Ames hypopituitary dwarf mice demonstrate imbalanced myelopoiesis between bone marrow and spleen.

Ames hypopituitary dwarf mice are deficient in growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and prolactin. The phenotype of these mice demonstrates irregularities in the immune system with skewing of the normal cytokine milieu towards a more anti-inflammatory environment. However, the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell composition of the bone marrow (BM) and spleen in Ames dwarf mice has not been well characterized. We found that there was a significant decrease in overall cell count when comparing the BM and spleen of 4-5 month old dwarf mice to their littermate controls. Upon adjusting counts to differences in body weight between the dwarf and control mice, the number of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, confirmed by immunophenotyping and colony-formation assay was increased in the BM. In contrast, the numbers of all myeloid progenitor populations in the spleen were greatly reduced, as confirmed by colony-formation assays. This suggests that there is a shift of myelopoiesis from the spleen to the BM of Ames dwarf mice; however, this shift does not appear to involve erythropoiesis. The reasons for this unusual shift in spleen to marrow hematopoiesis in Ames dwarf mice are yet to be determined but may relate to the decreased hormone levels in these mice.

Impaired culture generated cytotoxicity with preservation of spontaneous natural killer-cell activity in cartilage-hair hypoplasia.

Recent studies of cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH), a form of short-limbed dwarfism, have shown that all affected individuals have a cellular proliferation defect that results in a cellular immunodeficiency. However, only a minority of CHH individuals suffer from severe, life-threatening infections. For this reason, relevant immune defense mechanisms that may be responsible for maintaining intact host defenses in the majority of CHH individuals were studied. Spontaneous and allogeneic culture-induced (mixed lymphocyte response-MLR) specific and nonspecific (NK-like) cytotoxic mechanisms were analyzed and correlated with lymphocyte subpopulations present in CHH and normal individuals. Spontaneous natural-killer (NK) activity was present at or above normal levels, but culture-induced specific cytotoxicity and NK-like cytotoxicity as well as NK-like activity by T cell lines were significantly reduced in CHH individuals. The generation of radiation-resistant cytotoxicity, which normally occurs during allogeneic MLR, was markedly diminished in CHH, and was correlated with the decreased proliferation observed in CHH cultures. Preservation of spontaneous NK activity and loss of all forms of culture-induced cytotoxicity was associated with an increase in the proportion of lymphocytes bearing a thymic independent NK phenotype (OKM1+ OKT3- Fc gamma + low-affinity E+), and a significant decrease in thymic derived OKT3+ cytolytic T cell sub-populations in CHH individuals. Therefore, an intact cellular cytotoxic effector mechanism has been identified in CHH (i.e., NK activity). Natural cytotoxicity may be of importance in maintaining host resistance to viral infections despite diminished thymic-derived effector mechanisms in cartilage-hair hypoplasia.

Abnormal immune responses of Bloom's syndrome lymphocytes in vitro.

Bloom's syndrome is a rare autosmal recessive disorder, first characterized by growth retardation and asum-sensitive facial telangiectasia and more recently demonstarted to have increased chromosome instability, a predisposition to malignancy, and increased susecptibitily to infection. The present report ocncern the immune function of Bloom's syndrom lymphoctes in vitro. Four affected homozgotes and five heterozygotes were studied. An abnormal serum concentartion of at least one class of immunoglobin was present in three out of four homozgotes. Affected homozgotes were shown capable of both a humoral and cellular response after antigenic challenge, the responses in general being weak but detectable. Blood lymphocytes from Bloom's syndrome individuals were cultured in impaired proliferavite response and synthesized less immunoglobulin at the end of 5 days than did normal controls. In contrast, they had a normal proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin except at highest concentrations of the mitogen. In the mixed lymphocte culture, Bloom's syndrome lymphocytes proved to be poor responder cells but normal stimulator cells. Lmyphoctes from the heterozgotes produced normal responses in these three systems. Distrubed immunity appears to be on of several major consequences of homozygosity for the Bloom's syndrome gene. Although the explanation for this pleiotropism is at present obscure, the idea was advanced that the aberrant immune function is, along with the major clincial feature-small body size, amanifestation of defect in cellular proliferation.

[Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia. A pediatric disease reaches adulthood]. / Schimke-immunoossäre Dysplasie. Eine pädiatrische Erkrankung wird erwachsen.

