A systemic lupus erythematosus patient with thunderclap headache: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

Headaches are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is important to identify the exact cause of headaches in SLE to avoid unnecessary steroid or immunosuppressive therapy like in neuropsychiatric SLE. A 35-year-old woman with SLE suddenly developed severe headache. Magnetic resonance angiography showed multifocal segmental narrowing of cerebral arteries, suggestive of central nervous system vasculitis. However, lack of abnormal enhancement in vessel wall imaging indicated reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) rather than central nervous system vasculitis. The patient was treated with oral nimodipine and she recovered over a period of two months. Following magnetic resonance angiography on day 90 was normal. Herein we report a case of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome in an SLE patient with literature review.

The measurement of bone mineral density of bilateral proximal humeri using DXA in patients with unilateral rotator cuff tear.

UNLABELLED: We propose that the measurement of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal humerus be standardized using the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in patients supposed to undergo rotator cuff repair surgery as well as those with the fracture of the proximal humerus as the BMD of the proximal humerus is decreased in these patients. INTRODUCTION: We propose that the measurement of the BMD of the proximal humerus be standardized using the DXA in patients who are supposed to undergo rotator cuff repair surgery as well as those with the fracture of the proximal humerus. METHODS: We conducted the prospective study in 213 patients with unilateral rotator cuff tear but without contralateral shoulder pain or disease. In these patients, we preoperatively measured the BMD of the bilateral proximal humeri with a repeat measurement in 20 patients. We predefined three regions of interest (ROIs) in the proximal humerus with the consideration of the rotator cuff repair surgery as well as proximal humeral fractures. RESULTS: The measurement of the BMD of the proximal humerus using the DXA showed excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient > .90). BMD values of all three ROIs in the affected shoulder were significantly lower than those in asymptomatic shoulder (all p < 0.05). In female patients, the BMD values of ROIs in bilateral shoulder were significantly lower than those in male patients (all p < 0.001). In multiple regressions, however, there were no significant correlations between other clinical characteristics, except for the gender, and the BMD of GT in the affected shoulder. CONCLUSIONS: It is imperative that the bone quality of the proximal humerus be accurately evaluated prior to surgery in patients who are supposed to undergo rotator cuff repair using suture anchors as well as in those with proximal humeral fractures. This is because the BMD of the proximal humerus is decreased in these patients.

High Estimated 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion Is Related to Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVES: High salt intake results in various harmful effects on human health including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and reduced bone density. Despite this, there are very few studies in the literature that have investigated the association between sodium intake and osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, we aimed to explore these associations in a Korean population. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data from adult subjects aged 50-75 years from two consecutive periods of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V-VII (2010-2011 and 2014-2016). The estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (24HUNa) was used as a surrogate marker of salt intake. In the 2010-2011 dataset, knee OA (KOA) was defined as the presence of the radiographic features of OA and knee pain. The association between KOA and salt intake was analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods. For the sensitivity analysis, the same procedures were conducted on subjects with self-reported OA (SR-OA) with knee pain in the 2010-2011 dataset and any site SR-OA in the 2014-2016 dataset. RESULTS: Subjects with KOA had significantly lower energy intake, but higher 24HUNa than those without KOA. The restricted cubic spline plots demonstrated a J-shaped distribution between 24HUNa and prevalent KOA. When 24HUNa was stratified into five groups (<2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and ≥5 g/day), subjects with high sodium intake (≥5 g/day) had a higher risk of KOA (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.62) compared to the reference group (3-4 g/day) after adjusting for covariates. The sensitivity analysis based on SR-OA with knee pain showed that high sodium intake was also significantly associated with increased prevalence of OA (OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.10-3.10) compared with the reference group. Regarding SR-OA at any site in the 2014-2016 dataset, estimated 24HUNa showed a significantly positive association with the presence of SR-OA after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide Korean representative study showed a significant association between symptomatic KOA and high sodium intake (≥5 g/day). Avoidance of a diet high in salt might be beneficial as a non-pharmacologic therapy for OA.

