains expertes est une procedure efficace, qui permet de soigner au meme temps toutes les formes d’hernies inguinales.

One of the major proteins secreted from the rat seminal vesicle epithelium, namely SV-IV, was shown to act in vitro as acyl donor and acceptor substrate for transglutaminase from both guinea pig liver and rat anterior prostate secretory fluid. Electrophoretic and chromatographic experiments indicated that the enzyme catalyzed the formation of multiple modified forms of SV-IV. In the absence of small Mr amines, transglutaminase was able to produce at least six different molecular forms of the protein, hall of which possessed an Mr higher than that of native SV-IV. These findings suggested that a variable number of intermolecular, and perhaps intramolecular, crosslinks were formed between one or both glutamine residues and one or more lysine residues occurring in the SV-IV polypeptide chain. In addition, at least three modified forms of the protein were produced by transglutaminase in the presence of high concentrations of spermidine, thus indicating the formation of different (-glutamyl)polyamine derivatives of SV-IV. Rabbit uteroglobin and rat anterior prostate secretory protein(s) were also shown to be able to covalently bind spermidine in the presence of the enzyme. The possible biological significance of transglutaminase-mediated modifications of SV-IV, as well as of other proteins occurring in the mammal seminal fluid, are discussed.

Ion implantation technology is used for industrial tools and component treating. Because of its line-of-sight geometry, it is always difficult to determine a priori the spatial dose and angle distribution of the implanted ions onto tools of complex geometry, especially when both the beam and the sample are in motion during the treatment, and the tool details are of dimensions smaller or comparable to the beam cross-section. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is attractive for a posteriori dose measurements because of its spatial resolution (analysis crater

We describe a patient on maintenance hemodialysis who developed purpura, abdominal pain with bloody stool, and gross hematuria. A skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis with IgA deposits. This is the first report of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in a hemodialysis patient.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide is an amino acceptor and donor substrate for tissue transglutaminase (TGase) in vitro. This peptide contains a single glutamine residue, Gln16, which was identified as the amino acceptor substrate. Different gamma(glutamyl16)amine derivatives of vasoactive intestinal peptide were synthesized enzymatically in vitro. The modification is very fast when compared with that of many native substrates of TGase. The analogs 1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine, glycine ethyl ester and mono-dansylcadaverine of the peptide were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography on a reverse-phase column and were analyzed by electrospray mass spectrometry. When amines were absent in the assay mixture as an external amino donor, lysine residue occurring in the peptide was an effective amino donor site for TGase. Only one of the three lysine residues of vasoactive intestinal peptide, namely Lys21, was demonstrated to be involved in both inter- and intramolecular cross-link formation.

Vascular complications of laparoscopy most often occur during Veress needle or primary trocar placement. Veress needle punctures are insignificant and require no further treatment, whereas trocar induced vascular injuries can be catastrophic. The frequency of vascular or viscus injuries is difficult to calculate since several complications are not published. A vascular complication occurred in a young girl with neurologic problems and a kyphoscoliosis operated on in laparoscopy for a gastroesophageal reflux is discussed. After the establishment of pneumoperitoneum, an important hemoperitoneum was rapidly evident at insertion of the laparoscope. An open laparotomy was performed showing right common iliac vessel injuries and several intestinal perforations. After a complex vascular reconstruction and a multiple intestinal suture, the Nissen fundoplication with pyloroplasty was performed traditionally and the patient leave the hospital free of symptoms after 20 days. In laparoscopy, as in all areas of surgery, experience knowledge and meticulous attention to details are the most important factors in order to avoid complications. The authors believe that the open approach with Hasson cannula is the most important factor in avoiding complications.

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunts (VPS) are the most frequent operative procedures used to treat hydrocephalic children. Abdominal complications of VPS are now a rare event; however, their frequency varies from 5% to 47% according to reports. Anything that causes an obstruction or impediment of the VP derivation system will lead to intracranial hypertension, which requires immediate surgery. From 1985 to 1995 at the Division of Pediatric Surgery of the Federico II University of Naples, ten laparoscopies were performed in ten children with VPS complications. Cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts were found in four infants. There was one case of abdominal wall perforation by the tip of the catheter at the umbilical level, two bowel obstructions, and one catheter was lost in the abdominal cavity. Finally, two children had malfunctioning of the peritoneal limb of the catheter. The laparoscopic technique was curative in all ten cases, thus avoiding a conventional laparotomy and the consequent risk of adhesions, which could cause further complications.

