Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032285 (pneumonia)
 54,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

No more than 150 cases of neonatal leukemia had been reported in the literature. Seven additional cases are reported herein. The incidence of neonatal leukemia has been of one in 50,000. Its incidence among the group of neonates requiring hospitalization has been of 0.075%. The seven neonates with leukemia consist of five males and two females. Two of them had an associated Down's syndrome. Abdominal distension, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, cutaneous manifestations and purpura were the most frequent clinical findings in our patients. Severe anemia was present in only three patients. Thrombocytopenia was recognized in six of them. A high white blood cell count was present in five patients. The number of blast cells in their peripheral blood smear ranged between 16 and 100%. A remarkable myeloid dominance was observed. One patient died two hours after birth and his diagnosis was made at autopsy. Three patients were diagnosed before the age of three weeks. The three patients with myeloid leukemia were treated with DNR and Ara-C. A complete hematological remission was achieved in two of them. One patient died of a Pn. carinii pneumonia one month after the remission was induced. The remainder patient of this group had a Down's syndrome and the leukemia had been confirmed by hepatic biopsy. After two years of maintenance with Ara-C and Thioguanine he is alive and both, peripheral blood and bone marrow, remains normal. A lymphocitic leukemia was seen in only two patients. One was treated with prednisolone and VCR, and the other with prednisolone, VR and L-Asp. In both cases a good response to the chemotherapy was observed. Autopsy was performed in all patients who died but one. The pathological findings are analyzed. The low survival among patients with neonatal leukemia may be influenced by the toxic side effects of the used chemotherapy. All aspects of the medical treatment including drugs of choice and the usefullness of isolation devices are further discussed.
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PMID:[Neonatal leukemia. Report of seven cases (author's transl)]. 106 63

Pneumocystis carinii (PC) pneumonia begins as an intra-alveolar process resulting in injury to the alveolar epithelium with subsequent invasion of the lung interstitium. The clearance of PC organisms from the alveolar space is a critical function of alveolar macrophages (AM), the resident alveolar phagocytic cells. In this study the mechanism of PC attachment to AM was determined using 51Cr-labeled organisms, with PC attachment reaching a maximum of 18.9 +/- 2.5% after 4 h. Attachment was significantly decreased by preincubation of the AM with a monoclonal anti-fibronectin antibody directed against the cell attachment site of fibronectin (from 17.8 +/- 2.2% to 8.3 +/- 1.0%, P less than 0.01), or by addition of the fibronectin cell binding site analogue Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) (from 18.1 +/- 2.3% to 2.9 +/- 0.8%, P less than 0.01). An anti-fibronectin monoclonal antibody directed against the heparin binding domain of fibronectin had no effect on PC attachment. Addition of the specific calcium ion chelating agent EGTA to the culture media similarly decreased attachment from 16.9 +/- 2.0% to 5.1 +/- 1.1% (P less than 0.01). Fibronectin-mediated attachment of PC to AM did not result in phagocytosis of the organisms by the AM as determined by chemiluminescence measurements. Therefore, the data indicate that PC attachment to AM is a calcium-dependent process mediated by the cell binding domain of fibronectin which does not trigger a phagocytic response by the AM.
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PMID:Mechanism of Pneumocystis carinii attachment to cultured rat alveolar macrophages. 212 81

Attachment of pathogens to host cells is a prerequisite for the development of many infections. Pneumocystis carinii (PC) pneumonia is characterized by attachment of PC trophozoites to the alveolar epithelium. The mechanism of this process is unknown. Fibronectin (Fn) is a glycoprotein present in the alveolar space known to mediate cell-cell attachment, including the attachment of certain pathogens to host epithelial cells. In this study the binding of Fn to PC trophozoites has been characterized in vitro using 125I-Fn. Fn binds saturably and specifically to 6.4 x 10(5) binding sites per organism with an apparent binding constant, Kd, of 1.2 x 10(-8) M. Fn binding to PC was inhibited by the addition of Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), a tetrapeptide containing the active site of the cell-binding domain of Fn. PC attachment to an alveolar epithelial cell line was quantified using 51Cr-labeled PC trophozoites. Attachment was decreased from 24 +/- 1.9% to 12.1 +/- 1% (P less than 0.01) by the addition of an anti-Fn antibody, an effect that could be overcome by the addition of excess free Fn. It is concluded that binding of Fn to PC may be an important initial step in the attachment of the organism to alveolar epithelial cells. Furthermore, it appears that PC recognizes and binds to the RGDS cell attachment site of Fn.
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PMID:Role of fibronectin in Pneumocystis carinii attachment to cultured lung cells. 229 9

