Jewish Hospital

About: Jewish Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Antigen & Population. The organization has 3881 authors who have published 3414 publications receiving 123044 citations.

Immunologic characterization of serum factors responsible for cold urticaria

Abstract: Serum factors from 2 patients with primary acquired cold urticaria have been characterised. These serum factors, which can passively transfer cold urticaria to normal recipients, are low in titer, have short skin-fixation times, and are relatively thermostable. Reduction with dithiothreitol or mercaptoethanol followed by alkylation with iodoacetamide destroyed the cold urticaria transfer activity. The passive transfer factor in both cases was recovered in Sephadex G-200 gel filtration fractions that primarily contained IgM immunoglobulins. Cold urticaria transfer activity was obtained in euglobulin fractions produced by dialysis of whole serum against lowionic strength low-pH buffers. While the fractions contained low concentrations of all classes of immunoglobulins, only IgM was present in significant amounts (20 to 40 per cent of whole serum IgM). Cold urticaria passive transfer activity persisted after specific adsorption of IgA, IgG, or IgE from various fractions or whole sera. It was, however, removed after complete adsorption of IgM. These data suggest that the serum factors responsible for cold urticaria in these patients belong to the IgM class. Possible mechanisms for the urtication phenomenon are discussed.

Automatic Detection and Recognition of Lung Abnormalities in Helical CT Images Using Deformable Templates

Abstract: Automatic detection of lung nodules is an important problem in computer analysis of chest radiographs. In this paper we propose a novel algorithm for isolating lung nodules from spiral CT scans. The proposed algorithm is based on using four different types of deformable templates describing typical geometry and gray level distribution of lung nodules. These four types are (i) solid spherical model of large-size calcified and non-calcified nodules appearing in several successive slices; (ii) hollow spherical model of large lung cavity nodules; (iii) circular model of small nodules appearing in only a single slice; and (iv) semicircular model of lung wall nodules. Each template has a specific gray level pattern which is analytically estimated in order to fit the available empirical data. The detection combines the normalized cross-correlation template matching by genetic optimization and Bayesian post-classification. This approach allows for isolating abnormalities which spread over several adjacent CT slices. Experiments with 200 patients’ CT scans show that the developed techniques detect lung nodules more accurately than other known algorithms.

Insulin-like growth factor-related signaling and cancer development

Abstract: In this review, selected examples of recent research developments concerning insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin in the context of cancer risk assessment and prevention will be discussed. We reviewed background information related to IGF physiology at the cellular and whole-organism levels, together with prior work concerning IGF-I levels and risk of a variety of cancers, including breast, prostate, colon, and lung in 2004 (Pollak et al. 2004). A comprehensive update to that general review (Pollak et al. 2004) is scheduled for Nature Reviews Cancer in early 2007.

Osteopontin activation of c-src in human melanoma cells requires the cytoplasmic domain of the integrin alpha v-subunit

Abstract: In human melanoma cells, expression of the alpha v beta 3 integrin is correlated with the metastatic potential. The expression of osteopontin (OPN or OP), a protein ligand for the integrin alpha v beta 3, also correlates with metastatic potential of some tumors. Analysis of signal transduction, stimulated by OPN/alpha v beta 3 in human melanoma cells (M21), revealed activation of pp60c-src associated with the integrin. pp60c-src stimulation by OPN was dose dependent, and it was inhibited in vitro by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, herbimycin-A. To determine the need for the cytoplasmic domain of the alpha v-subunit, in the association of pp60c-src with alpha v beta 3, a cell line expressing truncated alpha v was studied. M21-L cells lacked alpha v expression but stably transfected with complementary DNAs encoding alpha v full length protein alpha v 1018 or alpha v 995 (lacking 23 carboxyl-terminal amino acids), and a fibroblast cell line (FG) expressing alpha v beta 5 but not alpha v beta 3, were used. Western analysis and immune complex kinase assays of anti- alpha v immunoprecipitates demonstrated that M21-L/alpha v995 cells did not exhibit pp60c-src association with alpha v, whereas the alpha v1018 complementary DNA transfected cells and FG cells had pp60c-src associated with the alpha v integrins. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed pp60c-src, alpha v beta 3 integrin, and actin distribution along the plasma membrane of M21 cells. 35S-labeling of cells and analysis of complexes immunoprecipitated by a monoclonal antibody against alpha v beta 3 demonstrated association of actin with the immune complexes. We conclude that OPN stimulates pp60c-src kinase activity associated with the alpha v beta 3 integrin and that the association requires the cytoplasmic tail of the alpha v chain.