Thyroid diseases have a characteristic evolution in geriatric age, whether for the symptomatology frequently mingled with typical manifestations of again, or for glandular involution. Moreover, in the aged patient, the particular aspect of the epidemiology, physiopathology, clinic and therapy are to know and interpret. In most cases, the presence of a uni- or multi-nodular goiter does not cause compression problems or cancerization risk. In the presence of these problems and in multi-nodular goiter, we prefer total thyroidectomy because, at the present time, it is possible to put at zero the risks of this operation, neither we fear hypothyroidism which all the same also appears in less extensive operations. Between thyroid diseases, cancer has a typical biological behaviour and prognosis in geriatric patients. While most tumors have a better curability in geriatric age, these have a worse prognosis. So therapeutic indications very as a function of age. About this the authors present preliminary data of a prospective trial started in 1992.

A retrospective study has been carried out on the last 20 consecutive patients operated for gastro-oesophageal reflux to compare the results of the traditional operation with those using the laparoscopic approach.In ten cases, the operation was performed with an open traditional approach and in the other 10 cases using laparoscopy. The mean age of the patients was 7 years and their mean weight was 20 kg. There were 11 girls and 9 boys. We used a 360 degrees Nissen fundoplication in the patients operated on via laparotomy and a Nissen-Rossetti fundoplication in patients operated on via laparoscopy.Mean operating time was 65 minutes for traditional surgery and 100 minutes for laparoscopy. There were two complications: 1 case of oesophageal perforation in a child affected by endo-brachyoesophagus with peri-oesophagitis, operated using the laparoscopic technique, and one case of wound infection in a child operated with the open technique. The hospital stay was remarkably shorter and less painful for the children operated on laparoscopically. At 13-month mean follow-up, all 20 patients are alive and present no reflux symptoms.Our results demonstrate that laparoscopic surgery is a valid alternative to the traditional surgical approach for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux.

The authors retrospectively analyzed the results of their experience with combined laparoscopic excisional and guided needle biopsy in the determination of chronic liver disease in children.Between January 1986 and January 1996, at the Division of Pediatric Surgery of the "Federico II" University of Naples, eighty patients underwent laparoscopic liver biopsy to evaluate a chronic liver disease. Patient ages ranged between 50 days and 16 years (mean 5.8 years). There were 41 girls and 39 boys. Fifteen of these children (18.7%) were addressed to a surgeon because the previously performed percutaneous blind needle biopsy was not sufficiently informative or because the specimens were too small to allow chemical or biochemical tissue studies. In these 15 patients, we performed a combination of laparoscopic guided needle biopsy using a 14-gauge tru-cut needle together with an excisional biopsy on the right lobe, using two additional 5-mm trocars.The post-operative course was uneventful for all the patients. All patients were discharged from hospital after 24 hours. A precise histological diagnosis was made and biochemical tissue studies were possible after laparoscopic biopsy in all 15 children. In our opinion, a combination of laparoscopic-guided needle biopsy and laparoscopic excisional biopsy is more reliable than simple biopsy alone for the diagnosis of cirrhosis in children with chronic liver disease.

Tissue expansion is an ideal reconstructive procedure for burn scar alopecia. Donor tissue is generated in situ, allowing for the use of hair-bearing tissue to reconstruct an area of alopecia. The process of tissue expansion results in a redistribution of the remaining hair follicles to replace the area of alopecia.

This work was undertaken to compare the behavior of Friend erythroleukemia cells in a solenoid, where the magnetic field was 70 microT at 50 Hz (plus 45 microT DC of Earth) with that of the same cells in a magnetically shielded room, where the magnetic field was attenuated to 20 nT DC and 2.5 pT AC. The control laboratory magnetic field corresponded to 45 microT DC and a stray 50 Hz field below 0.2 microT. The culture growth cycle of cells maintained inside the solenoid was slightly accelerated compared with that of cells maintained outside the solenoid (P.05). This stimulation probably depended on sensitivity of cell cycle to a magnetic field, because, inside the solenoid, the percentage of G1 cells slightly increased during the culture growth cycle, whereas that of S cells slightly decreased. Acceleration of growth was detected soon after exposure of the cultures to the solenoid field, and growth did not change further if the action of this field continued for a long time, accounting for adaptation. The solenoid field also caused a small increase of cell survival without influencing cell volume. By contrast, the culture growth cycle of cells maintained inside the magnetically shielded room was slightly decelerated compared with that of cells maintained outside the room (P.05). The essential absence of any field inside the magnetically shielded room also caused a small increase of cell volume, whereas, during the culture growth cycle, the percentage of G1 cells decreased, and that of S cells increased. The majority of these events did not change in cells induced to differentiate hemoglobin through dimethylsulfoxide.

