Copper and lead exposures disturb reproductive features of primary endometrial stromal and epithelial cells.

This study investigates if Cu and Pb act as endocrine disruptors affecting endometrial cells. Primary EnSCs and EnECs were exposed to Cu (0, 50, 100 and 200 µM) or Pb (0, 30, 100 and 500 µM) and assessed for viability, decidualization, apoptosis and proliferation on EnSCs, and wound healing and adhesion capabilities on EnECs. Cu exposure decreased significantly cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Cu and Pb negatively affected in vitro decidualization, showing a significant decrease in PRL secretion. HOXA10 and ERα mRNA levels significantly decreased in decidualized cells (dEnSCs) exposed to Cu. Cu and Pb decreased adhesion and regeneration capability in EnEC. This study reveals that Cu and Pb could negatively affect endometrial functionality, compromising the decidualization process and disrupting endometrial regeneration and embryo adhesion. Therefore, special care should be taken considering heavy metals exposure if pregnancy is being pursued.

Raynaud's phenomenon: Infrared functional imaging applied to diagnosis and drug effects.

A non-invasive, innovative approach to the study of Raynaud's Phenomenon is proposed. A group of patients, with respect of a control group, underwent a simultaneous assessment of thermal properties of all ten fingers using infrared functional imaging (IRFI). The assessment highlighted a quite different behaviour between patients with Primary- (PRP) and those with scleroderma - Raynaud's Phenomenon (SSc) and, compared with other existing techniques, seems to be an objective and effective tool to discriminate between PRP and RP secondary to SSc. 18 healthy volunteers (Norm), 20 Primary Raynaud's Phenomenon (PRP) and 20 Secondary Scleroderma (SSc) patients were studied subsequently to clinical evaluation and nail fold capillaroscopy. High-resolution infrared imaging of finger re-warming processes, immediately after a 2 min cold stress, allowed to identify objective parameters. Temperature integral Q (the temperature evaluation of the area under the time-temperature curve along the re-warming period) provided particularly effective figures in describing thermal properties of the fingers. Grand average Q values were (383.4 ∓ 12.5) °C×min, (502.9 ± 88.1) °C×min and (1022.0 ± 110.2) °C×min for the PRP, SSc and Normal groups, respectively. Separate evaluation of the temperature integral for each finger leads to very similar results for the fingers of all the PRP patients; a different thermoregulatory response was observed in SSc patients. The sensitivity of the method in order to distinguish healthy from ill fingers was 100%. The specificity in distinguishing SSc from PRP was 95%. In addition, IRFI parameters provided a better understanding of the impaired control of the finger's temperature in PRP and SSc with respect to the Normal group. This pilot study also applied IRFI for the measurement of drug effects in patients with Raynaud's Phenomenon. Sixteen out of twenty SSc patients were tested in a single 1-hour session of N-acetylcysteine infusion. IRFI clearly documented a significant increase of face and hands temperature during the drug administration. The grand average value of the finger's temperature after the 1 hour NAC administration was (29.6 ± 3.7) °C, while its value before was (27.9 ± 3.7) °C (p<0.001). N-acetylcysteine seems to act as a vasodilator in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

Structural and functional characteristics of hairy cells.

Morphological, cytochemical, immunological and ultrastructural studies were performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a patient with hairy-cell leukemia. Immunofluorescence studies showed a very strong intensity of fluorescence and indicated that hairy cells had monoclonal surface-membrane immunoglobulins (SmIg) actively produced by the cells. An unusual spontaneous SmIg redistribution induced by antibodies was also noted. Immunoultrastructural studies demonstrated that antibody-induced redistribution of SmIg on hairy cells is in form of a singular polar cap and that the cell membrane is rapidly cleaned of the complexes by endocytosis. The behavior of hairy cells regarding several membrane markers, mitogen stimulation and antibody-induced cytotoxicity suggests that hairy projections could represent the expression of a functional stage common to different lymphocyte subpopulations, or alternatively, a marker of a peculiar subset of B lymphocytes.

Destruction of dextran-coated target cells by normal human lymphocytes and monocytes. Induction by a human anti-dextran serum with IgG antibodies restricted to the IgG2 subclass.

A human anti-dextran serum, EAK, with IgG antibodies restricted to subclass IgG2, was tested for its capacity to induce lysis of dextran-coated chicken erythrocytes by normal human lymphocytes or monocytes. Another human anti-dextran serum, RGM, with most antibodies belonging to sublass IgG1, and a hyperimmune rabbit anti-dextran serum were used for reference. In lymphocyte-mediated erythrolysis, serum EAK gave rise to 51-Cr release varying from 20% to 80% in different experiments. The hyperimmune rabbit serum was 100 to 1000 times more active, whereas serum RGM was consistently negative. These results correlated well with the concentration of anti-dextran antibodies in these sera. In monocyte-mediated erythrolysis serum EAK had a somewhat higher titer than in lymphocyte-mediated lysis, and serum RGM had a weak but significant activity at low dilutions. Serum EAK also induced erythrophagocytosis by monocytes. Ultracentrifugation did not significantly decrease the inductive capacity of this serum. The results show that antibodies of human sublass IgG2 are efficient inducers of effector functions in both lymphocytic and monocytic cells. Myeloma proteins of the four IgG subclasses were tested for inhibitory capacity in lymphocyte- or monocyte-mediated erythrolysis. Either serum EAK or the rabbit reference serum was used for induction of erythrolysis. Individual myeloma proteins within and between the subclasses varied considerably in inhibitory power. However, whereas IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 proteins inhibited lymphocyte-mediated erythrolysis induced by either type of antiserum, the two IgG4 proteins tested were essentially negative. These results suggest a lack of specificity of the Fc receptor for subclasses IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 in both heterologous and homologous inhibition. In monocyte-mediated erythrolysis, IgG1 and IgG3 were strong inhibitors, whereas inhibition by IgG2 and IgG4 was weak and inconsistent. This pattern was seen regardless of whether and inducing antiserum was of rabbit or human origin. Similar results were obtained in monocyte-induced erythrophagocytosis induced by serum EAK. These and previous results suggest that effector cells of the lymphocytic (K cell) variety have Fc receptors different from those of monocytic cells. However, the basis for the differences observed in the inhibition tests remains to be elucidated.

The use of the IgG-latex test in human leukemia.

Lymphocytes with receptors for IgG and phagocytes were detected simultaneously by incubating Bøyum separated mononuclear cells with IgG coated latex particles. IgG-latex particles formed rosettes around lymphoid cells with receptors for IgG, whereas phagocytes ingested these particles. This test was performed on cells from normal subjects and from patients with various diseases involving lymphocyte or monocyte proliferations. The results show that most chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells formed IgG-latex rosettes. Hairy cells from the patients studied showed a similar behaviour but poor phagocytic properties. Acute monocytic leukemia cells, in contrast, were largely phagocytes. This test is easy to perform and does not require sophisticated reagents, thus providing a basis for reproducibility, a rare occurrence in cellular immunology studies.