First evidence of natural reproduction of the Allis shad Alosa alosa in the River Rhine following re-introduction measures.

After stocking with larvae from the Gironde-Garonne-Dordogne population, in 2013, three young-of-the-year Allis shad Alosa alosa, probably originating from natural reproduction, were documented for the first time in a period of nearly 100 years in the River Rhine. In 2014, a further increase was observed when 57 juveniles and eight adults were caught; seven of these eight adults were derived from stocking, indicating the success of stocking measures within the framework of the EU-LIFE project.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, Part 20. Method for testing non-steroidal anti-inflammatories: the modified hen's egg chorioallantoic membrane test (HET-CAM test) compared to other procedures.

The delay of onset of irritation phenomena at the chorioallantoic membrane of incubated hen's eggs, a parameter for anti-inflammatory activity, was determined for the pharmaceutical substances diclofenac, flufenamic acid, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, piroxicam, phenylbutazone, salicylic acid, and sodium salicylate. Alongside questions relating to the dose-effect ratio, metabolisation, recovery, and diffusion of the substances to their site of action were investigated. The reproducibility of the procedure and its selectivity with regard to substances with a different mechanism of action is proven. The method allows classification of the substances according to their anti-inflammatory potency. However, correlation with the results of enzyme inhibition or in vivo results is only possible to a limited extent.

Flow cytometric detection of platelet-reactive antibodies and application in platelet crossmatching.

BACKGROUND: Alloimmunization against HLA or platelet antigens can cause refractoriness to platelet transfusions in multiply transfused patients. Crossmatching of platelet concentrates is effective in overcoming this problem. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A flow cytometric assay was used for simultaneous detection of lymphocyte-reactive and platelet-reactive antibodies in a single sample using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled anti-IgG. This assay was compared with the monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of platelet antigens (MAIPA) assay in selected sera containing HLA and platelet antibodies. In a further study, this assay was compared with lymphocytotoxicity test results from thrombocytopenic patients, for whom platelet concentrates were ordered. The results of both assays were then correlated with the 1-hour corrected count increment, with a corrected count increment greater then 7500 considered as an adequate transfusion response. RESULTS: The results of the MAIPA and flow cytometric assay in detecting platelet-reactive antibodies correlated well (p<0.0001, r = 0.84). The sensitivity and specificity of the flow cytometric assay in detecting platelet-reactive antibodies were 94.7 and 96.3 percent, when the MAIPA assay was taken as a reference. In unselected sera from patients, the sensitivity and specificity of the flow cytometric assays were, respectively, 72.7 and 91.7 percent in detecting lymphocyte-reactive antibodies and 70.6 and 77.7 percent in detecting platelet-reactive antibodies, when the lymphocytotoxicity test was used as a reference. With regard to an adequate transfusion response, the sensitivities and efficiencies were 20.0 and 82.1 percent, 33.3 and 84.3 percent, and 70.0 and 88.6 percent for the lymphocytotoxicity test and the lymphocyte-reactive and platelet-reactive flow cytometric assays, respectively. CONCLUSION: Flow cytometric crossmatching appears to be an effective method of detecting platelet-reactive antibodies that may affect the success of platelet transfusions. This procedure is well-suited for routine conditions and can be performed within 2 hours.

Mobilization of CD34-positive tumour cells in a patient with testicular mixed germ cell tumour.

Tumour cells from a patient with recurrent testicular germ cell cancer and bone marrow infiltration were found to express CD33 and CD34 in the absence of other haemopoiesis-associated antigens. After myelosuppression and treatment with G-CSF for stem cell mobilization, CD34-positive tumour cells were detected in the peripheral blood in addition to normal haemopoietic progenitor cells. The tumour cells were decreased in the leukapheresis product. Retrospectively, the appearance of tumour cells in the peripheral blood after stem cell mobilization was the first indication of impending relapse.

Normolipemic dysbetalipoproteinemia and hyperlipoproteinemia type III in subjects homozygous for a rare genetic apolipoprotein E variant (apoE1).

A family with three heterozygote and two homozygote carriers of the rare apolipoprotein E1 isoform was detected by isoelectric focusing. One of the homozygous patients had type III hyperlipidemia, while the other showed normolipemic dysbetalipoproteinemia. Restriction fragment length analysis as well as allele specific oligonucleotides were used to identify the structural alterations forming the abnormal epsilon 1 genotype. Comparison with the most common epsilon 3 allele showed that two base exchanges A for G in codon 127 and T for G in codon 158 (Asp for Gly and Cys for Arg, respectively) are responsible for the amino acid substitution which causes the charge shift observed in isoelectric focusing. The same defects have been described in the only previously characterized apoE1 (Weisgraber et al. 1984. J. Clin. Invest. 73: 1024-1033). In addition to the study by Weisgraber and coworkers, who reported on a heterozygous patient, we here describe the metabolic and clinical consequences of a homozygosity for this rare allele. Changes in lipoprotein metabolism, as well as in clinical phenotypes, were exactly identical to those seen in patients homozygous for the epsilon 2 allele, which has in common with the epsilon 1 allele the mutation in codon 158, but lacks the substitution in codon 127. In addition, lipoprotein profiles of the epsilon 3/epsilon 1 heterozygotes were indistinguishable from those of epsilon 3/epsilon 2 heterozygotes. Therefore, we conclude that the additional mutation in codon 127 that characterizes the epsilon 1 allele is of no functional importance in vivo.