To determine the safety and advantages of laparoscopic liver biopsy in pediatric liver disorders, we reviewed the medical records of 80 children affected by liver disease of various etiologies who underwent this procedure from 1986 to 1996. The main indicators for laparoscopic biopsy were increased risk of bleeding (i.e., mild to moderate coagulation abnormalities in patients probably affected by cirrhosis) and/or previous poorly informative blind needle liver biopsy (65 cases), and the need for a large amount of liver tissue for biochemical assays (10 cases). After inspection of the liver surface, at least two core biopsies were performed using a Tru-cut needle. We encountered difficulties with the biopsy in only four cases, due to a hard consistency of the liver. Bleeding time from the liver orifice was greatly reduced by positioning a fibrin plug (50-120 s vs 5-10 s, on average). In 15 patients, a large excisional biopsy was also successfully performed. Our results confirm an important role for laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis (30% of bioptic false negative diagnoses in this series) and show that in selected cases laparoscopy-guided needle or excisional biopsy is an easy, useful and safe alternative to percutaneous blind liver biopsy.

Structural and biochemical characteristics of transglutaminase purified by a rapid chromatographic procedure from the rat coagulating gland (anterior prostate) secretion are reported. Fast atom bombardment mapping and automated Edman degradation experiments allowed us to verify that at least 85% of the entire transglutaminase amino acid sequence is identical to that derived from the cDNA of the major androgen-dependent rat prostate protein called DP1, The enzyme was found NH2 terminally blocked and largely posttranslationally modified, since the presence of N-linked oligosaccharides, as well as of complex lipidic structures, was observed, Mass spectral analysis showed that Asn-408 and -488 are the glycosylated sites, the N-linked structures identified belonging to both high-mannose and complex type glycans. The presence of myo-inositol, of glycerol bound fatty acids, and the high content of mannose residues, are in agreement with previous observations suggesting, that a Lipid anchor is bound to coagulating gland secretion transglutaminase, Furthermore, two tightly bound calcium ions per molecule of enzyme were detected, Finally, a strong stimulation of the enzyme activity in vitro by both SDS and a variety of phosphatidic acids was observed. The reported structural and functional peculiarities should definitively lead to consider She prostate enzyme as a new member (type IV) of the transglutaminase family.

Over the past 4 years 18 children were observed at the La Timone-Enfants Hospital in Marseille with renal lesions consequent to nonpenetrating abdominal traumas. Hematuria was reported in 14 cases (7 macroscopic and 7 microscopic) and all cases suffered from abdominal and/or lumbar pain. In relation to the diagnostic iter used: 18 echographies, 15 urographies, 13 TAC, 2 ascendant pyelographies, 2 scintigraphies with DMSA, 1 echo-Doppler and one angiography were performed. Renal lesions were classified as: 8 type 1, 5 type 2, 4 type 3, 1 type 4. Four cases were operated and one case underwent percutaneous drainage of an urohematoma. Following an analysis of these case and a revision of the literature, the authors emphasise that the evolution and progress in the diagnosis and treatment of this important aspect of traumatic pathology in children enables an almost complete recovery of kidney function in almost all cases.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a genetic neuropathy causing progressive muscle weakness and wasting and sensory reduction, starting from the distal regions of the limbs. Typical is the variability in clinical severity, which depends on the distoproximal extension of muscle weakening and its biomechanical consequences. Since the rehabilitative intervention varies according to the disease severity, we have previously suggested to grade patients in seven levels (or stages) as to the lower limbs and four levels as to the upper limbs (1). Patients are fitted in the classification on the basis of the results of a functional evaluation, which includes: The muscle testing is to be repeated after orthotic and physiotherapeutic treatment (2), since muscle strength can improve as the result of an increased mobility and a better muscle action line. The range-of-motion testing is also to be repeated to monitor the efficacy of the stretching program and, in children, to discover new joint alterations as soon as they appear. This methodology is recommended not only for rehabilitative purposes but also to monitor the natural evolution of the disease in an easy and objective way.

