The effect of RE substitution in layered REO(0.5)F(0.5)BiS2: chemical pressure, local disorder and superconductivity.

We have studied the effect of RE substitution on the structure and the local atomic disorder in REO0.5F0.5BiS2 (RE = rare-earth) to understand their correlation with the bulk superconductivity in these materials. The mean RE size, affecting the chemical pressure, has been varied in two series namely Ce1-xNdxO0.5F0.5BiS2 and Nd1-ySmyO0.5F0.5BiS2. The lattice parameters evolve anomalously, showing an anisotropic shrinkage (elongation) of the c-axis (a-axis) to an isotropic expansion of the lattice with increasing mean RE size. The Bi L3-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements are performed to investigate local displacements in the BiS2 lattice, revealing a large disorder and a sharp boundary between the Ce-containing and Sm-containing series with a distinct local structure. The results suggest that the bulk superconductivity in REO0.5F0.5BiS2 is correlated with anomalous atomic displacements in the Bi-S1 network, likely to be a combined effect of active Bi 6s electronic states and a possible Jahn-Teller-like instability of the Bi 6px/6py electrons.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and p38 phosphorylate cyclin D2 on Thr280 to trigger its ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent degradation in hematopoietic cells.

Cyclin D2 plays an important role in regulation of hematopoietic cell proliferation by cytokines and is implicated in oncogenesis of various hematopoietic malignancies. However, mechanisms regulating cyclin D2 stability and its expression level have remained to be known. Here, we demonstrate that interleukin-3 signaling stabilizes cyclin D2 by inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) through Janus kinase2-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway in hematopoietic 32Dcl3 cells. On the other hand, osmotic stress was shown to induce a rapid proteasomal degradation of cyclin D2, which was mediated by activation of p38. GSK3beta and p38 was demonstrated to phosphorylate cyclin D2 on Thr280 in vitro, while a cyclin D2 mutant with this residue substituted with Ala was found to be resistant to ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation in 32Dcl3 cells. Inhibition of the PI3K pathway or induction of osmotic stress also caused a rapid proteasomal degradation of cyclin D2 in primary leukemic or myeloma cells. These results indicate that cyclin D2 expression in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells is regulated by ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent degradation that is triggered by Thr280 phosphorylation by GSK3beta or p38, which is induced by inhibition of the PI3K pathway or by osmotic stress, respectively.

Rottlerin synergistically enhances imatinib-induced apoptosis of BCR/ABL-expressing cells through its mitochondrial uncoupling effect independent of protein kinase C-delta.

Although the BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib is highly effective for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), relapse with emerging imatinib-resistance mutations in the BCR/ABL kinase domain poses a significant problem. Here, we demonstrate that rottlerin, a putative protein kinase C-delta (PKCdelta)-specific inhibitor, acts synergistically with imatinib to induce apoptosis of BCR/ABL-expressing K562 and Ton.B210 cells. However, rottlerin inhibited neither PKCdelta nor BCR/ABL in these cells. On the other hand, rottlerin, previously characterized also as a mitochondrial uncoupler, transiently but significantly reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and gradually induced mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. Moreover, two other mitochondrial uncouplers, FCCP and DNP, very similarly induced apoptosis of BCR/ABL-expressing cells in a synergistic manner with imatinib. Imatinib synergistically enhanced mitochondrial membrane permeabilization induced by mitochondrial uncouplers, which led to release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and activation of caspases-3 and -9. Rottlerin also enhanced the cytotoxic effect of imatinib in leukemic cells from patients with CML blast crisis and Ph-positive ALL or a cell line expressing the imatinib-resistant E255K BCR/ABL mutant. The present study indicates that rottlerin synergistically enhances imatinib-induced apoptosis through its mitochondrial uncoupling effect independent of PKCdelta and may contribute to the development of new treatment strategy to overcome the imatinib resistance and to cure the BCR/ABL expressing leukemias.