Color vision in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Decreased visual function is one of the non-motor dysfunctions of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent evidences suggest that essential tremor (ET) is not 'pure' motor disorder and there is growing evidence that this disease is a multiple-system disorder. In some cases, it is difficult to differentiate ET from PD. In addition, there is considerable controversy regarding the relationship between PD and ET. The objective of this study was to compare color discrimination dysfunction amongst patients with PD and ET and to investigate the clinical relevance. METHODS: Case-control comparisons of 54 patients with PD, 36 patients with ET, and 34 age-matched controls were performed. All cases underwent Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test (FMT) and clinical assessments on medication. In addition, the association between color vision abnormalities and motor handicaps was investigated. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the total error scores (TES) of the FMT amongst the three groups; patients with the PD had higher TES than the patients with ET and the controls after adjustments for age. In addition, the motor symptom severity in PD correlated with the FMT abnormalities, especially with regard to the axial symptoms. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that color vision abnormalities may be one of the non-motor clinical characteristics of PD-related dysfunction in contrast to ET. In addition, the severity of axial motor symptoms was closely related to visual dysfunction. Confirmation of these findings as well as the mechanisms underlying these results requires further study.

Alteration of ictal and interictal perfusion in patients with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia.

Although previous cerebral blood flow studies have suggested that the basal ganglia or thalamus are involved in the pathogenesis of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD), the precise anatomic substrate or pathophysiological networks associated with PKD remain unclear. Here, ictal and interictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 2 patients with idiopathic PKD compared to 6 age-matched normal controls and the perfusion findings of subtraction ictal SPECT co-registered to MRI (SISCOM) in 1 patient are reported. The interictal and ictal perfusion changes were different in each of the patients and there were no consistent anatomic substrates observed. 2 patients had significant perfusion changes in the left frontal/temporal cortices compared to controls, whereas the others showed an increased uptake of 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) in the left occipital area on subtraction SPECT imaging. The results of this study suggest that the pathophysiology of PKD cannot be simply explained by lesions of the basal ganglia or thalamus, and that other associated areas of the cortex are likely involved in these movement disorders.

Modelling a turbidity current in Soyang reservoir (Korea) and its control using a selective withdrawal facility.

Persistent turbidity in reservoirs and their downstream after flood events is one of most important environmental issues in Korea. Recently, modification of withdrawal facility and installation of a new selective withdrawal structure (SWS) have been implemented for the mitigation of downstream impact and sediment loading into water treatment facilities. This study was to explore the characteristics of flood density flow induced into Soyang Reservoir and the transport processes of suspended sediments (SS) through application of coupled two-dimensional hydrodynamic and particle dynamic models (TM-1, TM-2 and TM-3). The TM-3 including a turbidity attenuation rate as a lumped parameter showed best performance in reproducing the magnitude and distribution of SS in the reservoir. The validated model was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of SWS, which was designed for the reservoir, with 6 different historical flood events. The magnitude of vertical mixing of the turbidity plume and its persistence within the reservoir were closely correlated to the ratio of the volume of turbidity flow to the total reservoir storage (the theta value). The operation of SWS showed a positive effect as long as theta is between 0.3 and 0.6 but negative when theta = 0.83 for the study reservoir, thus it should be optimized based on the theta value for a better management of the reservoir.

