Cytoskeleton disruption in chondrocytes from a rat osteoarthrosic (OA) -induced model: its potential role in OA pathogenesis.

Morphological and functional changes of chondrocytes are typical in OA cartilage. In this work, we have described noteworthy changes in intermediate filaments cytoskeleton evidenced by transmission electron microscopy. Alterations in the distribution as well as in the content of vimentin, actin, and tubulin have been described by specific fluorescence labelling of each cytoskeletal component and confocal analysis. Normal vs OA cartilages showed a reduction in the percentage of labelled chondrocytes of 37.1% for vimentin, 4.7% for actin, and 20.1% for tubulin. Statistical analysis of fluorescence intensities (mean % +/- SEM) between normal and OA rat cartilage revealed a highly significant difference in vimentin, a significant difference in tubulin, and a non-significant difference in actin. Moreover, by western blot, altered electrophoretic patterns were observed mainly for vimentin and tubulin in OA cartilage in comparison with normal cartilage. These results allow us to suggest that substantial changes in vimentin and tubulin cytoskeleton of chondrocytes might be involved in OA pathogenesis.

The molecular epidemiology of HIV type 1 of men in Mexico.

Genotypic characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in Mexico were investigated in a multicenter study that involved centers in five geographic regions of the country. Study samples (n = 65) collected from male patients in 1998-1999 were sequenced within the C2-V5 region of the gp120 env gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that subtype B predominates in Mexico. The level of interpatient nucleotide diversity (mean value of 8.9%) was congruent with multiple introductions of the virus and the "aging" epidemic in Mexico. One-third of samples (30.8% of cases) showed polymorphism within the crown of the V3 loop demonstrating non-GPGR motifs. Two new motifs in the V3 loop crown - HPGG and GPEG - were observed. The evolution of the AIDS epidemic in Mexico should be closely monitored since non-B HIV-1 subtypes might be introduced. The nucleotide sequences were deposited in the GenBank under accession numbers AF200855-AF200869, AF200871-AF200892, and AF200894-AF200921.

Anti-prolactin autoantibodies in paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anti-prolactin autoantibodies and the relationship among anti-prolactin autoantibodies, serum prolactin (PRL) levels and lupus activity in paediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using a transversal study. One-hundred and three consecutive paediatric SLE patients were tested for serum anti-PRL autoantibodies and PRL levels. Clinical disease activity was scored using the SLEDAI index. Anti-PRL autoantibodies were measured by means of gel filtration. The frequency of anti-PRL autoantibodies was 6.7% (7/103), on the basis of the amount of immunoreactive PRL eluted in molecular weight fraction corresponding to IgG (150 kDa). No anti-PRL autoantibodies were found in normoprolactinaemic patients. By contrast, 21.8% (7/32) hyperprolactinaemic patients (hPRL) had anti-PRL autoantibodies. There was a correlation between anti-PRL autoantibody and serum levels of PRL (r(s) = 0.98, P = 0.0001). Lupus activity was present in 64/103 (62.1%) patients, without a significant difference in the frequency of anti-PRL autoantibodies when compared to inactive lupus (7.8 vs 5.1%, P > 0.05). Higher levels of serum PRL were associated with lupus activity regardless of other variables (39.6% vs 17.9%, P = 0.05). Patients with anti-PRL autoantibodies had higher levels of serum PRL than those without anti-PRL autoantibody (41.85 vs 17.77 ng/ml, P = 0.01) and significantly different frequency of hPRL (100 vs 26%, r = 0.4531, P < 0.001). We have identified a subset of paediatric SLE patients with hPRL and anti-PRL autoantibodies. Anti-PRL autoantibodies were associated with hPRL state and antibody titres correlated positively with serum PRL levels. These data suggest that anti-PRL autoantibodies could be responsible for hPRL in a subset of SLE patients. An increase in serum PRL levels proved to be related to lupus activity, but there was no statistical relationship between anti-PRL autoantibodies and lupus activity.

Anticuerpos antirribonucleoproteina por contrainmunoelectroforesis en enfermedades reumaticas. / Antiribonucleoprotein antibodies by counterimmunoelectrophoresis in rheumatic diseases

En 1972 Sharp y cols. encontraron que titulos aumentados de anticuerpos contra ribonucleoproteina (anti RNP) caracterizan a un sindrome con manifestaciones clinicas de lupus eritematoso generalizado (LEG), esclerosis sistemica progresiva (ESP) y polimiositis (PM) y se le denomino enfermedad mixta del tejido conectivo (EMTC).Pra la determinacion de estos anticuerpos se han ulitilizado diversas tecnicas incluyendo la hemaglutinacion, la inmunodifusion y mas recientemente la contrainmunoelectroforesis. Con este ultimo metodo se analizaron los sueros de 130 pacientes: 38 con LEG, 41 con artritis reumatoide, 26 con ESP, 8 con PM, 4 con Sjogren primario y 13 con manifestaciones de sobreposicion.De los primeros cinco grupos, solo dos sueros de pacientes con LEG tuvieron titulos aumentados de anti RNP, en cambio estos se encontraron aumentados, en 11/13 pacientes con datos de sobreposicion. Se concluye que aunque titulos aumentados de anti RNP caracterizan estadisticamente a la EMTC, estos anticuerpos a titulos aumentados no son patognomonicos de la entidad

Behcet's disease. Report of twelve patients in the Mexican population.

Se presenta el analisis clinico e inmunologico de doce pacientes con enfermedad de Behcet Este ocurrio con mayor frecuencia en la tercera decada de la vida. Los sintomas iniciales mas frecuentes fueron los de la triada clasica de ulceraciones orales, genitales e iritis. Caracteristicamente, las ulceras orales fueron resistentes al tratamiento. La lesion ocular mas frecuente fue la conjuntivitis, seguida por iridociclitis. El hipopion se observo solo en un paciente y el sindrome de Sjogren en dos. Siete pacientes tuvieron sintomas articulares. Hubo tromboflebitis en cuatro pacientes y embolias pulmonares en dos. Otras manifestaciones incluyeron: pericarditis, fibrosis pulmonar, epididimitis y manifestaciones del sistema nervioso central.Se observo disminucion del C3 y aumento de la IgG y la IgA en cinco de ochos pacientes. Hubo linfopenia T en cuatro pacientes con enfermedad activa. La linfopenia T, la asociacion con sindrome de Sjogren y el infiltrado inflamativo perivascular apoyan la participacion del sistema inmune en la patogenia de la enfermedad