BACKGROUND: Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD) is a rare autosomal recessive multisystemic disorder caused by mutations of the SMARCAL 1 gene (SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a-like 1). CLINICAL FEATURES: Main clinical features are: disproportional growth deficiency due to spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, nephrotic syndrome with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, and defective cellular immunity. Patients with severe SIOD have life-limiting complications like cerebral ischemia due to vaso-occlusive processes. Only a few patients reached adulthood. CASE REPORTS: The clinical course of four adult SIOD patients is presented. CONCLUSION: Even patients with severe SIOD can reach adulthood. Therefore, doctors working in the field of internal medicine and family doctors should be familiar with the clinical picture of SIOD.

Immune function, mutant frequency, and cancer risk in the DNA repair defective genodermatoses xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne's syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy.

There is evidence for defective DNA repair in xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne's syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy, but for increased cancer risk only in xeroderma pigmentosum. Natural and adaptive immune surveillance and mutant frequency to 6-thioguanine resistance in circulating T-lymphocytes were studied in five patients with xeroderma pigmentosum, two with Cockayne's syndrome, and one with trichothiodystrophy. Forty-eight-hour cutaneous hypersensitivity responses to recall antigens excluded anergy and circulating CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+ cell numbers were within normal limits in all patients tested, as were proliferative lymphocyte responses to PHA, except in the trichothiodystrophy patient. Proliferative responses to recall antigens (PPD, SKSD, and Candida) showed that all patients responded to one or more antigens. Direct natural killer cytotoxicity measured against the human erythromyeloid leukaemia cell line K562 using a 4-h 51Cr release assay was significantly reduced in xeroderma pigmentosum (specific cytotoxicity less than mean +/- SD greater than 17.4 +/- 9.4 per cent, with effector:target cell ratio of 50:1) compared to normal controls (45.8 +/- 17.8), but normal in Cockayne's syndrome and trichothiodystrophy. Generation of lymphokine activated killer cell activity was normal in the two xeroderma pigmentosum lines tested. The mutant frequency in the xeroderma pigmentosum donors was significantly increased (p less than 0.01) and was elevated in the two Cockayne's syndrome donors, taking age into account. No mutants were observed from the single trichothiodystrophy donor. These findings suggest that reduced natural killer cell activity may contribute to the greatly increased susceptibility to skin cancer in xeroderma pigmentosum.

Growth hormone-deficient dwarf animals are resistant to dimethylbenzanthracine (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis.

Increased plasma IGF-1 has consistently been associated with a variety of human cancers, whereas reduced levels of IGF-1 are associated with increased lifespan in other species. However, the aforementioned relationships are correlational or are derived from animal models that are not specific for growth hormone/IGF-1 excess or deficiency. This study was designed to assess the effects of physiological changes in growth hormone and IGF-1 expression on dimethylbenzanthracine (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis. At 50 days of age, female heterozygous (dw/+) and growth hormone deficient dwarf (dw/dw) rats of the Lewis strain received a single dose of DMBA (80 micro g/g of body weight) via oral gavage. Animals were assigned to one of four experimental groups: a) heterozygous animals (normal size), b) dwarf animals administered vehicle, c) dwarf animals administered low levels of porcine growth hormone (50 micro g twice daily), and d) dwarf animals administered high levels of porcine growth hormone (200 micro g twice daily). At study termination, heterozygous animals exhibited a 70% incidence of mammary tumors, whereas no tumors were observed in saline-treated dwarf animals. Administration of either 100 micro g or 400 micro g growth hormone/day resulted in a dose dependent increase in incidence of mammary tumors (83 and 100%, respectively). Furthermore, heterozygous animals exhibited 1.5 +/- 0.25 tumors per tumor-bearing animal, whereas dwarf animals administered 100 micro g and 400 micro g growth hormone per day had 1.9 +/- 0.63 and 3.4 +/- 0.83 tumors per animal, respectively. The present study demonstrates that DMBA-induced carcinogenesis is dependent on critical plasma levels of growth hormone and IGF-1, and that growth hormone/IGF-1 deficient animals are resistant to DMBA-induced carcinogenesis.

Graft-versus-host response in sex-linked dwarf, autosomal dwarf and control K strain chickens.

