IL17A polymorphism and elevated IL17A serum levels are associated with oral lichen planus.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of IL17A G197A polymorphism and serum levels with oral lichen planus (OLP) susceptibility and clinical presentation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-three individuals diagnosed with OLP and 99 healthy controls (C) were consecutively recruited. All participants had desquamating oral mucosal cells collected and DNA isolated for IL17A (G197A) genotyping. Blood samples of 42 OLP individuals and 23 healthy controls were collected for evaluation of IL17A serum levels. RESULTS: IL17A G197A genotypes were associated with an increased chance of having OLP (GA/AA × GG, OR = 3.44, 95% CI = 1.87-6.33, p < .001). Overall A carriers (GA or AA) were more common in OLP (38.1%) than in C (20.2%; OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.53-3.87, p < .001). Serum levels of IL17A were higher among patients with OLP than in healthy controls (reticular, p = .0003; erosive, p < .001), but no difference was found among the disease types. CONCLUSIONS: IL17A G197A is associated with a higher susceptibility of developing OLP and these patients seem to present a considerable increase in IL17A serum levels. These findings suggest that Th17 cells, and IL17A in particular, may play a pivotal role in OLP pathogenesis.

FGFR2 gene amplification and clinicopathological features in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Frequency of FGFR2 amplification, its clinicopathological features, and the results of high-throughput screening assays in a large cohort of gastric clinical samples remain largely unclear. METHODS: Drug sensitivity to a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor was evaluated in vitro. The gene amplification of the FGFRs in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric cancer tissues was determined by a real-time PCR-based copy number assay and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). RESULTS: FGFR2 amplification confers hypersensitivity to FGFR inhibitor in gastric cancer cell lines. The copy number assay revealed that 4.1% (11 out of 267) of the gastric cancers harboured FGFR2 amplification. No amplification of the three other family members (FGFR1, 3 and 4) was detected. A FISH analysis was performed on 7 cases among 11 FGFR2-amplified cases and showed that 6 of these 7 cases were highly amplified, while the remaining 1 had a relatively low grade of amplification. Although the difference was not significant, patients with FGFR2 amplification tended to exhibit a shorter overall survival period. CONCLUSION: FGFR2 amplification was observed in 4.1% of gastric cancers and our established PCR-based copy number assay could be a powerful tool for detecting FGFR2 amplification using FFPE samples. Our results strongly encourage the development of FGFR-targeted therapy for gastric cancers with FGFR2 amplification.

Three-gene predictor of clinical outcome for gastric cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

To identify transcriptional profiles predictive of the clinical benefit of cisplatin and fluorouracil (CF) chemotherapy to gastric cancer patients, endoscopic biopsy samples from 96 CF-treated metastatic gastric cancer patients were prospectively collected before therapy and analyzed using high-throughput transcriptional profiling and array comparative genomic hybridization. Transcriptional profiling identified 917 genes that are correlated with poor patient survival after CF at P<0.05 (poor prognosis signature), in which protein synthesis and DNA replication/recombination/repair functional categories are enriched. A survival risk predictor was then constructed using genes, which are included in the poor prognosis signature and are contained within identified genomic amplicons. The combined expression of three genes-MYC, EGFR and FGFR2-was an independent predictor for overall survival of 27 CF-treated patients in the validation set (adjusted P=0.017), and also for survival of 40 chemotherapy-treated gastric cancer patients in a published data set (adjusted P=0.026). Thus, combined expression of MYC, EGFR and FGFR2 is predictive of poor survival in CF-treated metastatic gastric cancer patients.

