Erkki Savilahti

Increased density of lymphocytes bearing γ/δ T-cell receptors in recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU)

Lymphocytes bearing the T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma/delta are increased in the peripheral blood of patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) and Behcets disease. In this study, we examined whether the density of TCR-gamma/delta bearing lymphocytes was also increased locally in RAU lesions. Ten RAU lesions from ten patients were compared with ulcer-free mucosa from sites contralateral to the lesions, and with 10 samples of clinically healthy oral mucosa taken from 10 healthy volunteers. Samples were labeled with a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific to CD3, alpha/beta TCR and gamma/delta TCR in avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) staining. Lymphocytes expressing gamma/delta TCRs were very low in non-lesional mucosa and clinically healthy mucosa. By contrast, gamma/delta T-cells were numerous and observed in all RAU lesions especially within the epithelium, inflammatory infiltrates and at perivascular locations. The count of gamma/delta T-cells was high in connective tissue of RAU (200 +/- 126 cells/mm2) compared with connective tissue of controls (4+/-4 cells/mm2; P<0.0001) or non-lesional mucosa (5+/-7 cells/mm2). Interestingly, the density of gamma/delta T-cells was also high in the epithelium of RAU (70+/-34 cells/mm2) compared with the epithelium of non-lesional mucosa (2.8+/-06 cells/mm2; P<0.0001) or epithelium of healthy controls (1.2+/-1.5 cells/mm2; P<0.0001). Moreover, the mean percentage of gamma/delta+ T-cells among total CD3+ lymphocytes was increased in the connective tissue area from 4% and 5% in controls and non-lesional mucosa, respectively, to 19% in RAU. In epithelial areas, the average percentage was increased from 2% and 6% in controls and non-lesional mucosa, respectively, to 36% in RAU. These data showed that gamma/delta T-cells are more numerous in RAU lesions and such an increase was purely restricted to RAU inflammatory areas.

IgM AND IgG ANTI-MILK ANTIBODIES MEASURED BY RADIOIMMUNOASSAY IN MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Antibodies against milk protein were sought by a radioimmunoassay in 47 patients with myocardial infarction and in 50 control patients. There was no difference between the two groups in the frequency or in the quantity of IgM and IgG antibodies against milk proteins. These results do not support the suggestion that anti-milk antibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of coronary heart-disease.

Effect of repeated endotoxin treatment and hypercholesterolemia on preatherosclerotic lesions in weaned pigs Part 11. Lipid and glycosaminoglycan analysis of intima and inner media

We compared the effects of mild hypercholesterolemia and repeated endotoxin infusions on the biochemical composition of aortic intima and inner media of 24 piglets divided into 4 groups 5 days after weaning: controls on normal diet (group I); normal diet and endotoxin (group II); fat-supplemented diet (group III); and fat-supplemented diet and endotoxin (group IV). It was found that mild hypercholesterolemia increased the concentration of arterial esterified cholesterol and the relative amount of the fraction containing chondroitin sulphates A and C in total glycosaminoglycans. Endotoxin infusions partly prevented the increase of serum cholesterol caused by the fat-supplemented diet but had no independent effect on the arterial biochemical composition; nor did they affect the biochemical changes caused by hypercholesterolemia. When the results of all groups were combined, chondroitin sulphates A and C showed a significant positive correlation with the concentration of arterial esterified cholesterol and the percentage of linoleic acid in arterial cholesteryl esters. Serum total cholesterol did not correlate with arterial cholesterol fractions, but the ratio of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol to total serum cholesterol showed a negative association with arterial esterified cholesterol. The present findings indicate that (1) mild hypercholesterolemia is atherogenic in young piglets, and (2) changes in arterial glycosaminoglycan composition might be one of the earliest biochemical alterations in atherogenesis.

Antibodies to Gliadin in Children with Coeliac Disease

ABSTRACT. We have measured antibodies to gliadin (AGA), bovine β‐lactoglobulin, and chicken egg ovalbumin with a four‐layer solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 62 children and adolescents with coeliac disease and in 36 healthy controls. The geometric mean titre of IgG AGA in patients at initial diagnosis was more than 100‐fold that of controls (p<0.0001). Even patients on gluten‐free diet had significantly higher IgG AGA titres than the controls (p= 0.0001), the difference being more than 5‐fold. All the 42 patients with active disease (30 at initial diagnosis and 12 after gluten challenge) had their IgG AGA titre above 1000, as compared with 2 (5.7%) of the 35 controls (p<0.0001). Both IgG and IgA AGA were quite sensitive and specific in identifying children with coeliac disease; the sensitivities for IgG and IgA AGA were 100% and 95.2%, the specificities 94.3% and 97.2%, respectively. We conclude that determination of IgG and IgA AGA with RIA is suitable for monitoring dietary compliance in children with coeliac disease, and the method is sensitive and specific for screening for coeliac disease in children.