Bio-derived hydroxystearic acid ameliorates skin age spots and conspicuous pores.

INTRODUCTION: We report on the preparation and efficacy of 10-hydroxystearic acid (HSA) that improves facial age spots and conspicuous pores. METHODS: The hydration of oleic acid into HSA was catalyzed by the oleate hydratase from Escherichia coli. Following treatment with HSA, collagen type I and type III was assessed in primary human dermal fibroblasts together with collagen type III, p53 protein levels and sunburn cells (SBC) after UVB irradiation (1 J cm-2 ) by immunohistochemistry on human ex vivo skin. UVB-induced expression of matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP-1) was determined from full thickness skin by RT-qPCR. Modification of the fibroblast secretome by HSA was studied by mass-spectrometry-based proteomics. In a full-face, double blind, vehicle-controlled trial HSA was assessed for its effects on conspicuous facial pore size and degree of pigmentation of age spots in Caucasian women over an 8-week period. RESULTS: HSA was obtained in enantiomeric pure, high yield (≥80%). Collagen type I and type III levels were dose-dependently increased (96% and 244%; P < 0.01) in vitro and collagen type III in ex vivo skin by +57% (P < 0.01) by HSA. HSA also inhibited UVB-induced MMP-1 gene expression (83%; P < 0.01) and mitigated SBC induction (-34% vs. vehicle control) and reduced significantly UV-induced p53 up-regulation (-46% vs. vehicle control; P < 0.01) in irradiated skin. HSA modified the fibroblast secretome with significant increases in proteins associated with the WNT pathway that could reduce melanogenesis and proteins that could modify dermal fibroblast activity and keratinocyte differentiation to account for the alleviation of conspicuous pores. Docking studies in silico and EC50 determination in reporter gene assays (EC50 5.5 × 10-6  M) identified HSA as a peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonist. Clinically, HSA showed a statistically significant decrease of surface and volume of skin pores (P < 0.05) after 8 weeks of application and age spots became significantly less pigmented than the surrounding skin (contrast, P < 0.05) after 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: HSA acts as a PPARα agonist to reduce the signs of age spots and conspicuous pores by significantly modulating the expression of p53, SBC, MMP-1 and collagen together with major changes in secreted proteins that modify keratinocyte, melanocyte and fibroblast cell behavior.

INTRODUCTION: voici notre rapport sur la préparation et l'efficacité de l'acide 10-hydroxystéarique (AHS) qui atténue les taches de vieillesse faciale et améliore l'apparence des pores. MÉTHODES: l'hydratation de l'acide oléique en AHS a été catalysée par l'hydratase d'oléate à partir de l'Escherichia coli. Après un traitement par AHS, les collagènes de type I et de type III ont été analysés dans des fibroblastes dermiques humains primaires, ainsi que le taux de collagène de type III et de protéine p53, et les cellules provenant de coups de soleil (sunburn cells, SBC) après irradiation par UVB (1 J cm−2 ) par immunohistochimie sur de la peau humaine ex vivo. L'expression de la matrice métalloprotéase-1 (MMP-1) induite par les UVB a été déterminée à partir d'un échantillon de pleine épaisseur de peau par RT-qPCR. La modification du sécrétome des fibroblastes par l'AHS a été étudiée par analyse protéomique basée sur une spectrométrie de masse. Dans une étude du visage entier, en double aveugle, contrôlée par excipient, l'AHS a été évaluée pour ses effets sur la taille des pores apparents du visage et sur le degré de pigmentation de taches de vieillesse chez des femmes de race blanche sur une période de 8 semaines. RÉSULTATS: l'AHS a été obtenu à un haut rendement, énantiomérique pur (≥80 %). Les taux de collagènes de type I et de type III ont augmenté in vitro en fonction de la dose (96 % et 244 %; P < 0.01) et le collagène de type III dans de la peau ex vivo de +57 % (P < 0.01) lors d'un traitement par AHS. L'AHS a également inhibé l'expression génique MMP-1 induite par les UVB (83%; P < 0.01) et a atténuée l'induction des SBC (−34 % par rapport à l'excipient), et a réduit significativement la régulation à la hausse du p53 induite par les UV (−46% par rapport à l'excipient; P < 0.01) sur de la peau irradiée. L'AHS a modifié le sécrétome des fibroblastes avec des augmentations significatives des protéines associées à la voie WNT qui pouvaient réduire la mélanogenèse et des protéines qui pouvaient modifier l'activité des fibroblastes dermiques et la différenciation des kératinocytes pour une atténuation des pores apparents. Des études de docking in silico et la détermination de l'EC50 dans les dosages des gènes rapporteurs (EC50 5.5 × 9 10−6 M) ont identifié l'AHS comme un agoniste du récepteur-α activé par les proliférateurs de peroxysomes (peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor-α, PPARα). Cliniquement, l'AHS a permis une diminution statistiquement significative de la surface et du volume des pores de la peau (P < 0.05) après 8 semaines d'application, et les taches de vieillesse sont devenues significativement moins pigmentées par rapport à la peau environnante (contraste, P < 0,05) après 4 semaines. CONCLUSION: l'AHS agit comme un agoniste du PPARα pour réduire les signes de taches de vieillesse et l'apparence des pores par une modulation significative de l'expression de la protéine p53, des SBC, de la MMP-1 et du collagène avec des changements majeurs dans les protéines sécrétées qui modifient le comportement cellulaire des kératinocytes, des mélanocytes et des fibroblastes.