Differential roles of STAT3 depending on the mechanism of STAT3 activation in gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that is activated in response to growth factors and cytokines, and which contributes to the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and motility in many human tumour types. METHODS: We investigated the mechanisms of STAT3 activation and the function of STAT3 depending on its mechanism of activation in gastric cancer cells. RESULTS: The MET-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and cell transfection with a small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for MET mRNA inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation in MET-activated cells, indicating that STAT3 activation is linked to MET signalling. Forced expression of a constitutively active form of STAT3 also attenuated MET-TKI-induced apoptosis, suggesting that inhibition of STAT3 activity contributes to MET-TKI-induced apoptosis. MKN1 and MKN7 cells, both of which are negative for MET activation, produced interleukin-6 (IL-6) that activated STAT3 through the Janus kinase pathway. Depletion of STAT3 by siRNA inhibited migration and invasion of these cells, suggesting that STAT3 activated by IL-6 contributes to regulation of cell motility. CONCLUSION: Our data thus show that activated STAT3 contributes to either cell survival or motility in gastric cancer cells, and that these actions are related to different mechanisms of STAT3 activation.

Activin A inhibits vascular endothelial cell growth and suppresses tumour angiogenesis in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Activin A is a multi-functional cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) superfamily; however, the effect of activin A on angiogenesis remains largely unclear. We found that inhibin ß A subunit (INHBA) mRNA is overexpressed in gastric cancer (GC) specimens and investigated the effect of activin A, a homodimer of INHBA, on angiogenesis in GC. METHODS: Anti-angiogenic effects of activin A via p21 induction were evaluated using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and a stable INHBA-introduced GC cell line in vivo. RESULTS: Compared with TGF-ß, activin A potently inhibited the cellular proliferation and tube formation of HUVECs with induction of p21. A promoter assay and a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that activin A directly regulates p21 transcriptional activity through Smads. Stable p21-knockdown significantly enhanced the cellular proliferation of HUVECs. Notably, stable p21-knockdown exhibited a resistance to activin-mediated growth inhibition in HUVECs, indicating that p21 induction has a key role on activin A-mediated growth inhibition in vascular endothelial cells. Finally, a stable INHBA-introduced GC cell line exhibited a decrease in tumour growth and angiogenesis in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the suppressive role of activin A, unlike TGF-ß, on tumour growth and angiogenesis in GC.

HCMV gB genotype and its association with cytokine levels in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Glycoprotein B (gB) has been implicated in determining the pathogenicity and clinical outcomes of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of gB genotypes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and the relationship between it and cytokine levels in saliva and blood samples. The impact of these parameters on patients' survival was also investigated. METHODS: Samples were obtained from 63 patients receiving an allo-HSCT. HCMV gB genotyping was carried out by multiplex nested PCR. The cytokine levels were assessed using ELISA assay. RESULTS: A single or mixed genotype infection was detected in the saliva and blood of 36/63 and 52/63 subjects, respectively. Patients with gB2 in their saliva showed lower IL-10 levels in comparison with patients without gB2. Reduced blood levels of IFN-γ and IL-1ß were also found in recipients with the HCMV gB4 genotype compared with patients without it. Decreased IL-1ß and increased IL-10 blood levels were associated with lower survival. However, HCMV gB genotypes have no impact on patient outcome. CONCLUSION: Decreased IL-1ß and increased IL-10 levels in the blood are associated with lower survival. HCMV genotypes are associated with different cytokine levels in saliva and blood.

ZNF143 interacts with p73 and is involved in cisplatin resistance through the transcriptional regulation of DNA repair genes.

Zinc-finger protein 143 (ZNF143) is a human homolog of Xenopus transcriptional activator staf that is involved in selenocystyl tRNA transcription. We previously showed that ZNF143 expression is induced by treatment with DNA-damaging agents and that it preferentially binds to cisplatin-modified DNA. In this study, the potential function of ZNF143 was investigated. ZNF143 was overexpressed in cisplatin-resistant cells. ZNF143 knockdown in prostate cancer caused increased sensitivity for cisplatin, but not for oxaliplatin, etoposide and vincristine. We also showed that ZNF143 is associated with tumor suppressor gene product p73 but not with p53. p73 could stimulate the binding of ZNF143 to both ZNF143 binding site and cisplatin-modified DNA, and modulate the function of ZNF143. We provide a direct evidence that both Rad51 and flap endonuclease-1 are target genes of ZNF143 and overexpressed in cisplatin-resistant cells. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that an interplay of ZNF143, p73 and ZNF143 target genes is involved in DNA repair gene expression and cisplatin resistance.

