Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.7 (DNA polymerase)
 17,007 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recombinant human interleukin 2 was administered to 10 patients with chronic type B hepatitis as a part of a pilot study to evaluate its antiviral activity. Patients received 1 to 3 x 10(5) units per day of interleukin 2 for 21 to 28 days, and all completed the treatment schedule. During therapy, serum values of DNA polymerase decreased in 6 and became negative in four patients. However, when therapy was discontinued, DNA polymerase levels increased to pretreatment levels in most cases. Serum HBeAg levels did not change during treatment. Serum aminotransferase levels transiently increased in 6 of the 10 patients during therapy; but once therapy was stopped, levels fell markedly. Side effects of interleukin 2 therapy included fever, chills, anorexia and fatigue. After 1 year of follow-up, three treated patients had lost HBeAg and had marked improvement in aminotransferase levels. These serologic and biochemical improvements occurred 1.5 to 11 months after therapy was stopped. Whether a 3- to 4-week course of interleukin 2 therapy leads to an increased rate of seroconversion from HBeAg to antibody in chronic type B hepatitis deserves further evaluation in prospectively randomized, controlled trials.
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PMID:Pilot study of recombinant human interleukin 2 for chronic type B hepatitis. 313 Dec 27

The ubiquitous trace metal zinc has been discovered since a long time as an intrinsic element in all biological systems. However, its role other than structural or catalytic in enzymes is poorly defined. Zinc plays a determinative role both in primary and secondary T lymphocyte production. Experimental data support the notion that during intrathymic maturation, non-autoreactive, immunocompetent T cell clones are selected from the excess of immature thymocytes as a result of expansion of bone marrow derived prothymocytes in response to pleiotropically acting alarmon (s) and a subsequent escape via the thymic stroma cells from nucleotide-mediated "biochemical suicide". The activity of alarmon (Ap4A), nucleotide metabolizing enzymes (TdT, DNA polymerase, thymidine kinase, 5'-nucleotidase) and some of the soluble stromal cell products (FTS) require constitutive zinc. In the peripheral lymphoid organs the magnitude and duration of antigen induced, T cell mediated immunoreactions are regulated by T-cell growth factor (IL-2). Using receptor specific monoclonal antibody probes, it has been established recently that the intracellular role of IL-2 is probably to induce the phenotypic expression of high affinity transferrin receptors, known to be the main zinc transporter system in T-lymphocytes. The coordinative role of zinc in T lymphocyte development via the inducible metallothionein system is emphasized. Some clinical aspects of zinc metabolism are discussed.
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PMID:Zinc and immunity. 623 34