Quantifying degradation of collagen in ancient manuscripts: the case of the Dead Sea Temple Scroll.

Since their discovery in the late 1940s, the Dead Sea Scrolls, some 900 ancient Jewish texts, have never stopped attracting the attention of scholars and the broad public alike, because they were created towards the end of the Second Temple period and the "time of Christ". Most of the work on them has been dedicated to the information contained in the scrolls' text, leaving physical aspects of the writing materials unexamined. They are, however, crucial for both historical insight and preservation of the scrolls. Although scientific analysis requires handling, it is essential to establish the state of degradation of these valued documents. Polarized Raman Spectroscopy (PRS) is a powerful tool for obtaining information on both the composition and the level of disorder of molecular units. In this study, we developed a non-invasive and non-destructive methodology that allows a quantification of the disorder (that can be related to the degradation) of protein molecular units in collagen fibers. Not restricted to collagen, this method can be applied also to other protein-based fibrous materials such as ancient silk, wool or hair. We used PRS to quantify the degradation of the collagen fibers in a number of fragments of the Temple Scroll (11Q19a). We found that collagen fibers degrade heterogeneously, with the ones on the surface more degraded than those in the core.

Fungal bioleaching of mineral components in a twentieth-century illuminated parchment.

In this work, we applied scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy to study the fungi inhabiting a richly illuminated parchment document and the damage induced by their activity. To that aim, we collected samples of fungal mycelium from the deteriorated areas on a removable adhesive tape specifically intended for lifting fungi without damaging the support. SEM analysis of the adhesive tape samples showed the co-occurrence of several species of fungi. One strain closely resembling Acremonium species was observed only in the tape micrographs but no agar cultures were obtained. Its fungal structures showed the production of abundant oxalates with an outstanding leaching of the calcium-based materials of parchment (typically manufactured with gypsum and lime). Needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate produced by the fungus forming a uniform and quite regular grid around conidial slimy heads were documented. As a result, the areas affected by moulds were weakened, stained and characterised by a powdery patina rich in calcium. Confocal µ-Raman confirmed the presence of oxalates while EDS showed the presence of calcium in crystals. We conclude that the defacement of the parchment was due to both collagenolytic activity, and to the biotransformation of calcium-based minerals by fungi.

BMAL1 links the circadian clock to viral airway pathology and asthma phenotypes.

Patients with asthma experience circadian variations in their symptoms. However it remains unclear how specific aspects of this common airway disease relate to clock genes, which are critical to the generation of circadian rhythms in mammals. Here, we used a viral model of acute and chronic airway disease to examine how circadian clock disruption affects asthmatic lung phenotypes. Deletion of the core clock gene bmal1 or environmental disruption of circadian function by jet lag exacerbated acute viral bronchiolitis caused by Sendai virus (SeV) and influenza A virus in mice. Post-natal deletion of bmal1 was sufficient to trigger increased SeV susceptibility and correlated with impaired control of viral replication. Importantly, bmal1-/- mice developed much more extensive asthma-like airway changes post infection, including mucus production and increased airway resistance. In human airway samples from two asthma cohorts, we observed altered expression patterns of multiple clock genes. Our results suggest a role for bmal1 in the development of asthmatic airway disease via the regulation of lung antiviral responses to common viral triggers of asthma.