The primary antibody response of mice to phosphorylcholine (PC) is dominated by antibodies using the T15 L chain. Anti-PC antibodies using the 511 L chain are prominent only in secondary responses to PC coupled to proteins, are somatically mutated, and all have an extra amino acid at the Vh-D junction, compared with T15 antibodies. The aim of the experiments reported here was to determine if the extra junctional amino acid alone was sufficient to generate a 511 PC-binding antibody, or if somatic mutation or other junctional changes were also necessary. We also wished to determine if unmutated 511 antibodies had sufficient affinity for PC to appear in the primary response. To increase the frequency of primary 511 antibodies, we generated a series of hybridomas from M167 L chain transgenic mice immunized 4 days earlier with either Streptococcus pneumonia R36a or PC-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). We determined the relative affinity of the antibodies, and sequenced their H chain V regions. The results showed that: 1) somatic mutations are not required for 511 antibodies to bind PC; 2) primary 511 antibodies all had lower relative affinities for PC than T15 while having similar affinities to T15 for TNP-aminophenyl PC, and higher affinities for the PC analogs nitrophenyl PC and choline; 3) all antibodies had the 511-specific insertion of an extra amino acid, usually Ala, at the VhD junction, compared with T15; 4) immunization with R36a, but not PC-hemocyanin, elicited antibodies with a specific Tyr----Asp substitution in the D region, indicating Ag selection based on fine specificity differences; 5) the total length of CDR3 was conserved in most anti-PC-hemocyanin antibodies, whereas the anti-R36a antibodies predominantly had longer CDR3 sequences; and 6) there were unique substitutions in most antibodies, including significant sequence heterogeneity in the D-Jh junction. We conclude that Ag selection on the basis of affinity for PC biases the primary anti-PC response in favor of T15, and that 511 precursors with their alternative fine specificities contribute the precursors that are expanded in the secondary anti-PC-KLH responses.
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PMID:Sequence and fine specificity analysis of primary 511 anti-phosphorylcholine antibodies. 251 48

Pneumocystis carinii attaches to alveolar epithelial cells during the development of pneumonia. Adhesive proteins found within the alveolar space have been proposed to mediate P. carinii adherence to lung cells. Vitronectin (Vn), a 75-kDa glycoprotein present in the lower respiratory tract, has substantial cell-adhesive properties and might participate in the host-parasite interaction during P. carinii pneumonia. To address whether Vn binds to P. carinii, we studied the interaction of radiolabeled Vn with purified P. carinii organisms. Vn bound to P. carinii, occupying an estimated 5.47 x 10(5) binding sites per organism, with an affinity constant, Kd, of 4.24 x 10(-7) M. Interestingly, the interaction of Vn with P. carinii was not mediated through the Arg-Gly-Asp cell-adhesive domain of Vn. Addition of Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) peptides did not inhibit binding. In contrast, Vn binding to P. carinii was substantially inhibited by the addition of heparin or by digesting the organisms with heparitinase, suggesting that P. carinii may interact with the glycosaminoglycan-binding domain of Vn. To determine whether Vn might enhance P. carinii attachment to lung epithelial cells, we studied the binding of 51Cr-labeled P. carinii to cultured A549 lung cells. Addition of Vn resulted in significantly increased binding of P. carinii to A549 cells, whereas a neutralizing anti-Vn serum substantially reduced the binding of P. carinii to A549 cells. These data suggest that Vn binds to P. carinii and that Vn might provide an additional means by which P. carinii attaches to respiratory epithelial cells.
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PMID:Vitronectin binds to Pneumocystis carinii and mediates organism attachment to cultured lung epithelial cells. 769 47