Clock and ATF4 transcription system regulates drug resistance in human cancer cell lines.

The mechanisms underlying cellular drug resistance have been extensively studied, but little is known about its regulation. We have previously reported that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is upregulated in cisplatin-resistant cells and plays a role in cisplatin resistance. Here, we find out a novel relationship between the circadian transcription factor Clock and drug resistance. Clock drives the periodical expression of many genes that regulate hormone release, cell division, sleep-awake cycle and tumor growth. We demonstrate that ATF4 is a direct target of Clock, and that Clock is overexpressed in cisplatin-resistant cells. Furthermore, Clock expression significantly correlates with cisplatin sensitivity, and that the downregulation of either Clock or ATF4 confers sensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin and etoposide. Notably, ATF4-overexpressing cells show multidrug resistance and marked elevation of intracellular glutathione. The microarray study reveals that genes for glutathione metabolism are generally downregulated by the knockdown of ATF4 expression. These results suggest that the Clock and ATF4 transcription system might play an important role in multidrug resistance through glutathione-dependent redox system, and also indicate that physiological potentials of Clock-controlled redox system might be important to better understand the oxidative stress-associated disorders including cancer and systemic chronotherapy.

Identification of expressed genes characterizing long-term survival in malignant glioma patients.

Better understanding of the underlying biology of malignant gliomas is critical for the development of early detection strategies and new therapeutics. This study aimed to define genes associated with survival. We investigated whether genes coupled with a class prediction model could be used to define subgroups of high-grade gliomas in a more objective manner than standard pathology. RNAs from 29 malignant gliomas were analysed using Agilent microarrays. We identified 21 genes whose expression was most strongly and consistently related to patient survival based on univariate proportional hazards models. In six out of 10 genes, changes in gene expression were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. After adjusting for clinical covariates based on a multivariate analysis, we finally obtained a statistical significance level for DDR1 (discoidin domain receptor family, member 1), DYRK3 (dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 3) and KSP37 (Ksp37 protein). In independent samples, it was confirmed that DDR1 protein expression was also correlated to the prognosis of glioma patients detected by immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, we analysed the efficacy of the short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated inhibition of DDR1 mRNA synthesis in glioma cell lines. Cell proliferation and invasion were significantly suppressed by siRNA against DDR1. Thus, DDR1 can be a novel molecular target of therapy as well as an important predictive marker for survival in patients with glioma. Our method was effective at classifying high-grade gliomas objectively, and provided a more accurate predictor of prognosis than histological grading.

[Micropapillary component in lung adenocarcinoma generated in emphysema].

We report a case of 72-year-old male of adenocarcinoma with micropapillary component of the lung. Though the hilar lymph node metastasis was eminent, primary site was difficult to identify by using computed tomography (CT). SUV max with positron emission (PET)-CT in the case suggested the lung cancer in the emphysematous lung and it became an operation. The pathology diagnosis of the excision lungs was T4 (pml) N1 (#10, 12u) M0 stage IIIB. It was generated in emphysema, and it seemed that an adenocarcinoma with micropapillary component that did typical progress.

Differential expression of melanoma associated antigens in acral lentiginous melanoma and in nodular melanoma lesions.