Measurement of the fluence response of the GSI neutron ball dosemeter in the energy range from thermal to 19 MeV.

At high-energy particle accelerators, area monitoring needs to be performed in a wide range of neutron energies. In principle, neutrons occur from thermal energies up to the energy of the accelerated ions, which is for the present GSI (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung) accelerator facility approximately 1-2 GeV per nucleon. There are no passive dosemeters available, which are designed for the use at high-energy accelerators. At GSI, a neutron dosemeter was developed, which is suitable for the measurement of high-energy neutron radiation by the insertion of a lead layer around Thermoluminescence (TL) detection elements (pairs of TL 600/700) at the centre of the dosemeter. The design of the sphere was derived from the construction of the extended range rem-counters for the measurement of ambient dose equivalent H(10). In this work, the dosemeter fluence response was measured in the quasi-monoenergetic neutron fields of the accelerator facility of the PTB in Braunschweig and in the thermal neutron field of the GKSS research reactor FRG-1 in Geesthacht. For the accelerator measurements, the reactions (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be, (3)H(p,n)(3)He and (2)H(d,n)(3)He were used to produce neutron fields with energy peaks between 144 keV and 19 MeV. The measured fluence responses are 27% too low for thermal energies and show an agreement with approximately 14% for the accelerator produced neutron fields related to the computed fluence responses (MCNP, FLUKA calculations). The measured as well as the computed fluence responses of the dosemeter are compared with the corresponding conversion coefficients.

Diagnostics and Therapy for Malignant (Degenerate) Colon Endometriosis - Three Case Reports.

Malignant degeneration of colon endometriosis is a very rare event. We report here on three cases. A 48-year-old woman with a 10-year history of endometriosis was treated for a rectal adenocarcinoma, a 61-year-old G1P1, who was operated at the age of 40 years for ovarian endometriosis and again at the age of 53 years for an endometriosis-associated endometroid ovarian carcinoma, presented for therapy for a lymph node recurrence of the ovarian cancer and, secondly, due to a malignantly degenerated rectum-sigmoid colon endometriosis; furthermore a 54-year old woman with a 21-year history of endometriosis was operated for malignant colon endometriosis. The tumour occurred during an adjuvant anti-oestrogen treatment with an aromatase inhibitor following surgical and radiotherapy for breast cancer. In all cases a radical cancer operation was followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and in one case with an additional radiotherapy. In the follow-up periods of 18 months, 2 and 5 years, respectively, all women remained free of recurrences. Although this is not a randomised controlled study due to the rare occurrence of such cases, a radical operation followed by individualised adjuvant therapy appears to be the treatment of choice.

Opacification and border delineation improvement in patients with suboptimal endocardial border definition in routine echocardiography: results of the Phase III Albunex Multicenter Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of intravenously administered sonicated human serum albumin for enhancing echocardiographic delineation of the left ventricular endocardium and improving assessment of wall motion in patients with incomplete depiction of noncontrast echocardiography. BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic regional wall motion analysis is impaired by incomplete endocardial definition in as many as 10% of patients. Sonicated human serum albumin is a stable contrast material that, unlike other agents, opacifies the left ventricle when administered intravenously. METHODS: One hundred seventy-five patients were enrolled at eight centers on the basis of incomplete echocardiographic endocardial depiction. Sonicated 5% human serum albumin, a stable preparation of air-filled microspheres (size range 1 to 10 microns), was administered intravenously in divided doses: 0.08 ml/kg body weight in all patients, followed by 0.14 and 0.08 ml/kg or a single dose of 0.22 ml/kg, depending on the result of the initial dose. Investigators and independent reviewers blinded to the protocol scored the echocardiograms for degree of left ventricular opacification and improvement of endocardial border depiction. RESULTS: Overall, 81% of patients had at least moderate left ventricular chamber opacification with at least one contrast dose, and endocardial definition was improved in 83%. In the subgroup with inadequate left ventricular opacification from the initial dose, a second, larger dose (0.22 ml/kg) improved endocardial depiction in 64%. No significant side effects occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with incomplete echocardiographic endocardial definition, sonicated human serum albumin is a safe, effective contrast agent that, when administered intravenously, produces left ventricular chamber opacification, improves endocardial depiction and enhances regional wall motion analysis.

Bicyclo-DNA: a Hoogsteen-selective pairing system.