Metronomic gemcitabine suppresses tumour growth, improves perfusion, and reduces hypoxia in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The current standard of care for pancreatic cancer is weekly gemcitabine administered for 3 of 4 weeks with a 1-week break between treatment cycles. Maximum tolerated dose (MTD)-driven regimens as such are often associated with toxicities. Recent studies demonstrated that frequent dosing of chemotherapeutic drugs at relatively lower doses in metronomic regimens also confers anti-tumour activity but with fewer side effects. METHODS: Herein, we evaluated the anti-tumour efficacy of metronomic vs MTD gemcitabine, and investigated their effects on the tumour microenvironment in two human pancreatic cancer xenografts established from two different patients. RESULTS: Metronomic and MTD gemcitabine significantly reduced tumour volume in both xenografts. However, K(trans) values were higher in metronomic gemcitabine-treated tumours than in their MTD-treated counterparts, suggesting better tissue perfusion in the former. These data were further supported by tumour-mapping studies showing prominent decreases in hypoxia after metronomic gemcitabine treatment. Metronomic gemcitabine also significantly increased apoptosis in cancer-associated fibroblasts and induced greater reductions in the tumour levels of multiple pro-angiogenic factors, including EGF, IL-1alpha, IL-8, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. CONCLUSION: Metronomic dosing of gemcitabine is active in pancreatic cancer and is accompanied by pronounced changes in the tumour microenvironment.

Oral bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: the first report in Asia.

UNLABELLED: Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a serious side effect of bisphosphonate therapy. The incidence of BRONJ is known to be low among patients treated with oral bisphosphonates. We investigated the prevalence, demographics, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcome of 24 patients with oral BRONJ in Asian populations. INTRODUCTION: The long-term safety of oral bisphosphonates is clinically important considering the rare but potentially serious complications such as bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) versus the effect of reducing and preventing osteoporotic fracture. The incidence of BRONJ is known to be low among patients treated with oral bisphosphonates around the world. However, the prevalence in those taking oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in Asian populations is unknown. Moreover, a recent article, showing that the majority of reported patients who received alendronate were Asian American, raised concern about the prevalence of oral BRONJ in Asian populations. The objective of this study was to investigate the estimated prevalence, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcome of oral BRONJ in Asian populations. METHODS: From October 2005 to December 2008, a retrospective review of medical charts identified 24 patients receiving oral bisphosphonates diagnosed as BRONJ at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Yonsei University Dental Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of oral BRONJ was 0.05-0.07%. The average oral bisphosphonate treatment duration was 43.1 months (range, 5-120 months). Treatment with oral antibiotics and/or surgery including sequestrectomy or alveolectomy showed relatively favorable results. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of oral BRONJ in Korea is similar to that reported previously in Western populations. We suggest that recognition of BRONJ and appropriate management pre- and post-dental surgery might reduce the frequency of BRONJ among patients receiving oral bisphosphonates.

Characterization and modeling of turbidity density plume induced into stratified reservoir by flood runoffs.

In monsoon climate area, turbidity flows typically induced by flood runoffs cause numerous environmental impacts such as impairment of fish habitat and river attraction, and degradation of water supply efficiency. This study was aimed to characterize the physical dynamics of turbidity plume induced into a stratified reservoir using field monitoring and numerical simulations, and to assess the effect of different withdrawal scenarios on the control of downstream water quality. Three different turbidity models (RUN1, RUN2, RUN3) were developed based on a two-dimensional laterally averaged hydrodynamic and transport model, and validated against field data. RUN1 assumed constant settling velocity of suspended sediment, while RUN2 estimated the settling velocity as a function of particle size, density, and water temperature to consider vertical stratification. RUN3 included a lumped first-order turbidity attenuation rate taking into account the effects of particles aggregation and degradable organic particles. RUN3 showed best performance in replicating the observed variations of in-reservoir and release turbidity. Numerical experiments implemented to assess the effectiveness of different withdrawal depths showed that the alterations of withdrawal depth can modify the pathway and flow regimes of the turbidity plume, but its effect on the control of release water quality could be trivial.

Dietary exposure to non-dioxin-like PCBs of the Hong Kong adult population from a total diet study.