The reactivity in an avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase reaction with a large panel of anti-human melanoma associated antigen (MAA) and anti-HLA monoclonal antibodies of 24 primary and 11 metastatic acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) lesions was compared to that of 12 primary and 12 metastatic nodular melanoma (NM) lesions. The expression of the membrane bound vitronectin receptor, Mr 110,000 MAA, Mr 97,000 MAA, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was significantly lower in both primary and metastatic ALM lesions than in their NM counterparts. Furthermore, primary ALM lesions displayed a significantly lower expression than primary NM lesions of the membrane bound high molecular weight melanoma associated antigen (HMW-MAA), Mr 110,000 MAA, Mr 100,000 MAA, 9-O-acetyl-GD3, GD2-GD3, and GD2, of the cytoplasmic monoclonal antibody 465.12 defined MAA and of transferrin receptor and of HLA-DQ and DP antigens; ALM metastases expressed a significantly lower level of carcinoembryonic antigen-MAA than NM metastases. These antigenic differences do not reflect an antigenic paucity of ALM cells, since ALM lesions express a higher level of T4-tyrosinase than NM lesions and a level of HLA Class I antigens similar to that of NM lesions. In view of the use of HMW-MAA, Mr 97,000 MAA, and GD3 in immunoscintigraphy and/or in immunotherapy, it is noteworthy that the three antigens are expressed in a similar high percentage of ALM metastases and of primary and metastatic NM lesions, while the HMW-MAA is expressed in a markedly lower percentage of primary ALM lesions than Mr 97,000 MAA and GD3. However, the degree of heterogeneity of HMW-MAA within a positive primary ALM lesion, as measured by the percentage of stained melanoma cells, is lower than that of Mr 97,000 MAA and GD3. The expression of the antigens investigated in ALM and NM lesions was not correlated with the presence of lymphocyte infiltrates, melanin content of melanoma cells, and epithelioid and spindle type of melanoma cells in the lesions. On the other hand, the survival of patients with ALM was inversely correlated with the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 or HMW-MAA in their primary lesions. A potential role of HMW-MAA in the course of the disease is suggested by its significantly higher expression in metastatic than in primary ALM lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Triggering of the vascular permeability reaction by activation of the Hageman factor-prekallikrein system by house dust mite proteinase.

A 30-kilodalton (kDa) proteinase from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae (Df-proteinase) was recently purified (Takahashi et al. (1990) Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol. 91, 80-85). In this paper we detailed the biological activities of the Df-proteinase. The activation of the kinin cascade by Df-proteinase was examined in vitro by using purified guinea pig Hageman factor (HF), prekallikrein (PK) and high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK) and the effect of this proteinase on endogenous human plasma proteinase inhibitors (serpins) and alpha 2-macroglobulin was tested. In addition, enhancement of the vascular permeability reaction in guinea pig skin by Df-proteinase was examined in vivo. These experiments showed that Df-proteinase could activate all the steps of the kinin-generating cascade, i.e., HF, PK and HMWK, and that Df-proteinase retained proteolytic activity even in the presence of an excess amount of endogenous proteinase inhibitors in plasma. We also found that the marked enhancement of the vascular permeability reaction was induced by Df-proteinase via the activation of the kinin-generating cascade without the release of histamine. From these results, we conclude that the proteinase of the house dust mite, Df-proteinase, has the potential to generate bradykinin and that the presence of this proteinase in biological systems would exacerbate inflammatory reactions in some pathological conditions.

The biological effects of high-pressure gas on the yeast transcriptome.

The aim of the present study was to examine the feasibility of DNA microarray technology in an attempt to construct an evaluation system for determining gas toxicity using high-pressure conditions, as it is well known that pressure increases the concentration of a gas. As a first step, we used yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as the indicator organism and analyzed the mRNA expression profiles after exposure of yeast cells to nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas was selected as a negative control since this gas has low toxicity. Yeast DNA microarray analysis revealed induction of genes whose products were localized to the membranes, and of genes that are involved in or contribute to energy production. Furthermore, we found that nitrogen gas significantly affected the transport system in the cells. Interestingly, nitrogen gas also resulted in induction of cold-shock responsive genes. These results suggest the possibility of applying yeast DNA microarray to gas bioassays up to 40 MPa. We therefore think that "bioassays" are ideal for use in environmental control and protection studies.

The association of family social support, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy with specific hypertension self-care behaviours in Chinese local community.

