Downregulation of phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate–induced tumor necrosis factor–alpha and interleukin‐1β production and gene expression in human monocytic cells by human alpha‐fetoprotein

Wei Wang, Elliot Alpert – 1 September 1995 – We previously identified a specific receptor for alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) on human monocytes. Although AFP alters many immune cell functions, the effect of AFP on monocyte cytokine production is unknown. Because tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) are important cytokines in immunoregulation, we investigated whether AFP could modulate TNF‐α and IL‐1β production in U937, a human monocytic cell line.

Issues in xenotransplantation absence of hyperacute rejection in newborn pig‐to‐baboon cardiac xenografts

Nancy L. Ascher – 1 September 1995 – The shortage of organs for transplantation is especially severe for the critically ill newborn infant, for whom donors of the appropriate size are particularly scarce. One way to overcome this problem is to use animals in lieu of human as organ donors. The major limitation to using animals for this purpose is the susceptibility of animal organs to hyperacute rejection, a violent rejection reaction thought to be mediated by antidonor antibody and complement.

Specific inhibition of hepatitis C viral gene expression by antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides

Michael Alt, Renate Renz, Peter H. Hofschneider, Gustav Paumgartner, Wolfgang H. Caselmann – 1 September 1995 – The inhibitory effect of antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (S‐ODN) on hepatitis C viral gene expression was analyzed in an in vitro test system and in cell culture. S‐ODN were directed against different stem loop structures in the 5′noncoding region (NCR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and against a nucleotide stretch, including the start codon of the polyprotein precursor.

Prevalence of hypertransaminasemia in adult celiac patients and effect of gluten‐free diet

Maria Teresa Bardella, Mirella Fraquelli, Maurizio Quatrini, Nicoletta Molteni, Paolo Bianchi, Dario Conte – 1 September 1995 – The prevalence of hypertransaminasemia and the effect of gluten‐free diet (GFD) were evaluated in 158 consecutive adult celiac patients, 127 women and 31 men, aged 18 to 68 years (mean, 32). At diagnosis, 67 patients (42%) had raised aspartate and/or alanine transaminase levels (AST and ALT; mean, 47 IU/L, range, 30 to 190; and 61 IU/L, range, 25 to 470, respectively), whereas 91 patients had normal liver function tests (LFT).

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