Dietary exposure of Hong Kong adults to the sum of the six indicator PCBs (Σ6 PCBs; PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) was estimated in this study using the Total Diet Study (TDS) approach. Seventy one commonly-consumed food items of animal origin were sampled in four seasons and prepared as consumed in 2010-2011. The results showed that the main dietary source of Σ6 PCBs to the adult population was 'fish, seafood and their products' which accounted for 84.3% of the total exposure. About 50% of the total exposure was contributed by four fish species: salmon (cooked salmon and salmon sashimi, 19.9%), mandarin fish (14.7%), pomfret fish (8.5%) and yellow croaker (7.5%). Salmon was found to contain the highest mean level of Σ6 PCBs of 5.7 ng g-1 fresh weight at upper bound estimation, ranging from 4.4 to 6.3 ng g-1. The lower bound and upper bound exposure estimates of Æ©6 PCBs to the average consumer of the population were found to be 0.68 and 1.38 ng kg-1 body weight day-1 respectively while for high consumers, the lower bound and upper bound exposure estimates were 3.08 and 3.84 ng kg-1 body weight day-1 respectively. In addition, the dietary exposures to individual indicator PCB congeners were also estimated.

Diffusion tensor MR imaging tractography of the pyramidal tracts correlates with clinical motor function in children with congenital hemiparesis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Children with congenital hemiparesis have greater asymmetry in diffusion parameters of the pyramidal tracts compared with control subjects. We hypothesized that the asymmetry correlates with the severity of hemiparesis and that diffusion metrics would be abnormal in the affected tracts and normal in the unaffected tracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with congenital hemiparesis and 17 age-matched control subjects were studied with diffusion tensor MR imaging tractography. Hemipareses were scored as mild, moderate, or severe. We measured tract-specific diffusion parameters (fractional anisotropy, mean, and directional diffusion coefficients) of the pyramidal tracts. We compared tract-specific parameters and asymmetry between the right and left tracts of the differing severity groups and control subjects. RESULTS: We observed many different causes of congenital hemiparesis including venous infarction, arterial infarction, and polymicrogyria. Clinical severity of hemiparesis correlated with asymmetry in fractional anisotropy (P < .0001), transverse diffusivity (P < .0001), and mean diffusivity (P < .03). With increasing severity of hemiparesis, fractional anisotropy decreased (P < .0001) and transverse diffusivity (P < .0001) and mean diffusivity (P < .02) increased in the affected pyramidal tract compared with controls. Diffusion metrics in the unaffected tract were similar to those in the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Asymmetry in fractional anisotropy, transverse diffusivity, and mean diffusivity, as well as the degree of abnormality in the actual values of the affected pyramidal tracts themselves, correlates with the severity of motor dysfunction in infants and children with congenital hemiparesis from different causes. This suggests that abnormalities detected by diffusion tensor MR imaging tractography in the affected pyramidal tract are related to the functional ability of the affected pyramidal tract, regardless of the etiology of motor dysfunction.

Retrovirus-mediated transfer and expression of the interleukin-3 gene in mouse hematopoietic cells result in a myeloproliferative disorder.

A high-titer, recombinant retroviral vector produced in psi 2 packaging cells has been used to introduce the murine interleukin-3 (IL-3) gene into mouse hematopoietic cells. Integration and expression of the IL-3 gene was observed in spleen foci from which could be derived factor-independent, continuously proliferating cell lines. Irradiated or genetically anemic W/Wv recipients of infected hematopoietic cells developed a myeloproliferative syndrome characterized by a marked elevation in leukocyte count, bone marrow hyperplasia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen. The syndrome reflected proliferation of one or more stem cell clones, the progeny of which were capable of repopulating secondary recipients. One animal developed the syndrome primarily by a paracrine mechanism. Endogenous IL-3 production caused amplification of hematopoietic cells but did not appear to alter the maturational or self-renewal potential of these cells.

Spontaneous bone formation on the maxillary sinus floor in association with an extraction socket.

A case is reported of spontaneous bone formation on the maxillary sinus floor associated with the extraction socket of a maxillary impacted tooth. An impacted maxillary second premolar of a 20-year-old male had been pushed into the maxillary sinus during surgical extraction. The tooth was removed using the sinus elevation technique. After 5 months of healing, the space between the sinus floor and the socket was filled with new bone. Later, implant surgery was successfully carried out without any sinus augmentation. Osteogenic activity of sinus mucosa and the blood clot in the extraction socket beneath the elevated sinus would have been important factors in this spontaneous bone formation.

