Purpose. Following the solubilization of protein from patient worn soft contact lenses and subsequent analysis via SDS-PAGE, an unidentified 30 kDa protein deposit was commonly observed. The mysterious deposit was found to accumulate on a variety of soft contact lens material.Methods. Acuvue®, Cibasoft®, Excelens® and Newvue® soft contact lenses were worn by three asymptomatic patients using both daily-wear and extended wear regimens. To characterize the unknown deposit, human tear samples and lens eluted protein were subjected to SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, enzymatic assays and protein sequencing.Results. Results show that the 30 kDa protein deposit is the homologous dimer of tear lysozyme. Polymerized lysozyme was found on each of the three lens materials within one h of wear. However, the dimer was not present in the normal tear film.Conclusions. Therefore, this dimerization phenomenon is the result of an aggregation and interaction of lysozyme with various soft contact lens polymers.

Dimerization of tear lysozyme on hydrophilic contact lens polymers

A method for detecting eubacteria in biological samples with catalytically inactive murein binding enzyme is presented. The biological sample may be chemically treated with alkali to cleave peptide bonds in the sample before incubating the sample with the catalytically inactive murein binding enzyme.

Method for detecting eubacteria in biological samples with catalytically inactive murein binding enzymes

Murein binding polypeptide and conjugates are presented. The murein binding polypeptide and conjugates can be used to test for antibiotic susceptibility and detecting eubacteria and fungus in biological samples. Diagnostic reagents and kits containing the murein binding polypeptide and conjugates for use in these assays are provided.

Pan-bacterial and pan-fungal identification reagents and methods of use thereof

The invention relates to new uses of the dimerised form of lysozyme for the manufacture of a medicament for inhibiting biosynthesis of Tumor Necrosis Factor in animals and humans. The lysozyme dimer is in particular useful for the treatment and prophylaxis of diseases associated with excessively high levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical formulations of the medicament according to the invention, namely injections comprising the dimerised form of lysozyme in amounts of 0,01-10 mg/ml, of an apyrogenic sterile composition comprising at least one physiologically acceptable solvent and at least one pharmaceutically approved preservative, as well as to tampons and antiseptive dressings impregnated with, and ointments or gels comprising an effective dose of the dimerised form of lysozyme for the prevention and/or treatment of sepsis and septic shock, especially of infected wounds.

Lysozyme dimer and compositions containing the same

A method for treating or preventing a disease includes administering a pharmaceutical composition containing a lysozyme dimer to a human or animal recipient in an amount effective for non-specific stimulation of the immune system or the regenerative mechanisms of the human or animal body, and wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of leukemia, hair growth disorder, a fish disease and a bee disease. The method can be used for treating or preventing such diseases as leukemia, hair growth disorder, a fish disease and a bee disease. In addition, the method can be used for immunomodulating a humoral response in a human or animal subject to immunosuppression, such as for positively affecting the primary humoral response of mammals immunized with an antigen after immunosuppression.

Applications of lysozyme dimer

A method is provided for preparing a highly purified lysozyme dimer product which comprises dimerizing the lysozyme monomer with a suberimidate coupling reagent in a buffer solution adjusted to pH 10, stopping the dimerization at a given point by lowering the pH to 7 via addition of HCl or other suitable acid solution, and purifying the dimeric lysozyme by a series of elution steps carried out using ion exchange resin column chromatography Monomeric lysozyme remaining undimerized by the initial dimerization step is recycled into the process in order to increase yield The present system is advantageous in that large amounts of purified lysozyme dimer can be prepared efficiently and relatively inexpensively, and the lysozyme dimer so produced is useful in treating viral and/or bacterial diseases without causing the cytotoxic effects associated with the lysozyme monomer

Method of preparing lysozyme dimers

A method for preparing purified ribonuclease dimers is provided which comprise the steps of dimerizing monomeric ribonuclease with a suberimidate coupling reagent, filtering out undimerized monomers and oligomers from the dimer solution using a series of ion exchange resin chromatography steps, monitoring the progress of the reaction through gel electrophoresis, and collecting the purified ribonuclease dimer product. The method is advantageous in that large amounts of the dimeric product can be obtained efficiently and relatively inexpensively, and the ribonuclease dimers so produced can be employed for their beneficial effects in combatting viral and bacterial infections without the cytotoxic effects normally associated with the ribonuclease monomer.

Herrmann Peter

Papers

Method of preparing lysozyme dimers

Method of preparing ribonuclease dimers