Overexpression of natural killer T cells protects Valpha14- Jalpha281 transgenic nonobese diabetic mice against diabetes.

Progression to destructive insulitis in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice is linked to the failure of regulatory cells, possibly involving T helper type 2 (Th2) cells. Natural killer (NK) T cells might be involved in diabetes, given their deficiency in NOD mice and the prevention of diabetes by adoptive transfer of alpha/beta double-negative thymocytes. Here, we evaluated the role of NK T cells in diabetes by using transgenic NOD mice expressing the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha chain Valpha14-Jalpha281 characteristic of NK T cells. Precise identification of NK1.1(+) T cells was based on out-cross with congenic NK1.1 NOD mice. All six transgenic lines showed, to various degrees, elevated numbers of NK1.1(+) T cells, enhanced production of interleukin (IL)-4, and increased levels of serum immunoglobulin E. Only the transgenic lines with the largest numbers of NK T cells and the most vigorous burst of IL-4 production were protected from diabetes. Transfer and cotransfer experiments with transgenic splenocytes demonstrated that Valpha14-Jalpha281 transgenic NOD mice, although protected from overt diabetes, developed a diabetogenic T cell repertoire, and that NK T cells actively inhibited the pathogenic action of T cells. These results indicate that the number of NK T cells strongly influences the development of diabetes.

[Telemetric transmission of fetal cardiac rhythm in monitoring high risk pregnancies (author's transl)]. / La transmission télémétrique du rythme cardiaque foetal dans la surveillance des grossesses à haut risque.

Telemetric transmission of fetal cardiac rhythm using a fetal electro-cardiographic signal which has been picked up from the mother's abdomen made it possible to monitor the fetus from a distance in 44 patients. This method of investigation, which is very demanding on the team, should be reserved for high-risk fetal cases. It makes it possible in some cases to pick up an early diagnosis of acute fetal distress, outside the times that are usually given for observations of fetal monitoring, namely multiples of ten minutes. The limitations in this technique are not to be found in the method of transmission itself, which does seem to be fairly easy to achieve successfully, but in the quality of the electro-cardiographic signals received from the abdominal wall, which are unreliable.

[Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. Contribution of echography to prenatal diagnosis. Apropos of a case]. / Syndrome d'Ellis Van Creveld. Apport de l'échographie dans le diagnostic prénatal. A propos d'un cas.

The Ellis Van Creveld syndrome gives rise to a dwarf showing chondroectodermal dysplasia. We report a case where the diagnosis was made antenatally by ultrasound. It showed that the length of the femur was shorter than the mean for the gestational age and it also showed six fingers. A review of the literature demonstrates that it is possible to make the diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia prenatally using ultrasound.

[Obstetrical consequences of female circumcision. Study in 71 circumcised African women]. / Conséquences obstétricales de l'excision féminine. Etude chez 71 femmes africaines excisées.

The delivery of 71 African women who had been circumcised was studied against a control of 781 women who were not circumcised. We have not been able to find any difference as far as caesarean section, forceps delivery or fetal distress in the two groups that were studied. The only difference is a higher frequency of perineal injury in the group of circumcised women.

NK T cell-induced protection against diabetes in V alpha 14-J alpha 281 transgenic nonobese diabetic mice is associated with a Th2 shift circumscribed regionally to the islets and functionally to islet autoantigen.

The onset of autoimmune diabetes is related to defective immune regulation. Recent studies have shown that NK T cells are deficient in number and function in both diabetic patients and nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. NK T cells, which are CD1d restricted, express a TCR with an invariant V alpha 14-J alpha 281 chain and rapidly produce large amounts of cytokines. V alpha 14-J alpha 281 transgenic NOD mice have increased numbers of NK T cells and are protected against diabetes onset. In this study we analyzed where and how NK T cells interfere with the development of the anti-islet autoimmune response. NK T cells, which are usually rare in lymph nodes, are abundant in pancreatic lymph nodes and are also present in islets. IL-4 mRNA levels are increased and IFN-gamma mRNA levels decreased in islets from diabetes-free V alpha 14-J alpha 281 transgenic NOD mice; the IgG1/IgG2c ratio of autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase is also increased in these mice. Treatment with IL-12 (a pro-Th1 cytokine) or anti-IL-4 Ab abolishes the diabetes protection in V alpha 14-J alpha 281 NOD mice. The protection from diabetes conferred by NK T cells is thus associated with a Th2 shift within islets directed against autoantigen such as glutamic acid decarboxylase. Our findings also demonstrate the key role of IL-4.

[A study of the mean concentration of plasma antithrombin III in arterial hypertension in pregnancy]. / Etude de la concentration moyenne d'antithrombine III plasmatique dans l'hypertension artérielle gravidique.

Plasma antithrombin III (AT III) level was examined in 30 pregnant women with hypertension and 44 without hypertension. AT III level is significatively lower in the group of hypertension. The degree of reduction in plasma AT III level seems to be correlated with hyper uricemia but not with count of platelets or fibrinogen.