This study aimed to test the role of family social support, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy on specific self-care behaviours. In a local community health center, 318 patients with hypertension completed a questionnaire assessing self-care, family social support, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy in 2012. Each self-care behaviour was separately analyzed with logistic regression models. The mean score of perceived family social support for hypertension treatment was 20.91 (maximum=60). Adult children were identified as the primary support source. Approximately 22.3% and 15.4% of participants reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. Participants had moderately positive levels of confidence performing self-care (42.1±13.3 out of 60). After adjusting for demographic and health variables, a 10-unit increase in family social support increased the odds ratio (OR) of taking medication by 1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.87) and increased the OR for measuring blood pressure (BP) regularly by 1.33 (95% CI 1.02-1.74). Depression and anxiety were not associated with any self-care behaviours. A10-unit increase in self-efficacy increased the adjusted OR for performing physical exercise to 1.25 (95% CI 1.04-1.49). In conclusion, family social support was positively associated with medication adherence and regular BP measurement. Strategies to improve family social support should be developed for hypertension control, yet further prospective studies are needed to understand the effects of family social support, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy on self-care behaviours.

The OCT4 pseudogene POU5F1B is amplified and promotes an aggressive phenotype in gastric cancer.

POU5F1B (POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1B), a processed pseudogene that is highly homologous to OCT4, was recently shown to be transcribed in cancer cells, but its clinical relevance and biological function have remained unclear. We now show that POU5F1B, which is located adjacent to MYC on human chromosome 8q24, is frequently amplified in gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. POU5F1B, but not OCT4, was also found to be expressed at a high level in GC cell lines and clinical specimens. In addition, the DNA copy number and mRNA abundance for POU5F1B showed a positive correlation in both cancer cell lines and GC specimens. Overexpression of POU5F1B in GC cells promoted colony formation in vitro as well as both tumorigenicity and tumor growth in vivo, and these effects were enhanced in the additional presence of MYC overexpression. Furthermore, knockdown of POU5F1B expression with a short hairpin RNA confirmed a role for the endogenous pseudogene in the promotion of cancer cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. POU5F1B overexpression induced upregulation of various growth factors in GC cells as well as exhibited mitogenic, angiogenic and antiapoptotic effects in GC xenografts. Finally, amplification of POU5F1B was detected in 17 (12%) of 145 cases of GC and was a significant predictor of poor prognosis in patients with stage IV disease. In conclusion, we found that the POU5F1B pseudogene is amplified and expressed at a high level in, as well as confers an aggressive phenotype on, GC, and that POU5F1B amplification is associated with a poor prognosis in GC patients.

An immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopic study of the ontogeny of rat Langerhans cell lineage with anti-macrophage and anti-Ia monoclonal antibodies.

An immunohistochemical study with anti-macrophage and anti-Ia monoclonal antibodies was performed to clarify the relationship between Langerhans cells (LC) and indeterminate cells (IC) in rat epidermis both in adulthood and in the fetal stage. On immunoelectron microscopy, a mouse anti-rat macrophage monoclonal antibody, TRPM-1, recently produced by us, reacted with IC and some LC in adult rat skin. Ontogenic study revealed that TRPM-1-positive cells first appeared in the epidermis of fetal rat heads on Day 17 of gestation and then spread caudally along the anterior-posterior axis. On Day 20 of gestation, when the distribution of the TRPM-1-positive cells over body surface became even, Ia-positive cells appeared in the epidermis and began to increase in number. Ia-positive cells with Birbeck granules were found on Day 21 of gestation. These results indicate that. TRPM-1-positive IC matured into Ia-expressing LC after being exposed to microenvironmental change during the perinatal period. The number of Ia-positive cells exceeded that of TRPM-1-positive cells at around 5 d after birth. Afterwards, there were more dendritic Ia-positive cells found in the interfollicular areas than TRPM-1-positive ones. However, local concentrations of the TRPM-1-positive IC in the follicular infundibula were frequently found in the fetal stage and occasionally in adulthood. These TRPM-1-positive cells in the follicular infundibula were thought to be a precursor pool in the epidermis for LC.

Proliferating giant pigmented nevus: a report of an unusual tumor occurring in association with a congenital giant pigmented nevus.