BACKGROUND: The natural nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) can adopt a variety of structures besides the antiparallel double helix described by Watson and Crick, depending on base sequence and solvent conditions. Specifically base-paired DNA structures with regular backbone units include left-handed and parallel duplexes and triple and quadruple helical arrangements. Given the base-pairing pattern of the natural bases, preferences for how single strands associate are determined by the structure and flexibility of the sugar-phosphate backbone. We set out to determine the role of the backbone in complex formation by designing DNA analogs with well defined modifications in backbone structure. RESULTS: We recently developed a DNA analog (bicyclo-DNA) in which one (gamma) of the six torsion angles (alpha-zeta) describing the DNA-backbone conformation is fixed in an orientation that deviates from that observed in B-DNA duplexes by about + 100 degrees , a shift from the synclinal to the antiperiplanar range. Upon duplex formation between homopurine and homopyrimidine sequences, this analog preferentially selects the Hoogsteen and reversed Hoogsteen mode, forming A-T and G-C+ base pairs. Base-pair formation is highly selective, but degeneracy is observed with respect to strand orientation in the duplex. CONCLUSIONS: The flexibility and orientation of the DNA backbone can influence the preferences of the natural bases for base-pairing modes, and can alter the relative stability of duplexes and triplexes.

Analysis of proximal femur DXA scans in growing children: comparisons of different protocols for cross-sectional 8-month and 7-year longitudinal data.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a widely used method for measuring bone mineral in the growing skeleton. Because scan analysis in children offers a number of challenges, we compared DXA results using six analysis methods at the total proximal femur (PF) and five methods at the femoral neck (FN). In total we assessed 50 scans (25 boys, 25 girls) from two separate studies for cross-sectional differences in bone area, bone mineral content (BMC), and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and for percentage change over the short term (8 months) and long term (7 years). At the proximal femur for the short-term longitudinal analysis, there was an approximate 3.5% greater change in bone area and BMC when the global region of interest (ROI) was allowed to increase in size between years as compared with when the global ROI was held constant. Trend analysis showed a significant (p < 0.05) difference between scan analysis methods for bone area and BMC across 7 years. At the femoral neck, cross-sectional analysis using a narrower (from default) ROI, without change in location, resulted in a 12.9 and 12.6% smaller bone area and BMC, respectively (both p < 0.001). Changes in FN area and BMC over 8 months were significantly greater (2.3%, p < 0.05) using a narrower FN rather than the default ROI. Similarly, the 7-year longitudinal data revealed that differences between scan analysis methods were greatest when the narrower FN ROI was maintained across all years (p < 0.001). For aBMD there were no significant differences in group means between analysis methods at either the PF or FN. Our findings show the need to standardize the analysis of proximal femur DXA scans in growing children.

Dysregulation between TH1 and TH2 T cell subpopulations in the elderly.

We investigated the influence of zinc and its binding proteins on the immune system in 21 elderly and 20 young subjects. We detected a deficiency of zinc in the serum of the elderly. Albumin levels were within physiological range, but alpha 2-macroglobulin was significantly increased in the serum of elderly subjects. Using a whole blood assay, we found decreased production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and soluble interleukin-2 receptors (SIL-2R) in the elderly, whereas interleukin-10 (IL-10) production was greater than in the young controls. To exclude cellular defects, we measured lymphocyte subpopulations. In elderly subjects, we detected lower quantities of CD8+, CD8+/CD45RA+ and CD4+/CD45RO+ cells, but not CD4+ cells, than in young subjects. Other lymphocyte subpopulations were comparable for both groups. These findings suggest a dysregulation between TH1 cells and TH2 cells in the elderly, which may be a result of long-term zinc deficiency. Zinc reconstitution showed no beneficial effects as measured by T cell activity.

Investigations of the lymphokine system in elderly individuals.

Elderly people are at risk from an increased incidence of infections. Therefore we have studied the correlation between the production of several immunological parameters such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interferon-alpha-2 (IFN-alpha-2), interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in young controls of 25-34 years old and old individuals with a minimum age of 65 years. All persons were selected according to the basic concept of the 'Senieur protocol'. Heparinized blood was taken and cultured in the whole-blood assay. The determination of all cytokines in the supernatants of stimulated cultures was done by the ELISA technique. We found significantly decreased levels of sIL-2R and IFN-alpha-2 after stimulation, whereas the values of IFN-gamma and IL-2 showed no significant difference between elderly and young persons. The values of IL-6 showed a distinct trend towards an increased synthesis for the elderly. We also studied the lymphocyte subpopulations T4 and T8 by flow cytometry. Elderly individuals showed a significantly increased T4/T8 ratio, caused by a slightly but not significantly decreased level of T8 cells. These results show that the elderly have decreased values of some immunological parameters such as IFN-alpha-2 and sIL-2R, which might explain an increased susceptibility of elderly individuals to bacterial and viral infections.

