Cell proliferative activity and mutation of P53 suppressor gene in human gestational trophoblastic disease

Cell proliferative activity and the over accumulation of P53 suppressor gene were evaluated in 26 cases of gestational trophoblastic disease and five cases with normal placentae. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded histological sections were used for immunohistochemistry, utilizing the avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique and antibodies to PCNA (proliferative cell nuclear antigen) and to P53 (product of suppressor gene). Positive reactions for PCNA were graded from 1+ to 3+ (1+ - less than 10 percent of cells; 2+ - 10 - 50 percent; 3+ - more than 50 percent). Eight of 10 cases of choriocaricinoma (80 percent) showed moderate to strong reactivity for PCNA (2+ and 3+). All 9 cases with hydatidiform mole and 6 of 7 cases with partial mole also demonstrated 2+ and 3+ reactions for PCNA. There was minimal or no PCNA straining in the trophoblastic cells of normal placentae. Five of 10 cases with choriocarcinoma (50 percent) exhibited P53 overaccumulation as did 7 of 9 cases with hydatidiform mole (78 percent). In hydatidiform moles, P53 staining was limited to the areas of trophoblastic proliferation separate from chorionic villi. None of the partial moles or normal placentae showed P53 overaccumlation. It is concluded that the cell proliferative activity of choriocarcinomas as well as complete and partial hydatidiform moles are comparable. On the other hand, the mutation of P53 suppressor gene, as demonstrated by the overaccumulation of P53 protein, is seen only in true trophoblastic neoplasms, namely choriocarcinomas and hydatidiform moles (AU)

Cell surface phenotype and human T lymphotropic virus type 1 antigen expression in 12 T cell lines derived from peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of West Indian, Guyanese and African patients with tropical spastic paraparesis

Twelve long term cell lines were established from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or cerebrospinal fluid cells of patients with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) seropositive tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) originating from the French West Indies, French Guyana or the Central African Republic. Most of these long term interlukin-2-dependent cell lines exhibited a pattern characteristic of CD4+ -activated T cells with high expression of CD2, CD3 and CD4 antigens, associated with a strong density of TAC and DR molecules. Nevertheless, in five cases CD8 expression was present at a significant level. HTLV-I antigens were expressed in a few cells after short-term culture and after 4 months the majority of the cells were HTLV-I positive, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) using polyclonal or monoclonal anti-p19 and anti-p24 antibodies. Low and variable levels of reverse transcriptase activity were detected in supernatant fluids of these cell lines only after 4 months of culture, when at least 50 percent of the cells exhibited HTLV-I antigens by IF. However numerous type C HTLV-I-like viral particles were detected, mostly in the extracellular spaces, with rare budding particles. Similar findings were found in three T cell lines derived from West Indian and African patients with adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Differences in high M-r polypeptides were detected by Western blot in cell lysates when comparing TSP-or ATLL-derived T cell lines. Thus a signal of 62K was easily detectable in all the TSP lines, but not in the ATLL lines. In all cell lines bands corresponding to p53, p24 and p19 viral core polypeptides were present, as was the env gene-coded protein p46. (AU)

Nutritional anaemia in Jamaica

Studies on nutritional anaemia conducted over a 24-year period have been reviewed. Having been conducted over a long time and by numerous investigators, they have followed no precise scheme. If these studies are correlated, definite trends and patterns can be noted. The commonest cause of nutritional anaemia seen in Jamaica is probably iron deficiency; a deficiency of folate may also contribute to the anaemia. It affects mostly infants from 0 - 18 months of age and pregnant and lactating women. This nutritional anaemia is probably a problem of inadequate iron intake with a decreased absorption (AU)

American trypanosomiasis in British Honduras: IX. Development of Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi in Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), and a note on the occurrence of dividing trypomastigote forms in the gut of some of the naturally infected bugs

The life-cycle and morphogenesis of Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi in the insect vector Triatoma dimidiata are described. It is confirmed that the morphogenesis of British Honduras strains of T. cruzi in the insect vector proceeds on lines similar to those observed in the mammalian host and in vitro, and includes the amastigote, sphaeromastigote, epimastigote and trypomastigote stages. The presence of dividing trypomastigote forms and the unequal development of the parasites in a single daughter cell, seen in the faeces of some naturally infected Triatoma dimidiata, are also described and discussed.(Summary)

The anti-growth properties of extracts from momordica charantia L

Crude and purified extracts from M. charantia plants were tested for their anti-growth properties on a variety of biological materials. These extracts inhibited the germination of maize, cotton and broad bean seeds, as well as the formation of adventitious roots on Bryophyllum leaves. The neutralized acidic fraction also inhibited the division of sea urchin eggs and foetal development in rats, caused a slight increase of the life expectancy of mice bearing tumours of Sarcoma 180, and suppressed the growth of Her2 cells in tissue culture. Oral administration of the crude whole plant extract to a lymphatic leukaemic patient caused a marked increase in the haemoglobin content of teh blood and a noticeable decrease in the white bloob cells. When the crude extract was fractionated on resin columns and then on chromatographic paper, a yellow material was separated and analysed for its elemental constituents. Where tested, it proved to be a more potent growth inhibitor than the whole plant extract or other fractions thereof (AU)

Serum Beta-aminopropionaldehyde: identification and origin

Beta-aminopropionaldehyde is one of the serum aldehydes whose level increases on treating serum with As2O3 and methanol. In animal tissues, beta-aminopropionaldehyde can arise directly from the oxidation of spermidine or diaminopropane. A pathway linking spermidine, b-aminopropionaldehyde and malondialdehyde to the control of RNA and DNA synthesis is proposed (AU)