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- Amin, Kawa, et al.
(author)
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Inflammatory cell and epithelial characteristics of perennial allergic and nonallergic rhinitis with a symptom history of 1 to 3 years' duration
- 2001
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In: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 107:2, s. 249-257
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Perennial rhinitis is an inflammatory condition of the mucosal lining of the nose that may be caused by allergic and nonallergic mechanisms. OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize the cellular pattern and structural changes in the nasal mucous membrane of patients with perennial rhinitis and compare them with those of control subjects. METHODS: Biopsy specimens were obtained from 27 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), from 12 patients with perennial nonallergic rhinitis (PNAR) with eosinophils present in the nasal smear, and from 6 control subjects without rhinitis. In 10 of 27 patients with PAR who were also allergic to pollen, biopsy specimens were taken within the respective season (PARseason). In the other 17 patients, the biopsy was taken outside the pollen season (PARoutside season). Inflammatory cells were identified by using mAbs to their unique granular proteins. RESULTS: The characteristic feature of perennial rhinitis was the accumulation of activated (degranulated) mast cells and eosinophils in the nasal mucosa. The tissue eosinophil/neutrophil ratio was higher, and the loss of epithelial integrity was greater in all patient groups compared with the control subjects. The extent of epithelial damage was significantly larger in patients in the PARseason group compared with that in the PARoutside season and PNAR groups, which did not significantly differ from each other in this respect. The number of eosinophils and mast cells was higher in the PNAR group compared with the PAR groups. In all patient groups, the number of eosinophils correlated with the loss of epithelial integrity. The number of mast cells did not correlate with the extent of epithelial damage nor did the number of neutrophils, except in patients in the PARseason group. CONCLUSION: The accumulation of eosinophils and mast cells, as well as loss of epithelial integrity, was characteristic for perennial rhinitis. Loss of epithelial integrity in the nasal mucosa may be a consequence of the activity of accumulated eosinophils.
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| 2. |
- Dahlén, Inger, et al.
(author)
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Changes in inflammatory markers following treatment of acute exacerbationsof obstructive pulmonary disease
- 2001
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In: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 95:11, s. 891-897
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim ofthe study was to investigate changes in inflammatory markers following emergency treatment of obstructive pulmonary disease. The study comprised 43 patients. After acute treatment, they were given either 30 mg of prednisolone p.o. or 1600 microg of inhaled budeson de daily for 1 week. Over the following 3 weeks, all the patients were given 1600 microg of inhaled budesonide daily. Blood samples for measurements of eosinophil cationic protein (S-ECP), eosinophil peroxidase (S-EPO), total eos nophil count (B-Eos), myeloperoxidase (S-MPO) and human neutrophil lipocaline (HNL) were taken and spirometry was performed before emergency treatment and after 1 and 4 weeks. There was no difference in the improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) between patients given prednisolone or budesonide. Patients with an improvement in FEV1 of >20% of baseline after 1 and 4 weeks displayed a larger decrease in eosinophil markers. The correlation between deltaFEV1 and deltaS-ECP was r= -0.37, P < 0.05, deltaS-EPO -0.40, P < 0.01 and deltaB-Eos -0.44, P < 0.01, after 4 weeks. This correlation was highly significant in patients who had smoked < or = 5 pack-years, while the correlation was not significant in patients with a longer smoking history and chronic airflow limitation (best FEV <80% of predicted). We conclude that the change in eosinophil markers is correlated to the improvement in lung function in non-smokers or short-term smokers following the emergency treatment of obstructive pulmonary disease. This study indicates that following eosinophil markers is more useful in patients with asthma than patients with COPD.
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- Peterson, Christer, et al.