We report the results of studies performed in vitro and in vivo that were designed to explore individual, sequential, and concurrent Ag-antibody interactions at the surface of rabbit endothelial cells. Divalent heterologous antibodies to rabbit lung angiotensin-converting enzyme and to rabbit lung thrombomodulin were employed. In cultured monolayers, both antibodies redistributed the specific Ag and co-redistributed the immunologically unrelated Ag inducing partial or complete disappearance of the Ag from the cell surface (antigenic modulation) in 15 to 60 min. When injected into living rabbits, each antibody induced a rapid (1 to 3 min) redistribution and subsequent modulation of the specific and of the unrelated Ag at the surface of alveolar endothelial cells. Immune complexes, and the unrelated Ag, were shed in the circulation, attaining peak levels 3 to 4 min after the injection; were rapidly bound by platelets, E, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes; and were subsequently found in phagocytic cells in the spleen and in the liver. Thrombomodulin co-shed by angiotensin-converting enzyme antibody and, to a lesser degree, angiotensin-converting enzyme co-shed by thrombomodulin antibody, crossed the glomerular capillary walls and were reabsorbed by the epithelial cells of the proximal tubules within 2 to 3 min. The results show that immunologically unrelated Ag can be passively entrapped during formation of immune complexes at the cell surface, and provide new information on the kinetics of clearance of immune complexes containing endogenous, structural Ag.

Introduction La fundoplicature laparoscopique selon Nissen (LF) represente le gold standard chez les enfants avec la maladie de reflux gastroesofagienne apres echeque du traitement medical. Materiels et Methodes 36 enfants operes avec une LF entre janvier et decembre 1998; follow-up au moins de 10 ans. 4 malades, indisponibles, ont ete exclus de l’etude. Les autres 32 ont ete invites par telephone a repondre au questionnaire de Roma III de l’ESPGHAN modifie et a effectuer un control clinique. Tous les patients ont repondu au questionnaire et seulement 22/32 ont acceptes le control clinique. Resultats 29 patients n’avaient plus des symptomes; 3 avaient un GOR persistant modere ; 7 presentent encore une dysphagie minimale ; 26 pouvaient eruttes et seulement 10 pouvaient vomir. Le resultat cosmetique etait excellent dans 20/22. Le rapport poids/taille etait satisfaisant dans 30. La qualite de vie etait bonne dans 29. Conclusions Notre experience prouve que la FL donne des bons resultats clinique et une bonne qualite de vie. Le questionnaire de ROMA III DE L’ESPGHAN modifie semble une facon efficace de verifier les resultats a long terme ; il laisse verifier les resultats par le telephone et evite de soumettre les patients aux examens instrumentaux ne pas bien toleres.

Nonenzymatic glycosylation of proteins, as occurs at an accelerated rate in diabetes, can lead to the formation of advanced glycosylation end products of proteins (AGEs), which can bind to endothelial cells, thereby altering cellular function in a manner which could contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic angiopathy. In this report, we describe the isolation of two endothelial cell surface-associated proteins which mediate, at least in part, the interaction of AGEs with endothelium. Based on pilot studies demonstrating AGE binding activity with comparable characteristics in bovine endothelial cell and lung extracts, the material from lung was sequentially subjected to chromatography on hydroxylapatite, fast protein liquid chromatography Mono S, and gel filtration. Two distinct polypeptides, approximately 35 and approximately 80 kDa, were purified to homogeneity, each of which bound AGEs as demonstrated by competitive binding assays using cellular binding proteins immobilized on a plastic surface. NH2-terminal sequence analysis indicated that the approximately 35-kDa protein was novel, whereas the NH2-terminal sequence of the approximately 80-kDa protein was identical to that of lactoferrin. Immunocytologic studies using polyclonal antibody prepared to each of the purified polypeptides demonstrated the presence of immunoreactive material on the surface of bovine endothelial cells maintained under serum-free conditions. Furthermore, immunoelectron microscopic studies with antibodies to the approximately 35- and approximately 80-kDa AGE-binding proteins conjugated to different size colloidal gold particles confirmed the presence of the target antigens on the cell surface and suggested that they were closely associated. IgG purified from polyclonal antisera to either the 35- or 80-kDa AGE-binding proteins blocked the binding of 125I-AGE-albumin to the cell surface. These results indicate that endothelial cells express specific cell surface molecules which mediate AGE-endothelial interaction. These polypeptides represent a novel class of cell surface acceptor molecules for glucose-modified proteins which may promote degradation and/or transcytosis of the ligand, and modulation of cellular function.