Functional analysis of cytomegalovirus-specific T lymphocytes compared to tetramer assay in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

In order to evaluate whether we could predict reactivation of CMV by monitoring the number of CMV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL), tetramer analysis was performed in 37 patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The results disclosed that the mean number of CMV-specific CTL at day 30 did not differ among patients who developed CMV antigenemia (22/microl) and those who did not (12/microl). Serial tetramer analysis showed that 21% of the patients had >10/microl CMV-specific CTL at the first detection of CMV antigenemia and 67% of the patients had more than 10/microl CMV-specific CTL at the onset of CMV disease. Intracellular staining upon stimulation by CMV lysates and peptide in patients with CMV colitis revealed that both IFN-gamma producing CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were suppressed at the onset of CMV colitis (1.6 and 8/microl), which increased with recovery of the disease (19 and 47/microl). These data suggest that it is difficult to predict CMV reactivation solely by the number of CMV-specific CTL. We suggest that additional functional analysis by intracellular cytokine assay may be useful for immunomonitoring against CMV.

BCR/ABL and IL-3 activate Rap1 to stimulate the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and to regulate proliferation, apoptosis, and adhesion.

The Ras family small GTPase Rap1 is activated by hematopoietic cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-3, to induce beta1 integrin-mediated cell adhesion or by the BCR/ABL fusion tyrosine kinase to stimulate the MEK/Erk signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that the abrogation of Rap1 activation by SPA-1, a Rap1-specific GAP, inhibits activation of B-Raf, MEK, Erk, and Akt in a murine hematopoietic cell line, Ton.B210, stimulated with IL-3 or inducibly expressing BCR/ABL. Furthermore, Rap1 inactivation had an inhibitory effects on proliferation and survival of Ton.B210 cells, which were more remarkable when cells were stimulated by BCR/ABL than by IL-3. Induction of BCR/ABL expression increased adhesion of Ton.B210 cells to fibronectin in a manner at least partly dependent on its kinase activity, and Rap1 inhibition by SPA-1 partially inhibited BCR/ABL-induced adhesion of cells. Thus, IL-3- or BCR/ABL-induced activation of Rap1 may play important roles in regulation of cell proliferation and survival through activation of the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and in induction of integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Furthermore, as compared with IL-3, BCR/ABL is more dependent on Rap1-mediated signaling to induce cell proliferation and survival and, thus, Rap1 may represent an attractive target for novel therapies for leukemias caused by BCR/ABL.

Molecular basis for congenital deficiency of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor. A frameshift mutation leading to elongation of the deduced amino acid sequence.

The present study was designed to elucidate the molecular genetic basis of a familial deficiency of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2PI). Southern blot hybridization analysis with human alpha 2PI cDNA and genomic DNA probes demonstrated no gross deletion or rearrangement of the gene. By sequencing all the coding exons and exon-intron boundaries of the gene of a homozygote, we identified a single cytidine nucleotide insertion in the exon coding for the carboxyl-terminal region. This frameshift mutation leads to an alteration and elongation of the carboxyl-terminal portion of the deduced amino acid sequence. Synthetic oligonucleotide probes confirmed this frameshift mutation in all the affected family members including both heterozygous parents. In a transient expression assay, the alpha 2PI level in the culture medium of the cells transfected with the mutated alpha 2PI expression vector was very low and only 4% of that of the cells transfected with the normal vector, although the transcript levels and the cellular contents of alpha 2PIs did not differ significantly. Elongation of amino acid sequence in the mutant alpha 2PI was confirmed by an analysis of alpha 2PI in a transient expression experiment. These data indicate that this mutation is the cause of alpha 2PI deficiency in this pedigree.

Inactivation of erythropoietin receptor function by point mutations in a region having homology with other cytokine receptors.

The cytoplasmic domain of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) contains a region, proximal to the transmembrane domain, that is essential for function and has homology with other members of the cytokine receptor family. To explore the functional significance of this region and to identify critical residues, we introduced several amino acid substitutions and examined their effects on erythropoietin-induced mitogenesis, tyrosine phosphorylation, and expression of immediate-early (c-fos, c-myc, and egr-1) and early (ornithine decarboxylase and T-cell receptor gamma) genes in interleukin-3-dependent cell lines. Amino acid substitution of W-282, which is strictly conserved at the middle portion of the homology region, completely abolished all the functions of the EpoR. Point mutation at L-306 or E-307, both of which are in a conserved LEVL motif, drastically impaired the function of the receptor in all assays. Other point mutations, introduced into less conserved amino acid residues, did not significantly impair the function of the receptor. These results demonstrate that conserved amino acid residues in this domain of the EpoR are required for mitogenesis, stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation, and induction of immediate-early and early genes.