The paleopathological study of 40 Italian Renaissance mummies has allowed us to perform about 20 diagnoses, of which 5 concern infectious (smallpox, hepatitis, condyloma, syphilis and pneumonia), 4 metabolic (obesity, atherosclerosis, gallstones and uric acid nephrolithiasis), 2 articular (DISH and rheumatoid arthritis) and 2 neoplastic (skin apithelioma and colon adenocarcinoma) diseases. The mummy of an anonymous child, dated back to the 16th century (C14=1569 +/- 60), presented a diffuse vesiculo-pustular exanthema. Macroscopic aspects and regional distribution suggested smallpox, while EM reavealed many egg-shaped, virus-like particles (250 x 50 nm), with a central dense core. Following incubation with anti-smallpox virus antiserum and protein A-gold complex immunostaining, the particles resulted completely covered with protein A-gold. These results clearly show that this Neapolitan child died of a severe form of smallpox some four centuries ago. The mummy of Maria of Aragon, Marquise of Vasto (1503-1568), reavealed on the left arm an oval, cutaneous ulcer (15x10 nm) with linen dressing. Indirect immunofluorescence with anti-treponema pallidum antibody identified a large number of filaments with the morphological characteristics of fluorescent treponemes. EM evidenced typical spirochetes, with axial fibril. These findings clearly demonstrate a treponemal, probably venereal, infection. The mummy of Ferrante I of Aragon, King of Naples (1431-1494), revealed an adenocarcinoma extensively infiltrating the muscles of the small pelvis. A molecular study of the neoplastic tissue evidenced a typical mutation of the K-ras gene codon 12:the normal sequence GGT (glycine) was altered into GAT (aspartic acid). At present this genetic change is the most frequent mutation of the K-ras gene in sporadic colorectal cancer. The alimentary "environment" of the Neapolitan court of the XV century, with its abundance of natural alimentary alkylating agents, well explains this acquired mutation. These and other diseases as, for example, a fatal puerperal complication, a thyroid goiter, a case of Wilson's cirrhosis, some cases of anthracosis and other peculiar traumatic conditions, such as a mortal stab-wound, can elucidate the pathocenosis of the wealthy classes of the Italian Renaissance.
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PMID:Renaissance mummies in Italy. 1162 3

Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (BLAD) in Holstein cattle is an autosomal recessive congenital disease characterized by recurrent bacterial infections, delayed wound healing and stunted growth, and is also associated with persistent marked neutrophilia. The molecular basis of BLAD is a single point mutation (adenine to guanine) at position 383 of the CD18 gene, which caused an aspartic acid to glycine substitution at amino acid 128 (D128G) in the adhesion molecule CD18. Neutrophils from BLAD cattle have impaired expression of the beta2 integrin (CD11a,b,c/CD18) of the leukocyte adhesion molecule. Abnormalities in a wide spectrum of adherence dependent functions of leukocytes have been fully characterized. Cattle affected with BLAD have severe ulcers on oral mucous membranes, severe periodontitis, loss of teeth, chronic pneumonia and recurrent or chronic diarrhea. Affected cattle die at an early age due to the infectious complications. Holstein bulls, including carrier sires that had a mutant BLAD gene in heterozygote were controlled from dairy cattle for a decade. The control of BLAD in Holstein cattle by publishing the genotypes and avoiding the mating between BLAD carriers was found to be successful. This paper provides an overview of the genetic disease BLAD with reference to the disease in Holstein cattle.
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PMID:Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (BLAD): a review. 1564 95