Retention of a cis Golgi protein requires polar residues on one face of a predicted alpha-helix in the transmembrane domain.

The first membrane-spanning domain (m1) of the model cis Golgi protein M (formerly called E1) from the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus is required for targeting to the Golgi complex. When inserted in place of the membrane-spanning domain of a plasma membrane protein (vesicular stomatitis virus G protein), the chimeric protein ("Gm1") is retained in the Golgi complex of transfected cells. To determine the precise features of the m1 domain responsible for Golgi targeting, we produced single amino acid substitutions in m1 and analyzed their effects on localization of Gm1. Expression at the plasma membrane was used as the criterion for loss of Golgi retention. Rates of oligosaccharide processing were used as a measure of rate and efficiency of transport through the Golgi complex. We identified four uncharged polar residues that are critical for Golgi retention of Gm1 (Asn465, Thr469, Thr476, and Gln480). These residues line one face of a predicted alpha-helix. Interestingly, when the m1 domain of the homologous M protein from mouse hepatitis virus is inserted into the G protein reporter, the chimeric protein is not efficiently retained in the Golgi complex, but transported to the cell surface. Although it possesses three of the four residues we identified as important in the avian m1 sequence, other residues in the membrane-spanning domain from the mouse protein must prevent efficient recognition of the polar face within the lipid bilayer of the cis Golgi.

A Single-Port Robotic Platform for Laparoscopic Surgery with a Large Central Channel for Additional Instrument.

A new approach to a surgical robotic platform for single incision laparoscopic or natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery is presented in this paper This platform allows insertion of up to four instruments including the robotic arms and the camera through a single cannula at the same footprint. After insertion of all instruments, a large central channel of 15 mm diameter is kept clear for the passage of additional laparoscopic instruments, such as passage or retrieval of suture needles, and/or suction irrigators which greatly facilitates the performance of complex surgical procedures. Phantom and animal trials have been performed to evaluate the insertion and retrieval sequences. These important features were made possible by internally-motorized robotic arms with 7 degrees of freedom and with no external mechanical device connections. The whole platform, together with the 3 degrees of freedom from the swivel system that support the cannula, has altogether 10 degrees of freedom to allow the operation of complex surgeries and access to all quadrants of the abdominal cavity. This new single-port robotic platform paves a new development direction for future non-invasive surgery.

Calibration of CE-QUAL-W2 for a monomictic reservoir in a monsoon climate area.

The impact of inflow mixing on reservoir stratification is significant for reservoirs situated in a monsoon climate area. It cause difficulty in the calibration of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model, CE-QUAL-W2 that was recently adopted for a real-time turbidity monitoring and modelling system (RTMMS) for a reservoir in Korea. This paper presents a systematic calibration and verification processe of the model for the reservoir. A sensitivity analysis showed that wind sheltering, Chezy, and sediment heat exchange coefficients are most sensitive to stratification structure. Inflow temperature was very sensitive during a year of normal precipitation, but it is not significant during a year of drought. Residual analysis revealed that the model has shortcomings in the simulation of water temperature near the metalimnetic zone without calibration. After calibration, however, the absolute mean errors between observed and simulated values were placed within 0.116-1.190 degrees C. Its performance was maintained under heavy flood events during the verification stage, which implies that the model is ready to use for the simulation of turbidity plume in the RTMMS under various hydrologic conditions. The suggested model calibration strategy and relevant results may be adopted for other reservoirs located in a monsoon climate area.