(author)
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Common stock repurchases : a first year Swedish sample and comparative reactions on the US and the Finnish markets
- 2003
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In: Liiketaloudellinen Aikakauskirja. - 0024-3469 .- 2242-4296. ; 52:4, s. 455-474
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Public companies in Sweden were finally permitted to repurchase their own shares at the beginning of 2000 after a long and tenacious debate. This paper examines the effects on the prices of the first year Swedish sample. And what is original in the paper is the use of a sample of firms without prior experience in using this mechanism to remunerate shareholders. Moreover, we compare the price reactions with those on the US and Finnish markets. We have found significant abnormal returns of at least 1 percent in open market repurchases within one day. This result is similar to the reaction on the neighbouring Finnish market. However, this is significantly lesser than reported returns on the US stock exchange, probably due to severe institutional restrictions in designing a Swedish repurchase program.
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- Söderholm, Johan D, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Augmented increase in tight junction permeability by luminal stimuli in the non-inflamed ileum of crohn's disease
- 2002
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In: Gut. - : BMJ. - 0017-5749 .- 1468-3288. ; 50:3, s. 307-313
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Crohn's disease is associated with deranged intestinal permeability in vivo, suggesting dysfunction of tight junctions. The luminal contents are important for development of neoinflammation following resection. Regulation of tight junctions by luminal factors has not previously been studied in Crohn's disease. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a luminal stimulus, known to affect tight junctions, on the distal ileum in patients with Crohn's disease. Patients: Surgical specimens from the distal ileum of patients with Crohn's disease (n=l 2) were studied, and ileal specimens from colon cancer patients (n=l 3) served as controls. Methods: Mucosal permeability to 51Cr-EDTA and electrical resistance were studied in Ussing chambers during luminal exposure to sodium caprate (a constituent of milk fat, affecting tight junctions) or to buffer only. The mechanisms involved were studied by mucosal ATP levels, and by electron and confocal microscopy. Results: Baseline permeability was the same in non-inflamed ileum of Crohn's disease and controls. Sodium caprate induced a rapid increase in paracellular permeability - that is, increased permeation of 51Cr-EDTA and decreased electrical resistance - which was more pronounced in non-inflamed ileum of Crohn's disease, and electron microscopy showed dilatations within the tight junctions. Moreover, sodium caprate induced disassembly of perijunctional filamentous actin was more pronounced in Crohn's disease mucosa. Mucosal permeability changes were accompanied by mitochondrial swelling and a fall in epithelial ATP content, suggesting uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. Conclusions: The tight junctions in the non-inflamed distal ileum of Crohn's disease were more reactive to luminal stimuli, possibly mediated via disturbed cytoskeletal contractility. This could contribute to the development of mucosal neoinflammation in Crohn's disease.
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| 14. |
- Zhao, Linshu, et al.
(author)
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Purification and characterization of a 95 kDa protein : from normal human granulocytes
- 2002
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In: JIM - Journal of Immunological Methods. - 0022-1759 .- 1872-7905. ; 270:1, s. 27-35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A 95-kDa protein was purified to homogeneity from granule extracts of normal human granulocytes. The column procedure consisted of Sephadex G-75, Mono-S cation exchange and Superdex HR 75 chromatography. The purified protein showed only one broad band at a molecular weight of 95 kDa when analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). It reacted with polyclonal antibodies against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and a specific monoclonal antibody against CD66b, but did not react with monoclonal antibodies against CD66acde and CD66c when analyzed by immunoblotting. The molecular weight of the protein shifted from 95 to 40 kDa on SDS-PAGE after deglycosylation. Tryptic peptide analysis by MALDI-Tof identified four peptides with spectra of m/z matching the expected tryptic peptides from a CGM6 gene product. Furthermore, the nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis of the two selected tryptic peptides of the protein revealed two amino acid sequences corresponding to residues 79-98 and 199-207 of the CGM6 gene product. Based on this, and also on the immunochemical data, it is concluded that the purified 95 kDa is identical to carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 8 (CEACAM8) (nonspecific cross-reacting antigen (NCA)-95, CD67 and CD66b) and is a product of the CGM6 (W272) gene. We present, for the first time, a method for the purification of CEACAM8 from normal human granulocytes, which should be useful for further studies on its structure and functions. We also confirmed at the protein level that CEACAM8 is a product of the CGM6 (NCA-W272) gene.
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