A 32-year-old Japanese woman with a giant pigmented congenital nevus of the torso presented with a massive pigmented tumor mass of the vulva which grew over an 8-year period. Histologically, the tumor was composed of benign appearing nevus-like cells with focal areas of extensive fibrous response. The tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein and with an antihuman melanoma antibody (MoAb 225, 28S) stain. Electron microscopy confirmed the nevomelanocytic nature of the tumor cells and demonstrated peculiar cytoplasmic crystalline tubular structures similar to those seen in cells infected with herpes virus type II. We propose the term "proliferating giant pigmented nevus" for this previous undescribed tumor.

Immunohistochemical analysis of antimelanoma monoclonal antibodies, with special reference to fetal tissue distribution.

An immunohistochemical study using 2 antihuman melanoma monoclonal antibodies designated as MoAb 225.28S and MoAb 653.40S was carried out on various human skin tumors, including malignant melanoma as well as on normal and fetal tissues by indirect immunofluorescence technique. Specific immunofluorescence was observed not only in malignant melanoma cells but also in cells of pigmented nevi, basal cell epithelioma, normal hair follicles, and some fetal tissues. Both monoclonal antibodies were revealed to be able to recognize the common antigenic determinant shared by several skin tumors, including malignant melanoma, and fetal tissues. Therefore, both monoclonal antibodies might recognize premature antigen of both melanocytic and keratinocytic cell lineage.

Thyrocyte proliferation by cellular adhesion to infiltrating lymphocytes through the intercellular adhesion molecule-1/lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 pathway in Graves' disease.

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroid disease characterized by infiltration of lymphocytes into the thyroid, and intrathyroid lymphocytes are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of GD. However, it remains to be understood how lymphocytes adhere to thyrocytes and regulate the thyrocyte function through cellular adhesion. We studied the mechanisms of T cell adhesion to thyrocytes using intrathyroid mononuclear cells (ITMC) and thyrocytes purified from the thyroids of patients with GD. The following novel features of cellular adhesion of ITMC to thyrocytes in the regulation of the thyrocyte function in GD were observed: 1) GD-ITMC expressed lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1, which became an active adhesive configuration much higher than peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal volunteers and GD patients; 2) GD-thyrocytes expressed a high quantity of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1; 3) GD-ITMC adhered to GD-thyrocytes, whereas normal PBMC required activation stimuli by phorbol myriacetate, a pharmacological integrin-trigger, to adhere to GD- thyrocytes; 4) monoclonal antibody-blocking studies showed that the adhesion of the activated PBMC and ITMC to thyrocytes was mainly mediated by the LFA-1/ICAM-1 pathway; 5) the adhesion of GD-thyrocytes to the activated-PBMC or ITMC induced the proliferation of the thyrocytes, which was blocked by the addition of ICAM-1 and/or LFA-1 monoclonal antibodies; and 6) in GD thyrocytes of early cultures, ICAM-1 expression on GD-thyrocytes and its adhesion to LFA-1 on phorbol myriacetate-activated PBMC or ITMC were not modulated by the addition of interleukin-1beta or interferon-gamma, and proliferation of thyrocytes by the cellular adhesion via the ICAM-1/LFA-1 pathway was independent of the proliferative response of these cytokines. Taken together, these results suggest that lymphocytes infiltrating GD thyroid induce proliferation of GD-thyrocyte by the cellular adhesion to thyrocytes via ICAM-1/LFA-1, which may lead to the development of a goiter.

Nerve growth factor receptor immunoreactivity on the tunica adventitia of intramuscular blood vessels in childhood muscular dystrophies.

Muscle tissues from cases of childhood neuromuscular disorders were examined immunohistochemically and immunoelectrophoretically using a monoclonal antibody against the human nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR). Strong NGFR immunoreactivity on the tunica adventitia of blood vessels and proliferating peripheral nerve endings in biopsied muscle specimens from muscular dystrophy patients was observed, but it was almost completely absent in specimens from non-diagnostic controls and cases of other neuromuscular disorders. This suggests a process in the sympathetic nervous system involving blood vessels in muscular dystrophies. Immunoblot analysis failed to show a band corresponding to 70-75 kd, the reported molecular size of the NGFR, but showed a clear band corresponding to 25 kd in muscular dystrophy patients, which is assumed to be a detached amino-terminal domain of the NGFR.