Induction of tyrosine phosphorylation by the erythropoietin receptor correlates with mitogenesis.

A role for tyrosine phosphorylation in the signal-transducing mechanisms of several hematopoietic growth factors has been hypothesized. To extend these observations, we have examined the effects of erythropoietin (Epo) on tyrosine phosphorylation in an Epo-responsive cell that was obtained by transfecting the murine erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) into an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent cell line. By two-dimensional analysis of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins isolated with a monoclonal antibody (1G2) against phosphotyrosine, Epo and IL-3 were found to rapidly induce tyrosine phosphorylation of comparable substrates of 92, 70, and 56 kDa. In addition, Epo uniquely induced phosphorylation of a 72-kDa substrate while IL-3 uniquely induced phosphorylation of a 140-kDa substrate. Immunoprecipitation and mixing experiments indicated that the 72-kDa substrate may represent a small fraction of the EpoR. To explore the significance of tyrosine phosphorylation, we generated two mutants of the EpoR that lacked 108 or 146 amino acids at their carboxyl termini. In addition we constructed an internally deleted mutant that lacked 20 amino acids in a region of sequence homology with the IL-2 receptor beta chain. Although all mutants were expressed at comparable levels and had comparable binding affinities for Epo, only the mutant lacking 108 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus retained significant mitogenic activity or the ability to induce tyrosine phosphorylation.

Role of the local structure in superconductivity of LaO0.5F0.5BiS2-x Se x system.

We have studied the local structure of LaO0.5F0.5BiS2-x Se x by Bi L1-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). We find a significant effect of Se substitution on the local atomic correlations with a gradual elongation of average in-plane Bi-S bondlength. The associated mean square relative displacement, measuring average local distortions in the BiS2 plane, hardly shows any change for small Se substitution, but decreases significantly for [Formula: see text]. The Se substitution appears to suppress the local distortions within the BiS2 plane that may optimize in-plane orbital hybridization and hence the superconductivity. The results suggest that the local structure of the BiS2-layer is one of the key ingredients to control the physical properties of the BiS2-based dichalcogenides.

Evaluation of cytomegalovirus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in patients with the HLA-A*02 or HLA-A*24 phenotype undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CMV-CTL) are essential for the control of CMV reactivation. To monitor the quantity and function of CMV-CTL after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), two CMV epitopes that bind to HLA-A*0201 NLVPMVATV (A*02NLV) and HLA-A*2402 QYDPVAALF (A*24QYD) were evaluated for their immunological potential. Samples from patients with the HLA-A*02 or HLA-A*24 serotype were analyzed by tetramer, intracellular cytokine staining and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. There were significantly more A*02NLV-specific CMV-CTL than A*24QYD (23 x 10(6) vs 0.4 x 10(6)/l). The frequency of IFN-gamma-producing cells was also higher upon stimulation with A*02NLV than with A*24QYD (2.5 vs 0.1%/CD8). Furthermore, the magnitude of CMV-CTL expansion was two- to 50-fold when cells were cultured with A*02NLV, while only an insignificant increase was observed in culture with A*24QYD. Although the number of A*24QYD-specific CMV-CTL was very low in most of the HLA-A*24 patients, the incidence of CMV reactivation did not differ between those with HLA-A*02 and HLA-A*24 serotype alone. These results suggest that an epitope other than A*24QYD plays a major role in patients with HLA-A*24. Our study also showed that A*02NLV may be a useful epitope for monitoring CMV-CTL not only in patients with HLA-A*0201 but also in those with the A*0206 genotype.

Compound heterozygous protein C deficiency caused by two mutations, Arg-178 to Gln and Cys-331 to Arg, leading to impaired secretion of mutant protein C.

The protein C gene in a patient apparently homozygous for protein C deficiency was analyzed. Two different point mutations, each located in a different allele, were detected to reveal that the patient is a compound heterozygote. Mutation of Arg-178 (CGG) to Gln (CAG) [mutation I] was detected in exon VII, in the vicinity of activation peptide cleavage site by thrombin. Mutation of Cys-331 (TGC) to Arg (CGC) [mutation II] was found in exon IX, at one of the sites involved in disulfide bond formation in the catalytic domain of the heavy chain. The alteration of Cys-331 to Arg disables the formation of the disulfide bond and would alter the protein conformation. Transient expression assays using COS-7 cells transfected with protein C expression vectors containing each one of these two mutations suggested that each of the two mutations would lead to the protein C deficiency by an impairment of secretion of the respective mutant proteins.