Brain dopamine and noradrenaline levels in rats submitted to four different aversive behavioral tests.

Rats were trained to perform shuttle responses to a buzzer in four different situations: Pseudoconditioning (buzzers and footshocks presented at random), classical conditioning (buzzers and footshocks paired on every trial), avoidance without stimulus pairing (buzzer--shock intervals varied at random, shocks contingent upon the nonemission of a shuttle response to the preceding buzzer), and standard two-way avoidance (buzzers paired to shocks, but the latter omitted every time there was a shuttle to the buzzer). Animals were killed immediately after the last trials and the noradrenaline and dopamine content of their hypothalamus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, and nucleus accumbens was determined. There were falls of dopamine content in the caudate and accumbens and falls of noradrenaline levels in all structures except the caudate after the pseudoconditioning test. Noradrenaline levels were normal, and dopamine levels were partially recovered, in the animals submitted to the other training situations. Thus learning factors (stimulus pairing and/or the avoidance contingency) offset the depleting influence of footshocks per se on both catecholamines in at least the structures studied.

Extraction of Triton X-100 and its determination in virus-inactivated human plasma by the solvent--detergent method.

For inactivation of lipid-enveloped viruses during the production of fresh frozen and lyophilized human plasma, the solvent-detergent method was applied. In this process, the solvent tri-n-butyl phosphate is removed by extraction with castor oil. The removal of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 is performed by solid-phase extraction using reversed-phase supports. For this purpose, different polymer- and silica-based supports were tested. The highest capacity for Triton X-100 was achieved with C18 silica gels. These supports can bind more than 0.1 ml of Triton X-100 per ml of support. None of the proteins, e.g., clotting factors, bind to the support and therefore they pass through the column and their biological activity is hardly affected. The determination of detergent during the production process was also studied. The application of special columns allowing direct sample injection was introduced. This is a simple method for the rapid in-process determination of Triton X-100 in human plasma by reversed-phase chromatography under isocratic conditions. Using the method developed here, less than 1.0 ppm of Triton X-100 can be detected in less than 12 min without any sample pretreatment.

Effect of brain lesions on rat shuttle behavior in four different tests.

Rats were trained to perform shuttle responses to a buzzer in four different situations: pseudoconditioning or D test (buzzers and footshocks presented at random), classical conditioning or DP test (buzzers and footshocks paired on every trial), avoidance without stimulus pairing or DC test (buzzer-shock intervals varied at random, shocks contingent upon non-emission of a shuttle response to the preceding buzzer), and standard two-way avoidance or DPC test (buzzers paired to shocks, but the latter omitted every time there was shuttling to the buzzer). The letters in each test disignate the factors involved in the emission of responses in each one, which were shown in previous papers to be: a non-associative factor or "drive" (D), the Pavlovian or stimulus-stimulus relation ("pairing", P), and the shuttle-no shock or main avoidance contingency (C). The effects of various brain lesions on these behaviors were studied. Ventral caudate and amygdala lesions depress both the Pavlovian (P) and the avoidance (C) component. Dorsal caudate lesions have an opposite influence on these two factors. Septal (n.medialis + lateralis, and n.accumbens) and tuberculum olfactorium lesions enhance the non-associative component (D); accumbens lesions, in addition, impair operation of the C factor. The effect of the diverse lesions on jumping responses to the buzzer or on performance of intertrial crossings does not correlate with the effect on shuttle responses.

Early experience with mitral valve reconstruction for mitral insufficiency.

Mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation has been reported to have more favorable early and late results than mitral valve replacement. From July 1985 through July 1990, 63 patients have undergone valve repair at Good Samaritan Hospital. Twenty-two men and 41 women whose ages ranged from 34 to 81 years (mean 67.9 years) were treated. Twenty-eight patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. Twelve (19%) had undergone prior cardiac surgery. Isolated valve repair was performed in 18 patients. Valve repair was combined with coronary artery bypass grafting, other valve procedures, or aneurysm resection in the remainder (71%). Two patients (3%) died while in the hospital, and four deaths (one valve-related) occurred after discharge. Leaflet resection for ruptured chordae was done in 24 patients (38%), chordal shortening in 5 patients (8%), and leaflet transposition in 2 patients. Rigid ring annuloplasty (Carpentier) was performed in 62 patients. Eight patients required mitral valve replacement at the same operation because of unsatisfactory valve repair. Results of valve repair evaluated by echocardiography at discharge show that 48 patients (88%) are free of significant regurgitation. Follow-up to date reveals that all surviving patients who underwent valve repair have clinically improved and are stable. Four of five patients with moderate mitral regurgitation are currently asymptomatic. There have been two valve-related late failures requiring reoperation. Based on this early experience, we conclude that valve repair compared with mitral valve replacement has a low operative mortality with good early results. Continued efforts to preserve native mitral valve function in the presence of mitral regurgitation appear justified.

Analysis of wheelchair track performances.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance in wheelchair races with respect to the level of impaired functional musculature of the athletes. The data consisted of the world records and 1984 World Wheelchair Games track finalists' performances in the seven competitive classes for males and females. Peak wheelchair record speed, regardless of level of disability, of 6.43 m.s-;1 for males occurs in the 200 m event which decreases to 5.75 m.s-1 at 5000 m. Comparable female speeds are 5.60 and 4.67 m.s-1, which are similar to male-female differences in running records. Analysis of variance of wheelchair finalists' average speeds indicated a significant (P less than 0.05) difference between the sexes, distances, and classes of athletes. Females were slower than males and tetraplegics slower than paraplegics over all distances. Tetraplegics did not show any significant change in speed over distance. Significant linear and quadratic trends over distance were noted for male paraplegics due to a generally decreasing speed with duration of the race and a peak speed at 200 m, respectively. Male paraplegics had a faster speed in the marathon compared to their longest track event, reflecting the greater speeds attainable during downhill wheeling.

[Living Sézary cells in vitro: formation of autologous rosettes (author's transl)]. / Vitale Sézary-Zellen in vitro: Bildung autologer Rosetten.

Living Sézary cells are more clearly discernible in supravital preparations using a phase contrast microscope than in stained blood smears. Especially, the small variant of the Sézary cell can easily be identified by this simple technique. Lymphoblasts are unequivocally discernible from monocytes, since functional criteria of the living cells can be evaluated in supravital preparations in addition to morphological characteristics. Using this technique a remarkable phenomenon was seen in living Sézary cells: interactions between autologous erythrocytes and the atypical lymphocytes created autologous rosettes. The binding of erythrocytes with a typical lymphocytes was so stable that even with good motility of the Sézary cells the erythrocytes adhered to the surface of the lymphocytes. The ability of living Sézary cells to build rosettes with autologous erythrocytes in vitro is taken as an indication that living Sézary cells have membrane markers of thymocytes.

[The LE cell phenomenon. New aspects in molecular biology and immunocytology]. / Das LE-Zellphänomen Neue molekularbiologische und immunocytologische Aspekte.

1. The effects of antinuclear antibodies on nuclear material can be observed directly in free leucocyte nuclei in the supravital preparation according to Engel. 2. The antinuclear antibodies prevent the lysis of free nuclei, they obstruct the normal degeneration of nuclei. 3. The nuclear blockade is recognizable in the dark-clodded, rigid nuclei which remain small. These blocked nuclei are the visible expression of a development of complexes between chromatin and antinuclear antibodies. 4. It is supposed that the protective effect of antinuclear antibodies consists of the obstruction of the DNases and histon-proteases bound to chromatin. 5. The effects of antinuclear antibodies is in agreement with the structure of the nucleosomes of chromatin. 6. The nuclear blockade caused a persistence of antigenic material, which can create an increase of antibody production. This means that in vivo the antinuclear blockade is an effect which sustains illness.

Development and biochemical characterization of a double-virus-inactivated factor VIII preparation.

This paper describes the development of a double-virus-inactivated preparation. The original goal was to inactivate and/or remove parvovirus from plasma-derived factor VIII. More recently, attention has also been focused on the controversial issue of transmission of the non-lipid-coated hepatitis A virus by preparations of factor VIII which have been solvent/detergent-treated and purified by ion-exchange chromatography.