Two independent experiments were conducted to examine the ability of 1) the autosomal-dwarf (ADW) strain and 2) the sex-linked (SLD) strain chicken to make a Graft-versus-Host (GvH) response. In each experiment the GvH response of the dwarf strain was compared to the GvH response of a normal growing control strain, the Cornell K strain chicken. All 3 strains were homozygous B15/B15 at the major histocompatibility complex. GvH responsiveness of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from females of each strain was assessed at various intervals from 1.5 to 20 months of age using the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The GvH response in female chickens from the ADW strain was significantly higher than in K strain females after the birds had reached sexual maturity (after 5.5 months). The GvH response in females from the SLD strain was, however, significantly lower than in the K strain females throughout the experiment. All strains tended to have a biphasic GvH response. There was a significant increase in GvH responsiveness from 1.5 to 5.5 months of age in chicks from all strains. In the SLD and K strain chickens, this was followed by a drop in the GvH response until 8.5 months of age. In 16- to 20-month-old SLD and K strain hens, the ability to mount a GvH response returned to levels observed in younger (5.5 months) pullets. The GvH responsiveness of the ADW strain remained at a constant level from 5.5 to 12 months of age. However, a second peak in GvH responsiveness was observed in 16-month-old ADW strain hens. Strain differences in GvH responsiveness may be due to the known hormonal abnormalities in the dwarf strains. The suitability of these dwarf strains for the study of endocrine-immune interrelationships is discussed.

T and B cell development in pituitary deficient insulin-like growth factor-II transgenic dwarf mice.

Treatment of mice with IGF-I stimulates T and B cell development. We showed that overexpression of IGF-II in transgenic FVB/N mice only stimulated T cell development. In the present study, we further addressed the in vivo effects of IGF-II in the absence of IGF-I to get more insight into the potential abilities of IGF-II to influence T and B cell development. To this end, we studied lymphocyte development in IGF-II transgenic Snell dwarf mice that are prolactin, GH and thyroid-stimulating hormone deficient and as a consequence show low serum IGF-I levels. We showed that T cell development was stimulated to the same extent as in IGF-II transgenic FVB/N mice. Furthermore, IGF-II increased the number of nucleated bone marrow cells and the number of immature B cells without having an effect on the number of mature B cells in spleen and bone marrow. Our data show that IGF-II has preferential effects on T cell development compared with B development, and that these preferential effects also occur in the absence of measurable IGF-I levels.

Associations of the skeletal and immune systems.

Certain disorders of the immune system seem to be associated with skeletal defects. The association was first recorded by McKusick et al. (Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital 116:285-326, 1964). A number of relationships between lymphocytes and osteocytes can be proposed. These include a common environment for development, common metabolic needs and effects upon osteocytes by products (cytokines) elaborated from lymphocytes or monocytes during immune responses. Thus, bony defects of varying degrees of severity are seen in short-limb dwarfs, cartilage-hair hypoplasia, and adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. Cytokine activation of osteoclasts accounts for the lytic lesions seen in malignancies and the excessive bone resorption which accompanies autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Correction of primary immune deficiency is accomplished by bone marrow transplantation. If the bony abnormality is subtle (as in some cases of ADA deficiency) the skeletal problem is resolved; if the bone defect is major as in short-limb dwarfism, no improvement is seen.

Cartilage hair hypoplasia, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type McKusick: description of seven patients and review of the literature.

We describe 7 cases of cartilage hair hypoplasia (CHH) with emphasis on the clinical and immunological aspects. The literature on CHH is reviewed and symptoms in 63 non-Amish cases are summarized. In this autosomal recessive disorder the immunodeficiency, hair abnormalities, and severity of skeletal involvement show extremely variable expressivity, between and within families. Two of the 3 sib-pairs among our cases demonstrate the great difference in expression within one family. At adult age roentgenological abnormalities can be very mild, or even absent. An impairment in cell-mediated immunity is present in all of our cases and seems a consistent manifestation in CHH; however, sometimes it is very subtle and without clinical symptoms.

Radiographic and morphologic findings in a previously undescribed type of mesomelic dysplasia resembling atelosteogenesis type II.

The mesomelic chondrodysplasias are a heterogeneous group of dwarfing disorders characterized by shortness of the middle segments of limbs. We report on a 25-week fetus with disproportionate shortness of limbs with an apparently distinct form of mesomelic dysplasia. Radiographic findings at necropsy included ulnar deviation of hands, talipes equinovarus, distal tapering of the humeri, and hypoplastic fibulae, radii, and ulnae. Chondro-osseous morphology showed mild shortness of the physeal columns, overgrowth of perichondral bone, peripheral ingrowth of mesenchymal cells into the physis, and numerous areas of fibrillar degeneration with rings of collagen surrounding the chondrocytes. Ultrastructural findings included a degenerated territorial matrix, pericellular halos of collagen, and dilated loops of rough endoplasmic reticulum in chondrocytes. The radiographic appearance of the long bones is distinct from that of previously described mesomelic dysplasias. The chondro-osseous morphologic findings and the distal tapering of the humerus are somewhat reminiscent of atelosteogenesis type II, but the pattern of matrix degeneration and the presence of inclusion bodies in the chondrocytes distinguish it from disorders of sulfate transport.