Recovery of Valpha24+ NKT cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Human Valpha24+ natural killer T (NKT) cells have an invariant T-cell receptor-alpha chain and are activated in a CD1d-restricted manner. Valpha24+ NKT cells are thought to regulate immune responses and to play important roles in the induction of allograft tolerance. In this report, we analyzed the recovery of Valpha24+ NKT cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and its correlation with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Patients who received a dose-reduced conditioning regimen, antithymocyte globulin- or CAMPATH-1H-containing conditioning regimen were excluded. NKT cells were reconstituted within 1 month after transplantation in peripheral blood stem cell transplantation recipients, while their numbers remained low for more than 1 year in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) recipients. The number of Valpha24+ NKT cells in BMT recipients with acute GVHD was lower than that in patients without acute GVHD, and both the CD4+ and CD4- Valpha24+ NKT subsets were significantly reduced. With regard to chronic GVHD, BMT recipients with extensive GVHD had significantly fewer Valpha24+ NKT cells than other patients. Furthermore, the number of CD4+ Valpha24+ NKT cells was also significantly reduced in patients with chronic extensive GVHD. Our results raise the possibility that the number of Valpha24+ NKT cells could be related to the development of GVHD.

Expression and characterization of pro alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor.

alpha s-Plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2PI), one of the serine protease inhibitors in plasma, was expressed in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cell line. The expression vector was constructed with its genomic DNA and cDNA, and was transfected into BHK cells by the calcium phosphate method. The recombinant alpha 2PI which was secreted from the cells was estimated by SDS-PAGE to have a molecular mass of 67 kDa, which is indistinguishable from that of normal plasma alpha 2PI. The leader peptide of 12 amino acids was retained at the amino terminus of the recombinant alpha 2PI. This finding suggests that alpha 2PI has pre-pro type processing and the propeptide of 12 amino acids is not removed in BHK cells. This pro-alpha 2PI shows essentially the same inhibitory activity on plasmin and the same affinity for plasmin(ogen) as those of normal alpha 2PI. However, the cross-linking ability to fibrin is reduced to less than one-third of that of normal alpha 2PI. The cross-linking site is the glutamine residue located at the second position from the amino terminus of normal alpha 2PI. The conformational change of this region caused by the addition of the propeptide may have affected the cross-linking capacity of the inhibitor.

A variant Burkitt-type translocation (2p-;8q+) in a patient with diffuse large cell lymphoma.

A case of diffuse large cell lymphoma with t(2p-;8q+) is reported. Immunologically the lymphoma cells were shown to be of B-cell origin and positive for surface gamma and kappa chains, B4, CALLA, and Ia1 markers. Karyotypically three major clones were detected: 47,XX, + 12,t(2;8)(p11-13;q24) (52%); 47,XX, + 12 (26%); and 46,XX,t(2;8)(p11-13;q24) (15%). A t(2p-;8q +) has been exclusively reported in cases of Burkitt's lymphoma or Burkitt-type acute lymphocytic leukemia. The present case is the first one with t(2p-;8q +) observed in non-Burkitt-type lymphoid malignancy of the B-cell lineage. The t(2p-;8q +) may play a primary role in the early stage of transformation of B cells, and trisomy 12 may provide them secondarily with an advantage for tumor progression. The phenotypic pictures provided by 8q24 rearrangements seem to be heterogeneous, as previously suggested.

Pyloric stenosis due to Crohn's disease.

Gastroduodenal involvement by Crohn's disease is relatively rare and occasionally causes pyloric stenosis, for which medical therapy may be ineffective and surgery may be required. We report on a 44-year-old man patient in whom corticosteroids had a marked effect in reducing pyloric stenosis caused by Crohn's disease. A proton-pump inhibitor was not effective, and Helicobacter pylori was negative.

Regulation of T cell receptor gamma gene expression by cytokines in murine hematopoietic cells.