Activation of quiescent ABL-transduced hemopoietic stem cells.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a hemopoietic stem cell disorder in which an activated ABL oncogene is expressed and has been shown to play an important role in disease pathogenesis. A mouse model has been established in which hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) transduced with a retrovirus vector carrying an activated ABL oncogene can be analysed. Using this model, we now report that abl-transduced HSCs can be quiescent without causing a disease for an extended period of time. Recipient mice were able to survive more than one treatment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at a dose that normally eliminates cycling hemopoietic progenitor cells; subsequently, transduced HSCs could become activated and undergo clonal expansion, resulting in abl-induced leukemic development. The disease developed in these mice was transplantable. Upon engraftment into secondary mice, previously unidentified abl-transduced HSC clones appeared. These data suggest the presence of an abl-suppressive mechanism in HSCs and have important implications to the pathogenesis of stem cell diseases and leukemic clonal evolution.

Deregulation of c-abl mediated cell growth after retroviral transfer and expression of antisense sequences.

To determine the role of c-abl during cell growth, we constructed a retrovirus vector alpha A, capable of expressing an antisense RNA directed against the abl mRNA. Based on v-abl-mediated 3T3 transformation assay, we showed that the number of transformed foci was reduced 50-94% when alpha A-infected 3T3 cells were superinfected with A-MuLV. Up to a 100% of inhibition could be observed when the time of infection was lengthened. Introduction of the antisense sequence into NIH3T3 cells resulted in reduction of growth rate. These cells entered into S phase from G1 phase of the cell cycle earlier in time than untransduced cells. Thus c-abl serves as a checkpoint during G1/S transition in the cell cycle, and its reduction resulted in deregulation of cell growth.

Endogenous growth factor patterns modulate hemopoietic lineage development.

Hemopoietic growth factors play an important role during stem cell differentiation, and multipotent hemopoietic cells expressing abl oncogenes can cause stem cell diseases in mice. To further elucidate the mechanism of disease development, we examined the initial changes of normal and abl-transduced progenitor cells early in culture, including the endogenous production of growth factors. From 2-3 days methylcellulose cultures, we isolated colonies of early cells and subjected them to RT-PCR analysis. They were found to produce endogenous IL-1 alpha and IL-4. Treatment of these early cells with the antisense oligonucleotides directed against the mRNA of the growth factors did not prevent colony formation. However, the percentage of pure macrophage colonies in cultures containing the antisense IL-1 alpha was increased from 26-60%. This effect was not observed when the antisense oligomers were added 2 days after initiation of culture. We also transduced the progenitor cells with retrovirus vectors carrying either a neor gene (N2) or a v-abl oncogene (A-MuLV or NSabl). After their culture in methylcellulose, we examined the types of colonies developed, growth factor expression by the early cells and their proliferation rate. While the ratio of erythroid to non-erythroid hemopoietic colonies in uninfected culture and N2-infected culture was 0.8, the ratio in A-MuLV-infected culture was 6.0, and in NSabl-infected culture, 3.1. RT-PCR analysis on colonies of abl-transduced cells from 2-3 day cultures indicated a reduction of IL-4 and IL-1 alpha in these cells, and they entered cell division sooner. Our data suggest that hematopoietic lineage development may be a function of the pattern of endogenous as well as exogenous growth factors, and alteration of this pattern either through antisense treatment or v-abl transduction affects the hemopoietic differentiation program.

Specific association of Type I c-Abl with Ran GTPase in lipopolysaccharide-mediated differentiation.

Each of several isoforms of c-Abl may be involved in different biological functions. Type I c-Abl has been shown to be involved in LPS-induced differentiation and Type IV c-Abl, apoptosis. Ran has recently been shown to be involved in LPS endotoxin signal transduction. Here we show that Type I c-Abl associates with Ran. Formation of this complex is specific, as Ran did not associate with the highly homologous Type IV c-Abl isoform. In non-stimulated lymphoid B cells, Type I c-Abl tyrosine kinase is inactive, whereas Type IV kinase is active. Formation of Type I c-Abl/Ran complex and activation of Type I c-Abl kinase activity are LPS dose-dependent. This complex is detectable in B cells of endotoxin-sensitive inbred mice but absent in B cells of endotoxin-resistant mice. These findings therefore suggest that Type I c-Abl and Ran are important targets in lipopolysaccharide-induced biological responses of hematopoietic cells.