Encapsulation for somatic gene therapy.

With the human genome project approaching its completion date of 2005, gene-based technology will play an increasingly important role in health-care delivery. Non-autologous somatic gene therapy is a novel application in which non-autologous cell lines engineered to secrete a recombinant protein are enclosed within immunoisolation devices and implanted into all patients requiring the same product for therapy. The development of this technology requires a multi-disciplinary effort towards optimization of the biomaterial used to manufacture the implantable devices and selection of the appropriate cell lines for enclosure. The efficacy of this technology is illustrated in the treatment of dwarfism and lysosomal storage disease in murine models. The potential of a safe and cost-effective gene-based delivery method should have wide applications in treating both classical genetic disorders and non-Mendelian diseases.

Abnormal elastic tissue in cartilage-hair hypoplasia.

A 29-year-old white woman had short limbs, hyperextendable joints, fine skin and body hair, anergy to common skin test antigens, subnormal lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin, and increased numbers of natural killer cells, characteristic of cartilage-hair hypoplasia, an autosomal, recessively inherited disorder found in America mainly among the old-order Amish. Her forearm skin was hyperextendable and numerous verrucae were present on the digits of her hands. A skin biopsy from hyperextendable skin showed ovoid, 10- to 20-micron bodies in the papillary dermis. Ultrastructurally, the bodies were interpreted as abnormal elastic fibers.

Receptor dysfunction and hormone resistance in human diseases--a review.

Studies of the hormone-receptor interaction have introduced a new chapter in endocrine and metabolic disorders. Receptor (R) dysfunction in human diseases, due either to an alteration in the number or affinity of the R, or to antibodies against the R, is reviewed and classified in the first part of this paper. Disorders where hormone resistance has been implicated, but where R studies are still unavailable are also presented.

The humoral activity of the avian thymic microenvironment.

The thymic microenvironment (composed of the lymphoepithelial stroma and the secretory products of the thymic epithelium) provides the required milieu for the development of the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells). There is limited information characterizing or identifying the active secretory components of the avian thymus. The work discussed here has focused on examination of the presence, regulation, and activity of one of the thymic hormones (thymulin) in the chicken. A thymulin-like product has been shown to exist in chicken serum as assessed by the mammalian bioassay and an ELISA immunoassay; thymectomy removes this product from the serum. Serum thymulin activity has been shown to be directly related to the thyroid status of the chick with the functionally hypothyroid Cornell sex-linked dwarf strain having lower levels than the euthyroid K strain. Alterations in circulating thymulin concentrations produced by daily thymulin injections resulted in an altered profile of the major peripheral blood T cell subpopulations and produced significant changes in the autoimmune pathology present within the Obese strain chicken. These approaches represent preliminary attempts to study the role of thymulin in avian immune development and in immune-neuroendocrine interactions.

[Immunologic analysis of the pathology developing in mice as a results of intrauterine infection with the influenza virus]. / Immunologicheskii analiz patologii, razvivaiushcheisia u myshei v rezul'tate vnutriutrobongo zarazheniia virusom grippa.

The progency of C57BL/6 mice consisting of three groups: with signs of slow influenza infection ("dwarf"), "nude-like" resembling nude mice, and "nude-like" with spontaneous fur growth, was examined. The slow influenza infection in "dwarf" mice was found to be characterized by marked immunosuppression manifested by a sharp reduction of the number of antibody- and rosette-forming cells and blasttransformation of spleen lymphocytes into T- and B-mitogens. The most marked immuno-suppression was found in the "dwarfs" born to the females infected with the virus enriched with standard virions. "Nude-like" animals also had marked immunosuppression (particularly with regard to the rosette-formation), however, the "dwarfs" appeared to have more marked affection of B-cells as compared with "nude-like" mice. Gradual restoration of fur in a portion of "nude-like" animals (spontaneous growth) was due to sharp stimulation of immune responsiveness in them as manifested by a two-fold (as compared with the controls) increase in the number of antibody- and rosette-forming cells and normalization of spleen cell response to T- and B-mitogens. Differences between nude and "nude-like" mice consisting in the latter in the affection of not only T- but also B-link of immunity are discussed.

An association of hypochondroplasia and immune deficiency.

A 4-year-old boy with hypochondroplasia was admitted to our clinic with complaints of bronchopneumonia. He also had immune deficiency characterized by low CD3, CD4 T-lymphocyte subsets and a low level of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA). The diagnosis of hypochondroplasia was made on clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings by the pediatric endocrinology department. The focus of our study is hypochondroplasia associated with immune deficiency which was unpublished in English medical literature previously.