Murine IL-3-dependent myeloid cell lines express transcripts from non-rearranged TCR gamma genes and this expression is dependent upon IL-3. To investigate this observation in general terms we examined various IL-3 dependent cell lines for TCR gamma gene expression. We also examined various cytokines to test their potential to induce TCR gamma gene expression. All IL-3 dependent cell lines expressed TCR gamma transcripts. The IL-3 induced expression was sensitive to protein synthesis inhibitors. This demonstrated that the TCR gamma genes belong to the early growth factor response class. IL-3, IL-4, GM-CSF and Erytropoietin (EPO), but not G-CSF, induced TCR gene expression. 32D cells transfected with the IL-2 beta chain receptor became responsive to IL-2 as a growth factor and induced TCR gamma gene expression. The induction of TCR gamma gene expression by the cytokines was not correlated to their growth promoting activity. This indicated different signaling pathways.

[Inhibitory effect of various traditional Chinese medicines on rabbit platelet phospholipase A2 in vitro and suppressive effect of tôki-syakuyaku-san on increased aggregability in hypercholesterolemic rabbit ex vivo].

The inhibitory mechanism of 6 traditional Chinese medicines on rabbit platelet aggregation in vitro, and the suppressive effect of oral administration of Tôki-syakuyakusan on hyper-aggregability of the platelet from rabbit fed high cholesterol diet for 2 months, were investigated. Collagen-induced aggregation was inhibited by Keisi-bukuryôgan, Kami-syôyô-san, Dai-saiko-tô, Tôki-syakuyaku-san, Hatimi-ziô-gan and Syô-saiko-tô in their lower concentrations than those inhibiting arachidonic acid- and thrombin-induced aggregation. These traditional Chinese medicines inhibited the release of [3H]arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A2, in [3H]arachidonic acid-labelled platelets under stimulation with collagen and thrombin in the concentration ranges that inhibited each aggregation. In their higher concentrations to inhibit arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, they suppressed the conversion of arachidonic acid to thromboxane A2 by about 50%. However, they had no effect on diacylglycerol formation induced by thrombin. The oral administration of Tôki-syakuyaku-san depressed the increased aggregability of platelets from rabbit fed high cholesterol diet by 20-40% at the period of 1-2 months of feeding, without affecting plasma and platelet cholesterol level. These results indicate that the traditional Chinese medicines used here have an inhibitory effect on platelet phospholipase A2 activation, rather than on cyclooxygenase, and therefore inhibit platelet activation in vitro and ex vivo.

[Plasma cell leukemia with amyloid deposition and osteogenetic change at the site of an extramedullary plasmacytoma].

A 49-year-old man was admitted with swelling in the left lower extremity, and a mass in the left lower abdomen. Laboratory findings showed an increased WBC of 15,000/microliter with 41% plasma cells, and immunoglobulin (Ig) A of 2,557mg/dl with a monoclonal component. A roentgenogram and computed tomograph of the abdomen revealed that a 5 x 10 cm mass with calcification located in the iliopsoas muscle. Plasma cell leukemia with extramedullary plasmacytoma was diagnosed, and the patient was treated with high-dose dexamethasone (40 mg/day for 4 days), resulting in a good response with the disappearance of plasma cells in peripheral blood and a marked decrease in serum Ig A. However, the patient's condition deteriorated in spite of various treatments, and he died of heart failure 5 months after admission. With informed consent from relatives, a necropsy was performed and infiltration of plasma cells in the mass in the iliopsoas muscle was noted. We reported this case because plasma cell leukemia with amyloid deposition and osteogenesis at the site of extramedullary plasmacytoma is very rare.

[Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome) in a patient with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia].

A 60-year-old man with a one-year history of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia was admitted to the hospital because of fever and a skin eruption. He had fever, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, and a raised painful erythematous plaque in the face. The same kind of skin lesion developed thereafter at a venipuncture site in the left forearm. Bacterial cultures were negative. There was no response to antibiotic treatment. A biopsy specimen of the skin lesion revealed a dense dermal infiltration with mature neutrophils. A diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome was made. Fever and skin eruptions responded rapidly to prednisolone (PSL). Although the disease frequently recurred on rapid tapering of PSL, skin lesions cleared without scarring on a prolonged course of PSL. Four months after withdrawal of PSL, Sweet's syndrome recurred. A high dose PSL was given without benefit. He died of disseminated candidiasis.