Hexon sequences were analyzed in 29 epidemiologically unrelated adenovirus type 3 (Ad3) isolates from the 7 genome types to understand the molecular basis of the genome-type diversity of Ad3 associated with childhood pneumonia in Korea during the period 1991-1999. Nine nucleotide substitutions were observed among the 29 Ad3 strains. Five of the 9 involved amino acid changes in loops 1 (Gly to Val at codon 205 and Thr to Ile at 211) and loop 2 (His to Asn at 417, Thr to Ala at 429, and Ala to Asp at 439). The predicted hydropathic characteristics of this region have been affected by these amino acid changes. The region surrounding codons from 417 to 439 of Ad3a16 and Ad3a18 manifested greater hydrophobicity than the region of other genome types (Ad3a, Ad3a13, Ad3a14, Ad3a15, and Ad3a17). In particular, three amino acid changes in loop 2 were associated with two new genome types, namely, Ad3a16 and Ad3a18, which were recognized during later epidemics in 1998-1999. Phylogenetic relatedness revealed that these two genome types clustered into distinct lineages in the phylogenetic tree. This result suggests that the genetic heterogeneity of Ad3 hexon could play a potential role in the appearance of new genome types and that it could affect the antigenic characteristics of Ad3.
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PMID:Genetic heterogeneity of the hexon gene of adenovirus type 3 over a 9-year period in Korea. 1641 17

An 81-year-old woman had pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (levofloxacin Etest minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] 1.5 microg/ml) and was treated with intravenous gatifloxacin 200 mg/day. After 3 days of therapy, repeat sputum cultures were positive for S. pneumoniae, which was resistant to levofloxacin (Etest MIC > 32 microg/ml). The isolate obtained before therapy showed a preexisting parC mutation of aspartic acid-83 to asparagine (Asp83-->Asn), and the isolate obtained during therapy showed an acquired gyrA mutation from serine-81 to phenylalanine (Ser81-->Phe) and a second parC mutation from lysine-137 to Asn (Lys137-->Asn). Both isolates were the same strain, as determined with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. This case demonstrates the potential for resistance to emerge during 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone therapy for fluoroquinolone-susceptible S. pneumoniae with a preexisting parC mutation. Additional clinical failures with a fluoroquinolone may occur unless these first-step parC mutants can be identified to assist clinicians in selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
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PMID:Selection of a gyrA mutation and treatment failure with gatifloxacin in a patient with Streptococcus pneumoniae with a preexisting parC mutation. 1725 13

Neutrophils are the primary inflammatory cell in smokers' lungs, but little is known about the ability of cigarette smoke to modulate neutrophil function. Neutrophils undergo caspase-3-dependent spontaneous, as well as phagocytosis-induced, apoptosis. This study investigated the ability of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) to alter neutrophil caspase-3 activity, apoptosis, and phagocytosis. CSE treatment resulted in a dramatic suppression of neutrophil caspase-3-like activity, which correlated with reduced cleavage of glutamate-L-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, a known target of active caspase-3. CSE did not affect procaspase-3 processing to its active fragment, suggesting a direct effect of CSE on active caspase-3. Consistent with this, CSE inhibited active recombinant caspase-3 activity, which was abolished by dithiothreitol, suggesting a redox-sensitive mechanism. CSE-induced suppression of caspase-3 activity did not alter spontaneous apoptosis but did impair phagocytic activity. Since CSE treatment resulted in profound suppression of caspase-3 activity but did not alter apoptosis, the possibility of a threshold level of caspase-3 activity was investigated. CSE reduced caspase-3 activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Despite near complete suppression of caspase-3 activity, spontaneous apoptosis was not altered. Conversely, treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone, reduced spontaneous apoptosis. These data demonstrate that CSE does not suppress caspase-3 activity below a threshold level to prevent spontaneous apoptosis, but the level of inhibition is sufficient to impair neutrophil phagocytic activity. These divergent functions of caspase-3 may contribute to the persistence of neutrophils in the lungs of smokers, as well as be a factor in their higher incidence of community-acquired pneumonia.
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PMID:Cigarette smoke extract-induced suppression of caspase-3-like activity impairs human neutrophil phagocytosis. 1735 Oct 60


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